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The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts

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    The Birth of the Church

    Many denominations through the centuries owe their origin to some division in the church, which division has often come because of the personal ambition of some minister or some needless quarrel over doctrine or church policy. Other churches have come into being through a spiritual revival or doctrinal or church reform. The birth of a genuine religious movement, that is, a true, spiritual revival work, comes by the following road: a spiritual upheaval, that is, an awakening that brings forth deep longings after God; a divine proclamation of truth which meets the needs of the soul and leads to genuine reformation in heart and life and church; an orderly, spiritual brotherhood which preserves those who accept the message and seeks to extend the same message to others. The Lord has taught us that if a new visitation and message from the Lord is to be preserved, it must be kept in a new church. God’s plan is that “new wine must be put into new bottles.” Mark 2:21, 22.FSG 114.1

    We see these principles in the story of the exodus. Deep moving of the Spirit led Israel to sigh for God. (Exodus 2:23-25.) Moses brought them the message that called them out. (Exodus 4:29-31.) In their wilderness stay, especially at Sinai, they were fully organized into a nation for God, with laws and order of their own. These same truths appear yet clearer in the first advent of Christ. The people were in expectancy looking for the Messiah. (Luke 3:15.) John the Baptist, and later Christ Himself and His apostles, gave them the message. Out of these spiritual powers—the message and its converting power—came the Christian church, built by Christ as a brotherhood, well ordered, like a “building fitly framed together.” (1 Peter 2:17; Ephesians 2:20-22.) These three factors too stand out with unusual clearness in the remnant church. The genius of the advent hope is one of fellowship. Adventism was born in a mighty spiritual awakening—the greatest America has known. We will give the reader just a glimpse of the Lord’s gracious work as seen in the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist revival, for in the advent church spiritual awakening and power have always been looked upon as greater than doctrinal truths, important as these may be.FSG 114.2

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