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Happy Father’s Day!

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The Brownsville Revival began on Father’s Day, June 18, 1995. The historic spiritual awakening broke out at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. Led by evangelist Steve Hill, pastor John Kilpatrick, and worship leader Lindell Cooley, the movement lasted for five years. It drew millions of visitors and recorded over 150,000 conversions to Christianity.

That was then this is now. J. Lee Grady, of CBN wrote the following article titled, What Happened to Brownsville’s Fire? stating: “….my heart is still grieved that the church where this marvelous outpouring occurred is now a burned-out shell. The pastor of the church during the revival, John Kilpatrick, resigned in 2003 and told parishioners he planned to remain at the church in an apostolic role. Kilpatrick installed Randy Feldschau as the new pastor, then this year Kilpatrick shocked the congregation by starting a new church in Daphne, Ala., 50 miles west of Pensacola. Feldschau resigned a few months ago and moved to Texas, and Brownsville’s attendance has dipped below 400. One former staff member told me that a large group of Brownsville members now attend a local Southern Baptist church in the city, while many others don’t go anywhere. “People have been leaving for three or four years,” the pastor told me. “Some are not in church at all, including some who were on staff. I don’t know anyone who has not been hurt.”

What is it about human nature that grows accustomed to the other worldly? The supernatural? The Manifest Presence of God? We criticize the Israelites in the wilderness who grumbled at the supernatural provision of manna, or had the audacity, and presumption to challenge Moses’s leadership. (The one who was meeting with God daily – “talking face to face as friends.”) This same human tendency was manifested during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Religious leaders and common folk alike ridiculed, criticized, and condemned the ministry, miracles and teachings of Jesus eventually crucifying Him for telling them the truth: I AM God! Familiarity breeds contempt. Obviously we become too familiar with an unfamiliar God. BUT…? Often we overlook the manifestations of God in the ordinary; taking them for granted just as Israel had done, and is still doing, with God. What am I referring to? The fathers in our lives. Though they have feet of clay, and have often disappointed, they still reflect the goodness of God in many ways. Yet we live in a culture that blames everything on them. As a culture we will do anything that will keep us from taking responsibility for our own actions, and choices. The most privileged people in the entire world are the least grateful for the everyday things they readily, and freely take for granted. As a young teen all I could do was find fault with my parents, especially my father. But as I grew older, and saw my actions and reflection in his, I realized he was doing the best he could. Recently I was humbled to realize any fool can criticize. But it takes a humble person to acknowledge the good things – the God things that flow from some of the most ordinary places and the most ordinary things. And some of the most ordinary are our fathers. I realized that gratitude and honor were intimately connected. Why didn’t I honor my father as a teen (or for that matter as a young adult)? I failed to be grateful for the things he had given me. I failed to acknowledge that every good thing is from above (it sure isn’t from the devil). As I take stock of those things over the years I realize that even the bad things are what made me who I am today. I realize, and I am grateful that my Dad chose me. (In a day when parents murder their unborn children like they are taking out the trash – that’s something I can honor my Dad for). My Dad worked hard to provide me with food, shelter, clothes, education, water to drink, etc. – everyday. He sacrificed his life in order that I might have life. I can honor my Dad for that. My Dad chose to follow Jesus and led my Mom, sister and I in following Jesus too. My Dad loved the Word of God. I love the Word of God. My Dad faithfully served in the church and faithfully served pastors (still does). My Dad gave me a work ethic. I could keep going but I will spare you the obvious. Maybe you didn’t have the example I did but you had someone. There is someone who may have taken the place of that father. You can honor them.

This Fathers’ Day is THE FATHER’S DAY!  Revival comes to the thankful, the hungry, the thirsty, and those who know they are unworthy. May God revive honor in our hearts for the ordinary, mundane, everyday miracles that walk among us everyday. May God revive in us humble gratitude for the extraordinary kindness of God wrapped up in someone quite ordinary – our fathers. Hey and why you are at it. Pay some respect and gratitude to your spiritual fathers who made this way of life possible. We owe them our lives, respect and gratitude. I’m talking about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln just to name a few. And never forget that how you treat those earthly fathers, and spiritual fathers is only a mirror reflection of how you treat your Heavenly Father. Try replacing your criticism with gratitude. Cease to participate with the Prince of the Power of the Air – the Second Heaven. Move beyond the Second Heaven into the Third Heaven and look at things from God’s perspective. Hey, and who knows, maybe this Father’s Day at Bethany Church can be a day we honor our Heavenly Father for visiting us with revival. (Crazy thought)

Threshing Floors, Separation, and Christmas

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Genesis 50:5, 10, 13 My father made me swear, saying, I am about to die; in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. So now let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again.…And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond [west of] the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great lamentation and extreme demonstrations of sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and [Joseph] made a mourning for his father seven days....For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought, along with the field, for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite.

