What Preceded The Suddenly? Remembrances P2

To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of January 12th, 1997--I am writing a series of entries with some remembrances.  So what preceded this 'sudden explosion of the presence of God'?

1. My Personal Experience - in April of 1996, I visited The Brownsville AG Church in Pensacola, Florida to experience the revival that had started there in 1995.  While I was there, I was moved by the hundreds of people streaming to the front to give their lives to Christ.  There was also a powerful atmosphere of the Holy Spirit in that place.  My exposure to God's presence there changed me.
2. Common Vision Spread - As I shared my experience at Brownsville, it whet the appetite of many people at APC to see a move of God in our city.  Several people traveled to Florida to get in on what God was doing there.  More than that, however, was an increased hunger and passion that grew among us.
3. Worship Gatherings - At that time we were meeting on Sunday nights, instead of on Wednesday nights for our extended times of worship.  We dedicated that time to worship, to pray, and to taking communion (preparing our hearts for what God wanted to do).
4. Relational Healing - In August 1996, we hosted our 30th Anniversary Celebration as a church.  This was of enormous significance because it was just 5 or 6 years after what had been a major season of division and conflict in our fellowship.   During this weekend, former pastors, staff, and leaders returned for the celebration.  At that moment, there were still many unresolved issues between these former leaders in our church (which affected so many others as well).  On the final night of the weekend, without plan or prompting, one of these former pastors made a public apology to another.  They cried, embraced, and reconciled.  Wow!  Then we took communion as a church.  At that moment, it was as if the barriers to God's blessing on us as a church were removed.  We were now in position for God to move.
5. Five Months Of Seeking With No Sign Of Anything - As we entered the fall of 06, I continued to expect for something to happen.  But it just seemed 'dead'.  It wasn't that there was any major problem, there was just no sense of breakthrough.
6. Week Of Fasting And Prayer - On January 5th, 1997, I spoke to the church and encouraged them to fast and pray for the upcoming week.  Quote:  God is gathering a wave of His Spirit and we need to get ready to ride it out.  Like a body surfer waits for the next big wave, we wait.  The water seems calm, but that is just a sign of a gathering of momentum.  Very soon God is going to do amazing things among us.  About 200 of us fasted and prayed that week.  Friday night we broke the fast after a Prayer Meeting, and there was a tangible sense of expectation and excitement in the air.
7. God Set The Stage - Right after that Prayer Meeting, I received a call from Ron Heitman.  Ron was coming to be our speaker for Sunday and for the upcoming week of 'revival services' that we had planned.  He called to tell me, 'One of the members in my office has just been in an accident, I will not be able to be with you next week'.  To say that I was disappointed would be a severe understatement.

As I leader I felt totally exposed.  I had led people to fast and pray and believe for God to move.  People did it.  They sacrificed food for an entire week and they were going into this next week of services with huge expectations and faith.

Now I had no speaker and no plan.  On the morning of January 12th, I said to my wife before leaving the house to go to the church, "I would rather be any place else in the world, than have to go and face Allison Park Church this morning".  My plan was to go to church and preach a message telling people not to give up, just because our speaker canceled--we should not be discouraged.

But I was discouraged.  I had very low faith, and very low expectations on that Sunday morning. 

But that was the moment that God moved, when I least expected it, when all my plans had seemed to fail, when my faith was at its lowest point.  Tomorrow, I will write about how it happened.  But for now, I am encouraged that many of the things that I learned at that time.  I am also filled with expectation of what God will do in the near future.

Comments

[Debbie]

10 Years! Wow! I remember that Sunday morning vividly - I remember how low you were - I remember the wave of the Holy Spirit flowing through the church. People's lives were changed dramatically. Almost 3 months of services nightly. Remembering back, seeing what has happened here at APC in the past 10 years, truly an amazing "ride of the wave". Just think - God is on the move here now - there is an anticipation - there is expectancy - "suddenly" will happen! God's timing is always the best! I thank God for you Pastor Jeff and for God allowing me to be a part of this church.

[Leah]

Thank you so much for taking the time to recapture these thoughts and to remind me of God's continuing goodness and faithfulness. I remember being up in my 4 yr. old Sunday School class (with your kids, I think) :-), and my dad came up at the end of the 1st service and said, "I really think you need to go downstairs. Church is happening today." It really was a special and life-defining time for me and I'm excited to see how He continues to do that. Thanks again for your leadership then and now!