The Conception of Jesus

Season’s greetings, everyone. I wanted to let you know that my book, The Conception of Jesus for Kindle is FREE until Christmas—my gift to you.

We know the birth of Jesus is accounted in the Bible. But before Jesus was born, He was conceived.

Is Jesus’ conception recorded in Scripture? You’ll find out in this brief book. Geared toward Pentecostal church leadership and serious students of the Bible, this prophetic message examines Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, her visit to Elizabeth, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that conceived the promised Savior.

A virgin conceive? Mary asked, “How?”

Gabriel answered, “THE HOLY SPIRIT!”

God’s will expressed through His word is brought to pass by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Get The Conception of Jesus to learn how God’s word can come to pass in your life.

Get The Conception of Jesus to learn how God’s word can come to pass in your life.

Have a blessed holiday season!

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 6

Let all things be done

Let all things be done decently and in order.
–1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV

We are concerned that our church services be conducted “decently and in order.” But we can be so concerned about what we think is proper that we quench the Spirit.

Yes, we want decency and order, but above all, “let all things be DONE!”

1 Thessalonians 5:20 forbids us from despising manifestations of Holy Spirit.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus presses the point that we’re to use the gifts of grace He’s given us to build His kingdom until He returns. Those who obey in faith will be rewarded.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
–Hebrews 5:14 NIV

Concerning operating in the gifts of Holy Spirit, spiritually mature saints will learn to distinguish good from evil, what’s of God and what’s not—not by standing back and refusing to participate. Instead, they will train THEMSELVES through constant USE and PRACTICE.

“As John Wimber put it, spiritual gifts are tools. They are not toys. You need to practice using them, and you will not be an expert on your first try.” (James W. Goll, Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today, p. 20.)

Therefore, we must earnestly desire to be used in the gifts of the Spirit, step out in faith to manifest them, and consistently practice them to edify the Body of Christ. This is how we prepare ourselves and the Church for Christ’s return.

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 5

Use them or lose them

In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells a parable about a master who entrusted sums of money to three servants to put to work while he was gone away. One who was given five talents earned five more. Another given two earned two more. The servant given one buried it in the ground.

The master returned and rewarded the faithful servants but scolded the lazy servant.

The context of this passage is the return of Christ. Jesus has gone away, but entrusted to us His Holy Spirit and His gifts. What will we do with them? Will we—of our own desire and sense of responsibility and stewardship—use them to build His kingdom? Or will we bury them deep within our earthen vessel?

Those who took the risk and, in faith, developed what they had, not only increased their abilities, but were rewarded with more by the Master.

But the one who neglected his gift and did not “lively and intensely set himself on fire” (2 Tim. 1:6) to use what he’d been given, was called “wicked and lazy.” What he was given was taken away from him and given to someone who would actually do something with it.

Romans 11:29 says “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (NIV). Potentially, we always have the ability to move in the gifts. But if we don’t seek, develop, practice, and use them, we will lose the practical ability to manifest them when the Spirit moves on us.

God is serious about us taking the responsibility to use the gifts He’s given to us through Holy Spirit. We must “use ’em or lose ’em.” If we really want to please God, then we must learn how to move in the Spirit and manifest the gifts. It’s OUR responsibility.

Next time, we’ll conclude our study with a final exhortation.

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 4

We must stir ourselves up

Some believers have waited years for God to move on them to manifest a spiritual gift. But God says it’s our responsibility to first desire and believe and step out in faith to manifest the Spirit.

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
–1 Timothy 4:14 NKJV

Paul reminded Timothy that a spiritual gift had been imparted to him when some elders had laid their hands on him and prophesied. The prophetic message revealed God’s intent to impart a particular spiritual gift to Timothy, and it was transferred by the power of Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.

In Romans 1:11, Paul wrote, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong.”

Spiritual gifts may be imparted by the laying on of hands at the direction of Holy Spirit. The word impart means “to share or give over.” Impartation must be directed by God.

Paul reminded Timothy, then, not to be careless of, make light of, neglect, be negligent to use, or disregard this spiritual gift. It was Timothy’s responsibility to use his gifts.

We can have gifts that are lying dormant and unused if we neglect to do what it takes to use them.

Therefore I remind YOU to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
–2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV

Again, Paul reminded Timothy, “YOU must stir yourself up to use your spiritual gifts.” It was not God’s responsibility to rekindle his zeal for manifesting the Holy Spirit, it was Timothy’s.

