Newsletter contents: Prayer, Revival, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, How do we Church, pope Francis
Greetings dear friends,
We hope all of you are well and prospering in Jesus.
Just recently I was discussing the gifts of the Holy Spirit with a local Brother in Christ. We both agreed that it was wrong to overemphasize the gifts of the Holy Spirit because of the tendency to encourage counterfeit "gifts" or false spiritual manifestations. The Charismatics and Assembly of God folks are prime examples of this. Sadly, they are famous for their bizarre behavior which is falsely attributed to the Holy Spirit.
But now why is that? Why do so many Christians end up perverting the spiritual gifts and heaping disdain on those things which are so vital to the spiritual growth of the Church? Is it because so many are actually seeking for the gift rather than the Gift Giver? Is it because we have lost sight of the Prime Product of our Christian Faith on account of our obsession with the by-product???
You see, what I wish to explore in this newsletter is how we can experience real and impacting revival in our Churches, which I believe is the key to igniting the genuine spiritual gifts. In fact, I'm persuaded that only revival will produce, ORGANICALLY, the real gifts of the Holy Spirit.
And friends, the reality is that we desperately need the gifts, especially as we careen ever closer to the epoch of Great Tribulation. In the coming days, God's people will need Him to lead and guide them through visions, dreams, and prophecy.
But I already know what you're thinking and I totally get it. No sensible individual wants any part of the demonic activity labeled as the working of the "Holy Spirt" currently infecting many churches. And the other problem is that many Christians have a false picture of revival imbedded in their minds. For instance, revival isn't a bunch of Christians singing loudly or dancing around the church. Revival isn't an alter call which produces 5, 10, or even 20 new converts. And revival is certainly not a big stadium full of people expecting to be stirred by an electrifying message. Don't get me wrong. God can certainly use any of these to produce an atmosphere of revival, but this isn't the scriptural formula for true and lasting revival.
Friends, we need to understand that all true revival is born out of fervent prayer. Revival happens naturally, without any manufactured attempt, when God's people visit their prayer closets frequently throughout the day. Hardly will God ignore the sacrifice of those who give themselves to prayer and seeking His face. And upon such will His presence descend in the most powerful and unmistakable manner. After all, I truly believe that God is more eager to fellowship with us and to produce the miraculous than we are to see Him do it.
So here's the bottom line: Prayer is extremely essential to the existence of revival!!! Fervent prayer leads to organic revival because prayer always invites the presence of God. The two are inseparable. And when God's presence descends upon His people it is almost always accompanied by supernatural phenomena--the gifts of the Holy Spirt, etc. Need references? Just read your entire Bible :-). Now if we reverse these steps or modify them in any way, we can be sure there won't be real revival and the counterfeit "gifts" will run rampant.
So let me propose a spiritual litmus test. Do you want to know whether or not an assembly is practicing the genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit? Then keenly observe its prayer life. See if there's a strong emphasis on prayer and see if they pray far more than anything else.
Also, if an assembly is completely devoid of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, then we must conclude that it is a spiritually SICK church. Any church that does not practice or manifest the spiritual gifts is a sick church--plain and simple. [For scriptural references, please visit my articles on prayer and the gifts of the Holy Spirit located on my website.]
Now picture for a moment an Assembly in which all of the members are accustomed to regular prayer throughout the week. Upon meeting together for corporate worship, such an assembly is bound to ignite into revival. Fervent prayer will always produce powerful results in any situation or circumstance.
But now that you get the point, let me encourage you to remember that the presence of God can be as concentrated and powerful as we would like. There is no limit to the amount of revival Christians can experience. The only hindrance is us. Let me remind you of Ezekiel's vision:
"Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward... and the waters came down from under the right side of the house...and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side... and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he...brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees....the waters were to the loins. Afterward.... it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over" (Ezekiel 47:1-5).
To me, the river in Ezekiel's vision is a picture of the presence of God emanating from His presence. It is clearly connected to the "rivers of living waters" said to represent the Holy Spirit in John 7:38.
So as Christians we have a choice. Do we want to merely dip our feet into this symbolic river or do we want to jump in over our heads and get completely drenched? The choice is ours!
Note: no amount of prayer will produce revival if there is unrepentant sin in our lives! So it's best to clear this matter up first before we attempt revival.
HOW DO WE CHURCH?
Many assemblies gather together for church in a formal and "institutional" manner. Usually, there's a tightly scheduled format and a strictly observed program. Members know what to expect from sunday to sunday with very little variance in the official program. The designated pastor will stand up and speak at the appointed time and the members will usually listen to him in drowsy silence. Open participation of the Body is discouraged because, they say, it breeds confusion and discord.
Another distinguishing mark of these churches is that they are usually outfitted with all of the traipsing and professional decorum of a money making organization. Friend, if you're trying to receive spiritual food for nourishment in such a church, quit trying, and make your departure hastily. It is almost certain you will die there spiritually. Sadly, to witness revival in these types of churches will require a sheer miracle or an act of God. But can it happen? Yes. Is it likely? No. So if this is your predicament, please educate yourself on the real structure and activity of a biblical Church and then pray so that God may either help you locate a more biblically functioning Body of Christ or help you start one yourself. To learn more about the proper way Christians ought to be doing Church please read my article on this subject by clicking here. This article is called "Defining Church, An Overview of Structure, Function, and Activity". It can be found in the articles section of my website: hisperfectbride.com.
POPE FRANCIS
Now before I provide an update on the Pope's most recent activity, let me refer our latest subscribers to my previous newsletter in which I detail the compelling evidence implicating this man as the final antichrist of history. The newsletter to which I refer is available by clicking here. Scroll down to the sub header "Pope Francis (The Antichrist)" and read forward from there. You could also access my article on the antichrist which lays out 15 compelling reasons for why the pope of Rome is the biblical and historical antichrist by clicking here. It can also be found in video format by clicking here.
Francis continues to make history for the Vatican:
Pope Francis Makes ‘Historic’ Gulf Tour Amid Yemen Crisis and Christian Repression 2/3/2019
"Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam, as he arrived on Sunday in the United Arab Emirates. Even for a nation known for its excesses, the Emiratis’ red-carpet welcome was truly remarkable. The pontiff was welcomed with a lavish military parade. Officers fired 21 shots in the air, while jets flew overhead leaving white and yellow trails – the colors of the Vatican City flag. The pope’s highly publicized 48-hour visit to the United Arab Emirates will also include an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country’s million Catholic residents, set to be the largest public gathering in the country’s history" (see here).
Pope Francis Makes History in North Macedonia 5/7/2019
"Pope Francis wrote a new chapter in the history of the church today by being the first pope ever to visit North Macedonia and the first to celebrate Mass in this country, almost certainly the largest ever held in this land" (see here).
Kim Jong-un Invites Pope Francis to North Korea 10/9/2018 (see here).
In a previous update, I provided a list of Francis's most significant movements since becoming pope. Clearly, that list continues to grow as we have just seen. You can view the first portion of this list by clicking here and scrolling down to the subtitle "What Has Pope Francis Been up to Since 2015? (busiest pope ever!!!)".
Now it's interesting that this pope continues to create unity between the Catholic church and other religions all the time. This is just a small sliver of why I believe that he is the final pope and the biblical "man of sin", but you will have to determine that for yourself as I continue to bring forth new evidence in my upcoming videos.
Well, that is all for now dear friends. But before I sign off, I would like to request your prayers on my family's behalf. Please pray that the Lord continues to preserve my family in His grace and strength while I'm active in ministry and research. And also pray that this spiritual work would be effective and impacting as we continue to warn the Church about Christ's imminent return.
Love in Jesus,
John A.
