Bob Craine: "2007--ENTER INTO WHAT GOD IS DOING WITH EXPECTANCE, DISCERNMENT, AND RECEPTIVITY"

December 28, 2006

Bob Craine: "2007--ENTER INTO WHAT GOD IS DOING WITH EXPECTANCE, DISCERNMENT, AND RECEPTIVITY"

"We must break the mold of the past and develop a new expectation for God to move anytime, anywhere, and in any way He wills."

God Wants to Prepare Us

I believe that the Spirit of God is more active today than many of us realize. One of our struggles is discerning when and where God is moving. In our busy society, we run at such a pace, that it's possible to rush past a time and a place where God wanted to encounter us. There is little that we can do about our busyness, except plan to protect our time so that we don't miss God.

When God intends to do something, He will often make it known to groups and/or individuals ahead of time. These advance notices are invitations. Sometimes, God invites people to partner with Him in bringing His miracles to pass. He gives us notice so that we can pray God's wonderful works into being and prepare our hearts for what He wants to do.

Often there are conditions that must be fulfilled in order to realize God's gift. Joel 2:28 could not be fulfilled until the last days. Isaiah 9 and 11 couldn't come to pass until Jesus was born. The devil worked hard trying to kill Jesus, so that the greatest promises of eternity would be thwarted. That's what much of the busyness in our lives is all about.

If the devil can keep us busy doing good things, especially religious things, so much so that our time with Jesus suffers, he may be able to distract me from seeing and entering into an encounter with God.

There are invitations from God that you don't need to wait for; they are to be received today, right now. For instance, in John 20:22, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, "...receive the Holy Spirit." He didn't say, "Pray about it or think about it." He said to receive the Holy Spirit right now.

Enter Into What God is Doing

Over the years, I have heard prophetic words about what God is going to do. Sometimes these prophecies (I believe are from God) never come to pass. I believe that the reason is that a lot of believers don't realize that what God wants to do in the future, often starts today, right now, with me. If I don't enter into what God is doing right now, I believe it's possible that what God wants to do in the future may not come to pass.

God is all-powerful, yet much of the time He uses people to bring about His purposes. God is doing some great things today, and sometimes we don't even recognize that He's moving! God is greatly showing up in churches, and we may not even notice because we're preoccupied, distracted, or have become dull to Him; and without expectation. It's possible, for people who want what God has for them, to miss what God is currently doing because they get caught up in routine.

God has been teaching me about His sovereignty the last couple of years. In other words, He can do anything He wants to do anytime and however He pleases. God is not at all restricted to doing what He's done in the past.

Worship with Expectancy for the Miraculous

"God causes His throne to descend in the midst of people who worship Him."

Psalm 22:3 says that God dwells in the Holy place where the praises are offered. Our worship becomes God's throne or God causes His throne to descend in the midst of people who worship Him.

I've discovered that when people worship with an expectation, God sits down in the middle of worship, and He comes with a purpose, and His purpose is to touch His people, with Healing, Deliverance, and Restoration.

In most places that I go to minister, I've realized that people come with an expectation, and God has indeed been sitting down in worship with a purpose. My job is to discern the presence of God and to declare that God is present to minister healing and wholeness.

I was in Kingston, Massachusetts, when God's presence was so profound during worship that I was undone. I don't ever recall a more profound encounter with God. When I finally made my way to the platform, I raised my hands in adoration then realized that I hadn't raised my shoulder over my head in more than 2 years because of a bad rotator cuff. It was instantly free. I realized that as I worshipped, God descended in worship and healed me.

I simply announced that God was present to heal, and  asked if any who came with pain or limitations, discovered that they were now pain-free or could now move in a way they couldn't do before worship. After checking their bodies for pain or limited mobility, about 50 or more people responded as being pain-free or had regained their mobility, including a woman with M.S. who danced and ran around the room. These healings also recently happened in Maine, London, and central California too. 

2007--A Year of Expectance, Discernment and Receptivity

Yes, God uses people to minister to people, but God is not limited to a ministry team or a ministry time. I am not saying that God's new formula for healing is during worship, but He can and does heal during worship when He chooses to. As His church, we must break the mold of the past and develop a new expectation for God to move anytime, anywhere, and in any way He wills.

I believe that 2007 will be a year of Expectance, Discernment and Receptivity.

Expectance: We must allow the Spirit of God to develop in us an anticipation that God will show up anywhere and anytime to display His power.

Discernment: We must recognize when God is moving and know what He is doing, so that our thing doesn't interfere with His thing.

Receptivity: We need to receive what God is doing even if we don't understand what He's doing.
 

Bob Craine, Senior Pastor
Valley Vineyard Church
www.valleyvcf.org
Email: bob@valleyvcf.org

Bob Craine Bio:

Bob and his wife Margie have three children and eight grandchildren. Bob was saved during the Jesus People movement in the early 70's. He planted his first church in 1976 and has since planted and pastored seven churches.

Bob has been a Vineyard pastor since the inception of the movement in 1982. He was a Board member of the Association of Vineyard Churches from 1984 to 1995, and during that time, he served as the regional Overseer of the central and Northern California region, giving oversight to 5 areas and over 45 churches.

Bob also started traveling with John Wimber in 1985 as an associate conference speaker in England, Ireland, and Scotland. He has traveled extensively as a Conference speaker and Church renewal mentor, and his travels have taken him to 12 countries on four continents.

In May 2006, Bob and Margie were asked to assume the role of lead pastors of the Valley Vineyard Church in San Ramon, CA. Margie leads the women's ministry and oversees the Healing Rooms and is currently assisting in the launching of a new ministry for women involving counseling, healing prayer, and mentoring.

Bob continues to travel with the blessing of Valley Vineyard doing conferences, moving in the Prophetic with words of knowledge. It's unusual when people don't receive Healing, refreshing, and empowering.

 

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