Revival is for the Church. Reformation is for the nations. When the purpose of those two events and the order in which they unfold is understood, a revolution will take place.

Only a revived Church can be used by God to bring reformation to a nation because the authority it wields is spiritual, not natural. A revived Church can function and prosper under the harshest of conditions even when a government attempts to impede the growth and influence of a revival and its resulting reformation.

The process of a revival that becomes a reformation will at some point be viewed by those in positions of authority as a revolution – a revolution interpreted as an assault against their ability to hold on to power and control a population. Cultural revolutions have taken place throughout the history of Scripture whenever a population has been set free to worship the Lord. These historic revivals among God’s people came with a cost. Some brave souls lost their lives when those in control felt a revival was loosening the grip of their power and forecasting an end to their regime.

To place reformation before revival is a mistake. Redeemed hearts set on fire by the love of God is the ignition point for the beginning of a reformation. Without our hearts on fire for God, we will resort to the same natural forms of change and control used by those who sit in seats of power and those whose hope was mistakenly placed in the government and its methodologies. This is a real challenge when a government is blatantly violating God’s truth and implements foolish agendas that a sane person realizes will bring deception and death, not truth and life. 

The possibility of a spiritual revolution is close at hand if a revived Church keeps the order of true change in sight. This will be a change that takes place when a revival becomes a reformation, and a reformation becomes a revolution. Without understanding that sequence, we will become frustrated and resort to the same tactics used by the world to bring about change, tactics not endorsed by God or empowered by His Spirit. As a result, the hoped-for Jesus Revolution will not bear its intended fruit.