Stir is the word anazopureo, meaning “to rekindle or stir up.” It comes from a combination of three words: one meaning “intensely,” one meaning “a live thing such as an animal or beast,” and another, meaning “fiery, fire, or lightning.” This is not a calm word!

Paul was insisting that Timothy “lively and intensely set yourself on fire to use your spiritual gifts!” I get the image of kids vigorously scrubbing their feet across the carpet to build up an electrical charge so they can really shock someone.

God said, “YOU do it!” We’re responsible to step out in faith, accept some risk, and use what God has given us.

How do you stir yourself up?

Paul wrote, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Cor. 12:1 NKJV). You must not only understand spiritual gifts, but you must also be convinced it’s God’s will for you to move in them. This should be clear by now.

Besides tongues for personal edification, God may impart to you any of the nine gifts of the Spirit from 1 Corinthians 12:7–10. (God could give you any of them at any time to use in a ministry setting.)

We must also realize that we’re not perfect. We will make mistakes. But God doesn’t condemn us for trying to learn.

However, God will not accept us burying our gifts because we’re afraid we might make a mistake. So we remain humble, and give grace to others who make mistakes with the gifts.

And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith.
–Romans 12:6 NASB

Remember: gifts are given by God’s grace. We didn’t earn them. Whatever gifts we have, we are commanded to exercise them, to use them. How? By faith. The more we use them, the better we’ll get, and our faith will grow to use them even more.

You can also stir up the gifts by speaking in tongues. LOUDLY!

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
–Jude 20–21 NIV

You build your faith by praying in tongues. Note in verse 21 that praying in the Spirit is also a way to keep yourself “in God’s love.” How are we to use the gifts? In love (see 1 Cor. 13).

Note also this verse has to do with expecting the Lord’s return. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit and His gifts to build up the Church to prepare it for His return.

Next time, we’ll learn that gifts are ours to use or lose.

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 3

We must earnestly desire spiritual gifts

A pious pastor once told me, “Seek the Giver, not the gifts.” There’s truth in that, but what does the Bible say?

But earnestly desire the best gifts. …
–1 Corinthians 12:31a NKJV

What are the “best gifts”? Those that build up the Church—individually and corporately.

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
–1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
–1 Corinthians 14:39 NASB

Why is prophecy so important? Because it’s immediately understood. Paul said, “in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

Paul was not criticizing messages in tongues, rather messages in tongues with no interpretation.

What good is the manifestation of a spiritual gift if no one understands what God is saying? Because prophecy is immediately understood since it’s in your native language, it will edify. Tongues with interpretation is the equivalent of prophecy.

In all these verses, the King James versions says, “covet earnestly.” That word covet in Greek is zeloo, meaning “to have warmth of feeling for, covet earnestly, desire, envy, be jealous over, be zealous for.”

God’s Word commands us to be zealous and envious to move in the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus said,

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
–Mark 11:24 KJV

Jesus said that whatever we desire, crave for, beg for… to not only ask God for it, but to believe and trust Him to the point that you can reach right out and take it. Then, He said, you’ll have it—it will come to pass.

That’s what we’re to do about spiritual gifts. We have what we need—the Holy Spirit—but we must covet the ability to step out and use that which He’s freely
given us.

Next installment, we’ll learn how to stir ourselves up.

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 2

All divine gifts in context

3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
–1 Corinthians 12:3–6 NKJV

What are we to look for when we consider spiritual gifts? Verse 3 tells us we’re to expect the exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord.

In verses 4–6, each member of the Trinity is mentioned:

Holy Spirit	Gifts—charisma	Manifestations
Lord Jesus Christ	Ministries—diakonia	Administrations
God the Father	Activities—energema	Operations

There are three categories of gifts:

Some gifts are credited to Holy Spirit.
Some ministries are attributed to Jesus.
Some operations are credited to the Father.

There are three lists of gifts in the Bible—each attributed to one person of the Trinity.

Gifts of the Father

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
–Romans 12:3–8 NIV

These are the natural gifts—the motivational or working gifts.

