What’s God Doing In The Church Right Now?

By Mark Swegar

This being October 2006, I spent part of last month watching documentaries on the 5th anniversary of 9/11. It’s amazing that even after half a decade, this event on the opposite coast still stirs me deeply. I still grieve over those who lost loved ones that day. I often wonder: if the Twin Tower and Pentagon and Flight 93 family members knew what was coming, would they have done things differently that day, and how would they have prepared? God knew what was coming, because he has all things under control. So why didn’t God tell people about it in advance? On the other hand, did anybody ask Him?

Mid-September was also a special time for Jews and Christians who are aware. The Day of Trumpets is the first day of the Judeo-Christian New Year (i.e., God’s Feast Calendar, which includes the three Seasons of Tabernacles, Passover, and Pentecost, with an inclusive total of seven Feasts), and therefore a great day to get God’s focus for His New Year. But God doesn’t really tell people about it in advance… does He? On the other hand, did anybody ask Him?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says…” But how can we hear the Lord unless we both listen and expect him to speak? God is talking nonstop, but not many of his servants listen and then submit it for confirmation. Still, the Lord has His “New Year’s resolutions” concerning His church, and right here this month and next, I’ll give you the tip of the iceberg about what He desires this year. This way, if (and only if) His Spirit confirms it in your heart, you can prepare because you know about it in advance.

Our church was extremely fortunate to have a visiting band with a large brass section lead our music on The Day of Trumpets. Their vocals combined with nine horns helped us all to “lift up our voices like trumpets” (Isaiah 58:1) and celebrate God’s Provision in our lives. After some simple math, we figured out that this same band last played in our church exactly a year ago on The Feast of Trumpets, with vocals and seven brass horns. We rocked the building and the spirit realm both times! We may be a small church with no band of our own, but we serve a big God who gives us the victory again and again. Trumpets marks the beginning of Tabernacles Season, and Tabernacles (literally meaning Tents) is a time of “God with us” (Emmanuel – Isaiah 7:14). Have you ever gone camping with someone and set up your tent alongside theirs? In the wilderness the Israelites lived in tents, and the most privileged ones dwelt next to God’s tent (The Tabernacle, where the Holy of Holies was located). In this age the Lord has set up His tent among us (John 1:14) and we have seen His glory. What an unspeakable privilege! He wants to live intimately with us. What other response could we have to this except to fall at his feet and worship?

In fact, new levels of worship is exactly what the Lord desires from us this year. Worship is the key to the unity needed in the Body of Christ. Our unity in worship will be a flowing river bringing the water of life to a parched and starving world. Jesus promises us “living water, a wellspring and fountain erupting unto eternal life…and true heart-worshipers must worship God in spirit and truth.” John 4, see also Proverbs 4: 23 Every Christian needs to tap into that wellspring of life which is The Spirit deep within the heart, and let the joy of intimately knowing Him gush forth in the form of praise and worship. As this fountain overflows into every area of life, each believer becomes a rivulet of Christ, a worshiping stream of living water. And as we worship together in one Spirit, we become a mighty river building up the entire body of Christ to the glory of God, for “there is a river whose rivulets gladden the holy place where God Most High dwells.” Psalm 46:4 This is not talking about Jerusalem, which sits on a hill with a meager well water supply and no springs or rivers nearby. Rather we are that river, and the holy place where God dwells is in His temple where we worship (see Psalm 27: 4). Let your heart be His temple, and worship him daily in spirit and truth. From this temple of worship flows this water of life, abundant water of abundant life.

Ezekiel saw water flowing out of the temple, beginning with a trickle, but becoming ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep. It swelled into a river so wide and deep you couldn’t even swim across it. This living water flowed through a desert valley, and everywhere it touched the dead sand, trees sprung up with year-round fruit. When it emptied into the Dead Sea, it turned the poison saltwater into freshwater teeming with life (Ezekiel 47). What a beautiful picture of Christ’s Church in worship! “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself,” said Jesus, adding “and you will do my miracles and even greater things than these, because I go to The Father.” The Lord has truly called us to be a portion of the River of Life, and where the river flows everything shall live (verse 9). So take your living fountain of worship and unite with other rivulets and flow, part of The Groom’s great river of living water flowing from God’s throne, breaking every curse and healing every nation. Revelation 22: 1-5 The trumpets have sounded; it has now been declared to you. Be set free to rejoice in worship because Emmanuel – our Lord Jesus Christ – has set up His Tent among us!

[Next month… part 2: how you can begin to prophesy]