“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
Acts 4:31 NIV
We are standing at a threshold. Did you know that our ministry fiscal year ended on June 30th, and a new year began on July 1st? We are closing one door and walking through another.
I have taught for years that the way you close one door will help determine the way you go through the next one. The Holy Spirit has been confirming that truth to me in a stunning way.
A Dream of the DISCRNR Academy
Last week, the Lord gave me a detailed dream. I was taken on a tour, perhaps by the Holy Spirit, perhaps by an angel, of the DISCRNR Academy, laid out like a university campus.
I visited the admissions building, where every applicant took a foundational class on radical faith. I toured the School of the Heart, where everyone took Passionate Pursuit, getting to know God and His Word. I saw the Mary and Martha Mission Houses with resurrection power, the same power that raised Lazarus. I saw a prophetic creative community receiving inventions from the Lord for the future. I saw the School of the Global Prayer Storm, carrying a Rees Howells touch for crisis intervention, people engaged in an hour that could change the world. I saw the School of the Prophets, mentorship with a personal touch.
And at a distance, something just beginning to come together: a museum, a library of teachings on the movements of the Holy Spirit, and a theatrical arts element. It was about lineage and legacy, a place of history and honor, carrying governmental weight.
I woke up out of this detailed dream and here is what amazes me: I had it on the very morning of my last day of responsibilities after a decade of Mentoring with James through Empower 2000. I was closing a door and the Lord handed me not just a dream, but a blueprint in part.
Closing One Door, Opening Another
Would that I had possessed this level of understanding when we cast the vision for the 120 Campaign! But I didn’t. Somebody else seems like they’re in charge, and it ain’t me! We follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
So I pause to say thank you to each one of you who has walked with this ministry, whether for one year or all fifty-two years of my journey, as prayer partners, volunteers, laborers, and donors. And I thank Jesus. This is for You. Thank You for the privilege of knowing You, loving You, serving You, and being sent by You. Amen and amen.
And friend, you can still be a part of the 120 Campaign as we walk through a new door into a new year. We have not yet met our goals of $120,000 in one-time gifts and 120 new monthly pledge donors. Isn’t the Holy Spirit amazing that He would tie this dream to this very campaign?
Shaking Follows Prayer
Our primary today scripture comes from the book of Acts:
“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” —Acts 4:31 NKJV
Notice, it was not until they had prayed. Shaking follows prayer. The movements of the Holy Spirit follow individual and corporate prayer, and the result is an outpouring of giftings, signs and wonders, and boldness. This is what we want and need! I do not back away because there is criticism. I take my stand in and for the anointing.
Why Is the Anointing Messy?
The wisdom of Solomon tells us:
“Where there are no oxen, the trough is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of an ox.” —Proverbs 14:4 NKJV
Have you ever noticed that people’s expression of the anointing can be messy? Why? Because God has entrusted imperfect people with His anointing. Every move of God, every powerful gift of the Spirit, has been entrusted to imperfect people. You had better get used to it, or you are going to live a life of constant disappointment. It will never be flawless. But that does not mean we shouldn’t steward the anointed power and presence of God with great care and stay strong amid temptation and tribulation. Our call is to yield to the Holy Spirit, cooperate with His anointing, and remain faithful to represent the character of Jesus. Can I get an amen out there?
Come, Holy Spirit
Why do some, in a platform setting, say, “Come, Holy Spirit”? Isn’t He already here? Then why did John Wimber, considered by many the founder of the Vineyard Movement, simply say, “Come, Holy Spirit,” and most of the time the Holy Spirit would begin to manifest Himself? I was in multiple meetings with him and watched waves of the Spirit move across a crowd. And I remember so many meetings with the prophet Jill Austin, when she would cry, “More, Holy Spirit!” and the fire of God, would intensify.
What is happening when we call for His presence? I believe:
- It can be an intercessory plea.
- It can be a welcome mat being laid out.
- It can be a declaration of faith, like a gift of faith.
- It can be an acknowledgment of what is already occurring, while asking for more.
- It can be a proclamation of what is not yet, but what is to come.
And at times, this touches a wound of the past where a move of the Holy Spirit was shut down. Laying out the welcome mat becomes an act of repentance and re-invitation: “We are sorry. Come back, Holy Spirit, we need You.”
Seven Reasons We Can Pray for the Holy Spirit to Be Released
Although at times the Spirit fell sovereignly (Acts 2:2; 10:44), the disciples also prayed for the Holy Spirit to be poured out. Today, we may do the same with confidence:
Scripture teaches us to ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
The Church needs power and was first empowered when the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus (Acts 1:8).
The growth of the early church was triggered by a manifestation of God’s power through signs and wonders (Acts 5:12–16).
Paul rated the demonstration of God’s power more highly than preaching without signs and wonders (1 Corinthians 2:4).
Miracles, signs, and wonders confirmed the preaching of the gospel (Mark 16:20; Acts 14:3; Hebrews 2:3–4).
The anointing releases the gifts of the Spirit and allows God to initiate spiritual ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7–11).
Experientially, the Holy Spirit releases blessing, anointing, and ministry. The gospel is confirmed, the kingdom is extended, and Jesus is magnified.
No matter what is happening—something peaceful or something wild, if Jesus is not in the middle of it, you don’t want to be a part of it. But if Jesus is in the middle of it, don’t you want to be a part of what the Holy Spirit is doing? I do.
He Came, and They Wanted More
When I was recently in León, Mexico, for the Revival Makers event, many of the leaders were of a more conservative bent. In one of my primary sessions, the Holy Spirit showed up in a distinct manner, more like Moses entering the tabernacle. The presence of God was so sweet, so amazing. He met those leaders in a manner they could relate to, and then He wooed them until they did not want to leave. From a seventeen-year-old who had read ten of my books in Spanish, to a bishop over a whole network, they were won over. To the prophetic, to the river, to the healing, to the miracles. To the anointing.
They were dry. They were thirsty. They got more than a touch, and they wanted more. Do you want more?
A Word of Warning I Have Never Forgotten
Years ago, when I was uncertain about certain manifestations of the raw fire of God, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about having my attitudes correct: “If you can’t jump in the middle of it, bless it. If you can’t bless it, gently observe it. If you can’t simply observe it, then just don’t criticize what you don’t understand. And don’t stretch out the rod of your tongue against that which you do not understand.”
He gave me a warning and I took the rod of my tongue and held it. Criticism can come from a place of jealousy and not discernment. He helped save me.
And yet, I am not backing away from discernment. Discerning of spirits is the most needed gift in this hour, because deception is the enemy’s number one weapon.
Will You Stand With Me?
Friend, as we step into a new year, I invite you to participate with God Encounters Ministries. There is still time to join the 120 Campaign, through a one-time gift or by becoming a new monthly pledge donor. Your partnership helps us see this vision fulfilled, including launching the DISCRNR Academy this fall. By the anointing, the yoke is broken!
Go Deeper: Standing Strong in the Anointing
This month’s exhortation flows straight from my book Standing Strong in the Anointing: Discerning the Traps and Embracing the Blessings of Supernatural Encounters, loaded with insights on how to yield to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with His anointing. If you don’t have your copy yet, I encourage you to get one today.
God bless you!
James W. Goll
