God's end time redeemed community - Part 3

God's end time redeemed community is to be a community that is...: 3. A church full of both Word AND Holy Spirit ministry................ Smith Wigglesworth’s Prophecy 1947 Smith Wigglesworth from Bradford, England was known as the “apostle of faith.” He moved in mighty signs and wonders and even raised people from the dead in Jesus’ mighty name. Shortly before he passed into glory he prophesied: “During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the Church [the body of Christ] in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterised by the restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. [This was the Charismatic Renewal which began in the late 1960s+]. “The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches. In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, ‘This is a great revival.’ But the Lord says, ‘No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.’ “When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before:

a coming together of those with an emphasis on the Word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit

. "When the Word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world have ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh Revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.” Whether you like the legacy of Wigglesworth or not (some do some don't!) you have to admit this is a remarkable prophesy/word for our times! God is a God of both Word and Holy Spirit ministry in 'His church'. This is a key phrase - HIS CHURCH isn't it? There is a remarkable tendency to want to just pick and choose the bits of church/Kingdom/God that we like, like an a la carte menu. The truth is that God rocked up in history and simply announced 'I AM WHO I AM' and will roll up history in the same way at the end, unapologetically, having already revealed Himself to creation in the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and ultimate return of the Son of God Jesus!

God is a God of both Word and Spirit and churches and believers need to make room for BOTH in their lives...

The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit in the hand of the believer. We are to learn to wield it and not to keep it forever sheathed or on a shelf gathering dust. The Spirit of God has been given to us as the supreme gift of the Father to us in the New Covenant. What a tragedy that we as Christians/churches would ever conceive to ignore Him, sideline or limit Him, or worse still criticise or blaspheme Him! We need to make room for the Holy Spirit in our churches, in our everyday lives, in our homes and in our bedrooms. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person - we can grieve Him or please Him! We need to remember that the Holy Spirit while invisible is no less real or God than Jesus Christ or the Father! We need to learn how to wait on the Spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. The Word of God in both logos and rhema is powerful and is God generated God-breathed life to us.

We need both Word and Holy Spirit ministry in the church! BOTH ARE HIS!!

That is not just the task of the individual Christian but also the task for God's end time community - the church. When Jesus Christ returns in the great consummation of the ages,

will we be amongst the 'virgins' with our lamps trimmed and ready with the 'oil' of God flowing in our lives

, or are we just burning the wick of our days for that which will not last?

When the Son of man returns for His end time community, will he find faith on the earth? Will He find a community who are full of the oil of Heaven, allowing Him to move in His church freely, have HIS WAY, revealing Himself in Word and Spirit to the world, in the gifts of the Spirit, in signs wonders and miracles, in love that transcends the bounds of human kindness, in laughter, in marriages, in children, in work and in play, will He find us waiting and enjoying the Presence and gift of the precious Holy Spirit that are His gift to us in the Gospel?

May He find us so..... JS