We had the second official church service of the New Church Plant in Berwyn this morning. Peggy and I are going to help them until they are ready to fly on their own. We will be part of the ministry team during that time. How long, till God releases us.
Good news, we found a place to meet. It's on the corner of 16th street between Roosevelt and Cermak on Harlem. Big parking lot, Big meeting hall, place to store our stuff. Everything.
So, we are off and running.
Pastor Aaron gave a great sermon this morning. I wished a million people could have heard it. It was a hard but essential message for Christians. The essence of it was, if you want to get right with God expect intimidation and difficulty. The devil isn't going to let you go that easy. Are you willing to walk it out? Or will you give up when the pressure comes?.
Pretty tough talk, but people need to know the truth. Serving God can be really hard sometimes. Lots of people start, many people never finish.
The exit from Egypt of the Children of Israel was the text.
I opened the service with a prophetic word and a prayer. The people leapt to their feet. The worship band was skeletal. The keyboard player had a sick child. So it was 2 guitars and a drum. It was some of the most anointed worship I have been involved in for a long time. I wasn't playing, I was just in the back enjoying the anointing. Sometimes a little rough, ugly and minimalist is better.
We didn't have to tell the people to raise their hands, didn't have to tell the people to clap, didn't have to tell the people to dance. We just enjoyed the moment. This is an ethnically mixed group. 1/3 White, Black and Hispanic. I love it that way. We enjoyed the mix. They amened and things happened. Some of those folks are really new Christians. They are so hungry. They feed on every word.
I am amused at my prejudice. I harangue the Lutheran Church I have been working in about communion every week. So, what does Pastor Aaron do? Communion every week. Pentecostals a few years back discovered the Lords Supper in all it's reality and now they think THEY invented it. That's ok but I guess that's the way he wants it that's the way it is. Pastor Aaron comes from the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Chile. There the Pentecostals baptize Babies. I told him I didn't think we should do that here. He is ambivalent. If someone wants a baby baptized, we'll do it (he said). I need to help his theology. He's a dissertation from a PhD from ORU. So, maybe I'll back off for now.
During communion we had the people come up, I laid hands on every one of them. Some I had a word for, some I had a prayer for, some needed healing, some just needed encouragement. That is hard for me because I want to spend time, a lot of time with each one. The Lord gave me grace and we moved thru the people in not too much time. Pastor Aaron took some who didn't want to wait and Pastor Dan who is a Baptist Pastor who just transferred into our denomination and is getting his Pentecostal feet wet took a few.
Pastor Dan said when he grows up he wants to be just like me. He's 55.
I told him that probably wasn't a good thing. One Rev Gene is enough. Besides he'll be better at being himself than someone else. I laid hands on him and prayed for a release of the Holy Ghost in his life. He's Baptized in the Holy Ghost but he's not fluid yet. He will be.
At the end I closed the service by using the traditional Benediction Aaron the brother of Moses was give from God thru Moses. Numbers 6:24.
I helped them to understand the language of it all. They had never heard anything like that. They had never heard it explained. Then after I explained in detail the essence of the language I pronounced it over them prophetically.
They will never ever hear "The Lord Bless you and Keep you............" the same again. I wonder how many people really have a clue what that really all means. You have to spend a lot of time in Hebrew to get it.
It was wonderful to look into those peoples eyes. We went 70 minutes. Communion and everything. You could tell, they didn't want it to end. They wanted the service to go on and on. They are so hungry for God. Hungry for hope. Hungry for a word of encouragement. Hungry for Jesus.
I needed this. It's great to be back in the saddle again. Ministering like I was meant to. To people who really want Jesus and not religion.
All this while Peggy and I have been fighting a cold between us. We didn't even go to Rockford to our Sunday Night Church. I know Apostle Lyon misses us when we are gone. He's so gracious. They encourage me to bring a prophetic word in every service as the Lord leads. I don't. But only when the Lord leads. But the Prophet was whipped and not well. So, we deferred.
One last thing. There is such a thing as Collar Power. I never would have believed it. I didn't experience it but Pastor Aaron in calling on places to meet gets a whole nother reception from people with a collar than without.
So frankly did I. I guess the uniform can help make the man.
I always thought it was the anointing.
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