We have seen various movements and church systems come and go through the years, and many have been ineffective in producing lasting spiritual fruit that releases people into God’s directive destiny. We have institutions that have done little to impart to, empower or release God’s people so that we can have a genuine impact for the kingdom of God.
None of these organizations is necessarily wrong, but often they point to men or methods rather than releasing people to hear from the Father themselves. Scripture-inspired control that is described as “protection,” “covering” or “obedience” often enslaves those whom Christ has set free.
When we become free from systematic controls and false “coverings,” Jesus can rule and reign within us and guide us into all truth. But we will continue to chase experience, chills and frills as substitutes for the real thing until we decide to use our brains, common sense and at least an ounce of discernment. A friend of mine recently made a profound comment about what we are seeing. He said, “We have taken a quart of His Spirit and three quarts of humanity and called it a gallon of God.”
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not issuing a call for believers to leave a system or institution to go to another form; I am calling forth a revolutionary people who will not settle for what was, or even what is, but who will engage in what the Father wants. His desire is for us to relate to Him personally, outside our larger gatherings, while going to another level in relating to and loving one another within them. As we live as His disciples, we can take His love and presence into the marketplace and into every area of society in which the Lord has released us.
The shaking we are experiencing today is a move of God, who wants to live and move and have His being through His people. He wants to disciple and transform nations through us! He is working a divine exchange by demanding that His plans prevail over ours.
The rumbling we hear will continue until our revelation of Him increases to the point that we begin to walk powerfully in the reality of His purposes for each of us. As we yield our will to His, He will empower us to present His supernatural kingdom to the world. His power and love will pour out of us as we allow Him to use us to bring about His purposes. Let us now choose to embrace the shaking, examine ourselves and shake more of the flesh away to reveal His Spirit.
About the author: Robert Ricciardelli is co-founder with his wife, Joyce, of Visionary Advancement Strategies (vision2advance.com) and the Converging Zone Network, a global effort to release God’s presence by encouraging relational cohesion among individuals and communities. He ministers at churches and conferences worldwide, teaching practical ways to advance God’s kingdom into every sphere of society.
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