REVIVALS & WHAT IS GOD DOING NOW?
WHAT IS GOD DOING NOW?
(Please note that my references are restricted to my limited awareness of some of the works of Christ in North America and the West. I have heard wonderful stories of what God is doing in other parts of the world, but I felt I would be presumptuous to speak on more than I did. I trust this will be an encouragement to you. Very Best Wishes with love in Christ Jesus)
INDEX:
-WHERE ARE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US OF?...
-OUTPOURINGS, REVIAVALS, AND US
-THE CROP CYCLE
-THE FADING ANOINTING
-WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESULTS WHEN THE ANOINTING IS FADING
-WHY ISTHE GLORY FADING?
-PRAYER AND ITS APPLICATION
-THREE COMMON HINDERANCES TO THE MOVE OF GOD
-WHAT ABOUT NOW, WHAT IS GOD DOING?
-WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR?
-DRY TIMES FOR OTHER REASONS
- WHY REVIVALS ARE MISSED BY SOME
-PERSONAL QUIZ
-CONCLUSION
"Do not say, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For you do not inquire wisely concerning this...In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the on over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." Ecclesiastes 7:10,14
"Be patient therefore, brothers, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain...Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing songs." James 5:7, 13
"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22
"...IF THE LORD BE WITH US, WHY THEN IS ALL THIS BEFALLEN US? AND WHERE ARE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US OF?...Judges 6:13 This is what Gideon asked the angel of the Lord who came to him as he was threshing wheat while trying to hide it from the Midianites. Although we may not be experiencing the same conditions as he was at the time, no doubt many of us has or will ask the same question at some point.
If any of you have experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in revival, it is a natural tendency to feel that, that is the way our Christian life should be all the time, and quite frankly, I for one wish it was. However, after experiencing years between, and searching the Scriptures I have come to the conclusion that the Lord may not quite be of the same mind. "Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chose you in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10 One of my pastors told us that many of his peers who were radically converted during the Jesus People revival in Southern California, are not walking with the Lord today. So what are some of the concerns? Are revivals the answer to everything? Jesus left a challenging illustration about the rich man and Lazarus who both died. The rich man went to hell, and the poor man to Abraham. The rich man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers so that they would not end up in that horrid place, hell. What was Abraham's response? "...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Luke 16:31 Signs and wonders are not what keep a person faithful to Jesus, but humility, faith, and obedience, will.
OUTPOURINGS, REVIVALS, AND US
AN OUTPOURING OR REVIVAL IS WHEN GOD POURS OUT HIS SPIRIT AND PEOPLE ARE THEREBY SWEPT INTO HIS KINGDOM THROUGH THE REVELATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh..." Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17 - "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." Isaiah 32:15 (amazing things happen spiritually and naturally when God our Heavenly Father pours out His Spirit)
During Revivals and Outpourings not only are conversions a common occurrence, but miracles, signs, and wonders of various types can be expected. This is God sovereignly working in the midst of men, "For Thy name is near, Thy wondrous works declare." Psalm 75:1 People are easily drawn to the Presence, Glory, and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conviction for sin is also very apparent since that is the work of His Holy Spirit as well John 16:7-8. Again, the new birth or conversion and miracles can be experienced by any individual even though the church may not be experiencing a "Revival".
THE CROP CYCLE
- Anyone who plants a crop knows the process. You prepare the ground, fertilize it, plant the seed, and water it. While waiting for the seed to germinate, we continually weed and water. For some time it appears that nothing is happening, but life springs forth all by itself, grows, produces leaves, and finally the fruit. That is how the Lord ordained it, Mark 4:26-29. The Kingdom of God works much the same way. Now we must ask ourselves, "What stage are we currently in? Have we been planting the seed of the Word of God? Have we been watering it by prayer? Are we harvesting where we can??? Are we keeping the weeds out of our lives? How should we be occupying ourselves right now?
My initial experience of an outpouring was at the tail end of the Charismatic Move in the late 70's. It was fantastic! People were getting gloriously saved, being set fee from drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, and so on. Then they were getting filled with the Holy Spirit, and miracles of various kinds were common. Jesus had first place in most of our lives. Church services were so exciting that you never knew what would happen next. Prayer meetings were vibrant and easy. Outside the congregational meetings the fellowship was such that I couldn't wait until after work to get to wherever the brethren were gathering. We would talk about the Lord and whatever we knew He was doing. Television had no place, and we scrapped the secular music. It was all so irrelevant and even vial (which it often is). Sharing the faith and telling people about Jesus was at whatever opportunity that presented itself. Love was in the air ("God is Love." 1 John 4:7-8) and we readily enjoyed His Presence. This was the life!!! And I thought it would never end. We were sure that we would take the world for Jesus, deliver souls from the power of darkness, and get everyone saved in no time. We knew that with Jesus, anything was possible. And what I had seen and experienced seemed miniscule compared to the testimonies my mentors told me which they witnessed and experienced during the early days of the outpouring.
I must confess here, that at that time I was young, single and the only responsibility I had was work. The money I made was more than I needed to live off, so naturally I was able to jump in with both hands and feet without care or restraint. For sure, the married couples were the stable and strong leaders, but we young people absorbed as much as we could.
Meanwhile change and troubles began to creep in. I was oblivious at first, and kept pressing in to the things of God in my own life, yet I grew increasingly frustrated with the brethren. Leaving the personal aspect out, and in hind sight I can see that the anointing was fading and consequently we were becoming more mechanical, and had less energy or capacity to perform as we once did. Life and the cares thereof appeared to become increasingly demanding, and reasonably so. I am not saying this at the expense of the Kingdom of God, but for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
THE FADING ANOINTING
What I mean by the Anointing fading is that the active Presence and Power of God's Holy Spirit seemed to be withdrawing, perhaps gradually. When moving in the Anointing or power of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous and the "supernatural" is or can be relatively common place. Preaching the Gospel has far more impact and harvesting souls for Jesus is much easier. Signs and wonders are common, therefore conversions and glorifying Jesus are the fruit. But with time these occurrences began to diminish and the efforts become harder, and for some of us, exasperating.
