God on the Move

Do you ever get discouraged watching the evening news? I do my best to stay informed with what is happening around the globe, but it seems like the top headlines are always something tragic or completely negative. Pictures and images of Katrina, 9/11, Iraq, the Middle East, teenagers dying--our world seems to be spinning into chaos. It's amazing how a 30 minute news segment can totally deflate and depress you! Yet, in spite of all the pain and suffering we experience, God is on the move in an incredible way. Just last week, I had the privilege of traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, and serve at Celebration Church for a weekend retreat targeting college students and young adults. Cool thing: they call their Saturday night gathering of 600 people Late Nite, just like us! We experienced a "Last Days" outpouring as described in the book of Acts, and many touched heaven in a way they never had before. Here at home, in our own Late Nite ministry, we're in a series called "Gravity: Rising Above the Pull of Temptation." I believe this has been one of the most helpful things we've talked about all year. Last Wednesday our altars were completely full--probably around 150 people squeezed in the front, being honest with God and seeking His strength and help. Just last night, over 700 HPC leaders and volunteers converged at our Highland campus for a night of vision and expectation of where God is taking us. Talk about a lethal environment...I even saw senior adults jumping and dancing, forming their own mosh-pit during worship!! We might need to bring oxygen masks and make sure everyone has health insurance before we do something like that again!! Everywhere I go, I see the fingerprints of Jesus Christ. The devil is on the move because he knows his time is short, but I see an army of healers coming together for the purpose of serving their King! The Church was never meant to be a refuge from the world but an unstoppable force in the world!