Friday, June 24, 2011
Confident Faith
We all experience more than a few trials in this life.
Each of our trials may be different but they all require the same thing.
Faith.
Reading the letter to the Hebrews always brings me a fresh revelation of New Testament faith.
I always get encouraged. Faith is the theme of the letter to the Hebrews,
it is full of hope and expectation. It is one of the greatest theological letters in the New Testament. Verse after verse, thought after thought,
the author builds an absolute case for our secure position in Christ,
our total forgiveness of sin and our place as heir to the all the promises of God.
As the author writes all this, he intertwines an exhortation to
believe this incredible reality.
In short, the letter to the Hebrews is written to encourage
faith in and for the promises of God.
Hebrews describes a faith that is not a 'might-be' faith nor a 'maybe' hope
..NO!...the entire letter is intended to boost the saints' expectation for
the reality of God's promises to be true!
Too many Christian live with the idea that God's plan is to build us up
in a strength that can live with the disappointments in life and
still believe that God exists.
This is a type of 'hang-in-there' faith with little hope for God to intervene in
our circumstances. God is reduced to a 'comfort' in the trial.
The building of character is His goal for the Christian.
This would be a great concept if we define Biblical character as
having radical confidence in the power of God on our behalf.
Unfortunately most Christians define character in terms of personal
discipline and self confidence. Though these are good traits to have
in life they can be found in a lost person as easily (and sometimes
more frequently) than in a Christian.
I believe that the Bible reveals that a faith in God that includes an
expectation of miracles is a truer definition of faith.
This should not be a difficult leap for Christians since we all believe
the greatest personal miracle we will ever experience in life,
the salvation of our souls.
That miracle requires Biblical faith because it cannot be seen in the natural,
how much more should we believe that the our Savior who loved us so
much would also provide supernatural intervention for us in this life?
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us,
who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son,
but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him,
graciously give us all things?" (Rom. 8:31-32)
Because we do not always see the miraculous intervention of His power
in our circumstances we can tend towards developing personal doctrines
based on disappointment rather than on His Word.
When a body of Christians does this collectively it can create an
atmosphere of unbelief rather than of expectation, faith and hope.
We often get in trouble and fall into doubt when we too easily
give up on true faith.
Faith is not singularly trust or belief,
faith requires a commitment to His truth,
it is a choice, it is a confident expectation of good.
Faith is more than a belief that God exists,
even the demons believe that.
Faith is the anchor of our heart in another Kingdom,
a belief in a superior reality that expects the goodness and power
of God to manifest in us, for us and through us.
Sometimes it is an effort, sometimes it is patience,
but faith is never stagnant, it is never in a doctrine.
It is not a 'way' to believe, it is belief itself.
The author of Hebrews addresses this in chapter six:
"..we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness
to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made a promise to Abraham...
He swore by Himself, saying:'Surely I will bless you and multiply you.'
And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise
unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath...
in which it is impossible for God to lie...so that we, who have fled for refuge,
might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,
a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf...."
God cannot lie, He swore an oath by His own Name
that His promises are true.
He swore this oath so that we could put a stake in the ground
and hold fast to His promise.
Faith is an anchor when we are faced with the trials of this life.
At the heart of faith is a rest and assurance,
but we can never truly rest when we doubt His promise,
nor be 'assured' if we think that God is the source of our trials.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1)
This Blog is not a 'hang-in-there' encouragement,
it is an exhortation to BELIEVE!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Faith in His Name!
At the Radical Gospel Monday Night Meeting,
when we lay hands on the sick or prophecy in the Spirit,
we are incredibly mindful of who's power is at work through us.
When a person is healed as we pray, sometimes in astonishing ways,
we become humbled by the awesome privilege to be used of God
as a transmitter of His virtue.
When the evidence of a healing manifests before our eyes there is
no way any reasonable person could take the credit for it.
