IT WAS Abraham Lincoln who said: "If all the people who fell asleep in church were laid out, end to end... they'd be a lot more comfortable!"
The Jesus Fellowship had a few people laid out at their "Alive" Festival Weekend in the Giant Marquee at the beginning of April - but for a happier reason. God released some powerful anointings: manifestations of the Holy Spirit's presence. Many were powerfully touched and some even fell to the floor, "drunk" with the presence of God's power.
Alive Weekend certainly was alive! Alive with such powerful Holy Spirit happenings - some laughed and cried as the Spirit came upon them. Some fell down and people were healed. There was shaking, dancing, even blowing Holy Spirit power onto others! And there was puffing and panting, juddering, twitching, sighing. New tongues, singing, swaying, peace, rapturous expressions on faces, deliverance from demons, prophetic words spoken...
Yet - as Noel Stanton and Mick Haines, two Jesus Fellowship apostolic leaders, insisted at the end of the weekend - the ultimate purpose of the Holy Spirit manifesting His presence in such ways is not merely that people fall over or display emotion. It is that the people of God are refreshed and empowered to give their all to build the Church of Jesus.
Someone put it like this:
"It's not how you fall down, it's how you get up that counts."
The fruit of such anointings is refreshed saints - a whole lot more human, less stressed, more confident - the fruit is good.
Huw Lewis, another apostolic leader, commented: "The result of anointings like these is that people's spirits are freed up and that means faith is released. Things that people found a challenge to their faith before will now be within their reach."
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