Is there a place for a relatively unknown or must a revival always be popular? Let's learn about letting go and letting God direct.
1) James the Son of Alphaeus
Is there a place for a relatively unknown, younger or smaller person in church revivals?
James the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) was also called James the Less (Mark 15:40), James the younger (CEB, ESV, NIV, NLT) or in slang terms, little James, which could refer to either his age or stature. Was he possibly the brother of Matthew (Mark 2:14)? Mysterious, he is sometimes called the obscure apostle, because not much is known about him for sure. And his ministry is also little known outside the Bible, except for his possible death in Egypt or Jerusalem. Unknown is whether stories of a ministry in Spain, Britain and Ireland are accurate.
Whether or not a person is well known is not as important as which side of eternity they land on. Famous people by the thousands are heading to an eternity in hell. Or what is important in the long run? Not fame; it fades almost overnight like a flower. Is what really lasts for all eternity uppermost in our hearts? Irrelevant is all the fame and fortune of this world, because it’s a delusion.
Rejoice, lovers of God, that even obscure as we are in the annals of history, it’s more important that our name is written in the book of life.
2) Thaddaeus Judas’ Revival
What can we learn from a zealous man who wanted to create a popular revival, but found peace in letting go and letting hearts come to Jesus in true sincerity?
Thaddaeus is also called Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3), Jude of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), and Judas not Iscariot (John 14:22-23), and is mentioned among the twelve disciples (Mark 3:18). The epistle of Jude was written by someone identifying himself as the brother of James (Jude 1:1) and may or may not be the same person. Apostle to Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya according to some ancient histories, Jude is honored as a founder of Christianity in Armenia and may have died there.
Thaddaeus’ zeal for a popular faith is revealed in his question, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” (John 14:22 NLT) Zeal in large crowds creates a lynch mob effect, which is the opposite of any true revival, as Jesus taught him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” (John 14:23-24 NKJV) Is Jesus after an unthinking mass hysteria, or revival in individual hearts? Not the coercion and bullying that became a sad part of Christian history, contradicting Paul in Romans 14, but the revival that takes place quietly in individual hearts; that is the revival that Jesus wants. Faith is not gained by popular hysteria.
Peace in our hearts is part of the revival that Jesus brings, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV) In Jesus alone do we find true peace. Revival is not found in mass hypnosis and crowd psychology. Is it an emotional process of mass hysteria or one where deep personal thought takes place? True revival takes place in moments of quiet personal meditation about the deeper things of God. Revival begins deep within our hearts and minds and brings true peace from Jesus.
Rejoice, lovers of God, that a man of God found true revival, not in human coercion and mass hysteria, but in letting hearts come to Jesus of their own volition.
Revival is true life coming to the spiritually dead. It's not about popularity, but what God is doing in individual hearts.