[The reason I am separating Outpouring and Revival is that to some there may be a marked difference, though no such difference is mentioned in the Bible. When people refer to a "Revival", what is typically meant are the times when the Lord sweeps scores of people into the Kingdom of God through the preaching of the Gospel as in Acts 2. As for in an "Outpouring" the supernatural occurrences are also common place. In the Book of Acts we can see it all together. In the Outpourings I have witnessed, along with the Gospel, other features of the Kingdom of God that have been less common, seem to be moved to the forefront, like speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healings. A problem with some people's response to these supernatural occurrences is the tendency to make the occurrence, the Gospel. And that is very dangerous.]
WHAT ARE SOME RESULTS WHEN THE ANOINTING IS FADING?
AS THE ANOINTING LIFTS...
- We tend to try to carry on in the flesh. Samson did this after his hair was cut, but did not know that the Lord had left him and he became weak like other men Judges 16:17-20. So when the Philistines came upon at that point, his ability to resist them as he had done before was futile. When the anointing lifts, we may try and bring about the anointing or the effects of the anointing by carrying out the exercises that we thought were the reasons why the Holy Spirit was moving. Or worst still, we try and imitate the results.
- The Gospel work becomes more laborious - "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to the people. To whom he said, 'This is the rest where with you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.' Yet they would not hear. But the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." Isaiah 28:10-13
This passage of the Scripture Paul refers to it as the gift of tongues 1 Corinthians 14:21, which is a by-product of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord pours out His Spirit on us, He is also refreshing us and helps turn the hard and the tedious into a pleasant labor. Many of you can testify that the work of the Lord if not directed by and executed by His Holy Spirit can be tedious, laborious, and dry. And that is not the Lord's fault. "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring." Psalm 44:3
- Blaming one another. When things are not working out the way we think they should, or the way they should, the accusations can start to fly. Moses faced this many times with the children of Israel in the desert, especially when they were thirsty, sick of the manna, or tired of the long trek through the desert.
- Turning back - "Well this is not working out the way I thought it would, so..." Do you recall when disciples turned back on Jesus John 6:66. That is unfortunately common when the going get rough and the way is no longer easy. Paul wrote during one of his last efforts, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." 2 Timothy 4:10-11. Now the interesting thing I want to point out here is that in both these examples, the Lord and His anointing was still with them, yet in the time of trial and testing, when they were not leaning on Him, they (or perhaps even we) turned back. Many were leaning on fire for God and committed when it was exciting and fun, but when the action and adventure began to fade and the hard times hit, they 'seemed' to fade as well. God alone knows our hearts, but this can be scary.
- Discontentment and loss of interest. - Other effects of fading anointing is the discontentment amongst God people. Although not necessarily justifiable, the sheep often begin to complain and wander. By rights, they are looking for the living water and not just the stale bread. Furthermore, we begin to lose credibility with the unsaved/unconverted, and they will frequent our meetings less often, finding us irrelevant. Is our salt losing its saltiness? The tendency during these times is to blame the leadership, which isn't fair. They are dealing with the same issues we are. That was how they treated Moses and Aaron.
WHY IS THE GLORY FADING?
THE WAVES
I do not have all the answers, for sure, but there are things that we do know. In each situation there may be various contributing factors, and there are also standard causes. In a meeting near the end of the Charismatic Move, one preacher was teaching us that Revivals come like the waves of the sea breaking on the shore. He said that the surfers would swim out on their boards to catch a wave, and then ride it until it breaks in the shallow waters. Then, he paddles out again to catch the next wave. He then said, "The Charismatic outpouring is over! Start swimming!"
From the days of the early reformation, God by His Holy Spirit, brought wave after wave onto the church, bringing about reformations and restoring the truths and the life of the early church that was lost during the dark ages. With Martin Luther the message was justification by faith, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17. Then there were the Baptists, where a person is baptized after they believe and confess Jesus "...Repent and be baptized every on e of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." Acts 2:38. Another obvious Outpouring was the Holiness move with preachers like John Wesley. Some years later was the Azusa Street Revival and the restoring of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues Acts 2:4, 10:45-47, 19:5-6. I know not how many others before, between, and after, but all with significant impact and purpose that is far ahead of the reasoning of man, and will continue to be so. And with each new wave, the Church gains its former glory and power as Jesus is preparing His Bride for His return. So whatever the last move of His Holy Spirit was, wait, because He is still not finished with us, nor have we yet borne all the fruit that He has ordained the Church to bear before He returns. Yes there will be a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3), but until then there are untold many souls that need to hear the Gospel so as to be saved. "Your faithfulness is unto all generations." Psalm119:90
PRAYER AND ITS APPLICATION - "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth." Ecclesiastes 11:3
"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth: and there were voices, and thundering, and lightening, and an earthquake." Revelation 8:3-5
From this passage we get a picture of our prayers and how they even play a part in God's judgments. Notice how they are accumulated, gathered and released. Is the power, duration, and impact of God's outpouring directly proportional to the intensity and whole-hearted earnestness of our prayers? One thing for sure is that when our prayers correspond to His will, things happen 1 John 5:14-15. Now I must be very careful here, because God responds to us by grace and He is looking for works accomplished by faith "But someone may well say, ' You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.'" James 2:18 NAS. As we follow the Holy Spirit in prayer, He accomplishes His work through us, for without Him we can do nothing. "'Then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all of your heart. And I will be found of you,' says the Lord, ' and I will turn away your captivity...'" Jeremiah 9:12-14
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Dear friends, we have a duty here, and a standing call from God, and if we want to see changes in our world, this is a requirement!
