In the New Testament, Jesus never told us to plead with G.o.d to heal or to pour out His Spirit. You can"t find an example where the Lord conducted His ministry that way. The apostle Peter didn"t either.
There"s no example of the apostle Paul ever asking his people to "intercede" and tear down the stronghold of Diana of the Ephesians. This temple at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world. They had over one thousand priestesses who had physical relations with the men as they came in to worship. As you might guess, the place was normally packed with people. Paul didn"t try to do anything political. He didn"t organize the church to pray, begging and pleading that G.o.d would stop this idol worship. They didn"t get together and do "spiritual warfare," binding and rebuking Diana of the Ephesians. What did Paul do? He preached and demonstrated the Gospel.
Paul told them, "Diana of the Ephesians isn"t anything. This statue didn"t fall from Jupiter. Diana is no G.o.d. There"s only one true G.o.d, and His Son is the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul did the same thing in Corinth, another Roman city known for multiple idols and immoral worship. He preached the truth, and G.o.d used that truth to set people free. Paul didn"t organize "intercessors" to cover every zone in the region. He didn"t have people do "spiritual warfare" or "spiritual mapping."
These things that are being done today by the church in an effort to try to change our nation are not what Jesus commanded us to do in the Word of G.o.d.
THE NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE.
In the New Testament, the believers went out and preached the Word everywhere.
They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
MARK 16:20.
They proclaimed and demonstrated G.o.d"s Word. As they preached the truth, the Holy Spirit bore supernatural witness to that truth. So many people repented and converted to Christ that the temple of Diana in Ephesus fell into disrepair. The people forsook it because they turned from her to G.o.d. Diana of the Ephesians hasn"t even been a factor in two thousand years until the "intercessors" resurrected her a few years ago with what they call "spiritual warfare."
I"m not trying to be mean-I just want to challenge your thinking with G.o.d"s Word. Show me in the New Testament where we are to send people to foreign countries to do nothing but pray and tear down spiritual strongholds. Show me in the Word of G.o.d where it says we should send people on mission trips but forbid them to preach the Gospel, saying, "Don"t witness because you might get censored, punished, or persecuted." That"s what is being done today. We are spending millions of dollars to send people to foreign countries just to let them walk around and pray. You can"t find a scriptural model for this stuff. You might be able to twist and pervert a verse or two, but if you just take the Word at face value- reading it and believing it as is-you can"t find any examples of this.
What you can find, however, is scripture where believers prayed for boldness.
Now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
ACTS 4:29,30.
Paul asked his friends to pray that he"d be bold despite his challenging circ.u.mstances.
Praying.. .for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an amba.s.sador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
EPHESIANS 6:18-20.
The early New Testament believers prayed that they would be bold, faithful witnesses despite opposition, but they didn"t ask G.o.d to just "sovereignly" pour out His Spirit on unbelievers without them preaching, demonstrating, and doing their part. There simply isn"t a scriptural example for that. Basically, that"s the reason the church isn"t having more of a salt and light influence on our generation. We aren"t really following the New Testament example.
THE POWER OF G.o.d.
When Jesus gave power and authority to the church, it came with responsibility. We need to use our authority and preach G.o.d"s Word. We need to speak the truth to the people the Lord has put in our lives. As they receive that truth into their hearts, their lives will be changed. Many people have rejected the preaching they"ve heard because it wasn"t the true Gospel. It was just powerless religion and lifeless tradition. It was just condemnation and judgment. That"s not the message of the Gospel. We need to preach the good news of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the power of G.o.d. (Rom. 1:16.) My teaching ent.i.tled Grace, the Power of the Gospel (in audio as "The Gospel: The Power of G.o.d") takes a closer look at this very issue. The book of Romans is the apostle Paul"s masterpiece on the grace of G.o.d. In it, he clearly reveals what is the Gospel-this powerful good news message we are to preach.
Chapter 15.
Believe And Receive As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, it"s our responsibility to boldly preach the Gospel and faithfully teach G.o.d"s Word.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things...So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of G.o.d.
ROMANS 10:13-15,17.
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost arrested the people"s attention. Seizing the opportunity, Peter stood up and preached Christ. The people responded by asking, "What must we do to be saved?" Peter answered: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our G.o.d shall call.
ACTS 2:38,39.
Considering the context-the day of Pentecost-and looking back to Acts 1:4-5 and 8, it"s clear that the promise being spoken of here is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Almost everyone would agree that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is part and parcel of true revival. Peter was saying, "What You"ve seen-this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, this manifestation of the coming of G.o.d"s Spirit, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and the miraculous manifestations this has caused-is not only for you, but also for your children, for your children"s children, and all those who will follow." Peter was looking into the future to the generations to come, saying that this promise they were experiencing of the outpoured Holy Spirit is for us today too.
