God has been so good to us. We have served Him and His people for these years. How well we remember our pastor, Marion's father, Pastor Reg Layzell announcing to the church on a Sunday morning in December of that same year, we would be set in as pastors of a church in the county town of Abbotsford B.C. That was the first time we had heard about that decision!! Yes, we were shocked but the calling of God was on our lives so we were obedient to that call. Somehow, the saints in the Abbotsford Church accepted his choice. They loved us and together we saw the hand of the Lord do awesome things by His grace and anointing in spite of us!! Looking back, all we can say is "How great is our God"!
Here we are in February 2011 in Centralia Washington looking back some 53 years and saying, as well as singing, "HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD". Remembering those early years we wonder how the people could have accepted and loved us, but they did. Those who are alive still do and, of course, we will always be grateful to them for their love and sacrifice.
We have seen two major keys through all of this. First and foremost, be willing to stand together to see God's will and purpose accomplished. Be willing to "run with patience the race He has set before us". He is the only true faithful God. He is the God Who never changes. His will and purpose is forever established in the heavens and, as a result, also upon the earth. He cannot and, therefore, will not fail. No matter what lies ahead of us, His will is always going to be accomplished. We can trust in Him.
He loves us. Oh that we would never loose sight of that love. That we would love and trust Him, as we serve and honor Him, making Him Lord of our lives.
Still looking back, I remember the season of the "Jesus People" that touched so many of us. One of the sayings they were famous for was, "IF JESUS IS NOT LORD OF ALL, HE IS NOT LORD AT ALL." Several times in every gathering this would be shouted out by those gathered together, actually not only shouted out but expressed as our confession of what He was and meant to us. He is Lord! May we confess this again and again, HE IS LORD!!
The second major key is in the statement of our Lord and Savior in Matt.16:18-9, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". These are days of challenge everywhere, this is a time when the church and individual believers need to take a fresh stand. We need to arise, be strong and declare in a new and powerful way that He is Lord of all. There is no God but our Jehovah. He is the awesome One. He is the one and only true God. All power in heaven and earth are His, and He has commissioned us to be filled with His power through the indwelling presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is for all who will call upon Him. Jesus declared "You shall be filled with the Holy Spirit". He also declared, "the works that I have done you shall do and even greater works shall you do because, (notice with me here very carefully - BECAUSE) I go to My Father" (John 15:12). He has gone to His Father. The rest is up to us!! We need Him. We need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We need to believe Him and act upon His word.
When Pentecost arrived in the upper room, they were filled with power from on high. They were obedient and became "those who turned the world upside down". Now comes the question to us, "what are we doing?" Who is turning whom upside down? Hey, it's our time! Now is the time. We are His called ones. We are His witnesses in the earth. He is with us.
Through His anointing, power and Name we can accomplish His commission. We are more than able to "get the job done". Let us move forward in the power of His Spirit. Let us fulfill the great commission. Let us march forward in His name and above all, let us show that we are the church He died for, was resurrected for and sent His Holy Spirit to anoint and enable. He has enabled us to do greater works than He did so His name can be honored and glorified in all the earth.
February is a month to celebrate love. Why not fall in love with Him in a fresh way? Why not love Him with the same love He loved us? Why not be willing to lay our lives down for His cause? Why not renew our covenant with Him, take a fresh stand and become available to do His will in our lives? Why not become "radical for His cause", see His great commission fulfilled in our lives and in our generation?
Be blessed. Be renewed and know how much He loves you. Love Him. Make Him your first love and give your all. I am making the same choices and turning them into my commitment to Him in a fresh way.
We are loved so we can share His love! Pray for us. We are praying for you. |
