Not By Might

We believe Ukraine’s greatest need is a spiritual awakening.  The culture slumbers and struggles along without hope for any significant change.  God wants to awaken this nation out of slumber into a greater purpose.   He wants His church to arise and shine a glorious Light.

We believe God is leading us to host a unique event that starts in a few weeks called, “Awaken 2015”.   It will be a series of creative workshops for students in the area, designed to engage gifts and talents while providing opportunities to reveal the Creator.   We’ll also be hosting 5 nights a week open prayer and worship as we host a team from YWAM and involve as many churches in the area that would like to participate.

We believe God wants to awaken His people to His power and spiritual resources at our disposal.  He wants to awaken the hurting to the Healer, the blind to the Path of Life, the hungry to the Bread of Life.

God encouraged Zerubbabel in the book of Zechariah 4:6.  An angel appeared to the governor, who was responsible for what seemed to be an impossible task – to rebuild the temple.  There was nothing to suggest that such a task would be remotely successful.  The people were apathetic, discouraged.  They lacked funds, they had political obstacles, disunity and many enemies prepared to thwart any attempt to rebuild the temple.   

The angel conveys the message, and it’s a game changer, “Not my might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord”.   

In a moment God takes ownership of the work.  What would be impossible through human effort alone, God would do.   The angel gives a strange but glorious vision to the people.  The vision is of a golden lampstand.  Over it hovered a bowl filled with oil to supply the lamps.  The oil wasn’t just any oil, it was being supplied by two olive vines.  God’s provision, His power would sustain the lamps was the point.  The temple would be, and was rebuilt by God’s spiritual power, not mere human strength.

The gospel, the great news of God’s grace through Jesus Christ is the Light to the Nations.  The gospels work on the earth (the oil) was never intended to be an effort void of the same spiritual power that Zerubbabel witnessed.  While we can ‘do’ many good things as a people, without the Spirit of God in our lives filling, leading, directing, the fruit will not last. 

It’s God that awakens us to His reality, draws us into His presence and restores us into relationship.   It’s God that empowers meaningful spiritual activity that impacts hearts, cities and nations.   It’s God that wants to pour out His Spirit in our lives, continually!

Not by might, nor power, by HIs Spirit must be our evangelistic focus.  God’s not interested in outward reformation, but inward revolution.

We’ve entered a season of prayer personally, and with others God has drawn together.  We are believing in prayer that God will change things.  I love the verse, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure,” Phil 2:13.  God gives us desires to aim our life’s focus and energy into.  We believe the next few months in Ukraine, for our family and many others, will be to press into God, into His presence, be refreshed, filled and empowered for His work.   

Would you consider praying along with us?  Maybe you too need a fresh infilling of God’s Spirit.  Daily we are to remain filled, with His Spirit, His Word, His Will.. and the list goes on.   Our Father God is waiting, the path has been prepared for all to enter His gates, directly to His throne – He has performed the work, it is finished!

Let’s run into His presence and receive all that He wants to supply!