Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship was amazing! In its early days it met monthly, setting aside the Christian tradition of institutional identity and celebrated leaders. They gathered passionate Christ-followers from various backgrounds to meet in hotel conference rooms around the world in order to focus on the presence of the living Jesus.

In 1974 I had a traveling sales job and was able to attend Full Gospel Business Men’s meetings around the USA. They were marvelous. Christians gathered without caring about anyone’s church identity or the lack thereof. Their attention was on hearing from the risen Jesus, not just from prominent Christian leaders. They worshipped Jesus with goosebump-raising passion. People would excitedly testify about how Jesus had set them free and how He was presently working in them. Sometimes the whole room would sing in tongues together in supernatural unity and glorious harmony.

Strangers embraced each other with heart-felt love. People prayed out loud with and for one other. Miracles happened. Joy filled the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, as time went by the group became institutional and began to focus on organizational identity, human hierarchy, and celebrity leaders. Eventually it splintered into multiple organizations and faded into obscurity. Here are some lessons from their early days:

• Revival ignites when Christians intentionally ignore institutional identities and instead focus on the risen Jesus.
• The Holy Spirit is capable of doing amazing things if we will get institutionalism out of His way.
• When Christ-followers gather without institutional identity and controlling hierarchy, Christ is free to carry the meeting.
• When you want Christ’s presence more than His presents, your spirit will soar!
• The Creator is the One who has the right to identify us. Self-identifying brings division not unity.
• Guilt isn’t removed by self-justification, denial, or medication. It’s removed by humble acknowledgement, honest confession, sincere repentance, and the undeserved forgiveness purchased by Christ on the Cross.