A Look at a Book
by Anonymous

BOOK REVIEW:
Continuous Revival by Norman Grubb

On a daily basis, I find myself asking a number of questions: "What place does my past have in my daily walk?" If I confess before God, why should I also confess before man?" "What does it mean to "walk with God?" and, "How do I share this with newcomers?" Continuous Revival, a 46-page booklet that contains the secret to victorious living, answers these questions, and provides very clear instructions on how to live a life of revival.

When I hear the word revival, I think of a big canvas tent, singing old hymns, and special speakers brought in to renew the church body–a single event that happens once a year. Norman Grubb teaches in this book that revival means reviving dead areas in our lives. It happens on a day-by-day, moment-by-moment basis.

In Continuous Revival, Norman talks about Satan’s favorite weapons and contrasts that with how God really sees us. He shows what genuine proof of our sincerity before God looks like, including the part that our relationship with our fellow man plays in that revival. He goes on to describe the fullness of joy that results when we follow God’s plan and how to recognize it when we get off track and into sin. He formulates nine points or stages in the continuous revival process.

Norman begins with a discussion of the daily Christian walk. He talks about how the Holy Spirit leads us through crises, which are the way into Christ, to the walk with Him. Referring to several Epistles (Romans, Galatians, Colosians, and John), he emphasizes that it is not the crises but the walk that is important.

His second point refers to brokenness, the key point in continuous revival. Emphasizing that all Christian relationships are two-way, Norman cautions us not to let the sins of pride–self-esteem and self-respect–cause us to let walls of respectability come between ourselves and our brethren. We must share with them God’s dealings with us about our areas of failure. He then shares stories of key men of the Bible who were open before their peers and lived in the light with each other as with God.

Norman emphasizes that the normal daily experience of the believer is cups running over, saying, "anything that causes the cups to cease running over is SIN." Conviction, confession and cleansing, are key words he uses to define walking in the Light. Norman also explains from the Scriptures what kind of confession really matters: our privilege is the constant confession of Christ, rather than of sin. Thus he prefers the use of the word testimony and discusses at length what makes a testimony honest and genuine. Norman clarifies the difference between temptation and sin, how and when to give testimony, and what it means to be obedient.

Finally, Norman defines fellowship and the importance of daily exhortation, referring to a passage in Hebrews where it clearly states that the reason for such mutual exhortation is to keep each other from becoming "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (3:13).

Norman says that revival begins with one person who sees from God what it is to walk in the Light. Continuous Revival is a short hook about how to live victoriously. If you have wondered about how revival can become a day-by-day walk, read this small hook that provides a helpful out-line for ensuring your own continuous revival.