Encouragement

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With the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street visitation and manifestation of God now upon us, which began the modern worldwide “Pentecostal” movement, this is a totally appropriate time to bring up some things about where we are today from that movement, with a couple of the main factors of the apparent reasons for that event. And these are first, the Manifestations of the Spirit through the Gifts, increased Freedom of the Spirit, supernatural miracles, signs and wonders, and second, the true exercise and expression of the true “Faith” of God that He has imparted to us through the Manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit. Forgive me if I do not stay on track. This is a totally rough and un-edited draft but it must go out now.


For so long now there has been in the Body of Christ, [ especially, but not exclusively, in the more westernized nations such as in America, Canada, Australia, England, South Africa, etc. ] amongst those of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Full Gospel, and other similar entities, what could appear to be an overdone fixation and obsession with Miracles, Signs, Wonders, various Supernatural Manifestations of the “Spirit”, even mighty Deliverances from the presence of unclean spirits. Especially physical healings, restorative miracles, financial miracles, etc. Plus, the obvious and definite connection to all of these things with the “True and Powerful Faith” of God, in God, towards God. All over Christian television, radio, magazines, and all manner of video and audio sources the so called “mainstream” of these particular teachers and preachers, prophets, have to do with this strong emphasis on this kind of Faith, Freedom of the Spirit, Manifestations, Healings, Finances, Prophesyings, and more recently on Worship, Dance, etc.

I am not opposed to these things, they have their “place and times and seasons”, in our individual and corporate lives. Obviously, it would seem, as was part of the main purpose of God in the grass roots beginning of this movement at Azusa, to see more widespread use of the Faith of God and seeing it manifested in Miracles, Signs, and Wonders, etc. and so on. But, like with anything Of God that passes through the hands of man, it has a strong tendency and even predisposition to become corrupt and defective and end up far away from the original design and intent. If others besides Moses had had a “burning bush” experience you can almost bet that someone would have started a Church there. Not to say that what that one event started is now useless and history, not at all. But if we have strayed from the Spiritual Goals and Objectives that the Lord was trying to achieve at Azusa, then it would be smart for us to re-evaluate and re-assess where we are and re-adjust and re-calibrate our ways.

Also, it would seem to be clear that the Lord, with that one event, began a “movement”, as it has been called, and not just an isolated incident, which has brought to the Church at large numerous “outpourings, manifestations, doctrinal emphasis, a moving towards more maturity, as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord, etc. And this has been exciting and wondrous to see. But is this all there is, more of the same? We’ve seen in the past 100yrs. “seasons” of Freedom in the Spirit in Worship, Praise, Prophesyings and Prophecies, Evangelism, Healing and Deliverance Ministries, Signs and Wonders, wonderful blessings of Music in Ministry, All Kinds of Manifestations of the Spirit IN the many activities of the Kingdom and the Body of Christ, awesome revelations and teachings, etc. and so on. But in examining where we are now,

where we’ve come, in light of what we see and hear the most of today, it would appear that we may be on the threshold and “at the door” of either a new or another “phase” from the Lord, and/or quite possibly the “Final Phase”. I do not believe we’ll be seeing “more of the same”.

Does this all mean that we’ve missed it all somehow or someway. Being that that is a generalized question and the evaluations of these things are almost never in general, the more likely way to give a short assessment would be to look at individual lives, and even the numerous local Congregations all over the Country and the World. Certainly some would be closer to where they should be, as the True Shepherd would determine, and some not, and all the rest in between. That’s not our place to be precise, especially individually. But has the Lord been impressing upon different of His Prophets, Intercessors, Leaders, Teachers, Servants, etc. what is “coming down the pike”, as they say. I think so. He always does. And man will always both hear and ignore or dismiss. But this isn’t a railing about that. But, to make sure we don’t misunderstand here, this will not provide us with an opportunity to say to ourselves, “we finally got it now, now we’re on track”, as though we weren’t before. Again, that’s not really our department, especially from the standpoint if you or I have been “off track” in the Lord’s program with us, what’s done is done, all we can do pretty much now is inquire of Him, see, acknowledge, repent, etc. and so on. And move on.

