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Temple Builders Anointed
Teachings |
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Man’s plan for the last day’s revival does
not always equal God’s entire plan for the last days. Revival is a
“predominate focus” and a “continuous conversation” among the
Saints of God. One will preach that revival is strictly for the harvest of
the unsaved and another will preach that revival is strictly for the
church. We have defined earlier in this book that revival is simply
God’s foundational work in the life of a Christian. It is simply God’s
visitation with the purpose of making you His Habitation. Let us speak in
more detail concerning God’s last day’s revival. The definition of
“revival” changes with various camps of teaching. Hear what I am about
to say. The word revival can be a confusing term because the
translators do not use it in scripture and it means different things to
different people. The last days will include many different “revival
type” events that fit into God’s entire blueprint. What “WE”
call revival may indeed be scriptural, and yet God may simply want to
adjust our focus to see the rest of His blueprint.
Acts 2:12-21
And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity,
saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others were
mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine. "But Peter,
taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them:
"Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known
to you, and give heed to my words. "For these men are not drunk, as
you suppose, for it is {only} the third hour of the day; but this is what
was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'And it shall be in the last
days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall
see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even upon My
bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My
Spirit And they shall prophesy. 'And I will grant wonders in the sky
above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and fire, and vapor of
smoke. 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. 'And it shall be,
that everyone who calls on shall be saved. (NAS)
This is a description of the first revival,
though it is not called revival. In scripture it is called “a pouring
forth of God’s Spirit”. Therefore our base definition for revival must
remain the same. Afterwards we have the revival manifestations. In this
first revival meeting it was first made evident by the believers openly
speaking in tongues. We must note that the unbelievers outnumbered the
believing “tongue talkers” by a considerable amount; in other words
there were many unsaved listening to the 120 believers speaking in tongues
- it was not solely a believers meeting. Some of those in the multitude
were amazed and some of them - mocked. Peter preaches an anointed message
from heaven and then 3,000 people get saved. Therefore in the first
revival service we see manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit; then the
Word preached with fire and revelation; and then unbelievers getting
saved. At this stage we are simply going to scripture to find out what was
recorded as “being revival”. As we have said previously, church
history is not where we should learn about such matters, scripture is our
source for revival.
Let us take a common definition for revival as
discussed among some modern day “camps of belief”. They say revival is
for the church. Their focus is on a great end time revival
characterized by signs and wonders. This is true, however the issue God
wants His “last day’s church” to deal with is “proper focus”. We
have called this chapter “True Revival” because if our focus gets
skewed, gets off centered, then we could fall into deception. Therefore
let us observe what revival is as it relates to other truths in scripture.
First, does “revelation of the Word” take a back seat to signs and
wonders? The Word should accompany signs and wonders or vice versa – the
two are one. Tossing a few scriptures out into the congregation is not
what I am referring to. I am referring to ministering the Word, and
revealing the Word to those who can perceive it. Peter unveiled scripture
to the people in this first revival, scripture they knew quite well and
yet they were seeing it for the first time. We must have eyes to see.
We must make sure that the Word is taught and
also we must teach obedience to the Word. Jesus said that His friends are
the ones that obey Him. An emphasis must be made on laying
down our lives for others, and on bearing fruit AS we labor in the lives
of others. After any encounter in a revival service there must be a
“spilling over” into our daily life. We must not sit still, we must
labor in the lives of EVERYONE around us or our focus will get skewed.
Remember that we bear fruit AS we labor in the lives of others, not
as we get filled, and then sit at home isolated from the world.
Therefore all definitions of revival pertain
to the gift of the Holy Spirit that flows out to others especially the
unsaved. It is never exclusive to reviving the people of God even though
the English definition may mean that. The English definition means life
from the dead. Therefore many teach that the dead church will be revive
again and be full of life. As far as the teaching that the Early Church
died and with it apostles who walked in God’s ways, they are right. The
Early Church died and our present church does not look like it, but that
is all in the plan of God. Revival here started in Martin Luther’s
generation. It is more of a restoration of truth that was lost but also
included the ministry of the Holy Spirit that had laid inactive. Some
unfortunately believe that the present church is already a restored church
and we now wait for our redemptive bodies at the gathering together. In
reality we have a long way to go before Jesus has the bride that He
desires. In the year 2000 the church as a whole is quite immature and
sometimes downright evil. The spirit of Cain (brother-killing spirit) runs
rampant in most churches; the spirit of the world rules many ministers,
and many Christians just want answers to the pain and voids that they
experience in their lives, which answers ministry has been inept to
provide. It is time for the God-kind-of revival!
We think that if manifestations of the gifts
will occur, then revival has occurred. God’s focus is not man’s focus
unless man makes Jesus - Lord of His focus. God’s primary focus is not
on gifts, signs, and miracles. God’s focus is first, on you surrendering
to His Lordship in humility. God’s focus is on you receiving and obeying
the Word that proceeds out of His mouth. To get you there may require
deliverance, an anointing, or an experience with God’s holy Nature, yet
that is a means to His end. Let me clarify, God did not create you to feel
good at an altar and yet He makes us feel good at an altar.
