As I sit back and reflect on what the Lord is doing at this campus, My heart begins to rejoice and weep at the same time. I've been around and served a lot of great men and women of God. I'm not going to drop their names because this is not about all of that. I've pastored, I've been the #2-#3 guy, I've been on core leadership teams, I've been the regular church member, I've experienced it all in this so called "christiandom" world. I've watched and have been apart of great moves of the Spirit. I have never labelled them due to the fear of limiting what God was doing or not trying to force it! In my brief 14 years of being in ministry I'm left with a great burden. So many say the body of Christ is dying, powerless, lack attendance and thus the church is failing. The perspective I have is that the Lord used covid to weed out certain people who truly didn't want Him so they didn't return to the churches. I love order, I love infrastructure, I believe it is God ordained and needed in aspects of kingdom life. With all the wise men and women we have in our churches and behind our pulpits, it seems that after some time has passed the hunger for a genuine move of God is almost gone. Now I'm not saying all churches because I know a lot of great leaders who have integrity, Love God and Love His people in a biblical way and really experience the power of God. What I am saying is that maybe we would have more outpourings in our churches if we simply allowed God to be God and not try to control it. If we truly be people of the wind and let it blow in the direction it desires. What if we preached more about God, what if we truly took time to disciple people and not cast them away because of their failures and help them mature, what if we would throw away the leaven of Harod and of the pharisees and truly ate our daily bread, what if for once the older generation wouldn't look at the younger as lacking experience or needing to be taught and the younger generation would cover the nakedness of the fathers (and mothers) and honor them as we usher in the new. What if God is raising up new generals who are younger and cut from a different cloth? After all He is the greatest mind in the universe and maybe the outpouring of the Spirit (New Wine) is being manifest where the new generals are allowed to function without handcuffs (New Wineskin). I'm not saying my OPINION is a truthful statement however I am observing as a watchman and Im realizing a pattern within the American Church. What if the older generation was given the wisdom to establish a economic base so that the younger generation can turn the world upside down without worrying about food, clothing, shelter and the things of this life. Did not the early Apostles set this in motion in Acts 6 by giving themselves to prayer, fasting and the studying of the word! Most in the American church would call them lazy and say they are wasting their life. Sadly this is what Jesus said we must do "lose this life"? I must admit I myself have grown comfortable with my wife, kids, dog 2 cars and cup of coffee! Nothing is wrong with having any of those things however my spirit is yearning for the move of God once again. Not speaking on a individual level but I yearn for a community seeking and receiving this move of God together as a spiritual family. I yearn to truly turn the world upside down and to truly disciple new believers. Not to turn them into church zombies but into those who identity is found in seeking Him and teaching them that the fire doesn't have to run out. I pray that if anything the Asbury outpouring provokes us all to seek Him more not just in our personal lives but in our corporate gatherings. That when we feel the sweetness of His presence we don't move the program along but we cut the program and allow God to simply be God. After all HE is the head of the church. I pray we all find our spiritual tribe and we all experience His Spirit in a deeper way. I love you all
~Randy Curtis~
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