Being About The Kingdom Business

From time to time I get asked a question concerning my "spiritual" education.....
"Where did you go to seminary?"
To which I reply, "In the closet!"
I did not go to a formal institution of higher learning.
I never sat with others and listened to great minds (and hearts) espouse the finer points of preaching. 
My seminary was found in a closet at Gadsden Vineyard Church.
There in that little room were hundreds and hundreds of teaching tapes from various leaders within the Vineyard movement. Of all the tapes, I found myself mesmerized by the teaching of John Wimber. God used this man to open my heart and mind up to the reality of the Kingdom. What it was...how it operated....how it was the central message of everything Jesus taught. The kingdom is coming....the kingdom is here...the kingdom is not yet.

So it made only sense, as I thought about John this morning, to post part of one of his teachings. Enjoy....


I Corinthians 2:4
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

The word of God...taught...
The validity of the word of God demonstrated.
Such is the basis for how we are the church on Saturday night.
No matter which view you hold to about recovery...
It all comes down to a POWER greater than ourselves who could restore us.
If that Power is never manifested...
If that Power is never revealed....
If all we do is talk about power...
read about power...
Then it serves no purpose to no one.

I do not wish to presume upon God, nor try to manipulate Him (As if I could) in any way, shape, form or fashion.
But the simple truth is this....
If we don't encounter God at some time...Then our lives just aren't going to change.
We can act like we've changed.
We can go to a meeting every day and night of the week, and collect chips for our sobriety until we could fill up the trunk of our car with them.
But unless we are touched by God....
We are are without hope.

Every Saturday night, I come to our meeting expecting to encounter God. I don't know how it will happen. I don't know what He is going to do..I just know that if I show up not expecting, then that's what will happen...nothing.
I've written this on numerous occasions but I can't say it enough. Over the past almost 17 years, I have not held a meeting where God didn't show up and touch someone, manifest himself in some way, or speak a specific message. 
We have seen, and continue to see...
Healing's...
Deliverance from demonic spirits...
Salvation...
People receiving words from God...
Rededicating of people to God.
People long into their addiction admitting they need to at least take a look at the possibility that God has been the missing piece in their sobriety.

Recovery is found in God...
Recovery is God...
The ultimate Power brought to bear to take back those who have been trapped in the darkness of Satan.

God on you...
mb