"The Restoration of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Approaching Global Revivals"

Kevin Basconi, Moravian Falls, NC

ElijahList: This article was written by Kevin Basconi in September, 2009. We believe that this is a timely and encouraging word for today.

Sovereign Global Outpourings

In 2007, I was given a divine revelation that sovereign global outpourings of God's Spirit are headed to the earth. These global revivals will come in a most unexpected fashion and appear in the twinkle of an eye. There will be no way to stop what the Lord is about to do upon the earth. The Lord is about to release multiple outpourings of His Spirit.

There will be many revivals in many places. Many cities will experience outpourings of God's mercy, love, and sovereign power. These cities, or "pools of mercy," will be found on every continent on earth. The leaders of these revivals will not always be well-known, but rather many will be anonymous and nondescript. Many of the outpourings will be sparked by children and young people as they pray and seek the Lord with heartfelt repentance and fasting. Some of the greatest revivals will take place in individual hearts. Lone individuals will alter the future of regions and entire nations of the earth with their prayers as they experience a personal outpouring of God's love in their lives and learn to work with angels. 

It is important that the Body of Christ knows our recent history, because history is about to repeat itself. The Lord has been releasing a work of restoration within the Body of Christ (see Acts 3:21). We have seen the Lord restore most of the gifts of the Spirit over the last century or so. Let's look at a loose timeline for this restoration. In 1906, with the Azusa Street revival, the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues were restored. In 1946, William Branham received an angelic visitation in response to his prayers. This angelic visitation sparked the Voice of Healing movement which resulted in the gifts of miracles and healings being restored to the Church. This movement also activated the dormant gifts of the word of knowledge and word of wisdom.

Restoration of the "Power Gifts"

In 1947, Gordon Lindsay sought to help Branham with his ministry. Recorded history confirms that William Branham operated extremely powerfully in the gift of prophecy, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gift of miracles, and healings. However, hundreds of other ministers were impacted by the restoration of these "power gifts" through the anointing that the Lord placed upon of Branham. They were activated or received impartations and began to operate in the gifts of the Spirit with great power and authority also.

The Voice of Healing

Together, Lindsay and Branham formed the Voice of Healing movement and launched a healing revival in America and beyond from 1946 through the 1950s. Gordon Lindsay later helped to organize many of those men, including F. F. Bosworth, Kenneth E. Hagin, T.L. and Daisy Osborn, Jack Coe, Paul Cain, Ern Baxter, Jack Moore, A. A. Allen, Oral Roberts, and Billy Paul, to name of few. There were actually hundreds of men who ministered in the power of Holy Spirit in association with The Voice of Healing movement. Most of them ministered with the operation of all four of these "power gifts" evident in their lives.

In the 1950s Kenneth E. Hagin received a visitation of Jesus Christ. The Lord commissioned Hagin to "teach My people about faith." Through the ministry of Kenneth E. Hagin and a few others, the gift of faith was restored to the Body of Christ beginning in the period of the 1950s and 1960s. Kenneth E. Hagin and Gordon Lindsay both finished their lives with grace and dignity.

Beginning in 1948, the gift of prophecy began to be restored to the Body of Christ, starting with the Latter Rain movement. Prophecy continued to develop in the Pentecostal movement, the Jesus Movement, and others through the late '70s and into the 1980s. In 1982, the Vineyard Movement was birthed through the ministry of John Wimber in California. The Vineyard brought the gift of prophecy into full bloom throughout much of the Body of Christ.

The Gifts of Healings

During this period the gift of prophecy was beginning to be united again with the gift of healings. Wimber was instrumental in taking the gifts of prophecy and the gift of healings to a new level in the Church. The Vineyard Movement took these gifts of the Spirit to the nations. One of the aspects of the teachings of Wimber was that anyone could be used by the Lord in the gifts of the Spirit. From 1990 to roughly 1993, the Kansas City Prophets must also be credited for helping to restore the gift of prophecy.

1994

In 1994 John Arnott and his wife Carol were instrumental in stewarding the outpouring in Toronto, Canada, known as "The Toronto Blessing." John and Carol Arnott deserve to be commended and honored for their humility and ability to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit to have liberty in the midst of the outpouring, Arnott modeled a sustainable model of how to steward the approaching global outpourings. (Photo: John and Carol Arnott via Catch the Fire)

"The Toronto Blessing" continues to impact the nations by training ordinary people to work with the gifts of prophecy and the working of miracles and healings. Many people and ministries have been powerfully touched by the Lord at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (now Catch the Fire Toronto) and have gone on to have an incredible impact in other nations and regions of the earth. There are many that we could name. However, Roland and Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries in Mozambique have modeled how an anointing can be "caught" and taken to the "ends of the earth." Thousands are being saved and touched through their ministry of love and power in East Africa.

