First, let me make this point. We are so confused about revival. We have been blinded by an Old Testament mentality when it comes to revival. Jesus talked about laborers and a harvest. One day it occurred to me that I was thinking about revival kind of like a crop duster plane. That is if enough people prayed, than God would spray a giant cloud of revival over that area. Folks, I had an Old Testament mentality. That is not how Jesus commanded the New Testament Church to carry out their spiritual business. We want growth, but we won’t get it, if we don’t do it according to scripture. It’s not because we are lazy, it’s either fear of rejection by man or a lack of knowledge. According to Ray Comfort; of Way of the Master, an expert on witnessing, only 2 out of 100 are witnessing (laborers) and we are praying for revival, don’t we see the deception in that? It would be, at least for the 98 who aren’t witnessing but praying for revival, like a person who wants food but was unwilling to get a job to earn money for it. The same is true with harvest: which really is the New Testament concept of revival. If we don’t witness, we don’t get converts. If we don’t disciple, we don’t produce disciples.
We are made a major disconnect here. I think our human flesh and the devil’s deceptions have polluted (corrupted) our truths today. We just throw out a pray and hope something happens. We have been doing that for years and it doesn’t work. That is the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results. Now by saying that I realize someone will say, well sometimes it takes decades and decades. I will agree that in some mission fields that is true. It isn’t true in the US.
It will work if it is assembled right-according to Biblical Principles. But I don’t like that, I don’t want to change, I have always believed this way. That’s the
problem. Again, it’s not working.
So what are the ear marks of a New Testament Church? Let’s look at what the scripture says:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My
name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; “they will
take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt
them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
(Mark 16:15-20 NKJV)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen
(Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
These scriptures tell us what to look for. People getting saved (converted to Christ) and discipled and freed form addictions (bondages) and divinely healed and baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Notice that the emphasis is Matthew is on teaching and making disciples. This really is talking about training and modeling for others. However, you can’t give away what you don’t have yourself, but it is available.
I am not telling you to leave your church and look for a church that has all these things going on. One reason being, more than likely, there isn’t one where you are. The church is a group of people. You are not limited as an individual by what the whole is doing and your church needs you to be a laborer. Maybe, your church is doing well in winning the lost or worship and the gifts of the Spirit or some other area of the Great Commission.
You can be a New Testament Christian and live out the Book of Acts. It wasn’t just for the first century church. It isn’t something that God pours out just when he feels like it. He poured it out 2000 yrs. and has never quit pouring. We just have to believe it (take him at his Word) and then learn to walk in it. So I challenge you to take God at his Word. Don’t keep looking to the future for something that was given in the past and is already here! You won’t be
disappointed!
We are made a major disconnect here. I think our human flesh and the devil’s deceptions have polluted (corrupted) our truths today. We just throw out a pray and hope something happens. We have been doing that for years and it doesn’t work. That is the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results. Now by saying that I realize someone will say, well sometimes it takes decades and decades. I will agree that in some mission fields that is true. It isn’t true in the US.
It will work if it is assembled right-according to Biblical Principles. But I don’t like that, I don’t want to change, I have always believed this way. That’s the
problem. Again, it’s not working.
So what are the ear marks of a New Testament Church? Let’s look at what the scripture says:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My
name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; “they will
take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt
them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
(Mark 16:15-20 NKJV)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen
(Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
These scriptures tell us what to look for. People getting saved (converted to Christ) and discipled and freed form addictions (bondages) and divinely healed and baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Notice that the emphasis is Matthew is on teaching and making disciples. This really is talking about training and modeling for others. However, you can’t give away what you don’t have yourself, but it is available.
I am not telling you to leave your church and look for a church that has all these things going on. One reason being, more than likely, there isn’t one where you are. The church is a group of people. You are not limited as an individual by what the whole is doing and your church needs you to be a laborer. Maybe, your church is doing well in winning the lost or worship and the gifts of the Spirit or some other area of the Great Commission.
You can be a New Testament Christian and live out the Book of Acts. It wasn’t just for the first century church. It isn’t something that God pours out just when he feels like it. He poured it out 2000 yrs. and has never quit pouring. We just have to believe it (take him at his Word) and then learn to walk in it. So I challenge you to take God at his Word. Don’t keep looking to the future for something that was given in the past and is already here! You won’t be
disappointed!
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