Pastor Ray shared…
Yesterday we were talking about taking the presence. We are carriers of His presence and believing that we take that presence wherever we go. So Charles Finney and Smith Wigglesworth, these are just short little snippets into a couple things that happened with them and the presence. If you have read up on any of the older revival things that have happened, you are probably familiar with this one with Charles Finney. But I just like reading it again.
Prayed…
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your presence
We are not alone, You are with us
We are blessed
We yield to Your manifested presence
Hungry for more, open for more
So in a way, we are praying that our eyes would be opened more
Or our ears or our hearts to what You are doing in Your presence upon us
Knowing that that presence makes a difference, Hallelujah
The following excerpt was taken from Hosting the Presence by Bill Johnson:
Charles Finney is one of the great revivalists in American history. While he is well-known for revival and his preaching of true repentance, not everyone recognizes him as a great social reformer. The emancipation of slaves and the rights of women were two of the issues that were heavily impacted through his preaching. The revivals were obviously to get people converted to Jesus Christ. But his target was far beyond filling churches with new members. He knew that if there was to be a lasting result to his preaching there had to be deep cultural change. All true preachers of the Gospel must keep this in mind. But for the theme of this book, one story stands out head and shoulders above the rest. He writes of this unusual experience in his own autobiography.
He entered a factory one morning after breakfast. In a room filled with young ladies working on their weaving machines, looms, and spinning devices, two in particular stood out to him. They looked a bit agitated, but seemed to cover it with laughter. He said nothing, but walked closer, noticing that one was trembling so badly that she couldn’t mend her thread. When he got to within about 8 to 10 feet they burst out in tears and slumped down. In moments, nearly the whole roomful of workers was in tears. The owner, who was yet unconverted himself, recognized that this was a divine moment and ordered that his factory be shut down to give his workers a chance to come to Christ. A mini-revival broke out, which lasted several days. Nearly the entire mill was converted during this time. It all started with a man upon whom the Spirit of God loved to rest. And so without words a room full of workers came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and a revival was born.
Pastor Ray commented…
He didn’t have to say anything. That’s an extreme presence. I will read this about Smith Wigglesworth too. Just think about that. Let’s say, I am ten feet right in front of you and I don’t have to say anything but the presence is strong enough that you start going down. And these two young ladies started this move in this factory by yielding themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. I love it. There is more to it than just that fact that he knew the presence, Charles Finney knew that the presence was on him and operating through him. Really these two young women began to yield to the presence themselves. So it’s kind of a double deal. Really I always feel that we need more, a greater manifestation of His presence in our lives. I want that. Do you want that? I want it in every service that we have. If a visitor would come into this chapel, I want it so filled with His presence that it would be like they hit a wall or something. A weight. A lot of times it’s described that way—a weight of the Holy Spirit. If you have been around for a while in places like this or services with His presence, you know it can be like that. A weight that just kind of comes upon you and you don’t have to physically do anything except open yourself up to it, yield to it.
I read I think in the Revival Study Bible that there were times when a couple different ministers that had this manifestation took place where the people would come against the minister and come against the move of God, they would begin to jerk uncontrollably, and they couldn’t stop it. There are scriptures that talks about “the bones were shaking.” It was interesting, because the Holy Spirit would manifest in such a strong way. These were people that were coming against the move of the Holy Ghost, coming against ministers, ministries, speaking against them. The Holy Spirit’s presence would come so strong, they would begin to jerk. Have you ever seen anyone do that?
Phil Halverson, sometimes would do that. The first meeting I ever went to with Phil Halverson was in Minneapolis. It was Secrets of Prayer at the Radisson South. He would be praying and all of a sudden he would kind of jerk and more words would come out. So it’s not just that the people that came against the move of God had that manifestation, there were others too. In Canada there was a manifestation like that in Toronto. Eventually it got off track where people thought if I do that, that’s the Holy Spirit. That happens in every move with all kinds of different manifestations. I am thankful that here at Living Word, we have been taught and we’ve been raised up to yield to the real thing and take it by faith and be changed. Amen.
This is one of my favorite favorites about Smith Wigglesworth.
Continued reading…
There were 11 leading Christians in prayer with our Brother at a special afternoon meeting. Each had taken a part. The Evangelist then began to pray for the Dominion, and as he continued, each, according to their measure of spirituality, got out. The power of God filled the room and they could not remain in an atmosphere supercharged by the power of God.
