Word And Spirit

For many years there has been much talk and many prophecies about the balance between Word and Spirit becoming the next epoch of the church. This idea assumes the Charismatic/Signs And Wonders movement becoming more Word focused, while the Word based movements becoming open and conducive to the move and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I personally don’t know of a Christian movement that doesn’t think they have already struck the balance between Word and Spirit, at least from the leadership side of the equation. I have discovered that the body of Christ in general disagrees. In my travels over the past few years people from conservative churches have displayed a strong desire for a greater release of Gods power in their church. And from the Charismatic side I have been told many times that there is a general hunger for more time spent in scripture together as a church family. There is an undertow within the body of Christ pulling the passionate, the spiritually hungry and those desperate for an encounter with God into what seems to be this vortex of Gods desire for the church these days. Word and Spirit. The question is what does this look like?

In this blog I will attempt to unravel some of the mystery around this corporate desire we all have for the combustible power of Word And Spirit to be realized, harnessed and directed within and without the church. Please understand that I am among the hungry and desirous and will remain so for life because I have personally discovered the importance staying hungry 🙂 I’m not claiming to have all the answers that will bring the church into her fullness but rather offering up my observations from 35 years as a believer on the Lord Jesus. Fourteen of those years I served as a pastor in the Calvary Chapel movement and for the past 5 as an active attendee of Bethel Church in Redding. For the past two years I have been on the Equip teaching team at Bethel covering the Gospel of John in 10 week long series. I have a lot of experience in both the Word based movement of Calvary Chapel and the Revival Culture of Bethel Redding. Obviously I prefer the latter, but still remain pursuant for more opportunities to do what I do best. Teach the Word.

Fortunately I have learned to function in the presence of God when He manifests and I can operate at times in great faith for miracles and the supernatural. My journey into the supernatural kingdom of God is well documented in my book Hunger Driven now available on Amazon and the Bethel Redding bookstore.

Teaching into the realm of the Spirit

Whenever scripture is taught it should result in a release of power and anointing that agitates the spirit realm in a tangible way. One of the keys to achieving this dynamic of Word/Spirit is to recognize when the teaching has pierced into the realm of the Spirit and go where the Spirit wants to go while remaining in step with the text. Most preachers are great at teaching on topics and doing series that are based on scripture, but that is not the same as teaching the scriptures.

Teaching scripture is easier than series preaching, but it does require the content be masterfully presented in a simple form while at the same time diving deep into the very essence of the Word. Every single story in scripture is a multilayered, multifaceted revelation of Jesus Christ that has the potential to shake the foundation of the room and expose the supernatural realm around us. Teaching scripture should at some point tap into the raw power of God that is released into the atmosphere as Gods Word goes forth.

I know many gifted individuals who have been successful to a degree in ministry speaking in churches and on the mission field, yet they have no ability to teach the Word. If you give them a bible story to teach on, set them in front of an audience, within just a few minutes they will defer to one liner sayings and slogans they have developed over time. The end result is that no matter where they start in scripture they will bend the story into their personal script and testimony. And they step off stage thinking they just taught the word because of the amens and hallelujahs they got while preaching. They may even end up leading someone to Jesus or minister healing to someone while still missing the mark and failing to experience the full potential of that gathering. Thankfully God remains active and generous despite our shortcomings. But this does not release us of our mandate to uphold and maintain the office of teacher within the church. Many five-fold ministries are actually four-fold. Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor. And most denominational churches are three-fold. Pastor-Evangelist-Teacher. And very often all the same person.

WWJD?

Notice in the following Bible story that the spirit realm in Capernaum was exposed and agitated by Jesus teaching. When Jesus taught from scripture it was from the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament. And it was in that raw atmosphere of scripture revelation as He revealed prophetic fulfillment that Jesus operated in power, delivering and healing. And this miracle atmosphere remained open when Jesus switched venues from the synagogue to Simon’s house.

Luke 4:31-41 31 He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!” 35 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down in the middle of them, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region. 38 He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her. 39 He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them. 40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many, crying out, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus most often began His ministry events by teaching and then operating according to His observations as to what His Father was doing in that given moment. Notice that response of the crowd after they witnessed the demonized man delivered was “what is this word”? It was the declaration and exhortation of the written word of God that literally agitated and activated the spirit realm. Jesus did not teach a series on family living, He declared the Word of God. This kind of example of Word and Spirit is the key that unlocks the kingdom of heaven in our midst and the supernatural realm around us for miracles, deliverance, healing, signs and wonders. And if you have no desire for the power of God to manifest in your church then you need to repent.

