Revival in the Mountains

Growing up in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, there was always a revival at the local Methodist Church every summer. It lasted a week or so and there was always a good preacher that came and held the meetings. The pastor would open the services and the visiting preacher would preach great messages. Later, when I began to speak on a regular basis at the young age of eighteen, I went throughout the region and held revival meetings. They usually lasted for a week. They were held at different churches that invited me to come and speak.

A couple of summers I helped with tent meetings. These usually lasted much longer. Sometimes they lasted a month. The first one I preached in was with the Taylor Brothers. They were famous in the mountains and I had heard the stories of how they often had large baptisms after their revivals. Hundreds came into the Kingdom upon hearing their preaching. They were fiery speakers and preached long messages. I was only a teen and I usually spoke a good fifteen minutes and then I was finished. They usually had me speak first and then they would speak after me. I really felt small beside these giants. I remember some of the services in which I spoke that I struggled about not doing very well. When they were over, I just wanted to run away into the mountains and be alone with the Lord. I felt so small but I wasn't about to quit.

The first tent revival meeting lasted five weeks. My biggest desire was for my Dad to become a believer. He came to the meetings but never made a decision. He wouldn’t do that for another twenty or so years. I cried a lot over that meeting. The final week, Joe Burris came in from Independence, Virginia and did the preaching. He became one of my favorite speakers. He was a story-teller preacher. He was also fiery. Over the years he became one of my best mentors.

The next year, the Taylor Brothers gave me their big tent that they had used all over the region. It was a big tent back in the day. It held well over two hundred people. It was brown with two big poles in the middle. Another minister and myself set the tent up in an area called Corn Valley. This little community lay right at the edge of the mountains. There was a fire tower up on the mountain that looked down where the tent was sitting. I remember speaking the first night on the watch tower. (see Isaiah 5:2) Some of the local ministers that came didn’t come back. They went and told the community that we were Jehovah Witnesses. I never connected the accusation until later when I realized their magazine was called the Watch Tower. As you have heard me say before, I love prophetic actions. I guess the tower on the mountain was prophetic to me. It spoke of the watchful care of the Lord upon the region. I was feeling it even back in the day.

These are only a few of the many memories I have of revival in the mountains. I thought that I would always do evangelism. I said I would never pastor. Now its thirty-five years later, and I have done pastoral work thirty-three of those years. Yet, my roots are still about evangelism in these mountains.

Evangelism looks a little different for me today. Evangelism still requires bringing the message of good news. Here in the mountains this is usually called preaching. The message is very important. How can the people hear without a preacher? (see Romans 10:14) But there is more to evangelism than preaching. With a strong foundation of preaching the good news here in the mountains, I believe now it is time to go farther.

The revival in Acts 8 was taking place in Samaria. Samaria was a most unlikely place for a revival. Samaria was the place of mixed races. They were despised by the Jewish people. A good Jewish person wouldn’t even pass through Samaria. There were several important elements in the revival in Acts 8. There was the preaching of the good news by Evangelist Philip. There were also great miracles happening. The lame and paralyzed were being healed. By the laying on of hands, people were being Spirit-filled. There was crazy rejoicing going on. News was spreading and people were coming to be a part of this move of God. In the midst of all of this, an angel told the evangelist to leave town and travel towards the south. Going through the desert south of Samaria, Philip had a divine appointment. He met a eunuch from the court of the queen of Ethiopia. Philip led him to salvation and baptized him. The eunuch took the message back to Ethiopia and the word of God spread throughout that African country. Philip was then translated to the north and continued preaching the gospel throughout the north of Israel.

So, we can conclude from this scriptural example that the word needs to be preached. Miracles need to be happening. People need to be Spirit-filled. There needs to be crazy rejoicing. (The reason I call it crazy rejoicing is because that is the only way I can give the word justice in our modern culture. The word has been so watered down. Rejoice actually means to jump up and twirl around. That’s crazy isn’t it?) Angels need to be welcomed to join us in this harvest. (see Revelation 14:15, 16) The news needs to spread to the south and to the north and all directions. Entire nations need reformation. This is Acts 8 type revival.

Since we have laid the foundation here in the mountains of preaching the word, let’s continue to build on this foundation. What’s next? It’s time for the miracles to increase. Jesus said that miracles would follow those who believe. (see Mark 16:17-18) The day of miracles is not over! It never has been! To teach that the time of miracles is over is one of the biggest lies ever told. It has been told here in the mountains many times. It is time for us to step forward with truth. Jesus said that we would do greater works than He did Himself! The works He was referring to were miracles. Jesus said that works of miracles should cause people to believe. (see John 14:12) This is called power evangelism. When people see the goodness of God released through miracles, they are led to repentance. (see Romans 2:4) If we overlook this element of revival, we cripple our effectiveness.

Evangelism is for every believer. It is not just for preachers. Mary carried the news of the resurrection from the tomb. Every believer can carry the good news. Men and women alike are to carry the message. Psalm 68:11 predicts a time in which those who proclaim the good news will be a great host. The great host in this scripture is a feminine word in the Hebrew text. The NAS translation says, “The women who proclaim the good tidings were a great host.” The prophet Joel is quoted in Acts 2, as he proclaims that our sons and daughters will prophesy. Here in the Appalachian mountains women have been treated as second class. The churches have been most instrumental in the suppression of women in ministry. This is wrong and is another lie of the enemy. Every believer is called to proclaim the good tidings. This can be done in public gatherings or one-on-one evangelism. It’s time to go beyond the lies of the enemy and gather the harvest. In Christ we are neither male or female. (see Galatians 3:28)

The traditions of this region may not accept this truth. There may be some that will no longer want to listen to us because of this truth. However, there is such a harvest coming in that soon the bad traditions will look small. There is a part of the bride coming in that will not stand on the traditions of men. They will have fresh revelation and a resolve that shatters any desire to acknowledge bad traditions or even give them the time of day. As millions of new believers are coming into the Kingdom, soon tradition will be outnumbered. The vain and wrong traditions will be rendered powerless. We have focused on lies but this is a new day. The Son has risen with healing in His wings. A region is being healed. Revival is here. Will you join with me in proclamation?