One of the marked predecessors of moves of God is PRAYER. Notice the ministry of Anna the prophetess who served God night and day with prayers and fasting while Israel - and the world - waited for the coming of the Messiah. It is noted that most Revivals and Moves of God are preceded by prayer, and often intense prayer. The great wave of missionaries that compassed the world during the 1700 and 1800 hundreds was bathed in prayer. Perhaps the most well known was the Moravian church that apparently had a prayer meeting that continued for one hundred years. I do not intend to be presumptuous by claiming that this was the main reason or even specifically the reason, but I have little doubt that as John Wesley said, "God does nothing apart from prayer, and everything through it."
IS IT ONLY PRAYER THAT GOD IS LOOKING FOR?
How much will our 'Earnest' prayers impress God our Heavenly Father if we are not walking in love and obedience during our daily lives. In Isaiah 58:1-5, the Lord is rebuking Israel for their hypocritical efforts of prayer and fasting while there is strife, abuse, and violence. Then He goes on to show the type of life He is expecting of us...feeding the hungry, sheltering and clothing the poor and needy, etc... (vs 6). This corresponds with Matthew 25:31-45 where Jesus explains how He chooses those who are truly His. They demonstrate their allegiance to Him by obeying His command to love and care for those in need, as well as living the life of prayer and devotion.
All this being said, if we want to see salvations, deliverances, healings, and miracles again, we need to pursue Him with all our hearts! HOW DESPERATELY DOES OUR WORLD NEED JESUS?
GOD METERS OUT HIS SPIRIT BY PORTIONS and WORKS IT INTO OUR LIVES
Only Jesus received the Holy Spirit without measure John 3:34. But let us look at how the Lord works the Kingdom of God into our lives, the church, and the world. "Another parable He spoke to them; 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'" Matthew 13:33 Obviously, to rise bread, one does not pour in a huge amount of yeast, but a very small quantity by comparison. It is then carefully folded in, kneaded, kept warm, and let set until it works through the whole batch of dough. Then it is ready for baking. When the Lord pours out His Spirit on us, His grace along with the Word of God be must worked into our being and become a part of our everyday lives. The blessing is not to be kept behind the closed doors of the church or even our own prayer closets, but is to be shared with the world through us in our day to day lives.
THREE COMMON HINDRANCES TO THE MOVES OF GOD
- STAYING PARKED WHEN THE CLOUD LIFTED
When Moses was leading the Children of Israel through the desert, they would follow the pillar of Cloud by day, or the pillar of Fire by night. The Cloud and the Fire represented the Presence of the Lord in Israel. Whenever and wherever the Cloud or the Fire rested, the people would settle down and make camp. Whenever the pillar of Cloud or the pillar of Fire lifted, day or night, the people would break camp and follow the Lord's leading. During or following an Outpouring and Revival, it is imperative that especially the leadership recognizes when the Lord is making a shift or a change of directions. Many times our human tendency is to make a permanent dwelling in the familiar ground, meanwhile the Holy Spirit has moved on. The works then become mechanical, hard, and the familiar fruit becomes scarce. This is great soil for man-made rituals and powerless routines to sprout up in "For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in POWER." 1 Corinthians 4:20 Routines and even rituals can have a valid place if they are not contrary to the Scriptures and are carried out by faith. But if we rely on them as the foundation of our faith and the fruit that God is looking for, we are in great error.
- STRIFE
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place..." Acts 2:1
"Behold, How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!...for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." Psalm 133:1-3
"Every Kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls." Luke 11:17 NAS
A sure way to destroy the work of God is by bringing strife into the midst. Many a work of God has been damaged because of strife among the believers. May we ever walk in humility and the fear of God lest we give place to the devil and cause damage to the work of the Lord and thereby bring guilt on ourselves, and wound many lives. There was strife between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, but they settled it with a godly compromise and went in separate directions for the Kingdom of God. Acts 15:37-40
- SIN-
This common and deadly foe of believers is ever waiting at our door "...If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right , sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
Israel suffered a humiliating defeat against Ai because of the sin and disobedience of one man, Achan. Thirty-six men died because of him Joshua 7.
1 - Treating Holiness with contempt - Taking the grace of God for granted, or presumptuously, is a huge snare and can harm many people. Just because we have the grace of God in our lives is not a licence to behave in ungodly ways. "Keep by Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Psalm 19:13
2 - Pride, and ignorance to God's ways - Cults have sprung up out of revivals and outpourings. "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, 'It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways.'" Psalm 95:10. God had given us the Bible which is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path, and also His Holy Spirit Who guides us into all truth, and Jesus Who is the express image of the Character and Nature of God our Heavenly Father. Therefore we have little excuse for error. Like the saying goes, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse". If we get in trouble with the police because we have broken a law ignorantly as a citizen, it was still our responsibility to know the laws of the land. It is the same with trying to follow the Jesus. If things go sideways because of human error, it is up to us to take warning and act accordingly. "...by their fruits you shall know them." Matthew 7:20 What complicates the issue is our pride, where we feel we know better, or think we have a special gift, and anyone who challenges us is not our equal in the matter. That is when we go astray. Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us and have mercy! Now on the other hand, some reject a move of God because they stumble over an apparent human error within the move and can miss out on a blessing from God. As I mentioned before, I almost missed out on a wonderful touch from God when I went to check out the "Toronto Blessing" in 1994 because of the behavior of some people.
3 - Selfish Ambition and gain - This also we have discussed before and have seen it all too often. It has brought huge reproach on the Gospel. There are those who have used the grace of God for personal gain in both the areas of financial gain, and pride. Uzziah became king in Judah when he was sixteen years old, and God greatly blessed his reign. He conquered all his enemies around about, built up a great army, prospered, had his engineers develop amazing equipment, and through it all became famous. "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar of incense." 2 Chronicles 26:16. This form of worship the Lord gave to the priests alone.
We have all seen and heard of men of God who became elevated in pride or took advantage of the gifting of God because of how He had used them mightily. Then they begin to take on to themselves roles that are beyond the call of God for them, and/or try to make financial gain out of it. Likely they crash and burn, but not without taking others down with them. May we ever fear the Lord and walk ever so softly before Him.
