The coming revival must be more powerful
than any earlier revival
Some people mean that it will be no more revival before Jesus comes.
But Jesus has commanded us to be awaking and ready when he
comes, and Rev. 18:4 is an extremely powerful revival message from
the Lord. He has commanded his people to come out of the great
Babylon. Therewith the sake is clear. A powerful revival must come.
The great Babylon is not only the Catholic church, but also all other
churches and denominations. The promise of the Lord is solid. The
Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth. John 16:13-15. When the
Holy Spirit reveals the truth about the Assembly of God, then all
churches and denominations become exposed. How would this
happen without a powerful revival?
The word "revival" does not occur in the Bible, but there are many
revival messages in the Bible. Jesus tells many times about the
im****tance of being awake and ready when he comes. Matt. 24:42-
44, 25:1-13. Mark. 13:32-37. Luk. 21:34-36. See also 1 Peter 5:8-9.
He does not say that the awakening (the revival) must have a name.
Nevertheless, as soon as something happens that looks like a revival,
then people are quick to make a name on the revival. Why? It is easier
to speak about the revival when they have a name on it. And it is just
this they do. They are speaking about the revival instead of listening
and receive the truths that the Holy Spirit wants to convey. When the
Holy Spirit has revealed a biblical truth, then the people are so busy
with just this truth, so they do not listen for expecting more truths. In
this way much of the revival message goes lost.
How did they do when the Pentecostal Revival came? When they had
received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gift to speaking in
tongues, then they spoke so much about the baptism with the Holy
Spirit and the speaking in tongues, as if this were the whole revival
message. If they had spoken lesser and listen more to what the Holy
Spirit had to say to God's people, then they had got much more. The
revival could have continued and become still more powerful.
It was not God's meaning that the revival would be named "the
Pentecostal Revival". This was an idea of people. Through the name
"Pentecostal Revival" the revival became limited to the baptism with
the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues. It was this they were
thinking of when they spoke about the Pentecostal Revival. So it is
still today. The rest of the revival message of the Holy Spirit remains
unknown for the people. The revival did not become what it ought to
be. The Pentecostal Revival became an abridged revival.
The name "Pentecostal Revival" became an idol name, which they
use along with the Lord's name. For 90 years many people have had
the Pentecostal Revival as their idol. Belonging to a Pentecostal
Church, they feel security. But it is no real security. What is a
Pentecostal Church? None can with help of the Bible explain what
the Pentecostal Churches is, or how they are established, for they are
not founded on God's word. Calling them "Assemblies of God" does
not help.
Through the "Pentecostal revival" a new church system was
established, and the Christians were still more divided. The Lord's
purpose with a revival is not to make disunion, but unity. We must
understand that the dividing of the Christians in many churches and
denominations is not a work of God. Can the God of peace have
divided the Christians? The idea of establi****ng churches and
denominations did not come from God.
What did the "Pentecostal Revival" do? The "Pentecostal Revival"
censured away a great part of the revival message of the Holy Spirit.
The truth of the baptism with the Holy Spirit they understood and
preached only partly. Their knowledge of the Assembly of God was
very insufficient, or non-existent. So it is still today. The truth of the
Assembly of God has not been preached, and without this truth we
can neither understand the truth of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit wanted to guide them into all truth, but they listened
to only a part of the revival message of the Spirit. They also ought to
pray the Lord for knowledge about the Assembly of God. In spite of
the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gift to speaking in tongues,
they are still today left in the ignorance about the Assembly of God.
When they established the Pentecostal assemblies, then they did not
think to make a denomination. The Pentecostal assemblies would be
independent assemblies, without any central organization. Yet, since
they had such an insufficient knowledge of the Assembly of God,
they accepted almost the same assembly doctrine and assembly
view as they had in the denominations. The Pentecostal assemblies
became organized movements, with an overseer (chairman), and
member****p cards to all members.
In this way they made false copies of the Assembly of God. Making
a living organism through organizing is not possible. Making an
assembly of God by organizing is also impossible. Yet, both preachers
and other members in the Pentecostal assemblies believed that these
were Assemblies of God.
Treacherous with this wrong assembly doctrine is that it can be used
of evil spirits. They make people to slaves under false doctrines and
hinder them to understand God's word. Because of this, the members
of the Pentecostal assemblies have not heard any sermons about the
Assembly of God. The Lord's work within Pentecostal assemblies and
other free churches so that people have been saved, it is not thanks to
these, and this cannot justify these churches or denominations.
Some form of organization can be needed in a Christian activity, but
then we shall not mean that the organization is the Assembly of God,
the Body of Christ. Using such names as 'Pentecostalist', 'Baptist',
'Maranatha' etc. is idolatry. When the apostle Paul came to Corinth,
then he did not come as a representative of "The Apostolic Mission"
or any such name. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with
you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1 Cor. 2:2. It was not
"The Apostles Pioneer Mission" that had sent him, but he was a
messenger of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 5:20.
Where it is a false doctrine, there are also the evil spirits working.
The evil spirits that are hidden within churches and denominations
have an entirely other aim than to win souls for Jesus. They try so
quickly as possibly make an end of every tendency to revival.
Through false doctrines and church traditions they hold both preachers
and other members bound, and hinder them to understand God's word.
While these not even try to become free, they do not notice how bound
they are.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph. 6:11-12.
To what did the "Pentecostal revival" result? What has it brought
forth? Some people mean that the Pentecostal revival did convey the
truth of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. It is not true. It is the Holy
Spirit that appears the truth. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all
truth. John 16:13-15. We can wonder why the baptism with the Holy
Spirit and speaking in tongues caused such public attention in the
beginning of the twentieth century. This belongs to the first
fundament of the gospel of God.
The truth of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is still today censored
by the "Pentecostal revival". They mean that only those who have the
gift to speaking in tongues are baptized with the Holy Spirit, and that
this gift is the only sure sign of that someone is baptized with the
Holy Spirit. This is a dangerous denying of a work of the Holy Spirit,
and to legalize falsely speaking with tongues.
This doctrine is misleading. It is to degrade the baptism with the Holy
Spirit, and mean that it is only an extra experience, which is not
necessary for the salvation. The truth is the contrary. In the Assembly
of God, the Body of Christ, we are ALL baptized with the Holy Spirit.
"For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body ... " But not all
are speaking in tongues. 1 Cor. 12:13, 30. When Jesus baptizes us
with the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit gives us the new life in
Christ so that we become born again. We that are born again, we are
born of the Spirit. John 3:8.
It is unfortunately but true, that many preachers, which during many
years have been working as bible teachers and overseers, have not
even learnt the first fundament of the gospel of God. They have not
understood the connection between the baptism with the Holy Spirit
and the new birth. They have been unable to preach the truth of the
baptism with the Holy Spirit, and neither the truth of the Assembly
of God. Why? They have a wrong doctrine about what the Bible
teaches about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and a wrong doctrine
about what the Bible teaches about the Assembly of God. They have
a doctrine about the doctrine.
They have preached that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is only for
those who are born again. Yet, on the day of Pentecost the apostle
Peter promised unsaved people that they would get the Holy Spirit as
a gift when they did repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Consider, that Peter promised the Holy Spirit to people who
had not been born again! And when they received the Holy Spirit,
what happened then? Well, then they got the new life in Christ and
were born again!
Allan Svensson
If you have any questions after reading of this article
Please, visit my Web Site
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CONTENTS.HTM
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