A pastor friend of mine wrote this on social media. It’s written to those in my area, but applies to saints everywhere.
For us, has been stripping away the last couple years, the last couple months, especially the last couple weeks. It is difficult but at the same time there is an unusual positive.
As long as we continue to encourage each other to keep putting our hope, trust, faith in Our Father who loves us dearly who will never leave us alone to work it out. And that we maintain a proper “fear of the Lord”-Respect like Job, who after suffering greatly it was said of him,
“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrong doing.
There is an extraordinary move of God poised to come upon the whole earth, if you look and listen you can see the small beginnings
This move is at the Doorway of Vancouver Island. Evidences of it are beginning to spill across the door sill.
Several artists have minisrered to me in amazing ways. And I believe our Father is using them to prepare our hearts to be able to see, receive, steward the extraordinary move of His Spirit He has destined for this special Island and its inhabitants. We think we are ready, shouting “Bring it on!”
But we aren’t.
Thankfully our faithful Father is pointing out all we need to be prepared.
These are a couple examples.
Stephanie Gretzinger, her songs and sharing from her sold out heart for Jesus. One song
“The Narrow Way” one lyric
“There is nothing in this life, Worth the cost of losing you.”
“Is it even sacrifice, If I trade the world for you”
And most of her other songs.
The other people, group are
“The Cageless Birds, Mellisa and Johnathon Hessler. “. I absolutely love everything they do and who they are. Reminds me of the Church I pastored and loved.
Some songs
“Abba (Arms of a Father)”
“I Lose My Ability “
But especially
Johnathon song
“So Much Grace”
Lyric. “Guilt went looking for my past, But only found Love”
I can easily weep because I know how often my Guilt seeks to review my past. To know and experience that condemnation is drowned in the flood of Father’s love that I will always encounter
IF
I take my eyes off of my failures and choose to set my eyes upon Him.
My last mention is sung by Melissa
“We Make Space For You”
There is a reason why this is especially important to me.
I know, along with others, know that God is about to do some thing extraordinary.
So a question arises,
What do we do? How are to respond?
I have an answer, not the answer.
This is what I believe I heard to answer those questions.
“Begin to gather in small, medium, and large groups to worship and pray.
Pray with this in mind,
Humble our selves, know we are poor in Spirit. (This is not about berating ourselves, weeping, etc.)
It is realizing our need and hunger for a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit that brings the transformation necessary for us to see, receive, and steward the extraordinary move of His Spirit.
This is simply gathering, acknowledging and inviting the Holy Spirit to come and do what we can’t do on our own. Enjoy His presence, making ourselves available and making space in our lives, our hearts and our minds for the Holy Spirit to occupy.
Our minds hearts and lives have clutter in them that occupy space the Holy spirit is supposed to reside. If, in the name of pursuing holiness, we take on that endeavour in the flesh we struggle because we love somethings that need to go. = a painful process. It is only by and with the Holy Spirit’s revelation we begin to see what we are being called into. To see His face, to be drawn towards His glory = a greater revelation of the person of Jesus. Then, when you look at what you need to give up in light of what you will receive, it isn’t painful. It’s joyful.
Melissa’s song is
“We make space for you.”. It has all the ingredients of what we should do to set the stage, take the posture to welcome the Holy Spirit to reveal the clutter that needs to go. (On our own we don’t have the ability to determine what is clutter and what isn’t). A time to surrender. A time to yield.
And what to expect. Greater clarity, more wisdom and understanding.
I am quite sure what I heard was this: You don’t have to do anything. Just show up and embrace what the Spirit is doing.
It is here where people will be equipped to See, Receive, and Steward this Move of the Spirit.
People who attend with expectation will begin to see what they couldn’t see before. Their interaction will stir increasing faith
that God is really going to do something incredible.
Enough said.
I like them because they’re my style. Your style may be different, good. But the ingredients should be the same to get the same results I am anticipating.
Pursue intimacy now.
Branches (Saints) be grafted more securely into the Vine (Jesus) than you ever have.