WHAT ABOUT NOW? WHAT IS GOD DOING?
We may say, "This may very well be so, but there has been no notable sin. Why then do we not see His power? Where are all the conversions, signs, and wonders? Why is it so dry?"
Well first of all this we all know. Jesus said that, "...upon this rock (the revelation of Who He is) I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. Jesus is building His church, and that includes all of us who believe and who will believe in Him, so He is working right now whether we see it or not. The other news is that He will do it with or without us, and He does not need our permission, approval, or even our assistance. Now how cool is that! He has never stopped building and working, and will continue to do so until He returns. So to ask why things are not happening, or why are things the way they are, may not necessarily be the main questions we should be asking. What we should be asking are, "Is there anything that He wants of me?" and, "Am I doing what He expects me to be doing?" and, "Is my heart in it?"
SO WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR?
FAITH -
"...Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
"But without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him..." Hebrews 11:6
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7
It is easy to say we have faith when God is working miracles and wonders in our life, when our prayers are being answered, and when we are surrounded with people of like faith. But what is our faith like when God does not seem to be working miracles, answering our prayers? What is our faith like when there are no other Christians around? What is our faith like when we cannot seem to readily get a hold of the Lord? The fire and the water purge and purify us. Are they not also important to us in the plan of God for our lives? Can our faithfulness be proved when things always move in our favor? Will our faith grow when it is not being tested? Greenhouse plants seem so healthy, but how do they hold up and what do they look like if they are fully exposed to the elements? The dry times, the eventless times, the hard times are as much a part of God's work of grace and salvation in our lives as are outpouring of His Holy Spirit. Nor does He abandon us in those times merely because we cannot perceive Him. Here is a beautiful promise, "Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and SHALL NOT SEE WHEN HEAT COMES, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful/fearful/anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease form yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
So regardless of the outward appearance, the Lord guarantees that we can still be walking in His grace and power as long as we are trusting Him. That is a "Thank You, Lord Jesus!"
FRUIT
The fruit God is looking for in our lives is what He produces through us as we yield to Him by faith in obedience. Then through His Holy Spirit in us He brings forth life in this dying world. " I Am the Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit... Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples...You have not chosen Me, but I have chose you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain..." John 15: 1,8,16
Actually it is comforting to know that if we had been bearing fruit, and that your life seems to have been trimmed back, and perhaps several times, it is because the Lord is preparing you to bring forth more fruit for His glory. So do not lose heart, draw back, or give up. Keep moving ahead, you are in a good way. He Loves you so much!!! Dear friends, fruit takes time to grow. There is a process, seasons, and needed added ingredients. We are to bear fruit with patience. When the fruit is fully grown, then comes the harvest. "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, KEEP it, and bring forth fruit with patience." Luke 8:15
DRY TIMES FOR OTHER REASONS
IS IT AN ATTACK?
At this point I must make something very clear. Not all the dry times and hard times are the Lord's doings. Sometimes they are direct attacks of the devil, and we need to recognize it, and deal with it accordingly (Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us." 1 Thessalonians 2:18).
OUR FOLLY?
Then there are the times when it is our fault, through our own errors. "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord." Proverbs 19:3 NIV
In those times we must 'Man up!' own it, and repent. We may still have to reap what we have sown, but it will be worth it to catch up to the Lord again. When you do, you will find fellowship with His people as easy and pleasant as before . In the down time we likely had been accusing them?
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
WHY REVIVALS ARE MISSED BY SOME
When Jesus was coming into Jerusalem He wept because they did not recognize the time of their visitation Luke 19:42-44. And in Matthew 24: 37-39 He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered you children together, even as a hen gathers he chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say to you, 'You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, 'Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.'"
We can learn from the error of Israel through these passages by transposing their situation on to our situations, whether as individuals or as a church. Like the nation of Israel, the Lord is the head of the Church as He is the King of Israel. He left the care of the Church into the hands of the leadership, and they are to receive their guidance from Him for the body. If however, the leadership needs to make room for His Holy Spirit but inhibits Him, then He will use others from outside their directives or even ranks to carry out His will. Jesus was confronted by the Priests of His day regarding this. The asked Him by what authority He was operating from since He most certainly was not deriving it form them. Perhaps they needed to look at themselves to examine the authority they were operating from. Jesus said you will know them by their fruits Matthew 7:20 We all like to box Christ into our world, views, ways, and we tend to reject anything that does not conform to what we perceive to be the absolute right way. True there are Biblical laws, principles, and truths that we must never compromise on, but God is bigger than our limited knowledge and understanding and He is fully capable of doing things differently without compromising His Word or very Nature. If we will not listen or make room for Him and the people He is trying to reach, He will by-pass us and use someone else. As already stated, the most recent moves of God tend to receive its strongest persecution from the people who were in the previous move. WHAT IS THE REMEDY? Jesus said that we will not see Him again until we genuinely say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." When we can recognize those whom He sends, we will be ready to receive Him when He returns not only physically, but also when He pours forth His Holy Spirit.
In the case of a church organization, if the former will not make room for the continued reformation the Lord is bringing, like a cell, it will break off and form a whole new cell with all the characteristics of the former plus those of the new. I imagine it will continue to do so until the Bride has made herself ready for the Lamb of God and His return.
PERSONAL QUIZ
-Has God been able to bring forth the Life of Christ in your life?
-Have you been absorbed in His Word and following the Leading of His Holy Spirit?
- Are God's concerns and priorities your concerns and priorities?
Oh by the way, the fruit He brings forth in our lives is birthed by LOVE.
- Are you persistent in pursuing your life of faith by walking in love?
If you have been absorbed in these, you will find difficulties, opposition, but also His GLORY!
- Are you burdened or even concerned about the welfare and eternal destiny of people?
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and ABOUND, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8 SO GET BUSY!
CONCLUSION
If you have been troubled by the way things are, or aren't; instead, try and see where you are fitting into the plan of God and make sure you are doing your part. He is still and always has been working.
