Sunday in Novomoscosk...

 Yesterday, Sunday the 30th, I was asked to share at the church here in Novomoscosk. I have been there many times and they are hard working, simple folks who love Jesus and are hungry for God! It was an amazing experience for me, even as I shared!  The Holy Spirit's Presence hovered over us with power, the whole time!  After it was over there was a quiet, reverent sense of awe and expectation! 

Later in the day the regional pastor (who has responsibility for over 100 churches) came to talk with me and was visibly arrested by the Holy Spirit's movement in his heart...    The night before I was planning a different sermon, but the Spirit stopped everything and made clear that He wanted me to talk about listening to His Voice and Following... so I surrendered and left that decision in His hands.  As I spoke the next morning at church, I talked about reasons we don't hear from God, including disobedience and deceitfulness. Matthew 7:21/ John 14:15, 24 and Psalm 101:7/ Rev. 21:8 etc.  The illustration I used for this is how churches keep two accounting books- one for the church and one they show the government, for tax purposes.  When my regional pastor friend came to me he said, we all have three books- one for the deacons, one for the church in general to see and the one they show the government.  He said my heart is convicting me about this practice which has been common for a long time and we encourage the same behavior for the business men in our churches so they can give more money to us!  But, I told him my non-Christian friends in government know about this game and they say to me, "Why should I want to repent- believers are liars just like everybody else!"   I told my pastor friend that God has a load of blessing He wants to pour out on His church and the saints but He is hindered or even stopped by our ungodly behavior!  It was a difficult but really significant discussion and there were some businessmen who were a part of this as well. These things are important for modeling our faith to the World, but also for the integrity of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ!   

Others in the church had a similar response, "It has opened up our hearts and it was important to know these things (because this was new to them)!" I walked away thinking, Wow God, Wow!  Only You can do this and open the eyes of our hearts, so that we might become more and more like Jesus! (Eph. 1:17,18)...  

Your prayers and fasting, by His grace, are opening doors that I have never seen open before! All praise and glory to God!!