The Fate of Our Generation Hangs In The Balance

During our weekly prayer meetings there have been some consistent messages God has given us.

“...but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but

also the heavens. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what

can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be

thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God

is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29. ref. Haggai 2:6-7

#1 God is shaking not only the world, but His Church. The appropriate response right now is repentance.

It is easy to say, “Yes. God is shaking everything.” We tend to point to the political system, our culture, or our nation. But, let’s not forget that, first and foremost, He is shaking His church… “so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”

“For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household…” 1 Peter 4:17

The only response is to repent -- “change the way we think” -- about who we are and what we are doing as the Church. We must shift from being INITIATORS TO RESPONDERS… saying "YES" to what God is saying and doing today, instead of developing our own agendas, programs and productions. In fact, we believe God is saying two things specifically right now… PRAY & OBEY.

We must shift from being CONSUMERS TO CONTRIBUTORS… living for the sake of others, not ourselves. It is time to sacrifice our comfort and our preferences to rescue people from a lost and dying world.

We must shift from LIVING BY OBLIGATION TO LIVING BY RELATIONSHIP… it is not about checking a box on a “to do list,” but opening our hearts to being filled with the fullness of God until we overflow with the life of God to the people around us.

For too long the American church has been a reflection of our own culture. Church has been about the success of our presentations, programs, personalities and productions – promoting a brand in the name of attracting people to God.

In an attempt to be culturally relevant, we have crossed a line and developed a desire to be culturally acceptable, when all along, we were meant to be representatives of another culture… the culture of heaven (Philippians 3:18-21).

Our desire should be, as NT Wright says, "to bring the life and rule of heaven to bear on earth" (ref. Matthew 6:10). If this is our true desire, then church will look significantly different.

#2 We cannot go back to the way things were… nor should we.

It would be a mistake to do so. God is trying to shake off the dust of this world… this present evil age (as the Apostle Paul describes it)… and activate us to begin living the life of the age to come - the Kingdom of God that is now at hand.

Our desire to return to normal is, in all honesty, a desire for comfort. The world will not return to what once was -- there is definitely a new normal. The current crisis and disruption has only served to accelerate changes that were already coming. To maintain status quo would be a tragic mistake.

We must embrace that we are living in days that require more than comfortable living and a weekly nod to our faith, but radical commitment to God's current mission in this world.

Dr. Craig Keener explains this beautifully in the introduction of his book Gift Giver: The Holy Spirit For Today:

The early Christians were dependent on God's Spirit from start to finish, and

we must be too. Each revival in history has been the result of a fresh outpouring

of God's Spirit, usually accompanied by experiences or commitments that

threatened the comfortable status quo of religious institutions of the day. Yet

the strength of the flesh, or proud human intellect that seeks to control God's

power by reducing it to terms we can explain, can pretend to be sufficient for

God's work only when the kingdom of Satan appears to be dormant. NOW IS

NOT SUCH A TIME.

Those of us involved in various forms of frontline evangelism recognize that our

world has little time to spare; we stand in desperate need of revival. Will we dare

to submit our lives to the giver of the Spirit, regardless of what price the Spirit may

call us to pay to reach our contemporaries for Christ? On the answer to that question

hangs the fate of our generation. -- Dr. Craig Keener, Gift Giver: The Holy Spirit

for Today, pg. 16

#3 The Darkness will grow darker and the light of God’s glory will grow brighter.

The words of the prophet Isaiah come alive in our current context. It is as if he were looking forward to today. The world seems to be growing darker, but God is in the business of rescuing people from darkness -- see Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. God has been bringing these words to our attention repeatedly this year.

"They will fear the name of the Lord in the west and his glory in the east; for he will come like a rushing stream driven by the wind of the Lord." Isaiah 59:19

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. For look, darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the

Lord will shine over you, and his glory will appear over you." Isaiah 60:1-2

We sense God is saying to us that we must prepare for the battle to become more intense. The darkness will grow darker.

But, in the midst of this great darkness that is covering the Earth, we will see a great move of God -- call it Revival or Awakening -- it will be God coming like a rushing stream.

We will see His glory upon His people, and all who will turn to Him, like we haven’t in decades. But, know this… it will come in the midst of great darkness, difficulty, trouble and crisis (ref. Isaiah 60:2 & John 16:33). The battle between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of our God will intensify in the days ahead.

There will be such a sharp divide between dark and light, good and evil. It will be increasingly difficult to live life with a foot in both worlds. A person’s life will either demonstrate their love for this world or their love for God and His kingdom.

Those of us who choose to live for the Kingdom of God will face opposition, maybe even discrimination and persecution. However, we will carry the glory of God and be rescuers of people from the darkness that is settling over this world, bringing them into new life… God’s life.

#4 Prayer is key in this time.

We must be a people of prayer in the days ahead. And prayer must be understood as more than presenting requests to God… it must also be the practice of seeking God’s heart and conforming to His desires.

I believe we are in danger of missing what God is doing in this day if we do not make a serious commitment to personal and corporate prayer.

In fact, we believe that God's desire is to raise up Houses of Prayer in every village in Spring and The Woodlands. We are not sure how this happens at this point, but we will continue to press into God’s heart on this matter, until He makes His way clear to us.

During a recent prayer meeting, Laura and I both, at the same time, saw a picture (call it a vision if you will) of a house on a street with fire hovering above it and light shining out of it towards all the other houses on the street. I heard the Lord say to me, “don’t stop until my glory covers every street in The Woodlands.”

As we have continued to seek God concerning this, it seems that He is giving us an assignment as a church... to facilitate a prayer movement in our area. This prayer movement would be home-based in every village and would create a network of prayer across Spring and The Woodlands.

Together our cry would be, "Will you not revive us again, Oh Lord, that your glory will fill every village in Spring, The Woodlands, and beyond." (ref. Psalm 85:6-9)

I must confess I am not sure exactly what to do next. Except that we should pray. As a church, we will gather to worship and pray every week, pressing into the heart of God and looking for His direction on the next step. I hope you will join us. I know in my heart that it must start with us… we must first become a House of Prayer.

As Dr. Keener says, now is not a time for “comfortable status quo.” The fate of our generation hangs in the balance.

For His kingdom and His glory…

Dan Sanders