One of the most beautiful aspects of God is His ability to continually renew us with His Holy Spirit each and every day. We are beginning to see this renewal as the Holy Spirit moves in a more dynamic way through our church body. We’ll discuss this more a little later.
This new anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our church coincides well with our latest sermon—a continued examination of “Beginnings”. We looked at the story of Noah (Genesis 6:9) and how he had a “beginning” when he was obedient to God and built an ark. His obedience led to the saving of him and his family. With this story in mind, we then followed the life of Marcus Grable. Marcus was an unassuming man who worked as a janitor in a warehouse. God placed a desire in his heart for the development of Sunday Schools in churches located in his local community. This “beginning” led him to eventually become the director of the Sunday School Promotional Department of the Assemblies of God—a position that has taught thousands upon thousands of people about Jesus Christ; thereby, leading to their salvations.
God gives us further examples of wonderful beginnings initiated by simple obedience to Him. In the life of Abraham, we find that his obedience led him to the Promised Land and the beginning of a nation of people, “God’s people”. This, by way, includes all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and His resurrection. God took a stuttering shepherd with a murderous past and used him to lead 2 million-plus people across a desert to that previously mentioned Promised Land (Moses). God took a high-ranking Jewish official who signed numerous warrants for the arrest and death of many Christians and used him to evangelize most of the civilization of Europe and Asia (Paul).
If we give God our today, He’ll take our past and use it for His glory. What a beginning!! It sounds simple, and it is, if we are willing to let Him have control of our lives. How do we let God have our todays? We allow Him to have our todays, by making Him the center of our lives. Just as the Hebrew children did in the Old Testament when they placed God’s holy sanctuary in the center of their camp, so are we to place God in the center of all that we do. This begins with asking Jesus into your heart—another simple, but important task that God asks of us. Without “flowery” words or eloquent speech (both of which are not important right now) you can tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved. What a great step of simple obedience!
Sunday night’s service was a continuation of our study of the book of Revelation—Chapter 12. In this chapter, our author (John) describes a great spiritual battle that has taken place with the losing army being thrown down to earth. The leader of the losing side is so angry, he is trying to destroy any, and all, he can find. The basics of this chapter describe when Satan is thrown out of heaven (no longer to accuse God’s children before His holy throne), and sent to earth with a third of the angels. Those in heaven are to rejoice for Satan is no longer present, but the earth is warned to be wary; for, “He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12). Not matter what takes place during this time, one thing is certain: God is in control. Even when Satan is sent to earth, God limits his time on the planet. God wants to have eternal fellowship with all of mankind. That is why He allows this to take place, so that some may come to know Him through the saving blood of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the evening service, the Holy Spirit visited the church body through the manifestation of tongues and interpretation three different times. God wanted us to know that He cares for us and loves us; that the realization of Revelation and Jesus’ return are coming soon; and that He wants us to come to Him and know Him more (He reiterated that He really loves us). Special prayer was offered to those who came forward, and the Holy Spirit continued to pour out on our church body as an individual received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the speaking in tongues. I have told the people of Eastpoint numerous times before, “the Holy Spirit can do more in a split second than any man or woman can do in an hour." God’s gracious Holy Spirit made that powerfully evident on Sunday night.
Before I close today, I want to give honor and thanks to God for the past few months. It has been a large part of my heart’s desire to see salvations and Holy Spirit Baptisms at Eastpoint Family Church. Through these two acts of obedience, God’s holy name is lifted up and glorified. And this simple man is overjoyed to see God blessed by people wanting to seek His face and know Him more. So I say, “Thank You God for giving me the honor of seeing Your people come to You and making You the center of their lives.”
Have a blessed and God-centered week,
Pastor Claude