Today the gift of discerning of spirits is being released and restored to the Church. We will see the release of this spiritual gift accelerate in coming days. The gift of discerning of spirits plays a very important role in the approaching global outpourings. Many ordinary people will become supernaturally empowered by this gift and begin to see and work with angels to impact the earth for God's glory.

The "Seer" Anointing

The Lord will birth and raise up seers (people who operate in the seer gifting) throughout the earth. There will be thousands of seers who will come from every socioeconomic strata. These seers will be empowered to see into the spirit and co-labor with God's angels. They will also operate in a spirit of wisdom and revelation. By the unction of the Holy Spirit they will know how to take advantage of the knowledge and revelation that they receive from the realms of Heaven. These will be ordinary people. Men, women, and children will be anointed to operate in the gift of discerning of spirits and the "seer" anointing. These seers will be given grace from God to discern and learn to operate in the glory of God.

"Schools of the Spirit," or Eagles Nests

Many of the seers are still developing and many are immature, or adolescent, in their gifting. The Lord has already begun to raise up ordinary people who are maturing in the "seer anointing." They operate in the gift of discerning of spirits. Many are currently co-laboring with angels on a regular basis. Some of these forerunners will also operate in the office of a teacher (see Ephesians 4:11). They will help to train the "babes" who are just beginning to walk in the "seer anointing." The Lord will continue to raise up "Schools of the Spirit," or eagles nests, throughout the earth. (Photo by Liam Quinn via Wikipedia)

These schools will help to train and equip these seers, enabling them to grow and mature in the gift and ability to "see." They will be given opportunities to massage and mature their spiritual gifts in safe and encouraging settings. These training centers will be established in every region. Pastor Bill Johnson has helped to establish one such place at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, California. That school is a great example of this kind of "equipping center."

A Picture of the Cross

One of the attributes of these seers is that they will have an incredible ability to see into the spiritual realm and then interact and work with the information they obtain. These people will also have an incredible ability to hear the Lord very clearly. This will be the outworking of Luke 11 and Matthew 6. These people will be able to see and hear what is transpiring in the heavenly realms and then have the privilege and authority to release it upon earth in the same manner that Jesus modeled for us.

A Season of Grace

This is a picture of the Cross (see John 5:19): They will ascend vertically into the heavens, and then release the revelation that they see and hear horizontally into the earth. Some people call this third Heaven intercession. This type of revelation is also a type of the gift of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. It allows ordinary people to release on earth what is "relevant and real" in Heaven. They will discern and operate in the glory of God.

It is very important that we begin to examine our hearts at this hour. We are currently in a season of grace to check our foundations and the veiled agendas that may be hidden within the depths of our hearts. The Lord is currently shaking His people and preparing us for these approaching global outpourings. Everything that we have built that has not been founded upon the Rock of Jesus Christ will be shaken and it will fall. 

We must all take the time to inspect our foundations and the "hidden chambers" of our hearts. The heart of the Church may not be prepared to receive these outpourings or revivals yet. It is possible that some of these revivals may be "fumbled" unless we prepare and cleanse our hearts at this hour. We must all be diligent to guard and examine our hearts in this area (see Psalm 51:10-14; 1 Samuel 16:7).

One of the recurring and persistent stumbling blocks of all of the movements and revivals that we have looked at previously (with a few exceptions), is spiritual pride and idolatry. We must keep our singular focus on Jesus and Him alone. Our human nature is fallen. Our history is to exalt men within the Body and not the Head of the Body, Christ Jesus. This is true within the Church; we tend to exalt and worship man. This is idol worship. A Scriptural example of this is found in 1 Samuel 8:5-6: "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations... Give us a king to judge us."

God's people rejected Him as their King and chose a man. It is easy to see a man with our natural eyes, but it takes diligence to "see" and "hear" the Lord. This dynamic is still true of God's people today. It is inherent in our fallen human nature. We reject God and look to man. This leads to idol worship within the Church. This is why it is imperative that we seek to become transformed into the very image of Christ.

When we begin to exalt ministers and place them upon pedestals, it can become a form of idolatry. Instead of looking upon God, we begin to look at the men or women that God has anointed with power and gifts. This has been an element of the downfall of almost every revival and outpouring in history. Men can become idols in our lives, minds, and hearts.