The religious will respond about feeling good at the altar “where is the
faith in that”. Let us say you feel good at the altar, you
actually feel God. This in itself does not make you
spiritual. What makes you spiritual is, if those experiences
provide a zeal and passion for Jesus to the point that you will crave His
every word and obey them. I hope you can see where we tend to focus on the
means instead of the end. We may even exalt the means instead of the
“end” but it is the “end” that provides the real Joy and Power. We
experience in order to believe His words of Truth. Through all these
outpourings of God’s Spirit, we should never boast in a “revival
manifestation” or a gift, sign, or wonder, our boast must only be in the
Person of Jesus, Who He is. There are some Christians that think a service
is lacking if signs and wonders do not occur. They think the most anointed
ministers are the ones that cause them to feel something. Conviction and
repentance take a back seat in their minds. So what affects our course
more, signs or repentance? Again it is focus that we must correct in our
vision.
If I go to the altar and experience Jesus
emotionally and maybe even physically then that experience should propel
me into revelation of the Word and into the great desire to obey it. My
boast should not be a bragging of the supernatural, but in the revelation
of Who Jesus is - a revelation of scripture that reveals the Jesus that I
choose to obey. It grieves me to no end when I enter a conversation where
one brags about what they felt, what vision they saw, what power they
received instead of the revelation of His word, of Who Jesus is, of
the sufferings they have endured for His Name sake. In reality they have
focused on the foundation instead of the building itself. They focused on
the immature, but there is a better way. I have had similar encounters,
but I know they are they are life-giving to enable me to become a witness
- If I choose to be obedient to His Words. I do not
diminish the altar, I minister there, - it changes lives. It changes our
lives because of what we do afterwards.
Isa 28:11-12
For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak
to this people, To whom He said, "This is the rest with which
you may cause the weary to rest," and, "This is the refreshing";
yet they would not hear. (NKJ)
Acts 3:19-21
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord, "and that He may send Jesus Christ,
who was preached to you before, "whom heaven must receive until the times
of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all
His holy prophets since the world began. (NKJ)
Some see a last day’s revival characterized
simply by an ingathering of lost souls. Though accurate to what will
occur, this definition falls way short of what God is actually going to
do. The ingathering of souls will be the natural outcome of a Church that
has received the “times of restoration” and they shall demonstrate
signs and wonders. Some will focus on solely “the great harvest of
unsaved” and yet bypass the catalyst that will get them saved – A TRUE
REPRESENTATION OF JESUS ON THE EARTH. The world, especially in America,
wants nothing to do with the Church because of REPROACH. Yet we have been
a reproach because as we have worked side by side with them, and they did
not see an example of Christ, instead they saw the works of the flesh,
they heard us gossip, and they saw much pride. God’s plan is much mo
re
detailed and glorious than any account of revival that
can be testified. We
will see God raising up Fathers who will raise children. We will see
God raising up Pauls, Peters, Johns, and James – true disciples who will
glorify Jesus by manifesting - Unity, Power and Love. This is God’s
definition of the great event whereby the term “revival” shall always
fall short.
This is important! Please listen carefully. We
have discussed in great detail in this book about “growing up”. We
have taught that God wants us to “finish our course”. We have taught
that the culmination of God’s temple, the church, shall be filled with
Glory because of the UNITY of the living stones. That is our “END”.
How do we get to this impossibility? Through revival, that is revival
defined as a “time of refreshing”, “a time of restoration of all
things”, and a time of “God’s outpouring”. Then what is the Glory
that shall fill the temple? It is what remains in the
habitation from what happened during the visitation. The
last days revival, “the visitation” will result in a people that KEEP
Jesus in their lives - to stay. He has stood at the door and has knocked,
He is visiting, but He LIVES in those who abide in Him and do His sayings.
As John 15 says, “If you abide in Me then”.
God’s visitation needs an invitation
to REMAIN as our - habitation. John declares in John 15 and
in 1 John, the way we abide in Him, the way we remain in Him – is
accomplished through receiving and obeying His words. Any revival service
that lowers the priority of the Word of God is a revival service that
detracts from God’s true “last day’s plan”. The Word preached in
Power, in Love, in Truth is what will cause maturity, unity, and miracles.
Revival is the “time of restoration of all things”. We must be looking
for a revival that not only experiences the refreshing but we must also
maintain a hope to be restored in all things. What does the restoration
include? Total deliverance from all things sent by the devil that has
placed us under his bondage. In place of the bondage is the freedom to
rest in Jesus Christ, to know Him as our Sabbath. Restoration includes
repenting, and changing our heart to obtain His heart.
It includes doing the works of Jesus as an outcome of our refreshed inward
condition. The outcome will include signs and wonders but even more
importantly it will manifest the faith that pleases God. It will manifest
a heart that has put away self-preservation, self-righteousness, and the
pride of Life.
We cannot ignore in Acts chapter 2 where Peter
continues the rest of Joel’s “outpouring”. “And I will grant
wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and fire,
and vapor of smoke. ‘ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood”. This is where God gets the attention of all
“mankind” – to make decisions! There is a sobering day ahead, it is
a day of Light for those in the Light of His Word and it is a day of
darkness for all that have not hid the Word in their heart. Those who
prophesy – “peace, peace” or “revival, revival” EXCLUSIVELY, are
those who do not perceive these sayings. We will have peace on the inside
while the world has great chaos. The world will look for peace; they will
search it out. They will look to the natural for it and be destroyed but
there is a harvest that shall look to the church for peace and they shall
find Jesus.
Revival happens because God chooses to pour
out His Spirit. If God is not pouring and yet we try to make something
happen we come into danger of manufacturing a revival, an anointing. God
will revive at least a remnant of His people and He will move with a
Spirit of repentance. It will happen, but scripture tells us to hope in
other things instead. We should hope for our redemptive bodies, we should
hope for Jesus’ return to Earth, and we should primarily hope in Jesus.
