Thinking back, I can still hear the singing “His Banner Over Me Is Love”. I can see those who would come to the meetings with excitement and anticipation at the thought of sensing God’s presence, of seeing the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit, of hearing the prophetic word spoken.
I can still hear the urgency in the voices of those who would gather as they talked about serving the Lord, finding their place in His body, finding the will of God for their life and a willingness to “give it their all” in order to see it come to pass.
I can hear the anointed word of God as it was spoken from the podium. I can see those who had gathered from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, those from old-line denominations and those from independent fellowships all simply there because they loved the Lord.
What a wonderful time. And, I can still see the fervor of those who were pursuing the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It was such an expression of hunger for the things of the Lord. People who had come, a people who were willing to “give it all up” just to get closer to the Lord. A people willing to lay down the desires of this life in order to pursue the deeper life in the Holy Spirit. I can remember. What a sweet, sweet spirit indeed. A time of God pouring out His spirit on the church.
Now, when I look across the spiritual landscape, I see only a few in pursuit of the things of God. What happened? Where are they now? What replaced the first love for the Lord that used to exist in their hearts?
I am convinced that there are many disenfranchised Christians out there who used to walk with the Lord and who once knew the things of the spirit. They have chosen to lay aside their pursuit of the things of God either out of weariness or to pursue the things of the world. They have a longing in their heart for the time they once knew, a time of feeling the closeness and the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in their life. They can remember a time when they would talk with God and fellowship with Him and He was near.
I speak to this generation of warriors past! Rise up and put on the whole armor of God! Rise up, O man and woman of God. He is not done with you and you can still see the Glory of God in your life. It has not been too long that God cannot restore. He can “restore the years that the locusts have eaten”, he can cause a spring of life to flow again in your desert place. Just give Him the chance, ask Him to renew and revive that flame of desire in your heart again and I promise you He will.
Pastor Steven Kuhlke
