Renewal in the Church

Stan Everitt

Lieutenant Colonel Stan Everitt is the Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army South Queensland Division.

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God's Holy Spirit is being

poured out upon his people

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'In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.'

I am not sure if these are the last days, but I know God's Holy Spirit is being poured out upon his people, bringing new life to the individual and eventually to his church.

Looking back on thirty years in ministry, there is no doubt in my mind that we have entered a time of spiritual renewal which, I believe, is but the beginning of a mighty worldwide renewal. As I see it, the priorities of many Christian are moving on to Bible study, prayer, and concern for the unconverted. This is happening amongst my own people as they become aware of the fact that the promise given so long ago is for each of them as individual people.

The testimony of a new Christian strengthened my belief that the Spirit of God is at work when I heard her say, 'Knowing nothing about the Holy Spirit, I was nevertheless made aware of a new overwhelming sense of God's presence, bringing a peace that I have never known before.'

While the organised church becomes more and more caught up in discussion on doctrinal matters and liturgical processes, individual church members are responding to the challenge of the Holy Spirit to strengthen their own faith, and in doing so, being able to communicate better with needy people in the community who are hungering for the Word of God.

As a believer, there is no doubt in my mind that the true worldwide church of God (whatever tag sections of it may wear because of traditional and doctrinal stances) will never be abolished. The true church in many developing countries founded upon the risen Lord is growing by thousands every day and is yet to have its more glorious era, as the name of Jesus is uplifted.

Although there are signs of corporate renewal, most churches in the so-called western countries, particularly in Australia, have become so much like the organised religion of Jesus' day that our effectiveness in the community is minimal.

One gets the feeling that a monumental percentage of the clergy's time is spent on administration and, in the light of eternity, things that are so insignificant. This is at the cost of deepening one's spiritual life and the pastoral ministry to our people and the needs of the community.

All is not lost, I believe, but it seems that in so many places the individual Christian, often without any help from the pastor or priest, is setting the pace in areas which should be the concern of the organised church, and areas in which Jesus would be ministering if he were here in person.

In conclusion, I make a plea that we, as church leaders, might humble ourselves in God's presence, and pray that the promise made so long ago might become a reality in our lives, making us more dependent upon the Holy Spirit than upon the organisation and ritual of the structured church of the 90's.

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(c) Renewal Journal #6 (1995:2), Brisbane, Australia, pp. 33-34.

http://www.renewaljournal.com/

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