Impartation, With Implications.

Sunday was a full day of outpouring at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene. I had the privilege of attending three of the four services in person (7:45 a.m. in English, 4:00 p.m. in Spanish, and 7:30 p.m. in English), and I spent much of yesterday reflecting on what I saw and heard.

Although we've scheduled revival services for next week, God has not waited for our guest speaker to arrive. He has already placed the spirit of revival into our church community this year, from the first Sunday of January forward. God desires to restore us to Himself; He calls us to complete obedience; He has promised to bring back everything that the devil has stolen from us. Further, God has anointed our pastors and leaders with a greater impartation for speaking His rhema word, pointing the way to salvation, healing the sick, and delivering the oppressed.

This past Sunday, in our English-language and Spanish-language services, we saw our pastors hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord. Pastor Richard, who preached in all the English-language services, shared with us that God instructed him to go into the pulpit without notes, and to trust the Lord to give him the word for the people. During the Ministerio Latino service our guest speaker, Pastor Allison, shared with us that the Lord told her not to preach the sermon she had prepared, but instead to speak to the people about the grace of God and the importance of obeying His word. The obedience of these pastors opened the door to a move of God that brought words of knowledge, healing, and deliverance.

As I was thinking about these things yesterday, a question came into my heart: Are we taking God seriously? On Sunday Pastor Richard shared with us the concern voiced over the years by our pastor emeritus, Pastor Cole, and our senior pastor, Pastor Sam: After all our preaching, after all our diligence in obeying God and saying what He has instructed us to say, are our congregants hearing and obeying His voice? Have they opened their hearts to Him, or are they still resisting Him? 

The Bible is clear in noting that seasons of greater impartation are to be taken very seriously. Our God is gracious and loving and forgiving, but we must also remember that He is holy and sovereign and just. And, whether Moses and Aaron in the Old Testament or Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament, there is a hefty penalty when God's people disobey, misrepresent, or resist Him-- especially when they do so in an atmosphere where His glory is present.

Sunday was amazing.

Sunday was a warning.

Are you taking God seriously?