Friday, November 6, 2009

Intimacy with God

God is birthing a new hunger in His church. A hunger for Himself. He is placing that hunger in me. I know He is placing it in others around me too. Over the past month, threaded through my sermons and even the books I have been reading, a curious pattern has been emerging. "Seek Me with all your heart."

Last week, at the urging of a member, we began a study by Bob Mumford on Sunday night called 'unshared love.' Little did I know it would be about intimacy with God. And oh, did God get ahold of us! Jealous love! Awesome love.

This week, an email solicitation by a Christian video site caught my eye. I never watch them...in fact, I have never watched a video there before. But something drew me to the one, "Revival Redux." It was a compilation of Revivalist sermons - all pointing to one thing: Intimacy with God. After watching it, I wept and went to my knees. Everytime I spoke of it, I wept. I was ovewhelmed.

By coincidence - my sermon was on "The kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force." - which I only wrote one page on and felt led to show that video to conclude the service with prayer and repentance.

I am fully expecting God to do something remarkable this Sunday.

Sweet Smell of God's Presence

On Sunday October 11th, our community gathered for a worship event called UNO (unity in northeast ohio). People from over 30 churches gathered at the Mentor Arts Center to worship together. 16 pastors read/proclaimed the word of God. It was an awesome event. It was also the fulfillment of a literal dream God had given me nearly 6 months ago.

In that dream, I was speaking in a multi-tiered worship center, crowded with people. The Mentor Arts Center is a sloped auditorium with a spacious balcony. After I read my scriptures, and walked off the stage, I felt the overwhelming sensation that I was on staff at a large church with a whole bunch of other pastors.

Four days later, while driving to our pastor's meeting in Madison, driving with my windows shut, I was overwhelmed by the scent of perfume. When I reached my destination and stepped out of my car, I could still smell it. So I told the pastors about it...who kind of smiled. Later that week, one of them told me that on his way home from the meeting, he also caught the smell at the intersection of 528 and Rt. 20...unmistakeable and with his windows shut!

Concusion? God was displaying His glory for our community! His favor rests upon our city and our community as we have gathered in His Name and unified for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom!