When we did our Summer Sunday Nights campaign last summer, I distinctly remember God speaking to me one day as I was driving back from the YMCA. All during that day, I had been asking God to speak to me. It is not something that I normally do, but I was doing it that day. "God, just speak to me today. I need a Word from You." When I was in my car that day, I distinctly remember turning my radio off all throughout the day. I didn't want anything interfering with hearing from God. Then it happened. At about 5pm that afternoon, these words came rushing to my mind. "I SEE YOU." I was blown away. It was exactly what I needed to hear. "I see you, right where you are, in the middle of your circumstances. I haven't forgotten about you. I see you." I still cling to those words, and forever will.
This past January (2012) an older couple visited our church for the first time. Now remember, January is when we do our 21 day fast and this January was no different. They were from Canada, northern Ontario to be exact (apparently there is a difference!). Anyway, they both talked with me after the first service and the lady spoke up and told me that she believed that she had a Word from God concerning our church. She handed me a piece of paper with a verse written on it. I read it in her presence and when I read it, I was speechless. Here it is--Haggai 1:12-14.
Then Zerubbabel…and Jeshua…, the high priest, and the
whole remnant of God’s people began to
obey the message from the LORD their God. When they heard the words of the
prophet Haggai, whom the LORD their God had sent, the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s
messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!”
14 So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel…and the enthusiasm of Jeshua…, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of
God’s people. They began to work on the
house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,
Now, remember, we had been praying and fasting hard as a congregation for a permanent home. After I read this verse, I looked up and I said, "Do you know what we are going through as a church? We are currently in a 21 day fast praying for a permanent home." She said, "I had no idea. This is our first time here. I just knew that I was to give you that verse today." I fully believe I had a Word from God that day.
I will give you one last story. This past Easter something happened in our church. I didn't know it at the time but I later found out about it at our evening baptismal service at the beach. Now, before I go any further, this past Easter was amazing. I presented a very clear Gospel presentation that morning about about 20-30 people raised their hands to acknowledge that they had prayed to receive Christ. That doesn't normally happen but it did that morning. Back to the baptism. The baptism part of our night was over and things were winding down. Just then a soft-spoken young man came up to me and told me something that I will never forget. He said, "Pastor Matt, I have to tell you what I saw in church today. Now, I'm new to all of this and dreams and visions don't ever happen to me. But things have been happening to me lately." He then told me about a dream that he had earlier in the week that was spiritual in nature. Then he told me what he saw in church this morning. "Pastor Matt, as you were sitting down preaching I looked up and I saw a vision of Jesus standing behind you with His hands resting on your shoulders." I said, "Really?" He said, "Yes. I had to look away because I couldn't believe what I was seeing." He assured me again that this kind of thing doesn't ever happen to him. He told me because he just though I should know.
What do you do with something like that? I'll tell you what I'm doing. I'm receiving it. It's another story in the line of stories of how God is uniquely speaking to us in our unique situation. I can't wait to share with you even greater stories than these in the days ahead!
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