What chaos we have around us.  My friends are plagued with cancer.  Other friends have lost their jobs.  Still others have had their home repossessed or have been threatened with foreclosure.  Wives killing husbands, husbands killing children; children are beating up on each other.  Men are marrying men and women are marrying women.  Men and women are living together without marriage.  Children are having babies.   What is there to give thanks for??? For those who have not met my God; I see nothing.  But for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.     Do you know Him?

In the middle of all this chaos, I have peace.  A year ago, we began having trouble with our house.  To make a long, sad story short; our foundation had shifted due to the drought and our house was basically pulling apart.  Each end had fallen down putting stress cracks in our brick that were several inches wide.  The engineers were called and the foundation specialist came and the house came back together with a foundation stronger than ever before.  Our insurance company found a well hidden crack in our policy and wouldn’t pay.  That left us with a new debt of $40,000.  On top of that we had to redo all of our landscaping and put new guttering in.  Then when we thought we were through the worst.  The rains came.  Our downstairs began flooding.  It seems that when the foundation was being fixed our outside drainage pipes had been destroyed and now we needed to dig everything back up and reseal the house to keep out all the water.  When the carpet was pulled up we found many cracks in the floor that had to be fixed.  Once all that is fixed, we can put down new flooring and get new furniture to replace all that was ruined in the flood.  All this right when our plan was for my husband to retire from his secular job.  In the natural we should have lost our home by now.  Our budget didn’t allow for all these extra thousands of dollars.  And yet we are still in our home.  Our bills are paid and we are believing God to complete all the work that still needs to be done. 

How did we weather this storm?  We serve a risen Savior.  We have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We are obedient to his commands.  He is the beginning and the end.  He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider.  Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.  We have been faithful in our tithes, offerings, and alms and He has been faithful to provide for us.  Do you know Him?

Psalm 26, says “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip.  Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.  For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes.  And I have walked in Your truth.  I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites.  I have hated the assembly of evildoers; And will not sit with the wicked.  I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving.  And tell of all Your wondrous works.  Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house.  And the place where Your glory dwells.  Do not gather my soul with sinners.  Nor my life with bloodthirsty men, In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.  But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.  My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the Lord.”

God has never failed me.  He is not a man that He should lie.  He has healed me from cancer, MS, chemical poisoning and many more.  He has taught me His ways and I have been the better for it.  Do you know Him?

In Hebrews we are warned about five dangers:  “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” (Heb. 2:2,3). We must each work out our own salvation daily.   “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:  Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness” (Heb. 3:7,8).  We must be fertile soil and hear and obey the word of the Lord.  “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Heb. 5:9-12).  We must have teachable spirits in order to grow and mature in the Lord.  “ For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.  Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back; My soul has no pleasure in him.  But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul”  (Heb. 10:37-39).  If we pursue the Lord we will see great and might things.   “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.  For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven” (Heb. 12:25).  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  It will bring the blessings of the Lord into our lives.  Do you know Him?

Brothers and sisters there is a shaking going on right now.  Do not be surprised at the fiery trial that is upon you.   (Heb.12:26-28)  “whose voice then shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, Yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptable with reverence and godly fear.  For our God is a consuming fire.” 

I can give thanks, because I know Him.  His word is true, His spirit is comforting, and His son is my redemption, my healer, and my deliverer.  I can trust Him.  He is the Great I AM, the Holy One who reigns forevermore.    If I ask for wisdom He will give it liberally.  He lets me drink of living water and He forgives all my sins.  I thank Him!  Thank you Lord! 

Do I worry about the shaking?  No, because I have Psalm 15 and I have found rest in the Lord.

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  Who may dwell in Your holy hill?  He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart:  He who does not backbite with his tongue.  Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;  In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord:  He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;  He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things shall never be moved” (shaken).   Do you know Him?  If you do then give thanks for you have everything to be thankful for.

“It takes wisdom and discernment to minister to people in need. We must look beyond the apparent and seek to meet the needs of the whole person.” -Richard C. Chewing

