So, today's Wednesday, and I've had a few days to tell these stories, and they are the ones I want to share with you.
We had a special night on Saturday. It was a little odd for me in the beginning because there were some folks there that I hadn't seen in a while, and there were a couple of sets of those, and I started thinking that it was like a surprise birthday party or something, where everyone knows something you don't know and something is about to happen. It was just one of those nights that a lot of people were there, and I think it's because God wanted to bless us in one fell swoop.
This series of messages has been a real blessing to me personally. I've been so encouraged by this truth in James 4:6 - "He gives us more grace..." and how to access that grace through humility and all the problems that grace addresses. Our text this weekend caused us to take a fresh look at guilt and resentments in our lives and take action to resolve them. It also brought us to the realization that humbling ourselves could usher in revival. It was an emotional meeting, and I could sense the presence of the Lord ministering truth and hope to His people.
We closed the service with communion and then invited everyone to stay for what we call an afterglow. We spent the next hour alternating between singing worship songs, praising God, just loving and ministering to the Lord and then praying with and ministering to each other. I'm finding those times to be like a pressure release valve for the church, it just helps us to all unwind, and really just bathe in the peace of God. Josh did an excellent job of leading singing throughout the night.
One testimony I can share here is that there was a student that confessed at the end of the night that he had plans to go party after church, and had a backpack full of alcohol. He realized during the meeting that he really didn't want to do that, and the best thing to do that night to find rest, relaxation, recreation and fun for his soul after a tough week, was to spend some time in the presence of God. He had some disappointed friends, but a clean conscience. I was proud of him. His backpack made the sounds of bottles clinking together as he walked out.
Sunday morning was just a continuation of Saturday night. By the time we were done, there were tears from both men and women, a bunch of healing happening, group prayer, prayer with hands laid on, some prophecy, and we all walked away with that sense that we had been with the Lord. I can't wait for this weekend.
Without a doubt, we are in a wonderful season of the blessing of God in our meetings. In some ways, I've never experienced this, and in other ways, it's normal. It's hard to explain. What I do know is that I'm grateful to be here, to be a part of this, to be included in what God is doing. I don't know what will happen from here, but I do know that God is good, He's faithful, He desires to bless, to heal, to bring wisdom, understanding and maturity and that "He gives us more grace..."
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