Surrender! It is amazing where a surrendered life can take you. I sit writing this on a plane starting the long journey to Nepal. This year will be our (my wife Rhonda and I's) 20th year in ministry. When I was driving home one cold February night 20 years ago, I said a very simple but sincere prayer. "God I am yours". Seven months later I was on a plane heading to Nepal unaware of what the future looked like but excited to be in God's capable hands.
So much has happened in these 20 years. Rhonda has written books about some of the travels and newsletters have brought some of the stories to life. What started out as missionary work has now encompassed pastoral duties. All from a very simple act of obedience. Yesterday morning's message I shared these three thoughts in Luke from the story of the young man who took his inheritance and went on a prodigal journey. The scripture says one day he came to himself. In other words, he woke up! Then he evaluated his situation and realized his fathers servants were eating better than he was, so he took action, he responded. Thank God 20 years ago I woke up, evaluated my situation and took action. Thousands have been saved, thriving churches have been established, schools, radio stations, wow! Look what surrender has done. The one thing needed to make this trip more of a celebration is my wife by my side, but due to several circumstances she felt it was not best to go on this trip. It leaves a hole by my side, but she will soon be back in the seat next to me following the dream life that began with surrender!
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Disturb- To upset the usual order or natural condition of. Yesterday's message centered around this word, unfortunately it has taken far too many years to get to the place of being disturbed about the issues we face in our nation. Anyone who watched the events from the political world last week had to be disturbed. I am horrified to see our political machine stoop to this level of low. We are better than this! I for one, am disturbed.
Before anything can burst forth in new life there has to be a disturbance. Whether it is a field plowed for new seed, a birthing of a new baby, or the overturning of the status quo, it takes a disturbance. The field has to be plowed, contractions have to start, and the Luke warm church has to have the legs kicked out from our cushy existence. Disturbance produces a harvest! There are many problems in our society and to solve any problem you first have to be disturbed by that problem. Praise God I hear the sound of the church being awakened. I see the rising up of the army of the Lord to engage in the cultural battles we face. I think of Esther, who responded in a time of great disturbance. Her obedience to the Lord saved a nation. The evil Hamen was eliminated. The Godly Mordecai was elevated. Tomorrow in Oklahoma City, thousands of disturbed Christians will gather, seeking the abolishment of abortion in our state. May the same be said for Oklahoma. This evil, eliminated. Life, elevated. Praise God. Last night as the Kansas City Chiefs pulled ahead in the final minutes of the Super Bowl, social media in the Christian prophetic circles lit up with excitement! For days, the word prophesied by Bob Jones about a sign of America's next great revival would be the KC Chiefs winning the Super Bowl made the social media news. Could it be? Yes, there seems to be a fresh stir in the atmosphere. Worldwide it has been happening in every increasing wave of salvations. The reports we hear first hand from our contacts point to a mighty revival happening globally. Reports coming from Iran suggest that an explosion of the gospel is now taking place. The common theme worldwide is places of great persecution, social hardship, and hopelessness, are where we see the greatest out pouring. Four years ago, America was at a political crossroads. The freedom we know as a Christian Nation were taken at stake. The hand of God moved in a supernatural way and God's grace and mercy opened a door of favor for the American church. For many this open door has brought an evangelistic zeal to see the fields of America ripe for harvest, but for others sadly, complacency has become the result. I heard one of Bill Johnson's best quotes ever last week- "Complacency is not a season, it is a devil." If the prophet is correct, we need all hands on deck! His being poured out on all flesh, young, middle aged, old, we all have a commission from Heaven. Let us shake off lukewarmness and complacency and go! Because - what if it is? |
David KnoxSenior pastor at Grove Christian Center. Archives
November 2020
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