Yet, it is the tendency of man to look at the individual through
who's hands (or prophetic word) the miracle came about. (and it always
gets a little disconcerting when the individual who prayed thinks it is 'about them').
The first officially recorded healing in in the post-Pentecost church is found in
the third chapter of the book of Acts. Peter and John declared healing over the
lame man at the Temple, "...in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk!"
An astounded crowd gathered around them and when Peter saw this
he had to teach, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare
at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made this man walk....
...His Name, by faith in His Name, has made this man strong whom you see
and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this
perfect health in the presence of all of you."
At Radical Gospel we believe that faith in the Name of Jesus is at work in our
midst. We believe that this same faith, 'which is through Jesus' is not a special
blessing upon any man or woman or ministry,
it is a faith that is with-in the spirit of every believer.
It is a faith that grows and develops in an atmosphere of His Presence.
It is a faith that is encouraged by the agreement of many. It is a faith that only
requires a turning from doubt to 'belief'. It is a 'faith which is through JESUS' so
that all men may know that it isn't about them, not their lack, nor their own power.
We believe that the miraculous is normal Christianity. The more people who
see the miraculous through their own hands, the more we will get the over the
idea that it is 'about' one individual or one ministry.
We are committed to equipping His People in the supernatural for this reason:
We believe that God poured out His Spirit to empower a People who are called
by His Name in order to be a blessing upon the earth!
At Radical Gospel we hold the absolute conviction that we are not special,
but we are His People!
You are His People!
In His radical NAME!,
Ray
Meeting every Monday Night at 7pm at the facilities of the Open Door Church in Petaluma.
(click on the 'itinerary' page for directions)
when we lay hands on the sick or prophecy in the Spirit,
we are incredibly mindful of who's power is at work through us.
When a person is healed as we pray, sometimes in astonishing ways,
we become humbled by the awesome privilege to be used of God
as a transmitter of His virtue.
When the evidence of a healing manifests before our eyes there is
no way any reasonable person could take the credit for it.
Yet, it is the tendency of man to look at the individual through
who's hands (or prophetic word) the miracle came about. (and it always
gets a little disconcerting when the individual who prayed thinks it is 'about them').
The first officially recorded healing in in the post-Pentecost church is found in
the third chapter of the book of Acts. Peter and John declared healing over the
lame man at the Temple, "...in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk!"
An astounded crowd gathered around them and when Peter saw this
he had to teach, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare
at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made this man walk....
...His Name, by faith in His Name, has made this man strong whom you see
and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this
perfect health in the presence of all of you."
At Radical Gospel we believe that faith in the Name of Jesus is at work in our
midst. We believe that this same faith, 'which is through Jesus' is not a special
blessing upon any man or woman or ministry,
it is a faith that is with-in the spirit of every believer.
It is a faith that grows and develops in an atmosphere of His Presence.
It is a faith that is encouraged by the agreement of many. It is a faith that only
requires a turning from doubt to 'belief'. It is a 'faith which is through JESUS' so
that all men may know that it isn't about them, not their lack, nor their own power.
We believe that the miraculous is normal Christianity. The more people who
see the miraculous through their own hands, the more we will get the over the
idea that it is 'about' one individual or one ministry.
We are committed to equipping His People in the supernatural for this reason:
We believe that God poured out His Spirit to empower a People who are called
by His Name in order to be a blessing upon the earth!
At Radical Gospel we hold the absolute conviction that we are not special,
but we are His People!
You are His People!
In His radical NAME!,
Ray
Meeting every Monday Night at 7pm at the facilities of the Open Door Church in Petaluma.
(click on the 'itinerary' page for directions)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Faith in intimacy
"This God - His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true, He is
a shield for all those who take refuge in Him." (King David in: 2Samuel 22:31)
David had a quite a few troubles in his time on earth. He created some of his challenges all by himself and some were thrust upon him by the madness of kings and men.
