"Calling the Nations to Worship Christ"
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The Sleeping Giant is Awakening
"IF WE BUILD THE ALTAR… HE WILL SEND THE FIRE!"
This was a quote from a message given by our Sr. Pastor on Sunday morning, January 9, 2005. The Holy Spirit, through our Pastor, has been encouraging us to build an ALTAR OF PRAYER -- to set aside time for God -- to spend "extra" time with him and to join together as a body in corporate prayer on Wednesday nights. For the past six months we have been faithful to show up on Wednesday evenings -- sometimes with only a handful of God's people -- but the prayer went on.
We have been being encouraged to pray that the Holy Spirit would give us a hunger to pray -- a thirst to pray -- a desperation and a burning in our heart for prayer... PRAISE GOD, I BELIEVE HE BEGAN TO ANSWER THAT PRAYER LAST WEDNESDAY, June 22nd.
During the prayer time that evening I was impressed to blow a Conch Shell and the Spirit of the Lord spoke to us through an Elder in our church to "begin saying YES". Then a reading of Deuteronomy 28 took place and the Conch Shell was blown again. We responded to the Lord and said yes to the Lord and His word in Deuterono my. It seemed as though there was a cracking that took place in the spiri t realm. Not a breakthrough, but the beginning of one. The Holy Spirit was impressing on me about obedience vs. disobedience from Deut. 28. That element was strong and I linked it directly to the "building of the altar" that has been taking place here. The church as a whole needed to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit as He was directing us to "build an altar" -- not just a handful of people responding. We needed to put our lives on hold!
On Sunday the crack was made even larger and it seemed as though this sleeping giant, our Church, was awakening to the voice of God's Spirit regarding the "altar". During the praise & worship time I gave an exhortation about II Chronicles 7. Much of this scripture was about obedience, hunger, thirst, desperation, change, making room for God (or the opposite of those things) -- In the end, Solomon was not obedient and the magnificant temple he built long ago is not only in ruins, but today has a mosque sitting right on top of it -- WOAH!! (Read the whole chapter --I'd love to hear some comments on it).
God also says in that chapter "At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you." These are 3 areas we have been struggling in -- but the exciting thing is verse 14 --- there is a way out of the lack of spiritual rain -- there is a way out of the devouring of our finances -- there is a way that leads to health --- God put a big IF in there -- "IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN and will forgive their sins and heal their land." Oh Praise His Name!!!
It's what God has been speaking to us since the beginning of the year, but our spiritual eyes were blinded and our hearing was hindered. The next thing that happened during Sunday's service, we prayed (through a song) that God would OPEN OUR BLIND EYES! -- UNLOCK OUR DEAF EARS! and He did. The breakthrough was almost there -- we were on the verge of it.
After that, another Pastor delivered a powerful message on prayer and on how we sin if we fail to pray -- there was the obedience issue again! Our Church responded by everyone coming to the altar. Many people testified about what the Holy Spirit was doing in their hearts. I believe the Spirit of God broke through!!
That brings us up to tonight, Wed. June 29. The evidence of the breakthrough was with the turn-out tonight -- and the ease of prayer -- fervent prayer. A large percentage of the church showed up desperate to pray and obey the word of the Lord!! With a cry in our hearts and a longing to be in His presence, we declared:
"Spiritual Rain Over OurChurch, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
"Financial Prosperity Over Our Church, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
"Physical Health Over Our Church, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
The Conch Shell was blown and I believe it was the sound of a new beginning for us. The fire of our Lord is burning in our hearts. The flame has been ignited by the Holy Spirit and I, for one, don't want to go back. I want to keep moving forward in God!!
My prayer is that our hunger, thirst, desperation, and passion for change and revolution in our day-to-day lives will grow -- and that no "spirit of darkness" will ever be able to shut up "the voice of the bride" ... ever!!
Here's a copy of our Prayer focus for tonight:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Building an Altar --Together
29 June 2005
TLC Corporate Prayer Gathering
"IF WE BUILD THE ALTAR… HE WILL SEND THE FIRE!" (1-9-05)
2 Chronicles 7
When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not even enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, "He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!"…
So Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do.
Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices.
At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL RAIN TO FALL IN OUR CHURCH, IN MY FAMILY,
AND IN THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
or I might command locusts to devour your crops…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR FINANCIAL PROSPERITY TO COME TO OUR CHURCH, MY FAMILY,
AND THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
or I might send plagues among you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR DIVINE HEALTH TO BE EVIDENT IN OUR CHURCH, IN MY FAMILY,
AND IN THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL WALK IN HUMILITY--PRAY AGAINST PRIDE!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
and pray
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR PRAYER!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
and seek my face
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A DESPERATION TO BE WITH GOD… THAT WE WILL MAKE ROOM FOR HIM IN OUR LIVES!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and turn from their wicked ways,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT HE WILL "OPEN OUR BLIND EYES" AND
"UNLOCK OUR DEAF EARS"!
