All church failure is directly related to congregations detaching themselves theologically from the Kingdom of God and re-organizing in competitive, denominational groups. While our various denominations have served noble purposes, promoted wonderful charities, they have also rejected each other, encouraged division in the Body of Christ, and weakened the church's corporate strength. This segregated condition exists solely in the earth-bound church; no trace of such division and powerlessness is found in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, "All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore ..." Matthew 28:18,19. The Kingdom is as invincible as the King who reigns over it. God wills for that same invincibility to be duplicated in the church. To whatever degree churches promote self-centeredness and sectarianism, they cut themselves off from Kingdom power. The result is dysfunctional congregations and impotent ministries. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you.'" I Corinthians 14:21. Yet, that is precisely what congregations practice. America has churches on every corner who eye each other with suspicion and fear. This division originates primarily in the leadership; it rarely begins with the laity.

Jesus explained to His disciples, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Acts 1:8. Pentecost was the Holy Spirit's act of replacing the church's earthly-inferiority with Kingdom-of-Heaven superiority. In that wonderful moment of God's infusing the 120 believers with miraculous power, a conception took place comparable to one occurring in the womb. With the impregnation of the church's seed by the Holy Spirit, a totally new being was formed. Heaven touched earth with glory. Through the visible church, the invisible Kingdom of God was placed within reach of ordinary men.

Jesus said, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you." Matthew 12:28.

One of the disturbing evidences of the Kingdom of God in the ministry of Jesus was noise--demonic noise. In His day, unclean spirits were compelled to verbally acknowledge His authority. Though He sometimes commanded them to be quiet, Mark 1:34, their racket served a specific purpose: In the same way believers must "confess with their mouths, the Lord Jesus," and acknowledge Him as Lord, Romans 10:9,10, demons also are compelled to publicly admit the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In that admission, they confess the defeat of Satan, their own failure, and the subjugation of their "kingdoms of this world" to the "Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." That is an extremely painful admission for them to make. It is one of ultimate humiliation. While the believer's confession is "made unto salvation," the demon's confession acknowledges his damnation.

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11.

Wherever Kingdom authority falls upon powers of darkness there is audible conflict. We read how "the demon cried out with a loud voice," Luke 4:33; "the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed ..," Mark 9:20. "When he saw Jesus from afar ... he cried out with a loud voice ..," Mark 5:7; The unclean spirit "cried out with a loud voice," Mark 1:25. Identically, in the ministry of Philip and Paul, "unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many," Acts 8:7, "A slave girl, possessed with a spirit of divination ... cried out," Acts 16:16,17. Observe that in these New Testament instances, exorcisms were accompanied by demons "crying out." While it might appear that the one who "fell on the ground and wallowed ...," was in great distress, the greatest distress had come upon the demon himself. He was not only under the judgement of Christ but also publicly shamed before the devil and other demons. The Kingdom of God sovereignly forced its way upon his territory. Then, as now, demons do not voluntarily expose themselves or reveal their location. In encountering Jesus, they did so only because they were forced into absolute submission.

For modern Christians who claim that such power ended with the original Apostles, hear what Tertullian said in the third century in his address to the Roman Senate: "Let a person be brought before your tribunals who is plainly under demoniacal possession. The wicked spirit, bidden to speak by a follower of Christ, will as readily make the truthful confession that he is a demon, as elsewhere he has falsely asserted that he is a god. Or, if you will, let there be produced one of the god-possessed, as they are supposed, if they do not confess, in their fear of lying to a Christian, that they are demons, then and there shed the blood of that most impudent follower of Christ.

"All the authority and power we have over them is from our naming the Name of Christ and recalling to their memory the woes with which God threatens them at the hand of Christ their Judge, and which they expect one day to overtake them. Fearing Christ in God and God in Christ, they become subject to the servants of God and Christ. So at one touch and breathing, overwhelmed by their thought and realization of those judgment fires, they leave at our command the bodies they have entered, unwilling and distressed, and before your very eyes, put to an open shame." Tertullian was not alone. Another Christian pastor of the third century, Cyprian, wrote "Nevertheless, these evil spirits adjured by the living God immediately obey us, submit to us, acknowledge our power, and are forced to come out of the bodies they possess."

