Date: 11-Aug-1994 07:48pm EST
Subject: Hub-and-Spokes Phenomena
Christiaan Balke has asked whether it is the case that, in general, outpourings of the Spirit begin at a specific geographical location and then spread as people travel to and from that location. Yes, this is often the case for revivals, or outpourings of the Spirit. In fact, I haven't mentioned this yet, but one of the first indications to me that what we are now experiencing is a genuine move of the Spirit was the fact that people kept referring to Toronto as a place from which this has been springing forth. I saw an immediate parallel with previous revivals, such as the Azusa Street revival, which emanated from Los Angeles, and the Latter Rain revival, which originated in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. In such cases, the way the revival spreads is exactly the same: people go to a specific location from all over the world, then return to bring the revival to their home churches; those who are on the scene of the initial impetus of the revival begin to go to many different places to spread it wherever they go. Note that it is not only a specific city or town that is involved in the origins of a revival, but a specific church (or prayer meeting) within that town. It is almost always in a humble, unexpected place from which these things originate, and there is such a sense of the presence of the Lord that huge numbers of people are drawn from all over the world.
I spent several years studying the parallels between the Azusa Street revival (1906) and that at North Battleford (1948), and when I started reading the archives of this list it was clear to me almost immediately that we had yet another parallel movement going on. It was exactly the same story again. It was quite stunning--seeing the comments of the very first participants of this list. It's like having been away on a voyage, lost, and suddenly finding familiar territory again when you would least have expected it. There's simply no way to describe the thrill of finding something so precious so unexpectedly. To use another analogy, it would be very much like a jeweler finding a rival to the hope diamond during the course of normal, everyday humdrum activities--perhaps windowshopping at a pawn shop at which one normally finds only costume jewelry, or perhaps only a few semiprecious stones. If the jeweler is experienced and well-trained, he recognizes the stone almost immediately. That's how it was for me. I was absolutely stunned, and excited beyond imagining.
I had studied the pattern for years, and so many times, somebody would come along and say, "such and such is a revival," and I would say to myself, "no, not really, it can't be--it does not follow any of the characteristics of revivals as we have seen them in the past." Then, when I read the archives of this list, even though this movement was only being referred to only as a" renewal," I knew that I had found a real revival--the first geniune one we have seen in North America for many, many years.
Along with one (or more) fountainhead fellowships or churches, there are usually a few individuals who, themselves, function concurrently as springs of revival. For example, in 1948, there was North Battleford, Sask., but there was also William Branham. Branham was an individual whom God was using at the same time to foment revival, but his only connection with North Battleford was that some people had gone to some of his meetings in Vancouver and brought the anointing back with them to Sharon Orphanage and Schools in North Battleford. In the same way, Randy Clark and the Arnotts seem to have brought the anointing from Rodney Howard-Browne to Toronto. It was exactly the same story all over again.
There are certain patterns in the way God has worked in history. I was planning to write a book about that some day, but now maybe we should be concentrating on the present move of God's Spirit. I say "we" because it always takes several people working independently to do these things. It took four gospel writers to give us the life of Christ, and it will always be in the mouths of several witnesses that a thing will be established.
But, getting back to my amazement, I'd like to use one further analogy. I am a violinist. I can take a violin and play it, and know immediately whether it is a good instrument. A friend of mine, John L. Rossi of Long Island, once allowed me to play a Stradivari instrument in his shop. I have never played any other instrument like it. It practically played itself. It took very little effort on my part to make it sound absolutely gorgeous. Stumbling across this revival was just like it would have been if I had been in a pawn shop, trying out violins, and suddenly, there was an instrument that could really only be a Stradivarius violin! Can you imagine the excitement! To those who were not familiar with various violins, this would probably not have been discernible. But to someone who has spent his lifetime familiarizing himself with these things--what a world of difference! And how exciting!
God bless all of you!
Love,
Richard RRISS@DREW.DREW.EDU