Longing for more
In Sustaining Revival (2023) by C. B. Newell, the author says, "This book is for those who hunger for more of God." Newell traces the dramatic story of revival throughout Nagaland, northeast India, through one family's life from 1932 to 2014.
The first missionaries to Nagaland were American Baptists in 1872. From the initial converts, God moved miraculously, powerfully, and inexplicably until, in the 1911 census, almost 90% of the population was identified as Christian. As you would expect, this history was fueled by prayer, sacrifice, and courageous commitment.
As I read this book, I was reminded of my husband's and my trip to Nagaland in 20xx. I never realized that this far northeastern land bordering Myanmar was part of India.
We were invited to teach in a seminary center in Dimapur. Our students were proud of their revival history; they eagerly instructed us in the history of Christianity in Nagaland. They expressed gratitude for the work of the American Baptists in the late 1800s that led them to the truth. They claimed responsibility for the 1983 Naga Baptist associations' covenant to raise 10,000 missionaries. They wanted us to visit their Bible colleges, mission schools, and churches. There was a strong sense of pride and solidarity across the ethnic diversity of the Naga students.
We shared meals--when we could (because the "king chili" was too hot for us to eat!) We sang hymns of praise and visited a sacred music college. We watched in wonder as our host demonstrated his ethnic dance and dress and explained that his grandfather had been a headhunter. We represented the post-modern church to these Naga students; they were our teachers.
One evening, my husband and I received troubling news from home. My father-in-law was critically ill, and two of our daughters needed urgent surgeries. When we asked the students to pray, we were astounded and humbled by their heartfelt response. The room echoed with simultaneous shouting, singing, crying, beseeching, and praising God. Students stood or kneeled, arms raised to the God they knew answered prayer. Later, we learned that their prayers were all answered. Perhaps they also prayed that their professors would believe in their powerful God of revival.
Newall captured stories of God's miraculous work among the Naga with anecdotes that challenged our book club. A cow declaring the Lord to plotting persecutors, urging them to attend a prayer meeting? A flock of birds reminding believers that Jesus was coming? Healings, visions, tongues, and prophecy? These are the reality for the Naga Christians and many worldwide.
The history of revival in Nagaland was also a history of divisions and betrayals, persecution, poverty, and family difficulties. The cost was dear. Today, Newell urges us to sustain revival through expectant faith and obedience. This book resonated deeply with us—we long for more.
About the Author: Lisa Sinclair and her husband served in Mali, West Africa for 10 years. She is a nurse practitioner, author of Restored Paths: Sexuality for Christian Leaders, and loves to read!
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