But because we know that as the Body of Christ over the past 100 yrs. since Azusa street we have indeed made mistakes, errors in judgment, etc., It has been more of a mistake in us NOT following what the Bible and Scripture itself Teaches and Declares about true Theology, Doctrine, the Kingdom, and so forth. In other words, NOT so much a misinterpretation of what the Lord was trying to say and do at Azusa Street as much as what did the Lord Jesus and the Father and the Precious Holy Living Spirit already tell us from Scripture what we were supposed to do and be. Azusa Street was not the introduction of another new covenant, or “tossing out the baby with the bathwater”. There have actually been denominations formed on the basis of what they believe the Lord was Really trying to say and do at Azusa Street and other movements. [It certainly wasn’t to form another splinter group. I’ll be authoritative with that one] As well, the “Pentecostals”, since Azusa Street, as a whole have unrighteously declared that the Lord had to do that event because the non Charismatic anti-Pentecostal types weren’t getting the job done. That’s not right and not nice. Period. Just like the Jews of old that brought us to where we were allowed the privilege of receiving New Life in Christ, those opposing what the Pentecostals now do clearly brought us to where we were at Azusa Street. Let’s be Christ-like towards our Brothers in the Lord. We certainly could never accuse them of being too “flesh oriented” like the Pentecostals have been accused of.

Don’t you think that the Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of His Church, knew exactly what was going to happen, and how it was going to, and why, etc. even before Azusa Street, and afterwards? Certainly. He not only knew that and had already planned for it and adjusted for it, much as he adjusts his Grace and Will to account for my foolishness, but we may have all accomplished a lot more of what he intended over the past 100yrs. than some would think. On the other hand, just simply because the Lord Jesus knew ahead of time what faults and failures

we were going to have in the carrying out of His “Preferred Will” in these matters, [and he did not prevent us from failing or making a mess], does not in any way mean that he has excused us from these things, nor that we met all the requirements. We really don’t know and it’s somewhat irrelevant now. He most certainly has tried over the past 100yrs. as well as the past 6,000 yrs. to “maneuver”[ a nice way of saying admonish, exhort, scold, reprove, etc.] us in the direction of His Preferred Will, and He must do so because He is just and fair and righteous. But it’s because of the wonder and glory of His Grace that he is not only able but willing to make the necessary adjustments when we fail to meet His Preferred Will. It can be a lot easier to criticize than to applaud because that’s our natural instinctive inclination. But any applaud comes from the Lord anyways. We aren’t to try to do either. It’s not our department.


So then, most of what this all boils down to in this study is that quite possibly it is time for us as a Body of Believers, as the Great Congregation, the Assembly of the Righteous, the Daughter of Spiritual Zion, The Church of the Firstborn, to become AS a Bride, without Defilement, or Spot, Blameless, Guiltless, Faultless, Upright, and Above Reproach in a crooked and perverse [as God defines crooked and perverse] generation. The Bible does clearly say that the Lord Jesus is returning for such a Church and certainly He is the one that must be about the task of making it happen. This is not merely a Theologically Positional statement because we are “In Christ”. That is why we have the Bible recording so many lives, since Adam, that were like that. And they were without the New Covenant, without the “Eternal Blood” offered for all sins, without the permanent indwelling Spirit, etc. This is not “Sinless Perfection” either. That comes at the beginning of the New Heavens and the New Earth after the Thousand year reign of Christ and the final step in our training to be truly God-like and Christ-like. This “level” of Maturity I’m referring to here has to do with our “Conversation”, our Conduct, our Choices and Decisions and Reactions and Responses and Ethics and Morals, Values, Scruples, Prudence, etc. and so on before God and Man, while we’re here on this Earth. And again, the Lord Jesus is the one who decides precisely where we are on that particular track of successfully heading towards where the Church is to be when He returns. Yes, there are Scriptural signs, fruit, evidences, etc. that we can use as a guide to determine if we’re heading in the right direction. But our job most certainly is to “Believe” that we are not only supposed to become those things for His return but that it actually can happen and will, if we will Follow and Obey, and Believe God to show us and help us how to Crucify the Flesh, and Mortify the deeds of the body, [as the Apostles taught] and so on as the Bible teaches. And if we will change our focus on how to use and “walk in” faith and exactly what eternally valuable Spiritual Manifestations we are to be seeking NOW.

