Pastor Ray shared…
This week, we’ve been going over different things about revival and some things about the fire of God and how we are baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire.
I wanted to start by praying the prayer we pray for President Trump and America.
Father, in the name of Jesus and according to your Word, we pray for those in authority in our nation. We lift up President Donald Trump, his family, his staff, and cabinet members. Let Your Word cling to them, and let them not depart from Your plan. Strengthen them with mighty power by Your Spirit to stand against wickedness, lies, and deception. Guide President Trump’s decisions; let Your light shine upon his path and show him the path of reversal for every evil way. Continually surround him with godly men and women who impart wise counsel to him. Cause the way of the wicked to be set to confusion and come to nothing. Deliver us from the traps and snares the enemy has laid for us, and let the wicked be caught in their own devises and be brought to shame. We take authority over the plots and plans of the enemy against this nation. Let prideful and lying lips be silenced in Jesus’ name. Slanderers will not be established in America. We pray for our congress, our supreme court, our military leaders, and our intelligence agencies. Let the wisdom that is from above reign in this nation and be constantly speaking to our leaders. We exercise the authority You have given us to tread down all the power of the enemy. We cast down and demolish imaginations and arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and we bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We bind spirits of strife and division, civil wars and tumults, spirits of hostility, lawlessness and blasphemy, and fires from hell that have burned in our cities.
We speak grace and peace over America. We pray and believe for the voice of truth, salvation, revival, and restoration to be proclaimed and heard across our land. Grant unto your servants everywhere that with all boldness we may speak your Word. We pray for a mighty outpouring of your Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles. We expect the wisdom of this world that is earthly, sensual, and devilish to depart and vanish until Your mighty work in America becomes a beacon of hope for all people everywhere. We expect the voice of rejoicing to be heard in our nation for your goodness, mercy, and prosperity in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Ray continued…
This week we’ve been praying for greater revelation about the fire of God. We know we’re baptized in the Holy Spirit but sometimes we forget about the fire, the second part of that baptism. His fire! I had a meeting this week with some of our prayer leaders. I talked about how Pastor Mac always has said that no church is to remain status quo. Every church should be increasing. Increase in every way. Not just in numbers but to increase in the realm of the spirit. We were talking about prayer groups and how there are people that have been praying for 30 plus years. Once a week for an hour, these prayer groups lift up their voices in prayer.
On Monday in here, we weren’t praying about fire at all, but in my heart, I kept seeing a flame of fire. After prayer, I forgot about it. Then when I got back to my office, I looked at a bottle of water sitting on my desk and saw what looked like a little flame in my water bottle! I was like, “What?” It was even flickering. I thought, “That must be a reflection of my recess light. But… why is it moving?” So I moved the bottle and eventually it left. Maybe it was just the reflection. I couldn’t figure out why it was flickering. That put something in me about the fire of God.
If you go to any service anywhere in the world, if the person that’s doing the ministry has no fire, what does that make you want to do? Leave! If there’s no fire or anointing… I found something that happened in a past revival. I think this happened during the Azusa Street revival with William Seymour. In their services, William Seymour would always wait on the presence of God. He valued the presence of the Holy Spirit. He was the one that would put a wooden box on his head during the meetings to hide himself away with God. Sometimes other people would stand up in the service and start prophesying or praying or whatever. They let them go on. But if someone got up and there was no anointing on him, they would ask them to sit down. They would tap them on the shoulder and ask them to sit. I’m not saying we should do that! I’m just talking about what they used to do. Ha!
One person that I love to read about is Evan Roberts. The whole thing with him was about fire. I want to read this short excerpt about him from a book called “Hosting the Presence” by Bill Johnson.
For a period of time, Evan had been seeking and finding a more intimate relationship with the Lord. William Davies, a deacon at the Moriah Chapel, had counseled young Evan never to miss the prayer meetings in case the Holy Spirit would come and he would be missing. So Evan faithfully attended the Monday evening meeting at Moriah, Tuesday at Pisgah, Wednesday at Moriah, and Thursday and Friday at other prayer meetings and Bible classes. For thirteen years, he did this and faithfully prayed for mighty visitation from the Holy Spirit.