God as Creator has graced every human made in God’s image with a capacity to serve humankind. These gifts are given to everyone, whether Christians or not, although they are sanctified through union with Christ. You could also consider them natural personality types:

Prophecy—visionary pioneers
Serving others practically
Teachers, educators
Encouraging, exhorting
Giving, philanthropy
Leading, organizing, administration
Mercy and compassion

Gifts of Christ Jesus

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.” …
11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
–Ephesians 4:7–8,11–13 NRSV

Christ Jesus gave gifts to the Church in the form of ministries:

Ministry Gift	Function
Apostles	Establish new territory for Christ
Prophets	Hear and see what God is doing and where He’s leading
Evangelists	Reach out to the lost to present Christ crucified
Pastors	Care for the sheep of God’s pasture
Teachers	Ground us in the Scriptures and doctrine of God

We have these ministry gifts until the Church attains unity and maturity. Since we have not attained the full stature of Christ, we still need all of these ministers.

These are gifts of Christ—the Head building the Body.
Fivefold ministers equip the saints for the work of the ministry. They have a training capacity, a call to reproduce themselves and their ministries in believers.

Gifts of Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 list the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit:

Word of wisdom
Word of knowledge
Faith
Gifts of healings
Working of miracles
Prophecy
Discerning of spirits
Gift of tongues
Interpretation of tongues

In this series, we will focus on using these manifestations of the Holy Spirit in corporate worship meetings.

Three Types of Gifts

Churches can be built on the Father’s natural gifts, but these organizations will be primarily social institutions.

We need Jesus’ ministry gifts to turn the institution into a body.

We need to be filled with Holy Spirit and manifest the Spirit’s gifts to build up that Body to maturity.

The Father’s gifts are irrevocable—they are intrinsic to who you are.

Jesus’ gifts are also irrevocable, but they are given to only a few. These individuals can grow in them and add more as they prove faithful. Paul was a prophet or teacher in Acts 13:1, but later in his letters he said he was “called to be an apostle.”

The Holy Spirit’s gifts are manifestations distributed to anyone when the Spirit wills. The Spirit can give or withhold them. Yet, if you are faithful in exercising a gift that the Holy Spirit manifests through you, you can develop a gift into a ministry.

Next issue, we’ll learn about God’s command concerning spiritual gifts.

Using Spiritual Gifts, part 1

If you’re born anew and baptized in Holy Spirit, you have what you need to move in the gifts.

But ministering spiritual gifts is not optional. God commands us to “earnestly desire” spiritual gifts and to stir ourselves up to use them. That’s what this series is about.

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts…
–1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV

You can be equipped

1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” …
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
–Acts 19:1–2,6 NIV

As soon as the Ephesians received the Holy Spirit, they could speak in tongues for personal edification and prophesy. They demonstrated vocal evidence.

You also have received this ability, whether or not you have released it or know how to release it.

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with ALL those EVERYWHERE who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: …
5 For in [Christ] you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— …
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
–1 Corinthians 1:2,5,7 NIV

The Corinthian believers lacked no spiritual gifts. This goes for you too—”all those everywhere.”

If you’ve been saved and baptized in Holy Spirit, you have what you need to move in the gifts.

Next time, we’ll look at all the divine gifts in their biblical context.

6 Requirements for Kingdom Christians

Go to most churches, and you’ll encounter a lot of activity that has nothing to do with building God’s Kingdom.

Prayer books. Electronic worship. Coffee hour. Kids’ plays.

These things are nice, but Jesus never mentioned them.

According to the Bible, what are musts for Christians called to build God’s Kingdom on earth?

The requirements are the things that Jesus did and taught His disciples to do in His Name.

1. You must be born again.

Nicodemus approached Jesus one night and said, “‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him'” (John 3:2 NIV).

Knowing Jesus as a teacher from God is not enough. All orthodox churches admit that.

You also must recognize the power behind the miraculous signs that Jesus performed—healings, deliverances, and mastery over nature.

How did Jesus answer Nicodemus?

“‘I tell you the truth, no one can SEE the kingdom of God unless he is born again‘” (John 3:3 NIV).

You can’t understand the spiritual operation of Kingdom power unless you’re born again. In fact, Jesus went on to say, “‘[N]o one can ENTER the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit'” (John 3:5-6 NIV).

To enter the Kingdom of God, you must be born of the Spirit:

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
–Titus 3:4-7 NIV

Spiritual regeneration doesn’t result from simply knowing about God or Jesus or from going to church. Rather, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9 NIV).