Revival as Joel defines it produces an outcome of holiness, repentance,
zeal, love, and gifts. Revival defined is this – It is the FULLNESS
of the Spirit poured out unto His people and through them it is
demonstrated to the world.
Revival
Manifestation IssueS
The Apostle Paul dealt with sensitive and
controversial issues in the church. He spoke and wrote as God gave
utterance. Some ministers avoid these issues and others dive right into
these issues without enough of the fear of God. What does the fear of God
have to do with it? The book of James speaks a sobering message to all
teachers, ministers – those that speak as an ambassador from the throne
of God. These incur the “greater condemnation”. In other words if you
speak as an oracle of God and say “thus saith the Lord” – it better
be from the Lord or judgment on you is of a greater degree than one who
stays silent. We are not to preach our views or opinions. To speak on
God’s authority you can only teach His view and His
opinion on a matter. God will only put His “stamp of approval”
on Himself. God looks at the words of every minister and puts their
words to the test. The only thing that passes God’s test is what looks
like Jesus. Wisdom can only start AFTER we have this fear.
As a minister, you can hear a truth with the
ear of the Spirit in the heavenly. You can know that you have received
present truth and yet when you open your mouth or when you write, it comes
out with the element of flesh. Now, in saying that, do you keep totally
silent until all flesh is burnt out of your message? No, that is not what
God is teaching. Do you immediately speak the message no matter what the
consequences, because of the origin of the message? Sometimes when flowing
in the gifts of the spirit, you may, but normally you must weigh out a
matter. Even with present truth that you are convinced that it has its
origin in the realm of God’s heart, you must precede cautiously, in fear
of God, in fear of the “greater condemnation” that you could
experience.
When one teaches present truth you can flow
more rapidly with one type of truth whereas another type of truth you must
let it gently stream down from the mountain. For example when I teach on
tabernacle truths where the Brazen Laver found in the Outer Court of the
Tabernacle of Moses represents knowing Jesus as the Word of God, I flow
swift with the present truth. In this example it is clear that the Laver
made of the material of brass, mirrors and water, can all be found in
scripture relating to the Word of God – Jesus. We experience knowing
Jesus as the Laver when we read scripture and experience the Word as a
Person instead of a thing. This is a truth that is complete, simple and
does not deal with church issues. Therefore if one has revelation and
God’s approval to share it – then flow swiftly. Preaching the
foundational message of the cross should flow swiftly as well.
In another matter, Paul dealt with the leaven
of Judaism that found its way into the Galatian Church. One might say
“that is a black and white issue”. Though discernment that God grants
us is black and white, the sharing of that discernment is anything but
black and white. Many times God will not grant us to speak that which we
discern. It is a test of maturity and the fear of God. If you cannot be
trusted in this area, God cannot trust you with dealing with issues in HIS
CHURCH. It is not our church it is His church. It is not our
body it is His body. After we pass this test then God can trust
us more, but now comes the weighing of what part we discern is God and
what part is our flesh. Are we seeing the matter from the perspective of
God, the “birds’ eye view” from heaven or from a mere earthly
perspective, and horizontal view? In our fear of God we must allow Him to
bring us to His view of the issue at hand. The tree of Life found in the
garden always eats of what God says is “in Christ”. When
eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, one will decide for
himself what is good, or righteous and what is evil, bad or unrighteous.
As I mature, I re-read these “church issue” chapters – to weigh what
tree that they have their origin. Every word and every phrase must capture
God’s way of handling this issue.
If we see the issue from God’s perspective
then we are enlightened by the Spirit’s illumination but that does not
solve the entire problem for us. We have heard, we have now seen, but now
we must impart life. One might receive the first two from God and yet jump
into the “impartation stage” in a flippant and presumptuous manner.
The result will be unedifying to His body, it will impart the person that
is speaking instead of the Person of Jesus Christ. This is what I mean
when I speak about fear of God concerning how we minister. Sometimes God
must allow much time to go by so that the issue can be thoroughly thought
out. Sometime we are not patient enough to think out a matter. Some expect
a more supernatural experience that will convey to them when and how to
speak concerning an issue. In reality the supernatural experience that God
requires of us is to think about the matter and allow the Holy Spirit to
guide us to where these thoughts end up. As you think about the matter,
God will add His thoughts on the issue; God will direct the stream of
thoughts to His intended vision. As you think out a matter, God will give
you timing, the character, and the proper method.
In ministry of the Word it is all about
relationship with Jesus. It never deviates from an intimate relationship
to where you not only speak the words that He speaks but it carries with
it the tonal qualities that Jesus is using at the moment. The very
emotions that Jesus speaks with will resound in the minister that walks in
the fear of God. We will never get to that place unless we become
disciples, whose head can be found resting on the chest of Jesus, hearing
His very heartbeat. Paul walked in this intimacy with Jesus and God
trusted Paul to deal with the most sensitive of issues. Sometimes God
watches over the seed to see development, and then He sends forth the
minister at His good pleasure.
I feel prompted by the Spirit to step out to
address an issue, and yet tremble as I do so. I walk as cautiously as I
know, and yet the things I am about to share have been seasoned over time.
The problem is not with the truth, or the timing, but in the impartation
– IT MUST BE LIFE THAT BEGETS LIFE! This is the final test of God’s
mature ministers; not many measure up to this more excellent way of the
Spirit. By God’s grace and ability we can do that, which fulfills our
calling, and by obtaining great mercy it can be delivered to His body in a
way that God can cause growth to the seed. May the Lord cause life out of
this word on revival manifestations.
