Day 152 Fresh Fire

 

6/1/2025

 

Another month has passed, and here we are in June! Today is the celebration of Shavuot in Israel which marks the end of the Festival of Weeks when the days after Passover are counting the omer. It's marks the giving of the Torah. Then next weekend is our celebration of Pentecost when Holy Spirit fell on the disciples waiting in the upper room as Jesus instructed. It is interesting to me in studying the meaning, the signs connecting the celebrations together, and yet most of the Jewish people have not accepted Jesus as Messiah. I always ask for fresh fire to fall, not just on the Jewish nation, but on the Arab people, on the Christian church, the church at large, on everyone. Imagine if the fire of God's Spirit was poured out on everyone! And yet, in Joel 2:28, God says: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." 

This morning I was experiencing some pain, as I often do, but this morning, I felt it better to remain home and attend church online. I always spend my weekends listening to messages from respected pastors and leaders, but this morning I needed to soak in God's presence, so I attended Jesus Image in Florida. They practice dwelling in the presence of Holy Spirit, inviting Him to lift up true worshipers to the heavenly places where our praise, worship, prayers will be as incense to Abba Father. No matter how long it takes, no time clock, no agenda but God's. It is refreshing. So many times in the church services we stick to the bulletin, the human agenda, the scriptures we think God has ordained, yet when Holy Spirit begins to move, the music and worship stops, and we move on. How many times have we quenched the Spirit of God thinking that He continues to dwell in our midst. Lord, forgive us, forgive us.

I've been remembering my earlier days of practicing the presence of God, even when I was a child not knowing what I was doing really. I do believe that when I accepted Jesus as my Savior at age 8, that God received me as His child. I know that He has had His hand on me since He created me. I have always been so quick to ask God and others to forgive me. I remember telling my mama a lie about who was driving me and some friends to an away football game, as she had firmly told me that one of the girl's boyfriends could not drive or I could not ride with them. I don't know why, but I disobeyed her. I remember running to her when I returned, confessing. She was at the clothesline hanging up clothes. She didn't get angry at me, as she realized that I had suffered enough. I believe the car had broken down too, and we were late either getting to the game or home. I don't remember all of it, but I do remember confessing my sin. There have been so many times in my life when I have fallen into sin, but I always repented. I could not linger in the filth of sin. Now, as I have matured in so many ways, over a literal lifetime, I can see the Lord's hand on me so clearly. One should never be glad about failing in order to arrive at a place, but I am so grateful for who I am in Christ today. Had it not been for the difficult times, many not of my doing, but still enough of my own, I would not be where I am today or who I am today, and I am so grateful and blessed. It is through our pain and suffering that we are able to identify with the hurts and suffering of others, true empathy. Then, we can share from the depths of our hearts, because we understand, at least from the perspective of our despair. His promise to never leave us or forsake us remains firm for eternity.

I was privileged to hear the testimony of a reformed member of the Colombo crime family, Michael Franzese, who ministered at Harvest Ministries this weekend, as Pastor Greg was away at a conference in Germany that Franklin Graham was leading. Pastor Greg and Skip Heitzig, Pastor of Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were invited to speak, so Michael, who has attended the Harvest since he gave his heart to Jesus in prison, provided the message. It's an amazing story, so I hope someone who reads this will be inspired to listen. His topic was about defining moments in our lives. Those times, those God-appointed moments when the lights go on, and a transformation takes place. Since then I've been recalling my moments, and I have them written down to include in the book God has asked me to write. I'm working on it, as I've shared before, howbeit, slowly. It's hard for me to believe that God could use this worn out donkey to inspire anyone. But I'm being obedient, as I do not want to miss the mark. I want to finish the race well, as He put me here to do. We all should think about those times, those defining moments in our lives that forever changed us. Write them down. Share your story, your testimony. Remember in the end how we overcome evil - Revelation 12:11, "They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the death."

Pay it forward!