In the past twenty five years, I have heard literally hundreds of demons scream, wail, threaten, beg, cry, whimper, plead for mercy. They have sometimes roared through children with ferocious voices, Acts 8:7, and whimpered in grown men like wounded infants. Whether in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, other parts of the world, the behavior of demons has been the same. They fear Christ, have mortal dread of the word of God, and obey believers who speak it with authority. It is truth, not emotion, that sets prisoners free. I have seen countless alcoholics, drug addicts, people suffering mental and physical pain, be set free. We do not honor fallen spirits by bringing "railing accusations against them," Jude 9, and I forbid emotional outbursts from those working in a ministry team. Jesus "cast out the spirits with a word." Luke 4:36. So must we. You may not want demonic noise in your church or ministry. Ancient Jews did not want it in their synagogues. But know this: If the Kingdom comes upon you in power, there will be noise. Jonathan Edwards, Colonial America's great evangelical voice, said, "If there be a very powerful influence of the Spirit of God in a mixed multitude it will cause in some way or other a great visible commotion." If Hell is not shaken by your preaching, shame on you! If demons are not terrified by your presence, more shame on you! Jesus ignored His critics, plowed into demonic strongholds and set captives free. When He told us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done," He knew demonic manifestations would result. If disciples today experience genuine Kingdom-power all Hell will break loose. So be it! Jesus further said, "I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy." Luke 10:19. Use it or lose it.

Does not the church legitimately experience failure? No. Jesus promised, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18. The "Rock" is Jesus, the Messiah-Christ, and unchallenged Ruler of the Kingdom. Matthew 16;16. The New Testament acknowledges the reality of the church's pain and persecution but not her failure; she can expect tyranny and trial but not defeat; demonic attack will come but she need never surrender. In Kingdom-rule, Hell may fight but Heaven will win. But in spite of Jesus' promise of victory, we see churches collapsing before the enemy's assault. Whether the breakdown be spiritual deadness, financial ruin, loss of vision and motivation, attitudes of jealousy and rivalry, church failure is the direct result of her unwillingness to identify with the Kingdom of God. There is no other explanation. The church empowered by the Kingdom is a triumphant church. II Corinthians 2:14. If the Kingdom failed, God would have also failed.

Churches built on our present concept fail frequently. The Kingdom? Never. Jesus preached about "The gospel of the Kingdom," Matthew 24:14, "The word of the Kingdom," Matthew 13:19, "The mysteries of the Kingdom," Matthew 13:11, "The keys of the Kingdom," Matthew 16:19, "The heirs of the Kingdom," James 2:5. He "loved the church, gave Himself for it," Ephesians 5:25, all the while He pointed men's hearts to the heavenly Kingdom. Our emphasizing segregated parts of the church independently of the Kingdom is a contradiction of Jesus' message. Jesus expressed devotion for the church but focused His attention upon the Kingdom. He addressed the Kingdom-subject more than 130 times but spoke of the church in only three instances. Matthew 16:18; 18:17.

The modern church, in contrast, has reversed the Divine order, ignoring her Kingdom-identity and relating only with select, visible congregations. Do I need proof? World-wide, there are more than 30,000 different registered Christian denominations. Each makes the claim that it is the correct one, has more truth than the rest, and is God's guardian of Scripture. To be spiritually correct, you must belong to it. Such bigotry guarantees the loss of Kingdom identity and power. Doctrines and denominations do not create godliness. Relationship with Jesus is the source. In spite of theological differences, a godly Baptist is just as pure of heart as a godly Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Methodist, or something else. Grace, not human titles, produces holiness. Thankfully, God reads hearts--not church signs.