TARRYING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.
G.o.d never quit pouring out His Holy Spirit. This promise was intended to go from generation to generation to all believers throughout time. Although the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit have only been widely recognized and received by the body of Christ at large for the last century or so, it"s not because they weren"t available. An honest look at church history will reveal pockets of believers down through the centuries ever since the book of Acts who received the Holy Spirit and operated in His power. However, somewhere along the way-perhaps around the beginning of what"s now called the Dark Ages-the church at large, for whatever reasons, stopped believing for and receiving this promise.
In the early days of Azusa Street and the beginning of the Pentecostal movement, these believers didn"t fully understand how they received this powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They didn"t understand exactly what they did-or if they did anything at all-to occasion it. As a result, one of dominant doctrines that emerged from those early days of the Pentecostal movement was to "tarry" for the Holy Spirit. They said, "You have to beg and plead with G.o.d to pour out and fill you with His Holy Spirit." They would just wait-sometimes years-for this cataclysmic experience where G.o.d would touch them and baptize them in the Holy Spirit.
It"s almost as if we"ve swung over to the opposite extreme today. Many people come forward who have never even heard about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the minister asks if they"d like to receive, they answer, "Well, I guess so." They don"t know why they need the Holy Spirit. They don"t know what to expect. There"s no antic.i.p.ation and no desire. I"ve seen people receive prayer for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, walk back to their seat, and it seems to have zero impact on their life. That"s not good either. It shouldn"t be that way.
One good thing about the way the old-time Pentecostals did it was that when they finally received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, it meant something to them. They would pray desperately, wailing and travailing before G.o.d, sometimes for years. But once received, the Holy Spirit had a profound impact on their lives.
We know today that we don"t have to "tarry" or wait for G.o.d to pour out His Spirit. We don"t have to beg and plead for the Lord to send the Holy Ghost. We can just believe and receive the free gift He"s given. Still, it would be wonderful to see the hunger that the "tarrying" produced.
GO TO JERUSALEM.
In Acts 1, Jesus told His disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Being a.s.sembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.. .ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
ACTS 1:4,5.
At the time, Jesus had resurrected, but He hadn"t yet ascended. He was still bodily upon the earth. Soon after He ascended though, He poured out the Holy Spirit on His disciples on the day of Pentecost. Now that the Holy Spirit has already been given, there"s no need to wait any longer.
In light of that, if you"re going to take this admonition to wait literally, then you must also physically go to the city of Jerusalem to do it.
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.
LUKE 24:49.
[Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.
ACTS 1:4.
Jesus told these disciples to wait because there was about fifty more days until Pentecost. That"s not the case anymore. Now that the Holy Spirit has already been poured out, you can just believe and receive.
I"ve seen thousands and thousands of people pray for and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues, and have a life-changing experience with G.o.d right away simply by believing and receiving. You don"t have to wait and "tarry."
"WE"VE GOT IT".
Most people would agree with what I"m sharing about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but when it comes to revival, they just shift gears saying, "Oh, but we have to beg and plead, wail and travail. We must get a million people praying and fasting together so G.o.d will send revival and pour out His Spirit." No, you just have to believe. You just have to receive. And as you get revived, you"ll have an opportunity to influence and share that revival with the people around you. As you, your friends, your family, and your workplace get revived, they go out and share too, and it spreads.
The reason we aren"t seeing a greater revival isn"t because we don"t have millions of people praying and asking G.o.d to pour out His Spirit. It"s simply that we have very few people who are flowing in revival-believing G.o.d"s Word, taking their authority, and making the power of G.o.d manifest.
Duncan Campbell, an outstanding Scottish preacher in the early to mid-twentieth century, preached the Scottish Hebrides Revival. This was a powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit that was received over a hundred years ago. I actually heard him speak when he was older. He told how there were two little Scottish women who prayed for over twenty years; then there was a Scottish pastor and his seven elders who also prayed nearly a year, all asking the Lord to pour out His Spirit. Finally, one day the power of G.o.d hit, and they experienced all of these glorious things. He said this happened because of all that begging and pleading with G.o.d for over twenty years.
Several years after hearing that, I heard the testimony of a man who as a young man had showed up at that final prayer meeting right before the power hit. He said that these other men had prayed every Sat.u.r.day night for almost a year. They were begging G.o.d for an outpouring of His Spirit. This young man walked in, prayed until two in the morning, and declared, "Either G.o.d"s Word is true, or it isn"t. We"ve got it. I"m going home."
The revival actually came when they quit begging and started believing. Once they started believing G.o.d"s Word that revival was theirs, everything changed and the power was loosed.
