Expectancy for God to Move…..

 An overly busy life can get in the way of expecting to see God’s Kingdom break into our everyday, ordinary lives.

I don’t know about you, but when life gets complicated, sometimes I lose my focus and stop expecting God to move in big ways.  I was reminded recently (at our Southwest  Regional Conference here at VCNP) that I have not been praying and expecting…..I mean REALLY expecting…God to move…to  heal, to change, to encourage, to fill, as much as I once did.

 Then again at church last weekend (which was June 27 at the time I am writing this) we had 45 people accept Christ for the first time and 47 rededications.  That encourages my socks off.  (Well, it would if I had socks on.  It is summer, so I rarely wear socks.)

 For some reason, in God’s great mercy and grace, He decides to let His Kingdom break in and fill us with expectancy and we get to see Him move in great ways.

 Some of the things we have recently experienced….

…One young man said he experienced God for the first time in his life. 

…One couple (from Texas)was impressed to give sacrificially and sent us an amazing

            e-mail on how this came about after being here in Phoenix

…One woman got the boldness to tell her mother, a Muslim, that she had accepted  Christ

…One young man felt a call to plant a church in the years to come

…Some people were able to speak in tongues for the first time

…One woman got a measure of healing in one of her eyes which was blurry

…Some people felt the presence of the Holy Spirit more than any other time in their lives during the regional conference

….the boyfriend of a friend of mine accepted Christ in the June 27 church service

 I have found myself with a new expectancy.  I want to pray!  I am sorry to say, that has not always the case with me.  I often pray later after talking to someone instead of asking to pray at the moment I am talking to them.  Truth be told, many times, I don’t really expect God to move when I pray.  Now that I think about it, when I don’t pray on the spot,  I don’t even give God to opportunity TO move.  I want to do a better job of this.   It is just great to hear encouraging things God is doing. 

 We all need a shot in the arm from time to time.  I pray you will ask God to allow His kingdom to break into your life and the lives of those around you.

 He wants to move.  Let’s live expectant lives.

If something great has happened to you lately, please share it!

 Blessings,

 Thora

Matthew 13:54, “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked.” (NIV)

When was the last time something truly amazed you?  I’ve been amazed lately at the price of gas, at the size of my clothes and at a teenager’s driving as he cut me off in traffic.  Perhaps it’s more appropriate to say I’ve been shocked and disgusted rather than amazed.

 True amazement, the kind that’s mixed with surprise and awe, is a rare emotion.  First-time parents experience amazement when their baby starts to crawl.  That quickly turns to fear as their precious one crawls toward a light switch, but for a moment they are amazed.

 Maybe advances in technology have dulled our capacity for amazement.  A television screen the size of a whale barely elicits a “wow.”  A thousand songs in a matchbox-sized container isn’t enough.  More! More!  We want more!

 Maybe a lack of integrity has dimmed amazement at our leaders, or maybe the press has simply revealed weaknesses that were always there.  Nature still has the power to amaze, but lines of tourists and scattered trash can sour our experience.  People, places, things. Is there anything left to incite amazement?

 Flash back two thousand years.  A humble man teaches to a gathered crowd and they were amazed.  He drives out a demon and a mute man speaks and everyone was amazed (Matt. 9:33).   He heals the crippled, a lame man walks and a blind man sees (Matt.15:31).  He tells the people to pay their taxes and they are amazed (Matt. 22:21).  He calms the storm and completely amazes His friends (Mark 6:51).  Basically, Jesus was amazing. 

 Today, Jesus is still amazing, and miracles are still being done in His name.  Jesus Himself made it clear that He hoped His disciples would continue what He started.  In John 14:12 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

 Scripture tells us in light of the amazing things Jesus said and did, people praised God (Luke 5:25-26).  Yet, in spite of the potential for people to be drawn to God by the amazing things they hear and see today, we allow religion to become routine and we keep Jesus tucked away in a history book.

As believers, we are called to portray to the world a God who is truly amazing.  May our mouths speak God’s truth in a gracious and compelling way.  May our lives model the excitement of walking daily with God.  And may miracles still be performed in the name of Jesus. 

 Let’s amaze the world by telling them about a God who still has the power to amaze!