I blubbering lost it recently at a prayer meeting when someone thanked the Lord for the nearly 8,000 at a gathering of 12,000 in Egypt who made a decision to follow Christ, and when someone else thanked Him for Muslims in Gaza who were seeing visions of Jesus and getting saved. I was blubbering, I tell you. Weren’t nothin’ pretty about my tears and snot and racoon mask of mascara on account of hearing such good news from a distant land.[i] I was so overcome with joy that my prayers for revival were finally answered, relieved that I was actually hearing good news for a change, and utterly dumbfounded that I’d been so clueless. Truth be told, I was also a little miffed that something this magnanimous wasn’t considered newsworthy by the mainstream media.
I’m probably in the minority of intercessors so uninformed in these matters, but at least I’m in good company with Apollos. What was he feeling in Acts chapter eighteen when Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and told him that the Messiah he said was coming—had already come?[ii] Was he overcome with joy? Relieved? Dumbfounded? Maybe even a little miffed? “Ahem . . . Apollos, there’s something you need to know, pal. The time that the prophets said was coming is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand.[iii] Christ already died for our sins according to the scriptures.[iv] He was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and was seen by the apostles and over five thousand brethren at once.[v] The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that John the Baptizer said would happen, it’s already happening. Lives are being transformed; the church is multiplying like wildfire.[vi] And Jesus’ name, through faith in His name, is bringing perfect soundness to bodies and souls everywhere!”[vii]
Where was Apollos when all this fabulous stuff was happening? He was a learned man, one eloquent in speech, instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal. Yet he was still out there in left field, putting his all into preaching John’s baptism of repentance that was specifically meant to prepare hearts to receive Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire.[viii]
Where was I when all those people were getting saved in Egypt and when all those Muslims were seeing Jesus? And in January 2024, when 18–25-year-olds packed an Atlanta Georgia stadium and were so overcome with the presence of the Lord that they could hardly worship?[ix] I was out there in left field listening to what the conventional news had to say, gutting it out, asking Jesus to please come and bring revival.
Today, with wave after wave of bad news bombarding us, and prayer requests reaching heaven in greater numbers than it seems answers are coming down, we need to hear these off-the-beaten-track Good News reports. God is on the move. He’s pouring out His Spirit today. He’s building His church today, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.[x] One day the whole earth will hear news of it. But for now, we who intend to contend in prayer until God’s kingdom is fully established on earth need to dig a little deeper than the mainstream media to find our news.
[i] Proverbs 25:25
[ii] Acts 18:24–28
[iii] Mark 1:14–15
[iv] Matthew 26:28
[v] 1 Corinthians 15:3–8
[vi] Acts 2:1–4, 33; 2:47; Acts 6:7
[vii] Acts 3:16; Acts 20:21
[viii] Acts 18:24–26; Mark 1:4, 8; Matthew 3:5–6, 11; Acts 19:4
[ix] YouTube – CBN News; A Foretaste of Heaven’: Nearly 8000 Choose to Follow Jesus During Egyptian Outreach
YouTube – CBN News; Ex-Terrorist Confirms Mass Visions of Jesus in Gaza . . .
YouTube – THAT moment during worship at Passion 2024 / Agnus Dei / “Worthy is the Lamb.”
Storiestoinspire.org; Silent Miracle: How the Power of Prayer Protected Lives in Sderot’s Synagogue on October 7th Israel
Storiestoinspire.org; A Soldier’s Miracle: My Personal Story of Survival in the Face of Hamas Terror October 7th IDF Gaza
[x] Matthew 16:18