For the longest I have heard people say that we are getting ready to really see a move of God like we have never seen before. Well, I think that we are no longer getting ready for it. I think that we are experiencing it!
I just wanted to get a sense from you, my spirit-filled sisters, about what you are hearing and sensing in the spirit. How is God dealing with you? This truly fascinates me.
As I posted a few weeks ago, in June of 2001, I got this unexplainable feeling - this pounding in my heart, and I e-mailed my husband at work and said, "Something big is going down...I don't know what it is, but I know that we're a part of it, and it's going to change our lives in a major way."
Unbeknownst to me at the time, right around the time that I wrote it, my senior pastor had just been hired on at my (now!) church; our church's YP's previous ministry was just ending, and God was just beginning the process of confirming His call on my life and cleaning up a lot of the junk in DH's and my lives and marriage.
No one on our team knew each other even existed at the time.
Since then, God has been moving pieces into place, much like a game of chess, and something amazing is about to take place in our church. Things may need to come to a head first...but all I know is that one by one, the religious people in our church are starting to move out. Some are seeking opportunities in another town (one even out of the country!), one is pursuing a relationship with a woman who attends a different church...but one by one, God is strategically removing the obstacles to His coming in like a flood! At least that's how it is in my church. Sounds like a lot of you are experiencing much of the same...
This is why it is so crucial that we keep praying and don't let down our guard! The devil may tempt us by saying, "Well, you had a powerful time of prayer one day - that means you're all prayed up!" Uh...no. I am the most guilty of this, I might add!
From now through my Kids' Crusade at the end of July, I am committing to really stepping up my prayer life. I'm not sure how I am going to do that...whether I'm being called to fast, and from what (food, tv, caffeine, whatever...). This is something I am going to seek God on for the remainder of this week, and then challenge my workers in our Kids' Crusade meeting on Sunday. I am tired of feeling "useless" in my prayer life. Useless, as in getting to the point where I'm so spiritually dry, my entire prayer time is taken up with my own issues, asking GOd to fill me up and help me, and I don't even get to adoration, praise or intercession...
So that's my personal challenge: more prayer! More sitting at Jesus' feet so that I have something to give to those who are sitting at my feet (kids, parents and workers!).
I'm with you ladies. There is such an excitement in our church. We told our church -- warned them actually -- to be ready after VBS, for this was the start of something BIG. Sunday, the people were in shock w/ all the kids. Wanted to tell some "told you so." Our core group has such an excitement & God has put people in place, just when we needed them. Some have moved on, too. I mentioned (I think) the one couple who thought they had a right to control things because they paid tithes. They haven't been at church for about a month now. Dh was a little concerned about the decrease in tithes. Well, God has replaced them w/ WORKERS (not occasional benchwarmers) who give more than they did. God is doing the work, not us & it is so awesome to see. Yes, ladies, He is getting ready to do big things- more than we could ever think, ask, or imagine - if we ALLOW His power to work through us. Puppetmaster - get ready. That van will come just when you need it. I'll keep your need in prayer.
I have had a sense of expectation in my spirit for some time now also. As puppetmaster said, God is moving people out of our church, also, who have had their own agenda. It is not easy to see people that have such great potential leave, but God knows. (In my mind, I'd just like for them to see that the enemy is using them, teach them how to submit to God and resist the devil) But I am encouraged. I know that God is up to something. Someone told me a few weeks ago on this board to get excited and that my excitement would spill over....that was truly a word from the Lord...Thanks!!!
It's amazing...it seems the same sort of things are going on in all of our churches. We are experiencing a GREAT summer, the best we have ever had. Everything from the way the Spirit is moving, to attendance, to finances, to new people, etc. etc. I am on vacation right now and I hardly wanted to leave...I just didn't want to miss a thing!!!
I have felt as well that something big is going down. I believe God has been positioning our church in a time of preparation this summer for an explosion in the fall. It seems He is doing that very same thing in all of our churches.