But David had an absolute conviction; God was good, God was faithful to His promise
and God backed him up.
David believed this even though he lived under an inferior Covenant.
God hasn't changed, He is still the God of David...David simply saw beyond the Law of
Moses and looked into the heart of the Father.
God did change His Covenant though, that is why it is called NEW.
In this New Covenant in His blood we do not need to strive to look beyond the Law
to see the Father. God took the Law away so that we might be able to realize a relationship of intimacy with Him that is based on faith.
"If God is for us, who or what can stand against us?, He who did not even spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him?" (Romans 8:31-32)
"For all the promises of God find there YES in Him. That is why we can shout AMEN through
Him, to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Our faith through Christ shouts AMEN to His promise; and that kind of faith brings Him glory.
"This God - His way is perfect!"
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Believe it!
God's astonishing power and Presence continues to amaze me as He privileges us to see the manifestations of His signs and wonders in our Monday Night meeting.
Judy is cancer free today. She was diagnosed with stage 4 Ovarian cancer. She was given two months to live. In July our healing team prayed for her.
Recent tests confirm that she remains cancer free.
John came in this past Monday Night and reported that his latest PSA numbers (tests indicating Prostate cancer) were now below normal, his tumor had shrunk 50% after prayer two weeks ago, now these tests show further healing. Thank you Jesus!
Though the healing of cancer seems to us as a greater miracle, I am consistently blessed by the pains and sicknesses that flee in Jesus' name every week. He cares for all our needs. He heals all our diseases and carried all grief and sorrow.
He heals the sick and the brokenhearted.
For me, the revelation of the finished work of the cross that brings healing
to hearts and minds is a very great miracle.
It cannot be separated from the miracles of healing, nor all the signs and wonders.
It seems to me that it should be the easiest thing.
It is, after all, the central message of the gospel. We should know this.
But for some it is difficult to believe.
We might even be able to believe for healing of our bodies before we can grasp the wonderful reality that is the basic message of the gospel: we are totally new creatures in Jesus Christ.
And as such we have access to an open heaven and all the promises of God.
"His grace gift inspires me to say to you that your thinking
must be consistent with everything that is within you
according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned to every individual.
Let the revelation of redemption shape your thoughts."
Romans 12:3 (the Mirror Translation).
"Let the revelation of redemption shape your thoughts."
This is another way of revealing how our minds can be renewed,
transformed, by the message of His finished work.
The word for 'transformed' in Rom.12:2. is 'metamorphic',
like the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Utter and total transformation.
Paul is writing with an understanding that this is not an instant revelation for the Christian who is born of the Spirit.
It is implied in this chapter of Romans that we need to have our minds renewed to realize who we are!
We need to remind ourselves, and each other, of our new identity in Christ.
One way to do this is to minister to one another with the understanding
that we are already new creatures in Christ.
Done deal, past tense and finished.
So I preach to this reality, I minister with this assumption. My words and my prayers are directed to what has been done, not what needs to be done.
The mystery of the gospel should be no longer a mystery...it has been revealed.
"He has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth." Eph.1:9-10
He has united, in Jesus, all things in heaven with the things of earth.
Wow!
Now read Ephesians 1:1-10 and you will note that Paul says these words after he
thoroughly makes the point that we are 'holy and blameless', he writes: ' we are destined in love', 'purposed in His will', 'freely bestowed with grace', 'lavished with grace', 'redeemed by His blood' and 'forgiven from all our sins according to His riches in grace'.
That was His mystery revealed in Christ, and it is a 'uniting of heaven and earth' because we must think from heaven when we look in the mirror and when we look at each other.
"From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;
even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard Him thus no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.." 2 Cor.5:16-17
I posted a thought on FaceBook that was re-posted several times and commented upon in several countries. It struck a cord.
We are continuing to meet on Monday Night with the expressed purpose of learning to think and 'believe' from heaven instead of earth.
This in demonstrated by how we prophesy , preach and pray.