(Please note that my references are restricted to my limited awareness of some of the works of Christ in North America and the West. I have heard wonderful stories of what God is doing in other parts of the world, but I felt I would be presumptuous to speak on more than I did. I trust this will be an encouragement to you. Very Best Wishes with love in Christ Jesus)
INDEX:
-WHERE ARE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US OF?...
-OUTPOURINGS, REVIAVALS, AND US
-THE CROP CYCLE
-THE FADING ANOINTING
-WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESULTS WHEN THE ANOINTING IS FADING
-WHY ISTHE GLORY FADING?
-PRAYER AND ITS APPLICATION
-THREE COMMON HINDERANCES TO THE MOVE OF GOD
-WHAT ABOUT NOW, WHAT IS GOD DOING?
-WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR?
-DRY TIMES FOR OTHER REASONS
- WHY REVIVALS ARE MISSED BY SOME
-PERSONAL QUIZ
-CONCLUSION
"Do not say, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For you do not inquire wisely concerning this...In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the on over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." Ecclesiastes 7:10,14
"Be patient therefore, brothers, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain...Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing songs." James 5:7, 13
"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22
"...IF THE LORD BE WITH US, WHY THEN IS ALL THIS BEFALLEN US? AND WHERE ARE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US OF?...Judges 6:13 This is what Gideon asked the angel of the Lord who came to him as he was threshing wheat while trying to hide it from the Midianites. Although we may not be experiencing the same conditions as he was at the time, no doubt many of us has or will ask the same question at some point.
If any of you have experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in revival, it is a natural tendency to feel that, that is the way our Christian life should be all the time, and quite frankly, I for one wish it was. However, after experiencing years between, and searching the Scriptures I have come to the conclusion that the Lord may not quite be of the same mind. "Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chose you in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10 One of my pastors told us that many of his peers who were radically converted during the Jesus People revival in Southern California, are not walking with the Lord today. So what are some of the concerns? Are revivals the answer to everything? Jesus left a challenging illustration about the rich man and Lazarus who both died. The rich man went to hell, and the poor man to Abraham. The rich man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers so that they would not end up in that horrid place, hell. What was Abraham's response? "...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Luke 16:31 Signs and wonders are not what keep a person faithful to Jesus, but humility, faith, and obedience, will.
OUTPOURINGS, REVIVALS, AND US
AN OUTPOURING OR REVIVAL IS WHEN GOD POURS OUT HIS SPIRIT AND PEOPLE ARE THEREBY SWEPT INTO HIS KINGDOM THROUGH THE REVELATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh..." Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17 - "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." Isaiah 32:15 (amazing things happen spiritually and naturally when God our Heavenly Father pours out His Spirit)
During Revivals and Outpourings not only are conversions a common occurrence, but miracles, signs, and wonders of various types can be expected. This is God sovereignly working in the midst of men, "For Thy name is near, Thy wondrous works declare." Psalm 75:1 People are easily drawn to the Presence, Glory, and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conviction for sin is also very apparent since that is the work of His Holy Spirit as well John 16:7-8. Again, the new birth or conversion and miracles can be experienced by any individual even though the church may not be experiencing a "Revival".
THE CROP CYCLE
- Anyone who plants a crop knows the process. You prepare the ground, fertilize it, plant the seed, and water it. While waiting for the seed to germinate, we continually weed and water. For some time it appears that nothing is happening, but life springs forth all by itself, grows, produces leaves, and finally the fruit. That is how the Lord ordained it, Mark 4:26-29. The Kingdom of God works much the same way. Now we must ask ourselves, "What stage are we currently in? Have we been planting the seed of the Word of God? Have we been watering it by prayer? Are we harvesting where we can??? Are we keeping the weeds out of our lives? How should we be occupying ourselves right now?
My initial experience of an outpouring was at the tail end of the Charismatic Move in the late 70's. It was fantastic! People were getting gloriously saved, being set fee from drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, and so on. Then they were getting filled with the Holy Spirit, and miracles of various kinds were common. Jesus had first place in most of our lives. Church services were so exciting that you never knew what would happen next. Prayer meetings were vibrant and easy. Outside the congregational meetings the fellowship was such that I couldn't wait until after work to get to wherever the brethren were gathering. We would talk about the Lord and whatever we knew He was doing. Television had no place, and we scrapped the secular music. It was all so irrelevant and even vial (which it often is). Sharing the faith and telling people about Jesus was at whatever opportunity that presented itself. Love was in the air ("God is Love." 1 John 4:7-8) and we readily enjoyed His Presence. This was the life!!! And I thought it would never end. We were sure that we would take the world for Jesus, deliver souls from the power of darkness, and get everyone saved in no time. We knew that with Jesus, anything was possible. And what I had seen and experienced seemed miniscule compared to the testimonies my mentors told me which they witnessed and experienced during the early days of the outpouring.
I must confess here, that at that time I was young, single and the only responsibility I had was work. The money I made was more than I needed to live off, so naturally I was able to jump in with both hands and feet without care or restraint. For sure, the married couples were the stable and strong leaders, but we young people absorbed as much as we could.
Meanwhile change and troubles began to creep in. I was oblivious at first, and kept pressing in to the things of God in my own life, yet I grew increasingly frustrated with the brethren. Leaving the personal aspect out, and in hind sight I can see that the anointing was fading and consequently we were becoming more mechanical, and had less energy or capacity to perform as we once did. Life and the cares thereof appeared to become increasingly demanding, and reasonably so. I am not saying this at the expense of the Kingdom of God, but for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
THE FADING ANOINTING
What I mean by the Anointing fading is that the active Presence and Power of God's Holy Spirit seemed to be withdrawing, perhaps gradually. When moving in the Anointing or power of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous and the "supernatural" is or can be relatively common place. Preaching the Gospel has far more impact and harvesting souls for Jesus is much easier. Signs and wonders are common, therefore conversions and glorifying Jesus are the fruit. But with time these occurrences began to diminish and the efforts become harder, and for some of us, exasperating.
