Transition of Seasons – Embrace the Change

September’s dawn hesitates with each new morning, weary perhaps from the busyness of summer’s unceasing activity. The long daylight hours are filled with a multitude of treasured moments to remember throughout winter’s dark freeze. Cooler nights and shortened days herald the transition of seasons and prepare us to embrace the change.

Our summer certainly was filled! A June wedding, God’s gift of a fresh start, in Nevada and our own 46th anniversary of life together. A jam-packed family camping adventure with hiking, fishing, biking, boating, lounging, campfires, games, and giggles topped July’s memory making attempt. Mid August brought the completion of internship closing the chapter of Master’s Commission training. We laughed with friends marking birthdays from the north and south. Many moments captured forever in our grateful hearts!

Season of Change

As I consider personal transitions, the most dramatic came with marriage: single to united, independent to interdependent, under my father’s protective wing to another man’s, enjoying the benefits of my childhood home to making our own. Marriage brought a lot of change, that continues to this day.

Transition of Seasons

Seasons predictably come and go! Here in the northern hemisphere, the transitions may come subtly but the changes can be drastic!

The church that began with the apostles over two thousand years ago has seen major transitional changes, as well. Each change acutely different from the one before; each sparked by a fresh dawn of revival, while restoring an element of something lost.

With the Reformation and Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door in Wittenberg in 1517 came an awareness that salvation is by grace, and grace alone. It cannot be bought, earned, or waggled into.

Luther - Wittenberg - 95 Theses

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

not by works, so that no one can boast”
Ephesians 2:8-9

The price of redemption paid in full!  Jesus death and resurrection is forever enough! Nothing added and nothing taken away!  This cosmic event bridged the great, dark chasm between God and humanity. Now that’s enough to make one dance, leap and shout with joy!

However, it didn’t take the church long to grow lethargic. Another transition was needed to stir up the greying coals of revival.

The Great Commission

Prayer is always the unseen channel of fresh fire. It would take Edwards, Wesley, Whitefield and others to again stir the church reviving and awakening the desire for evangelism. The church jolted to action! God’s grace is for all!

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

Go into all the world!

For the first time since the evangelistic wave of the apostles, “go” was back in the “go”-spel! The church took seriously the commission to bring the Good News to all peoples!

But how does one effectively go without the tangible Presence of the Lord?

Preparing for Change

There were many forerunners to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Azusa Street in 1906: D. L. Moody, Maria Woodworth Etter, Charles Parham, Evan Roberts and more. But Azusa Street became the fault line of the greatest quake of change in the church since the original Pentecost of the Book of Acts.

The outpouring! The Holy Spirit moved to the forefront with restoration of signs, wonder and miracles:

“These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe:
They will cast out demons in my name,
and they will speak in new languages.
They will be able to handle snakes with safety,
and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them.
They will be able to place their hands on the sick,
and they will be healed.”
Mark 16:17-18

Miracles, signs and wonders will follow them who believe!

Every shaking of revival transforms those willing to change. Recoil or embrace? With each restoration of truth, fearless, faith-filled, hungry, even desperate, God seekers step from the familiar and welcome the inexplicable grace of God’s open hand.

The Father’s Heart

The most current transitional change broke forth with fresh awareness of the goodness of God, a revelation of the Father’s heart. With impeccable timing, it broke into an environment plagued by fatherlessness.

The Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century quotes deaths through wars and oppressions alone totalled more that 188,000,000. The twentieth century became marked as the most lethal in mankind’s history. Each death represents families broken. Millions of fathers snuffed out, removed forever!

God’s heart most certainly must have wept over man’s ability to annihilate and destroy! Great grace flooded over chaos with a tsunami wave of His open heart of love through the Toronto Blessing. The impact continues worldwide!

God is good!

“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100:5

While the outpouring of Holy Spirit at Azusa Street created more denominational divides than any other movement, the revelation of the love of The Father has drawn denominations together like no other.

Change is Coming

As distinct as the shift from summer to fall, I feel another change coming. It is an exciting time! The church is rising and growing at unprecedented rates secure in restored revelation:

  • Salvation through grace and grace alone
  • The gospel for all peoples
  • Filled with the Holy Spirit
  • Radically loved by The Father

Wait! Pardon me for mentioning it, but my Bible neither starts nor ends here! There is more!

