The Love Encounter
A Word for Pentecost and the coming Move of God
"Let love be your greatest aim," Paul, 1 Cor 14:1 (TLB)
.
Recently, we held a 24 hr “Night of Power” prayer call for the Muslim World. Thank you to the many of you who participated. There was a powerful response. We are in faith for great fruit. So what does that have to do with Pentecost? Read on...
In the preparation for the call, the Lord reminded me that in the Quran, there are 99 names of God; none of which is “God is love.” The thought struck me that after centuries of inundation, for the first time in history, Mecca’s streets were empty. What if God wanted to remove the obstacles out of His way and show them His love? What if He wanted to use us? Are we ready? Will the world know us by our love? During this COVID-19 disruption, we were and continue to be in a “Set time” of the Lord. The “Reset” this pandemic has presented to us is paving the way for a divine “Re-order.” We cannot go back to life as usual. The disruption carries a message and keys for the coming move of God.
Throughout the COVID-19 challenge and the pandemic it became obvious that a spiritual force of fear played a large part in its spread. During the weeks that followed, I had one overriding prayer and request, "Lord, I desire one thing, a love encounter with You.” I did not want to go through the obvious "Call to attention," all the fasting and prayer, without a fresh new encounter with Jesus. I desired a transformational impact on my heart. Through the weeks of the lockdown that ensued, I was in awe of the shift taking place. I loved being at home with my husband, Fred. We had more time to spend together, worship, pray, talk that we had never experienced before. Yet, in the midst, I sensed my prayer had not been answered. Though the times were amazing and we used the “lockdown” to steward that for which the Lord called us, the transformational love encounter I was yearning for was yet obscure. I knew there must be more. Then it happened...
THE ENCOUNTER:
Late in the lockdown, I received a phone call from my sister. Her husband, a former football player, Navy flight surgeon and physician, suffered many years from a debilitating neurological condition, tested positive for COVID-19 just last week. In March, he had been hospitalized for lung issues and underwent several rounds of antibiotic therapy and a long slow recovery. However, recent tests showed improvement and he was physically much better. And though he was physically much improved, they decided to do a COVID-19 test on him and the whole family around him. He tested positive. Miraculously, none of the close members of the family tested positive except him. This was nothing short of a miracle. Knowing full well my brother-in-law was a case that should have gone the other way, he was experiencing life and the rest of my family experienced God’s hand of protection. I was overwhelmed at the goodness of God’s staying hand on my brother-in-law's life and protection of my sister and family. Basically, I was wrecked. The miracle was working a new revelation of receiving and experiencing the God of love in my heart.
In one conversation, the love encounter unfolded. The Lord showed me His goodness, His mercy, His love and protection. I was overcome with the majesty of God and broken from the inside out through the tangible realization of His steadfast love. His love and His healing are propelling forces behind His goodness. He is the God who heals. He is the God who gives us love and life. There is no other way. If we don’t have love, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. We can be doing mighty works, but be completely devoid of the necessary love that will keep us alive and active in Christ. I was convicted of how quickly we can slip off that foundation into works and good things without the reality of His overwhelming nature and majesty. Experiencing such goodness is a repentance that propels us into new life.
Paul says, after writing 1 Cor 13-the passionate chapter on love, a profound statement, “Let love be your greatest aim,” 1 Cor 14:1 (TLB). What a powerful concept! Is it really our greatest aim? Or is our message, our ministry, our place, our feelings, our opinions or even our gifts and callings our priority and aim? When love comes first, suddenly priorities shift. A centering occurs.
AN EMERGING MOVE OF GOD:
An emerging move of God is in the winds. We are hearing it and sensing it everywhere. From what we are seeing and experiencing, it will be marked by a transformational encounter with God’s love and Christ’s compassion. The enemy has overplayed his hand through fear, death and destruction. John writes, "Perfect love casts out fear," 1 John 4:18. That is His Word and message throughout this disruption. God is calling us to the divine encounter. "God is love," 1 John 4:8. Let us not miss the message! One encounter with His love changes everything. It moves us beyond ourselves into the molding hands of Jesus. It takes away the reproach of men. It gives us strength to stand no matter what. It centers us on the rock. It takes away earthly selfish ways and refocuses our desires in God's divine order, 1 Cor 13.
CALL to ISRAEL:
In October, by faith, we are mobilizing a “Watchmen Journey to Israel.” One of the targets is to go to Eilat. This is the place the Israelites traveled to twice on their wilderness journey. Once into the wilderness and the second time on the journey to the promised land. It is also the place where the “God who heals us” showed up, Ex 15:6. We believe this is a vital place to go, to worship and pray for this healing movement.
We have been in a “Divine edit,” where God is preparing us, like the Israelites in the wilderness, to move into a whole new place. We are not going back to Egypt. The manna of our lives, the sustaining force, is not in anything but the love of God. For He is love, 1 John 4:8. Love will be the catalyst for the eyes of the world opening to the love of Jesus Christ. The God of love, and the God who heals are one and the same. I am sharing this with you continuing a process of being wrecked and reformed by experiencing the “Goodness of God.” Quite honestly, we can get wrapped up in so much of what we are doing, that we don’t really experience Him. However this hits you, I pray it opens the pathway of God’s love into your heart. It will be key to the coming revival, the signs of healing that will follow and open the gates to this emerging move of God.
