The day God empowered the normal!
Acts 2:6 (TPT), “When the people of the city heard the roaring sound, crowds came running to where it was coming from, stunned over what was happening, because each one could hear the disciples speaking in his or her own language.”
There was once an echo that cried out loudly from an upper room where His wind blew and a roar arose. The sound of the echo that day was something new but being His echo was not. Ezekiel once echoed and raised an army from the dry bones and His spirit breathed life into them. Moses was His echo after coming down from the mountain. John the Baptist was His echo preparing the way. Where is the echo today? The church is too quiet. WHERE HAS OUR ROAR GONE? The enemy is after your roar. (Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no one pursues them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”) We have the answer for the hurting, broken and weary! Maybe we have forgotten where our roar started. What began on the cross culminated in an Upper Room. There was a roar that rose from an upper room! A roar that forever changed history and birthed the New Testament Church. A roar that came from an unknown deep cries out to deep place. A roar that could not be silenced!
Acts 2:6 (TPT), “When the people of the city heard the roaring sound, crowds came running to where it was coming from, stunned over what was happening, because each one could hear the disciples speaking in his or her own language.”
But first let’s back up and remember before the roar was heard. Go with me to the darkest moment in history. Jesus was the lamb led to the slaughter. Hanging high in the air. Mounted as Satan’s trophy. The disciples were weeping in agony. Mary watched as her son died for sons and daughters. Heaven remained quiet…. At 3pm he cried out. John 19:30 (TPT), “When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, my bride!”Then he bowed his head and surrendered his spirit to God.”
Let me ask you today, Is there a cry within your spirit for more? You see, the roar will always start with a groan. Psalm 34:17 (TPT),“Yet when holy lovers of God cry out to him with all their hearts, the Lord will hear them and come to rescue them from all their troubles.” I realize that many reading today are increasingly agitated. You feel a yearning for more. You are unhappy with your present lot in life. You know that you were created for more, but the more seems so far away. You feel the groan. Maybe its one of frustration or agitation or one of desperation. But in the distance, maybe even faintly within your spirit, you hear a knock at the door. He is always knocking. Revelation 3:20 says, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.” (MEV). God will and can suddenly arouse you from your normal. Are you listening? Is there a cry in your spirit for more?
The sound of devastation leads to desperation. Mark 15:37 (TPT),“Just then Jesus passionately cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last.” Devastation is an alarm clock! Let me share personally with you about a recent “alarm clock” moment in our lives. It began with a doctor’s report, a diagnosis of cancer in the blood, the word, leukemia. That devastation moment aroused within a desperation that brought us to our altar. Every morning and every evening! “… Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.” (Psalms 5:3). The sound of devastation leads to desperation. Look at the disciples. The disciples were now alone…. Jesus had died, arose and 40 days later ascended. Now they needed a God interruption! Just before He ascended He had given them a promise. Luke 24:49 (TPT), “And I will send the fulfillment of the Father’s promise (Holy Spirit) to you. So stay here in the city until the mighty power of heaven falls upon you and wraps around you.” God the Father had created His masterpiece called humanity so that he could have fellowship. Jesus the Son of God came to seek and to save that which was lost! The Holy Spirit came to guide you into righteousness, friendship and purpose with God.
Who is the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity? His name is Holy Spirit! He is my counselor! Often times he is now forced to fly under the radar, live in the gymnasiums of youth services, the Bible studies of homes and encounter weekends twice a year. But He has always been here. From the beginning God’s Spirit was here! Genesis 1:1-2 (MSG), “First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” Noah would send forth a dove, in Genesis 8:12, “He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.” Isaiah prophesied about the Upper room. Isaiah 28:11-12 (NIV) “Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”— but they would not listen.” John the Baptist had made the introduction of who would bring him. Luke 3:16, “John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Jesus had promised him. John 14:16-18 (MEV), “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him, neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you fatherless. I will come to you.”