The first act of God in Genesis was to prepare a garden for the union of a special couple, Adam and Eve. It was a place of constant fellowship between God and man, filled with peace, joy and unbridled communion.

The last act of God in Revelation is presenting the bride to The Bridegroom. Can you imagine that wonderful day?

The bride is getting ready for the Bridegroom!

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.”
Revelation 19:7

Every season of change for the church, every transitional wave of blessing and revelation, is for one purpose! The bride prepares for the Bridegroom!

Pulled close by His grace, the global church rises with arms reaching all. She is alive in the Spirit, immersed in the Father’s love. She is being slowly transformed into the likeness of The Bridegroom. Christ is coming back for a bride fully representing His heart, His character, His nature, and His glory. He will not be unequally yoked!

“The bride has made herself ready!” There she will stand, a glorious church filled with strength, dignity, purity, and honour.

However, to be ready, she must be willing to embrace change. The same transitions that have occurred corporately are to be approached personally and intentionally as well. Welcome each season with confidence that every change is, in fact, a preparation for the Bridegroom.

Get excited! The wedding day is perhaps closer than we think!

Revival – Faith In Christ Without Compromise

If you look at nations like Brazil, China, India, and others in Africa, you will find tens of thousands of individuals turning to faith in Jesus Christ every day. Revival is happening now! People are professing faith in Christ without compromise!

Pick up any dictionary and you will read this about compromise:

  • something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things
  • accept standards that are lower than is desirable

Compromise

Is this a picture of the North American church? There are pockets of faith in Canada and the United States where God is moving profoundly. Generally speaking, however, we have a faith of compromise. Because of our efforts to create  a path between of least friction with current culture, in many areas where we have lower standards than God has established through his Word.

“You adulterous people!
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.”
James 4:4

Compromise

The word “people” is not a singular word, but a corporate word referring “not to individuals, but to the churches“. Is it impossible for a corporate body of believers to shake hands in agreement with the world’s ethics and remain in the place of blessing and favour with God?

As my dad would have said, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!”

In attempting to make the gospel more palatable in current North American environment, we indeed have “blended” even very opposite moral and ethical values, compromising godly standards at multiple levels.

Diluted

As a Christian community we have become diluted.

Let’s look at one more definition:

dilution is to make thinner, to diminish the strength, flavor, or brilliance(Webster-Merriam)

Compromise Drugs

In Ontario over 1000 cancer patients were given watered down doses of chemotherapy. The law suite was in the millions. Scandals about businesses providing low quality products for high quality prices abound. The courts rule, “Intolerable!” Society agrees!

The Word of God, the Bible, forms the foundation of our faith. The spiritual sickness in humanity is much more powerful than any cancer. We owe it to all, to offer the undiluted truth.

It is interesting to note, where the gospel is flourishing is in the very nations of the world where it is clearly taught: Christ alone – the Word plus nothing.

Traditional faith stands strong when it stands on its own!

Within the people groups where being a Christian means Christ plus ______ (fill in the blank) there is marked decline in effectiveness and growth.

Coincidence? Maybe! Maybe not!

Revival

I have shared pieces of my journey before. Only when I confessed Christ as Lord, could transformation begin to occur in my life. I continue in this process of surrender and yielding to Him.

The more Christ reigns in a single life, the more one is able to walk in the undiluted power of Holy Spirit control and effectiveness.

He is Lord!
Faith is made real when one
acknowledges and surrenders
to His Lordship.

Revival begins individually and spreads corporately, sometimes nationally. Many prophetic voices agree with the Bible in affirming a coming world-wide revival like Christianity has not experienced to this point. We are seeing it happen in many nations. My prayer is that North America will be included.

Revival - Without Compromise

Jesus is coming again! He is coming for a powerful and beautiful church!

May she shine in all His radiance,
undiluted,
uncompromising,
fully giving the words of life
to all!

__________

Revival

Lord Jesus thank You for
every move of the Holy Spirit
across the globe.
Thank You that no people group
is out of your reach.
May each one of us be awakened
to the beauty of your majesty,
the wonder of your presence,
the fullness of your salvation.

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A Refreshing Stream – A Good Rain is Coming!