Michael @ #6 sparked some thoughts and memories while lurking. I have read all of the post above with interest.
A group of men and my self had gone out to the desert one weekend a month consistently for a few decades. On our retreats we desired more then what we were currently getting at church.
We found that there were a few things that we did collectively that would indeed ‘usher’ in the manifestation of Holy Spirit most times.
One was to repent and humble our selves before the Lord starting out on Saturday morning. Then we would all go out in different directions by ourselves and wait upon the Lord, read the Word, or pray all day out there in the still quiet of the desert places.
Then we reassembled late afternoon and would get settled at our camp site before dark and eat dinner. After dinner we would gather together and worship. We would worship until Holy Spirit manifested Himself to all of us. At that point we would start to prophesy and share words of knowledge with one another.
Then we would take turns standing in the center of the encircled men. Each man present laid his hands on the person standing in the center of the circle as one by one the men of God shared words of wisdom, knowledge, prophecy or correction with the person after anointing him with oil.
Everyone shared that while in the center of the circle the presence of Almighty God impacted them deeply. Everyone gave the testimony of having a deep sense of peace and an awareness of Holy Spirit after being prayed over in the center by the other men present.
We refined our “setting of the table” before the Lord to usher in His presence over the years. We found that Repentance, worship, and ministering to one another did indeed usher in the presence of the Lord for us out there in the desert places.
And there were times that God answered our cry of, “Come Holy Spirit, come.” We found that if we did nothing and expected nothing, we got nothing. We learned that we ‘set the pace’ by our faith or lack of faith. I observed this fact for decades in men of God.
As for miracles, there were many supernatural miracles and unexplainable events that to this day can only be attributed to acts of God.
By Sunday morning all of us were inspired and experiencing a deeper level of perceived spirituality. While in this state we again worshiped the Lord and prayed over one another after Sunday breakfast. It was more refined ministry with deeper focus and accuracy then Saturday nights ministering.
I did notice that there were some people who seemed closed and unable to enter in with us over the years. These people would leave the desert just as they had come, no change in spirituality or experience.
I asked Lonnie Frisbee about this once. His answer was simple and straight to the point.
“There are three kinds of people. One kind comes to a service like a tea cup that is upside down. They do not worship or pray before or on the way to the service. They are expecting nothing and get nothing. Holy Spirit shows up and spills over them. They, like the upside down cup, can contain nothing and therefore leave with nothing like they came. They don’t even know that God has manifested His presence in the service.
Another is like a tea cup on it’s side. Holy Spirit shows up they experience him during the service but leave with nothing inside because like the tea cup on it’s side what ever they experience of God goes in and slips right out. They leave the service with nothing.
Another is like a tea cup that is upright. They, prior to the service, worship and pray with an expectancy to have a meeting with the Lord. They receive of the Lord and take with them what they receive and are able to spill on to others what they received of the Lord in the service like an upright tea cup that is full. They contain and share…they walk away fully satisfied”
I experienced the original CCCM happening in the days of my youth and my early adult years as well as the early Vineyard years. There were initially many unexplained miracles and supernatural things that took place in both camps. They diminished as the tea cups fell on their sides and eventually became upside down…the rest is indeed history repeated.
Moves of God tend to only last about ten years and then God steps over them to start a new move wherein the old move resists the new move.
Wonder where the new move will appear and when?
“Get under the spout where the glory comes out!”
Lonnie Frisbee quote.