We do not ask God to heal the sick, we command sickness to go in Jesus name,
knowing that it is His power but our authority as new creatures in Christ.
We preach to the transformed man and consider the 'old man' dead, crucified with Christ.
We believe that a revelation of your true identity in Christ will 'transform' you, complete you, heal you, and restore you, bless you and refresh you and renew your mind!
And Believe!
Judy is cancer free today. She was diagnosed with stage 4 Ovarian cancer. She was given two months to live. In July our healing team prayed for her.
Recent tests confirm that she remains cancer free.
John came in this past Monday Night and reported that his latest PSA numbers (tests indicating Prostate cancer) were now below normal, his tumor had shrunk 50% after prayer two weeks ago, now these tests show further healing. Thank you Jesus!
Though the healing of cancer seems to us as a greater miracle, I am consistently blessed by the pains and sicknesses that flee in Jesus' name every week. He cares for all our needs. He heals all our diseases and carried all grief and sorrow.
He heals the sick and the brokenhearted.
For me, the revelation of the finished work of the cross that brings healing
to hearts and minds is a very great miracle.
It cannot be separated from the miracles of healing, nor all the signs and wonders.
It seems to me that it should be the easiest thing.
It is, after all, the central message of the gospel. We should know this.
But for some it is difficult to believe.
We might even be able to believe for healing of our bodies before we can grasp the wonderful reality that is the basic message of the gospel: we are totally new creatures in Jesus Christ.
And as such we have access to an open heaven and all the promises of God.
"His grace gift inspires me to say to you that your thinking
must be consistent with everything that is within you
according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned to every individual.
Let the revelation of redemption shape your thoughts."
Romans 12:3 (the Mirror Translation).
"Let the revelation of redemption shape your thoughts."
This is another way of revealing how our minds can be renewed,
transformed, by the message of His finished work.
The word for 'transformed' in Rom.12:2. is 'metamorphic',
like the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Utter and total transformation.
Paul is writing with an understanding that this is not an instant revelation for the Christian who is born of the Spirit.
It is implied in this chapter of Romans that we need to have our minds renewed to realize who we are!
We need to remind ourselves, and each other, of our new identity in Christ.
One way to do this is to minister to one another with the understanding
that we are already new creatures in Christ.
Done deal, past tense and finished.
So I preach to this reality, I minister with this assumption. My words and my prayers are directed to what has been done, not what needs to be done.
The mystery of the gospel should be no longer a mystery...it has been revealed.
"He has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth." Eph.1:9-10
He has united, in Jesus, all things in heaven with the things of earth.
Wow!
Now read Ephesians 1:1-10 and you will note that Paul says these words after he
thoroughly makes the point that we are 'holy and blameless', he writes: ' we are destined in love', 'purposed in His will', 'freely bestowed with grace', 'lavished with grace', 'redeemed by His blood' and 'forgiven from all our sins according to His riches in grace'.
That was His mystery revealed in Christ, and it is a 'uniting of heaven and earth' because we must think from heaven when we look in the mirror and when we look at each other.
"From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;
even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard Him thus no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.." 2 Cor.5:16-17
I posted a thought on FaceBook that was re-posted several times and commented upon in several countries. It struck a cord.
Ray LeBlond: Imagine yourself as a totally new creature in Christ...
Ok,... now stop imagining it and believe it.
Believe it.We are continuing to meet on Monday Night with the expressed purpose of learning to think and 'believe' from heaven instead of earth.
This in demonstrated by how we prophesy , preach and pray.
We do not ask God to heal the sick, we command sickness to go in Jesus name,
knowing that it is His power but our authority as new creatures in Christ.
We preach to the transformed man and consider the 'old man' dead, crucified with Christ.
We believe that a revelation of your true identity in Christ will 'transform' you, complete you, heal you, and restore you, bless you and refresh you and renew your mind!
And Believe!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday Night Supernatural
We have been meeting every Monday Night for five months now. We started out in an 'upper room', which is quite appropriate for a class on the Supernatural.
It has been a wonderful and wild experience. It has become much more than a 'class'.
In March I was asked to start a new class for people who were interested in learning more about the supernatural gifts. Some people are hungry for revival. Many are interested in the 'things' they are hearing about in church.
There is a definite 'buzz' in the Body of Christ surrounding the move of God in the realm of the supernatural. Everywhere people are hearing about someone getting healed of major illness. The 'prophetic' gifts are being expressed in many of churches. Signs and Wonders are becoming common place. (if you are paying attention to that sort of thing).
The 'buzz' is not always positive. There is always the fear of weirdness and abuse. Still, the news of 'revival' is out there. People are curious.
There is coming a time when it will not be able to be ignored. But for now, it is enough to say that the 'revival' is being noticed. The 'fruit' of this renewal is touching many lives in a very positive way.
So I began the 'class' intending to continue for 10 weeks. We wanted to cover the various gifts. We had a special evening on the prophetic gift, then one on healing the sick. Some of our guest 'instructors' were regular folk who had a strong gift in some area. Most of them were members of the 'class' itself.
We never really advertised it. We sent out a few emails. Put a note in several church bulletins.
The response on the very first night gave a hint of things to come. We had more than 25 people show up and five churches were represented. This went on for several weeks. New people kept coming, the curious and the hungry, the questioners and the seekers. Before long we lost track.
(I have been told that we have had over 100 people come and visit the meeting over the past five months, they have come from 10 or more different churches, 30-50 return every Monday and new people keep coming).
The classes were, at first, instructional. We also had times for prayer and ministry. The fellowship was always good. But we soon realized that something else was happening.
The Holy Spirit was the One leading the meeting. The 'atmosphere' in the room could not be explained by good teaching, great fellowship or ministry.
Our 'worship' consisted of a couple of songs on CD or Video. The teachings on the various gifts were not given by experts or great speakers. But the Holy Spirit showed up every time, and we began to recognize that something extraordinary was happening.
Before the '10 weeks' were up we all decided that we were having too much fun to stop. We decided to keep the meeting going every Monday. After a while we realized 'this is no longer a CLASS'. (unless we were to admit that the Holy Spirit had become the Teacher). We recognized that there was some other dynamic happening.
This meeting had the atmosphere of revival.
I think it is important to recognize when the Spirit is at work. It is not something that allows us to claim special favor or blessing, rather, it is a attitude of 'honoring' His Presence and being grateful. In that light, I am very grateful for this moment.
We lay no claim to a 'revival atmosphere' like Azusa Street. Nor are we anywhere approaching the full measure of what 'revival' can look like. I have been to places like Brazil, Kansas City and Redding Ca., where the manifestations of His Presence are astonishing. I have been out of my own 'comfort zone' in some of these places. I have seen people touched by the Spirit in ways I cannot explain with any natural language.
Still, I sincerely believe that we must honor what we do have on Monday Night and not compare it to what we might think is 'better'. When we focus on what (we think) we 'lack' we inevitably dis-empower the very thing we 'have', and the result is that we get stuck there.
Honoring what God IS doing is extremely important. It is important as it pertains to our own growth in our own gifts, and it is important in our churches and ministries.
When we 'see' God's hand moving elsewhere, in one Christian or in another location, it is an invitation to 'go after that thing' for ourselves.
God never shows us something we 'lack', He only reveals something we can have. When we see something in the Spiritual realm that we desire, we 'press into' it, It is an invitation for 'the MORE' that is always available to us through the finished work of the Cross.
What we do have on Monday Night is wonderful. We have His Presence. We have community. We have people being healed of sickness. (a woman was healed of stage 4 ovarian cancer last month). We are seeing consistent manifestations of the prophetic gifts. Words of knowledge, Words of encouragement, Words of wisdom. Angelic visitations. People falling in the Spirit.
