Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend

Wonderful, powerful, anointed services over the weekend!

It was an "exclamation point" type weekend!

Both Saturday evening and Sunday morning were life changing - I pray - for everyone who attended.

People are hungry for God's presence!

We do need more of God!

May His fire fall on us!

Many, many thanks to our worship team for their faithful service in leading us in worship.  Thanks for taking us to the throne room of God!

God is moving - our prayer and desire is to ride that Holy Spirit momentum!

God's presence is to be emotionally experienced as well as theologically understood.

A mature Christian walks in God's Spirit - while understanding that the foundation of what God is experienced is God's Word.

The goal of the manifestations that we saw and experienced yesterday is transformation.  And the glorification of the name of Jesus.

We encourage you to come expecting this Sunday!  God always moves on the level of expectation that we desire.

Our expectations were high this past Sunday - let's come with those same expectations this coming Sunday!

The experience of God's Spirit is an intangible that cannot be explained. 

It is, as Paul writes, as "foolishness to those who are perishing (speaking of the message of the Cross), but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."  (1 Corinthians 1:18).

We are all afraid of those things we can't fully explain.

I enjoyed worshipping with the body of Christ yesterday.

From my blog (December 2, 2010).....I write:

"One of the things I do is to answer questions that are emailed me - questions pertaining to the Bible, theology and practical Christian living.

I thought I might share one with you today.

I was asked:

"In regards to orderly worship, in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul explains that there should be at most 3 people speaking in tongues at one time, taking turns, and that there must be an interpreter.

Obviously, the Pentecostal Church does not necessarily follow this guideline.

At Stone there are many times when numerous people are praying out load in tongues. How do we justify this as we are aware of Paul's teachings?"

Here is my response:

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is speaking of tongues as prophecy.

When he writes or teaches about tongues as prophecy (prophecy is the sense of forth telling and not fore telling) he encourages the body of Christ to have at the most three, one at a time, and interpreted each time.

That would be distinguished from tongues as praise.

When we, as a congregation, are in the act of corporate praise, than praising God with our spiritual language(s), as a church family is very appropriate and interpretation is not needed.

A disclaimer: Sometimes the lines and distinctions between the two over lap. For instance, tongues as prophecy can include praise. And out of a time of praise (using the gift of tongues as worship) the use of tongues as prophecy can spring forth.

That's why I love worshipping in the Holy Spirit. While there are guidelines, we never know how God is going to move.

May we all enter in to worship this Sunday - and walk in the freedom that He desires for us!"

Expecting great things.

Love you all.....