Revival
Manifestations
Paul manifested Jesus in Wisdom - in Power -
in Love and when he called on others to follow his example he was telling
them to follow the Jesus that he manifested. He did not just preach
and teach; he showed them by his life's example. Sometimes we will measure
things according to examples of men of God in church history, or men of
God that we may know, but the scripture gives you examples of maturity
that far exceed church history and men that we may know. Church history is
a restoration process and contains bitter and sweet water from the same
well. That doesn't exclude church history, it simply means that church
history contains examples of men and women walking in the Word of God and
being led of the Spirit thereby giving us a demonstration of God’s way,
but there is a mixture many times that existed in church history that did
not exist in “scriptural examples” like the Apostle Paul. The primary
point is this – church history cannot be used exclusively for the basis
of any practice.
We can learn some things from church history,
for example, when I hear about how George Mueller in the 1800's, had
believed God daily to provide for the orphanages that he started, Mueller
would demonstrate the “scriptural examples” of faith observed in
Hebrews 11. This type of observing will bring encouragement. You can go
too far though; you can use church history INSTEAD of scripture for
doctrine, for works, and for revivals. For example, many today are using
past revivals and revivalists to establish their case as to whether a
“revival manifestation” is of God or whether it is not of God. God's
Word has the answer, not church history. The answer is this
– revival type manifestations fall under one teaching in scriptures - signs
and wonders.
Now listen carefully and read the ENTIRE
chapter here - this is a touchy subject in the present day church and God
wants balance before His throne on this issue. If you have not read the
previous section on “Dealing with Issues in the Church”, I ask that
you read it FIRST. Some ministers believe that the issue should be left
alone and not dealt with at all but the Holy Spirit desires to make every
crooked path a straight path and He does this by applying the wisdom of
God to an issue that grieves Him.
In the Old Testament, a “false balance”
is caused when “mixing the spices” for God’s incense in the
tabernacle; this improper mixing would cause an abomination to the Lord
and it would become a strange fire to God. The priest had to use the
specified ingredients - no substitutions! The priest had to have the
correct measure of these spicy ingredients. God gave the recipe; we must
not modify it. Concerning discernment in these matters of revival
manifestations, whichever side you are on – for or against
does not matter. We must use God's spices in the correct measure. It is
the Tree of Life that we must eat of in this issue as well as all church
issues.
Let us be sober in this crucial subject matter
on revival manifestations. I am not endorsing services that are absent
of revival manifestations and I am not endorsing services that demonstrate
revival manifestations. What I am endorsing is balance
before God in OUR THINKING concerning this topic. Please be mature in your
reading of this chapter and do not try to read into something I am saying
that is not there. I must be obedient in writing this chapter for the Lord
but yet I fear and tremble before God as I write it. I do not want someone
to accept something false because of something I have
written and I do not want someone to reject something true
that they should have received; because of something I wrote. I would then
stand before God accountable for having used wood, hay and stubble in
teaching you. Therefore you should be able to see why one must fear God in
such a great way when speaking on these matters. We have covered many of
these issues of teaching with fear in earlier chapters such as “You are
a Priest” and “Building Materials”.
I am not putting my stamp of approval on any
revival or minister nor am I questioning any revival or minister. The
purpose here is to make straight any crooked path, to make mature
any immaturity. The purpose here is to bring to light some
things that have caused confusion in the camp of God. Again all of us
must fear God, reject that which looks like man or demons, and hold fast
to that which looks like Jesus our Savior.
I will speak somewhat vaguely at times and we
must simply fear God and not rush to judgment - do not condemn your
brother or any movements – it is our heart that God is after.
There are ministries that publish books or are found on the Internet that
will describe specifically every revival manifestation and categorically
attribute all of them to demons. Some will even name
everyone associated with revival manifestations as evil, of the devil and
apostate. This is not new for those of us that operate in the gifts of the
Spirit such as “speaking in tongues”. However in this particular issue
they may even be right about certain things even though their spirit is
not right; this is the case with many that accuse their brother. Because
they mishandle the truth it does not matter if they are right or not –
they do not fear God and they do not impart life. Yet some of these
“opponents of revival” may have heard some things that were of God and
yet the mixture of “man’s opinion” is too strong in them – God
will disqualify them, God does not trust them with the preciousness of His
truth, therefore God must find those He can trust to hear, to see, then to
speak in His manner. We covered these truths in our section “How Paul
dealt with heresy” which deals with the sin of heresy hunting. This is
an iniquity that is blatantly demonstrated in believers that call
themselves discernment ministries or heresy hunters; the sad part is that
many of us have a measure of that same iniquity that we leave un-dealt
with, yet we find contention against these heresy hunters.
If one has heard and seen deception and yet
speaks from a mixture then the recipient of the message will reject the
entire message. If the character of “compassion and mercy” is absent
and “harshness and pride” is seen instead, then the mixture causes the
message to resemble the person of the speaker instead of the Person of
Jesus. God does not put His stamp of approval on your intentions when it
comes to ministry. God only puts His stamp of approval on that which looks
like Jesus.
God therefore must find ministers He can trust
to speak these things without mixture, and yet many times most of us are
only in the process of being unmixed. So does God wait for TOTAL
“UN-mixing” to occur? Are we waiting for some type of sinless
perfection? No, God will select those He can trust most with the
message that deals with the issue, which brings balance and
imparts life. In this particular message on revival manifestations I see
God’s desire to see His people "not be misled" and to be
"balanced", to the point that He selects certain ordinary men
that can bring His heart on the issue. God is faithful to deal with the
issue of revival manifestations in due season for the desired end - that
we may stay holy before His throne and yet responsive to His visitations. That
is why I am compelled to impart this message from God’s vast source of
wisdom.
