What is missing and/or needed in the church today?
We have lost so much ground to hell and evil today. So many souls are lost and perishing, headed for an eternal hell. Numbers estimate that 90% of our US population is without Christ. Drugs, and other addictions hold captive the minds, hearts and lives of multitudes. And the one thing that can undo all this is God. The church knows this truth, yet it seems that simply knowing it, doesn't make it happen. So what is missing? what is needed? It is the Divine power of God.
Acts 19:1 - 7, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? and they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.. . . When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them. . . "
Mark 9:28 - 29, "Why could we not cast him out? And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."
Luke 24:49, 'And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
John 20:22, "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:"
Here are found 4 passages of Scripture that I believe would answer the questions to our plight today in this world, and especially among the church. How the churches languish without His power! How much is undertaken in the strength of men's hands and planning, all the while some diddly of a prayer is made asking God to bless what we have contrived and come up with! How little is it found among the church today, one, to be a house of prayer and two, to be endued with power from on high! What a testimony when someone declares, 'that man/woman is filled with the Spirit of God'.
Yet I know, that in the moment that some group, some individuals, would seek, tarry, wait, claim the promise, and cry out to Him, He would answer in a great way. And when this is done, it would be so evident that it was God, that both the church and the lost souls of this world would declare, 'This is God'. 'Look what the Lord has done.' All the occasions of days gone by, when God's Manifest Presence came down, such things were done and declared. And God in that power upon His people was able to do, what men have been trying to do for decades without His power.
It would seem the most logically and reasonable of things to speak of these things. But why doesn't the church talk about this? Why do they distance themselves from such a conversation? Why are they so offended that in me writing such a word, that they feel slighted? And how many of my baptist brethren, would disassociate me from their ranks because I speak of the enduement of power from on High in the power of the Holy Ghost.
So there are 3 things that I want to put forth to discuss and reason with the church today on this matter of our great need for the power of the Holy Spirit needed to be upon us.
1. It is still the great need of the church today, to rise up above the baptism of John to be baptized in Christ and baptized with the Holy Spirit.
2. It is not a time to seek lesser means and ways in this day and time; but a great need for a real revival and work of God.
3. There is no other way to do this than the way set forth in Scripture. Prayer, fasting, tarrying and seeking Him Who alone can impart this power.
1. Every generation and every age of the church still needs the power of God to be upon them for victory, overcoming and power in His Name. When the disciples had to gather in the book of Acts for 10 days, to receive the outpouring of the fullness of God; Peter stood up and preached in that power and 3,000 were saved. So the preaching of the Word in that power is able to save the lost. So the speaking of His Name, in that power, is able to raise the dead, deliver the captives, heal the sick and bring glory and honor unto His Name. But when a generation, when a day comes that the church stops seeking His power and knowing the victory in Him, they will seek something less and turn to the ways of men. And when the power of God is absent, the works of God are absent.
When we recognize that huge increase in the last 10 years of evil in our nation and world; when we see the greater evil of addictions holding captive souls; when we see greater death and destruction; when we see the remedial judgments on our land; when we see the church functioning less and less in baptisms, victory, miracles, we should understand that we need His power. And His power is found in Him alone. 'If you abide in Me, then I will abide in you"; 'if you draw nigh to Me, I will draw nigh to you". In this day of evil, why would we seek anything else but Him?
And with this great evil and so much of our future at stake, we recognize our great need to not be satisfied with the baptism of John, nor simply to be baptized in the Name of Christ, but to be endued with power from on high. Too many will defend themselves and be provoked in their spirit that they are missing something, or lacking something. D L Moody was offended that the two women were praying for him to be endued with the Holy Spirit. Praying John Hyde was filled with anger on the boat ride to India when he read a letter from an old saint telling him he needed the filling of the Holy Ghost for missionary time. Many a man, in their pride, will defend themselves; but the truth is that we must answer the question honestly, are we seeing the works of God or the works of men?
When it is the work of God, then the following happens: souls are saved and kept all their days; as Duncan Campbell said of the Hebrides revival, "we know nothing of backsliding" - this alone is God; crime and sin cease and greatly decrease in society; it endures from generation to generation; bars and drugs would cease in our communities; victory over diseases and illness; relationships restored and families made whole; churches thriving and places of sin emptied; darkness put down and Light shone more gloriously; the ends of the world are reached and men hear the Word of God for the first time.
What happens when it is not a work of God, but the work of men: evil increases, 'Comes in like a flood'; it is more religious than Spiritual; carnal is accepted and holiness is lessened; sin is compromised with; backsliding is perpetual; true salvation cannot be declared; none/or little victories; status quo or less than Christian standards is the norm; emotions are sought after rather than the true Presence of Him; pride and vanity are touted as the way of God, subverting the Word of God; false prophets and false ways;
It is the satisfaction of being baptized in John's baptism, rather than acknowledging that there is something better, something purer, something higher. They cannot sing the old hymn, 'I"m pressing on to Higher Ground', for in truth they are not. Their defense is, 'I have been baptized, I'm a member of the church. I'm in leadership, ministry. What else would I need?" The answer to this is found in the question that Marie Monsen asked in the Shantung Revival, 'Have you been filled with the Holy Ghost?' Or as the confession of D L Moody, 'Lord, if I am missing something, then fill me' And God filled him and the outpouring of the Spirit and great moves of God came upon England and the US. Greater works, more souls and great glory was done, when God's people put aside the pride of contentment, religion and understand that there is something more needed in this day and time. We need the power of God from on high, to come down upon men and Manifest His Presence on His church.