We"ve been given power and authority by the Lord. We must step out in faith and use what G.o.d has given us, or revival won"t manifest.
SILENCE.
Imagine that you"ve given me your Bible. It"s a gift, and it"s in my possession right now. What would you do if I turned to you and asked, "May I please borrow your Bible? I"d like to look up a scripture. I really need to hear from G.o.d, and I believe He"s speaking to me. Would you please give me your Bible?" I could beg. I could plead. I could even try to condemn you, saying, "If you were really a Christian, you"d share your Bible with me." What would you do? You"ve already given it to me.
How do you respond to someone who is asking you to give them something they"ve already got? How do you answer somebody who is begging you to do something you"ve already done for them? If I was the one being asked those questions, I"m not sure how I"d respond. Probably, I"d just look at them dumbfounded. I wouldn"t say anything.
If someone is asking for something they already have, how does a person respond to that? Probably in silence. Sounds a lot like the way G.o.d has responded to all of our begging and pleading for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The truth is, G.o.d poured out His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and He"s never withdrawn Him since. (Acts 2:3839.) The Lord has never become so ticked off that He just said, "Alright, Holy Spirit. Come on back. No more revival. No more manifestations." G.o.d didn"t cause the church to go through the Dark Ages. He didn"t will that there be a period of time where truth would be so bound up that very few would ever see it. G.o.d didn"t just all of a sudden-"sovereignly"- reach down and touch Martin Luther. He didn"t just decide to pour out His Spirit upon the reformers to do something "new" because, after all, G.o.d was tired of a thousand years worth of deadness in the earth. No, the problem wasn"t G.o.d"s giving-it was our believing and receiving.
WAVES?.
Martin Luther had a real heart for G.o.d. He wasn"t satisfied with the religious teaching and traditionally accepted doctrine of his day. As a pilgrim to the holy city, praying his rosary and climbing up the steps of the holy building, he realized that visiting that place and doing those things didn"t make any difference. As he stood there, fed up with it all, the Holy Spirit brought scripture back to his remembrance.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
ROMANS 3:27,28.
Martin Luther heard the Word and believed it. Then he acted on it by nailing his ninety-five theses up on the door of his church in Wittenburg, Germany. He stood boldly before the religious leaders at the Diet of Worms, giving his defense. Martin Luther proclaimed the Word of G.o.d, and that Word acted like wildfire in the hungry hearts of the people. From it, the Reformation sprung up and the world was forever changed. This wasn"t because G.o.d just sovereignly said, "Alright, I"m ready to do something new on the earth." No, it was because a single person-a physical human being- believed, received, and acted on the Word of G.o.d.
Religion teaches that G.o.d moves in waves. Back in the 1940s and 50s, there was the healing movement that came through the body of Christ. There were healing revivals, healing evangelists, and tent meetings springing up everywhere. Then there was the charismatic movement and the Word of Faith movement. Now there"s this and that movement, and people are saying, "Look, G.o.d is doing a new thing! He"s pouring out His Spirit again." No, that"s not how G.o.d works.
The healing revival sprung up because someone saw healing in the Word, believed G.o.d, and started releasing this power into the earth by using their authority. They stepped out in faith on the Word and saw the Holy Spirit demonstration. That healing power has been available ever since the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but the church just hadn"t been receiving it.
ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
Back in the 1940s, most of the church believed that miracles, signs, and wonders had all pa.s.sed away with the apostles. This was the dominant theological position being taught. However, a young man named Oral Roberts received healing from tuberculosis and stuttering after being bedridden for over five months. As he studied the Word, he became personally convinced that it"s G.o.d"s will to heal today. So this young minister stepped out on that Word by renting a hall in Enid, Oklahoma.
In this first meeting, Oral asked G.o.d for three things. The first was a certain minimum number of people in attendance. So before he ever even went out on the stage, Oral stood behind the curtain and counted the people. Then he went out and immediately took up an offering. Oral had told G.o.d, "I"m not going to go in debt, so if this is You, You"re going to have to bring in enough money to at least cover these expenses."
After the offering was counted, the second requirement was met-nearly to the penny. The third thing Oral asked for was at least one notable miracle. He said, "G.o.d, I"m going to preach and proclaim that it"s still Your will to heal today. If this is really You, then we have to see at least one notable miracle." After preaching his sermon, he called people forward and the healings began to manifest. From then on, it was full steam ahead.
Oral Roberts-and many others-began proclaiming the Word of G.o.d concerning healing. As people believed that Word and received healing, a revival broke out. Some people think, Well, G.o.d just sovereignly moved. No, the Lord has always desired for us to receive healings, manifest miracles, and experience revival ever since He walked on this earth. Jesus Himself said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
JOHN 14:12.
