72 Days To Go...A Word of Caution

Greetings Brothers,
In speaking with our newest member, I was reminded how different this conference will be from anything else I have ever attended. My excitement grows each day, but along with the excitement, my flesh is fearful of what may die at this event. Am I truly ready for complete surrender? What will an examination of the deepest areas of my heart reveal? What carefully protected sins and selfishness will the Holy Spirit shine His light on as I give Him unhindered access to every area of my life? When he reveals these cancers, am I willing to have Him cut them out...that will be painful and my flesh shrinks back from the surgeon's scalpel. But...isn't that exactly what we are praying for?

First, a word of caution. I want to make sure that everyone attending realizes what they are getting themselves into. This will not be a "feel good" conference like some others we have attended. We are asking God to bring revival to our own hearts and revival by it's very nature will be uncomfortable and painful as God deals with each of us in areas that we need to reconcile with Him. The conference schedule is heavy and will not appeal to one not searching for a deeper walk with Him. The men who are attending seem discontented with the comfortable Christianity that we have been "sold" by the established church in North America. I sense a deep hunger for a deeper walk with God.

I don't want to be harsh, but we must admit that there appears to be a great disconnect between the church that Christ started and what we see around us today. We are desperately seeking a return to the old foundations of the early church in Acts, when the Holy Spirit had unhindered access to Christians who instantly obeyed His leading. We are discontent with programs that leave the Holy Spirit no room to freely move among His people.

We are praying that as we prepare to go to Canton, we would be guided strictly by God's Word. It is the Holy Spirit's job to teach us all truth and this only comes as we saturate our lives in the Word of God.

While this trip will certainly give us time as Christian brothers to strengthen our horizontal relationships, we are focused primarily on our vertical relationship with our heavenly Father. Pray for your brothers who will be attending, pray for the speakers who will preach and pray that God would prepare our hearts to hear a word from Him. It is time to put aside carefully scheduled and sculpted service. Let us each give God the freedom to use His Word to write His truth on our hearts.

Your brother in the battle, Steve C.