Pastors Perspective 2018
From my perspective ….After 22 years pastoring here …
I’ve become more and more aware that there is a GRACE upon this church to PRAY.
For 22 years Saturday night has been the MOST POWERFUL night of the week here at Calvary Corvallis.
Is the HEARTBEAT!
As a result… LIFE is flowing here!
There is a POWER here!
People get SAVED here!
The Holy Spirit is MOVING here!
People are going out from here ALL OVER THE WORLD.
It’s Prayer! It’s the POWER of PRAYER!
James 5:16 The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
I King’s 18:42 Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, (1700ft)
43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” 45 Now it happened… that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.
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Exodus 17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
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Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant (heartfelt) prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 12 …house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
1. Peter was at REST in prison! Connection!
2. Angels were DISPATCHED!
3. Chains were LOOSED!
4. DELIVERANCE from the hand of the enemy!
5. Doors were supernaturally OPENED!
I look back at this point… it wasn’t by our wisdom / plan / vision that we came up with here BUT rather we have discovered that there is a GRACE on this church to PRAY
It’s Gods heart / it’s a gift to our church. I believe different men & different church’s have different GRACE upon them
From my perspective there is A GRACE on this church to PRAY!
It’s beautiful …for 22 years NOW the incense of prayer has risen to the Lord on Saturday night!
Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Then 9 years ago… A week of Prayer and Fasting began..
The Church here has embraced this week…the elders & leadership have embraced this week..its remarkable… It’s a REVIVAL. For 8 years God has REVIVED us as a church as we’ve prayed! The Rhythm of our church!
This year UNDONE ( fasting UNDONE slide)
This Grace upon us has spread…. to our whole city!
Then came the BIRTH of daily prayer meetings here at Calvary Corvallis! Don’t Stop!
For 8 years NOW… we have had daily prayer meetings!
I’m beginning to sense… that the purpose for this HILL behind us is… A PRAYER MOUNTAIN .
I believe there is Grace upon us / that this property is for the people of God in the whole valley to come and pray!
I may be wrong!
I’m so encouraged as your pastor… the way PRAYER has been established here .. (My peers) (Love the organic)
BUT… It’s still a small portion of our leaders & body & youth… that understands and is embracing & really STEWARDING this call on our church .. That’s really the word! STEWARDING
STEWARDING
The conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care! ~Merriam Webster
What might the Lord do… IF… we as a larger church embraced this CALL of STEWARDSHIP!
What If YOU would own a day, a morning? (What that might look like…) (What would PRAYER look like here if everybody STEWARDED this call the way you do?)
For 22 years .. “Rob… Saturday night not a good night ..”
Appealing to..
The Leader- You see this CALL on your church but your not STEWARDING it well yet. (Help me!)
Member of our church- You love your church but you have not had the PRAYER MEETINGS on your RADAR.
Matthew 26:40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Communion
Lord… WE want MORE of what You have for US!
Close with Elijah- a lot of prayer meetings are like Elijah’s prayer on top of Carmel.
We don’t see anything happen..BUT if we persist we will!
Revelation 4:8 ….golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Some people come and there CRITICAL of the prayers of Gods people (They have the GIFT of seeing what ever is NOT RIGHT…) God not critical!
That’s the thing about church… there’s always things not right!
But when you get your eyes off PEOPLE and onto the LORD…. ahhhhh everything is RIGHT!