The Christian and Missionary Alliance is focusing on reawakening to the Spirit of Christ this week as part of the 40 Days of Prayer.  The Alliance is praying for a fresh, new awakening like the “Great Awakenings” of the past.  We believe this reawakening will be the outcome of a fresh and mighty wave of spiritual renewal brought on by the Holy Spirit. 

Some believers do not like talk about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because they are put off by the strange excesses they have heard of in other movements.  I can understand that, but we should not be afraid of an authentic move of the Spirit of God.  God wants only what is best for us and He only gives good gifts to His children (Luke 11:13).  The best of those gifts is the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the identifying mark of a true believer.  Romans 8:9 says that anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.  If the Holy Spirit is the identifying mark of the believer, He must also be the identifying mark of every true church.  Since He is the authenticating mark, His presence should be observable and verifiable.  It is clear that the Apostles expected that it would be.

When the early church faced a problem of discrimination within the church, the Apostles gave the solution God led them to.  The church was to select seven men of good reputation and known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, Acts. 6:3. They expected the church to be able to identify and verify the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the men they considered.  Plus, the Apostles so trusted the power of the work of the Holy Spirit in these men that they approved them, even though they all appear to be from one side of the issue.  They did not demand that there be equal representation from both sides.  They could tell the Holy Spirit was at work in these men.