It's been a while since I posted here and although I've been remiss it seems that many still arrive here to view the Oneness v. trinitarian Debates, or C.P. Kilgore's Wheel of Prophecy, or one of the other blogs on here. I hope you've all been blessed and will continue to visit. I also trust you are all well and find yourself right in the middle of the biggest thing God has ever done in, and through, you. I believe that 2009 will be a great year for the Church and am looking forward it. That being said...
At the time I was in a rush and didn't have time to adequately respond to him. It was later in the day that I remembered something the Lord showed me over a year ago concerning sustained growth in our local churches.
Since this is traditionally the time of year when we prepare for the coming New Year I thought I'd post those thoughts for you all today.
I think that there are four key steps to effective and prolonged growth (what some might call "revival") in the local Church and its surrounding communities.
The psalmist wrote, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). In this verse we find the Four P's of Perpetual Growth:
1. Prayer
Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous. Prayer is inextricably tied to spiritual growth, whether it is in the individual's life or in the Church. People who pray consistently and persistently with passion will see results from their time with the Lord. Prayer takes discipline and consecration (not to be confused with concentration) but it is the conduit through which Heaven is reached. When we pray we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous.
2. Praise
Praise sets the atmosphere for the miraculous. Those who have learned to praise God in everything eventually attain a level of spiritual maturity found only in praise. There are various methods of praise but only one way to praise. We must praise God with our whole heart. A whole heart is one that's affections are not divided. True praise is authentic and sold out to Christ alone.
3. Preaching
Preaching is the anointed message of the miraculous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly anointed preaching presents Jesus in such a way that people ask the same question asked so long ago on the day of Pentecost and they receive that same anointed answer: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).
4. Personal Evangelism
Personal evangelism is passion for the miraculous. Personal evangelism is that element of inner passion and expectation that propels people to go and tell others about Jesus and what He's doing today. It is spiritually mature and excellent practice to be a witness of the oneness of God. It is not something that only new converts should be doing. The longer one is in the Church the more they should be going forth to bring in a harvest of souls.
There is more that I could write about for each of these, but the main point is that as we end this old year and look to the new one, let's strive to be praying, praising, preaching, and personally evangelizing our communities. If we follow these steps, I'm convinced (and 29 years of living for God has given me some understanding) that we will experience sustained perpetual growth in our personal lives, our churches, and our communities this coming year – perpetually!
A few weeks ago a friend of mine, T.A. Main (keep an eye on him - - his name will be in lights some day), asked me the following question: "What do you think are the three steps to revival?" He had an interesting list and shared it with me.
At the time I was in a rush and didn't have time to adequately respond to him. It was later in the day that I remembered something the Lord showed me over a year ago concerning sustained growth in our local churches.
Since this is traditionally the time of year when we prepare for the coming New Year I thought I'd post those thoughts for you all today.
I think that there are four key steps to effective and prolonged growth (what some might call "revival") in the local Church and its surrounding communities.
The psalmist wrote, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). In this verse we find the Four P's of Perpetual Growth:
1. Prayer
Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous. Prayer is inextricably tied to spiritual growth, whether it is in the individual's life or in the Church. People who pray consistently and persistently with passion will see results from their time with the Lord. Prayer takes discipline and consecration (not to be confused with concentration) but it is the conduit through which Heaven is reached. When we pray we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous.
2. Praise
Praise sets the atmosphere for the miraculous. Those who have learned to praise God in everything eventually attain a level of spiritual maturity found only in praise. There are various methods of praise but only one way to praise. We must praise God with our whole heart. A whole heart is one that's affections are not divided. True praise is authentic and sold out to Christ alone.
3. Preaching
Preaching is the anointed message of the miraculous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly anointed preaching presents Jesus in such a way that people ask the same question asked so long ago on the day of Pentecost and they receive that same anointed answer: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).
4. Personal Evangelism
Personal evangelism is passion for the miraculous. Personal evangelism is that element of inner passion and expectation that propels people to go and tell others about Jesus and what He's doing today. It is spiritually mature and excellent practice to be a witness of the oneness of God. It is not something that only new converts should be doing. The longer one is in the Church the more they should be going forth to bring in a harvest of souls.
There is more that I could write about for each of these, but the main point is that as we end this old year and look to the new one, let's strive to be praying, praising, preaching, and personally evangelizing our communities. If we follow these steps, I'm convinced (and 29 years of living for God has given me some understanding) that we will experience sustained perpetual growth in our personal lives, our churches, and our communities this coming year – perpetually!
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