On fire!

"I believe that tonight the world is going to hell fire because the church has lost Holy Ghost fire, it’s as simple as that." -Leonard Ravenhill

I always find myself railing against what I see as an inactive world church powerless to be apart of the extraordinary mission of God. I think at times it makes me less friends than detractors, but every time I read the bible, I find a church filled with the power of the Holy Spirit on the move. They didn't come to church. THEY WERE THE CHURCH! But not on their own power or cleverness. It was because they were filled over flowing with the power of the Holy Spirit that compelled them out into a world in darkness. A group of torch bearers spreading the light of Jesus and His Gospel message.

We and I mean I so many ways, have become so stagnate. We come to church, we expect a emotional build up that makes us feel good, and then we dissipate in excitement until next Sunday, but that is not the model of the bible or of our examples given to us is it?

Acts 2:1-4 "When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability." Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles and raised his voice to address them: "Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words."

At the encounter with the Holy Spirit, we see a group of people working in their giftings openly among the people and at the height of this as people are saying, "These men must be drunk!", Peter stand up and begins to proclaim the Gospel!

This then begins the Church of Jesus activated by the power of the Holy Spirit being compelled to share this amazing message! We see Peter, Stephen, Paul, and so many others empower to Go to the far reaches of the world.

My questions I guess are:

Is it that we aren't educated enough in scripture?

Is it that we don't have that calling anymore as a church?

Or is it that we have lost focus on our first love and desire for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in power in our gatherings?

Before this upsets someone, I'm not saying those that believe that it is possible have stopped believing, but that to wait like these men waited....to place the timetable in Gods hands as become an inconvenience. Have we time managed the real reason for gathering out of our church's? Have we allowed a board meeting business model to take the place of a Holy Ghost encounter?

Church this way is the way of the Methodists and many other denominations that at one time were in the midst of revival and the fire of God, but now stand broken and hollow in many places.

Dominion of this land was the very first mission God gave mankind and we are letting it go to the way side for convenient end times eschatology that says this place is going down and we are going up. "Take dominion" is still the mission as shown by the live of Jesus and his command, "Go and make disciples of nations!"

If this has stirred something up, go to a place....any place and begin to pray like I have began to pray this year,

"God send the fire! In my life, send the fire! In my church, send the fire! In the leadership, send the fire! Light this city up God and send the fire that compels us into your mission to take dominion of this land for your glory and honor in Jesus name!"

- Posted in the moment