The great Charismatic Renewal is limping toward a close.  We are, at present, somewhat suspended between that which was and that which will be.  Therefore, we have decisions to make right now concerning our part in the future of God’s glorious plan.

Since this present move of the Spirit began in the early 1960’s – we are dragging to a close with errors and human corruptions as ripe as a dead fish left out in the sun.  But, because we have grown up in this era, will we lie to ourselves about the corruption being uncovered or will we turn to the Lord’s new day?

The Lord is trying to remove the death grip we have on the old – and those who led it – in order that we may freely embrace this new day that He is offering.

I realize that we could never believe we would stand against a move of God.  But, you see, it is always the last revival that stands against the new.

“How can that be?”  you ask. Because within the old, people have risen to positions of power and been enriched financially.  Both are difficult to let go.

I have lived through two mighty revivals in my lifetime:  the Charismatic and I was actually living near Pensacola when the great Brownsville Revival began on a Father’s Day.

Because my husband and I were pastoring a church in a nearby town, we were treated extremely well by the Brownsville congregation.  They sat us each visit right on the front row.  We were right in the middle of the most intense spiritual ministry.

But each time we went, those leading the service would step forward and beg the members of the host congregation to accept this move of God.  With thousands packing the church and thousands more outside and in their gym, many of the very congregation which the Lord visited with this amazing blessing, stood against it.

Why?  Why would anyone do such a thing?  Because this revival did not look like what they remembered of the last revival.

Well, this move of God is not beginning as either of the former two that I have mentioned.  This move of God is beginning with a cleansing.

For those of us who do not know, the last move of the Spirit related to the gifts.  That is because the gifts, at that time, mainly resided with the clergy.  The Lord needed those of us in the body of Christ to be able to minister like the clergy. Why?  Because the next move of God is going to be huge.  Therefore, all of us will be ministering to those who the Spirit draws into the Kingdom.

So, what is the next move of God?

Righteousness.

What does it avail us before God if we exhibit every gift but are not righteous?

Nothing, dear children of the Living God.  Absolutely nothing.

When we stand before our Maker, after this life is over, believe me, He will not be looking for gifts – for the gifts belong to God.  He will be looking for Christ, His righteous Son.

So what if we lose the whole world but gain Christ?  We have then actually won the race.  It is tough, though.  There are leaders we trust, friends we adore and cherished hopes for the future must be laid at the foot of the cross.

I do not know about you, but I do not want to be left on the side of the road, like some crumbling architectural monument to the past – the kind we see all over the world reclaimed by jungles.

But, as old as I am, I still want to be a part of His new move of the Spirit.  He is providing corrections to the body of Christ.  Do we want to lie to ourselves and say these corrections are nothing more than people who wish to bring down a leader?

It is true that even in its dying days; the Charismatic movement still has power and stature.  But the new move of God is where He is taking us.  Now, are we going to accept a beginning to this revival that is not like the former two? Some will and some will not.

But if we do not embrace that which the Lord has sent too us, will we not simply pull over into the new, part of the corruption the Lord is hoping to cleanse?  We will be handing the next generation faulty foundation stones.  Oh, we ourselves may be loved and praised, but we will know in our heart of hearts that we have handed to the children foundation stones that will never allow them to build any higher than the last (and may I say, somewhat corrupted) revival.  All of those who were the initial prayer warriors for this glorious move of the Spirit are with the Lord now and the initial “move” has long since morphed and morphed again.

Now our Lord is needing to clean up the outcome of an overly ripe – once glorious – “move”.  Surely, we want to cooperate with Him.  Like our human government, the church needs cleaning up.  For, if we do not start with a “clean slate” we will have difficulty being trained and walking in that which He is calling us to now:  Righteousness.

Let’s see – we have had a healing revival and a gifts revival.  He has restored to the church the anointings and callings of the pastor, teacher, evangelist, prophet and the apostle.  Now he is getting to the nitty-gritty of sonship: Righteousness.

There is much grace during the time He is restoring various aspects of His Son.  Come, brothers and sisters in Christ, aren’t we ready to grow in the Lord again? You bet we are.