What We Learned at the Michigan Revival Conference

A Summary by Dr. Rick Flanders

[drrickflanders@gmail.com, 989.863.0784]

A real revival movement in the state of Michigan, especially among Baptist preachers, culminated in what was called the Michigan Revival Conference, which was held across the state June 18-25.  A year of preparation for the conference and for revival in the churches included many prayer meetings, days of fasting and prayer, pastors’ gatherings, intense planning, advertising, the giving of offerings, email invitations, promotion through social media and a website, and earnest anticipation.  God met with His servants over this past year in powerfully transforming ways, and revival was experienced to some degree in many lives as we worked toward the MRC.  Then it came.  Those involved in the praying and preparing that preceded the Michigan Revival Conference know how the Lord answered prayer in regard even to the visible aspects of it.  Attendance was more than might be expected, unless your faith was increased in the prayer meetings.  It was remarkable, with crowds filling the auditoriums at Clio and Bridgeport, and later in Gaylord and Kinross. The speakers were particularly effective, and apparently filled with the Spirit of God.  Large conference choirs organized from a good number of churches blessed the meetings with thrilling revival songs.  The services were blessed with revival and with at least three big breaking points over the eight days. All of the twenty-nine sermons produced significant response to the truths presented, but several times the response to the public invitation was stunning and widespread.  God’s supply of the Conference expenses through the free-will giving was above the need, and plans for the use of excess funds for future revival efforts are being made.  Thousands were involved in the Conference services through live-streaming, and the sermons are now available by way of the website at www.revivemichigan.com.  For those Christians in Michigan and elsewhere who were not able to experience the whole Conference, we will summarize the message of this important assembly, with meetings held at the Landmark Baptist Church of Clio, the First Baptist Church of Bridgeport, the Grace Baptist Church of Gaylord, and the Fundamental Baptist Church of Kinross, and addressed by Rick Flanders, R.B. Ouellette, Jim Van Gelderen, and Dave Young, by making ten statements and explaining them.  Here is what we learned at the Michigan Revival Conference:

1. We were taught from the Bible what revival is. It is the work of God by which He brings His people back, and lifts them up, to the place of submission and faith where He can bless them as He promised.  It is restoration to spiritual health, as we learned in a study of the word “revive” at the first session Sunday morning.  It can be expected when God’s people humble themselves and seek the face of the Great Reviver.  It is simply what Christianity is expected biblically to be.
2. We learned also what we can do to have the revival we need. Dave Young preached in three sermons about three key revival words: repent, confess, life, and broken.  When we humble ourselves in brokenness before God, and repent by confessing our sins, we can trust God to restore the life Jesus died for us to experience.  That is revival.
3. We learned in many sessions how the Christian life is to be lived. It is not lived by our own efforts to measure up to its high standards.  Jim Van Gelderen taught us that Christian living is not a 50/50 proposition, 50% Jesus and 50% us.  Just as in salvation, the Christian life is 100% Jesus and 0% us.  Brother Ouellette showed us with a vacuum cleaner how Christian life and service is not passive, although it is absolutely dependent on God.  When the cleaner isn’t plugged into the power, it won’t work; but when it is plugged in, but not moved, it won’t work either.  Many of the messages pressed upon us our need for the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. The last day of the Conference, June 25 at Kinross, all four of the sermons were about prayer. We studied Luke 11:13.  James 5:16.  Jeremiah 33:3, Acts 4:31, as three of our main speakers connected revival with prayer.
5. Important revival issues were raised by all of the speakers, particularly bitterness, presumptuous sins, lukewarmness, legalism and license.
6. We also got a look at the big picture, the Lord’s plan to reach the world, to see that every human being alive hears about the love of God and the redemption of Christ. Jesus stated His program in Acts 1:8 and God is serious about carrying it out.  We heard several messages about getting serious about it ourselves, and cooperating with the Lord to fulfill it.
7. We learned how to have prayer meetings, and held at least six of them. We were taught to be led by the Spirit in prayer, to be sincere, to unite with others according to the promise of Matthew 18:19, and to make specific requests of the Father.
8. We looked carefully at the Gospel and were taught how to experience assurance of salvation through faith in the Gospel.
9. We were taught to practice Biblical evangelism. Spreading the Gospel while empowered by the Holy Spirit is an essential part of our lives as Christians.  Many of us committed to make it our priority, and many delegates went soul winning during the week.
10. We saw how revival affects marriage and the family, especially in a workshop talk by Pastor Don Barth on the subject. Brother Barth showed us how proving the “realness” of God to our children is vital to rearing them to live for God.  It is possible through parents living the “Christ-life,” the life of revival, before them.

The Michigan Revival Conference was a powerful experience for hundreds of Christians, involving Biblical instruction, the confession of sins, and beseeching prayer for the Lord to lift us up (James 4:8-10) from where we are to where we need to be.  You can experience the MRC, even now, by visiting the website at www.revivemichigan.com.