Teaching Scripture Is Easier Said than Done:

I have observed many itinerate speakers operate under raw anointing and have these same results, miracles. This raw anointing may be able to carry a meeting or a conference but it cannot sustain a movement. And those who operate from raw anointing, ability and sheer drive often burn out. Conversely when the backdrop of our gatherings is framed in scripture we are literally resting on the Word of God as the kingdom of heaven manifests. In my 14 years as a teaching Pastor I observed this dynamic 100’s of times. As I taught scripture with power and persuasive revelatory passion the Holy Spirit would begin to move into the hearts and minds of the hearers. This would often result in a rippling effect of outward manifestation. Unfortunately I was taught that any so-called move of the Spirit manifestations in a teaching atmosphere that interrupts the teacher couldn’t be the Holy Spirit, because “the Holy Spirit would never interrupt Himself”. Looking back now I realize that I had successfully opened up the Spirit realm with Scripture and the Holy Spirit was obliged to operate and manifest. But my theology caused me to quench Him and steer my congregation away from any form of yielding to their impulses. I believed it was a spirit of confusion trying to disrupt my sermon. I have wept over this many times. Oh the tragedy of powerful preaching mixed with bad theology.

Global Awakening

One of the best examples I know of in regards to sound teaching into the realm of the Spirit is Randy Clark. It would be safe to say that his ministry has been and continues to be the conduit through which revival has-and-is being released all around the world. His gatherings and conferences are rife with miracles and healing. This is what his ministry Global Awakening is all about. But if you watch or listen to Randy you will see that he is basically a teacher. He begins his sessions with simple lessons from scripture and recognizes when the realm of the Spirit has been opened up. Randy yields to the move of the Spirit and the results are powerful. Miracles galore! Why, because his exhortation in the Word is pure and undeniably sound as he literally rests in that revelation. His audience trusts what is being said because it is baked in the cake of scripture in a simple easy to understand way. Just like Jesus did.

The coming Word And Spirit epoch of the church will be realized when those with raw anointing begin to teach the Word under their anointing thus releasing the power of Jesus in the safety of His Word. Conversely when those who are gifted teachers learn to recognize and yield to the realm of the Spirit they will experience a dramatic shift in the power of their ministry. And the weight of ministry for all is resting soundly on the testimony of Jesus. The Word.

“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me” John 5:39

Bible teachers need to learn to function in the presence of God, and those with anointed power ministries need to learn to teach the Word. Not just cut and pasted sermons using various texts as their springboards, but in-depth exhortations that track with entire sections of scripture capturing the heart, essence and purpose for which that scripture was delivered to us by God. Thus proving the will of God. These conditions marry the exhortation of the Word to the move of the Spirit. The end result is powerful and needful.

Bethel Redding

My family and I attend one of the most famous churches in the world, Bethel Redding. I teach a bible class there and have preached and ministered in many venues around the world on Bethels behalf under pastor Bill Johnson’s personal endorsement. Bethel is known for the miracle atmosphere that has been generously fostered and maintained under the brilliant leadership of Bill and his staff. What many people who come to Bethel fail to catch and replicate in their own ministries is the fact that Bethel Redding was taught into the realm of the Spirit by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallaton for many years. These men rarely get the credit for their powerful exhortations as they track precisely with the Word. I encourage you to listen to the Bethel Revival teaching series like The Power Of A Renewed Mind, Revival The Cost or Dreaming With God. These are just a few of many examples of meticulous presentations of scripture that rightly divide the word of truth. My personal observation is that Bethel was taught into revival. And once the realm of the Spirit was opened up the leadership has masterfully stewarded the gift God has given them. His presence. This is why tens of thousands of people from just about every denomination visit this church annually from all over the world.

What astonishes me is how few ministry leaders have caught onto this dynamic. So many are reading the books, speaking the language and singing the songs of Bethel while at the same time failing to see the big picture as to how they got there. So many try to attach the bells and whistles of this movement to their ministry with not the same result. There is no shortcut to Revival. You have to labor in the Word. If you trace the Bethel Redding journey you will discover it is a journey through the Word of God into the realm of the Spirit. And when the teaching of scripture results in the move of the Spirit, Bill is never in a hurry out of that moment. This is Revival at its core.

Simple Solution

The solution for this corporate desire is quite simple, at least in theory. But in reality the church has some huge obstacles to overcome. Those ministries that pride themselves in their teaching need to get over their offense of the move of the Holy Spirit and let things run amuck every now and then. Teaching pastors are spiritual control freaks. I know this for a fact. I was one for many years. And those within the Charismatic movements who veer away from emphasis on teaching scripture need to recalibrate on the one issue. Every gathering doesn’t have to be a conjured up Holy Ghost party. Sit the people down and teach them scripture. Give them fresh revelation fro the Word of God and let them absorb it. These are doable simple adjustments if there is the will to do them. What say ye?