Monday, July 26, 2010

Day 197 - Come Holy Spirit!

Today was a very busy day. I worked a double period at work, starting at 5Am and ending around 1:30. It could have been worse; the second period was very short. Then I went by RiverStone for a few minutes. I saw Tom, Daniel and Corey very briefly. Just long enough to touch base. I had to meet Jeff and Kristen Price at Starbucks. Jeff, Kristen and their kids are out at IHOP working in the school of ministry. They are an awesome group of sold out Revivalist. But more than that, they are a grand part for Julia’s (and my) legacy. We have known them all for I don’t know how many years. I cam remember Julia especially working with Kristen and inviting her to cell and intercession and then to conferences. We had her and her kids in our cell group fro a while before we got Jeff to come around. But once they all got on board, wow, they took off like a rocket ship. I am very proud of them, and proud that Julia and I could have a little influence in their life. They are setting an example of what it means to have a family going after God with all their hearts. Well-done guys! They head back for KC on Wed, so it was good to spend time with them today.

Tonight I went to dinner over at John and Biddies. Bud and Cathy were there and we had a great time telling stories and talking about old times as well as current situations. We were filling Bud and Cathy in on some of the earlier history of RiverStone. Especially looking some of the early days when we didn’t know that we were even going to be able to keep the church intact. Looking back, it is hard to believe that we were at that place, but I believe that God used all of that to prepare us for what is about to take place in the Spirit. I, and others, am sensing that we are on the verge of a great move of God at RiverStone. But we are not ready yet. We all have to press into Him and want Him so much that we are ready to endure shame and ridicule to be in His presence. I’ve been in strong moves of God since the early 90’s and I have yet to see one that didn’t cost the reputation of everyone involved. I also haven’t seen one that didn’t have counterfeit involved. It’s only natural. Those who want more have to be willing to accept some of the stuff that is not Him so that they can have most of what is Him. It is like the parable of the wheat and the tares. If you try to pull the tares up before the harvest, you might get the tares, but you will ruin a lot of wheat. A move of the Holy Spirit is like that. If you want to completely stop the counterfeit, you will probably shut down the Holy Spirit. Personally, I don’t want to be involved is stopping a move of God. I had rather live with some of the counterfeit for a while. I have seen the real thing as well as the fake. Believe me, sometimes it is so simple, and yet so hard.

The key to ushering in this next move of God is going to be how our leadership reacts. If we react in grace, erring on the side of freedom, the sky is going to be the limit. But if we react in fear, or even just to “stop error”. Then I am afraid that we will not see all that God has for us. There is so much we can do, to get ready. We can teach the word, but that doesn’t mean that what we teach will be what we see. The New Testament was an explanation of the experiences that the disciples had, not a list of all that can or cannot happen. Where did Jesus say we could only do what was written in the New Testament. No, in fact, He commanded us to do the “greater works” which are not even mentioned in the New Testament. So my main prayer is for grace. We need Grace to not judge, but be willing to accept things that are different. We must also have the grace not to react at what we see, but really seek His face when it does break out.

What will it look like? What will this move of the Holy Spirit look like? I have no clue. I wish that I did, so I could help prepare our people and leaders. But I know that there is much truth in the saying that “God offends the mind to reveal the heart”. I don’t know what you think about Toronto. But I do know that when all the controversy and manifestations were occurring up there, I watched John Arnott pastor with such grace and love. Did he do everything right? Probably not, but it has been 17 years, and Holy Spirit is still moving in that house. He must have done something right. I want to go back and read his books. They can give us some insight as to how to pastor what seems impossible to pastor. What I do know is that he didn’t let the fear of error cause him to shut down what God was doing. In the few times when it wasn’t God the fruit would begin to rise and he would deal with it then, behind the scenes, quietly.

So, why am I writing this tonight? I’m not really sure. I feel that prophetically it is just a caution to prepare. To get ready for all that He has for us and not to be to eager to jump into one ditch or the other. The move of God is coming; it is almost here, sort of like a woman in childbirth. It can’t be stopped, but it can be quenched. My prayer is that we will be wise and rest in His Spirit as things begin to break loose. Come Holy Spirit!

No comments:

Post a Comment