02/27/2026
Just musing this morning as I was reading on my Murray M‘Cheyne schedule in 1 Corinthians 14. The early church meetings must have been quite the event at times! So much going on they needed instructions how to handle it! Commentators seem to agree there were at times many Spirit-filled people who did have, with biblical permission, important things to share. The rules were given to avoid confusion, and I get it. Today we've pretty much toned it down to one speaker in one average service and that certainly eliminates confusion. Can you imagine one prophet (pastor) speaking and yet another "prophet" indicating they had a "revelation" and the first speaker, biblically, had to stop for the second one? And a third one (or more!) was there to judge what the others said? Ain't happening today. Now, one may say we don't need this participation today because we have the inspired, written Word of God and I get that too. One Holy Ghost anointed preacher/teacher can deliver some really good spiritual food with the Word. And I like this! I wouldn't interrupt that flow, no way. But on this side of the pulpit now I just wonder if there could ever be a time and place for this participation in a service. Important parts we may be sadly lacking are true Spirit-filled people who legitimately do have something to share. There are times when I do believe I have a revelation about something said but there is no way, today, I would interrupt a speaker. Maybe a special meeting is the place where every Spirit-filled person is at the top of their game and encouraged to flow in an orderly fashion. Think of the amount of variety and edification that could come in a meeting like that. From what I've read, the revival at Azusa Street was somewhat like this. Just food for thought.