Let us now talk turkey concerning these
manifestations in our church services. First off, what part does scripture
play in all of this? For the sake of clarification let us separate
ourselves into three camps of belief. There are those in the body that
consider themselves "pro-revival manifestations" and others
considered themselves "anti-revival manifestations". Thirdly we
have a mass of Christians that believe in some revival manifestations and
not other revival manifestations. All use scripture to support their views
and I have seen all mishandled God's Word on this subject matter as well,
and the truth is simple, it isn't hard at all.
Let us view what some of these views are and
compare them later to the view that God holds from His throne. The
"anti-revival manifestation camp" wants scripture for every
manifestation. If you fall down, they want a scripture for it, and of
course falling forward doesn't count. This is an example where God's
people just get plain silly with scripture. But in all seriousness there
is a blindness that keeps them from the obvious. To answer, just because a
certain sign is not listed in scripture does not indicate that it is
false. If you use the principle that it “has to be listed in the
scriptures” to be of God, then you are going to have to apply your
principle to other areas of your life, you cannot have a principle and
pick and choose to apply it when you become offended. There are many
MANIFESTATIONS in every Christian’s life and to hold such a principle
lacks the Wisdom of God. Manifestations are one’s response to an
inward work of God and God never makes doctrine out of “love
responses” that are demonstrated in His people. Holding such a view
that everything must be listed will eat from the wrong tree, the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil. When you eat from the wrong tree, you are
the one that decides what manifestation is good and which may be evil by
taking the “Word Who is Jesus” and saying “You must list for me what
is good and what is evil”. Jesus the Word of God is not a list for you
to figure out what is good and evil, Jesus is a Person that you must know
and through an intimate relationship you perceive by His Spirit what is
“In Him” and what is “out of Him”. If Jesus listed for you
everything in scripture like a “how to manual” then His people would
have made “knowing Him” an option. Knowing Jesus is not an option, we
must know Him to enter into what He has prepared for us and to avoid what
He says endangers us.
On the other hand, those that categorically
endorse revival manifestation are those who do not properly understand the
“principle of mixture”. If you inadvertently accept the mixture, you
cause damage to Jesus’ body. Jesus does not take kindly to those that do
harm to His body, in fact because His body is His very Own bride, He is
jealous over her. If you cannot discern, if you cannot sort out the
mixture by God’s Spirit then the bride is subject to false prophecies,
false visions and false experiences. False prophecies speak from a
voice that does nor sound like our bridegrooms’. False visions give us a
view of a king from the wrong kingdom. False experiences are a substitute
for knowing Jesus in the intimate bridal chambers. The consequences are
that we become joined to the wrong person.
A manifestation cannot violate scriptures that
relate to Who God is – His nature. Man’s lower nature is carnal,
or as the Greek language puts it – “the animal nature”. If one
manifests this animal nature then our response should always be the
scriptural response of deliverance must take place. Luke 9:49-50
- “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out
devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
And Jesus said unto him, forbid him not: for he that is not against us is
for us.” There are those that do not let you practice this verse
in their revival services. We should not forbid those who are more mature
to cast out devils from those in a revival that manifest devils. This
mixture cannot become unmixed if we ignore it or we are just plain
ignorant of it. Jesus requires us to be priests that have a nose
(discernment) to smell the difference between the sweet incense of the
presence of Jesus and the stench of the wrong spices. We must also be
priests that have a nose to smell the strange fire that results from the
wrong mixture of spices. If one manifests the “strange fire”
that comes from mixture then our response for these manifestations should
be “to minister deliverance” – in love if the Spirit permits.
Even more danger comes from manifestations
that were obviously from the animal nature, called by immature Christians
– Godly manifestations. Calling that which is darkness - Light is just
as bad as calling Light – darkness - both are error. Therefore the
purpose of this chapter is to keep this mistake from happening in your own
walk with the Lord. NOTE: These improper mixtures however are
not indicative of all revival services.
Scriptural
Responses
Heb 2:3-4
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us
by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs
and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit
according to His own will. (NAS)
How can we scripturally accept any
manifestation in our church services? Scriptures teach “signs and
wonders” and that is all that is needed to stand on the authority of the
word. Hear what I am saying here, it is scriptural to have a
miracle - every time. A person that has a sign and wonder or a gift is
also scriptural every time – therefore we have scriptural authority to HAVE
THEM. However the source of the miracle or sign – still
may not be under God’s authority and initiative. Therefore we do not
have to go looking in the scriptures to find out whether there was someone
that fell down backwards after a minister laid hands on them - RECORDED IN
SCRIPTURES. It was a sign, a wonder - Hebrews 2:3-4 is what you stand on.
Does the "pro-revival manifestation camp" respond with this
simple scripture? Not at all, since their activities were questioned they
respond out of the pride that was touched. I have witnessed carnal debate
after carnal debate - this God despises. It is eating from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil on both sides. Many times we stand on the
sidelines listening to all these debates and we say to ourselves “who is
right”. Jesus says, “I AM”!
When one debates like this, by what authority
do these debates stand on? Instead of Jesus’ authority we see a debate
that makes arguments using church history or church tradition as their
source. Using authorities such as church history or church tradition to
justify a sign and wonder is of the flesh. You can see God's dealings;
God's hand in church history and that is the purpose for it. Never use
church history as a pattern to experience and believe from! God gave us
scripture for the purpose to pattern our lives with. BUT REMEMBER THIS –
scripture is never to be handled with the motive to “prove your case”.
