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The Time Has Come to Seek Love Himself Together |
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For the past thirty
to forty years, the Lord has been sending messages to us through movements within the Church and even from around the world
as revival has been touching other countries. Now all that we have learned seems to have converged into a place where local
leaders are nearly ready to take a mantle, which once seemed like someone else's dream or the agenda of some national organization watched
on televison. But the truth has come home. And godly leaders are popping up left and right. Before we step forward, a honest
inventory of our current status is needed.
"It isn't our differences that separate us. It is pride
in those differences." Look around at the Church in Charleston. It isn't our differences that separate us.
It is pride in those differences. The power of this dark lord is not rooted in Hollywood or Washington, but in the hearts
of God's people who cannot see past ourselves to see the power of love found on the Cross. The enemy whispers again and again
that the Church will not come together. He is a liar. But before he is once again proven a liar, we must truthfully diagnose
the problem with us. Like the religious leaders in John Nine, we've fallen prey and taken the offer of Satan to settle for
good, when we could be going for excellence. He all too often counter offers for us to take the current blessings of God and
turn them into a place of refuge where we settle and capitolize on past seasons of prayer. "All this I will give you..."
Satan says. (Matthew 4:9) "Just bow down and rest in this safe haven." Our passion for prayer is diminished. The
passion for the lost subsides and we begin to define ourselves according to the works of the past; All the while the power
over the hearts in this city laughs. This is what the parable of the talents was really all about - the multiplication of
souls; Or lack thereof. (Note that the one who produced the most souls got the "protected" coin of the lazy and
wicked servant) In John 9:41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but
since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. This is our sin. People with power over the souls of people (pastors - the spiritual
gatekeepers) are saying "We see". Really? If we could truly see the truth, why aren't there
more prayer meetings where pastors are coming together to worship and pray through the night? Why aren't our congregations
anxious to sacrifice their Friday nights to come together and pray in the lost? We have been
deceived by the enemy into thinking we're safe behind our walls. Pretend Time is over. We all know
it too. |
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"If we could truly see the truth, why aren't
there more prayer meetings where pastors are coming together to worship and pray through the night? Why aren't our congregations
anxious to sacrifice their Friday nights to come together and pray in the lost?" There is no safe place in this world. If you seek God, you will constantly be battling pride within
and loving past the pride of others, even those closest to you. The only real safe place is the sanctuary of God which is
why corporate prayer must be returned to the center of church life. It is the one safe place we can continually be changed.
It's the production mill for new souls. Blood was spilt to get us in there on a regular basis - together. The entire book
of Hebrews is about staying in the Throneroom together. The "do not forsake assembly" clause has to do with the
corporate prayer meeting, not Sunday morning sermons. It's where everybody continues to change, from the pastor on down. "There is no safe place
in this world. If you seek God, you will constantly be battling pride within and loving past the pride of others, even those
closest to you. The only real safe place is the sanctuary of God which is why corporate prayer must be returned to the center
of church life."
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The Word of God teaches that pastors must be prayer leaders before preachers and that
is a frightening proposition for some pastors, because it means one must be truly be close to God in order to lead; It raises
the possibility of a loss of power and control. But if a leader has a heart of worship, not only will he survive, he will
thrive. The High Calling of our lives is to know Him; And then to know one another. The words "know" (ginosko) and
"worship" (proskuneo) are connected in the Greek. They are intimate terms. Too often we confuse the calling with
our giftings, position, powers and functions; But all power and honor should go to Him, not held in our hearts like Tolkien's
Gollum. This is about being with Him and being with one another.
"The 'do not forsake assembly' clause
has to do with the corporate prayer meeting, not Sunday morning sermons." "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest." Hebrews 8:11 "And we beseech you, brethren, to know
them which labour among you..." 1 Thessalonians 5:12 In seeker-friendly terms, this is about hanging
with the King and hanging with one another. We're missing out on the the joy of worshipping Him together. |
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"When we can admit to the Lord, ourselves, each other
and our followers, that we hardly know Him and cannot see, the axe will be laid to the root of this Giant's power."
This campaign is not attempting to pull people together in our strengths and giftings
in order to work together, because we can't do it very well - yet. We're all too vain. It would end up being an empty, prideful
uniformity. Before church leaders sit across the table and talk about strategies to reach the city, we must first be
joined at the knees in worship and prayer. When we can admit to God, ourselves, each other and our flocks,
that we hardly know Him and cannot see, the axe will be laid to the root of this Giant's power. Religious pride is the worst
and we all know it too well. It is completely devoid of Love Himself. The
call is that we lay down those giftings and functions at the altar for the sake of being with Him and being with each other
in Him so He can change us by deepening His love in our hearts for both Him and one another. This is not PollyAnnism. I have
seen the bear and lion slewn and this invisible Giant that rules this city is no match for the living God. There have
been friendships born in love and prayer than nobody ever thought would work. Love can do the impossible. When the presence
of Love descends upon any group, hearts are arrested and changed. Love is greater than anything or anyone. Whenever
I get discouraged about the prospects of revival, I just think of him and who he has become to me today. My heart gets full
in seconds. What is impossible with us is possible with God. Love's convicting presence can heal relationships in seconds,
doing what thirty years of dialogue and counseling could never do. Revival is a mass awakening to Love Himself and when it
comes, it will come suddenly. And it is coming. |
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