Global Instability

It suddenly dawned on me during a recent moment of reflection that we are living in the strangest time that I have ever known. It is a time of total global instability.  At this point in history there is no political system, economic system or religious system that is stable anywhere on the planet.  It would seem to me that just a few short years ago you could point to some country and say “oh that looks OK, looks like they have something working right over there”. But now, sad to say that is not the case.  This situation of global instability leads one to ask two questions:

1. What then is going on?

2. What is the outcome?

Economic Instability of global proportion is unable to sustain itself indefinitely. With this in mind I would like to propose that we are in a setup. We all know that wars are driven by economics, and if this global instability continues unchecked we would very soon be immersed in a multiplication of wars and criminality that would be incomprehensible.  Today governments all over the world are in upheaval as corruption is being exposed to a degree that is unheard of in previous times; due in large part to the Internet and the rapid distribution of information that is now part and parcel of the 21^st century.  The Bible says, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light”. (Luke 8:17) Along with this the institutional Church is being rocked with scandal after scandal at the highest levels of leadership leaving in it’s wake a violation of trust at the deepest levels of individuals, communities and nations by whom that trust was committed thereby further perpetuating the hopelessness of a broken humanity.  What then are we being setup for? It will either be war on an unprecedented scale with nations grappling for power and the subjugation of the masses while the global economy continues to downward spiral, not to mention the oil spill in the Gulf and the subsequent ecological disaster that is unfolding before our eyes.  Or someone will suddenly appear on the scene with a solution that nobody has been able to come up with before and everybody will applaud this person as he pronounces a peace plan for the world.  This obviously will be the anti-Christ figure that is spoken of in the New Testament.  It would seem to me that we are in a setup for either of these scenarios. What then does this mean for the Church? In the light of all this the question that was once put forth by Francis Schaeffer still sounds out to us today and that is “How should we then live!”

In the book of Jude the church is being exhorted to “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”. (Jude vs.3)  I would contend that this faith was given in the fullness of the Holy Spirit who was poured out on the Day of Pentecost.  Why is it then that the most neglected day on the church calendar is Pentecost Sunday? The church was birthed in the power of the Holy Spirit and it seems that we have forgotten that without this Baptism there would be no Church!  We have deluded ourselves into thinking that charismatic personalities and impressive strategies born out of corporate boardrooms are going to advance the kingdom. Novel ideas and culturally relevant buzzwords are not going to get the job done. Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians to “not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” and “be filled with the Spirit”. (Ephesians 4:17-18) I would like to propose that there is an urgency of the times in which we now live that mandates the church to get back to square one on the issue of the Baptism with or in the Holy Spirit. 

There is an emerging generation that has had it with institutional religion and is hungry for genuine spiritual experience.  We who are now elders and fathers in the faith owe it to them to provide not only an experience but also a theology that frames that experience.  The enemy has had a field day in the church by causing so much division over the issue of tongues that has led to a dividing up of the very gift itself as if one could have some of the baptism but not the rest of it.  I believe that this kind of sectarian approach to the gifts of the Spirit is grievous to the heart of the Father who longs to give this precious gift in full to his children.  Jesus told us that the Baptism or fullness of the Spirit is the gift of the Father “If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him” (Luke 11:13). 

In closing it is clear from scripture that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the gift of the Father that is given by the Son and it is a complete package of all the nine gifts of the Spirit that are listed in 1 Corinthians 12.  Let’s not be fearful of speaking in tongues because it is essential for strengthening the inner man.  If we are honest with ourselves we have to admit that we speak enough nonsense in our own natural languages.  So my encouragement to the believer in these critical times is to move beyond being a believer in name only because James tells us “that even the demons believe and they tremble”. It is not enough to be faithful church attenders or tithe-giving members.  We were saved so that we could be people of kingdom authority in a fallen world unto which judgment is coming. We need the fullness of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of kingdom functionality. Salvation has been taken care of at the Cross; the issue is now more than ever about the kingdom and the place and function of the believer in it.  Paul puts it this way “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing…eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” 1 Cor. 2:6-10

Lord Jesus may you truly be glorified in your church and in the world, and may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!