[The reason I am separating Outpouring and Revival is that to some there may be a marked difference, though no such difference is mentioned in the Bible. When people refer to a "Revival", what is typically meant are the times when the Lord sweeps scores of people into the Kingdom of God through the preaching of the Gospel as in Acts 2. As for in an "Outpouring" the supernatural occurrences are also common place. In the Book of Acts we can see it all together. In the Outpourings I have witnessed, along with the Gospel, other features of the Kingdom of God that have been less common, seem to be moved to the forefront, like speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healings. A problem with some people's response to these supernatural occurrences is the tendency to make the occurrence, the Gospel. And that is very dangerous.]
WHAT ARE SOME RESULTS WHEN THE ANOINTING IS FADING?
AS THE ANOINTING LIFTS...
- We tend to try to carry on in the flesh. Samson did this after his hair was cut, but did not know that the Lord had left him and he became weak like other men Judges 16:17-20. So when the Philistines came upon at that point, his ability to resist them as he had done before was futile. When the anointing lifts, we may try and bring about the anointing or the effects of the anointing by carrying out the exercises that we thought were the reasons why the Holy Spirit was moving. Or worst still, we try and imitate the results.
- The Gospel work becomes more laborious - "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to the people. To whom he said, 'This is the rest where with you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.' Yet they would not hear. But the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." Isaiah 28:10-13
This passage of the Scripture Paul refers to it as the gift of tongues 1 Corinthians 14:21, which is a by-product of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord pours out His Spirit on us, He is also refreshing us and helps turn the hard and the tedious into a pleasant labor. Many of you can testify that the work of the Lord if not directed by and executed by His Holy Spirit can be tedious, laborious, and dry. And that is not the Lord's fault. "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring." Psalm 44:3
- Blaming one another. When things are not working out the way we think they should, or the way they should, the accusations can start to fly. Moses faced this many times with the children of Israel in the desert, especially when they were thirsty, sick of the manna, or tired of the long trek through the desert.
- Turning back - "Well this is not working out the way I thought it would, so..." Do you recall when disciples turned back on Jesus John 6:66. That is unfortunately common when the going get rough and the way is no longer easy. Paul wrote during one of his last efforts, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." 2 Timothy 4:10-11. Now the interesting thing I want to point out here is that in both these examples, the Lord and His anointing was still with them, yet in the time of trial and testing, when they were not leaning on Him, they (or perhaps even we) turned back. Many were leaning on fire for God and committed when it was exciting and fun, but when the action and adventure began to fade and the hard times hit, they 'seemed' to fade as well. God alone knows our hearts, but this can be scary.
- Discontentment and loss of interest. - Other effects of fading anointing is the discontentment amongst God people. Although not necessarily justifiable, the sheep often begin to complain and wander. By rights, they are looking for the living water and not just the stale bread. Furthermore, we begin to lose credibility with the unsaved/unconverted, and they will frequent our meetings less often, finding us irrelevant. Is our salt losing its saltiness? The tendency during these times is to blame the leadership, which isn't fair. They are dealing with the same issues we are. That was how they treated Moses and Aaron.
WHY IS THE GLORY FADING?
THE WAVES
I do not have all the answers, for sure, but there are things that we do know. In each situation there may be various contributing factors, and there are also standard causes. In a meeting near the end of the Charismatic Move, one preacher was teaching us that Revivals come like the waves of the sea breaking on the shore. He said that the surfers would swim out on their boards to catch a wave, and then ride it until it breaks in the shallow waters. Then, he paddles out again to catch the next wave. He then said, "The Charismatic outpouring is over! Start swimming!"
From the days of the early reformation, God by His Holy Spirit, brought wave after wave onto the church, bringing about reformations and restoring the truths and the life of the early church that was lost during the dark ages. With Martin Luther the message was justification by faith, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17. Then there were the Baptists, where a person is baptized after they believe and confess Jesus "...Repent and be baptized every on e of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." Acts 2:38. Another obvious Outpouring was the Holiness move with preachers like John Wesley. Some years later was the Azusa Street Revival and the restoring of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues Acts 2:4, 10:45-47, 19:5-6. I know not how many others before, between, and after, but all with significant impact and purpose that is far ahead of the reasoning of man, and will continue to be so. And with each new wave, the Church gains its former glory and power as Jesus is preparing His Bride for His return. So whatever the last move of His Holy Spirit was, wait, because He is still not finished with us, nor have we yet borne all the fruit that He has ordained the Church to bear before He returns. Yes there will be a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3), but until then there are untold many souls that need to hear the Gospel so as to be saved. "Your faithfulness is unto all generations." Psalm119:90
PRAYER AND ITS APPLICATION - "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth." Ecclesiastes 11:3
"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth: and there were voices, and thundering, and lightening, and an earthquake." Revelation 8:3-5
From this passage we get a picture of our prayers and how they even play a part in God's judgments. Notice how they are accumulated, gathered and released. Is the power, duration, and impact of God's outpouring directly proportional to the intensity and whole-hearted earnestness of our prayers? One thing for sure is that when our prayers correspond to His will, things happen 1 John 5:14-15. Now I must be very careful here, because God responds to us by grace and He is looking for works accomplished by faith "But someone may well say, ' You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.'" James 2:18 NAS. As we follow the Holy Spirit in prayer, He accomplishes His work through us, for without Him we can do nothing. "'Then shall you call upon Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all of your heart. And I will be found of you,' says the Lord, ' and I will turn away your captivity...'" Jeremiah 9:12-14
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Dear friends, we have a duty here, and a standing call from God, and if we want to see changes in our world, this is a requirement!
