Scripture for the Day (November 23, 2020)
But strong meat belongeth to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
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We have been heavily involved in two major revivals in our lifetime. These were both supernatural moves of God in local churches where we saw many miracles take place including thousands being added to the church. We learned more from those revivals, and those two churches, than at any other time in our lives. I look back on those two church revivals now and I can clearly see stark differences in the churches today compared to those churches. The biggest difference is in the freedom not only to teach the Word, but to do the Word. Many churches that we visit today are good at teaching and talking about the Word, but there is no demonstration. As John Wimber (founder of the Vineyard movement) often questioned, “Where is the stuff?”
The Apostle Paul was not ashamed of the stuff: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”: (1 Corinthians 2:4) It’s like we now have grown men and women sitting in our churches that should be on strong meat but they are still on milk. They hear what you are saying but they don’t grow because their senses are not being exercised by “reason of use”. For example, the Word says we are to lay hands on the sick, anoint them with oil, and pray for their healing (James 5:14). The Word says we are to speak and pray with new tongues and prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:5). We grow and mature by doing these things. We do not grow and mature by just talking, reading, and teaching about them. I have thought about this a lot and I think one of the biggest reasons we have shut down the exercise of these gifts is fear. We are fearful that things will get out of control and we will not know how to deal with it. We are fearful that we may offend someone and we sure don’t want to do that because that will hurt our membership numbers and thereby hurt our offerings. Of course, another reason is that some churches don’t even believe that God is still giving ministry gifts to the church and just disallow them all together. What a shame!!!
Here is a fact! Most of our churches are anemic today. They have lost their power and it’s because they are not exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are stuck in grade school. There is a great deal that we should like to say about this high priesthood, but it is not easy to explain to you since you seem so slow to grasp spiritual truth. At a time when you should be teaching others, you need teachers yourselves to repeat to you the ABC of God’s Revelation to men. You have become people who need a milk diet and cannot face solid food! For anyone who continues to live on “milk” is obviously immature—he simply has not grown up. “Solid food” is only for the adult, that is, for the man who has developed by experience his power to discriminate between what is good and bad for him. (Hebrews 5:14, Phillips Translation)
Wake up church! Arise and shine because the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Do not put your light under a bushel, for it is by that very light that darkness will be expelled and revival initiated. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in you in the person of the Holy Ghost. It is by the gifts and anointing of the Holy Ghost that revival starts and yokes are broken. It is not by the wisdom and teaching of men. The very thing that you fear is the answer!!!
