On September 26, the 2016 Chinese and Korean Revival Conference is opened in Young Nak Presbyterian Church on Jeju Island, South Korea.
The three-day conference, hosted by Revival Chinese Ministries International, has invited its founder Rev. Dennis Balcombe, Rev. Young Hoon Lee, the leader of Yoido Full Gospel Church and Rev. Yong Jo Hah, the senior pastor of Onnuri Community Church, and Rev. Liu Qunmao, the senior pastor of Shilin Bread of Life Church of Taiwan, to be the conference's guests.
It has attracted about 300 people, including over 200 Chinese pastors and believers.
The opening ceremony began with four hymns mixed with the classic and modern styles led by the choir of Yoido Church. They sang the songs in both Korean and Chinese. Later, the Chinese worship team of the church led the congregation into worship and the attendants sang songs with uplifted hands.
Following this, a local official welcomes the pastors and Christians from China. He says that Jeju Island has a strong relation with China throughout their respective history and there are some stories which can be traced back since the time Qin Shi Huang appointed people to seek elixir of life. Several Chinese leaders also have visited the island in the past. He hopes that the conference can bring peace and healing to the participants as visitors can feel the good relationship between humans and nature, peace and healing.
Then, Rev. Dennis Balcombe gave a sermon, starting with the time that he began to serve in mainland China since 1978 and has served the Chinese for over 40 years.
He shared his testimony and expounds that growing up in a traditional church and attending Sunday services since the youth, he doubted the existence of God at 16 for he couldn't see God's work in the church. The church did things the opposite way to that the Bible teaches, so he held that Christianity was unreasonable and the things said the Bible never happened. But, one day, one of his classmates invited Dennis to visit his church filled with the Holy Spirit. He heard people talking in languages like French and Hebrew and saw miracles like the deaf could hear, the blind see and the drug addicts get rid of the addiction... Then, he realized that the Gospel and Jesus in the Bible are real, it was only that he hadn't heard the real gospel, but only social gospel in the past.
Three months later, he dedicated himself to be a preacher in 1961. He has been preaching the gospel after 57 years since that day. Citing his experience, he stresses that today, the church shall not ignore wonders and miraculous signs and every disciple filled with the Spirit can see visions and prophesies.
He recalls that he saw the revival the Holy Spirit did in China over 40 years ago and witnessed the great love of God for China, emphasizing that God is still working in China. Therefore, the Chinese church need to share the truth of the "perfect gospel" and one part of the truth which includes wonders and miracles. He says that most of Chinese Christians have heard or saw the miracles done in the name of Jesus.
Moreover, he stated that the Lord and his disciples declared the word of = salvation through words and the signs, miracles and the gift of the Holy Spirit gave witness along with them.
Without the Holy Spirit, the church will gradually become the church in Laodicea. Nowadays, the fullness of the Holy Spirit and miracles performed by men are the center of the church in the New Testament, despite the fact many evangelical churches today show no miracle. He declared that the power of the Spirit is what the Chinese church needs the most.
Citing 1 Corinthians 12:28-29, Dennis said that God has appointed eight positions in the church. Four of them are related to Pentecostalism: prophets, workers of miracles, those having gifts of healing and speaking in different kinds of tongues.
The pastor leads the believers to study the record of church revival in Acts, saying that in the beginning the churches in Acts greeted revivals during which time wonders and miracles happened."I have a dream that our Chinese church should turn into the church in Acts. This is called revival, not merely with many people or many being baptized. It means that we should recover to the church in the time of Acts."
He encouraged that gospel proclaimation, along with miracles performed, is the most successful mission method in the New Testament and the current global mission today. In the end, he calls on everybody to receive the Holy Spirit and receive its power to witness the Gospel.
