09 September, 2006

The River... 5 months later

* If you have not read my previous post about the vision of the River which I posted in April, you need to stop and go read it first. For your convenience, I have reposted it, and you will find it just below this post.Okay, five months have passed since I had that vision. One thing that I did not write about here but have shared with a few of my family and close friends is that in this vision, the Lord showed me who would be leaving my church. I never told anyone, not even my wife, who those people would be. I want to make it clear, that this is not saying anything negative about those people/families; only that the Lord showed me that they would be leaving.
Immediately after sharing this vision, literally the very next day, the first ones left. I have to admit that I was a little stunned, not that they left, but that it was happening so quickly. Since then there have been several others go. Just this morning I received a phone call from someone telling me that they were leaving the church. The really odd thing is that as each of these people left, while I hated to see any of them go, I knew they were supposed to, because the Lord showed me this back in April, so not once did I try to pursuade any of them to stay, but rather blessed them and sent them on their way. This was at times difficult, because our church has really struggled financially this summer, to the point that we still are not caught up with everything. Yet, I knew I was to let them go. Also, our attendance has been terrible. Seven months ago we were averaging around 60 in Sunday morning worship. Over the past few months, it has dropped by 15- 25 each week, with a low of 28 just a few weeks ago. Normally this would be very discouraging to me, but there has been a peace inside. Then entire vision has kept me in proper focus, but in particular this line where the Lord instructed me:
"Keep your eyes on the river, not on the size of crowd."

I've got to tell you, that for much of this period, it has been dry in our church. Sometimes I have been like, "OK God... when?" But there was periodic moments where God's presence was manifest in our church in a marvelous way. Then all of a sudden, just a few weeks ago, there was another shifting. A new attitude of worship has been there, and you can sense the hunger in people as they have gone after God. Still, I have known we are not quite there. But I can feel the River accelerating, and for lack of a better way of expressing it, I felt like God was saying, "Just let yourself get swept away in me."

I said all this for others (especially in my church) to be encouraged and to know, it is happening, and there is a transitioning taking place in the Body of Christ, and a breakthrough anointing is getting ready to sweep across this land.

Specifically let me remind my church of what the Lord spoke to me:
"I will move in this church to the degree that you will allow me to move."I challenge you as never before to go after God with all your heart, soul and mind. I dare you to become instruments of worship and to give yourself to the Lord with reckless abandon.
Get ready!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The river vision is one of the most powerful things I have seen in my life and it has truly impacted this church.

Honestly, I'm glad you have stuck it out and stayed in the river. The breakthrough and breakout is coming there, I believe that. Know that you and your ministry impacted this church and I am personally thnakful to call you friend and have you as my D.O.

Deborha's Palm Tree said...

Pastor,

Thank you for your commitment and heart to see GOD move in this community. We are praying. God Bless you and yours with every good thing from the throne room of heaven!

In,through and to HIM! PRAISE!

Sean McKee said...

...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

As long as you are leading to, and walking along, the narrow way you are doing God's work.