Living Next Door To Larry

If there is one thing I’ve enjoyed most of my entire ministry is living next to the mighty Larry. The St Lawrence River is not only known for its beauty, which draws thousands to it banks, but also countless individuals to the surface of its great playground.

Yet two of the previous reasons are not why I encounter the Larry each and every day. As I head out each day to be “the church” I follow its river banks along highway two. It has also been a great food source for my family because of the wonders of its fishery. Just reflecting on those few thoughts brings feelings of joy, contentment and satisfaction. Yet, allow me to pull myself from that and get to The HEART of the matter.

Almost one hundred years ago on the banks of this river in a small village called Mille Roches, seven of our top generals were waiting on God because of the great work He was doing in their lives. Out of them tarrying in the presence of God, they were so moved by the Spirit that they not only began the process for the charter of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, but also saw many church plants springboard from that prayer time.

By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

Ezekiel 47:12 (NASB)

This promise is one of many biblical references that causes us to tarry once again for the upcoming and long expected move of God that is anticipated in our area. One of the words that truly finds its way to the top these days is “Dispatch”.

DISPATCH - definition

dis·patch

dəˈspaCH/

verb

past tense: dispatched; past participle: dispatched

1. Send off to a destination - for a purpose.

I truly believe with all my heart that God’s glory is about to be dispatched upon the earth like most of us have never seen. It will not be moved by crowds or orchestrated by leaders, but will settle with a designed purpose on individuals. One will not only discover teachable revelation, but will also be infused with how the Father’s heart beats and aches for humanity.

What saddens my heart today about the story of Mille Roches is that it now lies under the water fourteen kilometers west of Cornwall. Mille Roches best defined means “Thousand Stones”, after the flooding of the rapids that village became Long Sault which both words take their meaning from “rapids”

Mille Roches is often only referred to or dialoged about as one of the many “Lost Villages” in that area. I don’t think the church “Lost Visits” as quick, with God, as they lost their homes and land in Mille Roche, but I do declare we lost visiting (tarrying) in His presence. Present prayer times has often become only the seasoning for many of our events to reach a “Lost World”. Please hear me clear, I’m in no place to criticize anyone, but prayer was never meant to be sprinkled on any man made attempts to reach out or build bridges to an uninterested culture.

Prayer is not the seasoning to sprinkle, but it is the actual meat that moves the hand of God. I’m sure any of the fine folk that lost their village felt misplaced, robbed and wounded in the process. Our “Lost Visits” to Father God have also left us in the same condition misplaced, robbed and wounded.

One of the four areas in my life that recently I’ve had to repent of is Prayerlessness. To think I’m pastoring a church and all I’ve done is used prayer for a seasoning for the events and activities that I thought was so important for kingdom advancement.

Another heart wrenching confession was not leaving room for the Spirit of God to confront and convict individuals, but monopolizing a perception of what church and service looks like with my idea of fruitfulness. Thirdly, I would read great material, whether Christian based articles, written sermon scripts or devotionals and only reading the body of the script and never looking at the suggested scripture references. I repented because I felt that only Biblical Truth will set me free and not the regurgitated food of someone else’s new found revelation. Finally, my busy life of ministry, whether effective or dissatisfying, often took priority over God and upon the heels of repentance I learned that God don’t have the word “second” in the vocabulary of relationship time with Him.

God showed Adam and Eve “their worth” before He showed them “their work”. God so desires to show us the same as we humble ourselves and tarry before him. It’s like they Adam and Eve were given their identity before they received their responsibility.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created

them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ Genesis 1:27-28 (NASB)

So I think what I’m trying to say is this, without relationship time, ministry time becomes work and effort, rather than us resting in Him in the context of airgraphical. Just add to create a word, it’s time to sit in heavenly places and visit.

My next blog I will share with you some heart felt impressions that I’ve experienced and what I believe the next move of God may look like in our area. Also in the weeks to come I will share with you a dream I had concerning Isaiah 21 and how important it is for us to have “night vision” as we move forward and understand the times.

Roger

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