Even as an author I am at a loss for words to describe the events of last night. Nonetheless I will try though what I write will come up woefully short. You would have just had to been there.
There are no adjectives to describe the music this week. I will not even try. Suffice it to say I have been moved to tears on many occasions and have felt I stood in the very throne room of God singing my heart out with hundreds of others. I find myself moving back and forth between prayer and singing. At one point I could not contain the clapping and a shout for joy. This kind of thing is often frowned on in Baptist churches and especially in a First Baptist Church. It doesn’t matter. I am after the heart of God and cannot concern myself with what other people think.
The Lord moved me to preach on the woman caught in adultery but more than that. We spent the whole evening dealing with the bondage of lust, sex addiction, and immorality. I preached what the Lord put in my heart. Part of that included my testimony about being sexually abused and being introduced to pornography at an early age.
I brought a rock in with me and set it on the pulpit while I preached. At the point when Jesus told the woman’s accusers to throw the first stone if they were without sin, I shared a personal story where I sinned in public way and thought I had lost my ministry. I confessed it to the church in Paradise. I expected to be condemned but instead was treated with love, forgiveness, and compassion. A big burly football coach brought the rock to me and dropped it at my feet. He simply said, “I am not without sin. I cannot throw any stones.” Since that day I have kept that rock as a reminder of two things. First, I am capable of sinning and damaging my witness at any given moment. The second thing I think about when I look at that rock is that God’s grace is greater than my sin. [Rom 5:20] I am not under condemnation. [Rom 8:1]
When the invitation was extended scores of people responded. Fathers and mothers came to pray for their children’s sexual purity. Men came to pray for deliverance from bondage to lust. Some came who had been abused as youngsters and needed the fresh touch of God. Others came asking Jesus to take away the pain and damage done by immoral lifestyles.
People were profoundly touched by the Lord. I do not know how long the invitation lasted. I know I prayed with several people and counseled with others. It was nearly a two-hour service when I finally left the sanctuary. We were on the threshold of revival last night. We got a little taste of it but still have not experienced revival fully. I think tonight will be the night.
I felt impressed to call an impromptu prayer meeting in the middle of the day today. We cried out to God not to hold back tonight. We pleaded for His breakthrough. Two men walked around the entire church perimeter praying while others prayed in the sanctuary walking up and down the aisles.
The Spirit is thick. Many have commented how they cannot believe it has only been two days since we started meeting. It seems God has been moving far longer than that. Every service seems to be building in intensity. I have seen adults and students weeping in brokenness over sin. I have seen students turned into ministers as they have prayed over their friends at the altar. I have seen grown men coming clean with other grown men and embracing afterward. I have seen parents praying with and for their children. I have seen the backslidden return to the Lord as well as the condemned accept the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Twice I have seen men get up before the church during the invitation and address the congregation.
I can describe what actually happened in the service each night but I cannot convey to you the experience of God’s presence. There is no way for me to describe that. You just know you are in His presence and you meet with Him. When all was over I just stood in front of the right side first pew in tears. I thanked God for using me and answering all the prayers that have been lifted up for these days together. This is proving to be one of the defining marks of my whole ministry. If you live in Seminole and hope to experience this for yourself you better come early.
There still have been no salvations but I am assured they are coming. God is doing His work in the church first. As we are revived this will turn into spiritual awakening. More Lord!
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