Friday, February 20, 2015

Winterfire 2015 - Thursday evening

It is SO GOOD to be here in this apostolic atmosphere of praise and worship to Jesus!!!  Everyone is just genuinely thrilled to have this opportunity to bind together and draw strength from one another and receive refreshing and direction from the Lord.    It has been interesting to watch God unfold HIS plan for this conference.  People who were supposed to be here to speak couldn't make it, people who were only to promote things ended up preaching, and the order of things got all mixed up, yet we are seeing that it is really not mixed up at all.  God knew which messages needed to be preached and in what order.  His divine rearrangement has meant that one message has built upon another in an incredibly powerful way!  
     First, a couple of pictures....

There are a LOT of apostolic pentecostals here!!!!





     The first speaker was Thursday night. Brother Michael Ensey was not supposed to preach.  But preach he did!  He brought a message about GOD building the church, not us.  Matt. 16:18, Jesus said I WILL build my church, and the gates of hell WILL NOT prevail against it.  In Ps. 127:1, it says "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it."  It is HIS church.  He built it, and he bought it.  In fact, He is STILL building it! He is the designer and architect, and supplier of the right materials. This takes a lot of pressure off us.  WE aren't building it.  It doesn't matter who says you can't have a church in Essex, the Lord is building the house, and He will finish what He has started.  
     God does not build like we do.  He uses very unconventional methods.  He wants it to be real clear and evident who the builder/designer is.  He builds with just the right materials that will last over time.  The foundation is the most important part.  If we don't get the foundation right, nothing else matters.  the rest of the building will crack and crumble.  The foundation of the church is TRUTH!  Faithfulness to the Word of God!
  • 2 Tim. 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
  • Deuteronomy 6;4 - Hear o Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE.
  • John 3:5 - Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
  • Acts 2:1-4 - And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the ability.
  • Leviticus 20:7 - Be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.
  • 2 Corinthians 6:17 - Come out from among them and be ye separate.
  • Ps. 150 - Praise ye the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in the firmament of His power!  Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!......Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord!
  • John 4:35 - Lift your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.
One God, the new birth experience, holiness, and evangelism.  This is our foundation.  We are a house built upon the Rock!
     After the foundation, you have the structure itself.  Eph. 2:21-22 shows us God's building method.  All the people He brings into the church are like stones "fitly framed together".  One broken life fitly framed together with another broken life paints a powerful picture of God's mercy and grace.  God builds in a way we would not.  When David was running from Saul and hiding in caves, a group of men went with him. No, not mighty men of war, but 1 Samuel 22:2 says they were people in distress, in debt, and discontented.  What a motley crew!    But if you keep reading, the story shows how these same people became transformed into mighty men of God!  We may have a very different idea about what the "perfect church" looks like.  But God disqualifies no one!  If ANY MAN thirst, let him come and receive this living water that Jesus offers!  Depressed, addicted, abused, neglected, rejected, lonely, broken.....let God fitly frame you into His glorious church!

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