This is what is missing and this is what is needed.
2. It is not a time to seek lesser means and ways in this day and time; but a great need for a real revival and work of God.
As men see the evil arising, the sin abounding they know enough that this is not right, this is not the way things are supposed to be. And when they have prayed a prayer, called upon God, and waited for a while, they become impatient and rise up and go in their own strength to solve this problem. The disciples had cast demons, had healed the sick, they had done all that; yet here they could not do it. And they didn't understand why.
When men do not the power of God through His unction, through His anointing they will seek the ways of men taught them or contrived of their own devices. But when they seek their own ways there is a price to pay in doing God's work without God's power. King Saul was commanded to wait for 7 days for Samuel; on the seventh day he had waited long enough and rose up and offered. Then came Samuel and told him, 'God has rejected you'. why? Because he could not wait for the man of God, but took it upon himself. He had seen sacrifices offered before; he was the king; surely he could do it without the prophet. King Uzziah learned the same painful lesson when entering the temple to offer and when forbidden God struck him with leprosy for the rest of his days. when the 7 sons of Sceva tried to do the work of God in casting out the demon, they were put tot he worse because they had no power to exorcise him out of the man.
It is folly and huge sin in settling for men's ways to do the work of the church today. And when one method fails or runs out of interest, here comes the next one. And I have found that they, being imitations of a work of God, only produce imitations of God's work. I have used this repeatedly to demonstrate this truth of something less than the real need of God's power. Charles Finney was a great man of God used by God in the 1800's to see the power of God work on New England. He had two great intercessors that saturated the town or place before he would show up to preach. God would work wondrously with this anointed man continuing in the Spirit by anointed intercessors. But when the intercessors died, Finney retired from evangelism and took on president of a college. but those that had come up after Finney, who saw how he did the meetings, the methods of his campaigns patterned themselves after him. Yet, the results were not the same. Men that with high percentage over 80% after the revivals were still serving the Lord, years later. But men saved under the next generation the numbers still serving were much lower. The difference? God's man, God's unction on that man, sealed by God's men praying it down.
Those men in Acts 19 were baptized rightly in the Name of Christ. Yet, one thing remained, the anointing of the Holy Spirit by Paul who laid hands on them. One can not lay hands on another and impart the Holy Spirit if they have not receive the Holy Spirit. What good does it do to give a blessing if you have not receiv3ed a blessing? And so I see in this day, that the church is desiring a work of God. they know the power of revival can take care of these things. And in their impatience they seek to 'help God' and generate their own means, methods and ways. No good comes from these things.
And so I see that when God begins to work in areas, upon people that men put their dirty hands on it and ruin it. As quickly as God came to begin it, He withdraws because men seek their own honor and ways rather than the pure ways of God. God will not allow for His Presence to be descegrated by the dirty hands of men. 'Touch not the ark' and when Uzza put forth his hands, God struck him dead. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost and bring damage to the church, God struck them dead. When the children of Israel looked into the ark, God struck them dead. He will defend His Name and ways when the church or the world seek to lessen it. And His judgment is fierce on those that do.
So when a move of God begins, there should be wise and discerning men to seek the counsel fo the Lord. In this it will preserved longer, and sustaining. How short lived, how much of a mockery is made by the world when it is lessened. Pure religion and undefiled before God and in God for a authentic, real work of revival is what should be sought for. As the illustration is given: when a rock is thrown into a calm pond of water, the ripples from that impact go out from the original point. When men seek to to go out from that orgiinal move of God, it will be lessed and farther from the original point of God. I want no part of such movements that seek to continue on works of God, when God has left it. With God all things are possible; without God nothing is possible. Seek the right way, the true way and stay in Him.
3. There is no other way to do this than the way set forth in
Scripture. Prayer, fasting, tarrying and seeking Him Who alone can
impart this power.
Now there is a greater call for revival and this out pouring of God's power for the hour needed. Yet, for the greater part, most of the church is unaware of how the Scripture gives us direction and application. When the Word of God is unknown, men make up their own. As mentioned above, the disciples had done the works of God before, yet now they couldn't. They enquired of God, 'why?' And He answered them, this kind can come forth but nothing but prayer and fasting. Two of the most missing things in church disciplines today. Another clear command, 'tarry' and 'receive' was what Christ commanded. Only those that have cut away from carnal, self life and stay before the Lord tarrying for Him and Him alone, will receive Him and Him alone.
Time must be given in prayer, fasting, tears, waiting and listening before Him. Hong long? Until He comes. The resolve must be in such moments of protracted times before the Lord. For the most part the church dabbles in minutes with Him each week. But this kind of power cannot come without spending hours and days before Him. It is not the time to seek less, but to seek more time before Him. They waited ten days for Pentecost, most of the church hasn't waited ten minutes before Him in a day; or ten hours in a week. this must be understood and applied.
Set times before Him; set times of fasting; set times of prayer are all apart of this. during these times the world will be snuffed out, self life will be hated and the Spirit life will be sought. Herein is all the points of historical revivals that God honored and blessed. God came to these that did it right. when Finney would feel the Holy Spirit was less upon him, and not as aware in the meetings, he would cancel his schedule and retreat out into the wood til he was endued with power once again.
Do we need a genuine revival of God today? the church will answer yes.
Have you been baptized in Christ? death of self, life in Him; that answer is going to wide and varied by the church;
Have you received the enduing of the Holy Spirit?
Are you willing to pay the price for such an outpouring?
This concludes my points of interest in my heart and mind, regarding the works of God needed and done in these days.
until,
dan biser
Started: April 29, 2017
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