Lakeland
- In America we often look around the world and see God doing great
things everywhere but home. That's why "revivals" in Toronto and
Lakeland are exciting. God visits us and an outpouring of the
miraculous refreshes the church like a cool drink of water on a hot
day. People that go receive something they can bring home.
It's a little bit like having a sense of needing to go somewhere but
now having signs to guide us. Suddenly we find signs and wonders and
our hearts are thrilled at rediscovering the tangible presence of
God. At times our enthusiasm for signs can cause us to go from sign
to sign. We can be prone to camp out around the signs; do
conferences on how to have signs, build a concept of revival around
the signs... and miss the fact that the signs are pointing
somewhere. Here's a shot at where they point.
Apostolic Healing - Lakeland is
a great example of an apostolic ministry with evidence of signs and
wonders.
The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were
done among you with great perseverance. 2 Cor 12:12 NIV
It's not just a series of meetings filled with the presence of God.
There's a message on the "signs." The function of apostles is to
equip the saints and message is very simple; all the saints can heal
the sick and preach the Gospel - the two go hand in hand. The goal
isn't to have more revival meetings (although we should have more).
The real goal is to equip the saints so that every believer can heal
the sick as part of his or her explanation of the gospel. Real
revival isn't really a series of big church meetings; revival spills
outside the meetings and changes cities.
And these signs will accompany those who believe… Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and
confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:17-20
NIV
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have
been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am
going to the Father. John 14:12 NIV
Those
who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ
there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs
he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With
shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and
cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. Acts
8:4-8 NIV
Health - The second message
clearly on the billboard in flashing lights is not just healing when
you get sick; its divine health! The signs points to Jesus and what
he's really provided.
I will
not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for
I am the LORD, who heals you." Ex 15:26 NIV
Financial blessing
- We're in an era where the church is focused on healing and a
meeting-centric version of revival. The sign not only points to divine
favor on our health. It also points to God's favor on the finances of
His people. The sign doesn't just point to His blessing on 5-fold
ministers and church growth; it really points to the saints and their
ministry to bring about the kingdom... saints that are healthy,
prosperous, and visionary.
He
brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one
feeble person among their tribes. Ps 105:37 KJV
The
LORD will keep you free from every disease. Deut 7:14-15 NIV
Worship
the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water.
I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry
or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. Ex
23:24-26 NIV
Real revival costs money and
changes cities and nations. It can be led by fairly public
ministries but never completed by them. That's why many of our
historic "moves" would be better called visitations than revivals.
They stopped inside the church or large meetings. The saints have
been partially equipped to heal but they have yet to be equipped to
prosper and really give themselves to ministry. You can go to
renewal centers and experience the life-changing presence of God and
bring home a new anointing. If coming home means you're back to
paying the bills for the trip and spending 40 hours a week to stay
out of debt, your enthusiasm is likely to wane.
What if we came home equipped for signs and wonders "and" had a
vision for a level of prosperity that would release the real desires
of our hearts. What if we found the wisdom to prosper in a way that
effectively put "us" in full-time ministry. That's when revival will
take place and get beyond the church to touch our cities.
You see, the sign is pointing to a place where your cup runs over -
in both signs and finances. That's where Kings operate and you are
invited by God to join the party. Salvation, health, and prosperity
are all part of your redemptive favor through Christ Jesus... the
tools you need to claim your real inheritance - the nations (Ps
2:8).
Deut
28:9-14
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you
on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in
his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are
called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The
LORD will grant you abundant prosperity — in the fruit of your
womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground — in
the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to
send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your
hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13
The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention
to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and
carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at
the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give
you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and
serving them.
I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly. John 10:10 KJV
9 For you know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2
Cor 8:8-9 NIV
Ps 103:2-5
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits —
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and
compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle's. NIV