Worship

“Too Good To Not Believe” by Cody Carnes

Scripture

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'” -Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

Finding Our True Priority in Christ

Martha was just doing what she knew to do to entertain her guests and make necessary preparations—just doing her ordinary tasks, and in came Jesus with a new invitation to her heart. Could she leave the ordinary behind to be transformed by His presence? Could there be even more for Martha by discovering the “‘one thing’” that would change her entire life. What if there were adventures in intimacy awaiting Martha, but the ordinary distractions of life kept her sidelined and occupied?

Martha’s ordinary wasn’t an issue until Jesus called her to more. He’s inviting us right now to step out of our ordinary lives to sit with Him for a while.

The Call to Christlikeness

“Sadly, many Christians have no higher goal, no greater aspiration, than to become ‘normal.’ Their desires are limited to measuring up to others. Without a true vision of God, we most certainly will perish spiritually! Paul rebuked the church at Corinth because they walked ‘like mere men’ (1 Cor. 3:3). God has more for us than merely becoming better people; He wants to flood our lives with the same power that raised Christ from the dead. We must understand: God does not merely want us ‘normal’; He wants us Christlike. For the Holy Spirit to facilitate God’s purposes in our lives, He must redefine both our definition of reality and our priorities in life. Christlikeness must become our singular goal.” -Francis Frangipane, “Holiness, Truth, and the Presence of God”

God’s Faithfulness in Vancouver

When we were in Vancouver, Washington, Molly, Alex, and I met a woman sitting in a walker at the farmers market. I knew when we passed her by that she was waiting for us. I just sensed it from Holy Spirit. Molly and Alex ministered to this woman who had severe degeneration in her spine. She was in so much pain she couldn’t stand up or walk. She was a follower of Jesus, so one person had prayed for her healing, but God was sending our team to storm Heaven on her behalf. The three of us laid hands on her back and began to pray for healing. Our faith was rising as her back suddenly became very warm. We prayed and prayed until we sensed Holy Spirit giving answers to our prayers. We asked her to stand up and to walk. She stood straight up, and as she did the pain began rapidly decreasing. Then she began doing high knees, and with Molly on one side and Alex on the other, she walked across the street! Jesus had done a miracle of healing, and we were in awe!

The Connection Between Intimacy and Ministry

How does this all fit together—intimacy and miracles? You have to believe that Jesus longs to pour out His power through our surrendered lives. He longs that we would manifest His goodness because we first have been transformed. We can’t skate through life with Jesus as a side dish and expect to see the miraculous; that flows out intimacy. The more we are changed by Holy Spirit, surrendered to the will of our Father and being made into the likeness of Christ, the more the extraordinary is going to flow through our lives!

Ordinary gives way to ordinary. But radical intimacy gives way to the supernatural!

“To wait trembling before this thrice-holy One before we leave home for the day’s work would be a mighty soul stimulant. He who fears God fears no man. He who kneels before God will stand in any situation. A daily glimpse at the Holy One would find us subdued by His omnipresence, staggered by His omnipotence, silenced by His omniscience, and solemnized by His holiness. His holiness would become our holiness. Holiness-teaching contradicted by unholy living is the bane of this hour! ‘A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hands of God.’ So said Robert Murray McCheyne.” -Leonard Ravenhill, “Why Revival Tarries”

Responding to Christ’s Call

Sisters, Scripture shows us that Jesus calls us to set aside distractions and pursue deeper fellowship with Him. This requires intentional choices—perhaps adjusting sleep schedules, limiting social media, or rearranging priorities. These sacrifices create space for time with Christ, leading to transformation in our lives and ministry.

Consider how the Vancouver experience affected Molly—witnessing God’s faithfulness deepened her desire to know Jesus more. Similarly, while Martha focused on preparing lunch, Jesus offered her something far greater if she would pause her activity and receive from Him.

A Call to Deeper Fellowship

Sisters, this is the hour that Jesus is emphatically calling us to forsake the ordinary and step into extraordinary encounters with Him. It requires us throwing off distractions and the captivity of activity that the enemy likes to keep us bound in. This will require intentionally pursuing Jesus instead of every other thing. This may mean you sleep less. It could mean you aren’t quite as updated on social media. It could mean a thousand different sacrifices and reordering of your time and treasures. If you will meet Him there, I promise you, He will do extraordinary things in you and through you. Molly had never ever seen someone healed, and it rocked her world. But one thing it did was increase her hunger for Jesus! Martha may have been preparing lunch for her guests, but Jesus had a feast to serve her if she would just fast from her busyness, sit for a bit with Him, and receive.

If we could just quiet down and change the rhythms of our lives, I believe we would be positioned for so much more!

“Let me speak a hard truth to you right now. If you are not deeply rooted in Jesus when this next radical move of God is poured out in all its fullness, you will be swept away. Now is the time to be more firmly established in Him and positioned to ride this next wave so that it does not destroy you. Fasting will help you get more grounded in him. … Burning one, there is no more time to waste. Now is the time to come off the sidelines and step into the front lines. You were born for such a time as this. You are destined to burn. Now is your time to arise, tend to the inward flame, and set this world ablaze with the fire of God.” -Jennifer A. Miskov, “Fasting for Fire”

Will you join your voice to mine and ask the Lord to make us conduits of the extraordinary? Will you begin to pray for new rhythms of intentionality with Jesus where His life just flows through yours? Will you begin to offer Him the ordinary things of your life and ask Him to reorder them? Let’s leave the ordinary in the dust and run for Jesus with all we are!

“My recommendation for the Christian church today is to call a moratorium on all activity and focus on coming into worship until the fire descends and engulfs us in the sacredness of His presence.” -A.W. Tozer

A Few Key Notes

• We only have $16,000 left to raise in our $50,000 match to expand the Arise movement into 70 cities in 2022. You can give online now through December 31 to the Arise match.
• Kathy Gray will lead another three-part dream class for Arise women. Come to The Hope Center in the East-West board room at 7 p.m. on November 3, 10, and 17. Cost: $30. Register today!
• We are now recruiting for an Arise short-term mission team to South America from March 19-26, 2022. Apply online to join the team.
• My new book, “Revivalist Arise,” is out! Purchase your copy today!