One day before school in the spring of 1904, Evan found himself in what he later referred to as a Mount of Transfiguration experience. The Lord revealed himself in such an amazing and overwhelming manner that Even was filled with divine awe. After this, he would go through periods of uncontrollable trembling that brought concern to his family. For weeks, God visited Evan each night. When his family pressed him to tell about the experiences, he would only say it was something indescribable. When the time drew near for him to enter Grammar School at New Castle Emlyn, he was afraid to go because he was afraid that he would miss these encounters with the Lord.
At this time, a convention was being held at Blaernerch a few miles from his school. An evangelist named Seth Joshua was leading the meetings. On Thursday morning, September 29, 1904, Evan Roberts and 19 other young people including his friend, Sydney Evans, attended the meeting. On the way to the meeting, the Lord moved on the small company and they began to sing: “It is coming, it is coming, the power of the Holy Ghost, I receive it, I receive it, the power of the Holy Ghost.”
During the seven o’clock meeting, Evan was deeply moved and he broke down completely at the close of the service. When Seth Joshua used the words “Bend us, O Lord,” Evan entered such travail that he heard nothing more. He later testified that the Spirit of God whispered to him: “This is what you need.”
“Bend me, O Lord,” he cried. But the fire did not fall. At the 9 o’clock meeting the Spirit of intercession was moving on the congregation in great power. Evan was bursting to pray. Then the Spirit of God told him to do so publicly. With tears streaming down his face, Evan just began to cry: “Bend me! Bend me! Bend me! Bend us!” Then the Holy Spirit came upon him with a mighty baptism that filled Evan with Calvary’s love and a love for Calvary. That night the message of the cross was so branded upon Evan’s heart that there would be no other theme of the great revival he would soon help lead. From that night on, Evan Roberts could focus on one thought—the salvation of souls. Historians would refer to that night as “Blaenanerch’s great meeting.”
One midnight shortly after this, Evan’s roommate and closest friend, Sydney Evans, came into the room to find Evan’s face shining with a holy light. Astonished, he asked what had happened. Evan replied that he had just seen in a vision the whole of Wales being lifted up to heaven. He then prophesied: “We are going to see the mightiest revival that Wales has ever known—and the Holy Spirit is coming just now. We must get ready. We must have a little band and go all over the country preaching.” Suddenly he stopped and with piercing eyes he cried, “Do you believe that God can give us 100,000 souls now?”
The presence of the Lord so gripped Sydney that he could not help but believe. Later, while sitting in a chapel, Evan saw in a vision some of this old companions and many other young people as a voice spoke to him saying, “Go to these people.” He said, “Lord, if it is Thy will, I will go.” Then the whole chapel became filled with light so dazzling that he could only faintly see the minister in the pulpit. He was deeply disturbed and wanted to make sure that this vision was of the Lord. He consulted with his tutor who encouraged him to go.
Pastor Ray continued…
We believe we are entering into what Pastor Mac has declared “year of change.” Things are changing here in the natural, just things you see. But things are changing in the realm of the Spirit which will send this church into a new era where it’s never been before. It will be like a shining, bright light. And souls will be drawn to the light and many, many, many shall come in. Hallelujah! I just have one other thing I want to read concerning the fire. This man’s name was Mel Tari.
In the mid-1960s, Tari was sitting in his Presbyterian church as people were praying when suddenly the Holy Spirit hit the place. Everyone began to audibly hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind filling the room. The village fire bell began ringing, and local firefighters rushed to the building. The church was covered in flames, but it was not burning. Many were saved that day. What began with a few dozen people would go on to impact the world.
Pastor Ray continued…
There have been many other instances like this that have been recorded. We could say that for here over the years. Day after day after day, we’re lifting up our voices believing for answers… revival. We’ve seen a move of God here a few years ago. I’ve seen Wednesday services where people would line up in the aisles on both sides just to testify about what God was doing for them in the week. There wasn’t enough time to hear all the testimonies. If He did it for us here at this ministry, He will do it again. I’m waiting for the service that will never end. Where we come in the next day and there is still things happening. And things we can’t even imagine. I like to read about things what God did in the past and know He’ll do it again… we’re looking for what He wants to do through us.
