In our three children's church services this past weekend, my heart was filled with thankfulness as I watched our children worship God. So many of our children were passionate in their pursuit after His presence and glory. During the time of praise, excitement filled our auditorium. During the time of worship, it was so easy to see their love for Jesus. These worshippers had their hands stretched towards heaven. The passion of their hearts was open for display.
Why did this happen? As I looked around the room, I could see my staff passionate in the demonstration of their love for God. Every teenager and adult was actively involved. Every teenager and adult was strategically visible for setting the example of what God was looking for. While their worship wasn't done for "performance" sake, it was a 2009 rendering of Paul's "Follow me as I follow Christ". Our children were just following the example set forth by our staff.
If your children aren't worshipping in your services, it might be good to examine what your children are seeing. Can your children see your staff or is your staff busy in the background doing prep work for upcoming events? Do your children see passion demonstrated or do they see lifeless, unanimated, ho-hum examples? Is this something that you are excited about or is it just a 10 minute segment of your children's church service?
Before you book a flight to be in our services, please know that every child isn't there yet. Willie George often said that while one child can be in the Spirit, the child right beside them can in their own world doing who knows what. Every child isn't a worshipper …. yet. Who knows next week we could be one child closer to getting to 100%!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Journey into the Land of the Holy Spirit
Seeing children flow with the Holy Spirit comes from recognizing that this is a journey and not an event. It's not one Sunday or service. As we continue to flow week after week with the Holy Spirit, heaven begins to open, children begin to learn how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and flow with Him.
To emphasize the importance of keeping on track with the vision of raising up a Holy Ghost generation, allow me to share with you the illustration that I used to wrap up my message "Results Not Typical" from the Thursday night service of our national Ignite the Supernatural Conference last week.
34-year-old Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the 26 mile Catalina Channel (between Catalina Island and Los Angeles) on July 4, 1952. The waters were bitter cold and shark infested. After swimming for 15 hours, a thick fog set in which prevented Florence from being able to see her goal. The fatigue was almost insurmountable. Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn't much further. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had… until then. After swimming another hour, she asked to be pulled out. Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, "Look, I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it." It was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.
The enemy has an assignment to keep you from seeing the goal set before you. He knows if you can keep your eyes on a children's ministry that isn't typical, one that knows how to have demonstrations of the Spirit and power, you will become an unstoppable, undefeatable foe.
Let's keep the vision before us. Let’s keep on keeping on. This is the generation that will seek His face and flow with His Spirit!
To emphasize the importance of keeping on track with the vision of raising up a Holy Ghost generation, allow me to share with you the illustration that I used to wrap up my message "Results Not Typical" from the Thursday night service of our national Ignite the Supernatural Conference last week.
34-year-old Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the 26 mile Catalina Channel (between Catalina Island and Los Angeles) on July 4, 1952. The waters were bitter cold and shark infested. After swimming for 15 hours, a thick fog set in which prevented Florence from being able to see her goal. The fatigue was almost insurmountable. Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn't much further. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had… until then. After swimming another hour, she asked to be pulled out. Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, "Look, I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it." It was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.
The enemy has an assignment to keep you from seeing the goal set before you. He knows if you can keep your eyes on a children's ministry that isn't typical, one that knows how to have demonstrations of the Spirit and power, you will become an unstoppable, undefeatable foe.
Let's keep the vision before us. Let’s keep on keeping on. This is the generation that will seek His face and flow with His Spirit!
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Shekinah Glory
I love to read about revival in days gone by. My library is filled with books of the great revivalists and records of their revivals.
A couple of months ago, I came across a book describing facts about the Azusa Street Revival that I've never read before. In Tommy Welchel's They Told Me Their Stories, I read of accounts as seen through the eyes of people who were children and youth during the rvival. I was thrilled as I read of children and youth who lived in the Glory of God.
