Last Friday was amazing, and I really can’t get it out of my head.
I will pick up on the messes dirty laundry and real Christian life in a couple of weeks, but I need to expound upon some things that Ken shared over the services I was in with him and add what the Lord has been talking to me about for us.
God is breaking something loose here in our church, and I want to nurture that breaking loose
There are three critical elements that I want to prophetically speak to you about today…mainly because the Lord will not release me until I do
- Preparation – I want us to go higher and deeper with expectation through the roof of what God is going to do every service
– There is a big difference between doing things for God and being with him – Mary Martha calling to be with him as we are preparing to come to church
-Jesus said something very distressing to the disciples John 16:5-7
“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
The Holy Spirit is here…He is not an it, and experience, a feeling, and emotion, a passing thought…He is a person…He is God, and He is with you, but at the same time there is a greater anointing in fellowship that’s why Jesus said Matthew 18:19,20
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
In order for there to be agreement for this power there must be preparation of heart, mind, soul, …unity is intentional
For a priest to enter into the holy of holies several steps had to be taken
God was with the people of Israel always but to come into the most intimate of relationship with the Lord certain steps were taken
- Priest was intentional about going in
- Put on the right garments to come in….when you come to the church what are you wearing…not physically but the garment of praise, expectation, hunger, desire for Him or is it just common
- He would bathe…are you washed by the word, have you bathed in prayer…are you really ready to come into His presence
- He always brought an offering…you should never come to the Lord empty-handed but what I mean by this today is that you come ready to be completely surrendered to the Lord
Can you imagine what the Lord will do if every week we come with a hunger, expectation for Him..we have been faithful in the Word and prayer and without holding anything back we give everything to him…if so I believe we can expect the fire of God
Fire – this can come anytime we are gathered, prepared and ready for the move of God
I want us to look at three aspects of the fire of God
Fire that attracts and draws – Exodus 3:2,3
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
– the flames drew Moses nothing was burning but a flame was there….we will be normal nothing different but the firs of God in us will draw us to him and draw others to us
– People will naturally want to know what is going on as the fire burns
-People will see the flames from everywhere just as Moses was drawn
Fire that purifies – Matthew 3: 11,12
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
This references Malachi 3:2 where the God is speaking about Jesus purifying his people
“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
– As we draw into the presence of God, we won’t be able to help ourselves other than to be cleansed and challenged to purity and real holiness in the presence of God Isaiah 6:5-7
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
It is one thing to be filled with the Spirit it is quite another to move in the real power and anointing because you are walking purified before a holy God
Fire that brings power –
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 2:2-4
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
What is the power for?
AS we recognize we have this power, we must take it and use it
- Release –
both the priest in the Holy of Holies and the disciples filled with the Spirit were called, after being in the presence of God… to deliver what the Lord has given so everyone would know
I know we understand about the gifts and everything regarding the power, but I believe God is raising the church and our church in particular to impact everything…He said greater works would he do and here is part of what he fulfilled
Luke 4:18,19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Starts with preparation then the fire comes that attracts, purifies and empowers then we must take it change our world.
God give us the region, the broken, the hurting the captive, The state, the nation the world
Psalm 2:7,8
“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.