One of the marked predecessors of moves of God is PRAYER. Notice the ministry of Anna the prophetess who served God night and day with prayers and fasting while Israel - and the world - waited for the coming of the Messiah. It is noted that most Revivals and Moves of God are preceded by prayer, and often intense prayer. The great wave of missionaries that compassed the world during the 1700 and 1800 hundreds was bathed in prayer. Perhaps the most well known was the Moravian church that apparently had a prayer meeting that continued for one hundred years. I do not intend to be presumptuous by claiming that this was the main reason or even specifically the reason, but I have little doubt that as John Wesley said, "God does nothing apart from prayer, and everything through it."
IS IT ONLY PRAYER THAT GOD IS LOOKING FOR?
How much will our 'Earnest' prayers impress God our Heavenly Father if we are not walking in love and obedience during our daily lives. In Isaiah 58:1-5, the Lord is rebuking Israel for their hypocritical efforts of prayer and fasting while there is strife, abuse, and violence. Then He goes on to show the type of life He is expecting of us...feeding the hungry, sheltering and clothing the poor and needy, etc... (vs 6). This corresponds with Matthew 25:31-45 where Jesus explains how He chooses those who are truly His. They demonstrate their allegiance to Him by obeying His command to love and care for those in need, as well as living the life of prayer and devotion.
All this being said, if we want to see salvations, deliverances, healings, and miracles again, we need to pursue Him with all our hearts! HOW DESPERATELY DOES OUR WORLD NEED JESUS?
GOD METERS OUT HIS SPIRIT BY PORTIONS and WORKS IT INTO OUR LIVES
Only Jesus received the Holy Spirit without measure John 3:34. But let us look at how the Lord works the Kingdom of God into our lives, the church, and the world. "Another parable He spoke to them; 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'" Matthew 13:33 Obviously, to rise bread, one does not pour in a huge amount of yeast, but a very small quantity by comparison. It is then carefully folded in, kneaded, kept warm, and let set until it works through the whole batch of dough. Then it is ready for baking. When the Lord pours out His Spirit on us, His grace along with the Word of God be must worked into our being and become a part of our everyday lives. The blessing is not to be kept behind the closed doors of the church or even our own prayer closets, but is to be shared with the world through us in our day to day lives.
THREE COMMON HINDRANCES TO THE MOVES OF GOD
- STAYING PARKED WHEN THE CLOUD LIFTED
When Moses was leading the Children of Israel through the desert, they would follow the pillar of Cloud by day, or the pillar of Fire by night. The Cloud and the Fire represented the Presence of the Lord in Israel. Whenever and wherever the Cloud or the Fire rested, the people would settle down and make camp. Whenever the pillar of Cloud or the pillar of Fire lifted, day or night, the people would break camp and follow the Lord's leading. During or following an Outpouring and Revival, it is imperative that especially the leadership recognizes when the Lord is making a shift or a change of directions. Many times our human tendency is to make a permanent dwelling in the familiar ground, meanwhile the Holy Spirit has moved on. The works then become mechanical, hard, and the familiar fruit becomes scarce. This is great soil for man-made rituals and powerless routines to sprout up in "For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in POWER." 1 Corinthians 4:20 Routines and even rituals can have a valid place if they are not contrary to the Scriptures and are carried out by faith. But if we rely on them as the foundation of our faith and the fruit that God is looking for, we are in great error.
- STRIFE
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place..." Acts 2:1
"Behold, How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!...for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." Psalm 133:1-3
"Every Kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls." Luke 11:17 NAS
A sure way to destroy the work of God is by bringing strife into the midst. Many a work of God has been damaged because of strife among the believers. May we ever walk in humility and the fear of God lest we give place to the devil and cause damage to the work of the Lord and thereby bring guilt on ourselves, and wound many lives. There was strife between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, but they settled it with a godly compromise and went in separate directions for the Kingdom of God. Acts 15:37-40
- SIN-
This common and deadly foe of believers is ever waiting at our door "...If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right , sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
Israel suffered a humiliating defeat against Ai because of the sin and disobedience of one man, Achan. Thirty-six men died because of him Joshua 7.
1 - Treating Holiness with contempt - Taking the grace of God for granted, or presumptuously, is a huge snare and can harm many people. Just because we have the grace of God in our lives is not a licence to behave in ungodly ways. "Keep by Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Psalm 19:13
2 - Pride, and ignorance to God's ways - Cults have sprung up out of revivals and outpourings. "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, 'It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways.'" Psalm 95:10. God had given us the Bible which is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path, and also His Holy Spirit Who guides us into all truth, and Jesus Who is the express image of the Character and Nature of God our Heavenly Father. Therefore we have little excuse for error. Like the saying goes, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse". If we get in trouble with the police because we have broken a law ignorantly as a citizen, it was still our responsibility to know the laws of the land. It is the same with trying to follow the Jesus. If things go sideways because of human error, it is up to us to take warning and act accordingly. "...by their fruits you shall know them." Matthew 7:20 What complicates the issue is our pride, where we feel we know better, or think we have a special gift, and anyone who challenges us is not our equal in the matter. That is when we go astray. Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us and have mercy! Now on the other hand, some reject a move of God because they stumble over an apparent human error within the move and can miss out on a blessing from God. As I mentioned before, I almost missed out on a wonderful touch from God when I went to check out the "Toronto Blessing" in 1994 because of the behavior of some people.
3 - Selfish Ambition and gain - This also we have discussed before and have seen it all too often. It has brought huge reproach on the Gospel. There are those who have used the grace of God for personal gain in both the areas of financial gain, and pride. Uzziah became king in Judah when he was sixteen years old, and God greatly blessed his reign. He conquered all his enemies around about, built up a great army, prospered, had his engineers develop amazing equipment, and through it all became famous. "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar of incense." 2 Chronicles 26:16. This form of worship the Lord gave to the priests alone.
We have all seen and heard of men of God who became elevated in pride or took advantage of the gifting of God because of how He had used them mightily. Then they begin to take on to themselves roles that are beyond the call of God for them, and/or try to make financial gain out of it. Likely they crash and burn, but not without taking others down with them. May we ever fear the Lord and walk ever so softly before Him.
