COME CREATOR SPIRIT, FOR RENEWAL OF THE CHURCH

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In 1964, noted Scottish Presbyterian theologian, Dr Thomas F. Torrance, addressed the World Alliance of Reformed Churches on the theme of Come Creator Spirit, for the Renewal of Worship and Witness. In that address, he said:

If our worship and witness are conspicuous for their lack of Holy Spirit, it is surely because we Protestants, whatever we may confess in our creeds, have diminished belief in the transcendent power and utter Godness of the Creator Spirit, and have become engrossed in our own subjectivities and the development of our own inherent potentialities.

Hence the first thing that must happen to us is a glad subjection to the lordly freedom and majesty of God the Holy Spirit, and a humble readiness for miraculous divine acts that transcend all human possibilities and break through the limitations of anything we can conceive. Come, Creator Spirit, is a prayer of open surrender to the absolute creativity of God. 

That is a staggering challenge from an eminent Reformed theologian of a past era. I believe the challenge is even more relevant for today. It may cause us to reflect on our experience of the Holy Spirit at this time.

The Book of Acts describes the outcome of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I follow it briefly.

A Church of Power

The disciples were promised power when the Holy Spirit would come on them.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Pentecost was the realisation of this promise. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 

“Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4

The Day of Pentecost records the outpouring of the Spirit in power. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones has said, “It is really almost incredible that people would go on saying that what happened at Pentecost was once and for all.”

In fact, the progress of the mission of the church showed this empowerment in action.

Acts 3:1-10 relates the healing of the lame man at the Temple gate. Of course, this is not a once-off event. The miraculous occurs again and again in the narrative of Acts.

Dr Craig S. Keener examines the claims for miracles in his magisterial two-volume Miracles. He draws this conclusion at the end of volume one:

Many healing claims involve blindness, inability to walk, and even raising from death. Other claims involve sudden changes in nature after prayers; despite some debatable instances, some other cases are fairly clearly extraordinary. It seems to me that to dispute such phenomena have sometimes occurred is not really possible for open-minded people.

What Keener asserts and what is reported in Acts is to be the continuing experience of the Christian Church.

A Church Unified

Here is what was said of the earliest believers after Pentecost.

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” Acts 2:46 (NKJ)

The term “of one accord” (omothumadon) occurs multiple times in Acts (1:14; 2:1;46; 4:24; 5:121; 7:57; 8:6; 12:20; 15:25; 18:12; 19:29). Such frequency highlights the importance of the unity the early believers experienced.

We struggle for unity today. Often, we let secondary issues restrict whom we fellowship and work with. However, our nation is in a spiritual crisis like never before. We need those who are authentic Christians believing in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, coupled with absolute faith in Jesus as the only way of salvation, to come together and work for the good of the kingdom of God.

A Church at Prayer

Faced with a crisis, the early believers were praying and then, when they heard the report of Peter and John, they broke out in this striking prayer:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.  You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.” Acts 4:24-26

 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. “They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Acts 4:28-30

We will see the true church operating in Holy Spirit power in the days ahead as persecution of Christians standing on their faith increases. The church will be like it was in the Book of Acts and it is already in places like China, Iran and many countries in Africa where persecution of Christians is prevalent. They will be praying prayers like the one quoted above.

IS THE CHURCH READY FOR WHAT COMES NEXT?

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In this gripping episode of Directed Life, Kap Chatfield sits down with evangelist and end-times scholar Tiff Shuttlesworth for a prophetic conversation on Bible prophecy, Israel, deception in the Church, and the urgency of the hour. Tiff unpacks how global chaos, rising antisemitism, transhumanism, and misinformation are all aligning with biblical prophecy. From the significance of Israel’s rebirth to the role of deception in the rise of the Antichrist, this episode is a wake-up call to the Church: it’s time to get rooted in truth and prepared for what’s coming. This isn’t fearmongering, it’s a faith-filled call to clarity, conviction, and commitment. Whether you’re curious, confused, or confident about the end times, you need this conversation.

