When God Visits

This morning I have been thinking a little about the Ashbury Revival that is happening right now in North Central Kentucky.  I felt led to turn to Romans 9, where Paul is writing about his heart for the Jews, for his people.  He is reflecting on how they could be missing the blessing of the Messiah.  I am going to quote the whole section, to verse 16, where Paul writes a very important fact - here are the verses: Romans 9:1-16 NIV:

[1] "I speak the truth in Christ---I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit--- [2] I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, [4] the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. [5] Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 

[6] It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. [7] Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” [8] In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. [9] For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” 

[10] Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. [11] Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad---in order that God's purpose in election might stand: [12] not by works but by him who calls---she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 

[14] What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! [15] For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 

[16] It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

Paul uncovers, just a bit, the mystery of God and His ways.  We are desirous of God's presence, we pray for God's presence, we sing and we worship and do our best to be obedient, and all of that is right and good.  Many of us desire to see God move in our countries, in our churches, in our own lives.  The cries of the church, of God's sons and daughters go up to heaven constantly!  

Here in Kansas City we have the International House of Prayer, where for the past 20+ Years prayer, intercession and worship has been poured out 7x24x365!  History is full of people who have spent their lives crying out to the Lord.  Millions if not billions of people experience God's touch and presence in their daily lives, through prayer, worship and intercession.  We see and feel God move over and over in our lives.  

Yet, occasionally God, in His sovereign plan, decides to visit a certain place, in time, with a more significant experience of His presence, and as Paul writes, it is not dependent on our human desire or effort, but upon God's mercy!  

The student of Ashbury were not more desirous, or more holy than the millions and billions of other Christians who are crying out!  They didn't have a better worship set, better prayer times, or more dedicated obedience to the Lord!  They didn't desire God's move more than the rest of us!  God sovereignly chose this time and this place, in His perfect plan, and in His Mercy and Love visited their gathering.  

Thousands are flocking to Ashbury to experience this move of God and that is awesome.  What is equally awesome is that many of them will bring this experience back to their home churches and gatherings.  The move of the Holy Spirit is at times contagious and is transported from place to place in the hearts of His sons and daughters.  We see this over and over in the many revivals that have swept across lands and countries.  

We can and should be encouraged by what is happening!   We can and should be sending people to the revival in the hopes that they would carry back a Holy Spirit infection that spreads revival to our churches and gatherings.  We must resist the temptation to try through human effort or fleshly desire to whip up God's visitation through our own effort, for that is not how He works.  Let us pray for God's mercy and compassion to wash over our churches, our cities and our countries!  He is a good and sovereign God who desires all to be saved (1 Tim 2:4).

Amen and Amen!