.“Worship the Father In Spirit and Truth”
–
John
4:23
Intro
to this issue
"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh" - Joel 2:28
When the Lord
Jesus
encountered
the Samaritan
woman at the
well of Jacob,
he offered her
the living
water of the
Holy Spirit
(John 4:1-42)
This water
satisfies
thirsty hearts
and barren
souls who long
for God and
the abundant
life and fruit
of his kingdom
- everlasting
peace, joy,
happiness, and
friendship
with God who
made us in
love for love.
This Samaritan
was shunned by
her own
people, and
despised by
the Jews who
regarded all
Samaritans as
heretics who
did not
worship God
properly as
they did.
Unworthy as
she was, Jesus
filled her
with the
overflowing
love and mercy
of God. He
offered here a
new life and
she accepted
it and went
back to her
village a
changed
person. Her
testimony
brought the
whole village
to the feet of
Jesus and they
believed
because of the
word he
brought them
from the
Father in
heaven.
Jesus came to
reconcile
sinners -
Jews,
Samaritans,
and
unbelievers -
with an all
merciful and
righteous God.
He came to
fulfill what
the prophets
had foretold
long ago, "I
will pour out
my Spirit on
all flesh"
(Joel 2:28).
Today we
witness a new
Pentecost - a
new outpouring
of the Holy
Spirit on all
peoples,
nations, and
tribes.
When the
charismatic
renewal began
in
the 1960s and
'70s,
no one
expected it to
spread like
wildfire
through the
mainstream
churches and
denominations
around the
world (its
origins came
from the
Pentecostal
movement which
began in
1901). And yet
it did spread
and continues
to grow today.
The Lord
promised that
he would
restore much
of what had
been lost to
his broken and
divided people
- the body of
Christ.
Through the
gift and
outpouring of
the Holy
Spirit today
we are
witnessing a
new work of
ecumenism,
spiritual
renewal,
healing and
reconciliation
between
Christians who
have been
divided for
centuries, and
a new
outpouring of
spiritual
gifts and
evangelism.
One of the
principal
fruits of this
renewal is the
restoration of
charismatic
worship - the
kind of
worship which
Jesus promised
to the
Samaritan
woman:
The hour is coming, and now
is, when the
true
worshipers
will worship
the Father in
spirit and
truth, for
such the
Father seeks
to worship
him. God is spirit, and those who
worship him
must worship
in spirit and
truth.” The woman said to him, “I
know that
Messiah is
coming (he who
is called
Christ); when
he comes, he
will show us
all
things.” Jesus said to her, “I who
speak to you
am he.” - John
4:23-26
Worshiping
God with
reverence and
awe
How is the
Holy Spirit
bringing about
a restoration
of
Spirit-filled
(charismatic)
worship today.
This issue
features some
of the
pioneers of
charismatic
renewal, Steve
Clark, Jim
Cavnar, Carlos
Mantica, Mark
Kinzer. They
explain what
it means to
"worship in
Spirit and
Truth" and why
this gift is
needed today.
Carlos
Mantica, one
of the
founding
leaders of
charismatic
renewal in
Latin America
and the Sword
of the Spirit,
writes:
Whenever God
invites his
people to draw
nearer to his
presence, he
also expects
them to relate
to him in a
manner worthy
of his glory
and greatness.
Even when he
embraces us
with his
tender love
and kindness,
there is still
something in
his glory and
majesty that
compels us to
give him
adoration, and
to approach
him with awe
and reverence.
We cannot
continue to
relate to him
simply as we
might have
done in the
past - simply
as a
benefactor who
gives us good
things when we
ask for his
help.
Whenever we
gather to
worship God
together with
other
Christians,
and when we
each seek him
alone in our
private
prayer, he
wants us to
acknowledge
him both as a
tender and
merciful
Father and as
the Lord and
Ruler of the
universe. That
is why we must
always love
him with
gratitude,
reverence, and
awe. This
attitude of
reverence is
necessary if
we want to
enter more
deeply into
his presence
and to
experience his
immediacy.
Through
the gift of
the Holy
Spirit, the
Lord Jesus
makes it
possible for
us to grow in
our knowledge
of God, in our
personal
encounter with
him through
his
life-giving
word in the
Scriptures,
and through
our personal
and corporate
worship
together. May
this issue
inspire us to
be men and
women who seek
to worship the
Father in
Spirit and
Truth.
Sincerely in
Christ,
Don Schwager
editor
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