First Chronicles 12:32 says, "And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do...." In this scripture, we see a group of people who had understanding of the times.

If a group of people under the Old Covenant could have understanding of the times, how much more should there be a group of people in the New Covenant who have understanding of the times.

Why is that so important? God moves in times and in seasons. If we know what time or season it is, we know what God is about to do, and if we know what God is about to do, we know how to get ready for it!

I've noticed that whatever God is doing operates like a magnet pulling people in. The Pentecostal outpouring at Azuza Street in the early 1900's drew people from all over the world.

Then the healing revival extended from 1947 until approximately 1958, with evangelistic crusades of 18,000-20,000 people in tent meetings.

During the Charismatic revival in the '70's, people from every walk of life were born again and baptized in the Holy Ghost. Denominations or non-denominations, cults, even false religions were touched.

Following the Charismatic move came the teaching revival. We went from fire-breathing evangelists to line-upon-line Bible teachers. Because God's unction was on the teaching move, people would drive 1500 miles to sit in a week-long teaching seminar.

Then, all of a sudden, here came these wild Holy Spirit meetings. Normal, dignified people were doing somersaults across the front of the church. People were going to meetings where they would laugh hysterically, fall out of their pews and lie on the floor for hours.

The move shifted from this nice, dignified word of faith teaching revival to running the aisles, jumping the pews and swinging from the chandeliers, just as in Acts 2 where they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and accused of having too much cheap wine at nine o'clock in the morning.

What was the purpose? One purpose was to restore and refresh the Church, to change us and burn off all the chaff. But what was the ultimate purpose?

Jesus told the Church the purpose: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall BE WITNESSES unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The ultimate purpose in learning about faith was so we, the Church, would know not only how to believe God to get our bodies healed, and our needs met, but the ultimate purpose in learning about faith was to teach the Church to believe God for souls.

In First Peter 1:9, we read, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." When we delete the italicized words, which were added by translators, it says, "Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of souls."

This is not the only purpose, but it is the ultimate, highest purpose for our faith.

The purpose of wild Holy Spirit meetings is for the Spirit of God to come upon us, change us, empower us, equip us, impart to us, and make us become witnesses.

It is not just to give us a message to witness about; it is to turn us into witnesses. When we lose our inhibitions, we lose our dignity, we lose all our fear of man, and we go out into the streets and tell people about Jesus.

But where are we headed next? The seasons seemed changed in the Body of Christ toward the end of 1999. I believe we're in a new season - we're on the edge of a mighty visitation of God.
We've crossed into a harvest season - souls - and we're headed into signs, wonders and miracles. But another move of God must come first. The Holy Spirit pulled people like a magnet into a teaching revival with an emphasis on faith so we could believe for the harvest.

Then He pulled us like a magnet into wild Holy Spirit meetings to give us the energy to go after the harvest.

And now I believe that same unction is pulling people supernaturally into this next move.

We must have a move of prayer to bring in the harvest.

Mark Brazee Ministries
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