Why I Cried at Church Yesterday

Yesterday Peggy and I attended a church I didn't even know existed. We were there with friends from Greater Works regarding a change of venue for them. More on that in another post.

What was so amazing to me was here was a church that embraces completely the stream that is my spiritual DNA. Toronto. Kansas City. IHOP and so much more. The place was packed. BUT, it's too small for what the future will hold for them. They are going to prune their whole ministry to replant in the CITY. They have several outreaches in the city already. They go with their prophetic teams to the UIC circle campus and have day of destiny where they prophecy over hundreds of students. AMAZING. Just think, you are a young man or woman and someone reveals the heart of God regarding you and your future life. More amazing would be if you weren't even a christian. Somehow that seems like it makes more sense then telling them they are going to hell. 1 Corinthians 14.

The worship started and the Glory fell. I began to sob uncontrollably. This is what I have had a vision of for many years. It's so rare. People just walked up on the platform and ministered to the Lord. It was so free. I felt religious and inhibited.

Prophetic Arts were everywhere. Prophetic Dance. Prophetic Painting taking place while worship was going on. Prophetic banners. And the song of the Lord came forth.

AND THIS is in Oak Park...not exactly a bastion of evangelicalism. The bishop of Baghdad, Andrew White shared as a guest speaker. Several of the church's members are Wheaton Grads, they were honored.

One last thing, Dr White has Smith Wigglesworth's bible. It's coming apart. He showed it to us. He gave Peggy dime sized fragment from it. At first I thought, something like that should be preserved. Then I got this comment from Pastor Nate. He doesn't know that it spoke to me of the events of yesterday.

Gene, one of the things Pastor Dan used to say to those he knew... He couldn't understand how "programs" that were started under the anointing of God and with fire and boldness, would never be allowed to die, but rather be kept alive just because 'that's the way we always do things'. He was always looking for freshness and new ways to be a blessing to the Kingdom. More fruit, bigger harvests, and yes, pruning away dead branches - programs, even sometimes leaders who didn't want to leave their comfort zone... and the focus away from anything that would detract from reaching others. He too, was promoted to glory at the young age of 59... A short 3 months before he died, while sharing his vision of what the church was doing, starting, reaching out to the hurting, he said, "If God heals me, then I get to see this all come to pass down here, but if not, then I get to watch it from the other side"... I didn't get much sleep that night trying to bargain with God to keep him here... Loved the way he kept expanding his horizons, enlarging his "tent".