PRAY THAT WE WILL EXAMINE OURSELVES AND RID OURSELVES OF WICKEDNESS… (SEARCH ME OH GOD)!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will hear from heaven
and will forgive their sins
and heal their land.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR OBEDIENCE SO GOD WILL "HEAR FROM HEAVEN" AND HEAL OUR LAND (CHURCH, MY FAMILY, AND THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH)!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.
"As for you, if you follow me as your father, David, did and obey all my commands, laws, and regulations, then I will not let anyone take away your throne. This is the same promise I gave your father, David, when I said, 'You will never fail to have a successor who rules over Israel.'
"But if you abandon me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL NOT ABANDON OUR GOD AS SOLOMON DID!
BUT THAT MY FAMILY AND THE FAMILIES OF THIS CHURCH WILL BE STEADFAST TO OUR CALLING!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
and disobey the laws
and commands I have given you,
------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS AND THAT HE WILL GIVE US A PASSIONATE LOVE FOR HIS WORD!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and if you go and worship other gods,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(ANYTHING! THAT WE PUT ABOVE GOD MAKES IT A gOD IN OUR LIVES)
PRAY THAT WE WILL NOT PUT ANYTHING ELSE ABOVE GOD!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
then I will uproot the people of Israel from this land of mine that I have given them.
I will reject this Temple that I have set apart to honor my name.
I will make it a spectacle of contempt among the nations.
And though this Temple is impressive now, it will become an appalling sight to all who pass by. They will ask, 'Why has the LORD done such terrible things to his land and to his Temple?'
And the answer will be, 'Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead. That is why he brought all these disasters upon them.'"
LET’S MAKE ROOM FOR THE KING IN OUR LIVES!
REVIVAL - Individuals
OurBody
Our Communities
Our City
Our Region
Our Nation
The Nations of the Earth
c2005 Love and Fire Ministries
"IF WE BUILD THE ALTAR… HE WILL SEND THE FIRE!"
This was a quote from a message given by our Sr. Pastor on Sunday morning, January 9, 2005. The Holy Spirit, through our Pastor, has been encouraging us to build an ALTAR OF PRAYER -- to set aside time for God -- to spend "extra" time with him and to join together as a body in corporate prayer on Wednesday nights. For the past six months we have been faithful to show up on Wednesday evenings -- sometimes with only a handful of God's people -- but the prayer went on.
We have been being encouraged to pray that the Holy Spirit would give us a hunger to pray -- a thirst to pray -- a desperation and a burning in our heart for prayer... PRAISE GOD, I BELIEVE HE BEGAN TO ANSWER THAT PRAYER LAST WEDNESDAY, June 22nd.
During the prayer time that evening I was impressed to blow a Conch Shell and the Spirit of the Lord spoke to us through an Elder in our church to "begin saying YES". Then a reading of Deuteronomy 28 took place and the Conch Shell was blown again. We responded to the Lord and said yes to the Lord and His word in Deuterono my. It seemed as though there was a cracking that took place in the spiri t realm. Not a breakthrough, but the beginning of one. The Holy Spirit was impressing on me about obedience vs. disobedience from Deut. 28. That element was strong and I linked it directly to the "building of the altar" that has been taking place here. The church as a whole needed to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit as He was directing us to "build an altar" -- not just a handful of people responding. We needed to put our lives on hold!
On Sunday the crack was made even larger and it seemed as though this sleeping giant, our Church, was awakening to the voice of God's Spirit regarding the "altar". During the praise & worship time I gave an exhortation about II Chronicles 7. Much of this scripture was about obedience, hunger, thirst, desperation, change, making room for God (or the opposite of those things) -- In the end, Solomon was not obedient and the magnificant temple he built long ago is not only in ruins, but today has a mosque sitting right on top of it -- WOAH!! (Read the whole chapter --I'd love to hear some comments on it).
God also says in that chapter "At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you." These are 3 areas we have been struggling in -- but the exciting thing is verse 14 --- there is a way out of the lack of spiritual rain -- there is a way out of the devouring of our finances -- there is a way that leads to health --- God put a big IF in there -- "IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN and will forgive their sins and heal their land." Oh Praise His Name!!!
