Riding the Wave of His Spirit

I believe that we are in the beginning stages of a greater move of God’s Spirit at Hillside Church, in our lives and this city. Like a wave beginning to form off the sandy, ocean bottom, I feel the living Spirit beginning to gather momentum and strength for a deluge of his Presence, Freedom & Power.

Into the deep end

I hear his voice calling to the deep places of our heart, soul and spirit, “Come from your safe and shallow kiddy pool Christianity, into the deep places of my Spirit.” He is beckoning us to deep relationship with his Spirit beyond anything that we have ever experienced before – coming close to his heart, knowing true intimacy with Father and receiving his complete love and profound peace. Once we’ve tasted life in the “deep end” we will never be the same and, to be sure, we will never go back.

The cutting-edge

This is not the safe, comfortable Christianity we’ve always known. It is a fresh, alive, cutting-edge, frontier, “leave everything and follow him” version, where we actually have to pay a price. This can seem scary at first until we recognize the power he longs to unleash through us – the miracles he wants to do, the people he wants to touch, the way he wants to use us. So, we live with the choice to live our small, selfish lives or to surrender all and see him come in real power. I can tell you that it’s much more fun to ride the wave, than to stand on the shore watching and wishing.

Infused with the Spirit

The same Spirit the raised Jesus’ lifeless body from the grave (Romans 8:11) is roaring forth to infuse our lives with miracle-working power and unceasing passion to send us into a world that is dry, cracked and desperate. It’s no longer enough for us to peddle plastic, anesthetized Christianity. What the world needs through us, as the people of God, the living body of Christ in the world, is the raw, authentic power of the God of Freedom and Love working through us. Let us not give them any less!

As we move into the fall, this is our cry as a church,” God, take all of me. I hold nothing back. Come, unleash your power and use me and us according to the dreams in your heart.” It’s time to grab our surfboards and get ready! It’s going to be an awesome ride!