But I ask you, Honestly, do you believe that you can see yourself, In Christ, getting to the place where you can be seen by God [and even Man] without guilt, without blame, without spot, above reproach, etc. The Bible clearly teaches us that we will not see what we don’t believe, even if the Bible says it is supposed to happen. It won’t happen for those who Will Not Believe. Are we primarily utilizing our Faith from God, [it’s not even ours] for “Show”? For walking in the “Gifts” and the Signs and Wonders and Demonstrations, etc. or are we “walking in Holiness and Purity, and Separation, and the Light as He is in the Light, and Victory, and the living working true Love of the Brethren and of God, and so on. Jesus said “an evil and adulterous generation looks for signs and wonders” [instead of what should be sought after] The adultery He was referring to was Spiritual adultery not marital.

As one of many side notes here have you ever wondered why it seems at times that the Spirit and Presence of God is either grieved and vexed in our midst at Church or even almost reluctant, so to speak, to really ramp up His glory and power. Could it be that He remembers how the Jews so many many times through the Old Testament days were where we are today with awesome praise and worship, fasting and praying, reading and examining the Torah [their Scriptures] and writings of the Prophets, etc. and yet we read in the prophets how the Lord was not only grieved and vexed sore but angry and hostile towards them because from the leadership down to the least, “While they were Worshipping the Lord, they were still serving their idols”. Why would he be upset unless he felt that they were actually able to stop being that way. Are we not much the same. And isn’t our guilt greater because we have been given more to help us than they. Doesn’t the Scripture tell us that they were very much like us in many ways as we relate to the Lord and to our world and mankind. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” They certainly didn’t think they were neglecting anything “of the Lord".


So where are our priorities. What we sow we will reap. Period. But we can’t and we mustn’t look at what we’ve done or not done so far, that is as far as how successful we think we’ve been. You will NOT be able to see and judge yourself and those matters, as the Lord can and you shouldn’t try. One person may think he stands and yet is ready to fall. Another may think he’s a total loss and the Lord says not so. That’s not our department. We must look at only the willingness and ability and power of the Lord Jesus and His Word, His Name, His Blood, His Seven-Fold Spirit, His Glory, etc. and so on, to do the job. That is always the way it is supposed to happen, even before Jesus came to the earth the first time. We do the believing, the trusting, the submitting, the obeying in Faith, etc. and God “Gives the Increase”. It still comes down to “what do we want”. Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we want God to make us Holy and Pure, while in this life, or just simply pass out some more of that cheap and free grace and blood and no guilt trips. The Grace, The Blood, The Word, Faith, The Spirit, etc. were not just made available to allow us to get to Heaven when we die [Heaven is someday coming here by the way] it was also to make us like Jesus, both Now and Forever more. Yes you can Dear Believer and Child of God grafted in to the Olive Tree of Israel and to the Vine of Christ, literally become all those things that Jesus is looking for in His Church, while in this life, even from where you are now. Believe it and follow in it.

Maybe these are the New Miracles He is wanting to perform amongst us. The New Signs and Wonders and Manifestations of the “Spirit” and of His Word, His Will, etc. NOT more new and creative ways to Praise and Worship, we’ve got that down to a science, to a fine “Art” even. Not more Prophets and Prophecies and Prophesyings, Not more Glory Dust or Dancing before the Lord, not a “Return” as some want us to, go back to exactly the way things were in the Book of Acts and the NewBorn Church. Not a return to the way things were when Azusa street happened, or even back to an America like we had in the “Fifties”. But onward and upwards and forward, on to more perfection, [completions] victory over sin and the flesh and the world, maturity, again, “preparing the way of the Lord” in our very lives.


