I’m always in his presence. Time to live like it.
For those who hate eschatology, here is all that you have to know about the end times:
- Be a good disciple and you’ll be fine
- …and just in case: DO NOT TAKE THE MICROCHIP
Kim Walker-Smith - I Love You Lord
We must not close our ears to the prayer of Jesus that we be brought to perfect unity (John 17). We know his will. We must aim to live in the light of it. Unity must therefore be one of our earnestly sought goals.
— Terry Virgo, No Well-Worn Paths
Something unstoppable broke into the world as Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. The heavens opened and the Spirit came upon Jesus. Those around Jesus, and John the Baptist himself, had no idea what this moment would birth. The opening up of Heaven and the anointing of the Spirit initiated a ministry that none had seen before. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and the Scriptures testify that he was completely dependent on the Spirit. As he was completely dependent on the Holy Spirit, he functioned in a ministry of power. He healed people of every sickness and delivered people of every demon. He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom with demonstration of it’s reality.
But that power was not just for Jesus. When he was about to depart, he revealed that the disciples should be glad for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He told them it was better that he would leave them so that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. And he revealed that all who would believe in him would do the same works as he did—and even greater! And as his blood was shed on Calvary, the veil was torn. The new covenant of grace was ushered in and the promised Holy Spirit was coming. On that awaited day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit that healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead in the ministry of Jesus had come upon the disciples and created a powerful, prophetic community. The heavens opened up on that day and the Spirit was poured out on the Church.
The Kingdom began breaking into this world of darkness in the days where Jesus walked with the disciples, but Pentecost brought forth something very special. The Spirit was poured out on the disciples so that they may truly walk as the Body of Christ. This power was not simply for Jesus, or the 12 disciples, or the Seventy. This power became something all were to walk in, as Jesus promised that those who believed in him shall do the same works as him and even greater.
Brothers and sisters, I say this all to encourage you to rest in the knowledge that the Spirit did not stop pouring out after Pentecost, or after Acts finishes. The Holy Spirit, as prophesied by Joel, shall be poured out in the last days. I assure you, we are still in the last days. And the heavens have been torn open, the Kingdom is breaking into the world, and the Holy Spirit is still being poured out. You do not have to beg for the heavens to be opened and for the Spirit to be poured out. The Church in America has experienced plenty of moves and outpourings and they have all been blessings, but what we have in Christ Jesus, the constant pouring out of the Spirit, is enough.
The reason why the Church is not impacting America the way it ought to is not because we do not have enough Christians. The reason why the Church is not impacting America is not because we do not have enough churches. We have enough churches and Christians to bring impact to this country! You see, the harvest is plenty. What do we lack? Laborers. There are plenty of Christians—at least in name—but not enough going forth and living out the Great Commission call.
And all that goes back to something painful for me to admit, for I, too, am guilty of this: The problem in the Church of America is our hunger. What we should be praying for is hunger. The Church is satisfied in the things of the world and we have become idle. We are not moving by the Spirit’s lead. We are more comfortable following church growth strategies and making sure we can fill sanctuaries to satisfy denominational reports and our own pride. When the Church turns to the Lord in hunger, things shall dramatically change. We need to become a people who are addicted to the presence of God and naturally flow in constant worship. A Church that is in love with the Lord in such a deep way shall produce passionate, powerful disciples. From there, it is easy picking! For the harvest, after all, is plenty.
My fire’s going to keep on burning
cause you call me friend
Nothings going to stop me from making it
right to the end
My sky’s have opened up
giving life from above
I’m going to keep on burning
cause I’m full of your love
You keep me from falling now
I know your hear me calling now
You keep me from falling
cause you are the vine
and I am the branches
(Source: Spotify)
Most of my Christian life I’ve been making the same mistake over and over and over. I keep putting my confidence in my discipline, in my good intentions, in my knowledge of the Bible, in order to produce love for God. I always end up in legalism and self-righteousness when I do this. One day the Lord interrupted all of this. He said to me, ‘If you ever hear me say to you, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,’ it won’t be because you were a good follower, it will be because my Son is a good leader. Put your confidence in His ability to lead, not in your ability to follow.’
— Jack Deere
Last night I went to the Resting Place House of Prayer for the first time in quite awhile.
Over 2 years ago, I began going to the house of prayer and my life was changed. I had a lot of my limitations on the Holy Ghost stripped off and I began receiving the power of the Ghost like never before. Though this place revealed to me a whole lot about the presence of God, I stopped going due to growing apart from a few of my friends there and feeling uncomfortable with most charismatic ministries, though I was very much a tongues-speakin’, holy laughin’, shakin’ mess in my prayer closet. I especially wanted to keep away from the prophetic, for prophetic words hurt me deeply in the past and were something I saw as potentially abusive.
I felt I had to go last night, though, and I got a ride from a friend who recently became a regular there. The whole night was quite spectacular and things were unfolding all night, as the Lord highlighted things on my heart and revealed them in my mind. As the prodigal son was spoken on by a preacher, I saw how the Father ran to me and how I let my shame place me as a servant, even though God celebrated me and fully accepted me as his son. I saw how I had the religious spirit of the older brother, who honored not the prodigal son but instead despised his return. And I saw how my eyes have not been the eyes of Jesus, and how I have not be passionate about loving on those prodigals who know nothing of their coming return to the Father’s arms. “How did I let this happen to me?”, I asked myself. I knew I needed change but I did not know how.
Then there was prayer ministry…
There were no time restraints so I received as much prayer as I wanted without having to look back every so often to see if my ride was waiting on me. As I was prayed on, I received affirmation from brothers in the Lord, and I shook, and shook, and shook. The Holy Ghost came upon me and when he does that, I become a sweaty, shaky mess. He began releasing revelations and he assured me that my “hands are still hot” and my “soul is still burning”, which was in reference to me feeling like I could never be used for healing ministry again and that I lost the fire of the days when I first was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He told me that the greatest hindrance to my healing ministry is my shame and that I have let my addiction to a life in the law and earning my own righteousness keep me from walking in the abundant life. He showed me how I let this manifest in my life. I began receiving some pictures that revealed the closeness of the Father, and eventually I fell to the floor laughing like a maniac in realization of the outrageous grace I have been given. Somebody ended up putting a modesty cloth on me, for I think my shirt went up a bit and my belly button was out and about. I laid there, laughing and shaking, and became as sweaty as one could be. Eventually, I just rested and soaked in the kindness of my father.
Needless to say, I am humbled, touched, moved, healed, and delivered. Sometimes I wish the Ghost did not have to make such a scene, but thankfully, the music was loud and others were receiving power ministry just as much as I was—if not more! Perhaps the healing and deliverance I needed required for such a dramatic confrontation with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I am just happy he confronted me with such an awesome kindness. He really is a good, good God, huh?
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
— 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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Christianity Today reports on the compassionate, merciful, miraculous, and most importantly, Christ-exalting, ministry of Heidi and Rolland Baker.
Our God - Steffy Frizzell, Bethel Church, Redding, CA