Now the disciples were stuck in a room waiting on the promise. Desperation leads to the Restoration of the Roar! Stuck between Amen and there it is! The Lamb of God had surrendered his spirit and breath in order to save lost humanity. They needed HIS SPIRIT. Now they were in the waiting room! SUDDENLIES ARE PRECEEDED BY OBEDIENCE! Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues as of fire, being distributed and resting on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” It is in the waiting room that prayers lives awaken! The slumber of the bride has caused a release of the unprecedented plunder of God’s storehouse and harvest by the enemy. He is now unabated by a church that once stood its ground but has now gone underground for fear of being exposed by our lack of purpose.
It is time to RESTORE YOUR ROAR! History is never made by those who choose to sit out the fight but by those were willing to relinquish their fear and stand their ground against evil. It is time to allow desperation to once again lead to the restoration of the your roar and the roar He is longing to hear. Amos 3:8 says, “The lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” Let me share with you three (3) keys to finding your roar!
3 KEYS to finding your Roar!
1. It was the right time!
Fifty-three (53) days after devastation, as promised, the Holy Spirit came and the New Testament
church was birthed. 120 GATHERED! 120 WAITED! 120 CRIED OUT! I love numbers, and if
you look at 120, you see: 100 (election process) + 20 (expectancy) = elected group with expectancy!
God in his brilliance birthed the New Testament church on the Day that the Harvest feast was
beginning! Pentecost- Feast of ‘Pentekostos’ meaning “fiftieth.” 50 days after Passover. In the Old
Testament it was also known as the Harvest festival (Leviticus 23:9-16) also called the Feast of
Weeks “Shavuot”which Jews celebrate as God’s revealing of the law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:22).
The 7thSunday after Easter. God chooses timing! Kairos (appointed time) Could this be the
appointed time!They were desperate! They waited ten days! The number 10 meaning completeness
in divine order- the beginning of one period and the ending of another
2. It was the right attitude!
They were in one mind and one accord! They checked their religion at the door! Their door knob
was expectation! God always chooses places to pour out His Spirit that have decided “we must have
a move of God”. Too often we have rejected a move of the Holy Spirit as yesterday’s move of God
when in fact God desires to move past your daily facade into a face-to-face encounter.
Eph. 5:18 - says be filled with the Holy Spirit
1 Cor. 12:13 - For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body
1 Cor. 14:1 - eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit
1 Cor. 12:4-7 - many gifts but one Spirit
1 Cor 12:7-11 - “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is
given for the common good. … All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he
distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Cor. 14:22 - Tongues are a sign to the unbeliever
1 Cor. 14:40 - all of the gifts are done in order
3. It was the right place!
The Upper Room! Place - Greek- “Epi”- the center of earthquake!
God will show up in the house that has decided He is welcome.
The Roar has sound waves! When the church awakens to the Holy Spirit who has been longing to come inside of their sanctuaries and homes, they will soon discover that the world will come running to the sound of freedom coming from their dwellings. Acts 2:6 (TPT), “When the people of the city heard the roaring sound, crowds came running to where it was coming from, stunned over what was happening, because each one could hear the disciples speaking in his or her own language.” Your awakening will cause others to hear a sound and come running to find freedom. Right now God is looking for bold and courageous leaders who have a holy fear of the Lord to arise and stand firm. These are those who are not worried about losing their reputations or their standing but understand that they gain strength and purpose in God.
You were rescued, revived, and restored for some-thing greater than yourself. With great freedom and blessing comes great responsibility. God not only wants you to walk free of fear, but He also wants to see you rescue and revive both those around you and the next generation of freedom fighters. Your courage is so important in raising up a new generation equipped to keep the fire of God burning in the world. It is time to roar over the land God has given us!
*This powerful message by Evg. Pat Schatzline was shared on June 9, 2019, on Pentecost Sunday at Faith Assembly in Orlando, FL
**Quotes in this blog are taken from "Restore the Roar", the new book by Authors Pat & Karen Schatzline. You can buy the #1 new release best seller in Christian Faith book, "Restore the Roar" by going to www.restoretheroarbook.com
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Watch and hear Evg. Pat Schatzline preach this powerful message from Pentecost Sunday at Faith Assembly in Orlando, “The Roar from Upstairs” by clicking the video link below.