The new birth is received by turning from sin and turning to God in faith: “‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out'” (Acts 3:19 NIV).

To comprehend the Kingdom, to enter the Kingdom, you must be born again.

Spiritual regeneration is actually an Old Testament experience: Abraham is father of all those who have faith (see Rom. 4:12-16). What kind of faith?

Saving faith.

This is why Jesus was incredulous that Nicodemus did not understand the necessity of being born again. He should have. For, Jesus said, “‘the Lord, “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” … is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive'” (Luke 20:37-38 NIV).

Why are we born again? To have living relationship with God. To enjoy eternal life.

Also to enable us to be filled with the Spirit: “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham [being born again by grace through faith] might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by [that same] faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Gal. 3:14 NIV, bracketed additions mine).

2. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote the Ephesians, “Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 GW). This is a commandment for born again believers.

Jesus told His disciples, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3 NIV). See also Ephesians 5:26 and Titus 3:5. The disciples were regenerate from Jesus words, which are spirit and life (John 6:63).

Then He said,

16 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be IN you.”
–John 14:16-17 NIV

Jesus promised them He would send the Holy Spirit, now with them to regenerate and cleanse them through the word, to be IN them.

He commanded them, “‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit‘” (Acts 1:4-5 NIV).

One hundred twenty born again disciples received the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Later, Philip proclaimed Christ in Samaria. The Samaritans “believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, [and] they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12 NIV).

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
–Acts 8:14-17 NIV

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from being converted. The Samaritans, though born again and water baptized, did not receive the indwelling Holy Spirit until hands were laid on them.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is not automatically received when you’re born again. You must separately receive the Holy Spirit and be “clothed with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49)—the power to be Kingdom witnesses (Acts 1:8).

You need this power to love God, love your neighbor, and move in the gifts of the Spirit.

For more information:

3. You must love God and your neighbor.

Colossians 1:13 says, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (NKJV). Those who inherit the Kingdom are those who love God (see James 2:5).

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
–Luke 10:25-28 NIV

You can’t love God without loving your neighbor (see 1 Jn. 4:8,20-21). And everyone is your neighbor—no exceptions.

If you’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit, love is easy “…because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Rom. 5:5 NIV). The fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:23).

They will know we are Christians—Kingdom Christians—by our love.

4. You must move in the gifts of the Spirit.

Jesus demonstrated, taught, and trained His disciples to do the miraculous works He did. He commissioned them, saying, “‘As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give'” (Matt. 10:7-8 NIV).

Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Cor. 4:20 NIV). There’s a lot of talk in the Church. But where is the power Jesus and the early disciples demonstrated? This is the Kingdom and the true Gospel: signs and wonders.

To minister Kingdom power, we need the Spirit’s enablement. We must submit ourselves to be used of God through the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-11). We must excel in the gifts that build up the Church (1 Cor. 14:12).

Paul wrote, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1 NIV). The “most excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31) to move in the gifts is through love. Love sets captives free.

5. You must live an obedient, holy life.

Even if we’re born again and Spirit-filled, moving in the gifts does not guarantee us heaven. Jesus warned His followers,

20 “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
–Matthew 7:20-23 NIV

Peter preached, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32 NIV).

John wrote, “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (1 Jn. 3:24 NIV).

We must obey God and do the Father’s will. How?

The indwelling Spirit leads us to live a life filled with good fruit, set apart and sanctified for the Lord and His Kingdom. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14 NIV).

6. You must help fulfill the Great Commission.

Ninety percent of what today’s churches are involved in, Jesus never mentioned nor practiced. What was He about? Peter told Cornelius,

37 “You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
–Acts 10:37-38 NIV

Jesus said, “‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons'” (Matt. 10:8 NIV).

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 Jn. 3:8b NIV). What’s your reason for following Him?

Jesus set aside his divine powers (Phil. 2:5-8) and instead received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Lk. 2:21-22), through which He healed and performed miracles and prophesied.

We, likewise, need to be filled with the Spirit; move in the gifts, motivated by love; and set captives free. This is true Kingdom work.

Just before He ascended to heaven after the Resurrection,

18 Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
–Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. He has delegated His authority to His born again, sanctified, Spirit-filled followers. We are to go in His name and make disciples.