There are many reports of His tangible power in the form of heat and tingling throughout a persons body. And more testimonies of people being touched by a sense of His love then can be counted.
It is the atmosphere of revival.
To call it anything else would be dishonoring to what God is doing in our midst.
To illustrate this point Bill Johnson uses an apple orchard: In an orchard you could pick, of one tree, a ripe apple and find it full of flavor and satisfying fruit. Then you might find a small unripe apple on another tree. But to say it is 'not an apple' is untrue. It may be immature, yet it is still an apple.
Be thankful for the apple, it is full of potential !
Just as Jesus gave thanks for one boy's tiny lunch of loaves and fish, before it was multiplied to feed the thousands, we must thank God for what we have, bless it and watch it grow.
God always multiplies what we are thankful for!
I am very thankful for what God is doing on Monday Night.
But I realize that there is more going on than 'signs and wonders'.
I believe people are coming to Monday Night for more than the curious manifestations of His Spirit.
The atmosphere in the room is filled with His Presence because we focus on His Presence.
We expect it because we have come to understand something wonderful about our God: He is good.!
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus, He loves it when the gospel is preached. And the gospel is a Person, Jesus.
When we focus our attention on the Finished Work of His Cross, we focus on Jesus.
When we take our eyes off ourselves, and even off the manifestations that touch us in the supernatural, we begin to 'see' the Kingdom. We can see the Kingdom of God best when we first recognize the King. (read my previous Blog: 'The Kingdom of God').
The message of God's grace opens up our hearts to understand why God would touch us with tangible expressions of His love. When He heals the sick, it is a touch of His love. When He gives a prophetic 'word' that reveals to a person something only He would know, God is saying, "I see you and I care to speak to you of my love".
We can understand why God would allow us to 'sense' or see the presence of His angels, and why He might let His Spirit fall so gloriously upon a heart that the person would 'fall' at His touch.
Even laughter and shaking, gold dust and feathers can be seen as the gentle revelation of His goodness. When we discover that He really is good.
He is good to us because He likes us. His goodness is expressed in His love.
The ultimate expression of love is the laying down of one's own life. So it is as Jesus defined it in John 15: 12-13.
It is interesting to note that Jesus used the word 'friend' when He spoke of laying down a life. Clearly He was referring to His own 'greater love'. And then, in context, He tells us that we 'are His friends'. (vs 14). He likes us!
I have noticed a wonderful thing.
I point it out simply because some people are sure to draw attention to the following words Jesus spoke in verse 14: "I call you friends if you do what I command you".
Some would say that this makes His love conditional. Some would point to this as an admonition to avoid (what some might call) 'the nonsense' of the supernatural. Some would say that we are not focusing on the command when we take pleasure in the supernatural manifestations of His love.
But the wonderful thing I have noticed is that the people who are touched by His tangible love are the very ones who are most likely to DO the thing Jesus said was His command, they tend to love one another. (vs 17). and they tend to demonstrate His love with real action and genuine expression.
I think people are coming on Monday night because they know that they are loved.
Loved.
By God, and each other.
We also know that, as 'friends' of God, we are capable of hearing what He is saying. We know that because of the finished work of the cross we all have access to everything Jesus paid for.
We are new creatures in Christ.
Supernatural ones. And because of His love, He does not play favorites.
We all are filled with His Spirit, gifted and called.
On Monday night we tend to remind each other of who we are in Him. Personally, I think that is what Biblical encouragement should really look like.
So it is, in our Monday Night meeting, that I find we have a group of people who are loving one another because He first loved on them with tangible expressions of His love.
Not to mention that they are taking His love to the streets, healing the sick and inviting the lost to discover a God of power and love.
Not to mention that in context of John 15: 14-17 that we are 'no longer called servants, but friends', and as such we are capable of 'knowing what the Master is doing'.
