Don't you love it when the Holy Ghost falls? "while Peter yet spoke these words,the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word", Acts 10:44. Why is that not every believer's dream? Oh, what church we would have if the Holy Ghost would fall, right in the middle of the sermon! Why not? Maybe because our dream is about people showing up, not the Holy Ghost showing up. Maybe, because we are too big for God to manifest. Very much God would be disruptive, out of order for today's mega-church. You see, success in church today is measured by counting heads, census taking. It is not measured, any longer, by whether or not the Holy Ghost fell. Sad, huh?
Watching some of the more "successful", big, people friendly churches on television, I often find myself wondering, with amusement, what would happen if we had a Holy Ghost falling moment. Right as the Reverend. Starchy was at his most sobering, intellectual point in his well prepared sermon, just as He did with Peter that time, BOOM! The Holy Ghost falls and makes a spectacle - people start shouting, laughing, singing, talking in tongues, looking drunk and prophesying to one another. And, all Reverend Starchy can do is just stand there. Of course, the TV cameras would shut off immediately, but, wouldn't you just love to see the camera pan out across the huge audience and focus right in on a spot where the Holy Ghost was manifesting? Right there in the middle of the 20,000 member church, about 120 folks just get plastered with the presence of God and just lose it! Holy Ghost chaos strikes and just ruins the well-planned service order. Having a Holy Ghost falling moment, they got so intoxicated they forget where they are and just had church! Wouldn't you love to hear Reverend Starchy try to explain what just happened when the cameras did come back to him?
I remember a Mennonite preacher telling how, in the 60's, the Holy Ghost fell on his congregation. I don't remember the whole story and may have some of the details wrong but as I remember it, somehow he had come in contact with the Holy Ghost but his congregation had not. It was all new to him, but one day he began sharing what he knew with his folks. One by one his congregation began to fall under the power. Frightened, he got his deacons and men to haul them out to other rooms until there was no room and then they stacked them against the walls of the sanctuary. He had everyone still upright plead the blood of Jesus over them and rebuke the devil. They were scared witless and pleading the blood for fear of their life. They thought the devil had envaded. Then one by one, the congregation began to slowly awaken and did so speaking in tongues and worshipping God. And, from that, their came a mighty revival in that community and a mighty ministry for that pastor. Can we even dream of this?
Where are we today? Do we dream of this? Can we? In churches today, even those who bill themselves as "Spirit filled", if the Holy Ghost shows up in any way other than a seemingly silent force, it is too divisive. The church splits and the pastor is fired for letting it happen. That has actually happened to me. Been there, done that. The cost was high, but, it was worth it and you know, the dream is still in me. I am still dreaming, still thirsting, still hunger for more of God. I dream of Holy Ghost falling moments.
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