Making disciples begins with understanding who God designed you to be. The Bible tells us to be fruitful and Multiply! It doesn’t say, “Be fruitful and duplicate!” We are not called to duplicate somebody else’s success. We are called to multiply our own God-given identity. It’s easier to copy others than it is to take the time to seek God for ourselves.
1 Peter 2:4-9 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ESV
When we think of a house, we think of a solid structure that can't be moved. But this house is the dwelling place of the Living God. He dwells in us, as living stones. This thing moves throughout communities and across the nations of the world.
We're living stones on a Living Foundation, and it's full of the breath of God. Jesus lives into and through these stones.
Our relationship with Him, our faith in Him, actually activates his nature and his life into those stones, into us, and then we can move wherever he wants us to be, and we as stones are connected to one another. This speaks of living stones not stacking bricks! Bricks are uniform. They're formed and shaped by the hands of men.
Bricks all look the same and serve the same purpose. Fit together to build what someone is desiring to build. If one of them doesn't fit in, it will be called faulty and gets thrown out. But stones, are all shapes, all sizes, many gifts and different personalities. It takes wisdom and discernment to know how they fit together to produce the work that is the result of Jesus, The Master Builder, Himself!
In the previous way we've done church, we've wanted bricks. Put this one here. Put this one there. Don’t worry about what you carry because we need you to hold up the weight of what we’ve decided to build. The problem is that we are living stones, not bricks.
Don’t duplicate! Multiply! Let’s remain in unity as we bring our gifts and expressions together embracing the diversity of the body of Christ! This idea of the priesthood of all believers emerging in this hour of the church is fascinating!
In 1900, there were no Christians claiming Pentecostal experience from God. In 1906 there was this Azusa Street Pentecostal outpouring that was only one outpouring beginning to take place in the world. The L.A. Daily Times newspaper published an article titled, “Weird Babel of Tongues!” A visiting Baptist Pastor said, “The Holy Spirit fell upon me and filled me literally, as it seemed to lift me up in an instant, I was shouting, ’Praise God,’ and instantly I began to speak in another language. I could not have been more surprised if at the same moment someone had handed me a million dollars!
By the year 1945 16 million people were claiming a Pentecostal spirit-filled experience. By 1955 that number grew to 27 million; by 1965 = 56 mill; by 1975 = 97 million; by 1985 = 268m; by 1995 = 463 million and by the year 2000 this number had grown to 650 million! Sociologists now say never in history non-militaristic, non-political, voluntary movement = explosive growth. Historians now call the 20th Century the Century of the Holy Spirit!
Amazing things happened in that century. Israel became a Nation. World changing ministries emerged like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kathryn Kuhlman, Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Simple McPherson, Reinhard Bonnke and the list goes on!
If you were born before 2000 then God ordained that you would be born in the century of the Holy Spirit.
Some of us were born in the century of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:17 says In the last days, God will pour out his Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Doesn’t it make sense that God would raise up mothers and fathers from the century of the Holy Spirit to have sons and daughters that will come into a greater fulness of what God desires to do in the earth?
Historically God introduces prophets when he desires to shift the nations. When God wanted to take the Israelites into what was next, he introduced Moses. When he was at work in Babylon, he introduced Daniel. When he was at work in Egypt God introduced Joseph
The end time harvest all around the globe involves all of our sons and daughters prophesying as God begins to shift the spiritual atmosphere of every nation of the world!!!
We are entering the hour of the awakened church. The greatest miracle the world will witness is the mobilization of the entire body of Christ.
Please forgive me. Forgive us as leadership, when our goal was reduced to getting you to attend church, pay your tithe and find a place to serve so you could help us pull of a great Sunday!
I'm sorry I recognize you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood. This is all about The Priesthood of all believers where everybody gets involved. Our job is to help you do yours! Refuse to be a brick! Be a living house not a dead structure!
It's the day of the saints. It's the hour of the Body of Christ. The greatest miracle the world is about to witness is the mobilization of the entire body of Christ. I believe that's what the Lord's doing.
GP2RL: Spend some time alone with God reflecting on your God-given abilities and the things you are passionate about.