This is using scripture apart from relationship, not subjected to His
authority. If you feel the need to DEFEND yourself by finding a suitable
verse in response to attacks… then you are responding out of the
soulish, natural man – not the spiritual man. What has happened is,
PRIDE was attacked, and pride always wants to respond in defense of itself
instead of dying. In searching for scriptures to defend ourselves from
those who have criticized us, we have mishandled scriptures; we have made
ourselves lord over the Word instead of being totally subjected to teach
only Jesus and Him crucified. Pride has remained in all those that make
defense in this manner. There is a defense of the Gospel but signs,
wonders, gifts are not to be defended – they are the proof of the
Gospel, if indeed the Gospel of Jesus is being preached.
Let
Us Discern
It is quite foolish to think that we cannot be
introduced to counterfeits. The scripture clearly teaches lying
signs and wonders as well as true signs and wonders. This is what
many Christians like to do. We go to a meeting and see revival
manifestations and we either categorically accept them ALL
as being from God or categorically reject ANY from being of
God. Why is this? Because it is the spiritually mature man who must
discern all things. One minister at a recent revival told his audience
that if you are born again then you CANNOT BE DECEIVED. He continued his
teaching “to allow anything that they were feeling… to happen because
you have nothing to worry about, God will not give you a stone.” No
doubt some felt relieved because of this teaching, it released them from
the responsibility entrusted to them, and yet they were being deceived as
he taught them that they could not be deceived. The reason we lack the
discernment is because we are frightened of the responsibility of growing
up. God is returning for a “mature church” and a “nation
of priests” and those who forfeit “adulthood” and “priesthood”
will in the last days respond to affliction as a baby – literally crying
instead of laughing.
We have said that it is scriptural to have a
“revival manifestation” because of the scriptures that relate to
“signs and wonders” - does that mean that you are in the clear? Does
responsibility end there? No. We must now discern and test these spirits.
John specifically taught Christians to TEST THE SPIRITS because they
had the ability to receive a counterfeit spirit. There are a lot of
spirits out there but only one of them is God, and none of them can
usually be physically discerned unless it relates to clear demon
possession such as screams, abuse of the body, and other clear cut signs.
I have seen in these last days, “demon possession”
manifestations which leaders were calling revival manifestations.
In these cases the immaturity of the leader may include God pouring out a “spirit
of deep sleep” upon the person as Isaiah declares in Chapter 29,
verses 9 and 10. Again you cannot call darkness – Light.
Isa 5:20
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that
put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
I Jn 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test
the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world.
Concerning the discernment of these revival
manifestations, it does not matter what sign is manifested, it does not
matter if it is in the Bible or not, we have to test it! For example,
Jesus turned over the moneychangers and we know it was done in the right
spirit. Would you follow His example? It is listed in the scripture,
isn’t it? You would not follow it quickly. Why? Because you are
convinced that to do so could only be done with the right spirit. You also
know that to do so in the wrong spirit would have painful consequences.
You may observe those that commercialize the church and the Gospel but we
do not thrust them out because we could only do so in the Power of His
might - at His bidding and not ours. This is the point; when it comes to a
sign and wonder we tend to abandon the same criteria. Why? Because we
lack the fear of God. We do not grieve when God tells us to turn right
and we turn left instead. We may find that when we did not obey Him in a
matter - we failed to feel sorrow that leads to repentance. We presume
something is of God before weighing it before Him at His throne. We assume
that this is a sign of His because the minister said that it was. In fact
everyone seemed to accept it - it must be God. On the other hand
“anti-manifestation” brothers will assume it is not God because it
does not fit their view, their doctrine, and their knowledge of Who Jesus
is. All of this grieves God. His Spirit is a grieving Spirit even though
some of us think that He only laughs.
What grieves God more is this - we find it
easier to jump into the "flow" then to jump into the Word of God
being preached in Power. We want Power in the form of what we can feel
instead of the Power that can come forth from God's true prophets in
revelation of the scriptures. There was more Power in Peter's message, in
Stephen's message then anything you could ever feel in a revival. If you
desire to "feel" more than hearing the present Truth that can
come forth from servants like Stephen, then there is a serious problem. I
have experienced Power in the touch of God's hand - in the form of a
bodily tangible power. I have experienced Power in the Word from those
that preached with revelation - the latter will always be my desire even
though I would never refuse the former. The Power in the Word of God when
preached can open the heavens. It sure did for Stephen as he had the
opportunity to lay down his life. There is a danger when the Manna from
heaven is “not enough” for us anymore. We sing, “we want more”,
we pray for God to “send us the power” – in reality this can
be dissatisfaction for His Manna – His words. Instead we will get quail,
it will taste good for a moment, but death will come afterwards.
Num 11:31-34
Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail
in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three
feet above the ground. All that day and night and all the next day the
people went out and gathered quail. But while the meat was still
between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD
burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. There
they buried the people who had craved other food. (NIV)
Test your motives when desiring power in a
revival meeting. Let me also provoke your thinking in this story of the
quail. The children of Israel were sick of (manna) from God. This would be
a type of us being sick of the Word of God and teachings from the pulpit.
The children of Israel lusted for meat from God (something God was not
ready to give at the present time). This would be a “type” for those
of us that lust for the power of God (that God is not giving right now).
