A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (December 24, 2015)
I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)
I recently heard a teaching by a strong evangelical minister that brought up a lot of old divisive arguments. The teaching was basically that we spend too much time looking for the spectacular versus the common. Some evangelicals have even accused full gospel or charismatic believers of worshipping the gifts more than the Giver. I don’t often get upset but you can get my blood to boiling if you insinuate I worship anything more than Jesus!
Let’s take a look at this divide (which the enemy loves) from the prospective of what the Word says and what Jesus showed us through His actions.
Evangelicals are mostly concentrated on salvations. There is nothing wrong with that!!! The scripture tells us that we must be “Born Again”:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Salvation is the first critical step. We cannot even see the Kingdom of God and what is available to us without being born again. However, once we are born again we need to grow, mature, get equipped, and be empowered to do the things Jesus has called us to do.
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12)
What works did Jesus do? He healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead. In shortened terms, He did the spectacular through the power of the Holy Ghost. To omit the miracle working power of Jesus would require a re-write of the entire Bible.
Hear is what I have learned after 33 years of ministry. We need both the evangelical fervor for the lost and the full gospel/charismatic gifts from the Holy Ghost. The current church is kind of like a bad marriage where the husband and wife are not honoring each other’s gifts. They are not submitting to each other in love. They are constantly competing with each other, versus completing each other. I have seen abuses on both sides, but I have also seen the good on both sides.
Jesus is coming back for one church, not two churches! He understands the dangers of religion and letter of the law teachings. He faced it at every turn, even to the cross. But He prayed that we might be one and it is time we lay down some of these old religious doctrines and arguments and listen to a little wisdom if we ever want to be what God has called the Church to be.
Now John answered Him, saying, Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us. But Jesus said, Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. (Mark 9:38-40)
