Two weeks ago our church hosted the Potomac District Council. I was blessed to be able to attend the Monday night ordination service. Dr. Rhoden, our District Superintendant, brought the message. The theme of the council was "Press On" and Dr. Rhoden's text was II Tim 2:1-7; however, before he got to that he spoke something that was on his heart. He called it a "word TO the minister before a word FROM the minister." He spoke about ashes. Ashes are a sign of the past, the remains of what once burned. Ashes keep the fire banked. They prevent the air from getting to the coals. Ashes must be constantly removed. He challenged us .........to remove the ashes of "but we've always done it this way." .........to remove the ashes of the former blessings and anointings. ..........to remove the ashes of our man-made plans. As Dr. Rhoden was speaking I believe the Lord showed me something. I believe that this area, the East Coast of America, which holds the very cradles of our nation's birth, is about to be the epicenter of the Great Move of God that will ultimately decide the future of this nation. Not because we are more holy than any other area. Far from it. I believe God is going to bring rebirth and restore that which has been lost, and just as He ordained His Son be crucified on the same mountain where Abraham said "God will provide for Himself the lamb," so I believe He will cause us to start again where we went astray to begin with. Where we first dedicated this land to the Gospel. I believe we must remove the ashes. We're now about 10 days from the beginning of our Sectional Pow Wow. This year it falls on Pentecost weekend. There are in fact 5 Sections in the Potomac District which will be having their Pow Wow the same weekend. I am asking that we contact as many commanders as possible within our districts to begin to fast and pray for a monumental outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the council fires of ALL of our Pow Wows. An outpouring, not a downpouring. My heart is to see Commanders who have allowed the ashes of trying to run outpost meetings, secure outpost funding, reach boys who don't seem to care and Pastors who don't understand the gold mine they have, commanders who have allowed those ashes to bank their fires..........my heart is to see these commanders once again filled with power and joy in the Holy Ghost. We must humble ourselves and pray. Seek His face. Turn from OUR ways. He will cause His Spirit to fill us again so that the Rivers of Living Water will saturate the land. I believe that Rangers is now in the place and time that God ordained for us. We have an army of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists whom we are involved with each week and it is God's desire to begin to birth His vision in their hearts. He is Sovereign yet He is allowing us to help bring it to pass. I am asking that Commanders everywhere set aside at least a meal a day and specific time (the amount being as the Lord commands) to pray for their outposts and others. To pray wisdom and anointing to Sectional staffs and our District Staff. Renewed fire in sr. commanders and vision in group commanders. To wait upon the Lord as the Apostolic Church did. May we pray with that authority that comes from a renewed, vital, burning passion for Christ. May we seek Him, not the manifestations, that He may show His Glory once again. Leonard Ravenhill once said that no man is bigger than his prayer life. Neither is a church bigger than its prayer life. Or an outpost. Or a Section. Or a District. Or a nation. Duncan Campbell, the great Scot preacher was there at the beginning of the Hebrides revival of the early 1950s. He related that he was preaching and the heavens were like iron. His words were bouncing back at him. He looked down at the gathered pastors and elders of the Church of Scotland. Then he looked down at a 16 year old boy. He spoke to him by name and asked, " Laddie, would you pray?" In his Scottish way the boy replied, "Ach, what good is't to pray, when yer no' right wi' God?" He then began to quote from Psalm 24, "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His Holy Place?............................." The boy prayed for 10, 20, 45 minutes, then he said, "Excuse me preacher, while I rebuke the devil" "Satan, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, leave now!" In the words of Mr. Campbell, "God stepped down." Young people at a dancehall fled to the church. Drunkards in a saloon fled to the church. The whole area was engulfed with a sense of the Presence and the fear of the Lord. I long for that. I want to see that. Why can't God move like that at a Council fire? At Camporama '98, the Wednesday night service, it came close to that. Boys and men swarmed to the altars. They were there far into the night. At our Sectional Pow Wow '98, "Let the River Flow," God moved and they were late at the altars as well. I know that we always pray for the boys to be moved by God. I know we always pray that our Pow Wows be blessed. I simply feel a special urgency this time. I don't mean to sound presumptious but as good as the past has been.......it's ashes. I want something fresh, something new, something powerful, something relevant for the boys TODAY. Something that will stir a leader to rise up, and as David did, "Encourage himself in the Lord." In I Samuel, when David's stronghold of Ziklag was sacked and all that was precious to him and his men was carried off by the Amalekites, David "encouraged himself in the Lord, " had the ephod brought and inquired of the Lord........"Should I pursue? Will You give them into my hand.? The Lord replied, " Pursue, overtake, recover all." Brothers, fellow commanders, let us pursue, let us overtake, and recover all." Please pray over this and if the Spirit witnesses to you as well, forward this to your commanders. "Ready" In His Service for the boys, Gary "Burning Heart" Rothwell Area Commander, Tidewater North Section Potomac District _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