Viewing the horizon,
Susan Rowe
Recently, we held a 24 hr “Night of Power” prayer call for the Muslim World. Thank you to the many of you who participated. There was a powerful response. We are in faith for great fruit. So what does that have to do with Pentecost? Read on...
In the preparation for the call, the Lord reminded me that in the Quran, there are 99 names of God; none of which is “God is love.” The thought struck me that after centuries of inundation, for the first time in history, Mecca’s streets were empty. What if God wanted to remove the obstacles out of His way and show them His love? What if He wanted to use us? Are we ready? Will the world know us by our love? During this COVID-19 disruption, we were and continue to be in a “Set time” of the Lord. The “Reset” this pandemic has presented to us is paving the way for a divine “Re-order.” We cannot go back to life as usual. The disruption carries a message and keys for the coming move of God.
Throughout the COVID-19 challenge and the pandemic it became obvious that a spiritual force of fear played a large part in its spread. During the weeks that followed, I had one overriding prayer and request, "Lord, I desire one thing, a love encounter with You.” I did not want to go through the obvious "Call to attention," all the fasting and prayer, without a fresh new encounter with Jesus. I desired a transformational impact on my heart. Through the weeks of the lockdown that ensued, I was in awe of the shift taking place. I loved being at home with my husband, Fred. We had more time to spend together, worship, pray, talk that we had never experienced before. Yet, in the midst, I sensed my prayer had not been answered. Though the times were amazing and we used the “lockdown” to steward that for which the Lord called us, the transformational love encounter I was yearning for was yet obscure. I knew there must be more. Then it happened...
THE ENCOUNTER:
Late in the lockdown, I received a phone call from my sister. Her husband, a former football player, Navy flight surgeon and physician, suffered many years from a debilitating neurological condition, tested positive for COVID-19 just last week. In March, he had been hospitalized for lung issues and underwent several rounds of antibiotic therapy and a long slow recovery. However, recent tests showed improvement and he was physically much better. And though he was physically much improved, they decided to do a COVID-19 test on him and the whole family around him. He tested positive. Miraculously, none of the close members of the family tested positive except him. This was nothing short of a miracle. Knowing full well my brother-in-law was a case that should have gone the other way, he was experiencing life and the rest of my family experienced God’s hand of protection. I was overwhelmed at the goodness of God’s staying hand on my brother-in-law's life and protection of my sister and family. Basically, I was wrecked. The miracle was working a new revelation of receiving and experiencing the God of love in my heart.
In one conversation, the love encounter unfolded. The Lord showed me His goodness, His mercy, His love and protection. I was overcome with the majesty of God and broken from the inside out through the tangible realization of His steadfast love. His love and His healing are propelling forces behind His goodness. He is the God who heals. He is the God who gives us love and life. There is no other way. If we don’t have love, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. We can be doing mighty works, but be completely devoid of the necessary love that will keep us alive and active in Christ. I was convicted of how quickly we can slip off that foundation into works and good things without the reality of His overwhelming nature and majesty. Experiencing such goodness is a repentance that propels us into new life.
Paul says, after writing 1 Cor 13-the passionate chapter on love, a profound statement, “Let love be your greatest aim,” 1 Cor 14:1 (TLB). What a powerful concept! Is it really our greatest aim? Or is our message, our ministry, our place, our feelings, our opinions or even our gifts and callings our priority and aim? When love comes first, suddenly priorities shift. A centering occurs.
AN EMERGING MOVE OF GOD:
An emerging move of God is in the winds. We are hearing it and sensing it everywhere. From what we are seeing and experiencing, it will be marked by a transformational encounter with God’s love and Christ’s compassion. The enemy has overplayed his hand through fear, death and destruction. John writes, "Perfect love casts out fear," 1 John 4:18. That is His Word and message throughout this disruption. God is calling us to the divine encounter. "God is love," 1 John 4:8. Let us not miss the message! One encounter with His love changes everything. It moves us beyond ourselves into the molding hands of Jesus. It takes away the reproach of men. It gives us strength to stand no matter what. It centers us on the rock. It takes away earthly selfish ways and refocuses our desires in God's divine order, 1 Cor 13.
CALL to ISRAEL:
In October, by faith, we are mobilizing a “Watchmen Journey to Israel.” One of the targets is to go to Eilat. This is the place the Israelites traveled to twice on their wilderness journey. Once into the wilderness and the second time on the journey to the promised land. It is also the place where the “God who heals us” showed up, Ex 15:6. We believe this is a vital place to go, to worship and pray for this healing movement.
We have been in a “Divine edit,” where God is preparing us, like the Israelites in the wilderness, to move into a whole new place. We are not going back to Egypt. The manna of our lives, the sustaining force, is not in anything but the love of God. For He is love, 1 John 4:8. Love will be the catalyst for the eyes of the world opening to the love of Jesus Christ. The God of love, and the God who heals are one and the same. I am sharing this with you continuing a process of being wrecked and reformed by experiencing the “Goodness of God.” Quite honestly, we can get wrapped up in so much of what we are doing, that we don’t really experience Him. However this hits you, I pray it opens the pathway of God’s love into your heart. It will be key to the coming revival, the signs of healing that will follow and open the gates to this emerging move of God.
Viewing the horizon,
Susan Rowe
"Night of Power"
May 19, 2020
Interview with leaders reaching Muslim nations
May 19, 2020
Interview with leaders reaching Muslim nations
