![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.blackaby.net\/members\/files\/2011\/06\/GodSized.jpg\" "\\"GodSized\\"")
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(<\/em>Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010)<\/em><\/p>\n 194 pgs God\u2019s people need to be reminded about God\u2019s mighty deeds of old and inspired to seek God\u2019s mighty deeds in the present. Hansen and Woodbridge have provided us with an interesting book on historical revivals. This small book cover revivals from North America, Wales, India, Korea, East Africa, and China. The book seems well researched and many original letters, sermons, and documents are reviewed. The authors try to present us with a wide-sweeping overview of God\u2019s activity throughout the ages and conclude that there are no standardized approaches or procedures that elicit revivals as each one seems unique in their own way. In other words, God moves in response to specific people in specific places as He chooses rather than in response to some formula or technique people follow to cause Him to send His Spirit.<\/p>\n I am not so sure this book is about \u201cGod-sized visions\u201d as it is about \u201crevival stories\u201d. Lengthy passages detailing past revivals are informative and even inspiring as God responded in the past to the prayers of His people in various locations around the world. In fact, this could be a primer for a college class on revivals and spiritual awakening, but there are many such good books already on the market. \u00a0Regarding \u201cGod-sized vision\u201d the authors write, \u201cIn this tour of revival stories, we\u2019ve seen how a diverse cast of men and women with a \u2018God-sized vision\u2019 have been used as catalysts for true, divinely inspired awakenings.\u201d They conclude their book defining a \u2018God-sized vision\u201d as understanding that \u201cgaining knowledge of God precedes gaining knowledge of man…it calls us to completely reorient our frame of reference through which we look at the world\u2026A God-sized vision helps us to understand that the Lord really does love us and care for us. He provides for us. The doctrine of God\u2019s providence gives us both courage and comfort\u201d (P. 181). I am not convinced their definitions match the meaning of \u201cGod-sized\u201d vision. I see how people pled with God for His Spirit to move in a mighty way, and how they truly sought Him through personal confession, repentance, and unceasing prayers. But the people and the revivals described in the book seem more to do with humility, devotion, personal sacrifice, and persistence than a grand vision.<\/p>\n If you are looking for a short summary of various revivals around the world, this book will do just fine. It is not an exhaustive treatment, but does offer a few insights I had not remembered reading previously. Having travelled through East Africa, I was interested in reading the accounts of revival and an honest look at its failure to prevent the genocide in Rwanda. There are some great quotes from these chapters. \u201cRevival doesn\u2019t come to respectable Christians\u2026The basis of revival is men and women shattered by their failures \u2013 aware that all is not well, helpless to do anything about it.\u201d (p. 133), and \u201cRevival can never supplant the need for consistent, faithful teaching and discipleship. Without this follow-up plan, revival can promote mountaintop spirituality ill equipped to survive the valleys of life.\u201d And, \u201cthe Revival doctrine of sin underestimates the power and depth of evil, and by focusing on personal\/private morality is quite inadequate to tackle the hideous strength of structural evil and corporate sin manifested in an act of genocide.\u201d (p. 135)<\/p>\n As much as this book reads somewhat like an adapted research paper, I certainly appreciate the research and work these two men have put into writing this book for us, but somehow I was hoping, perhaps even longing for more. There didn\u2019t seem to be any bite at the end, only a fairly standard recommendation for achieving the ever-elusive revival. I have read many books on revival that are more lengthy and have greater detail, and all of them seem to have come to the same conclusion. They say in their own way what Hansen and Woodbridge recommend as we seek revival in our own ministries, that we are to Persist in Prayer, Repent from Sin, Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Serve God with Boldness (p. 182-185). I was hoping for a challenge, an exhortation, a rebuke, or something to bring conviction that we are falling short of what it takes. I have heard the quote over and over again, \u201cThe world has yet to see what God can do through one man wholly yielded to Him\u201d, and I want to cry out, \u201cThen quit quoting that and start doing it! Stop making everyone else feel guilty if you are not willing to be that person yourself.\u201d So admittedly my bias is to not have another book on revival, but to have a fresh demonstration of God\u2019s transformational power for the world to see. I would prefer to hear quoted a thousand times the prayer, \u201cLord bring a revival, and let it begin in me.\u201d May we not only recall the mighty work of God in the days of old, but may we experience the fresh anointing and move of the Spirit of God in our presence today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [rating:2.5] (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010) 194 pgs God\u2019s people need to be reminded about God\u2019s mighty deeds of old and inspired to seek God\u2019s mighty deeds in the present. Hansen and Woodbridge have provided us with an interesting book on historical revivals. This small book cover revivals from North America, Wales, India, Korea, East … <\/p>\n
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