Jan 12 Remembrances P3

It was exactly 10 years ago.  Well almost exactly--I am writing at about 9:05am, and it was during the 9:00am service that things began to happen.

• The service started, and I was discouraged on the front row.  I was quickly reviewing a message that I would never get to preach.
• After the initial season of worship and during the prayer time of the service, the Holy Spirit began to move.  People began to stream forward to the altar.  People were crying, repenting, seeking God.  We continued to worship and wait on God.
• Honestly, I had this sense like..."I am not sure what's happening right now, and I have no idea what to do about it, but I know this is God...and I know it is good.'  So I decided to do nothing.  And people, on their own, without pastoral prompting or encouragement poured their hearts out to God.
• Dale Biernesser came to me and said, "I think we should pray for people now".  I said, "Great idea...let's do it".  So we called our prayer leaders and they prayed over people.  The service lasted until about 10:45.  The people for the next service were already arriving.  The people from the 9:00 service were not leaving.  There was a major parking problem...but nobody cared.  So people parked on the grass and up and down Duncan.
• So I closed the 9:00 service by saying, "I had a plan to tell you today that our speaker had to cancel for the week.  He had a tragedy in his office, and is not able to come.  I was not sure exactly what to do since we have an entire week of services planned.  I still don't know what to do.  But I can tell you this, God is on the move.  We will be meeting this week.  Our special guest for the week will not be an evangelist.  Our guest for the week will be the Holy Spirit.  We will simply show up and follow His agenda."  When I said this...the entire church cheered and applauded.
• Many of the 9:00 service folks stayed through the 11:00 service.  God continued to move through that service as well.  Hundreds of people were still seeking God and experiencing His power at 2pm.
• Then we were back again for a 6pm service, and the placed was jammed.  The atmosphere was filled with anticipation.  This night began several weeks of services just about every night of the week.

What was the result?  Over 900 people made decisions to follow Christ from January to March 1997.  Over 120 people were baptized in water.  Countless people got their lives right with God. 

One of the signs of that was a trash can that we placed in the front of the church sanctuary, just in front of the pulpit.  We encouraged people to bring the junk of their lives to the altar and dump it in the can.  The building was open all week for people to dispose of their past in the can. 

Every day we would empty the can and there would be drugs, alcohol, magazines, music, books.  Once there was a gun placed in there.

Beyond that, our entire church was changed.  There was a new freedom, a joy, the tangible sense of God's love throughout the worship.  We still have that atmosphere in our church.  It started in 1997.  The atmosphere of our gatherings was forever changed in those moments.

Quite a few of our young people were called into ministry and/or launched into a Christ-centered focus in their schooling or career.  Hundreds of people testified to God healing the emotional wounds of their past as they soaked in the presence of God.  It truly was an amazing day (Jan 12) and an incredible two months.

But it was not without its challenges.  More on that tomorrow.

Comments

[deana]

As we've just entered 2007, I again realize how quickly a year can "go by." Reading these entries, I realize how quickly 10 can as well (we won't talk about my personal aging, that probably makes those years go even faster).

Your entries encourage me to put into writing the work that God accomplished in my life during that time, which is vivid for me as well. He established a truth in my life that is a solid and firm message to this day.

One memory I have from that time: Linda Wilson & I had a trip to the Brownsville church planned for later in January. This "suddenly" happened in our midst, at our own church, shortly before we were to travel and I recall being torn about leaving. I didn't want to miss out on what was happening at APC. What a great feeling--not wanting to leave our church b/c God's presence is so evident! We had embarked on something that was difficult to leave, even for a little while.

But we did go and saw just how awesome and true God is. He is not bound by walls or distance and the Church is one body through the Holy Spirit. It was a wonderful time in my personal history and I'm grateful.

May our church bodies again be irresistable because of Him whom we glorify!

[darlene]

I HAVE JUST READ THE ENTRIES FROM JANUARY 12TH AND AS I SIT HERE I FOUND MYSELF TOTALLY OVERWHELMED ( IN A GOOD WAY) AS I REFLECT ON THE MEMORIES OF THAT 'SUDDENLY' AND I AM SO VERY THANKFUL THAT I WAS IN THE RIVER MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT FOR THOSE 2 MONTHS ( IT SEEMED LIKE NON STOP CHURCH) I EVEN REMEMBER MY FAMILY SAYING THAT I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN AT CHURCH THAT LATE ( WE LEFT SO LATE-- SO MANY OF THE NIGHTS)

GOD HAD SO MUCH WORK TO DO.....
AS I TYPE THIS

BILL'S SALVATION!!!!!!!!!!!PRAISE GOD...

AND THE WORK IN OUR MARRIAGE THAT ONLY COULD HAVE COME UNDER THAT ANOINTING.

[Debbie Erskine]

I was in the 9:00 service that January morning. I can remeber it like it just happened. The presence of God was so evident I didn't want to leave (ever). I think that worship will not be a problem in heaven!!!

I had served the Lord for 20 years, but He was about to start construction on me that I had no idea could lead me to such an intimate relationship with Him.

For me, there has been a lot of life situations that at times consumed me. . .but God never let go, not one time and He transformed me more and continues to do so.

I'm still in the "miracle zone" of my life, but I've learned to trust Him more, to believe His Word more and to know that. . "if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness all these things will be added to you as well." which was the first verse of Scripture I nemorized, as a young 24 year old girl who the Lord Jesus pulled out of the pit of life.

May His name be glorified as He pours out His Spirit at APC.