What kind of disciples? The kind who do what He did. The kind who do what He released the Twelve and the seventy-two to do: heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, drive out demons.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked WITH them and CONFIRMED his word by the SIGNS that accompanied it.
–Mark 16:15-20 NIV

We must do the greater works Jesus promised we could do (John 14:12). This is “God’s Kingdom come, God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

Restoration of the Church

Since the Dark Ages, God has been restoring the Church to the power and glory that it demonstrated in the first century. This involves establishing its members in present truth (2 Pet. 1:12) so that the Body of Christ can become mature and prepared for the return of Christ.

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of REFRESHING may come from the Lord,
20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to RESTORE EVERYTHING, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
–Acts 3:19–21 NIV

What must we do when the Spirit moves as He did on that first Pentecost? Respond to the Lord through repentance and faith (v. 19). See also Acts 2:38; 17:30; 26:20.

What does such a response lead to?

Our sins and shortcomings are wiped out
Times of refreshing come from the Lord
We draw nearer to the day when Christ returns to earth

Cleansing and conversion are not the only benefits of responding to the moving of the Spirit. Receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit self-perpetuates revival.

Times of refreshing

Times or seasons of refreshing speak of continued revival.

Refreshing in Greek is the word anapsyxis, used only here in the New Testament. It carries the sense of “to cool by blowing, to refresh, to relieve, to strengthen.” It connotes alleviation and liberation. It refers specifically to the “definitive age of salvation.” This refreshing wind of the Spirit, this reviving with fresh air, comes from the presence or the face of the Lord. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament)

Seasons of revival are promised before the return of Christ. But we must accept them through repentance and faith and then walk in the truth revealed (2 John 1:4).

God desires to restore to His Church all that was lost during the Dark Ages. Accepting each new restorational move of the Spirit prepares us and brings us closer to the return of Christ.

Christ will not return until God “restores everything” (v. 21). Restore means to renew, to bring back to or put back into a former or original state. If God must “restore” things, then things must have first fallen apart, deteriorated (2 Thess. 2:3).

We must take part in this restoration by welcoming new outpourings of the Spirit and moving in the restored gifts of the Spirit: “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Cor. 1:7 NIV).

God is restoring His Church from the “falling away” of A.D. 400–1500 through repentance, the restoration of sound biblical doctrine, and revivals of His Spirit.

Restoring the glory

Jesus must remain in heaven UNTIL God restores everything to His Church. If we’re not walking in the power and authority of the Church in Acts, then we’re not yet fully restored. That means there will be more change.

25 …Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
–Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV

God is restoring the Church to maturity and perfection so that He can release Jesus from heaven to return to earth! But Christ is not coming back for a broken, helpless Bride. She’s going to be powerful, glorious, and holy!

The first century Church had the full revelation of New Testament Christianity (Jude 3), much of which was lost during the Dark Ages. Since then, God has been progressively restoring what the Church abandoned so that it will become mature so that Christ can return.

We’ll learn more about his maturing process next time.

Seasons of Revival

Council of the Lord Series #4

Did you know there are cycles or seasons or revival? I listened to the council of the Lord on August 7, 2018, and here’s the prophetic message I received.

My son, the cycle of renewal goes round and round. There are times and seasons for the outpouring of the Spirit, and there are times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord. And we desire to restore completely that which the Early Church walked in, and we desire to go beyond.

For we desire that the Body of Christ, the followers of the Lord Jesus, do greater works than what He did while He was on the earth: greater works in numbers, greater works in capacity, greater works to reach greater numbers of people.

For there is a great harvest. The fields are white unto harvest. And the fields are ready for harvest. But are my people ready? We desire that my people be ready to receive that outpouring of the Spirit and to be used to draw into the Kingdom those who do not know the Lord.

We’re sending you out to the highways and to the byways, even far outside the cities and the established places where people may come and be invited to the wedding feast. For there is food galore, there is drink, there is blessing, there is fellowship at the table. We desire that you go forth and bring in those who are far from the gospel, that they may be drawn near to Christ and become members of His Kingdom.

We will pour our Spirit out upon you and enable you to do this, and we will draw them. And the prodigals will come running, will come running. And the love of the Father will be lavished upon them.

Bring out the ring, the robe, the fatted calf. The lost will be found again, and the Kingdom will swell its ranks with those formerly who walked in darkness.

Again, if you are hearing or reading anything along these lines elsewhere, please comment with a link. Thanks and blessings.

Further reading: