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Post by John on May 22, 2018 6:38:19 GMT -5
I would think there is one way to know if a revival is real or an end time deception. If those involved teach there are many ways to be saved, they are false, no matter if there are miracles, signs and wonders. If they preach faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved, and acknowledge he is God, it is genuine.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 7:01:43 GMT -5
I'm sure this is not an either/or question, and there are many sub-plots within the main plot. We just do not know for sure how much time is left, or whether if we pray the Lord will grant more time. Jesus said to occupy until He comes and it came to me that it just should still be in our hearts to pray and intercede all the more in a time when the need is obviously SO great, and certainly chastisements are often part of the answer. It's our human nature to like to have everything all wrapped up and tied with a bow....but God's word seems to say differently, since when we think we know we do not yet know as we ought, and since we only know in part, only according to the part that we are usually. We still need to follow and be led by the Lord day by day, not putting all our weight on the part that we think we know, which causes us to form judgments and assumptions in our minds.
Well, the early church GOT their revival......the spirit poured out on all flesh, and yet not fully fulfilled yet since it was only the earnest of the Spirit, guaranteeing what is to come. There will be a latter rain as prophesied in James 5, and Jesus said a mouthful when He prophesied the gospel would be preached in all the world and then the end will come. And that doesn't mean there can't still be revivals on a smaller scale before then. Surely it can't be wrong to ask the Lord to forgive and help the erring church. God said He would take the sheep away from the false shepherds...we have no way of knowing how many more can be rescued...the arm of the Lord is not too short and He has many things up His sleeve that we are not privy to simply because He reserves the right to be God ALLmighty.
Last night my bible opened at Jeremiah 50. It made me wonder how long has the western church been in captivity now? Has it been about a generation yet?
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 7:43:09 GMT -5
<< I would think there is one way to know if a revival is real or an end time deception. If those involved teach there are many ways to be saved, they are false, no matter if there are miracles, signs and wonders. If they preach faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved, and acknowledge he is God, it is genuine. >>
Amen......the fruits. I've been around and seen how the false prophets of Baal jump around cutting themselves calling for fire to fall...it's all hype and flesh in other words and accompanied by a dearth of the water of the Word of God....and guess what, no fire from heaven, just emotion. A lot of smoke and mirrors but no substance. But when the true fire from heaven comes it needs no hype and is well watered with the word of God, the true gospel, and not men's empty words.... and the Lord does real work that remains and doesn't evaporate like the counterfeit kind. Healing, deliverance, salvation.
But even so, discern....we need to be careful to not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, because the Lord is merciful and sometimes in His mercy will work in any situation to help someone who is sincere but is unlearned or not mature etc and has been deceived by false shepherds. Ultimately all power belongs to God. Notice how even Jesus did not outright accuse the Pharisees of casting out demons by Satan, but He only asked the question. We must be careful of speaking evil against dignities or bring railing accusations against them. We can surely examine and correct the fruits and the doctrine, but for the most part, as far as i understand it so far, we should leave the "power" things to God. (Feel free to share if anyone has anything to add concerning that.) From what I have read and heard, most revivals start out well and end up as mixture once flesh starts to handle it and that is when/why they fizzle out. But we are not to quench the Spirit. I believe that is God's wisdom concerning that, though I'm open for more understanding or confirmation or correction etc.
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Post by John on May 22, 2018 8:47:55 GMT -5
I don't want to fear a God-given revival, I want to welcome it. We must make sure it is really from God, and there are ways to do that. A real revival will bring a desire to cease from sin and live holy. A real revival will point everyone to Jesus. There is no other name given among men where we must be saved. A phony revival will be all inclusive and likely based on hype with signs and wonders. Measure all by the Bible.
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Post by PG4Him on May 22, 2018 9:23:05 GMT -5
What exactly does each of us mean by revival? Do we mean a massive awakening throughout the population? Do we mean more members? More repentance? More miracles? Different revivals in history brought different events. The problem now is that each person who preaches an end-time revival seems to have a different idea of what it will bring. I agree with watchful that we can't automatically dismiss the thought of another revival in the near future. It aint over until it's over. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
These virgins were convinced that the bridegroom was coming any minute. They earnestly wanted to meet Him. They went out to position themselves for His arrival. It doesn't say the foolish virgins didn't love Him. They weren't promiscuous. They weren't adulterers. What divided the wise and foolish was whether they expected a delay. That's it. The wise virgins brought extra canisters of oil in case it took longer than they planned. The foolish virgins really thought they had calculated enough oil to last them until His arrival. We can't afford to look upon this generation and say, "well that's it, close up shop and get ready for the end." Go back to the end of Matthew 24. Check the parable of the wicked servant: But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards...We always have this idea that Jesus' delay is a blessing to spare more lost souls. Scripture consistently tells us His delay will rattle the nerves of His servants. Some will run out of oil, some will lose their tempers, some will stop working, some will resort to sin. Successful servants keep working, keep shepherding, keep buying more oil, and indeed keep praying for an outpouring, right up to the last second. We can't afford to close up shop and stop even trying to ask for revival.
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Post by John on May 22, 2018 9:37:48 GMT -5
To me, revival is the church drawing closer to Christ. It is people turning away from sin, and purifying themselves. That has occurred in all of the revivals I know of. It did with the puritan revival, the Methodist revival, and while everyone likes to talk about the Azusa Street revival with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, it also brought about a revival of holy living. The early Pentecostals were nothing like today's charismatics, that put all the emphasis on emotional praise and worship, and nothing else.
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Post by 2fw8212a on May 22, 2018 9:53:10 GMT -5
To me, revival is the church drawing closer to Christ. It is people turning away from sin, and purifying themselves. Well, this should be normal in a life of every Christian...
