After the Fire

This morning around 9:30 A.M. our daughter left for a babysitting job. By 11:30, there was news of a fire and mandatory evacuations in the area she was located. Needless to say, I kicked into mama-mode. I updated my facebook status with a prayer request, called my husband and started praying. As I prayed, I found myself asking why. Why the outbreak of so many fires recently?

Over the last several weeks, Texas has had major fires and loss of land, property and lives. With the current drought and weather conditions favorable for acceleration, even a small spark could mean widespread devastation very quickly.

Please, God, no more fires. And not here.

News of containment brought relief to my anxious mama heart, but I knew God was speaking to me of another fire...

I am guest posting today for Jen at Finding Heaven. Please click here to read this post in its entirety.

Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose.

 

Repentance, A Response, & A Great Awakening

Saturday was an incredible, intense day of worship, repentance, praise and prayer.  Over 30,000 people attended The Response in Houston, TX and I was honored to have been a part of it.  Over 100,000 others joined online via live-streaming video (that number is probably much greater given the churches who hosted the event only counted as one hit on the internet although there were many in attendance at each location).

As thousands gathered, the only name lifted up was the name of Jesus. Many well-known speakers, pastors, musicians and worship leaders took the stage unannounced. No political or personal agendas, no denominations, no affiliations. Only praises to the King of Kings and personal and corporate repentance on behalf of our individual lives as well as that of our churches, cities, states and nation.

*A CALL TO PRAYER FOR A NATION IN CRISIS*

BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION, AND SOUND THE ALARM!

(Joel 2:1a)

CONSECRATE A FAST, CALL A SACRED ASSEMBLY, GATHER THE PEOPLE...

(Joel 2:15-16a)

SO REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS; RETURN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD, FOR HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL... (Joel 2:13a)

Forgive us, God, for our sins as a nation and as a people. We repent and we say "Truly there is no other God but You!" Hear our cries and heal our land.

Sunday morning our Pastor continued in the book of Joel. Many people came to God for the first time and others who had been away came home. Words of a third Great Awakening came forth Saturday and Sunday. I am excited and looking forward with great anticipation to the things God is going to do through His people. He has called me and you to be a part of this final outpouring of His Spirit. Let us seek Him today with our whole heart...Let us be bold in proclaiming words of truth and standing for righteousness...

"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls."

Joel 2:30-32

Today I am linking with Jen for Soli deo Gloria and Michelle for Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday.

And counting my gifts with Ann Voskamp...

#26-35

hearts repenting

knees bent low and hands lifted high

a nation under God

forgiveness

an outpouring of His Spirit

anticipation of a Great Awakening

leaders who lead

friends who pray

freedom to worship
an unrelenting God

Unworthy but Invited to Come

One by one- secret chambers of my heart are being opened, a light shining into the darkest of corners...exposing that which was hidden even from myself. I can hear a gentle knocking, the Lord calling me to Himself.  The closer I come, the more of me that spills out, revealing things binding me to this place.  Pride, selfish desires and ambitions, unforgiveness, neglect, careless words.  Unworthy to even say His name, yet chosen and asked to come.


Asked to come closer. 


He is calling us to Himself. 

As we submit to His leading and answer His call to come closer, our sins are exposed, idols are identified and strongholds are revealed. In this place of refining, this place where the impurities rise to the top and are scooped away by the Master, the heat is intense and the pressure is extreme but the process is necessary.

One of my spiritual mentors, Dale Gentry, sent this prophetic word out in an email recently:


Prophetic Word for 6-13-11
I hear the Holy Spirit saying, "Come away with me to your secret place (prayer place). Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. Come and sit with me in heavenly places. More than anything else I want your time, your undivided attention. To begin with, you will hear many distracting voices, but eventually you will only hear my voice. A voice that says,THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT."


The Holy Spirit has been speaking this to me for some time now.  Our hearts have been divided and distracted with too many things. 


Do not resist the urging to come closer.  Jesus is preparing His bride for Himself. 

When all of me is stripped away, I pray that the only thing left is Him.  His character, His love, His mercy. 

Let us step away from all the distractions, open our hearts to listen and find Him in the secret place. As we draw closer to Him, change and transformation are inevitable.

But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. ~2 Corinthians 3:16-18



Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ~Jeremiah 29:13

More of you, Lord, less of me.