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Article 10 I Don't Stop Crying Beloved, After my consecration as an Apostolic Bishop, like Jesus in Mark 1:35-37, I secluded myself to pray and intensely seek the face and presence of God. For most people this is not a popular thing to do but friends, seeking God is one of the most wonderful times one can ever have with God. But even more beautiful is when God comes down to seek your presence for Ohh what a time of refreshing that becomes. So now very quickly, please allow me to share with you what I perceive to be God’s message for us today from 1 Samuel 7.
2005 ASCA Convention But before I do so, let’s first take time to thank God for the great Visitation and Success God gave us in the 2005 All Saints Church Alliance (ASCA) Delaware Convention. Friends, who would have imagined that 8 Bishops and over 2,000 saints from all over the continental US would gather together to seek the face of God together as one? And further who would have imagined how God would visit us mightily like He did? Ohh how I worship Him for indeed this was a great exhibition of His (God’s) Majesty, Power and Presence among us here in the US and I am positive that if we continue being united and faithful as the church was on the day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1],, we will witness the Greatest Outpourings of God’s Glory, Power and Presence [GG-PP] in history. Are you Ready for this?
Greatest Outpouring in 2006 After being with God and as I look forward into 2006, I can now declare that the year 2006 will be the year of Great Outpourings and Manifestation of [GG-PP] God’s Glory, Power and Presence. So begin to prepare yourself for the these outpourings and manifestations of the presence of God both in your life and in the Church of Jesus Christ. Ohh yes, I further believe that more than ever, in 2006, there will be a great quest for God among the saints characterized by a severe hunger and thirst for the Presence of God than at any other time in the history of humankind. This Thirst and Hunger for God [Mathew 5:6] has already begun in most of us -for deep, deep within us, there is a great emptiness that only desires to be satisfied by God and God’s presence in our lives, churches and the world. Friends, thirsting and hungering for God and God’s Presence is the Key to seeing GG-PP God’s Glory- Power and Presence. And guess what, It is only because of this thirst and hunger that we who are alive today will realize just how favored we are in the eyes of God so much so as to be allowed to carry and usher in this great move of God here in the US and over to the rest of the world. So I urge you more than ever to begin preparing yourself for Great Moves of God; Because each one of us has been given a “fire stick”, but as long as the “fire stick” abides alone, it can only burn so much HOWEVER if we all bring allow “fire sticks” to burn together in ONENESS then we will have a BIG BIG Fire of God. On the contrary, if we elect to withdraw our “fire stick” from the each other, the big big fire would be done with! So let’s purpose to answer Christ’s prayer of unity and burn together as One! [John 17:21] I must also let you know that next year ASCA will put up three Great GG-PP Outpouring Conventions - in April, August and November. More details on these GG-PP meetings will be posted at the ASCA website www.asca-usa.org so please do visit the website for the latest details and updates. Now quickly let me share the Rhema Word for us today from 1 Samuel 7- against the backdrop of present day Godlessness, Lukewarmness, Prayerlessness, Idolatry, Humanism, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Famines and Wars. All of which signal the fact that God is in the process of shaking the world.
Prophetic Warning! In the Olivet discourse [Matthew 24:7], Jesus foretold of upcoming famines and earthquakes and in verse 12, He further warned that because of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold — However, Jesus also reassured us that despite all these, there would be a Remnant of God who will remain Faithful, Pure and True to God. These Saints will endure to the end to be saved [Verse 13]. I want to believe that it is these Saints who will faithfully preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the whole world as a testimony, -- and then the end will come” [Matthew 24:14]. So in light of God’s word and where we find ourselves today, we can safely say that the end of the world is “already but not yet” which now allows us to PREACH the Gospel in the US and the rest of the world before the end can come! But saints, who are those who will preach the Gospel, if the Love of many will have already grown cold? Ohh yes, may I further ask you, who will be willing to go against the popular tide of the unbelieving critical humanists in order to preach the unpopular Gospel of God with GG-PP?
Divine Intervention In Israel, there was a time when the people of God were engulfed by spiritual and physical enemies on all sides, a situation that called for Divine Intervention. In the first place the Ark of God which represented the very Presence of God had already been removed from its rightful abode [1 Samuel 6]. This meant that for over 20 years the Presence of God was not central to the lives of the people – a clear proof of the fact that the children of God were now without the “physical” presence of God. Quite an awfully desperate place to find oneself! In the second place, the people of God for the most part, had turned away from God and the worship of God to idols and worshiping the Canaanite gods [see 1 Samuel 7:3-4] which means that Israel had ceased to worship in Truth and in Spirit. So that even though the people may have claimed to be Israelites (a people of God), yet their allegiance was not 100% to Jehovah but to the idols they were now worshipping! It is no wonder then that they would ask for an earthly king so as to be like the other nations --- [1Samuel 7].can you comprehend that drift away from God??? But amidst all this, God is never without a witness for GOD ALWAYS HAS A REMNANT who in this case included the prophet Samuel. So when the people realized their desperation, they called on Samuel to intercede for them before God. In the third place, the people of God found themselves surrounded by their enemies- the Philistines [1 Samuel 7:7] and this is where we see them desperately urging Samuel: “Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us...” [1 Samuel 7:8] Ohh did you notice what the people asked Samuel? But let me ask you, how did the people know that Samuel was a Crying Prophet? To you pastors out there, would the people come to you asking you to not stop crying for them? What exactly does it mean to cry to God for another person and is this a Ministry we Practice? So Why Cry?
