Acts 19:20 

As we recover from this horrendous pandemic, I believe it is safe to say that many of us are tired of the status quo. We plain refuse to go to church as usual or have church, as we had it before. Church as we did it before really wasn’t working.  In fact, many of our churches weren’t really doing so well. We had become routine, mundane, mechanical, and in some cases very anemic. Membership was already dwindling, and interest was already waning, especially where the younger generation was concerned, Covid 19 and its restrictions only highlighted this even more. Now that things have settled, it is really time for a change. It cannot be church as usual and business as usual! To continue as we were surely is to commit spiritual suicide and to perpetuate the downward spiral of the church into extinction and irrelevance. 

All I know is, the Church of God following in the traditions of her Lord and Master cannot be dull, dried-up, and uninteresting. If we are truly His people, then life and growth, change, and breakthrough should be constantly happening all around. Like many, I am tired of the trickles and the clouds without water. I am now looking forward to the breaking forth of His Spirit among us, like the breaking forth of a mighty dam. This happens when the word of the Lord prevails (Acts 19:20). Somebody ought to speak this Word again with conviction and expectation. We are tired of just preaching sermons. We long to see growth – physical, numerical, spiritual. I pray not just for sporadic victories but for the word of God to prevail mightily – for mighty outpourings. 

We must remember that Yahweh is shown to create and form life by the very word of His mouth as indicated in Genesis chapter one. Things do not have to be alive for Him to speak over them. He speaks to the dead as He speaks to the living, Maybe, we need to start speaking like Jesus did. 

He spoke over dead, dried-up situations, and before you knew it life moved back in. Power was reactivated. The light turned back on. He changed the very atmosphere. He transformed the entire landscape. He electrified the environment. The supernatural was displayed! Fireworks followed. O Lord, teach us to speak like you, always with effect and power! The post-pandemic church must follow in His footsteps. It cannot be church or business as usual. May God help us to learn not just the language of power, but how to actually demonstrate that power in our daily ministrations. Start speaking and demonstrating like Jesus. 

Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region 

September 9th, 2023