2 Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it.

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

I am often amazed at the symbolic patterns which are hidden within seemingly, insignificant verses. The reoccurring topic of the threshing floor is one that yields rich treasures of wisdom and truth. Consider again the story of Ruth which on the surface should be the last Scripture a pastor chooses for Christmas – but here we must arrive. Ruth 3:2 And now is not Boaz, with whose maidens you were, our relative? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rachel, Jacob, Leah, Boaz, Ruth, and David – all have one thing in common: the significance of the threshing floor. Why does this topic appear throughout the narrative? Threshing floors were used for one thing: separating. Separating through threshing (crushing), and separating through winnowing (tossing grain and chaff in the air).

In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Himself as the Temple, and the Old Testament informs us that the Temple was built on a threshing floor. Thus the “rock” on which Jesus stands is the place of threshing and winnowing. It was the foundation of His life, and the path His feet walked. The threshing floor of Jesus is the foundation of the who’s who of the Hall of Faith. It is what Christmas is all about. John 3:19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. His Light has entered our darkness. That by itself is separation. Are you cooperating with His process of threshing and winnowing the grains of His Word to rise in your life into Living Bread? Are you becoming living bread?

Confession & Declaration 27

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Revelation 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

This scene occurs in Heaven’s Throne Room. What’s phenomenal to me is the last part of verse 8: golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

Think on that: Golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. We have no idea how precious we are to God. Yet here in this passage it is so beautifully illustrated. Your prayers, and my prayers are mingled with the prayers of all the saints, from all the ages. Can you imagine? Your prayers are mingled with Noah’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s, Jacob’s, Joseph’s, Moses’, and Joshua’s. They are mingled with the prayers of the prophets, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Crazier still? Our prayers have been mingled with the prayers of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That should cause you to pause.

Now you might ask, What does this have to do with overcoming the enemy? The answers are varied but ultimately you should be getting a picture of what a treasure you are to God. The enemy wants to remind you of your frailties, and failures. He wants to accuse and condemn you. What you need to see is that there’s a reason why that is. Do you remember the meditation regarding being co-heirs with Christ? Do you remember that all things that belong to Jesus – belong to us? Well guess who Jesus owns? All the angels and demons. And Jesus shares that ownership with you. The devil hates you because Jesus Christ so valued mankind that He chose to share the stewardship of the entire universe with us. In comparison to angels we are frail, puny, weak men, and women. Yet God shares the stewardship of the universe with us – entrusting us – through our prayers. Prayers which move the heart and hand of God. Prayers, which are led by the Spirit of God, lifted before the Father, through Jesus. Your prayers shape world events. Your prayers move through the universe ushering in the Kingdom of God. Thus, you overcome the accuser through the prayers of the Spirit lifted before your Intercessor Jesus. And God the Father? He answers with thunder, power and wonder.

Declaration 27: Holy Father I stand amazed and awed by Your great love and the mystery of choosing man to co-labor along side of You. Thank You for including us in the stewardship of the world. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for praying through me – intermingling my intercessions with those of the Spirit, Jesus, and the saints. Thank You that I am a co-heir with Jesus, through Jesus’ conquering resurrection. Through Your Resurrection and Ascension Satan is defeated, and death has lost its sting! Thank You Jesus that Your coming back and that I will reign with You! Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to add more and more prayers to the golden bowls before Your Return. Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to pray in Your Spirit, from my spirit, as I abide in Your Word – let Your Words abide in me. Hallelujah I thank You Jesus that the Living Word of God dwells in me and that I am seated in heavenly realms with You!

Who’s Your One? Wednesday, February 5, Day 24