Hear me carefully: Avoid rebellion, be in faithful submission to God. Stay in whichever church or denomination He has placed you. At the same time, become a "Kingdom" believer. Ask the Holy Spirit for Kingdom power, to give you a Kingdom identity, fill you with Kingdom courage, and to lavish upon you Kingdom love. Pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven," then watch Kingdom-authority transform your life and ministry. You will crawl out of your denominational tent to see the mountain ranges of God's Kingdom surrounding you. The sight is breath-taking. Indescribable. Glorious. You will like the new Kingdom-person you become.

Charles Carrin,

Dear Charles, You ministered and taught us at Belmont Church, Nashville, and at a small church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Your ministry and anointing have caused the Holy Spirit to rise up in me and my wife Lori, that we now minister emotional healing and deliverance in our church. In one year we have seen over 400 people be set free by the great power of the Spirit. Charles, it is so amazing! All we have to do is listen to what the Spirit is saying and then say that to the person. We sit back and watch Him work! What an awesome God!!! Charles, what is happening in our lives and the lives of 400 others is all because you taught us the power of the Holy Spirit and how to use it. I am grateful to God for you and your ministry.

Thank you for your newsletter, Gentle Conquest. It has been a valuable tool in our ministry and our own personal walk with the Lord ... For the next generation, Charles, may God give you the strength of Caleb in your faithfulness to Him.

Your servant in Jesus, Raymond O'Field

NEW ORLEANS AND THE GULF COAST

Pray for the people of New Orleans and the areas destroyed by hurricane Katrina! Pray that local and national leadership will hear and obey the voice of God! Pray that true repentance will turn America's heart back to God! Tell everyone you meet, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" Psalm 33:12.

WHEN "GOOD PREACHERS" ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH Acts 18:24-28.

Apollos was a man of outstanding pastoral qualifications but like many modern ministers his church at Ephesus did absolutely nothing to affect the city. His failure over-rode the Holy Spirit's purpose and negated the church's Kingdom identity. The Ephesian congregation demonstrated no power, remained spiritually paralyzed with only twelve male-member families, and except for the local Synagogue, was virtually unknown. In that condition, the membership had no effective witness, made no impact on the towns-people, was no threat to "Powers, Principalities, Rulers of the darkness of this world." Instead, the Temple of Diana--or Artemas--already famous as the greatest of all Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, dominated the area. It was in the shadow of this formidable enemy that the church lay dormant. In spite of Apollos being a truly great person, he lacked the most essential ingredient for pastoral success. Scripture gives us seven facts about Apollos. Examine yourself in their light:

1. Apollos was a godly Jew.

2. An eloquent man.

3. Mighty in Scripture.

4. Instructed in the way of the Lord.

5. Fervent in spirit.

6. Taught accurately the things of the Lord.

7. But: He knew only the water "baptism of John"--Nothing about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

While Apollos was away from Ephesus, the Apostle Paul arrived and quickly discerned the spiritual deadness of the church. Paul's first question was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Acts 19:2. Their astonishing answer, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit!," immediately explained their reason of failure. Paul immediately laid-hands on them, prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, and Ephesus experienced a "Kingdom of God" earthquake. The Apostle was not the power but he was the instrument for that shaking. He merely provided the window through whom the power roared; Apollos and a dozen other windows were already present in Ephesus but like many modern churches they had never been opened.

Paul's first mission in the city was not to attack the goddess Diana. His first mission was to impart the power of the Holy Spirit to the church. In the identical fashion that Ananias earlier laid hands on him in Damascus "that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit," Acts 9:17, Paul laid hands on the Ephesian believers with the same Hell-shattering results.

After "the Holy Spirit came upon them," Acts 19:6, the power of the gospel blew the city of Ephesus apart. These twelve became spiritual Hercules that multiplied into a hundred, then five thousand, then tens of thousands. Thousands more were converted, the church exploded in power, the Temple of Diana was ultimately emptied and destroyed, and the city of Ephesus changed into a Christian citadel known throughout the Roman world. Within two years Paul was gone but for centuries afterward fire of the Ephesian Revival continued blazing out of control. One of Paul's great New Testament letters was addressed to this church.

What caused such a revolutionary transformation? It was not Paul. Hear me carefully: It was the power of the Holy Spirit working through Paul. Apollos lacked the power because neither he nor his little congregation knew anything about the Holy Spirit's baptism and gifts. In spite of his other qualifications, Apollos' ministry remained impotent. Be aware of this important point of theology: The power working in Paul did not come to him on the Damascus Road when he met Jesus. Not at all. It came in the Damascus Room, under the hands of Ananias, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:17. Meeting Jesus saved Paul for Heaven; meeting the Holy Spirit empowered him for Kingdom ministry. This was in exact harmony with the experience of the first disciples.

On the day of the Resurrection, Jesus appeared in the closed room where the disciples were assembled, breathed into them, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:22. That day they were born-again. He then instructed them to wait in the city of Jerusalem until they were "baptized with the Holy Spirit," saying, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ..." Acts 1:5,8. This was the empowering they received at Pentecost.

Identically, the believers in Ephesus were already born again when Paul arrived; they had experienced a "Damascus Road" encounter with Jesus. But not until Paul appeared and laid hands on them did they receive their "Damascus Room" baptism in the Holy Spirit. That event anointed them with Kingdom power. From that moment on, Ephesian paganism was doomed. One destiny awaited it: It would bow its' knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There is not a city on this planet, be it Ephesus, Peking, Mexico City, Washington, Cape Town, New Delhi, Hong Kong, or Moscow, that can successfully resist such a dam-burst of the power of God. Fifty years ago that dam-burst happened unexpectedly in Argentina under the ministry of Tommy Hicks and turned Latin American upside-down. God grant that North America be so shaken its core.

It matters not how eloquent you are, how mighty in the Scripture, how instructed in the ways of the Lord, how accurately you teach the things of God, or how fervent you may be in spirit, and how many degrees hang on your office wall. You are still spinning your theological wheels, accomplishing minimal results, until you have been filled with the Holy Spirit. That is not my word; that is God's word. If it were true of Apollos and the Ephesians, I can guarantee, it is equally true of us.

Is it possible that a man as qualified for ministry as Apollos, eloquent, mighty in Scripture, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, and accurately teaching the things of God, could still be lacking the most essential factor of all--the empowering of the Holy Spirit? Yes! Is it possible that you today, mighty as Apollos, could still have an impotent church, an ineffective ministry, failed and fruitless effort, in spite of your training and ability? Yes. Thousands of congregations today, similarly taught by modern-day Apollos, are still cowering under the shadow of Diana when they could have brought that monster to her knees.

God Almighty! We pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in earth as it is being done in Heaven." Holy Spirit shake us, wake us, challenge us, fill us. More importantly, send us forth in your power to bring North America to its knees. Glorify Jesus in every city of the land! ༅ CC

AN ANNOUNCEMENT:

DAVID RHEA, the young man who has been my Assistant for the past six years is engaged and will be married October 16th in Cape Town, South Africa. In July, 2004, at my wife's request, David accompanied us on our family vacation-cruise with our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. On the ship, David met the Cruise Line's Gym Instructor, Marelise Petzer, from Cape Town and a romance followed. At their first meeting the Holy Spirit gave David "words of knowledge" about Marelise that attracted her to him and him to her. Marelise returned to South Africa where he visited her and the family. She is actively involved in a Full-Gospel Church, has produced a musical CD, and feels called into Christian ministry. Her family is Dutch-descent but part of her childhood was spent in Israel and she lived two years in London. Following the wedding in Cape Town, they will live in McMinnville, Tennessee, and continue their ministry with me. Hallelujah! Pray for them! CCC