And what a glorious incredible testimony and witness to the world, to the flesh, to the devil, to our fellow man to see us become that far along In Christ, WHILE we still have the old nature with us. Now that’s Victory, that’s being more than a Conqueror through Christ. But to “land” in Heaven before the Lord and most of what we have to show for our Christian Life is a now deceased but healthy body and mind, the ability to Praise and Worship to “beat the band”, the fully exercised gift of Prophesying and all the other Vocal Gifts, deep understandings of the deep things of God, a fully operational gift of helping the poor and needy, yet still tied down with bondages and addictions and habits [even in our hearts and minds] that even many of the unbelievers don’t struggle with. Things that keep us being accused by the devil and by men before God every day. Ethical failings, racial issues, immorality issues, bodily appetites such as overeating and gluttony, our testimony while driving in traffic, and on and on. Simple things.
[ 1 Cor. Ch. 13 speaks to this where Charity isn’t just what we do for our fellow man but what we do out of our Love for God.] This isn’t about more effort to attack these faults in our lives. This is where our Faith in God can really be put to the test. To see if we can and will Believe in the Lord to bring us to that place that “seems” so far away right now. Maybe Daniel was tested in the Den of real hungry Lions because he already was so without blame and guilt before the Kingdom of Babylon that there wasn’t anything else to “check him out in”. [ I’m being facetious]


To me this is precisely one of the things that is truly being referred to in the great chapter of Faith in Hebrews when it refers to certain Saints of old. That’s part of what the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” is referring to. Those like Enoch, Job, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, and on and on who were deemed by God as totally above reproach, guiltless, faultless, blameless, without spot, in Their Own crooked and perverse generation. If they can have it, so can I. That’s why the Spirit included these things in the Bible, to “attract” as it were, those “whosoever wills”, to go beyond the Cross and the Tomb, beyond the mediocre, beyond the minimum required, to go for the Gold, so to speak. The same God is available, the same Grace is available, the same Spirit is available, as they had then, and the Blood of Jesus is available, and more. What more do we need than these?

I not only believe I can and I will see it but I want it and I want it bad enough to believe God for it as His Word clearly teaches it. That not only gives me the maximum chance of seeing it but actually can guarantee it, by “Faith”. Let God be the Judge. If God has clearly stated that only those that do His Will and that Love Him and Know Him will be granted entrance to His throne and His Presence, AND He clearly Himself Loves Dearly His Son Jesus, as the rule and standard for man, and to let Him have His way and His Will in preparing us as a Bride would be prepared for the Groom, then Love Him fully by believing in Him to make you as ready as He meant for us to be, In Christ, while we’re still here. As far as we can and as long as it takes, is a long standing motto and creed I have. ………..


While the world is grinding to a halt, with ever increasing ever multiplying fruit of corruption, defilement, desecration, and all manner of heinous ungodliness, the True People of God will be
even further transformed into the likeness of what God had in mind for us to be, while we are still in this life, and yet carrying around our old nature. But we must BELIEVE that. We don’t need MORE Praise and Singing, nor MORE demonstrations of the signs and wonders of physical healings and deliverances, nor MORE emphasis on prosperity and prophesying. We need to see and demonstrate MORE repentance, and works of righteousness that work by Love, More emphasis and fixation, even obsession with Agape Love and purity and wholeness and the kind of emphasis on “Works” that doesn’t cheapen and desecrate the precious Holy Living Blood and Grace of God. Also MORE of what we see taught in Romans and 1 Corinthians about the Love of God and the Love for the Brethren and our fellow man as seen in our willingness to “choose rather” to not allow ourselves somethings that we may be allowed to do but because of caring more about how we may affect or infect someone else, we deny ourselves.

I tried to refrain from using declarative and/or authoritative tenses in these messages and instead try to word things so as to clearly “imply” and suggest” certain things. This is done to encourage the reader to do as the Bereans of old did and when the Apostle and Saint Paul or even Peter or the others Preached and Taught, they would take their messages straight to the Lord and the Scriptures they did have and inquire of him as to whether these things were true and of the Lord, as in a “Rhema Word” and to receive personally relevant insight for them personally. I know that the more mature true believer will do this automatically and these messages are first for them and second for all others in the Body of Christ that they pray for and as the Scripture tells us to do to gently and tenderly, edify, exhort, admonish, reprove, rebuke, and compel, etc. and so on.

To be Continued………………………

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