One chapter tells of a Jean Darnall who was three-years-old at the beginning of the revival. This little girl witnessed the Glory of God in an undeniable fashion that forever impacted her life. While she didn't understand everything at this young age, she knew that "she was comfortable with the thick mist that filled the room. Being in a playful mood when she woke up from her nap, she would try to gather the mist into her arms. She loved the cloud that filled the Azusa Street Warehouse for almost three and one-half years during what is now historically called the Azusa Street Revival. It would be a few years before Jean was old enough to understand that she was trying to capture the Glory of God."
I contend that the children in our ministries need to witness the manifest presence of God. There are present day Jean Darnalls who could be forever changed by God's presence filling our classroom and service. I am convinced that the Glory of God is still readily available for our children to witness. While the Shekinah Glory of God manifests in different ways at different times, just one glimpse of His Glory and the children will never ever be the same again.
A couple of months ago, I came across a book describing facts about the Azusa Street Revival that I've never read before. In Tommy Welchel's They Told Me Their Stories, I read of accounts as seen through the eyes of people who were children and youth during the rvival. I was thrilled as I read of children and youth who lived in the Glory of God.
One chapter tells of a Jean Darnall who was three-years-old at the beginning of the revival. This little girl witnessed the Glory of God in an undeniable fashion that forever impacted her life. While she didn't understand everything at this young age, she knew that "she was comfortable with the thick mist that filled the room. Being in a playful mood when she woke up from her nap, she would try to gather the mist into her arms. She loved the cloud that filled the Azusa Street Warehouse for almost three and one-half years during what is now historically called the Azusa Street Revival. It would be a few years before Jean was old enough to understand that she was trying to capture the Glory of God."
I contend that the children in our ministries need to witness the manifest presence of God. There are present day Jean Darnalls who could be forever changed by God's presence filling our classroom and service. I am convinced that the Glory of God is still readily available for our children to witness. While the Shekinah Glory of God manifests in different ways at different times, just one glimpse of His Glory and the children will never ever be the same again.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Communion of the Spirit
You've read in previous blog entries the statement, the greater the intimacy, the greater the power. Allow me to emphasize this again by an example shown through the life and ministry of Smith Wigglesworth.
For the past few days, I have been reading through some dozen or so books from my library about Smith Wiggleworth's life and ministry. In book after book, I read about Smith's communion with the Spirit of God. It is said of Smith that he wouldn't go thirty minutes without communing with the Holy Spirit. Oft times, it might be just a sentence or two. Nevertheless, Smith recognized that if the Comforter had truly been commissioned to walk alongside him (the Parakletos ... a compound Greek word signifying the Holy Spirit's assignment to be with us, constantly enabling us), it would only be prudent to dialogue with Him. The greater the communion, the greater the intimacy. The greater the intimacy, the greater the power.
It would be safe to say that the man that was used by the Holy Spirit to bring back 14 people from the dead would serve as a great example on how to be used by God's Spirit. Let's learn from Smith's example. Let's learn to commune with Him throughout the day. By our conversation, let's acknowledge His presence as He walks alongside us. As we welcome Him in our daily life, He'll begin to demonstrate His presence and power. Life will never ever be the same again.
For the past few days, I have been reading through some dozen or so books from my library about Smith Wiggleworth's life and ministry. In book after book, I read about Smith's communion with the Spirit of God. It is said of Smith that he wouldn't go thirty minutes without communing with the Holy Spirit. Oft times, it might be just a sentence or two. Nevertheless, Smith recognized that if the Comforter had truly been commissioned to walk alongside him (the Parakletos ... a compound Greek word signifying the Holy Spirit's assignment to be with us, constantly enabling us), it would only be prudent to dialogue with Him. The greater the communion, the greater the intimacy. The greater the intimacy, the greater the power.
It would be safe to say that the man that was used by the Holy Spirit to bring back 14 people from the dead would serve as a great example on how to be used by God's Spirit. Let's learn from Smith's example. Let's learn to commune with Him throughout the day. By our conversation, let's acknowledge His presence as He walks alongside us. As we welcome Him in our daily life, He'll begin to demonstrate His presence and power. Life will never ever be the same again.
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