It was a Tuesday in August of 1999 as Pastor Fernando and I drove to a new disciples meeting in Mexico City. I had arrived in Mexico a week early to prepare for a team of 25 people that would be accompanying my wife to do mission work inside the city. The location of the gathering was in one of the poorest and most deprived areas I had ever seen. We made our journey up some broken rocks that were supposed to be stairs. We walked into the house of a family who had opened up their home for the occasion. The home was about 300 square feet big. The walls were held together by homemade cement. You could see all the leak cracks and the filth emanating from the entire house. I remember thinking that this must have been what it was like in the days of the early church. The building was not important. The opportunity to meet together and see if God shows up was the purpose. We sat down on a couch and then were offered a glass of flavored water. Normally, I would have politely declined, because I would not have wanted “Montezuma’s revenge” to hit me later. This time I received it and drank all of it because I knew that they were honoring me with this. It was there token of appreciation for me to join with them. As the meeting was about to ensue, Pastor Fernando looks at me and tells me that I need to preach to the people. At this point in our lives, neither one of us could speak the others language very well. He could understand most English but he had difficulty communicating it. My Spanish was limited to two phrases, “Como Estas”(How are you) and “Dios te Bendiga” (God Bless You). In response to the Pastors request I asked him who was going to translate. He told me that no one was going to translate and that I needed to preach in Spanish. There were only thirteen people in the room besides he and I. For the next few moments, Pastor Fernando and I are going back and forth about who is going to deliver the message. As long as I had known Fernando, he had been a jokester, but this time he felt like he needed to challenge me. Finally, I gave in and did the only thing I knew to do. I raised my hands in the air and I said, “Holy Spirit help me”. For the next hour, I ministered the word of God fluently in Spanish. It was like an out-of-body experience. I quoted scriptures in Spanish that I did not know in English. I began looking around at all the faces and each person was crying, including Pastor Fernando. To this day I do not know what was said in the meeting. I asked the Pastor what had been said and he told me that it was not for me, it was for them. Pastor Fernando now lives in South Carolina and pastors a church there. We have maintained our friendship all of these years and from time to time I will ask him what was said in that meeting. His response is always the same. “I will never tell you because it was not meant for you to know, only for you to speak.”

The purpose of this story is not to brag on me. I was so young and inexperienced but when faced with a choice I chose to ask for help from the One who’s very name means help. Supernatural power was released to fulfill a supernatural work. The truth is that if I were faced with the same situation today, I am not sure that my response would be the same. Now, I am experienced and I have more knowledge and wisdom. Therein lies the problem with the church and the lack of power being demonstrated in it. We have grown too intelligent and technologically advanced to believe that there is still a power that is at the discretion of the believer if he would simply believe (Mark 11:24). Logic and reason have taken place of faith and power. Absolute truth and morality have been changed to interpretation of truth and morality.

Leadership within the Community of Faith is mostly at fault. The adoption of Seeker Sensitive and Purpose Driven Churches have taken away the emphasis and the value of the cross and especially the importance of the Holy Spirit. Theology, doctrine, motivational speeches, and good programs have been placed in higher esteem than relationship with the one who is the very source of our existence. Where are the days when someone on a train stops a man and tells him that he is convicted of his sins simply because the man walks in power? When are the moments when a young boy on his death bed can be raised up by a power that is radiating form another person’s core? The answer comes down to profitability and control. The truth is that most leaders, even spirit-filled ones, are not sure if they want the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit. History tells us that when power is released that people begin to get out of control. Every great revival that was started happened because of people who were not satisfied with what they had. They cried out for an Endowment of Divine Proportions. When revival happened people got saved, healed, delivered, restored, increased, and altogether blessed. The problem is that if you study the demise of most revivals, they came as a result of mans inability to continue giving glory to the Lord and they tried to control the way the Holy Spirit moved.

Up until now, I have given opinion based on personal experience and study. Now I hope to bring truth alongside reason. There are several questions that need to be answered. Is the power of God needed in the church today? Secondly, how do we receive and release this power? What are some of the possibilities of a modern day outpouring of the Holy Ghost? I hope to answer these questions through the greatest source of truth. The Word of God.
 

Is the Power of God Needed in Today’s Church?

In order for anyone to pursue something they must first acknowledge there need for it. In the New Testament there are two Greek words used when describing power. One is dunamis which means a miraculous power, a force, a strength, or an ability to perform a work. The other word used is exousia which is a privilege, a force, or a delegated influence, jurisdiction, or a right. When Jesus chose his twelve disciples in Matthew 10, the Bible says that He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. This was a delegated influence that Jesus bestowed upon his disciples. The question is, why would Jesus feel the importance at the inauguration of the twelve to release to them power that they did not understand nor had an ability to control? He was going to be with them for a few years. Why not wait until after he is gone to give them this ability? In Acts 1:7 it says that Jesus instructs His disciples to wait for the Holy Ghost and that when he comes they will receive the power. It is interesting to note that in the passage in Matthew 10 the disciples received the exousia and in the Book of Acts the received the dunamis. In Matthew they inherited the right, but in Acts they were imparted the ability. One of the things that the Body of Christ is lacking, is not the understanding of their right, but rather the ability to activate and operate in that Endowment of Divine Proportions.

