Revival Stories
The 1908 Manchurian Revival: Astounding Fruit
The Manchurian Revival of 1908 broke out in February of that year under the humble leadership of Jonathan Goforth. Anchored in prayer and inspired by the global revivals breaking out around him, this faithful missionary to China fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit and let Him take the lead. The revival that ensued shattered the frozen hearts in the leadership of the established Mukden church and brought fresh forgiveness and grace. Then it began to spread…
As God poured out His Spirit in one city and then the next, what kind of fruit did it bring? People witnessed an intensity of prayer that, prior to the revival, was hardly ever seen. Sometimes a handful of people would begin crying out to God, and before too long, the entire crowd of 800 attendees would begin praying in unison, without any sense of competition or rivalry. In every meeting, the time together might last several hours, but the first hour was always dedicated to prayer. A message from God’s Word would be preached, and it would be followed by the Holy Spirit sweeping through the sea of listeners and stirring up deep conviction of sin. Then, the room would be opened to anyone to step up and lead in prayer, but only with prayer that was honest and spontaneous and compelled by the Lord. In spite of the innate resistance of the Chinese to share anything that might bring shame to themselves or their families, the meetings frequently and surprisingly resulted in extended times of personal confessions of all kinds of sin. Some might fall to their knees; most would groan with profuse weeping; and more than a few would rush to the stage to make their confession under the strong leading of the Spirit. Soon, a great harvest was witnessed at every location as many formerly lukewarm believers and spiritually lost townspeople would respond sincerely to the Gospel and put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
At one church in the city of Shinminfu, a powerful display of grace was recorded. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1899, the church had watched 50 of their members get martyred for their faith. The survivors carefully documented 250 names of those who had persecuted them and participated in the murders. This closely guarded list fueled their anger and memories of this violent time. They longed to get revenge one day. Yet, when the revival and the presence of God flowed through this city, the Christians there fell under the conviction of their sin. They tore up that list and let go of their hatred and the need for vengeance. They chose to forgive their enemies and to move forward in grace.
The revival continued to peak over a period of 2 years through 1910, with Goforth traveling and preaching in dozens of campaigns in 6 different Chinese provinces. But the Spirit of God effected profound changes in the church that lasted long after the campaigns ended. Worship of God was revitalized as Christians sang old and newly-written songs with great fervency and with renewed passion for the cross. The strong conviction of sin in the meetings led to many offenses being forgiven and relationships restored in these communities. Prayer became highly valued and embedded markedly into the spiritual life of everyday believers. In addition, God would use this awakening to raise up many unwavering Chinese leaders to carry on the revival fire in their nation for years to come.
QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:
- How did the revival spread throughout the Manchurian region of China? What were some key aspects of this revival that the Holy Spirit seemed to be emphasizing?
- How did the Gospel clash with and break through the cultural norms of this Asian country?
- Why do you think the Shinminfu church tore up their meticulous list of perpetrators and criminals from the days of the Boxer Rebellion?
- What legacies of this revival capture your imagination the most? How do you think God might use you to leave a lasting legacy if your city were to experience revival?