Filled & Giving Churches

Filled and Giving Churches

Filled churches are every pastors dream. Even better is a filled and driven church. Best of all is a filled and driven church that is in the beginnings of a major move of God in their land. Many pastors even have a prophetic word over their lives about their involvement in such a move of the Holy Spirit. So why is it they are not in the middle of renewal or revival? What is it that is or has prevented the promised move happening?

Our church is one such and we reckon, by any measuring stick, that we are very close to that essential breakthrough. Yet something is holding us back. What is it? Many of our folk are suffering attacks from the enemy. There’s health, financial, family, marriage, even church problems that keep many of us from making that extra commitment to the Lord. Yet even this is not the whole or even the root problem. These are some of the causes the Lord has been showing me recently.

Once saved, we become ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’. He cannot live or even be anywhere unclean, yet we lead anything but clean lives. Our spirit is clean - that happened at salvation via Calvary - so He can live there but, He cannot dwell anywhere else but in His “temple”.

Clean people are a must.

It’s a similar situation with our churches. Many are allowing totally inappropriate usage of their premises – even of their sanctuary – just for the sake of a few extra pounds or dollars. I seem to remember something about Jesus making a whip and driving the traders out of the temple. Whatever happened to trusting God for our supply?

Clean church is a must too.

Do our lives reflect Jesus in any way or are we just Sunday Christians? ‘Giving lives’ is a way of living that imitates the way Jesus lived. He gave and He gave without stinting because His Father always met the need before Jesus called for it. So it can be for us too, but only those who have had to rely solely on God for their own provision understand this fully enough to fulfil the giving questions as Jesus did – without stinting. Similarly a giving church is one that gives whatever is needed to resolve a problem. A giving church always gives generously of its time and its money and all its resources.

Those forgiven much forgive much and even though they may not have much they always seem to be able to give something. By the same token, those given much, give much as well. In particular, those who have come to realise the true giving nature of God; those who have received and seen His provision time and time again, these people always give whatever they can because they know you cannot out-give God.

Giving changes lives. Giving releases God to do all that He wants to do among us – even to the point of revival. He will provide all we need. As the Word says in Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. “

If He asks us to do – Just do it. If He asks us to go – Just do it.  If He asks us to give – Just do it. It may just be the road to revival.