One of the key factors in mobilization is having a cause to mobilize to. Those who mobilize must have a reason to mobilize. The cause is crucial and so is the leadership who is calling for the mobilization. The cause must be right, but people also want to know that those who are leading the cause are trustworthy enough to follow.
There will never be a greater cause than the gospel, and there will never be a more trustworthy Leader than the Lord Himself. If the Lord Jesus was here preaching the gospel today, then to follow Him and be used in this would be the highest purpose we could be a part of in this life. However, He is still here, and He is still preaching the gospel, only He is doing it through His people. Since He left this cause in the hands of His disciples, following them is a matter we need to understand.
Think about the decision the new converts had on the Day of Pentecost as they listened to Peter preach to them. A noteworthy miracle was taking place because they could all hear the message in their own language, and the message was obviously touching them. But wasn’t this the guy who had denied the Lord just a few weeks ago? Weren’t all of these apostles standing with Peter, the ones who had just fled from Him and were not there for their Leader when He needed them the most? If Jesus Himself had been standing there, the choice would have been a lot easier, but how could they follow such leaders?
The reason they enlisted in the cause was not because of the apostles but because of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not trust the leadership of His church to these men but to the Holy Spirit, who we must put our trust in and follow. The issue was not the men themselves but the Spirit who was speaking through them. Still today, those who follow the Lord do not follow men—they follow the anointing.
Another factor we need to consider is that the judgment is severe for missing the time of visitation. The Lord lamented over Jerusalem that not a single stone would be left upon another because she did not recognize the time of her visitation. Likewise, the five foolish virgins were shut out because they were not prepared for the Lord when He came. The reason for this is that responding to the Holy Spirit when He moves or not responding to Him is a sure revelation of where our hearts and devotions are.
As we are told in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything but when the time comes and we do not respond, we have been deceived. Deception is more than not having our doctrines right—deception is also not being in the will of God. When there is a visitation of the Lord, every Christian is tested, and it is revealed what they have built their lives on. How tragic would it have been to have lived in Israel when Jesus walked the earth and not to have gone out to see and hear Him, and then not to follow Him. It is also a tragedy to have a move of God come close to us and not respond to it.
We are in such a time of visitation in America and other places right now, and with the incomprehensible blessing it is, it is also a test—a test of the leadership of the church first and then to everyone. Tens of thousands, if not millions, of Christians are now aware of this visitation, and many have been responding to it. Many others are missing it, either because they are too busy to be aware of it or to be a part of it or because they do not recognize it for what it is.
Most miss the visitations of the Lord because they do not recognize them as such because they did not come in a form that they were expecting or in a form that they approve of. The lukewarm will just miss these, but the cold of heart will almost always rise up to fight it, just as Saul of Tarsus did until he was knocked off his horse by the light. Saul had to be blinded in the natural so that he could see in the Spirit. This is the pattern that the Lord’s own walk upon the earth produced, and it is the same every time He comes in a special visitation, so we should not be surprised by this.
I have spent most of my life studying the moves of God in history, and I have tried to at least visit every one I could in our own time. I confess to being afraid of missing God because of the biblical warnings of the consequences of this. However, my main motivation for seeking them is because I don’t consider anything else happening to be more important than what God is doing, and I don’t want to miss something God is doing. I have never felt anything that went to the core of my being like being in the manifest presence of the Lord. Everything else in this world pales when compared to it. He is still doing everything today that He did when He walked the earth, and to watch Him move and touch people is the greatest experience I have ever had. I confess to being addicted to this, or I should say, to Him. This is one addiction I also intend to feed.
Presently, to be where God is moving requires that we recognize Him in the people He is using, as He said, “From now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (see Matthew 23:39). This is a test because He almost always comes in those who are a stumbling block to all who follow after appearances, other prejudices, or have one of the ultimate forms of pride—the belief that God is just like us. We already have His opinion on how He will move, who He will move through, and what they will be like.
Human idealism is a form of humanism, and the religious spirit is the primary enemy of every true move of God. God gives His grace to the humble, and one of the most basic characteristics of true humility is to be teachable—not gullible, but teachable.
A Note From Rick
One of our most important convocations of the year is coming up—our back-to-back three-day conferences. The Harvest Conference, which focuses on being equipped for the times, will begin on Thursday morning, September 18 and end on Saturday night, September 20. On Monday morning, September 22, we will begin a Worship & Warfare Conference, which will last through Wednesday night.
We have been having the most powerful and longest visitation of the Lord in our history, and we have been given September 21 as a very significant date, which is why we wrapped these conferences around that date. If there is only one conference you can come to this year, I would highly recommend one of these. Up to one hundred other ministries and churches will also have tents or pavilions. Campsites and primitive camping will also be available.
Registration is only $50 per person for each conference or $75 per person for both. We will have a children's conference and special youth meetings. Rooms at Heritage will go fast, so register ASAP if you want to stay at H.I.M. Rooms are just $75 per night. You may reserve rooms for seven nights for just $395.
For registering or reserving rooms or suites just call 1-800-542-0278 to pay by credit or debit card. Thanks! I hope to see you there.