Quail came down to the children of Israel. Who sent the quail? Was it the
enemy? No, it was God Who sent the quail. Our admonition is this, if we
lust for the power of God that God is not sending at the present time –
He may still send you the power. You may want to feel the power and God
may be saying, “be content with the manna”. But the power in the manna
is not satisfying you anymore so you want MORE. God may send “more”,
you may receive that “more” and while it is between your teeth – His
anger will be kindled against you. Surely God will send meat in His time
and it is a good thing but those who crave something that God is not
giving at this moment - have rejected Him.
Num 11:20
but for a whole month-- until it comes out of your
nostrils and you loathe it-- because you have rejected the LORD (NIV)
Again we must test the spirits before jumping
into the "flow". Now comes even more difficulty, the
manifestation in a person in a meeting can be of carnal influence and the
same type of manifestation in another that is standing nearby to them will
be of the Spirit of God. Some revivalists lack the discerning to help you
in this matter or are afraid to quench the spirit. You must discern for
yourself! Remember that bitter and sweet water flows from the same
well. This is the characteristic of immaturity. Many times God will meet a
believer at a revival meeting in spite of everything else that may be
occurring – NOT OF GOD. Categorically rejecting or accepting a revival
manifestation can lead to error. The wisdom of Jesus dictates that you
should not be caught on any side, you should test EVERY spirit behind
EVERY revival manifestation that CONCERNS YOU. In saying these things
we can become fearful of even receiving meat that God IS GIVING. This
also is not the wisdom of God. Being fearful is not “fear of God” - it
is a substitute. The fear of God works arm in arm with faith. You simply
have faith that you are God’s priest and God is faithful to give you the
nose of discernment to smell the difference between the incense with the
“God ordered mixture” and the incense that smells more like “embalming
fluid”, a product of death. God will give you the nose, God
will give you the wisdom to respond correctly, and God always gives you
the walk of mercy that responds like Jesus when confronted with evil.
Some will respond to discernment by saying
“we will know them by their fruits”. But, we are “fruit checkers”
for the purpose of discerning false apostles and ministers and not for
revival manifestations. Many times God may visit someone at a revival
but that same person when tested will fall away. In other times a
“revival manifestation” will occur that is not God and yet that
person bears fruit; not because of the manifestation but because they hid
the Word of God in their heart and when tested they clung to Jesus in
unswerving faith in His Word. The fruit does not prove the manifestation;
it is the Word that was planted on good soil that bore fruit. Sometimes a
revival manifestation might be God but the individual may lack control
over their spirit. Proverbs 25:28 says “He that hath no
rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without
walls.” The lack of control will bring reproach upon the gospel
of our Lord instead of a witness in His Name. We have this saying of how
we sometimes “get filled with the Holy Spirit and we kiss our brains
goodbye”. God gives us wisdom and this includes practical wisdom, and
Proverbs is filled with practical wisdom from heaven.
There is much confusion in the church
concerning revival manifestations. Remember that the spirit of debate is
called a “work of the flesh”. Do not enter into it. Do not get
distracted by what others are doing. There is a danger on both sides of
the fence in this issue and it is a test of spiritual thinking that will
prevent you from getting in a place of blindness. It is also a test that
will see if we can love the body of Christ to the point to where we can
have faith that the “other part of the body” will overcome just like
God had mercy on us to overcome. THIS ISSUE IS A TEST OF RESPONSES! Can
you believe that others that lack discernment will obtain discernment just
like you have received? Some will fall away, but don’t you become the
reason that they fell away. Your response to the undiscerning is a test of
how much of the character of Jesus you really possess. Spiritually
speaking, these undiscerning brothers and sisters are still the family of
God, the body of Christ, and the promise land. If we go to the promise
land as God’s witness we cannot ignore the giants in the land and yet
simultaneously we must SEE THEM AS DEFEATED! Do you see a lack of
discernment in others as a giant that by faith is defeated? Our chapter on
“Test of Responses” is very important in how we deal with those
lacking discernment.
In discernment, as God’s priest we can
swerve from the truth just as well as those that are the subject of our
discernment. If we simply stand on the sidelines with arms crossed in a
defensive posture then we can be in error that is much worse than the ones
we are trying to discern. For instance, in our priesthood we are never led
by the Spirit to enter into a "river" (an anointing) that you do
not “SEE God” in, you cannot dive in, until you know that you
have heaven's approval, this is good. Jesus told Peter to come and walk on
the water, Peter responded through Jesus permission. This response of not
leaving the boat until you know that you have Jesus’ permission is
called the fear of God. This is a good thing. You are to be commended if
that is your response; it is a response of maturity. However the danger
comes when you sit on the sidelines in discernment and become like Michal,
Saul’s daughter, David’s wife, who was seen looking out of a window
while her beloved David was dancing in the streets; the wife responded to
that dancing in - despising David and also the event. We
must fear God that we do not despise the “David” of our revival. We
are wed to others in the body and we can fall into this trap.
Michal’s story is one of tragedy; she and
her “first love” (David) were married but because David's life was in
danger Michal helped David to escape out a window from David’s enemy –
Saul, her own father. This was a window of deliverance that Michal
provided for her love. After David was gone, Michal’s father gave her to
another man and they were married. Later on David made an agreement with
Abner to get her back. Though David got her physically back, Michal’s
heart was with her current husband who followed her and wept as Michal was
being taken away. If we provide the “window of deliverance” for
others, we are demonstrating the “first love”. This is what Michal did
for her beloved David. When we go to services with our brethren we must
always offer them the window of deliverance so that they may escape the
enemy's hand. Michal now stood at the window for a second time, this time
it was to despise her husband who was dancing before the Lord.
