Responding to God.

There are so many Spirit-filled churches today, yet there are hundreds of people sitting in those pews that are NOT Spirit-filled themselves.  We hear few sermons today about the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are too “politically correct” to try to tell anyone else what they need.  That amazes me!  We have been duped into thinking that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was for a past experience, a previous move of God.

We say we want the deep things of God – the deeper life.  What can be deeper than the Holy Spirit of God?  If you are not literally possessed by God’s Holy Spirit, you are falling short in every area of your life.  He is your enabler.  Being Spirit-filled does not eliminate the problems of life, but He brings a deeply settled peace and deep-seated joy in spite of negative circumstances.  Real joy, not some superficial “happiness.”  Why?  Because genuinely Spirit-filled people have been drinking – drinking deeply from the wells, the reserves of God’s Spirit.  How long has it been since you’ve been spiritually inebriated?  We need to be sated by Him so we can discern Satan’s counterfeit from God’s real.

Why does Satan send all of these things our way?  The ugly, the filth, and the supernatural?  First, it desensitizes us and we lose the fear of “ugly.”  Second, he doesn’t intend to show himself “ugly” in the next move of God.  He will come as an “angel of light” (2Cor.11:14), and his own contrast of himself, his disguise, will fool multitudes.  The Bible warns us that many will fall in that day and be deceived, even believers (Mt.24:24).  If you are not full of the Holy Spirit and exercised in discerning between good and evil (Heb.5:14), how will you know the difference?  Does that frighten you? 

Satan wants you to be afraid of the supernatural voice.  Whose voice is it?  He wants you to fear the voice of the Lord within you, afraid of being awakened in the night by a voice that ministers to you, afraid of the voice in the meeting that says to you, “Speak out in tongues.”  He wants you to be afraid of the voice that gives you the beginning of a prophetic word for the assembly without knowing the whole thing.  He wants you to fear praying for the sick or being a vessel (channel) for the true, living, Holy Spirit of God.  God will rid you of that fear if you ask Him, if you are full of the Holy Spirit, because He is perfect Love and “perfect love casts out fear” (1Jn.4:18).

“Well, I’m afraid of error.”  In the name of Jesus, get rid of that fear!  “God has not given [you] a spirit of fear, but of…” (2Tim.1:7).  Of what?  Of power – a Spirit of power!  Not a thought of power; not an intellect of power.  A Spirit of power!  His Spirit.  The verse continues: a Spirit of love.  And that same Holy Spirit brings a sound mind.

The Bible repeatedly presents us with the concept of growth.  He encourages us to grow in grace (2Pet.3:18; Eph.4:15; 1Pet.2:2).  Grow.  Grow.  Grow.  He tells us to live in accordance with His instructions.  Walk.  Walk.  Walk.  (Jn.12:35; Rom.6:4; 8:1,4; 2Cor.5:7; Gal.5:16,25; Eph.2:10; 4:1; 5:8,15; Col.1:10; 2:6; 4:5; 1Thes.2:12; 1Jn.1:7; 3Jn.4).  The Christian life is not to be stagnant.  On the contrary, we’re to be making forward progress all the while.  Progress.  Progress.  Progress from where you are today into His fullness, and then into more of His fullness.

So, our responsibility during revival begins with recognizing the revival is from God with its manifestations.  Recognize the real.  It begins with being so full of the Holy Spirit to be able to discern God’s real from the devil’s counterfeit.  And then, we must respond to Him in this revival. 

Respond. 

In our responding, we respond to God, not to any of man’s gimmicks.  At the wedding feast in Cana, Mary said to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (Jn. 2:5).  And so shall we “do,” His 21st century servants.  Here, we are talking about complete submission to God, not to a human, not to a specific church, church doctrine, or church tradition.  That is why it is so important for us to grow to the place with Him that we can discern Him accurately.  We stand by our human leaders, but our consecration is to God alone.  We come to Him and respond to Him.

When we are sold out to God and His purposes, we must also expect something and not be shocked or surprised when it shows up.  There likely will be reproach and persecution as we follow Him so closely.  Think of the 120 in the Upper Room (Acts 2).  Miracles occurred.  The Spirit of God had been poured out in abundance, and these followers were changed by His power.  The people in the streets heard messages in their own languages and were amazed, but doubting.  They said, “They must be drunk with wine!”  An accusation that was totally untrue.  Let’s understand that this is the least persecution His followers ever received.  Note also, it was not only the leaders who were unjustly accused and scorned, but everyone who was there in the outpouring.