I think the Master is doing miracles!
And Monday Night is miraculous.
It has been a wonderful and wild experience. It has become much more than a 'class'.
In March I was asked to start a new class for people who were interested in learning more about the supernatural gifts. Some people are hungry for revival. Many are interested in the 'things' they are hearing about in church.
There is a definite 'buzz' in the Body of Christ surrounding the move of God in the realm of the supernatural. Everywhere people are hearing about someone getting healed of major illness. The 'prophetic' gifts are being expressed in many of churches. Signs and Wonders are becoming common place. (if you are paying attention to that sort of thing).
The 'buzz' is not always positive. There is always the fear of weirdness and abuse. Still, the news of 'revival' is out there. People are curious.
There is coming a time when it will not be able to be ignored. But for now, it is enough to say that the 'revival' is being noticed. The 'fruit' of this renewal is touching many lives in a very positive way.
So I began the 'class' intending to continue for 10 weeks. We wanted to cover the various gifts. We had a special evening on the prophetic gift, then one on healing the sick. Some of our guest 'instructors' were regular folk who had a strong gift in some area. Most of them were members of the 'class' itself.
We never really advertised it. We sent out a few emails. Put a note in several church bulletins.
The response on the very first night gave a hint of things to come. We had more than 25 people show up and five churches were represented. This went on for several weeks. New people kept coming, the curious and the hungry, the questioners and the seekers. Before long we lost track.
(I have been told that we have had over 100 people come and visit the meeting over the past five months, they have come from 10 or more different churches, 30-50 return every Monday and new people keep coming).
The classes were, at first, instructional. We also had times for prayer and ministry. The fellowship was always good. But we soon realized that something else was happening.
The Holy Spirit was the One leading the meeting. The 'atmosphere' in the room could not be explained by good teaching, great fellowship or ministry.
Our 'worship' consisted of a couple of songs on CD or Video. The teachings on the various gifts were not given by experts or great speakers. But the Holy Spirit showed up every time, and we began to recognize that something extraordinary was happening.
Before the '10 weeks' were up we all decided that we were having too much fun to stop. We decided to keep the meeting going every Monday. After a while we realized 'this is no longer a CLASS'. (unless we were to admit that the Holy Spirit had become the Teacher). We recognized that there was some other dynamic happening.
This meeting had the atmosphere of revival.
I think it is important to recognize when the Spirit is at work. It is not something that allows us to claim special favor or blessing, rather, it is a attitude of 'honoring' His Presence and being grateful. In that light, I am very grateful for this moment.
We lay no claim to a 'revival atmosphere' like Azusa Street. Nor are we anywhere approaching the full measure of what 'revival' can look like. I have been to places like Brazil, Kansas City and Redding Ca., where the manifestations of His Presence are astonishing. I have been out of my own 'comfort zone' in some of these places. I have seen people touched by the Spirit in ways I cannot explain with any natural language.
Still, I sincerely believe that we must honor what we do have on Monday Night and not compare it to what we might think is 'better'. When we focus on what (we think) we 'lack' we inevitably dis-empower the very thing we 'have', and the result is that we get stuck there.
Honoring what God IS doing is extremely important. It is important as it pertains to our own growth in our own gifts, and it is important in our churches and ministries.
When we 'see' God's hand moving elsewhere, in one Christian or in another location, it is an invitation to 'go after that thing' for ourselves.
God never shows us something we 'lack', He only reveals something we can have. When we see something in the Spiritual realm that we desire, we 'press into' it, It is an invitation for 'the MORE' that is always available to us through the finished work of the Cross.
What we do have on Monday Night is wonderful. We have His Presence. We have community. We have people being healed of sickness. (a woman was healed of stage 4 ovarian cancer last month). We are seeing consistent manifestations of the prophetic gifts. Words of knowledge, Words of encouragement, Words of wisdom. Angelic visitations. People falling in the Spirit.