Prayed…
Father, thank You for stirring us up
We’re looking for what You would have us declare now
We’re believing for it NOW!
We lift up our pastors, Mac and Lynne
Wisdom and understanding and revelation…insight into… what You’re calling us to do today… we lift them up… we get on each side of them and hold their arms up in Jesus’ name… we declare wisdom and direction from heaven for them… past the boundaries… insight… a bursting forth… an increase in every arena… out of the status quo and go forth in power and authority… equipped and anointed… Thank You for what You’ve already done, Lord… Which way? The right way! The right steps… greater light and revelation… into the new… more fire, supernatural burning fire in Jesus’ name… seeing the steps to go and the plans to make… past the boundaries and into the new… increase in every way… resources… increase… standing on the Book… for a revival in Jesus’ name… hotter and hotter and hotter… ha, ha, ha!…
Voices, voices, voices… we lift up the voices… for this last time… for this last season… the voices that are rising up in this nation and around the world… the voices that You are bringing to the forefront, Father… those that will declare the truth… ha, ha… those that will declare the goodness of God… voices, anointed that penetrate… the darkness… and they snatch those people out of the camp of the enemy… now in the name of Jesus… we call you forth and out in the name of Jesus… ordained, anointed, appointed for such a time as this… not just for the body of Christ but for the nations… Lord, they are dying… reach… reach… be moved… see with His eyes… see with compassion… come out of yourself and move into the Holy Spirit… embrace that gift… that calling… the angels cooperate with your declarations… they assist you… take up the charge in Jesus’ name… hindrance, be removed… obstacles, be removed in Jesus’ name… obey His voice… obey His call… the blood of Jesus over those difficulties… over those challenges… over those injuries… over those attacks… be whole in Jesus’ name… let hope be restored to Your body… great strength in the body… that weakness would be removed… that they would be set free, Father… expectation in the body… it’s time… let healing flow… let the river of healing flow through your body… mend relationships, Father God… mend their minds… mend their souls, Father God so that they can go and do with great… joy … and peace… in the name… it’s a calling up now… we have to get beyond ourselves so we can accomplish the work so that we can step into the anointing and the river of the Holy Ghost… it’s time for our eyes to be lifted up… and move into a different place… it’s time to step away from that old place and step into a new place… where those things are…where those desires are… where those miracles are… that the things of this earth grow dim… they are so far out of our minds, Father, all we think about and all we are consumed with is Your purpose and calling… that Your boldness comes upon us… that fire of the Holy Ghost that we are burning on the inside and it cannot be put down… it cannot be pushed away… but that anointing drives us in the name of Jesus… there is a place in You, right now where we are at… that place in You… where we access Your anointing and access Your grace to do the work… lifted today in the name of Jesus… lifted by Your Spirit… rising up!… Hallelujah! Stepping up… transformation… all the way, Lord… across the board… every denomination… You will use anyone who stands up… no limitations… that force… that power on the inside… more and more… it’s time for cooperation with the Holy Ghost… for a bending… take a step forward… don’t look back… look ahead… every day is a new day to make progress in the kingdom… for the goodness of the Lord goes before us and He has prepared the way and He has opened the doors and there is no delay except that which we put upon Him… He is waiting for you to step out… to take it up… He moved… you move… we resist fear in the name of Jesus Christ… we put you under our feet… that the boldness of God rise up in the body… taking our places… separation… the angels are waiting to hear your orders… be dispatched… throughout this earth…
bring out those operations… to get the church into the right destination… divine supernatural operations… we plead the blood over every detail of the operations… bringing about right plans and decisions… the steps… concerning the operations… rolling forward… moving ahead… the right timing… perfect timing… glory to glory… increasing… He makes a way where there seems to be no way… so moving out… as a force… proclaiming… ho, ho, ho… yes, the body moving out… angels loosed…
Group ended with singing in the spirit…
