Wise leadership will always keep in mind the foundation the Lord used to build upon what they now steward. In the substance of that foundation are the elements God will use to guide and resurrect the faith of a family, a church, or a denomination when they lose their way and have wandered from their initial calling.
Several years ago, in an email conversation with the late Dr. Jack Hayford, I asked him a question regarding the Lakeland Revival that was in full swing in Florida of which Jack had issued a public statement. I raised a question as to why many pastors within our Foursquare movement no longer modeled the elements of a supernatural ministry. Jack’s response was fatherly, wise, and patient. He said many in the current generation of leadership no longer make a place for signs, wonders, and miracles. As a result, the younger men and women they are discipling have never had it modeled for them. Jack went on to say it’s not that the younger generation of leaders is unwilling to move in the supernatural power of the Spirit. They have never had it modeled for them. They were not seeing or experiencing the miraculous part of the foundation of the Foursquare Church modeled by Aimee Semple McPherson.
Perhaps the Great Awakening so many of us long for, and the cultural transformation we want to see take place, will be preceded by a return to the foundational elements of our calling. This is not just for a single denomination like Foursquare, but for all the Church who can trace our shared history back to the Day of Pentecost. On that day the demonstration of the miraculous was so obvious that people came running to the sound of its demonstration.
“When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running” (Acts 2:6).
Many in leadership roles within the church are afraid of “losing control.” I believe that testifying to the truth that it’s in the power of the Holy Spirit to change someone’s life.
Over and over again I say that Jesus left a massive wake of testimonies behind Him of His wonder working power. Jesus had only the Holy Spirit, His voice and His works demonstrating that it’s through His divine power to change the natural. No internet, social media was involved, only the miraculous and after witnessing that divine (not supernatural) power it took people like the woman at the well who ran home and started that wildfire of evangelism and the message spread testifying to the entire Samaritan town and then they received Jesus and personally experienced the evidence of His blessed miracles.
Pastors…open up that mic to the Body of Christ so they too can spread testimonies of the miraculous. Jesus only performed a few miracles within the Synagogue, because He took His power to the streets, to the lost, rejected and hopeless. That’s where you’ll hear testimony to His power, then share it online.
Interviewing and publicizing divine testimonies is something the Lord has laid on my heart to do for the individual brick & mortar church, but so far no takers. This is only a Holy Spirit seed and a fire starter for revival…what are they afraid of?
Amen to you Cynthia!
The loud noise I bet will be the trumpt blast and angels heralding the return of The Great Shepherd! Shine your Lights from within and brighten the Way for The Truth and His Light. The darkness of deceit is taking it’s final death breath.
Amen
From when I got saved about 35 years ago to now the” moving and ministering ” in the Holy Spirit certainly has diminished a lot. For me personally I remember when “the Spirit was flowing freely” life was a lot easier and I’d walk with a spring in my step.