We can debate what the "greater works" are, but what are you going to do with "the works that I do shall he do also"?
G.o.d always intended for His church to operate in the supernatural. It"s not G.o.d that just skipped from around 200 A.D. until 1940. No, it"s people who quit appropriating His power. Christians got into unbelief. They stopped operating in faith. Finally, somebody broke through this barrier and started believing again. Then they preached and proclaimed G.o.d"s Word. When they took their authority and used it, healing manifested. Yet, the whole counsel of G.o.d has always been available to those who would believe.
G.o.d doesn"t just move for a decade in this and then move for a decade in that. "Ten years ago He moved in healing. Now He"s forgotten healing, and is moving in righteousness. This next decade He"s going to work on marriages. There"s a new wave coming!" Nonsense. That"s just man"s attempt to justify our powerlessness.
WORK ON YOUR RECEIVER.
The Lord is today all that He ever was and all that He"ll ever be. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
HEBREWS 13:8.
He wants to move in and through your life in miracles, healings, deliverance, and prosperity. Everything that G.o.d is, is now available to you through His Word. You don"t have to beg and plead, and then just pa.s.sively sit back and wait to see what G.o.d will do. The Bible calls that unbelief.
Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to G.o.d must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
HEBREWS 11:6.
G.o.d honors those who honor Him. (see 1 Sam. 1; 2:20-21.) Believe that G.o.d is. He"s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Pray, "Father, I am seeking You. Your Word tells me that You have provided all these things. By faith, I receive. Thank You, Lord!" As you seek Him and continue building yourself up in faith, the power of G.o.d will manifest and you"ll operate in all the revival you want. You"re the one who determines how much revival you have- not G.o.d.
You don"t have to pray and just pa.s.sively wait, saying, "I"ve been praying twenty years for revival and we haven"t got it yet.
I don"t know why G.o.d hasn"t done it." That"s just as wrong as someone saying, "I"ve been praying twenty years for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but G.o.d hasn"t given it to me yet." No, G.o.d has already given; you just haven"t received it yet. It"s not G.o.d"s giver that"s having the problem-it"s your receiver. You need to work on your receiving, not G.o.d"s giving.
Chapter 16.
G.o.d Has Given You Power G.o.d created man in his own image, in the image of G.o.d created he him; male and female created he them. And G.o.d blessed them, and G.o.d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
GENESIS 1:27,28.
The Lord blessed us and gave us the ability to procreate. He said to Adam and Eve, "You be fruitful. You multiply. You replenish the earth." This power and authority G.o.d gave us came with responsibility.
The Lord gave us the ability to create children. He doesn"t send them to us via some stork. It"s G.o.d"s power, but He set certain things in motion. So, you can pray until you"re blue in the face, but a woman isn"t going to get pregnant until she has a relationship with a man. That"s the way G.o.d intended this to operate, and that"s the way it works.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
If someone was just praying and praying and praying to be pregnant and have a child, yet they had no physical relationship with a man, we"d look at them and think, How dumb can you get and still breathe? Didn"t anybody tell her the facts of life! Don"t they understand how things work? Yet this is exactly what many Christians are doing in other areas of life.
They are asking G.o.d for healing, but they aren"t doing what the Word says. G.o.d"s Word says to speak to your mountain.
Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pa.s.s; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
MARK 11:23.
That"s one of G.o.d"s laws. Yet, people aren"t doing what the Word says and they wonder Why hasn"t G.o.d healed me yet? That"s just as foolish as a woman who prays constantly to get pregnant without having any relationship with a man, and then when nothing happens, says, "Why hasn"t G.o.d given me a child yet?" G.o.d gave us power and authority in this area.
With this power and authority comes responsibility. I know a couple who had twelve kids. When I asked the husband, "How many children are you going to have?" he answered, "If G.o.d wants us to have kids, we"ll have kids. It"s just totally up to G.o.d." There are certain forms of birth control that I don"t advocate because in actuality they are abortion, but if nothing else a little self-control would help. If you don"t exercise some self-control in this area, thinking, If it"s G.o.d"s will, we"ll have children. But if it"s not, we won"t, then you"re totally ignoring your responsibility. G.o.d blessed us and gave us power to procreate.
If people never had children unless it was G.o.d"s will, then prost.i.tutes wouldn"t get pregnant. If all children were just supernaturally ordained of G.o.d, unwed mothers wouldn"t conceive. It"s not G.o.d"s will for people who aren"t married to bear children. If G.o.d was directly controlling this aspect of our lives, He wouldn"t let children be born addicted to drugs or with HIV. G.o.d gave power to procreate to physical human beings, and if you cooperate with how He made this universe to function, you can create a child.