Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Work of God! Revival of Gods Work!

So many people,including myself, miss their greatest chance at ministry, because they do not understand that they are to be the extended hands of Jesus on the earth, not a popular person. Begin your ministry by simply being moved by the compassion in your heart for those He draws you to. HE is wanting to reach through you to set them free. It isn't about you, it is about doing His Work.



Charles Finney knew something of this. He life passion was getting people saved, then putting them to "The Work", as he called it. Beyond salvation you could see the passion in His heart to be sure once the church was established or re-established, that they continued in "The Work" of The Gospel.



In one account of a revival, and even that word "revival", he called a Revival of the Work of God. The community came out with hard hearts at first. During the meeting they were overcome with repentance and were crying out to God. Finney could not get them to listen to The Gospel because they were in a state of complete brokenness and heart ache because of how they treated The Lord.

After this went on for a long while, Finney, began to whisper in the ear of each one, preaching the Gospel to them, each received and were filled with the joy of salvation.



Even over 150 years ago Finney knew that there was a difference between "revival" that brought out odd fleshy manifestations, that caused people to mock "religion", and true revival. He mentions over and over how some Upstate and Northern New York communities were skeptical, because past, so called revivals, made people look crazy or act odd. Finney was well aware of this, and would have none of it.



The Spirit of God rested on his meetings in such a way as to bring repentance to even the most hardened heart. The result  of God showing up to do The Work, was saved souls, healed bodies and minds that were delivered from pain and oppression. As well as The Church being returned to discipleship and The Work of God.



Finney, a man whom The Lord used to really demonstrate what the true meaning and results of revival would look like, would instantly recognize that most of what the church today calls The Work of God, or revival, has been tainted by the flesh and the enemy, making mockery of Gods Work.



Also it would not settle well with his heart that the church has divided so much that The Work of God is locked out of many "settlements" and "communities". Modern denominations are much like they were in his time. The like believers would settle in a community together. He talks of The Settlement of The Baptist, of The Universalist. They settled down together in their own communities separate from other denominations.



His ministry, or The Work of God through him, brought The Gospel of Jesus in Power and demonstration into every community and settlement(denomination). No matter what the name of the denomination, the result of The Revival of The Work of God in each community was the same. Men and Woman coming to repentance, dropping dead religion, turning from sin, and for the first time knowing the True Joy of being Born Again and Saved.

 
The end result being?



An established or re-established Church, filled with The Spirit and Power, continuing discipleship and The Work of God. Preaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!!