There are many reports of His tangible power in the form of heat and tingling throughout a persons body. And more testimonies of people being touched by a sense of His love then can be counted.
It is the atmosphere of revival.
To call it anything else would be dishonoring to what God is doing in our midst.
To illustrate this point Bill Johnson uses an apple orchard: In an orchard you could pick, of one tree, a ripe apple and find it full of flavor and satisfying fruit. Then you might find a small unripe apple on another tree. But to say it is 'not an apple' is untrue. It may be immature, yet it is still an apple.
Be thankful for the apple, it is full of potential !
Just as Jesus gave thanks for one boy's tiny lunch of loaves and fish, before it was multiplied to feed the thousands, we must thank God for what we have, bless it and watch it grow.
God always multiplies what we are thankful for!
I am very thankful for what God is doing on Monday Night.
But I realize that there is more going on than 'signs and wonders'.
I believe people are coming to Monday Night for more than the curious manifestations of His Spirit.
The atmosphere in the room is filled with His Presence because we focus on His Presence.
We expect it because we have come to understand something wonderful about our God: He is good.!
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus, He loves it when the gospel is preached. And the gospel is a Person, Jesus.
When we focus our attention on the Finished Work of His Cross, we focus on Jesus.
When we take our eyes off ourselves, and even off the manifestations that touch us in the supernatural, we begin to 'see' the Kingdom. We can see the Kingdom of God best when we first recognize the King. (read my previous Blog: 'The Kingdom of God').
The message of God's grace opens up our hearts to understand why God would touch us with tangible expressions of His love. When He heals the sick, it is a touch of His love. When He gives a prophetic 'word' that reveals to a person something only He would know, God is saying, "I see you and I care to speak to you of my love".
We can understand why God would allow us to 'sense' or see the presence of His angels, and why He might let His Spirit fall so gloriously upon a heart that the person would 'fall' at His touch.
Even laughter and shaking, gold dust and feathers can be seen as the gentle revelation of His goodness. When we discover that He really is good.
He is good to us because He likes us. His goodness is expressed in His love.
The ultimate expression of love is the laying down of one's own life. So it is as Jesus defined it in John 15: 12-13.
It is interesting to note that Jesus used the word 'friend' when He spoke of laying down a life. Clearly He was referring to His own 'greater love'. And then, in context, He tells us that we 'are His friends'. (vs 14). He likes us!
I have noticed a wonderful thing.
I point it out simply because some people are sure to draw attention to the following words Jesus spoke in verse 14: "I call you friends if you do what I command you".
Some would say that this makes His love conditional. Some would point to this as an admonition to avoid (what some might call) 'the nonsense' of the supernatural. Some would say that we are not focusing on the command when we take pleasure in the supernatural manifestations of His love.
But the wonderful thing I have noticed is that the people who are touched by His tangible love are the very ones who are most likely to DO the thing Jesus said was His command, they tend to love one another. (vs 17). and they tend to demonstrate His love with real action and genuine expression.
I think people are coming on Monday night because they know that they are loved.
Loved.
By God, and each other.
We also know that, as 'friends' of God, we are capable of hearing what He is saying. We know that because of the finished work of the cross we all have access to everything Jesus paid for.
We are new creatures in Christ.
Supernatural ones. And because of His love, He does not play favorites.
We all are filled with His Spirit, gifted and called.
On Monday night we tend to remind each other of who we are in Him. Personally, I think that is what Biblical encouragement should really look like.
So it is, in our Monday Night meeting, that I find we have a group of people who are loving one another because He first loved on them with tangible expressions of His love.
Not to mention that they are taking His love to the streets, healing the sick and inviting the lost to discover a God of power and love.
Not to mention that in context of John 15: 14-17 that we are 'no longer called servants, but friends', and as such we are capable of 'knowing what the Master is doing'.
I think the Master is doing miracles!
And Monday Night is miraculous.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)