Push in toward the Winds…and sail on!
I’ve been more and more aware this past two weeks of the great need for an uptick of our intercessory prayer around here at the Vineyard. Several recent developments have brought me to this conclusion.
First, it was interesting that when Bill & Darlene Davis were here with us in late August, Bill mentioned to me this great need at our church for more intercessory prayer. He senses, as we do, that God is pouring out a greater release of His power and presence in our church and with that outpouring comes a much greater need for intercessory prayer to be “behind the scenes”, covering and interceding for all God is doing. One night of our weekly sessions, Bill & Darlene identified at least one person in our midst who carries a true burden for intercessory prayer, and he took some extra time praying over that person. I believe this was just one incident that needs to be repeated more and more in our midst. Just yesterday on the phone, Bill & I talked about getting all of our intercessory prayer people together for a special meeting when Bill & Darlene return in late October.
Second, on the day we dropped Bill & Darlene off at the airport, we were discussing all the good fruit we had seen from the week of meetings. I decided to ask Bill, since he has been around moves of God like this before, what he saw coming next for us. Without hesitation, Bill said emphatically, “warfare”. With a gulp, I realized once more, that nothing God wants to birth on this planet or in our hearts comes without a battle. As born-again followers of Jesus, we need to fully recognize that Kingdom theology establishes this one truth. We live in a time between the times. Jesus has come. God’s Kingdom and His King has been inaugurated and firmly established in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But while the final decision on WHO will win the war has firmly been decided, the day-to-day war over men’s hearts rages on. With the eternal destinies of all men, women, and children hanging in the balance, we, as God’s ambassadors of His in-breaking Kingdom, push forward toward that day of final consummation, when all creation will finally bow at the feet of Jesus, ushering in God’s Kingdom rule and reign for all time. As we go through this time of warfare, intercessory prayer (agreeing with God’s will to be firmly established here on earth, over and above our fleshly wills or the will of Satan) is needed in increased ways.
Third, This last week had a number of very intense personal battles for me. As I mentioned on Sunday morning (hear the 9/6/09 MP3 on our website), the last two years has not been an easy season as Sandy & I have attempted to turn this ship called Vineyard Church of Cedar Rapids in a direction that is in complete alignment with the words and works of God that first started the Vineyard family back in the early 1980’s. It’s time for us to be Kingdom people, Holy-Spirit in-dwelled and empowered, giving ourselves over completely to the unique Kingdom call upon our lives. It’s time to jettison the peripheral add-ons of typical American church programming and get back to Doin’ the Stuff. Entering more into “Jesus’ ministry” as described in Isaiah 61 or Luke 4: 18-19 and doing much less of “our ministry” that includes doing a bunch of nice things for Jesus!
I’m going to be talking about this more on Sunday morning. I had originally planned to be gone this Sunday (Sept 13) but I sense I need to follow up on the teaching I gave last Sunday morning and spell out for us where I believe God is taking us as a church family. I ask you to PLEASE be praying (intercessory prayer!) for me and for all of us, that we. as a church body, will be listening very carefully right now to what the Spirit is saying in our midst. The winds of CHANGE are upon us and we need to be pushing in toward those winds, so our sails can take us where God wants us to go!
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