Fault Lines

September 3, 2008 #627 / By Ralph E. McIntosh / ralph@actsfoundation.com

I am from California. I was born there in 1946 to missionary parents who promptly took me to Mexico at a very young age. Mexico became my second home and Spanish, the language of my heart! Both California and Mexico have the dubious distinction of having earthquakes. I have experienced them in both places and they can be less than fun!

Fault Lines are cracks in the earth’s surface. It is along these cracks that the immense pressure of shifting layers of the earth can suddenly give way causing earthquakes when the friction can take no more stress.

I see the great moves of God as spiritual fault lines in our belief systems, but they are not faulty! They do cause us to be very uncomfortable with the shaking and the uncertainty about where things will settle! As I look at Scripture, Jesus was very comfortable with making the religious uncomfortable. Sometimes we need to be shaken off dead-center. We don’t need to be eccentric; we need to be God-centric! (Ezekiel 37 is a good picture of what “spiritual shaking” accomplishes.

Personally, I am more comfortable without shouting “Hallelujah” or jumping while loud music is played. However, when you hear the testimonies of redemption from the world’s system, it makes one want to yell and jump if you haven’t done so before. Besides it is Scriptural to “shout to the Lord” and to “leap for joy.”

I have been grieved to read some of the comments on the Internet written often by those who are trying to discredit what God has been doing. It is truly amazing. Obviously, every good fruitcake has some nuts in it! We met a few of them too! By far the majority people we met at the Outpouring were genuine believers wanting nothing but God’s perfect will for them and their families.

If only the critics would take the time to come and listen and worship alongside some real people, they would have less to criticize. I noticed something on the

Internet that amused me. The blogs and videos that were negative received more attention that the positive ones! What does this tell you about the hunger for God of even the Christian public?

Let’s all pray that we focus on Faith and not on frenzy!

Luke 18--Men ought always to pray and not to faint…Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican… The Pharisee represents the religious and “better than thou” while the publican cried out to the Lord from his acknowledged humility and genuine need.

Hearts-of-Faith

Hearts-of-Faith from miles apart,
Here, converge, to do their part.
Come to lift up Jesus’ name,
Then return--but not the same.

Drawn, we come with common cause,
Lifting hearts and faith’s applause,
Driven only by His love,
Looking to His face above.

We can never be the same.
We will always praise His Name.
Touched by Jesus’ mighty hand.
Now empowered for our lands.

Oh the Lord of every morning.
Oh His glory now surrounding.
Oh the mercy of His blessing.
Oh His awesome love abounding.


©Ralph E. McIntosh / 9/2/08 / Lakeland, Florida