I seriously wonder if one of the things that holds back “the day of Pentecost” that needs to “fully come” today – I wonder if the revival, the renewal, the next move of God is delayed today because of our fear of persecution.  Could that be a great deterrent to us – to our giving God full reign in our lives?  The truth is, we know nothing about real persecution in our country.  We crumble at a raised eyebrow that questions our stance as Christians, let alone what a verbal attack produces.  There is something inside of us that panics at the thought of being “persecuted” or criticized, especially for our “religious beliefs.”

Be encouraged though.  Read Isaiah 41:10 in the Amplified Bible – “Fear not; [there is nothing to fear, for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen and harden you [to difficulties]; yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of rightness and justice. [Acts 18:10].”  What a glorious promise from our God!  That He would harden us to difficulties. 

When I first became aware of this verse, I was eager for God to do it.  What He showed me was in order for me to be strengthened, we (God and I) needed to go through a few “difficulties” together, so He could teach me how to “go through” with victory.  Victory in such times has to do with tenaciously hanging on to God because you are convinced of His faithfulness in seeing you through.

Being strengthened by God does not mean we are impervious to attack.  We are never immune to trouble.  What it does mean is that we learn how to handle the hard things of life with God.  The same old things will no longer trip us up as we gain His perspective on what’s important.  It will now take a greater attack to knock us off our feet.  And when we go with God, we are able to recover much more quickly and get back on track.

Respond.

God is getting us ready for some things, church.  True, we are preparing for a glorious next move of God, but at the same time, we must realize the truth of Hebrews 13:13:  “We ought to bear His reproach outside the camp” (paraphrased, ital. added).  Bearing His reproach outside the camp.  “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows…” (Isa.53:3; Ps.22:6).  That was outside the camp.  Are you willing to bear His reproach?  (Where are all your “Amens?”).

Look at it another way: you will bear His reproach either joyfully and successfully, or you’ll cry all the way through it.  Let’s keep our focus on the last book of the Bible.  In the Book of the Revelation of John, it reveals a group of people robed in white – joyful, victorious, singing and praising and worshipping God (Rev.4).  Who are these in the vision?  They’re the ones who “overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony;” the ones who “loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev.12:10,11).  Who is more important to you?  You or God?  That’s easy, we know it’s Him.  And, we truly mean it.  That is consecration and He sees it in you – a witness of your spirit to the Holy Spirit.

Why will we have to have reproach?  Because everything God does is contrary to society’s norms.  We haven’t had much reproach yet because He hasn’t violated the status quo very much.  In fact, the Lord has been answering our prayers for blessing for many decades.  He has blessed our plans and programs and brought church growth with increased numbers of people.  He’s provided finances to carry out these plans.  He’s caused businesses to succeed as we have asked.  It’s as if He said, “I’m going to teach My people that whatsoever they ask in My name, I’m going to do it (Jn.14:13,14).  My people have asked and I’m going to give – blessings on top of blessings, gifts on gifts.  Whatever they want!”  He has blessed and blessed and we are full – but still not satisfied!

“You want quail?  Fine.  Have quail.  And have some more and some more and more.”  And we are at a place where we don’t even know what to ask Him for anymore.  We’ve found fulfillment wasn’t in the abundance of “quail” – not in numbers – or success – or in the power of the dollar.  We have it all in the church today, and yet there is still an emptiness inside our spirits.  We go from conference to conference, from church to church hunting for something, some “word,” to satisfy our longings.  “What is it, God?  What are we missing?”

His only response can be, “It’s Me.  What you really want (need) is Me!”  When we have been satiated by the things and yet are still empty and hungry, what we need is more of God Himself.  We must learn to press into Him for Him, not for what He can bring to us or bestow upon us.  “Oh, Lord.  Hear my prayer.  I need more of You. I want You, God.  Thank You, Father, for all the answers to my prayers, but I need more of You.”

All of this is not to paint a negative picture of the coming revival.  On the contrary.  We serve a mighty, benevolent God!  We are not a puny little lifeless people.  We are a people with the sovereign God in us, Who never ever gives us something to do that He doesn’t also give us everything we need for success (1Cor.10:13; 2Pet.1:3).  You will not face anything you are not prepared by God to handle.  You may sometimes feel unprepared, but you will be able to watch yourself sail through your difficulties, look back and say, “God, I didn’t know I could handle that.”  And, He’ll respond to you, “I did!”

                                                                                                                     Go to Part 3