What am I taking away from this year's Feast of Tabernacles? I'm going to tell the story and then the story behind the story!
There are many things, there were lessons learned, a challenge to go deeper, but three things stand out way ahead of the rest and they are connected!
Here's the story,
Israeli night had a big impact on me. The opportunity to share the good news gospel to the Jews is nothing short on Amazing times amazing! To some of the volunteers serving this was the night everything pointed to! It was a house filled and there were even some Holocaust Survivors there! Wow!
It was, beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the most fun, enjoyable, warm, respectful and powerful times I've had at the Feast in my 5 years of coming! There were many presentations, reflections, special music and dance, a group of kids too cute for words and the Holocaust Survivors play a part in a tribute where they sang like angels! The door was opened, the anointing fell and God showed Himself in all of His glory, honor and power!
I lead a song along with Rory and Leonardo "When the Spirit of the Lord" and we indeed danced like David danced! (without the clothes coming off) I even danced with some of the Holocaust Survivors! My Lawd! That in its self is mind blowing but afterwards we were told that there was an invited guest who was an influential Rabbi who had never been to a Christian event before. The person who invited him was concerned that he become uncomfortable and wouldn't stay for the whole event. Well, he did stay for the whole event and afterwards said he wanted a copy of the video of the event so he could hear that song again, "When the Spirit of the Lord." I don't know if he danced that night in the arena but I'm secure in knowing he's somewhere in his quiet place dancing and shouting, "Ain't no Party like a Holy Ghost Party cause the Holy Ghost Party don't stop!" That's powerful. Look at God! But, here is the:
Story behind the story:
Believe it or not my part in all of this almost didn't happen! I almost told the director Ray I couldn't sing! If you were watching that night you may have noticed that I was absent from the stage on one of the songs. I was experiencing the perfect storm of attacks and madness! I thought I was up next so I was ready to enter from the back but what was really going on is I had no voice to sing, my knee was hurting the worse it's been in a long time, my back was really, really stiff and something didn't agree with my stomach and I had to keep running to the bathroom! Just look how I labor walking up and down the stairs on the stage and how little I was moving during the songs we sang. Y'all all know I don't stand still when it comes to praise!
Right before going to Ray I heard those Holocaust Survivors singing and I got hit with a dose of reality. I know God didn't bring me all the way to this place to let a few excuses steal my joy and compromise my ministry. God will bless my efforts. God will bless my efforts. But for Him to bless my efforts I have to make an effort! God said don't take Him out of the equation. I should know by now no matter what or how I'm feeling, weather I have a voice or not, what God wants people to hear will come out. All the other stuff is just me trying to be funny and ain't nobody got time for that anyhow! I said what the "L" .....took a big breath, let go and let God!