Church Growth or the Holy GhostGod is calling the churches of today to return to her roots of Pentecostal Power. Twenty years ago the Holy Spirit visited denominational churches up and down the Mississippi River and energized Pastors and congregations alike. The results were the same as recorded in the book of Acts; people got saved, filled with the Spirit, healed of terminal illnesses, prophesied, delivered of evil spirits and entered into a greater level of joy and peace with God. A mini-revival of God-centered Christianity broke out in the Deep South as new converts from most every family became a light for Jesus. Mighty missions works were birthed and sent out of these new Spirit filled churches that continue even today impacting the distant corners of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, many churches have left this awesome power available through God’s Spirit and have adopted their own dead programs of endless activity. Instead of praying and hearing from the Holy Spirit many leaders and congregations simply look to the larger churches for direction and guidance. The reasoning is “because they are big they must be hearing from God.” God told Samuel when choosing David to be King of Israel, not to look at the outward appearances as men do, but to look at the heart and the motive before choosing”. God chose David not because of his outward greatness but because of the devotion of his heart. The main reason many churches are headed down the wrong path is because they have stopped praying and seeking the face of God as a people and as a congregation. Therefore they no longer see as God sees but are looking at things in the natural according to the outward appearance of man’s greatness. You might say more numbers equate to more souls being saved. Well, big numbers and larger congregations can also equate to higher dollar offerings, more influence and recognition. Only by spending time in His presence will we know the real motive, focus and goals of our heart. If you dig a hole, it will automatically become get wider as you dig deeper. In the same way if we seek the Holy Ghost our churches will automatically grow as we go deeper with the Lord. Jesus said that Man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man. God did not make man to be in bondage to the church and it’s programs but rather commanded the church to serve, edify and build up the believers. (Eph 4:11). The programs in themselves are not bad or unscriptural. Many times the churches and their leaders will use programs that God gave someone else to do, to try to pump life into an already exhausted congregation without the Holy Spirit’s permission. The result is always death. The Bible says the letter of the law kills but the Spirit gives life. Many of God’s people are tired of the shallow, barren, dried up, controlling conditions of these once godly institutions and many have made a jail break. The most important thing is that we get free, not so much from a place or a person, but from our shallow heartedness towards God. The good news is that Jesus died on the Cross so that we can be free from dead religious works. Whatever Jesus touches becomes alive. The Lord has not changed, the Word of God has not changed and the Holy Spirit is still alive! He is still watching over the lives of every Christian waiting for permission to come in and baptize us with fresh fire from heaven. The Lord has spoken to me that we have left our Holy Spirit inheritance and need to return for His refreshing. Let us all return to seek His face. Wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength like an eagle. Freedom is yours today. |