The disciples were going to carry on a legacy and in order for them to do that, it was vital that they operated in the same capacitates that Jesus did. The same is true today. If the church is going to carry on the legacy of Jesus then we must be able to operate with the same aptitude that He and they walked in. Many people use the Scripture in I Corinthians 13 that talks about when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with (v.10). The contention is that Jesus is that which is perfect and that He has already come. The problem with that teaching is that gifting, prophesies, healing, and deliverance all took place after Jesus ascended. The disciples continued operating in these things. The early church flourished and grew because of the overabundance of power being manifested. That which is perfect is referring to the completion of God’s purpose after the second coming of Christ. If it has not been done away with that means it is still available. If it is available that means it is still necessary for God’s people to operate in it. Jesus knew that his disciples would witness a demonstration of power that had never been witnessed before. He wanted them to know that what he operated in was unlimited.

Jesus was never questioned about his ability to heal. He was only questioned about His ability to save. The reason they could not question his abilities is because His capacity was in full display. He healed the blind, the sick, the deaf, the lame, the dead. He cast out devils. His power was demonstrated so that the world might know that He is real. When there is a demonstration of power people will listen to the message. What we have done in the church is we have tried to convince people of a message without validating the message. Jesus said, I came to give life. He raises the dead. Jesus said, I came to heal. Many times he healed everybody. Every time Jesus made a declaration, He backed it up with a demonstration. His defense was not in His message, but in His ability to manifest the Kingdom. Jesus says over and over that “He that believeth,” or “them that believe,” will do his work (Matt. 17:20, 21:22, Mark 9:23, 16:15-20, John 14:12).

There is a principle called the law of first mention and when something is first established it becomes a precedent for things that are to come. In the beginning when God created it was not through knowledge or through reason that the universe came into existence. It came because of Divine right and was brought about by a manifestation of power. The Kingdom of God is made up of righteousness, peace and joy, but it is demonstrated through the power of the Holy Spirit (Roman 14:17).

The Apostle Paul said that the preaching that he preached did not come from persuasive words of human wisdom but by a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Paul was educated. He could have used his intellect, education, or experience, to convince people of his truth, but even he declares that the only way any of this is real is through an expression of power.

Jesus needed power to fulfill his purpose. The works of Jesus done through the disciples and the early church, were brought about through power. If this is true, then the only way for the church to regain prominence in a world that has lost its way is through God’s people desperately crying out for an Endowment of Divine Proportions.

How Do We Receive and Release this Power?

In order to receive the power of God and then release it into the realm of the natural, one must first be born again. Trying to operate in a gift without being born again is like trying to operate an airplane without wings. You may start the engine, but you will never fly. It happened in the Bible. People tried to buy the power. (Acts 8:18-24). The sons of Sceva tried to operate in casting out demons and they nearly lost their lives (Acts 19:13-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is also key to unlocking the power of God (Acts 1:8, Eph.5:18, John 1:12).

“To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be deeper every day, never lifted out, never coming out; it is to be in captivity, ready for gifts.” (Wigglesworth)

“Everyone who has received the Holy Spirit has within him great possibilities and unlimited power.” (Wigglesworth)

We must understand that we have been blessed with all spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and with all things necessary to fulfill life and godliness (II Pet. 1:3). We must receive an anointing in order to release this power on earth. Jesus received an anointing by the Spirit without measure (John 4:32). That means that the power that Jesus operated in was unlimited. He said that we could operate in the same power. I like to think that because I am an heir with Christ that through faith there is nothing that is unattainable. The unlimited power of Almighty God has been placed into the hands of his children in order to advance His Kingdom.

Faith is the activator and the maintainer of this Power. Faith is factual and clear. It is the exchange system that we have with God. If I want to buy something here I must give money in exchange for a product or service. In the same light if I want to have something from the Lord, I must exchange something to receive it. That is Faith. The early church did not have anything but Faith. The persecuted church, even today, only has faith. But how awesome is it when God’s people believe for impossible things and receive the manifestation as God reveals himself in His Power.

What are some possibilities of a modern day outpouring?

I will end this chapter in response to this final question. We serve an unlimited God with creative power that can equip us for everything that we have need of to live a holy, righteous, and blessed life. I think of the song that says “I can only imagine”. What would the church look like if a modern day “Pentecost” came? It would shake the foundations of the world. It would effect every arena of life. It would touch into the educational fields and the political systems. It would change the way church is done and viewed on a global scale. It would effect news and sports. Economics and business would begin looking toward those with real power before making decisions. Media would be forced to focus on the movement. According to Derek Prince’s book, ” Rediscovering God’s church”, the essential feature of the assembly of God’s people is for governmental authority. The church should be a dominant force in the decisions that effect nations.

