Thursday 4-30-15 (Gaiman IBP, Argentina)
Scripture reading: 2 Sam 6 1 Chron
13 Ps 68 Matt 17
S. Ps 68:28 Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the
past. NLT
O. King David had witnessed many might acts of
the Lord, but now he is asking for an update.
A. Too often we live on experiences from the
past. Back in “those days” we remember
the whole church was on its knees and God’s blessing poured down like an abundant
waterfall. Back in “those days” we
witnessed powerful healing miracles. But
what we often forget is that back in “those days” we often waited patiently on
our faces before the Lord for hours at a time.
Our hunger for God’s move drove us to fall on our faces before the Lord
and we didn’t just jump up and dash out to watch the ball game.
It happened at South East Assembly of God held in an old Grange Hall on
S.E. 94th and Ramona St. a humble area called Lents on the outskirts
of Portland, Oregon. I was 17 years
old. Ron Bunn, our 19 year old youth
leader asked Pastor Noble Ballew for permission to have a youth prayer meeting
on Friday nights. Pastor Ballew was only
25 years old himself and he showed up with us adolescents. We sat on the floor up front while Brother
Dougherty played the piano. We sang some
worship choruses, somebody read a scripture and we prayed… each in our own
place and way. As I recall we did not
have anyone lead in prayer. We just
prayed. Then later someone may have offered
a testimony or a word from the Lord and we sang again and worshiped and then
returned to prayer. That first Friday we
were there less than 2 hours. But then
Friday after Friday the power of God started to fall. One by one we were baptized in the Holy
Spirit and worshiped the Lord in unknown tongues. I was under a bench on the platform when
God’s Spirit reached me. Then our
friends from the Methodist church and the Evangelical Free Church and the
Baptist Church saw the change in our lives and came to join us in prayer. Many received the Holy Spirit baptism. Within less than a year our church had
outgrown our facility.
What has happened to those times? Why do we not see a repeat? Well, for one thing I remember taking a city
bus home from those meetings at 4 AM. We
were hungry enough for God to wait in His presence for His touch on our
lives.
Isa 40:31 They that wait upon the LORD shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. KJV
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in
the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. KJV
“Tarry” (meaning to wait) is an old fashioned word that has
dropped out of our English vocabulary and unfortunately “waiting on the Lord”
has dropped out of our Christian culture.
P. Lord, I confess that I am guilty like the
rest of us. I am too busy to “tarry” on
my face before You for hours. I want
Your blessing and I want it now. Our
culture has gone from a farming culture to an industrial one. Our lives are no longer governed by the
seasons of the year. Instead we have
become slaves to the clock on the wall.
So I cry with David, “Summon your might, O
God. Display your power, O God, as you
have in the past.” Give us a hunger and thirst for
You that will drive us to our knees once more to “tarry” in Your presence. Amen.
Ralph
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