University Praise

The church named University Praise in Fullerton is entering interesting times. They've entered a new series titles "The Apprentice: Learning to Live Our Lives as Jesus Would." When they first described it, it was just past Easter. They mentioned how in many of our lives, God's power is not manifest. I can't remember exactly what they said, but I remember my internal paraphrase: they want to move from a Christ's death focus to a Christ's resurrection focus. This is an important point, so I’ll describe. Christ’s death dealt with our sins. It killed the disease that kills us. But it’s his resurrection that’s even greater. That’s because we are brought to life with him. It’s fine for the disease to be dead. But without new life, how are we better off? We’re still dead. They want to grab hold of this new life. That’s exciting.

Now, I’ve gotten in the habit of showing up early to the second service, and spending ten to fifteen minutes interceding for the church. As a part of this, I’ve had a repeat “vision” of an earthquake. I can feel the tremor in the ground. And God shows me the significance. An earthquake is an unsettling. And if God’s behind it, the original settling wasn’t good. One of the first times I felt this, what God had me pray was that this earthquake would make the topography of the church unrecognizable. It’s a big order. Fortunately, God’s bigger.

My intercession reveals interesting stuff (well, to me). This last week, they were teaching about the ways Jesus taught (the last bit of background before they go into the Sermon on the Mount). At the end, the pastor mentioned that this teaching was intended to change us, that we need to respond. He said more, but I didn’t catch it because I was instantly interceding. You know how sometimes there are moments in your life that define how everything will be? This was one for that church, and many people in it. It was a moment when they had to decide to agree with God’s work, or to turn aside. It was intense. My prayer language is naturally fast-paced, and there was to much need and intensity that I was trying to make it faster.

Well, after that, we had communion and sang a couple more worship songs. Here’s the best part. During one of these songs, there was an addition to the vision. Down the middle of the church, between my feet, there formed a crack. It was supplemented with another vision. When I was disappointed with Campus Crusade for Christ’s “I Agree with Lisa” campaign, God showed me the true accomplishment of the campaign. There was a surface, and a small crack. A hand placed a wedge against the crack, then tapped it into place with a hammer. Then, the hand with the hammer wound back. That was our campaign. Well, during this church service, I saw that vision again, and the hammer struck its first blow.

So, things are beginning in that fellowship, and I suspect, in all of Southern California. Please, everyone, be in prayer for this church, and God’s movement down here.