God is looking for people who will embrace the potential of the power of the Holy Ghost and allow the Lord to manifest His glory and power through them.

Paul Y. Cho said: “God is looking for men and women who will be His emergency task force to combat the forces of the devil. The Holy Spirit wants volunteers who will be at full alert whenever there is a crisis.”

God is looking for new and old disciples that will carry out a fresh mandate to revolutionize a world one person at a time. Supernatural power manifested in a natural world brings glory to a divine being. People may not want to listen to truth but they can not argue with truth demonstrated as power.

Without a doubt there comes to many of us the choice between a life of contraction and one of expansion; a life of small dimensions and one of widening horizons and larger visions and plans; a life of self-satisfaction or self-seeking and one of unselfish or truly Christ-like sharing. (John Mott, In the Gap)

Conversion is a miracle; it is a person being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. It is old things passing away, all things becoming new. It is a person outside the family of God being welcomed in by the blood of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus is vindicated at every conversion.

Nothing can or should stand to minimize the event of a single person’s conversion. But, the Great Commission is our calling to make disciples out of those converts. A convert is a new born ready to be nurtured and cared for. Discipleship is that nurturing process and the giving of care the convert needs and deserves.

A convert is dependant on others; others can depend upon a disciple. A convert needs to be encouraged as to their potential in Christ. A disciple lives encouraged and gives encouragement. Paul said, “For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. (II Tim. 1:12)

What does it take for a disciple to “know” and to be “convinced”? That is what a disciple maker must be committed to seeing happen. What does it take for a parent to let their teen take the car for the first time? Training and trust; training with results that are measurable and trust without measure.

In I John 2:12-14 there are three categories of believers or family members, each having those measurable characteristics.

1. Little children

a. Sins are forgiven

b. They know the Father

2. Young men

a. Overcame the evil one

b. Strong and the word of God abides in them

3. Fathers

a. Know Him who has been from the beginning

The little children have learned the truths of redemption and they are in fellowship with their Father. The young men have worked out their belief system in their daily lives. They have disciplined themselves in the Word and are walking in authority over evil. The fathers simply know God. Like Sarah in Hebrews 11:11 who considered God faithful to His promise.

This simple progression is repeatable in any convert’s life. As mentioned, it is measurable and observable. Because of this, the disciple maker and the disciple can know where they are in their development.

Jesus summarized the Old Testament law as loving God and loving mankind. Then He gave a new command, “That you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another”(John 13:34). This emphasis on love will have to be made a priority in the lives of the new disciples. All Christians have the love of God but must learn how to love unconditionally and at all times. Knowledge can be gained by learning the Scriptures and then relating them to forgiveness, to accepting people the way they are and to stay away from being judgmental. The making of a disciple happens when an encounter with a disagreeable person ends positively. Change comes in the midst of life and right decisions are made.

A life of love relates to being a worshiper, being thankful and therefore enhances the disciple’s walk with Jesus. It also relates to service to those in the Body of Christ, to the needy, to their community. There are many people who have never been taught how to relate in a family, how to respect, show honor or to trust. If need be, discipleship includes these areas of love as well.

Once love is figured out everything else is easy! Knowing God, personally and intimately is another priority. This will include having a devotional life, being a worshiper both privately and publicly, and on ongoing prayer life. Here the disciple maker must open up his/her own life to how their lifestyles were developed. An accountability system can be established to keep the new disciple progressing.

Knowledge of the Scriptures is going to produce stability and a hunger to keep learning. James chapter one relates the Scriptures to being a mirror that shows people who they really are. A natural mirror reflects life as it is in the moment. The Word of God reflects who the person is redemptively and who they are destined to become. The more the young disciple focuses upon spiritual truth the more that will dominate the natural and any carnal tendencies.

As soon as a disciple learns who they are in Christ the stronger they will become. One simple outline is to study how the believer identifies with Jesus’ sacrifice.

1. I died with Christ.

2. I was crucified with Christ.

3. I was buried with Christ.

4. I was resurrected with Christ.

5. I am seated with Christ in heavenly places.

These truths will help establish a foundation that is not easily disrupted. Another outline that is both basic and profound is answering this list of questions:

 1. Who is God?

2. What does God have?

3. What can God do?

4. Who is a believer?

5. What does a believer have?

6. What can a believer do?

7. Who is the devil?

8. What does the devil have?

9. What can the devil do?

The process of disciple making is unique to the person but will also include many similarities. If the disciple maker has a general format to follow he/she will be confident in coming alongside a convert and creating a disciple. Every Christian is designed to be a disciple maker.