February 2023: It's Time!

 

Hello friends!   My message today is simple: It's time. During our 21 Days of Prayer, it became clear to me that the rebuilding of the Lord's house has begun in earnest. Many of us have noticed a deeper HUNGER among the congregation during our Sunday worship and during times of prayer. In fact, it's become so evident that SOMETHING is happening, that I have talked to several people who are continuing to fast and pray because they are consecrating themselves in preparation. Prepare in Prayer We held special Upper Zoom meetings during the 21 Days of prayer. In one of the meetings, I had the unction to announce that we will be having special Sunday night Upper Zoom Meetings during the Lenten season to pray specifically for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, signs, miracles, and wonders. In addition, I am also encouraging people to fast one day a week as we prepare for Resurrection Sunday on April 9. When the fire fell at Azusa I revisited one of my favorite revival books written by Frank Barlteman entitled: How Pentecost came to Los Angeles: the story behind the Azusa street revival. It's a great read because Bartleman is hardcore and tells it like it is. If he believed that people were failing God, then he wasn't shy about saying it!  Reading this book, you realize that what happened at Azusa wasn't an accident. There had been much preparation, struggle, and warfare in prayer before the fire fell and the Spirit poured out. Bartleman recounted how Pentecost came to Los Angeles during Easter Season.  This was also during the time of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake that leveled my hometown. I got excited because, like those in Los Angeles, many now are preparing in prayer. In the past few months, I have heard about several early morning prayer meetings starting.  One meeting starts at 5 AM! A friend told me that her prayer meeting which used to get about 15 or 20 people had over 50 people last month!!  It's Time Specific areas to pray into God is on the move and the enemy is trying to distract and disrupt, but as the faithful and wise man Job said, “I know that you can do all things;  no purpose of yours can be thwarted. " - Job 42:2 (NIV) Let's all stand together and pray that every plan of the enemy is canceled in Jesus' name!    I do believe there are specific areas for all of us to pray into. An outpouring of the Holy Spirit with eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. (We don't want to be passed by) Repentance and Restoration Miracles, Signs, and Wonders Families specifically around marriages and kids. Pray especially for the families of leaders in the Lord's church that families are restored and set free. Transition It's time For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. - Habakkuk 2:3