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There is a story in the Bible where the prophet goes up the mountain and prays for the drought to break over the nation of Israel, and as he continues in earnest prayer a cloud forms and eventually rain comes pouring down. In those days in the nation of Israel there had been a long drought, and the cause of that drought had been identified by God's prophets.
Read (1 Kings 18 v 41-45)
It wasn't identified as EL' Nino, or global warming, it wasn't even spoken of as being because the people wasted too much water on their gardens. The cause that was identified was the sin of God's people, and how they had turned away from following God's ways and laws and begun to follow false gods and idols.
We need to realise that Brisbane has had a strategic position in the eyes of God throughout the past 20-30 years. The bible belt in Brisbane has had the greatest ratio of believers per capita in the nation of Australia, and this happened as a result of a number of 'moves of God' in our city.
With the authority and increase that came from God moving in our midst throughout many Brisbane churches, also came a responsibility to live close to the heart of God and to seek His face daily. The biblical principle is clear; to whom much is given from him much is required.
Many churches in Brisbane saw substantial increase in congregational numbers as people began being swept into the kingdom of God, and this was undoubtedly an exciting time for our city. The move of God had been brought about by a tremendous hunger and passion for God that had grown in the hearts of the believers over the years, until it reached a point where God was able to move in supernatural demonstrations of His power.
The voice of God's prophets has been heard throughout history in good times and bad times, and through them as God ordained members of the churchs' 'five fold ministry', God speaks to His people. When a nation or people are open to hear and obey the word of God from the mouth of His prophets they prosper, but when their hearts harden and their ears close to God's word then they begin to lose His blessing.
When the leaders of God's church are open to hear and obey God's word from the mouth of His prophets then the church prospers and continues to grow as His blessing is released. But if the leaders of God's church harden their hearts and stiffen their necks and refuse to hear God's word, then the blessing of heaven they have enjoyed will be withheld from them and they will need to rely upon their own resources until they 'return to the Lord' with all their hearts.
( 2 Chronicles 20 v 20)
20So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
The church in our nation has been relying in the main part on its own resources for many years now, and this has seen an increased focus upon the 'management' and 'people' skills of pastoral staff and creating a church 'image' that this generation can relate to. This has been the best substitution for 'a move of God' that man can come up with, but is still avoiding the real issues that God is requiring us to deal with.
Many in positions of leadership within the church in Brisbane and across the nation are far more concerned about maintaining their positions of authority over people than serving the people within their churches. True 'shepherds' are called to lay down their lives for the sheep as our Saviour did, but so many these days fail to do the one thing that will help them to accomplish this, and that is to find 'the mind' and 'heart' of God for their congregation.
The Bible speaks of leadership who heal the wounds of the people slightly but lack any real power to change anything, as their own hearts have not been changed by allowing the Holy Spirit to be 'Lord'. Hardness of heart is an abhorrent thing before the face of God, as His heart is so tender and loving, surely we as the church within this city need to 'return to the Lord' and ask Him to change our hard hearts.
(Jeremiah 6 v 14)
14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, 'Peace, peace!'
When there is no peace.
The rains over Brisbane's dams have been withheld because of the multiplying sins of our city and because of the hardness of the hearts in the church leadership who refuse to hear 'the word of the Lord'. God is allowing the pressure to come upon every citizen of Brisbane by using the water shortage as a catalyst to bring change in our hearts, so that we as a people might 'return to the Lord'. He is trying to get our attention.
I am sure that I am not the only one who has noticed that whenever a heavy rainfall comes through South East Queensland, that it consistently avoids the main catchment areas of Brisbane's dams. They tell us every night on the news how many days it has been since a substantial rainfall over our dams. The law of averages would surely suggest that we are very overdue for heavy soaking rains over our dam catchments, but I believe that the drought may very well continue unless we all begin to deal with the issues that caused it in the first place.
Brisbane is strategically important to God, and I believe this city has been chosen to lead our nation into revival and restoration. But without a change of heart in the leadership of God's church, our city will miss out on our God intended destiny and that honour will pass to another city, that is more worthy than ours. The leadership of the church must lead, and the place where they must lead the church is to 'The Throne Of God', if they are unable or unwilling to do this then it is time for them to stand aside and let God raise up leaders who will.
As someone who has experienced a move of God previously and who has been grieved by many years of 'Churchianity' (not real Christianity) in Brisbane, I call upon the leadership of Brisbane's churches to lead us into true repentance and to seek the mind and heart of God again in prayer and through welcoming the prophets of God back in this land. This will indeed open the heavens over our city again and we will see that our God is the 'Living God' and not merely a religion of man's devising.
Warm Regards
John Nolan
Dads Uni
( 1 Kings 8 v 35-36)
35"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 36then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
( 2 Chronicles 7 v 13-14)
13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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