The Cry of a Nazirite

It is God's heart to raise up in this generation men and women aflame with holy devotion to Him and His purposes. Tragically, the Church is bloated with sell-outs who are profiteers of the Gospel. She is drunk from the intoxication of a self-empowering, you-can-have-it-all, "Jesus wants you blessed" kind of Christianity. Compare that with the early Church Apostles who were martyred for their convictions rather than bend to popular culture.

Instead, the eyes of the Lord today roam "throughout the face of the earth seeking those whose hearts are completely His" (2 Chron 16:9). We have relied on church growth seminars, pollster prophets, business management training, success principles of franchise marketing, and mission statements with corporate branding to attempt to build 21st century churches. God is not mocked. He wants His people in our day to abandon our trust in chariots and horses and to radically and unashamedly put our trust in Him. We would be wise to seek out the ancient pathways.

Where are those who would pray and fast with a desparate longing for the living God to breathe upon His people again? When will we learn that it is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit that the work of God will ever be accomplished? When will we die to the tinsel this world tantalizes us with and ache to instead see the hand of God touch the leprosy of our land?

In stark contrast to the marketing madness gripping our churches is the following poem--the heart of a young woman who yearns to see God call forth His Nazirites once again:

For Such a Time

I was fashioned for this day

I was born just for this hour

A day of revolution

An invasion of Your power

We're John the Baptist signals

Posted high up on a hill

Lifting trumpet voices

And doing all Your will

My heart was made for burning

My destiny extreme

Called to be a Nazirite

A faith and fire machine

I'm fasting in the desert

And making straight the path

Proclaiming by Your Spirit

"Mercy triumphs over wrath!"

I'm laying down my future

In worship at Your feet

I'm calling for revival

To fill our nation's streets

I'm lifing up my voice

To God who answers prayer

"make me the hinge of hist'ry!"

And He answers

"Become it if you dare!"

To see the Lamb exalted

And His reward secured

I'll live a life of sacrifice

And let His voice be heard

For such a time as this

And for this very hour

God's called a generation

To be channels of His power

John the Baptist company

With Elijah in their blood

Burning in the desert

So that God will send a flood

--by Sylvia M. Barnhart--

Do you still share her passion? Or is there no oil left in your lamp?

Intercession for Society: Friday, October 19

Here's our journal entry for our prayer meeting Friday night, October 19:

After a time of worship, the Lord challenged us through a brief prophetic word saying, "Get yourselvess ready, because I'm ready."

We turned our attention to Joel 2:18-32. It is promise in the last days of the Lord restoring what was lost as one aspect of his outpouring upon all flesh. If you're not familiar with it, it is worth reading (or re-reading). We observed that along with the revival God brings to His Church, He sends a restoration to society. In fact, there really is no true revival WITHOUT it spilling out into the marketplace and affecting society. Culture will either embrace it or spurn it, but it will not continue unaffected with business as usual. We interceded for society for change and a return to justice.

There was quite a bit of travail going on. Those who were doing so were exhorted to offer to the others some sense of why they were travailing. We encouraged clarification so that all present could appreciate that nature of intercession. Jeremiah 31:15-16 was offered; a calling for God's children to return to the Lord. Romans 8:18-22 was also suggested. Finally, Isaiah 42:14 was also considered. The context of Isaiah is that the Lord's sons and daughters are to refuse to be kept silenced, often the result of agreeing with surrounding culture or the majority mindset. No longer! Like a woman in childbirth we should warfare to declare the rejection of worldly influence and instead turn our hearts completely back to Him.

A word of encouragement then came forth, "God is going to do something good." Then a brief prophetic word, "The days ahead will be unsual. our lives will change, but it will be in Me. I'm coming soon." Then it was repeated for emphasis, "The days ahead will be unsual. our lives will change, but it will be in Me. I'm coming soon."

Still another prophetic word came: "You will work together. My spirit will come and say 'go together.' You will work together. I will send you on operations. And you will say, 'yes, I see it. I see it clearly.' And the Lord will say, 'get up and go.' And you will say, 'yes, I see it clearly.'"

One of the aching symptoms that the Church in our area desperately needs revival, is how barren our churches are of seeing people experiencing the New Birth. The Holy Spirit brought us to Isaiah 49:19-23. "Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people..." What an amazing turn-about! According to these verses, even those young new believers are going to feel overcrowded by each other. Further, God was going to use inflential people to come into the kindgom to help steward all of these new believers in their new life in Christ. So we interceded for an outpouring in culture in addition to praying for an outpouring in our churches. We prayed for the next day's elections as so many key state-wide offices were up for grabs. We noted that having the right leadership could foster the transformation in society God was wanting to produce. We also prayed for John and Joy Monger of Prayer Lake whose ministry reaches so many in the Body of Christ in our area.

As a final plea to the Lord for His Sovereign intervention, Jeremiah was 8:18-22 was read.