PERSECUTION GROWS GOD’S CHURCH

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A new study has revealed that Christianity is continuing to spread across the globe despite believers facing extreme persecution for their faith.

The 2023 “Persecutors of the Year” report by the anti-persecution charity International Christian Concern (ICC) details the various groups, organisations, and locations posing a significant threat to Christians worldwide.

The advocacy group claims some 200-300 million believers currently experience persecution for their faith, including torture, imprisonment, and murder. Writing in the document’s forward, ICC President Jeff King says he’s inspired by the courage and strength of Christians who appear to be “thriving” in their faith, amid “unimaginable pain.”

China, Iran, and Nigeria are highlighted as key countries where the Church appears to be expanding despite fierce opposition.

NIGERIA: The ICC argues Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to be Christian today. Believers are kidnapped, tortured, and killed every week by Boko Haram, Fulani militants and other Muslim extremist groups while churches and Christian institutions are destroyed and burned to the ground. “Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have killed tens of thousands of Christians and displaced millions to discard Western influence and impose strict Islamic Sharia law,” it reads. Yet, the approximately 100 million Christian population is steadily growing in the region.

IRAN: The report claims that the Islamic Republic of Iran has “one of the fastest-growing churches in the world.” While 99% of the population is Muslim and Christians there are harshly penalised for practicing their faith, ICC reports show a Christian population that has rapidly grown to around 500,000 – 800,000. Iranian Christians face persecution in the form of raids, arrests, fines, detention, torture, and death penalties for practicing their faith.

CHINA: China reportedly has between 70-100 million “underground Christians”. This is despite the communist country “aggressively suppressing free religious expression” which is seen as a threat to national security. House churches face persecution and harassment by the authorities, as they are often unregistered and not sanctioned by the government. Some are denied registration while others choose not to be state-run due to the heavy surveillance and restrictions that are applied.

In highlighting the extent of suffering Christians encounter across the world, ICC says the “resilience of the body of Christ” is also revealed.

We cannot say that Jesus did not warn us of the persecution/tribulation that Christians will face in the last days before His second coming. It will be a church refined by fire that will be raptured to heaven prior to God pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world with the Trumpet and Bowl judgments.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

FACE PERSECUTION OR FLEE?

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The end times church will be faced with this question (face persecution of flee) more and more as Christians experience the coming prophesied tribulation in the last seven years before Jesus returns first to rapture His church and to pour out His wrath on a lawless, unrepentant world.

In this photo taken Sunday, June 3, 2018, the demolished house church is seen in the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Three years ago, 62 members of China’s Shenzhen Reformed Holy Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, fled to South Korea to escape persecution from the Communist government. They requested political asylum in South Korea but were denied. The church is now in Thailand, where members hope to gain refugee status, and eventually resettle in the United States. Until then, they face many challenges, including possible arrest by Thailand immigration police and being sent back to China.

The Mayflower Church believes that they are like the Israelites in Exodus who God brought out of Egypt. As well, if you study the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul fled persecution. Most Christian churches in the Western world would support the course of action taken by the Mayflower Church, however, many of the Chinese house church Christians have a self-identity of being “patriotic martyrs”. They are willing to suffer and be martyred for their faith. So when a group decides to leave persecution and martyrdom, that creates some tension in what has become a cultural and religious identity of the entire house church Protestant movement in China.

Regardless, it was encouraging to learn what Pastor Pan said in response to this contradictory view, “While church members still face restrictions and potential deportation, we enjoy the freedom we have to worship. I struggle with many uncertainties in my heart like most of my congregation. But we find strength every time we experience how God has been faithfully providing for our daily needs and how He is constantly protecting us from the evil men who want to harm us. “Whether we go live in the US or are taken back to China, we will regard this experience as listening to God’s call and continuing to be a vibrant testimony of His goodness and faithfulness.”