It's what God has been speaking to us since the beginning of the year, but our spiritual eyes were blinded and our hearing was hindered. The next thing that happened during Sunday's service, we prayed (through a song) that God would OPEN OUR BLIND EYES! -- UNLOCK OUR DEAF EARS! and He did. The breakthrough was almost there -- we were on the verge of it.
After that, another Pastor delivered a powerful message on prayer and on how we sin if we fail to pray -- there was the obedience issue again! Our Church responded by everyone coming to the altar. Many people testified about what the Holy Spirit was doing in their hearts. I believe the Spirit of God broke through!!
That brings us up to tonight, Wed. June 29. The evidence of the breakthrough was with the turn-out tonight -- and the ease of prayer -- fervent prayer. A large percentage of the church showed up desperate to pray and obey the word of the Lord!! With a cry in our hearts and a longing to be in His presence, we declared:
"Spiritual Rain Over OurChurch, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
"Financial Prosperity Over Our Church, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
"Physical Health Over Our Church, Over My Family, and Over the Families of this Church!"
The Conch Shell was blown and I believe it was the sound of a new beginning for us. The fire of our Lord is burning in our hearts. The flame has been ignited by the Holy Spirit and I, for one, don't want to go back. I want to keep moving forward in God!!
My prayer is that our hunger, thirst, desperation, and passion for change and revolution in our day-to-day lives will grow -- and that no "spirit of darkness" will ever be able to shut up "the voice of the bride" ... ever!!
Here's a copy of our Prayer focus for tonight:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Building an Altar --Together
29 June 2005
TLC Corporate Prayer Gathering
"IF WE BUILD THE ALTAR… HE WILL SEND THE FIRE!" (1-9-05)
2 Chronicles 7
When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not even enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, "He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!"…
So Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do.
Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices.
At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL RAIN TO FALL IN OUR CHURCH, IN MY FAMILY,
AND IN THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
or I might command locusts to devour your crops…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR FINANCIAL PROSPERITY TO COME TO OUR CHURCH, MY FAMILY,
AND THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
or I might send plagues among you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR DIVINE HEALTH TO BE EVIDENT IN OUR CHURCH, IN MY FAMILY,
AND IN THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL WALK IN HUMILITY--PRAY AGAINST PRIDE!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
and pray
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR PRAYER!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
and seek my face
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A DESPERATION TO BE WITH GOD… THAT WE WILL MAKE ROOM FOR HIM IN OUR LIVES!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and turn from their wicked ways,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT HE WILL "OPEN OUR BLIND EYES" AND
"UNLOCK OUR DEAF EARS"!
PRAY THAT WE WILL EXAMINE OURSELVES AND RID OURSELVES OF WICKEDNESS… (SEARCH ME OH GOD)!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will hear from heaven
and will forgive their sins
and heal their land.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY FOR OBEDIENCE SO GOD WILL "HEAR FROM HEAVEN" AND HEAL OUR LAND (CHURCH, MY FAMILY, AND THE FAMILIES OF OUR CHURCH)!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.
"As for you, if you follow me as your father, David, did and obey all my commands, laws, and regulations, then I will not let anyone take away your throne. This is the same promise I gave your father, David, when I said, 'You will never fail to have a successor who rules over Israel.'
"But if you abandon me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL NOT ABANDON OUR GOD AS SOLOMON DID!
BUT THAT MY FAMILY AND THE FAMILIES OF THIS CHURCH WILL BE STEADFAST TO OUR CALLING!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
and disobey the laws
and commands I have given you,
------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY THAT WE WILL OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS AND THAT HE WILL GIVE US A PASSIONATE LOVE FOR HIS WORD!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and if you go and worship other gods,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(ANYTHING! THAT WE PUT ABOVE GOD MAKES IT A gOD IN OUR LIVES)
PRAY THAT WE WILL NOT PUT ANYTHING ELSE ABOVE GOD!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
then I will uproot the people of Israel from this land of mine that I have given them.
I will reject this Temple that I have set apart to honor my name.
I will make it a spectacle of contempt among the nations.
And though this Temple is impressive now, it will become an appalling sight to all who pass by. They will ask, 'Why has the LORD done such terrible things to his land and to his Temple?'
And the answer will be, 'Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead. That is why he brought all these disasters upon them.'"
LET’S MAKE ROOM FOR THE KING IN OUR LIVES!
REVIVAL - Individuals
OurBody
Our Communities
Our City
Our Region
Our Nation
The Nations of the Earth
c2005 Love and Fire Ministries
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