We begin to put more faith in what the prophet, pastor, teacher, or the evangelist says than the Holy Scriptures. We idolize them and their ministries. Their words and ministries supplant our own relationship with the Lord. It is possible for both ministers and the Body of Christ to be culpable in this matter, including myself. Perhaps we should remember what the Bible tells us in Galatians 5:20-21: "Those who practice such things (idolatry) will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

As a result, we no longer pray to receive guidance from the Lord for ourselves and we become enslaved to the words of men. It is easier to allow them to "hear from God" on our behalf. We subconsciously begin to exalt and worship the man and not the Messiah. This is a foundational flaw in the "Celebrity Gospel" or the "Celebrity Christianity" that is prevalent throughout the earth today. We idolize personalities and Jesus is no longer glorified. Many ministers are aware of this dynamic and guard their hearts against it. It is easy to slip into this satanic trap. Other ministers unwittingly embrace the glamor, glory, and idolization they receive from hurting people.

It is imperative that we each develop an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus. It is dangerous to become dependent on others to guide our spiritual life no matter "how anointed," visible, or popular they become. This was a key element in the downfall of the Voice of Healing movement and many other historical movements and revivals. The root of this "heart issue" can also be traced back to 313 AD when Constantine established the Edict of Milan which forever changed the face of Christianity and the dynamics within the Church. (Photo via Pixabay)

It is imperative that we keep our first love first and not allow our spirits to become lukewarm (see Revelation 2). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit must remain that absolute center of our faith. We must always move from a place of compassion and love of the Savior. When we begin to exalt the gifts, or the vessels who are carriers of the gifting, we may become guilty of idolatry.

Anointing Through Ordinary People

In the approaching global revivals, the Lord will begin to pour out His power and anointing through ordinary people. Some of the most powerful and anointed people on the planet will be totally unknown. God will not share His glory with a mere man. When we begin to exalt man, we take Jesus off the throne and become guilty of idol worship. We must guard our hearts as God begins to pour out His power and anointing in the approaching global revivals.

The Lord tells us that, "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images (idols)" (Isaiah 42:8). The Lord could use a tin can or a stick to work miracles. In fact, He did (see Exodus 7:10, 15:25).

Jesus Christ must be the absolute cornerstone and foundation of our faith in God. As such, we do have the more sure word of prophecy, the standards that are laid out in the canon of Scripture, which are to guide our faith. The Word of God clearly states that Jesus has given gifts to men. These gifts are released and orchestrated through the marvelous working of the precious Holy Spirit. The Lord will continue to anoint ordinary people with His Spirit and use them in the gifts of the Spirit with great effectiveness and success in the approaching global revivals. The anointing of the Holy Spirit will be critical.

Scripture clearly established God's ongoing plan for the release of the gifts of the Spirit and His ministry offices. The imminent release of the gift of discerning of spirits and the resulting acceleration of angelic ministry will never supplant or replace spiritual gifts or the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The restoration of the gift of discerning of spirits will complete the re-establishment of all nine spiritual gifts to the earth (see Acts 3:21; 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-12; Ephesians 4:11-16).

As a result of the restoration of the gift of discerning of spirits, we will begin to see ordinary people learn and understand how to employ angels as they work humbly in symphony and in conjunction with the gifts of the Spirit, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the fivefold ministry. Learning to discern the realms of God's glory will play a key role in this dynamic as we move into this dispensation of grace.

Kevin Basconi
King of Glory Ministries International
Email: info@kingofgloryministries.org
Website: www.kingofgloryministries.org

Kevin and Kathy Basconi are ordinary people who love an extraordinary God. They co-founded King of Glory Ministries International and have a heart to share the Gospel with the poor and the love of the Father to widows and orphans. They have visited 36 nations preaching the Gospel and demonstrating the Kingdom of God in churches, conferences, and crusade meetings. The ministry is punctuated by many miracles, healings, and signs and wonders that confirm the Word of God. Kevin and Kathy recently established the new International Ministry Apostolic Equipping Center (iMAEC) and the Moravian Falls School of Higher Learning in the very heart of Moravian Falls, North Carolina, to empower, and equip the Body of Christ to do the greater works of Jesus Christ! They live in the mountains of North Carolina where they pursue a lifestyle of intimacy and communion with Jesus. Kevin is an internationally published author of the books "The Sword of the Lord" and the new Seer Trilogy "Unlocking the Hidden Mysteries of the Seer Anointing #1, #2 & #3."

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:
http://elijahlist.com/subscribe