The author on hearing of this from one who was present registered a vow that if the opportunity came, he at any rate would remain whoever else went out. During the stay in the Sounds a special meeting was called to pray for the other towns in New Zealand yet to be visited. A like position to the other meeting now arose. Here was the opportunity, the challenge, the contest was on. A number prayed. Then the old saint began to lift up his voice, and strange as it may seem, the exodus began. A Divine influence began to fill the place. The room became holy. The power of God began to feel like a heavy weight. With set chin, and a definite decision not to budge, the only other one now left in the room hung on and hung on, until the pressure became too great, and he could stay no longer. With the flood gates of his soul pouring out a stream of tears, and with uncontrollable sobbing he had to get out or die; and a man who knew God as few do was left alone immersed in an atmosphere that few men could breathe in.”
Pastor Ray shared…
What if we were having services this weekend in the sanctuary and the presence gets so intense people begin to get up and run out? It can happen. And we are not just looking for a manifestation that we read about. We are looking for a manifestation of the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do. When? Now. Change us, rearrange us, set us on such fire that we will stay strong no matter what and we won’t hit the back door or we won’t hit the side door but we will be one of those who will be the last one in the room. Amen. Able to be a part of that kind of a presence, be an instigator, be a deliverer and bringing the presence to others. Hallelujah. It’s good.
Do you go over the times when you were in a meeting and His manifested presence came in such a way that you were stopped in your tracks? We are not looking to go back. We are looking to go ahead. He’s always helping us to the future but it’s good for us to go over that when you sense that kind of a touch or weight or a change in your life and you are different. Hallelujah.
His presence is within us, the anointing is upon us, we have words to say. And just because we enter a room or go into a work place or go some other place, that presence is right with us and it brings change whether we are aware of it, whether we know it or feel it. We have to be open and be ready to do whatever it is that He tells us to do. One touch from heaven, it just changes everything. We are changed.
Ms. Annie led us singing “Let the Weight of Your Glory Cover Us”
Pastor Ray shared…
I keep hearing this in my heart. If you need changed, if you need greater change, more change the increase of that change will come. Most of it will come from within you. Time after time after time spent in My presence yielding to Me will bring even a greater increase from within you to bring forth that greater change to others that you come in contact with. And as they step into the influence of My change through you, the change that you know you needed, change that you have yearned for will come back upon you because of the seeds sown through you, the seeds of change. And the winds of change will blow and it will blow change and more than you know. Many changes you will not be aware of until you reach your final destination and step over. But know this, saith the Lord, the greater change or the greater changes will come many or most will come from within you. So be the window, be the door, be the voice that declares greater change in the lives of those that you know, that you come in contact with, that I set up in your steps, put them in your path. Just yield to the greater and it will make a change in those that you speak to. Sometimes it will come right through your eyes into their eyes. But they will know that it is Me and it is not you for the touch of My presence as you as My children spend more and more time in My presence. That’s the touch. That’s the change. That’s the power from heaven. There is a call this final month of this year to bring greater change in the lives that you’ll be around, that you’ll have opportunity to speak to. There is a call for each of My children just to do their part, get in their hearts, yield to the change, greater change and let it come through. It’s the river or rivers that have been placed in each one of you. Much of it depends on your yielding to the greater change or changes.
Continued praying…
We yield to You, Lord
Individually each one of us
We yield to the greater, we yield to the higher
We yield to the momentum that comes through You by Your Spirit
Into and through us
A greater degree
Allow those rivers of living water just to move on through
That we’d be distributions of Your power, Your anointing , Your grace, and Your love
We want it – we are hungry and thirsty for more
Maybe it won’t be in something we say but it will be in something we pray
That we choose to walk in and know that there’s more of You than we thought there was
More, more, more
More of You, Lord, more of God, more of the presence of the king, the power, the glorious love of God
The Master’s call, the Master plan, The Master’s will and way
Greater works shall you do
Greater works shall you do
Cities can be shaken like that factory was shaken back then
Whole cities can come to their knees and bow to heaven
Many, many, many, greater
In the name above every other name
For the masses to come in
In that name that is above every other name, Jesus
We yield to a greater, we yield to furtherance
Move up and move through into more of You
Greater, higher, further
Glory, glory, glory
Your presence
Cooperating today
Undone, yielding to more of You
We turn our eyes, we turn our hearts to You
Yield more and more
We reach out, stretch out into the new
Ms. Annie led us singing…
Behold the Lamb of God
The Lion and the Lamb
Son of God, Son of man
Behold the King of kings
The Word made flesh
You made everything
Crucified in weakness, raised up in strength
Behold the Love that came
Perfect Love, perfect love Who came
We bow down, we bow down
We cast our crowns,
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Worthy, worthy, worthy
You are worthy of it all
You deserve the Glory
Continued praying…
Thank You, Father
You do deserve all the glory and all the honor
Every bit of thanksgiving we can give, You deserve it
We are humbled by the times You manifest Yourself and we spend time with You
Thank You, Lord
We take Your presence with us this today
Continually yielding and practicing Your presence in our lives