Jesus’ Crying In the Bible, Jesus’ life is noted as one characterized by crying, intense prayer and deep agony for instance Jesus wept in John 11:35 when he went to resurrect Lazarus. Then again in Luke 19:41 when he went to save Jerusalem and in Luke 22:44 just before his arrest and crucifixion, in His prayers, Jesus prayed till drops of blood oozed from his body. In all these times, Jesus was supernaturally moved into Prayer, Agony or Crying as a result of a present or future threat or a challenging reality in His life or in the lives of those whom He served. For “in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying (groaning) and tears”. Hebrews 5:7. In other words, the heavy burden in His life or Ministry was intensely agonizing to His spirit driving Him to crying. So birthed in the Spirit, Jesus’ crying painfully pierced through his physically body but went straight into the throne of God who heard Him and Rewarded His efforts. Likewise, this is Confidence and Boldness that must now characterize our Crying and Praying [See 1 Jn. 5:13-15]. So by way of recap, Jesus’ crying is one characterized by an intensely strong unbearable anguish of the soul arising from an acute desperate situation that demanded immediate intercession and/or divine intervention. May I also add that this manner of crying was also seen in the mother of Samuel - Hannah who poured out her heart before God by weeping bitterly until Eli thought of her to be drunk. [See 1 Samuel 1:10, 13-18]. In other words this manner of crying is not induced of any human elements and neither is it human made BUT it is spirit driven and thus greatly demanding physically and intensely draining to the physical flesh. BUT this kind of praying is Powerful, Effective and yields GREAT RESULTS! The enemy knowing this, will therefore do anything in his power to deter the Child of God to fall on their knees to cry unto God. But Saints we must not be hindered, we must travail and prevail in the Name of Jesus Christ our perfect example who we must by all means emulate in this our spiritual warfare. Amen and Amen.
Call to Cry Without doubt, the Israelites knew the impact of such crying and so when they found themselves surrounded by enemies, they quickly asked Samuel to cry on their behalf. This is a classic example of what needs to happen today. But my question is where is the “Crying Church”? A Crying Church that maketh intercession for God’s Kingdom today? In order for us to witness GG-PP God’s Glory- Power and Presence we must now heed to Prophet Joel’s call: “Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament O Priests. WAIL, O Ministers of the Altar. Come spend the night in sackcloth O ministers of God” [Joel 1:13]. O yes, let the Priests and the Ministers “WEEP” between the porch and the altar [Joel 1:17] So the challenge is not to preach or sacrifice But to CRY, WEEP & WAIL. Friends, THIS IS THE MISSING INGREDIENT IN OUR SPIRTUALITY TODAY. For very very rarely do you see Priests and Ministers with a vibrant “Altar Crying, Wailing and Weeping Ministry” and yet this is an important CALL for the church of Jesus Christ today! ---the call to intercede between God and the people and between the people and God. Will we as Saints of God arise to this call? For how else shall we call upon the Lord to save us? I believe God is calling the Church into “sackcloth humility”. For only thus will the Church become Victorious against her enemies for remember we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and forces of darkness in high places. Friends should I also remind us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through the Holy Ghost? So then let’s not fight as the world fights, but as God calls!
Stir, Intercede & Stand My friend, what have you heard? Are you troubled? Does everything seem dark and gloom in your life? And how about your church, does it seem so dry, dull and boring? And how is your spiritual journey, do you feel like the enemy is winning? Then you need to do like Nehemiah did when he heard the sad/bad news from Jerusalem: - “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven” [Nehemiah 1:4] And just like Samuel cried, for the enemies of God to be defeated, let us arise and take our positions on our knees between the altar and the porch and Cry for our lives, families, nation, churches and the Kingdom of God. And O that we may become violent in our “Altar Cry, Wail and Weeping Ministry” so that the Kingdom of God may Victorious March forth! My message for the Church is that God is looking for a people broken and on their knees crying unto God. Yes, faithful, praying, humble servants of God that will: 1. STIR themselves to get hold of God [Isaiah 64:7]; 2. INTERCEED for the people before God [Isaiah 63:5] and 3. STAND in the Gap so that God will not destroy the land [Ezekiel 22:30]. And for those who are already sowing in tears, let me remind us that according to Psalm 126:5-6, we will harvest in Joy: For “those who sow in tears for they shall reap with joyful shouting. And he who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy bringing his sheaves with him”. So beloved, whatever you do and wherever you are, until breakthrough comes DON’T STOP CRYING! And let me also add that until the enemy is vanquished and you can boldly say like Samuel that the Lord is my “Ebenezar” …1 Samuel 7:12 -- DON’T STOP CRYING!! Amen and Amen! Thanks for now In the gap Crying, Bishop Dagi ........................ Respectively Submitted by, Bishop Dr. Douglas Muchiri P. O. Box 256 Urbana, Ohio. USA » TOP |
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