Now, If we “fall out of love”
with our brethren then we will provide the “window of despising”. At
first we may have led them to the Lord, got them delivered, but now we
think they are mixed up in that “dancing thing” or that “rejoicing
thing” or you fill in the blank. It is not wrong to “not
participate”. If you are not sure it is God then you should not
participate, especially on the word of another, you must bear witness
within. The danger is that you do not participate and you despise the
“David”. On that day David was dancing before the ark, he was
uncovered. The openness of others can offend us if we look through the
wrong window. David shouted, He leaped – he was literally ecstatic over
the “ark of presence” returning to Israel. When Jesus returns as the
Ark of Presence – there will be a similar response “in our flesh”
for the “King of kings”. In other words when Jesus is on the verge of
returning, when He shows up - we will go ballistic.
The consequence of Michal’s attitude was
BARRENNESS! If we stand in the “window of despising” we shall become a
barren people. It is said that every new move of God is persecuted by the
previous move of God. The previous move were an open people, they sat in
the window of deliverance, but now they despise the new wine that God is
giving because it does not work with the wineskin that they have formed
for so many years. Their wineskin did not possess hilarity
and therefore the Spirit of God has no place to laugh in
their service. One must toss the old wineskin when all its wine has been
used up or it will seek to despise God’s new wineskin along with its new
wine. What was David’s response in all of this?
2 Sam 6:21
And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD,
which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me
ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play
before the LORD.
Now in saying these things, does that mean
that with the “new wineskin” and the “new wine” - that anything
goes? Not at all, whatever response you give, it must be “before the
Lord” as David declared. There is a time for dancing and there is a time
for mourning, for soberness. When I am at home I may feel more like
dancing, when I am in the church with my brethren I may feel like mourning
because I see the “works of Satan” that have yet to be broken. We are
all different but we must not be resistant to change our mourning into
dancing and our dancing into mourning. We must not be resistant to toss our
present wineskin for HIS PRESENT WINESKIN. You may be in the
current “new wine” with God’s “new wineskin order” and tomorrow
will be used temporarily of the enemy to attack God’s newer wine
and newer wineskin. This is a principle that if you see, it will
help you in the days to come.
If you are in a situation where you do not
have to deal with revival manifestations - do not focus on them. Simply
preach Jesus and Him crucified and He will expose the "hidden
thing". If you are a participant in a revival manifestations then
always fear God. Especially fear God when the manifestation has any
"bizarre" nature to it. If it is of a "slight" nature
then do not allow the "fear of man" to interfere, God will not
fall off His throne because we happen to fall down when we are prayed for
- it should not be an issue. It should not be something that can offend
another brother. The thing that is important is what happens the following
week when you get up. If you are disrupting the order of a service then
you must know that you know – it is God. If the Pastor disagrees than
it most likely was not God and you should remain teachable and not be
offended. House rules for a church service are much like house rules
when you are invited over to eat at one’s house. If their custom is to
take your shoes off when you enter their house, submit and take your shoes
off. If the custom of a particular church is to not interrupt a service,
obey that house rule. Ask permission from the head of the house if you
need to make an exception to the house rule. Most disruption is because of
a lack of control over one’s own spirit, not necessarily because it was
a demonic unction or rebellion. Yet Satan still has his hand in the matter
by blinding us to the wisdom of “controlling our own spirit”.
Some things are more easily discerned because
of God’s Way in a matter, for instance if one is preaching with the
power of God – only Satan would interrupt, God’s Way is focused upon
His Word. Signs and wonders follow the Word, maybe precede
the word but should never interrupt the word. There are no
exceptions here unless the minister was not preaching in power. It has
been said that a revival manifestation should interrupt
certain ministers because they were not speaking from heaven. If the
minister is not preaching in power then he should abase himself before God
for failing the call. There are no exceptions; the Word preached
in Power is the most important element of any Christian service. The
reason many people would rather see signs and wonders is because of
the lack of power and present truth displayed in the message.
God has set a table for you, do not desire
something not set on the table and do not refuse something
He has set on the table for you to eat. How do you know what
He wants you to eat? If you will abide in Jesus, learning and DOING
His sayings then He changes your cravings for what is set on His
table. Let us say one goes to a revival meeting but habitually rejects
the life of daily abiding in the vine; his cravings will be amiss. Though
he may ask of the Father and believes it to be bread, it may be a serpent
because he knows not the true Jesus in a daily abiding. If you are abiding
daily in the vine then you are able to test the spirits because God
had changed your craving on the inside of you. You may be able to exhibit
an outward manifestation based on the Holy Spirit’s operation on the
inside and it is totally God whether it fits someone’s doctrine or not.
On the other hand you would be able to reject something that is contrary
in a moment because its source is unlike the source you daily draw from.
In other words, because you draw from His nature the result is that you
know and have become His nature – THAT IS THE OBJECT THAT YOU COMPARE
TO. That is how you test the spirits, you compare the nature of that which
is manifesting with the nature that you KNOW, then there is no confusion
in these matters; then the opinion of man, pro or con, matters not. The
bottom line is - deception is prevalent where abiding in Jesus and His
words are absent. Abiding in Jesus means you relate to Him, you learn
of Him and you obey Him.
God is pouring out His New Wine with New
Wineskins; there will be the final wine and a final wineskin as well. The
true church will come to a place where she is no longer a wrong mixture,
she will become the anointing of the Lord mixture, or she
will become a mixture that the scripture calls an abomination. I trust
that you have received life and wisdom that will edify you to
become THE ANOINTING OF THE LORD.
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