What an evening! Can I say it again? What an evening!
It was like a "Glencoe" homecoming of sorts.
Greg Birdwell gave the message.....
To say that he gave the message is an understatement.
He gave it under the unction of the Holy Spirit. Now there's a word that you don't hear much...unction. It means to be moved by the Holy Spirit. In fact, it means more than moved...it means that you are no longer in control, but in fact are being led to say what is on HIS heart. I guess the easiest way to say what happened as Greg taught is that he knocked it out of the park.
Greg truly is a man of gratitude....
Life is hard....
But Greg is grateful for what Jesus has done to him, and for him.
Life is not always having the answers for what is next....
But Greg is grateful to be vertical and ventilating each and every morning.
Greg is very much in touch with what his old life was like, never wanting to go back there again. Greg is passionate about this Jesus who has saved him. Sometimes it like all this passion/gratitude gets bottled up inside and has to come out some way or the other....that's when Greg cuts loose with a "WHOO!" for Jesus. Not trying to mimic or pretend, it truly is an outlet for the Spirit of God to work through. I know this...when the "WHOO!" comes, hang on because Greg is about to lay the truth on you.
It really was a family night of sorts....
We had a new addition show up for her very first VRC.
Stephen and Sarah, who have been regulars for some time now, came with their new daughter....Zoe. Cute as a button, she is. She must have enjoyed the meeting because she didn't fuss one time during it. Blessings to the whole family as they have really become engaged in chasing this Jesus we all are after.
At the end of the service, I came back up to see if anyone needed prayer. I shared something that I had found in one of my journals back in 2014. I had written "I am not going to be content with belief that some have, that addiction is beyond God's ability to heal and restore." Some how this incredible statement had gotten lost in life, but when I read it, it struck something deep inside of me. I don't have to have all the answers as to why or why not someone is able to grasp recovery in Christ. All I am called to do is pray, invite God's Holy Spirit, and let Him do the rest.
I shared with the group that we were going to start praying for anyone who wanted to be healed from their addiction. (Might I add that Salvation is the ultimate healing). That we were going to pray this every week at the end of our service....
I also shared about how, in Scripture, there was one instance of where Jesus had to pray twice for man to be healed of his blindness. So I said, "I want you to keep coming up every week for prayer until you are healed." When I said this, the front flooded with people to receive. It was week 1 of healing. As I prayed, God truly was at work in the those who had come to receive. There was a great sense of His presence there with this group. After I finished the prayer, I told them, "If you are here next week...you come back up and get another prayer." lets keep doing this until God heals us......Let's not waver or back away from what God wants to do.
Like I said earlier in this posting....
It was a good evening at VRC....
Can't wait for the next one.
God on you...
mbb
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