WHAT ABOUT NOW? WHAT IS GOD DOING?
We may say, "This may very well be so, but there has been no notable sin. Why then do we not see His power? Where are all the conversions, signs, and wonders? Why is it so dry?"
Well first of all this we all know. Jesus said that, "...upon this rock (the revelation of Who He is) I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. Jesus is building His church, and that includes all of us who believe and who will believe in Him, so He is working right now whether we see it or not. The other news is that He will do it with or without us, and He does not need our permission, approval, or even our assistance. Now how cool is that! He has never stopped building and working, and will continue to do so until He returns. So to ask why things are not happening, or why are things the way they are, may not necessarily be the main questions we should be asking. What we should be asking are, "Is there anything that He wants of me?" and, "Am I doing what He expects me to be doing?" and, "Is my heart in it?"
SO WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR?
FAITH -
"...Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
"But without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him..." Hebrews 11:6
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7
It is easy to say we have faith when God is working miracles and wonders in our life, when our prayers are being answered, and when we are surrounded with people of like faith. But what is our faith like when God does not seem to be working miracles, answering our prayers? What is our faith like when there are no other Christians around? What is our faith like when we cannot seem to readily get a hold of the Lord? The fire and the water purge and purify us. Are they not also important to us in the plan of God for our lives? Can our faithfulness be proved when things always move in our favor? Will our faith grow when it is not being tested? Greenhouse plants seem so healthy, but how do they hold up and what do they look like if they are fully exposed to the elements? The dry times, the eventless times, the hard times are as much a part of God's work of grace and salvation in our lives as are outpouring of His Holy Spirit. Nor does He abandon us in those times merely because we cannot perceive Him. Here is a beautiful promise, "Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and SHALL NOT SEE WHEN HEAT COMES, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful/fearful/anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease form yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
So regardless of the outward appearance, the Lord guarantees that we can still be walking in His grace and power as long as we are trusting Him. That is a "Thank You, Lord Jesus!"
FRUIT
The fruit God is looking for in our lives is what He produces through us as we yield to Him by faith in obedience. Then through His Holy Spirit in us He brings forth life in this dying world. " I Am the Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit... Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples...You have not chosen Me, but I have chose you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain..." John 15: 1,8,16
Actually it is comforting to know that if we had been bearing fruit, and that your life seems to have been trimmed back, and perhaps several times, it is because the Lord is preparing you to bring forth more fruit for His glory. So do not lose heart, draw back, or give up. Keep moving ahead, you are in a good way. He Loves you so much!!! Dear friends, fruit takes time to grow. There is a process, seasons, and needed added ingredients. We are to bear fruit with patience. When the fruit is fully grown, then comes the harvest. "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, KEEP it, and bring forth fruit with patience." Luke 8:15
DRY TIMES FOR OTHER REASONS
IS IT AN ATTACK?
At this point I must make something very clear. Not all the dry times and hard times are the Lord's doings. Sometimes they are direct attacks of the devil, and we need to recognize it, and deal with it accordingly (Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us." 1 Thessalonians 2:18).
OUR FOLLY?
Then there are the times when it is our fault, through our own errors. "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord." Proverbs 19:3 NIV
In those times we must 'Man up!' own it, and repent. We may still have to reap what we have sown, but it will be worth it to catch up to the Lord again. When you do, you will find fellowship with His people as easy and pleasant as before . In the down time we likely had been accusing them?
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
WHY REVIVALS ARE MISSED BY SOME
When Jesus was coming into Jerusalem He wept because they did not recognize the time of their visitation Luke 19:42-44. And in Matthew 24: 37-39 He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered you children together, even as a hen gathers he chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say to you, 'You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, 'Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.'"
We can learn from the error of Israel through these passages by transposing their situation on to our situations, whether as individuals or as a church. Like the nation of Israel, the Lord is the head of the Church as He is the King of Israel. He left the care of the Church into the hands of the leadership, and they are to receive their guidance from Him for the body. If however, the leadership needs to make room for His Holy Spirit but inhibits Him, then He will use others from outside their directives or even ranks to carry out His will. Jesus was confronted by the Priests of His day regarding this. The asked Him by what authority He was operating from since He most certainly was not deriving it form them. Perhaps they needed to look at themselves to examine the authority they were operating from. Jesus said you will know them by their fruits Matthew 7:20 We all like to box Christ into our world, views, ways, and we tend to reject anything that does not conform to what we perceive to be the absolute right way. True there are Biblical laws, principles, and truths that we must never compromise on, but God is bigger than our limited knowledge and understanding and He is fully capable of doing things differently without compromising His Word or very Nature. If we will not listen or make room for Him and the people He is trying to reach, He will by-pass us and use someone else. As already stated, the most recent moves of God tend to receive its strongest persecution from the people who were in the previous move. WHAT IS THE REMEDY? Jesus said that we will not see Him again until we genuinely say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." When we can recognize those whom He sends, we will be ready to receive Him when He returns not only physically, but also when He pours forth His Holy Spirit.
In the case of a church organization, if the former will not make room for the continued reformation the Lord is bringing, like a cell, it will break off and form a whole new cell with all the characteristics of the former plus those of the new. I imagine it will continue to do so until the Bride has made herself ready for the Lamb of God and His return.
PERSONAL QUIZ
-Has God been able to bring forth the Life of Christ in your life?
-Have you been absorbed in His Word and following the Leading of His Holy Spirit?
- Are God's concerns and priorities your concerns and priorities?
Oh by the way, the fruit He brings forth in our lives is birthed by LOVE.
- Are you persistent in pursuing your life of faith by walking in love?
If you have been absorbed in these, you will find difficulties, opposition, but also His GLORY!
- Are you burdened or even concerned about the welfare and eternal destiny of people?
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and ABOUND, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8 SO GET BUSY!
CONCLUSION
If you have been troubled by the way things are, or aren't; instead, try and see where you are fitting into the plan of God and make sure you are doing your part. He is still and always has been working.
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