2006-04-24 - 11:14 a.m.
Yesterday was a day of amazing things. The men in my church went on retreat for the very first time. They attended the same place the women go when we have our annual retreat. I pray this is the first of many retreats the guys get to go on.
Because I know how pumped up I am after coming off a retreat and I couldn't wait to hear what God had done in the men.
I was revved to come to church Sunday because I felt that there would be a great move of God. That my church would finally step over that line towards revival.
I was not disappointed.
It was glorious to open my eyes from the stage and look down at the congregation and see hands in the air and eyes closed. A fire had begun. As Janine spoke to the women on Saturday, she talked about how God gives us fire, He gives us gifts, but it's our job to nurture the flame, to fan it and give it air and to feed it. Otherwise it goes out.
Brian allowed for the men to come up and share what God had done in their lives over the weekend.
It was amazing to see the men I have known for years at such a place of brokenness and humility and awe for God. Guys who are usually "too tough" for tears, left tears running down their cheeks unchecked as they talked about the simple, powerful truth of getting back to the cross.
On the retreat, Brian had given each of the men a spike with it's tip painted red and asked the men to have their own time before a large wooden cross that he had brought along.
At the foot of this cross, God was so faithful. He spoke to each man and the results of that meeting with God were SO evident on Sunday. Brian encouraged us to close our eyes and put ourselves at the foot of the cross and see what the Lord would say.
I closed my eyes and saw the foot of the cross. My hands touched it just below where Jesus' feet were nailed and as my hand touched the cross, His blood flowed onto my hands. But it didn't stop there, it travelled up my arms and over me like a crimson cloak, covering me and shielding me, blotting away all my sin.
There was a lot of crying and laughing in the morning as God touched and God healed.
The time flew by so quickly, before we knew it, it was 12:30! The service ended and Brian encouraged us to return that evening where God was going to kiss his message to end out the weekend.
We had our preevening service prayer meeting and we just started praying as soon as we came in. Usually the hour goes by kind of slowly, because I tend to focus on the silences between the prayers than the prayers themselves. But last night before I knew it, Pastor was closing the meeting in prayer and we were on the platform worshipping.
In the evening message, Brian talked about when we pray "Your kingdom Come."
The Lord's prayer is a prayer that was taught to us by Jesus, so you know it's a prayer He is going to answer. When we pray "Kingdom Come" we are praying the rules and the laws of Heaven to be down with us. Because the rules of heaven apply to us as Christians.
There is no sickness in the Kingdom of God
There is no lack of peace in the Kingdom of God
There is no lack of finances in the Kingdom of God
There IS peace. There IS joy. And when we pray God's kingdom to come down, God will say "ok" and there may be some changes in us too. For God's kingdom to come into our lives right now where we are we have to get rid of the world stuff, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness...
He talked about when Jesus raised Lazurus, He did something significant; John 11:41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me."
Jesus beheld Heaven. He gazed and peered into the window of Heaven. He took his eyes from the death situation He was standing in, looked into the reality of Heaven and then reflected that reality into the worldly situation.
He did it again at the miracle of the fish and loaves.
Luke 9:16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
He beheld Heaven again and did not look at the lack in His hands, but rather the abundance and the provision of God and reflected it back onto the world.
This was a huge point for me. So often I look at the situation I'm standing in or the lack in my hands and I forget to peer into the window of Heaven, see what God's reality is, and then reflect it onto my circumstance.
Wow.
As Brian closed the sermon, he said God wanted to give us a taste of Heaven and had everyone come stand in the front of the church. As Brian prayed, people began to fall out in the Spirit which isn't a common thing in my church these days. Praises and sobs filled the air as God made His presence known, as He put His kiss upon his children.
God began opening up eyes to visions and revelations.
One of them was Kevin's. He talked about how the Lord showed him that in the past, a woman had a dowry and for Christ that the cross was that dowry. He talked about how we know we are to be the Bride of Christ but Jesus asks us "Will you marry Me?" and we have the choice to say yes or no. Such a powerful revelation.
In the past, after being married, the husband would leave his bride to go and prepare the house where they would live.
While he was gone, his bride would make herself ready for him, she would wait for him, looking for him constantly, thinking about him always, and when he returned, he would look for his bride and take her back with him to the house he had prepared.
The Groom knows who His bride is.
He will not return for a stranger. He will say; "I do not know you, depart from me while I seek My Bride."
All in all this was a wonderful weekend, full of God and new beginnings. I felt the love of God a lot this weekend as well as the love my church has for each other. Brian and Janine are family, they are part of our church even if they are thousands of miles away in Tanzania.
Thanks God for a fabulous weekend. Protect Brian and Janine as they travel and bless them as they continue to do Your work. In Jesus name Amen
2006-06-21-Chaplin facing courtmarshall for praying
To add to the awesomess, Brian and Janine Weaver (two of our favorite Missionaries) were in town. Brian was speaking at the men's retreat, Janine came to the church and shared with the women.
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