Spread the Fire - January 2008 - (Page 8)

That was thirty- six years ago, thirty of which have been in full time ministry. We have been privileged to witness and also participate in many significant visitations of God in the United States, Mexico, Spain, Europe and other nations and have seen the glory and grace of God regenerating multitudes and building His church in cities and nations all over the world. Our primary ministry is to drug addicts, and we have seen the Lord touch these broken lives through the signs and wonders of the Gospel as well as all the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the New Testament in varying degrees of power. We have also seen, again and again, Satan take advantage of those who are not on guard in these seasons bringing them into excesses and doctrinal errors in order to discredit, diminish, and prematurely end every true visitation of God. There is one common factor among them: the inability to remain centered on Jesus Christ. So how is it possible to avoid these pitfalls and find the River of life and sustain ourselves in its flow in between these times of heightened spiritual activity so that we may survive and thrive until the next visitation of God? FINDING THE SECRET RIVER I have found much comfort in the story of the visitation of God during the time of Elijah. Before his time, Israel had experienced other visitations of God’s power and glory, and now they found themselves between visitations. The drought began at Elijah’s word, ‘There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’ (I Kings 17:1 KJV) Why did Elijah pronounce this curse? God was judging the nation of Israel because Jezebel and Ahab had drawn them away from God and into Baal worship. When Ahab accused Elijah of causing the drought, Elijah replied, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house…’ (I K18:18 KJV) “ I have observed a paradox: visitation divides If there is no rain, it is never God’s fault. The Holy Spirit is grieved because men have sinned and hardened their hearts to Him. When this happens, and it sometimes happens to Christians, no amount of spiritual activity, including lying down hoping to soak in God’s presence will restore the sense of His love until we listen to Him and confess and abandon the sin that grieves Him. We live in Madrid where springs are green and the countryside flourishes with wild flowers and life; but the rains end in May and do not return until October. By the time August arrives, there is not even a blade of green grass because there is no water. I don’t know how Israel survived three years of drought, but I know that we can end our spiritual drought by listening to God who will tell us where to go and how not only to survive but also flourish. God preserved Elijah during the drought. He spoke to him, ‘Get thee hence…and hide thyself by the brook Cherith…thou shalt drink of the brook.’ (I K 17:3, 4 KJV) In Hebrew, the word Keryth or Cherith means “a cut, a trench or a cleft.” It is not a common word in the Bible, but it also appears in Exodus 33 in the passage where Moses prayed, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.’ And the Lord replied, ‘Yes…but you cannot see My face and full glory and live. There is, however, a place by me. You shall stand upon a rock…And when my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft, keryth, of the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by.’ The rock symbolizes Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, the Father made a cleft for us to hide. It is no accident that the Roman soldier thrust a spear into His side. Out of it flowed a fountain of blood and water for the redemption of the human race. We enter God the Father’s S TF - 8

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Spread the Fire - January 2008 Contents In the River Thriving Between Times of Revival How the River Changed Our Church Taking Our Revival Temperature Therefore, Go... International Itinerary Resource Center Catalogue Upcoming Events Visitor Information

Spread the Fire - January 2008

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