KOINONIA

Fellowship’s a word Christians use for almost everything. Eating – fellowship, walking with someone – fellowship; Tim Horton’s for coffee – fellowship…

A recent look at this word told me we really don’t know a lot about this word.

Acts 2:42 gives us a clue that the early church knew something about it because they were devoted to it.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

In the Greek (you say “in the Greek” to sound smart) the word for fellowship is Koinonia. It means community, intimate. No wonder we don’t know much about it – very few of us do it biblically.

In a world of me, myself and I – a world of separation, divorce, etc., what do we really know about community or intimacy? Imagine what could happen in churches if we became devoted to fellowship. The Book of Acts tells us the result (of Koinonia) was people being added to the Church daily. Do you know why? We all need and want fellowship, so let’s work at being devoted to it!

Yours for revival,

Pastor Francis Armstrong

HIS PEACE

We have all heard of pressure cookers, but what do you do when you feel you are in one? Athletes feel pressure in the heat of the battle. Children feel it in school. Marriages feel it. Job stress creates it.

Then there is the pressure of others’ expectations. They want you to act a certain way or talk a certain way.

Teenagers feel pressure at school – their peers wanting them to do what they normally never would. Pressure to do things for others.

Religion is like that. Jesus faced it all the time but He lived in peace. He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, NOT as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

His peace takes the pressure off.

Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong

The power of God is moving in Canada. Wherever hearts are hungry, God is moving.

Pastors are getting fed up with religion as are the sheep.

So what does all this mean? It means we are ripe for a revival. I just got back from Newfoundland where, again, I encountered hungry hearts and the wonderful presence of God showed up in a powerful way.

So it’s time to stop looking at the flood of evil that enemies of the Cross have unleashed in our world. We need to look and see what God is doing. He is raising up a standard against all that is not lawful in His sight.

The power of the Cross is being revealed. Now we must dare to believe God that HIS world-overcoming life is for us today!

Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong

Blessings for Revival

When God wants to get our attention He does it by calling us to repentance. He wants us to see exactly where we are at. A heart filled with the world’s philosophy and personal corruption is NOT prepared for revival.

Exodus 12:14

‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a FEAST to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a FEAST by an everlasting ordinance.

Leviticus 23:1-2,4

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

4 ‘These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.

In Ezra 3 a revival broke out at the Feast of Tabernacles. The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are considered 10 days of repentance or Days of Awe. The Day of Atonement is considered by the Jews as their most HOLY DAY. The 3^rd feast is Tabernacles.

Deuteronomy 16:16

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.

These are blessings for revival during this season that we seem to forget.

Change

As we enter into September the seasons are beginning to change. Soon the leaves will change colour and the evenings and mornings will be a little cooler.

I really believe that our church is also in a season of change. The difference is we are getting hotter for God. More than ever I sense revival is in the air. You can sense and almost feel it!

People are talking about it and wanting it. This truly is a year of divine order. Don’t miss your season. It is a great time to be serving the Lord!

Isaiah 43:18-19

"Do not remember the former things, 


Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth; 


Shall you not know it? 


I will even make a road in the wilderness 


And rivers in the desert."

Yours for revival,

Pastor Francis Armstrong

WAITING…

As I sit in the airport waiting, I am reminded of the scripture that says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…"

I must admit I don't like waiting but I do realize that as I go to this conference I will sit under the teaching of God's word for an entire weekend, and when it is over I will feel stronger in God.

I may feel tired but my spirit will be strong. Some of you may be waiting for something. Well, get to a service, or just start praising him... Just get into His presence and you will start to feel His strength.

If you are going through a hard time it will help you know that you can get through it with His help. When I come home next Monday, will I be tired? Yes! But I will also be stronger in God.

Yours for revival,

Pastor Francis Armstrong

“Rest”

Often we say things like, “I’m getting away for a few days of rest.” Then while gone you do everything but rest and come back home just as tired as you were before you left. But when you truly rest (and I don’t mean sleep all day) your mind becomes clear. You start to hear God clearly.

Recently I went away for a true rest and this is what I learned.

“I have the mind of Christ.”

The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to rebuild and transform our minds. Satan plants LIES and evil thoughts to turn us from truth. Our battle is for the mind.

So we must recognize the lies of the enemy, rebuke them and then replace them with the truth of God’s Word.

1 Peter 1:13

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Yours for revival,

Pastor Francis Armstrong