There are all kinds of meetings and we need to learn about them. There are rally meets where we gather together to lift up Jesus and talk about Him some and then offer an altar call. If the Spirit in the meeting is true, His Presence will draw people into His Kingdom of God where they will get saved and take up a conversation and continue that (because He is lifted up).
People will repent because they want to "renew" to be right with Him and know more of Him. It takes an anointed pastor/leader gift to do that. Many church services have been like this for years and we have been blessed by them in a big way! But it is not all there is.
Then there are revivals or evangelistic meetings where people gather to hear impressive testimonies and the stories of God's power. These are usually targeted to reach an area, where things have slacked off, or new things have been learned, and they want to pass on the joy, or to awaken the area to the reality of a real God who cares and can and will do amazing things.
Many pray for their family and loved ones to find the Truth and these meeting are "special" apart from a regular church service. Even strangers will be invited in to learn more about God. Often miracles are talked about or even seen. Many are encouraged to find churches to attend and literature is there for that.
Those will stir up the evangelism gift (which is in everyone, but some have the gift calling too) and most find them fun and joyful and a great alternative to the world and the world's news. Many will focus on end times and there can be a lot of drama spoken about with the appeal to Get Ready, Jesus is coming for you soon! You will see SOME of the prophetic gift in that. But because of the fame, there is a temptation to make idols or set up power structures around them. (Can we be real?)
Then there are the prayer meetings - where we petition God for our needs. We have seen a lot of those lately and they are good and NEEDED at this time! Those usually end up with an evangelistic call to get saved because hungry for God people will attend and many want to get right and renewed again. All this is good and so needed right now!
When messages are spoken in faith and truth, the Presence of God will bear witness to it. Then we also have the healing crusades (some of those can be tent or meeting hall crusades) or teaching crusades where people learn new things that benefit their lives and their walk with God. Many do get hungry for more of God and want and need to advance in their lives and in their personal faith.
The Truly Prophetic
I know that many "compare" meetings, but all can be good. Then there are what could be known as prophetic meetings where many work to speak the future. These true ones can be good if they bring people into the Kingdom of God with the Bible as their foundation, and awakening them to new truths, but the world loves to demand "a miracle" or "a prophecy" about them, and the spirit of witchcraft can easily enter.
Some take on a horoscope type setting because that is popular in the world. You have heard of "snake oil salesmen" (from false cures sold in the past), there are some false ministers who thrive on deceiving the people, feeding their flesh and not their walk with God. Usually, these people avoid learning and teaching the Scriptures - a big sign to note.
The true prophetic will exhort people to get right with God, and their gift will be based more on Bible truth than personal truth "about the person." The true prophetic will bring in the Presence of God in a very real way. Their messages will convict hearts and bring repentance and hope for a great future in the Lord.
The prophetic is an advanced gift, just like the apostolic gift is, meaning that more is required of them in maturity and understanding, but it's not the people who are "advanced" but the understanding and so the skill is there. Many gifted people have fallen because they took personal responsibility for the will of God (instead of letting God). The apostolic gift is similar, in that they will take people deeper and wider in the things of God and will equip the different MINISTERS. But they have to ability to love all people, yet they do carry power.
When studied ministers come together to learn more and work to "fit" their gifting for function, then we have a stronger and more equipped Church! If they brag about their titles, then they are leaning toward flesh and snares will follow. But if they truly want God first for the whole world, they will meet with Him, like the early disciples and apostles did with Jesus. Spiritual growth is something that is truly done WITH Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
But last of all I want to mention the meetings where the Spirit of God is present and supernatural signs are happening. The last days will especially focus on this with notable things happening. You can liken it to Moses with the Children of Israel - although we the Church are in a different place now in many respects - but God shows Himself as a Presence beyond the other meetings with supernatural manifestations.
They had the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, and they ALL could SEE it! They ALL saw it MOVE! It wasn't smoke and mirrors, and just for a few, and did you see that but oh now it has gone away? It will be more OBVIOUS! And the devil, just like in times past, will try to imitate it. This is why our foundations must be sure ones!
The True Last Days
The true last days WILL have manifestations and the Church will have been EQUIPPED for this! And yes, the world and the devil will be concerned which means there will warfare, but the Bible teaches us on this and so do His servants, the ministers! We must be taught to OVERCOME through HIS ministry!
Today we see some signs but when God is messaging us like He did when Jesus was born, it was an exciting, yet at times, stressful. It just goes with the territory of overcoming a fallen world! They saw and heard angels, had fresh prophecy and then Jesus taught new things, did miracles and resurrected the dead! But He said we would do greater works, which means a real MOVEMENT of God is coming. Things happen to attract because He desires for ALL to be saved.
I was blessed to know an outpouring like many others of you, but if we don't care, we will miss out. I see many who are being taught wrong and I am so glad I have learned what I have, but I want to pass the good news truth on to others so we all can ride the Glorious Wave of His Spirit and enter Heaven where evil cannot enter in. I'm ready to say goodbye to a fallen world! But it takes the equipping of His Spirit.
Stay in prayers for the Body of Christ - remembering that Christ means Anointing. It's not a "thing", it is a reality way of Life that engages with a real Heaven and a real God, not an imagination, IF we want that. I do! But I had to see what was NEEDED for that to happen!
Many blessings,
Pam Clark