When people need a revival for doing what they should be doing daily...
It is time to rethink our priorities."...whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." - Mark 8:35And do not follow those who are seeking the opposite, because they seek to keep their lives and still save it.
"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it..." - Mark 8:35
"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh... ...so that you do not do the things that you wish." - Galatians 5:17
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate...his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" - Luke 14:26
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on May 22, 2018 9:55:43 GMT -5
Every great revival has the same outcome, but each one starts with its own flavor. Azusa Street would have been rejected as blasphemy if it happened in the 1700s.
Does a revival mark the beginning a long-term season in the church... or is a revival an extra tin of oil given to that generation?
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 10:01:20 GMT -5
<< The wise virgins brought extra canisters of oil in case it took longer than they planned. The foolish virgins really thought they had calculated enough oil to last them until His arrival. >>
Praise the Lord....that's an interesting point.....hello!
Amen, and I think this is what Jesus meant when He said to occupy until He comes....keep going and don't assume anything's quite over til it's all over.
Meanwhile it seems like it's going to be a rough ride in "Babylon" soon, while the Lord shakes some more of His people free of it.
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Post by PG4Him on May 22, 2018 10:04:08 GMT -5
When people need a revival for doing what they should be doing daily... It is time to rethink our priorities. Well, let's not be too presumptuous here. The Bible tells us we will be given what we ask for. If people pray in earnest for a closer, deeper encounter with Jesus, that prayer should be answered. Revival is when a large group of people pray that prayer corporately, and there's a corporate answer. It isn't a sin to pray for that.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 10:53:48 GMT -5
<< When people need a revival for doing what they should be doing daily... >>
They are not mutually exclusive ideas, that I know of.
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Post by John on May 22, 2018 15:49:28 GMT -5
To me, revival is the church drawing closer to Christ. It is people turning away from sin, and purifying themselves. Well, this should be normal in a life of every Christian...
When people need a revival for doing what they should be doing daily...
It is time to rethink our priorities."...whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." - Mark 8:35And do not follow those who are seeking the opposite, because they seek to keep their lives and still save it.
"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it..." - Mark 8:35
"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh... ...so that you do not do the things that you wish." - Galatians 5:17
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate...his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" - Luke 14:26That is how everyone should be living, but they are not. Some are lukewarm. Some are totally backslid. Revival is about those people returning to their first love.
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Post by John on May 22, 2018 15:55:52 GMT -5
When people need a revival for doing what they should be doing daily... It is time to rethink our priorities. Well, let's not be too presumptuous here. The Bible tells us we will be given what we ask for. If people pray in earnest for a closer, deeper encounter with Jesus, that prayer should be answered. Revival is when a large group of people pray that prayer corporately, and there's a corporate answer. It isn't a sin to pray for that. That is a great answer. I agree!
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Post by tlsitd on May 22, 2018 18:31:29 GMT -5
Butero I want to see if you can discern what gift the Lord gave me . There is no question the Lord uses you as an exhorter. I would definitely agree with that.
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Post by tlsitd on May 22, 2018 18:46:56 GMT -5
It is my belief that God has called everyone to some area of service. Not everyone is called to do one of the five-fold ministries: Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist or Teacher, but we are all called to serve. I have told this story before, but I never know who has read what, and it has been sometime ago. Not too long after I was saved, most likely within a year, I was working at a radio station, and I was reading my Bible as the music was playing. I had read through the New Testament once, and then started in Genesis and was reading straight through. At the time, I was somewhere in the gospels, when I heard a voice speak to me out of the blue and said three words, "Preach the Word." Now, those three words are in the Bible, but not where I was reading. I knew right then I was called to preach. I had only read through the New Testament once, so I didn't even remember it was scripture I was hearing, but eventually I saw it. From 2 Timothy 4:2 it says the following... Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.Paul was talking to Timothy about his ministry as a Pastor. I did serve as a Pastor for 1 year at an independent church and 2 plus years at a Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Lord has used me as a teacher as well, and I also believe as a Prophet in the sense of giving me divinely inspired messages for a specific time and place. Normally, I would pick a message to share of my own choosing, but for a period of time, every message I believe was for a specific day and time for who would be there. Messages were just given to me each week. I served for a period of time as the Adult Sunday School teacher at the church. Still, the divine calling was three words: "Preach the Word." There are times where we all wind up stepping in and doing jobs we really aren't suited for. I remember early on, being asked to help out with a boy's club at the church called Royal Rangers. I wasn't qualified for that position, but I still did it to fill a need. I feel like most have done that. Still, we are at our best when we are doing what the Lord called us to do. As such, I am interested to know what those of you here at Narrow Way feel is your divine calling? It can be anything. The Lord has some people that are prayer warriors. He has others who are able to jump in and do almost anything. Everyone is gifted in different areas, so I am asking what you feel is your calling from God? You may not have heard a voice tell you, but I would imagine something has been impressed on your heart. The best preaching is Spirit-led and inspired preaching; even if it is a written sermon guided by the Holy Spirit. You can tell when preaching is Spirit-inspired and when it isn't, because Spirit-led and inspired preaching agrees with the truth of God's word, comes with Divine authority (not just the self-confidence or opinion or scholarship of the preacher), and ministers to your spirit, and stokes the fire of the Holy Spirit within you, and makes you say (or think) "Amen!", just like when you read the Bible itself. God knows what He wants to say and what the needs of any group or individual He may desire to speak to is. I believe that even a preacher who has a sermon prepared should be open to the instant inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to speak whatever may be put on his heart by the Lord. (And that is good advice for all Christians, not just preachers.)
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