Life can get busy, yes? And it may seem we are all moving in a fast-paced world. With that said...how many of us really like being "disrupted" in our busy schedules throughout the day?
BUT...we should always look forward to being disrupted...as God can and will bring divine appointments or "divine disruptions" our way to minister and encourage others who may greatly need it.
Now, find out about these divine disruptions, even ones Jesus dealt with, and how incredible miracles and testimonies came from them. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Many have cried out for revival, outpouring and awakening. There is an earnest cry for the MOVE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT throughout the people of God, but in order to welcome it in fullness, they must be willing to welcome the messy BLESSING of divine disruptions.
In this present season, the Spirit of God is hovering and brooding over many churches and communities. He's moving...but He is moving gently. We are seeing increased passion in corporate praise and worship. There is a greater hunger for prayer and simply connecting with God. It doesn't matter if there's a well-known speaker or band involved, or just a hand-full of people sitting in a room, laden with decor from the 1980s.
"If there was any preacher or teacher that did NOT need a disruption, it was Jesus. And yet He welcomed it...He responded to it...He made a glorious example out of it!" |
Cool doesn't matter and hip, relevant and being famous are not the aim. There is a hunger rising from the people of God to connect with Someone who rends the heavens and comes down – the Holy Spirit. There is more intensified interest in outreach, missions and Kingdom justice initiatives. We see GREAT evidence of the Spirit hovering over the people of God...and yet, there's more. He's hovering and brooding, but I believe He wants to BREAK OUT with power!
This BREAK OUT will create a DISRUPTION. Do you know what will ultimately determine whether or not we, as the Church, go to the next level in God? I don't believe it's just divine sovereignty, as God has willed a Holy Spirit outpouring since Acts 2. The determining factor of whether or not we actually step into outpouring is our willingness to be disrupted by God!
We Need Jesus in the House Again!
I prophesy we are stepping into the season of Mark Chapter 2 (one of my ALL TIME favorite accounts in the Gospels). "And when He returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that He was at home" (Mark 2:1, ESV). Another translation says that it was reported He was in the house!
I declare that the REPORT OF THE LORD in this season, would be like it was in the days of Jesus – HE IS IN THE HOUSE! HE IS IN THIS CITY! HE IS IN THIS REGION. A report went out concerning the presence of Jesus...and when His presence is in a place, ANYTHING is possible! When His presence is moving and manifest in a region, things shift.
"Soon there were so many people crowded inside the house to hear Him that there was no more room, even outside the door." (Mark 2:2, TPT) (Photo via Unsplash)
I prophesy that so many people will crowd into churches, meetings, and gathering places – large, small, house church, mega-church, all of the above – that the people will come because they heard the report that God's presence was there!
I believe multitudes will flock to places that do NOT necessarily make it their aim to draw in the multitudes and appeal to the MASSES. Multitudes will come to places that house the presence of Jesus well!
When the Word is Proclaimed, the Physically and Spiritually Paralyzed Will Respond!
"While Jesus was preaching the Word of God, four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man." (Mark 2:2-3, TPT)
I prophesy that the Word of God brings the hope of wellness...and thus the Word of God attracts the paralyzed!
I believe as the Word of God is preached and presented in boldness without compromise, we will see the broken, the sick, the demonized, the tormented and the spiritually desperate running to the Church, to the Ekklesia. They will be running to ANY place or community who will break the famine...for there is a famine in the land presently for the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, there is teaching. Yes, there are podcasts and live streaming and books and resources. There is NO SHORTAGE of information for sure, and much of the information is good. Sure, God can use this material, and He so graciously does. There is POWER when oracles of God, men and women under the influence and anointing of the Holy Spirit, open the Word and open their mouths, and are prophetically decreeing what Heaven has said.
Jesus Lived in Divine Disruptions
"I prophesy that so many people will crowd into churches, meetings, and gathering places – large, small, house church, mega-church, all of the above – that the people will come because they heard the report that God's presence was there!" |
I see that as the Word of God thunders and roars, it will attract those that are in desperate need of transformation. It's like apart from the Word, they are paralyzed – just like the guy in Mark Chapter 2. And yet, something about the thundering power of the Word draws the broken, convincing them that in such an atmosphere, in such a PRESENCE, healing and wholeness ARE AVAILABLE!
The ceiling is breaking off!
"But when they realized that they couldn't even get near Him because of the crowd, they went up on top of the house and tore away the roof above Jesus' head." (Mark 2:4, TPT)
This is a perfect example of divine disruption. And believe me, if there was anyone ever who should not have been interrupted or disrupted, it was JESUS – the Word of God incarnate! Think about it. We are all extremely interruptible compared to Jesus. If there was any preacher or teacher that did NOT need a disruption, it was Jesus. And yet He welcomed it...He responded to it...He made a glorious example out of it!
I sense the Holy Spirit saying right now, "Pay attention to how Jesus dealt with divine disruption. He did not turn the paralyzed man away. He did not rebuke His friends for breaking open the ceiling (which HAD to have been distracting)." Jesus obviously discerned what was going on, responded accordingly, and thus, we need to operate in that gift of discernment too.
But many of us today would look at the situation like this: we'd see a paralyzed guy being lowered through a ceiling and shut down a meeting, a service or gathering, because it was getting out of order. My question is simply this: what order are we following? Yes, we need to be functioning decently and in order, but the order we should be adhering to is the order of the will of God and passion of the Father.
Point of the Story – We Need to Get Used to Divine Disruptions!
We're TOO concerned about people being touched by God and laughing, crying, shaking, falling and responding demonstratively. That's nothing! Again, consider Mark 2. As I shared, Jesus was preaching, the roof broke open, and a paralyzed guy was lowered down on a bed! Talk about a DISTRACTION. (Photo via Unsplash)
I remind you: these "manifestations" are only distracting IF WE TEACH THEY ARE DISTRACTING! Otherwise, we should celebrate all legitimate manifestations of the Spirit's movement in our midst, boldly pastor people who are behaving in the flesh, and finally, cast out any demons that rear their ugly heads in atmospheres of such great levels of the Holy Spirit's presence.
Let's:
• Prepare for the unexpected.
• Prepare for the loud and noisy.
• Prepare for the mess and chaos.
• Prepare for ceilings to be broken open.
For example, I'll take the chaos of the maternity ward ANY DAY...even though it's crazy and messy and uncomfortable, life is coming forth! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Larry Sparks, MDiv
Equip Culture
Email: equipculture@gmail.com
Website: www.lawrencesparks.com
Larry Sparks is publisher for Destiny Image, a Spirit-filled publishing house pioneered by Don Nori Sr. in 1983 with a mandate to publish the prophets. Larry is fueled by a vision to help the church community create space for the Holy Spirit to move in freedom, power and revival fire, providing every Christian with an opportunity to have a life-changing encounter in the presence of God. In addition to publishing, Larry is a regular contributor to Charisma Magazine, he conducts seminars on revival, hosts regional Renewing South Florida gatherings, and has been featured on Sid Roth's It's Supernatural, TBN, CBN, the Elijah List, and Cornerstone TV. He earned a Master of Divinity from Regent University and enjoys life in Texas with his beautiful wife and beloved daughter.
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