Iwas reading in Acts 4:31 about the early church and how they prayed together and the “place in which they were gathered together was shaken.” This passage and other supernatural things came up in a group setting the other day and I was amazed at the number of people in the church who have never experienced the Holy Spirit showing up and showing off for lack of a better way to put it. Just so you know I’m not what they used to call a “charismatic” and even if I was it would be okay. I’m a conservative, uptight Baptist that is so far right that I have come back up on the left. That’s a good thing because there is a lot of love on the “left” and the “right” should remember that’s what the church is supposed to be about.
My point is as I thought about when, where or how I have experienced the Lord showing up and when I have felt buildings shake it’s not really so uncommon. I’m not saying the building actually shakes but it sure feels like it every Monday morning when I hang out with about five other men. It’s one of the best things I do all week. These guys are the real deal. They love Jesus and they love each other, and I am always encouraged by these men, no doubt the Holy Ghost (for you KJV folks) is there and you feel His presence. We were in Houston a year ago for a mission trip. We went out all week to share Jesus with Muslims and we worshiped on Sunday at First Baptist Church in Houston and oh man, that building shook. We sat in the front row and the team that led the music part of the service were dripping with the Spirit. The Word was shared with power and I still remember the sermon like it was yesterday!
When we lived in Waxahachie the Spirit visited on a regular basis. It was hard not to stand and sing as loud as you could and raise your hands in awe of God. I heard people during times of prayer acknowledge their sin and confess their sins to one another (James 5:16). Can you believe it - Christians actually doing what the Bible tells them to do. How good is that?!
This last Tuesday the Blonde and I spent the evening on Zoom with some people we love a lot and we prayed together and it was a prayer time like I don’t experience very often. One member of the group said they still had 36 percent juice on their phone so let’s keep going!
A year ago in July we were gathered with our tribe in a very plain building we refer to as “World Headquarters” and it has served as ground zero for God to reach out and touch people. We gathered a couple of dozen in that small building without air conditioning (in July) for three nights and God was a very present force.
God is more than willing to show up, the problem is most people don’t want Him to. They like being in control, they like dry, they like the natural versus the supernatural, they don’t want any “God surprises.”
A worship service or a small group gathering is too often like the Road to Emmaus story in Luke 24. Jesus is there walking along beside a couple of disciples, but they don’t recognize Him. Later they say, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?” Are you waiting for God to show up? Guess what? He’s saying the same thing about you. Your physical body might be in a room dedicated to worship but where is your heart?
He asked me to ask you that.
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