Relationships in times of revival

Theme: Relationships in times of revival

‘When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place’. Acts 2:1
I recently spent two days participating in a high level strategic thinking workshop for a higher education institution. All of the people present were dedicated disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ yet each of us had our own views, priorities, and agendas. We achieved a lot yet, at the end of day , we could not honestly say that we were of one mind.
When the Holy Spirit breathed life into the very first church on the day of Pentecost, the Bible describes the 120 or so believers as ‘all together in one place’. The word ‘together’ here means that they were gathered as a group in one place but in Acts 1:14 a similar word indicates that they were of one mind and accord. In other words, they were in agreement with one another. When I met with my colleagues to strategies a way forward, we were together in one place yet we were not in one accord. Anyone who regularly attends church committee meetings or institutional board meetings will understand that there is nothing unusual about it.
What were those early disciples likeminded about? Doctrines had not yet been established and there were no systematic theologies in existence. However, they were in one accord concerning at least three things – Jesus, His promise, and their community status. They were devoted to Jesus and they were committed to each other as fellow disciples of His. They were also clear that He had promised that in a short while the Holy Spirit would come and breathe life into their little community.
Revival appears to bring about this sort of relational unity. Doctrinal differences, personal agendas, and strategic considerations are swept aside by the wind of the Spirit. Instead, the palpable presence of God in the church brings about a unity of heart, mind, and spirit around three central beliefs – the centrality and lordship of Jesus, the authority of the Word of God, and dependence on the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Revival brings unity and unanimity to all who hold to these foundational concepts. If you believe in these three foundational truths, the revival will most likely bring you into wonderful accord with likeminded believers. So come O Lord and revive your church!
Christopher Peppler

Christopher Peppler

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About Me

My name is Christopher Peppler and I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1947. While working in the financial sector I achieved a number of business qualifications from the Institute of Bankers, Damelin Management School, and The University of the Witwatersrand Business School. After over 20 years as a banker, I followed God’s calling and joined the ministry full time. After becoming a pastor of what is now a quite considerable church, I  earned an undergraduate theological qualification from the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa and post-graduate degrees from two United States institutions. I was also awarded the Doctor of Theology in Systematic Theology from the University of Zululand in 2000.

Four years before that I established the South African Theological Seminary (SATS), which today is represented in over 70 countries and has more than 2 500 active students enrolled with it. I presently play an role supervising Masters and Doctoral students.

I am a passionate champion of the Christocentric or Christ-centred Principle, an approach to biblical interpretation and theological construction that emphasises the centrality of Jesus

I have been happily married to Patricia since the age of 20, have two children, Lance and Karen, a daughter-in-law Tracey, and granddaughters Jessica and Kirsten. I have now retired from both church and seminary leadership and devote my time to writing, discipling, and the classical guitar.

If you would like to read my testimony to Jesus then click HERE.