Virginia, behold the Lamb of God. Virginia, arise. Virginia, shine forth as sent ones!
Yesterday, I felt in my spirit something significant transpiring here in Virginia. In Richmond, MAPS Global hosted in their Global Prayer Room a joint time of worship and prayer with believers in the Middle East; they were contending for breakthrough in Israel amidst a perilous fight on their hands. Saints on bent knees, broken with the revelation of the Father’s heart, have much authority in the place of intercession as they cry out to God who is “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4).
53.6 miles northbound on I-95 in Fredericksburg is the Awaken the Dawn event, Awe + Wonder. David Bradshaw the founder of ATD is a modern expression of what it means to be a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). I’ve known David since the late nineties. The crux of his heart above all else is to seek the heart of the Father as one who yearns to see the fulfillment of Amos 9:11, “In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old”.
Yet, exactly another 32 miles north on the I-95 in Woodbridge is an annual conference led by Randy Clark, the Voice of the Apostles. The apostolic grace equips the body of Christ to take the gospel to the hardest and darkest regions.
I felt it was significant for the body of Christ in Virginia that all three of these events were happening simultaneously along the I-95 corridor in the state known for its motto, “Virginia is for lovers.”
What does this mean for the body of Christ in Virginia?
1. Establish a lifestyle of a secret history before God in the place of prayer. Speaking of the Son of God, Luke writes, Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NIV). But don’t stop there. This should undergird your collective times of intercession with the body of Christ as evident when Peter was imprisoned by Herod, “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5).
Takeaway: Unusual favor will mark those who are willing to embrace the call to corporate intercession on behalf of those in need.
2. The Davidic expression of hosting His presence is to behold “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). The awe and wonder follows those who fixate their gaze heavenward upon “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) as they roar with authority the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Takeaway: Anchor your heart in the revelation of Jesus Christ so that you may proclaim with authority the simple gospel.
3. What is the hardest and darkest place that you are called to take the gospel? For me, it is the college campuses in Virginia and beyond. For some, it might mean crossing the street to share the love of Christ with your neighbor after baking a yummy dessert for them. For others, it might be a segment within your community that is neglected. For one person, it will require obedience to reach unbelievers who are executive leaders, through an invite only mastermind group that revolves around the study of the leadership principles of Jesus Christ.
Remember, the apostolic grace refuses to remain stagnant or indifferent to the Father’s heart as “the god of this world [blinds] the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).
Takeaway: Go forth as a sent one to the hardest and darkest place you are called to as a radiating light of the love of Christ.
May the body of Christ in Virginia arise as lovers of God that radiate with the glorious splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may the church, especially along I-95 corridor in Virginia, walk in the reality of Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
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