REVIVAL IN LEICESTER (12) - REVIVAL SONG

It has always been God’s intention to have a worshipping people. Psalm 117 says ‘Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.’ It’s something God wants. And it’s something that brings blessing to the worshipper. It’s John Piper who says ‘God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him’. And how better to be satisfied than through worship – communion with the One who made us.

It's no surprise that with the premium God puts on worship, worship itself is both a catalyst and a result of revival. The Welsh Revival of 1904 spread through song. The hymn ‘Here is love, vast as the ocean’ was particularly used by the Holy Spirit to spread revival fires.

In the earlier revivals of John Wesley and George Whitefield, song was again a key. In the mid-1700s not so many could read, so one way to remember scripture and key theology was to sing it, and that is exactly what happened. John Wesley’s brother Charles became the voice of the revival song, writing many classic hymns during this time such as ‘And can it be that I should gain?’, ‘Hark the herald angels sing’, ‘Love divine all loves excelling’, and ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing’.

We are enjoying revival at Chroma Church Leicester right now, so again, it is no surprise that worship is at its centre. We have a band, Chroma Music, that are passionate to worship. And it has been recognised. They have just returned from Rotterdam, leading worship in a conference of 20,000 and seeing many lives changed.

If you have yet to hear their music, look them up on YouTube. Enjoy the revival songs.

REVIVAL IN LEICESTER (11) - SUPERNATURAL PREACHING

I had heard it happen to others. But it had never happened to me. Until that night, that is.

I had just returned from a leaders’ meeting at Chroma Church. It’s important to note that leaders’ meetings at Chroma are a little different- around 100 of us gathered and for most of the time, it was a time of celebration as we listened to the amazing stories happening in and around us.

At the end of the evening, we all went through a ‘fire tunnel’. This is a kind of prayer tunnel with each of us walking between two lines of people as they pray prayers of blessing and invite the Holy Spirit to move upon us. And He did – move, that is.

By the time I got to the end of that praying tunnel, I was drunk in the Spirit. This is not something to be feared but something entirely Biblical (Acts 2: 15).

I drove home drunk (unlike alcohol, it’s considerably less dangerous!) and I went to bed drunk.

It was then that it happened. I dreamed I was preaching at Chroma. Nothing particularly strange there - I was due to preach in two Sunday’s time. But the strange thing is that as I awoke, I could remember every word of the preach, including the Bible verses I had used.

For me – for most of us – when I dream, it’s forgotten the moment I awake. But not this time.

My planned preach was ditched and two Sunday’s later, I spoke the words I had first received in that dream while still drunk in the Spirit.

It was on revival. Of course it was. We are still in revival at Chroma, and so grateful for all the Holy Spirit is doing with lives changed, new people finding a faith in Christ, and many being healed physically.

And the talk? It can be found here, starting at the 1 hour and 9 minute mark. Enjoy- and do visit us if you are not part of Chroma Church!