It is reported that 'The Revival of 1904 was the most wide-spread of all Awakenings, effecting India, Korea and China, renewing revivals in Japan and South Africa, and sending a wave of awakening over Africa, Latin America and the South Seas'. (Met Revive; the legacy of the Welsh Revival 1904-5).

The Lord has called us to ‘unblock’ the wells of Revival that got blocked by the First World War and Japan’s invasion of Korea in the early years of the 20th Century. As you see from the quote above, so much of the world was linked by a mighty move of God’s Spirit starting in Wales in 1904. Added to that is what happened in Asuza Street in the USA in 1906 which had a huge impact in building the Pentecostal movement across the nations.

War was Satan’s weapon and it saw revived Christians from multiple nations put into the impossible position of being asked to kill each other in defence of their own country.

The dreams and callings of a generation lie scattered like dry bones across Europe and Asia.

‘And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know’ (Ezekiel 37:3).

As the Lord challenged Ezekiel, so He challenges us? Can these bones live? Can the calling and the dreams of the young men and women lost to violence and hatred find a voice again?

‘Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live”’ (Ezekiel 37:9).

We are called to prophesy to the breath. To call for the winds to come from the four corners of the earth, so that they will blow again on these slain.

The 10-40 window
This is a well used mission term that speaks of the nations within 10-40 degrees latitude which embrace the most deprived and unreached (with the gospel) nations on earth. It includes North Africa, the Middle East and much of Asia.

If we look at the nations affected by the Welsh Revival on a map of the world, putting Israel at the Centre (c.f. Ezekiel 5:5), we see that the Revival ignited much of the edges of the world. The Lord’s plan was always to take His glorious gospel message back through what are now some of the most resistant areas, to Jerusalem.

Satan blocked that move because of our sin and greed, but the Lord’s plan’s don’t change. Just as the Israelites went around for years in the wilderness until a new generation matured who would take hold of the Lord’s word and take the Promised Land by faith, so the Lord is calling a new generation to rise up and look to Him alone.

The vision is huge, and I believe the Lord is giving similar encouragement all around the world to many people. However, we in Celebration for the Nations have our part.

Japan and Korea
Right from the beginning of CFTN Koreans have stood with us in Wales, responding to the call for the ‘East wind’ to come and blow on the bones. In recent years the Lord has also taken us to Japan. Last month (February 25) I was so blessed to be part of the second CFTN in Japan, this time in Osaka.

Our hearts burned within us as we joined with Japanese believers and missionaries to Japan declaring in song, in the Japanese language, the Lordship of Christ in their nation. This is even more significant if you know anything of the terrible history between Japan and Korea. Over a hundred Koreans came to bless the nation that had brought them so much heartache.

Tears of joy and longing flowed as we cried out for a new move of God in Japan. The church is tiny, but its history is littered with martyrs. Abel was the first martyr, and God’s word tells us that;

‘through his faith, though he died, he still speaks’ (Hebrews 11:4).

So then does the blood of each martyr. We join our faith to theirs and cry out for the Lord to move again in this beautiful nation. While we were there worshipping we could sense a battle. Indeed some of the worship leaders had to contend with illness. We felt we were touching one of the ruling spirits in Japan, a spirit of death. Sadly we heard part way through the Celebration that someone committed suicide at the nearest metro station to our venue. In response Suk Kwang and his team went to worship in the open air near the station to declare life and hope to the passers by. Many listened and were touched.

East Wind
Korea has responded so wonderfully to the call from Wales for the East Wind to come and blow on these bones. As I was in Japan I realised that I was in a nation even further east. I asked them as the East wind to come to Wales this summer and blow on the dry bones of the land. Some of them really want to respond. Please pray for finances and schedules to come into place.

Keep worshipping!

Pray with us for the right worship teams for this summer. The Lord is telling us to perceive what He is already doing. A few weeks ago, two churches in our area joined together and baptised eight people. Five of them were teenagers, with moving testimonies of the mess that the Lord had pulled them out of.

Pray for more salvations, especially among the young. O Lord, save!! Heal our nation!

Thank you each one for your part in contending for a great awakening. Please help us to make the Celebration known.

Love in Christ

Gail and the Celebration Team