Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The Pursuit---Part 2!

A Short Story by Pastor Steve Gardner


The angel’s name was Jonathan. Many warring angels had what might seem to some humans as more exotic names, but he was glad that his name reminded so many people of the Forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus. John the Baptist prepared people’s hearts with repentance, to receive the prophesied Savior. He remembered so long ago, actually standing in the Jordan River with John the Baptist, as he baptized Jesus! In fact, the hill side was full of angels witnessing this long ago prophesied event! Jonathan remembered the majestic worship that arose as His God and King was plunged beneath the water! And he remembered the fire that surrounded Jesus when the heaven’s opened, God the Father Spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, filling Him with His power and anointing! The angels bowed their heads as the full manifestation of the Trinity was manifested here at Jesus’ baptism. And then, almost the entire angelic contingent followed Jesus as He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to do battle with the devil. Jonathan recalled this event as if it was present before him right now, in this little kitchen, with this humble Follower of Jesus. Every angel had their swords drawn! Every angel was ready to pounce as the leader of the fallen angels appeared upon the scene like a venomous snake appears out from under a pile of wood. Jonathan’ fallen former friends hissed and taunted Jesus as he fasted and sought the presence of His Father! Lips that once spoke majestic praise, now spoke curses upon the Son of God. He felt the anger well up within him, and without even thinking, had pulled his sword, ready to strike down the blasphemous horde that strode before their Lord with such arrogance! Jonathan came to himself and realized that he was not at that scene, but in the kitchen with this Daughter of the Lord. He also noticed that on instinct, he had drawn his sword!

As he placed the sword back in its sheath, two other angelic warriors appeared next to him, greeting him in the name of their Lord. We have been sent to inform you to be on guard! The prayers of several Saints of God in this area, including this Daughter of the Lord and her Pastor, have been heard by the Lord, and are creating quite a stir in the Spiritual realm! The King has told me to rally the troops and the word is given! The word?............The word that he and his Brothers who serve the Lord had been waiting for; for SO MANY years, had finally been given! This was a word that the angels NEVER spoke, for fear that if it was spoken before the command was given, might result in false teachings and actually be used by the enemy to lead people AWAY from Christ, instead of TO the Lord! It was a word thought of with such deep reverence, that it was only rivaled by the Names of the Holy Trinity themselves! BUT NOW,……..The word had been given! That word that inspired such awe, respect, and reverence; was…………………….REVIVAL!

This word revival was not held with quite the same level of majesty and honor among many of the Human Followers of the Lord that was held among the angels of the Lord. Humans used this term many times and for many reasons, sometimes almost in a flippant type manner! What the angels knew as the true meaning of revival was NOT what so many within the Church had come to mean when the term revival was mentioned. When most said REVIVAL, what was in their minds was: A series of meetings in which a well known Evangelist was brought in to preach for a few nights within a local Church body. Sometimes special singers would be included within the mix and some, but not all, of the members of the church or the regular attendees would come. The Evangelist would preach, and “fire-up” those who were already Followers of Jesus, and then pray for a few people. The revivals, while pleasant to Jonathan and his fellow angels, fell SO FAR short of what genuine revival actually looked like! Jonathan was always amazed that so many Followers of Jesus could be so “dooped” into believing that THIS series of meetings could ACTUALLY be confused with the genuine revival that the Saints in the Bible wrote about!

It bothered him that the Followers of Jesus would come to a series of meetings called “REVIVAL,” gorge themselves on the “Good-Things” of the Lord, and then………….GO HOME……..as if NOTHING had happened at all to actually change their life! No Follower of Jesus left the building with such conviction and heaviness of heart for those who were without Christ, that they just HAD to go and minister to someone! And rarely, if ever, were these same Followers of Jesus so hungry for the power of the Holy Spirit and His Giftings to fulfill the Great Commission, that they would “TARY” at the altar until they were “overflowing” with the presence and power of the Third Person of the Trinity! Why were so many concerned more with going out to eat and fellowship then staying in the presence of God seeking and crying out for more of the Glory of Jesus to manifest within their lives; their churches; and their communities? Jonathan often wondered: “How could they read the stories of old; the statement of the Lord that they would do what HE DID and even GREATER; and the promise from the Father to send the Holy Spirit, and then be SATISFIED with a mere series of…………………..MEETINGS! Meetings that in his mind, seemed like only “PEP-RALLY’S” for the ALREADY SAVED to feel good about themselves and life once again! Where were the son’s of Paul?........Where were the son’s of Peter?.............Where were the daughter’s Junias? He didn’t mean disrespect, but there was SO much more that his Human Brothers and Sisters had NEVER experienced yet, and it made him SAD to think that so many Followers of Jesus settled for meetings; and Fellowship Dinners; and mere programs! Sad,………SO SAD! But NOW,………..the WORD has been given!..............THE WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN!!!.........The Lord had begun His Final offensive before His much anticipated return,……………………And that offensive was called………………….REVIVAL!

~~~TO BE CONTINUED!~~~

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