From 'The City of Churches' to the 'City of Glory'

Jacqueline Waters responds to RISE Magazine’s May 2008 article “Restoring the City of Churches” and reminds us that unity is the key to releasing God’s power.

Our Christian forefathers came with the gospel of Jesus Christ – pioneers in an unknown land.  Thank God they came!  Thank God they brought the Word!  Thank God that Adelaide became known as the ‘City of Churches’.  What a wonderful heritage!

Mostly though, they preached the gospel without signs and wonders, without the power of the Spirit.  They obeyed the command “to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) without believing “cast out demons...speak with new tongues…lay hands on the sick” (Mark16:17-18).  They obeyed Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” without being “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 and Acts 2:2-4).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force for change on the face of the earth, but Jesus himself said we must “be doers of the word not hearers only.”  So we must also do what He said - pray for the sick, cast out demons and do all He commanded.

The May editorial of Rise magazine pointed out that so many of us are ‘loaves and fishes’ people.  We are not brilliantly anointed or gifted superheroes, but ordinary men and women offering what we have in the service of God.  The stunning truth is that the sum total of our efforts plus the wonderful grace of God equals a colossal impact against the powers of darkness over South Australia.

Recently I was one of several thousand enjoying a fresh outpouring of the Spirit for healing evangelism.  The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked and the poor heard the good news.  God’s love was a tangible presence in the auditorium.  This particular outpouring is led as in Bible days by a most unlikely man - this time not a fisherman, but an unschooled tattooed bikie who was saved out of a life of drug addiction.  Having received God’s grace, he offered up all he had to serve Jesus and God has multiplied.

In many places in Australia, UK and the USA the Holy Spirit is being poured out as in Acts 2.  In this new movement of God is the power we have lacked.  God has answered our cries to be more than mediocre Christians.  It is time to receive all we need in child-like humility and not be offended by the package.  Revival is always messy.  We have a great heritage, but an even greater future as we lean not on our own understanding, but on the grace poured out from on high.  The question is will we embrace it?  Or will we cling to our traditions, prefer programmes to power, and refuse to let the King of kings have His own way in His church?

“Beloved let us love one another” wrote Apostle John to the first century church and his word still cries out to us today.  As thechurch in Adelaide has been being established there has more damage caused by ‘friendly fire’ than anything else.  The powers of darkness over our land have found far too many holes in our heavenly armour through which to shoot arrows of division that have caused painful separations in the body of Christ.  It is time to close up the holes caused by pride, personal ambition, mistrust and unforgiveness.  It is time to close ranks.

In the Roman army there was a very effective manoeuvre called a ‘testudo’ which means ‘tortoise’.  All the soldiers would pack tightly together, each man holding his shield over his head to form a solid defence, very much like the shell of a tortoise.  It is time we learned to be more closely aligned so that the enemy’s weapons will not find a place to land.

There has been a lasting witness to Jesus Christ since the first pioneers came.  The darkness has never overcome the light.  But the best is yet to come.  Success will come when we close ranks in love, honouring and valuing each other’s contribution to the whole.  The powers of darkness will tremble as we refuse to stay offended, divided and plundered.

On Global Prayer Day 2006 I was privileged to be in a stadium in Hong Kong with thousands of Christians from every denomination in the region – evangelicals, Catholics, and charismatics.  As I looked in the spirit realm I saw an enormous angel and I heard the words “Now we can move.”  I understood by the Holy Spirit that as all the body parts came together in unity, the hosts of heaven were about to move, to take vengeance on God’s enemies and establish the will of the Lord in that place.  How powerful is unity!

Thank God it is not too late!  As revival power is graciously poured upon us by our ever merciful God, we can embrace it with all the challenges of being out of control, of doing things differently.  And we can embrace each other, value each other’s unique contribution, being focused on His glory - not our own.  Thank God there is still time to work together towards establishing the Kingdom of God in power in South Australia.

Jacqueline Waters is the leader of Eagles' Nest, a ministry based in South Australia for the teaching and encouragement of prophetic and creative gifts in ministry and worship. www.jacquelinewaters.co.uk