Revival Stories
The 1971 Saskatoon Revival (Part 2)
It was October 13th, 1971, that the evangelists Ralph and Lou Sutera gave the first of many messages for their 10-day spiritual campaign at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Canada. It was no ordinary day, for God, over many years, had heard the persevering prayers of His people crying out in extraordinary supplication for an outbreak of revival. That evening, with just 150 in attendance, the brothers shared the Gospel and saw 5 people put their trust in the Lord. But, more than that, the presence of God began to flow through that place and through people’s hearts with the force of revival fire.
Over the course of the week, the Spirit of God began to impress upon those in attendance the stark need to confess their sins and make things right. The Holy Spirit alighted upon the people to touch them with His grace, to break their bonds of slavery to self, and to set them free.Men and women would take to the stage to admit their own weaknesses and failings and to seek to do what is right. Estranged brothers put aside their long-standing injuries, made amends, and joined together to worship Christ in song. A family with a long-standing grudge against an adversary drove over 30 miles to another town, even though it was well after midnight, to ask that person for forgiveness.
The reality of God’s very presence started to draw more and more people to the meetings. By the end of the first week, the sanctuary where they met was filled to capacity. Within 2 weeks, they were allowed to meet at the 600 person capacity Anglican Church nearby. That space was outgrown in just two days! God gave them favor with the biggest church in town, a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, so they moved once again to their facilty that could hold well over 1000 people at a time. Yet once again, the Spirit of God was moving so powerfully that it quickly reached its attendance limits. They eventually moved into a much larger venue that could hold around 2000 people, and still the people continued to come, keenly spiritually hungry, seeking to meet with God there.
All during this time, there was great excitement surrounding what God was doing. However, no excessive emotionalism was reported. There was strong conviction of sin, and a determined desire for forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. The Gospel was presented simply, and many folks surrendered to the Spirit and were saved. The mark of this revival was a contagious joy in the Lord that ushered in complete honesty before God and men. The police chief in Saskatoon testified that people were showing up at the police station to confess to crimes they had committed.Almost half of those attending were young folks, and the Lord met with them there and set them free from drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. Even those with mental illnesses found themselves profounded touched and healed by the hand of God.
As the meetings wrapped up for the evening, typically no one wanted to go home. No one was in a hurry. Many churches would open up afterwards and allow people to come and share stories and give thanks to God for His work upon their hearts and lives. Intercessors would gather in small groups to keep on praying fervently after each meeting. And as all this was happening, churches all around the region started seeing revival fire burst to life among their people. Although the revival meetings in Saskatoon only lasted 7 weeks, these flames of revival would spread to distant cities in Canada, the United States, and nations around the globe. It left an unmistakable mark upon the soul of Canada. To this day, many pastors in Canada can say, “I was saved at the revival in Saskatoon!”
QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:
- What do see as signs that God’s presence is moving powerfully in your midst? When was a time you saw God move in mighty ways in your community? Take a moment and imagine: when revival breaks out, how could God kick it up a level in your church? How would it affect your evangelism and resulting salvations? How would it affect how you do discipleship? How would it affect your relationships in church and outside of church?
- There is a price to pay for all those would see revival. As wonderful as it is, the reality is that revival will alter the way you do church and relate to people. Are you willing to surrender all your bad habits, your addictions, your grudges to the Lord? Are you willing to re-arrange your life to align with God’s plans for your city? Will you allow the Spirit to bring a tremendous new joy and power to your life?