Reseplaner…

Andrea hakade på min idé om en helt galen Norge-resa och nu håller vi på att planera den som bäst. Det är typ 85% chans att vi verkligen åker. Nu väntar jag bara på Andreas lärares besked. Men det ska väl inte bli något problem, tror jag. :)

Vi är alltså på väg till Vennesla, om allt går enligt planerna. Jag visste inte förrän en vecka sedan att det finns någon sådan stad, men tydligen. Den är ungefär 5h söder om Oslo, ca 12 km från Kristiansand (om jag inte missuppfattat saken). Där hålls en konferens, som jag skrev om i ett tidigare blogginlägg, Catch the Fire. Talarna är John & Carol Arnott, Duncan Smith, Marc DuPont och lovsångsledarna kommer att vara Kelley Warren Augi och Robert Moses Augi. Alla jobbar eller har jobbat för Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship någon gång. Ifall du har hört om “the Toronto-blessing” eller “soaking” är det den församlingen det handlar om.

Historien bakom den församlingen är helt otrolig, men sedan 1994 har fyra miljoner mänskor gått genom dörrarna till den kyrkan. Helt otroligt. Folk har inte kommit dit för att höra undervisning eller höra bra musik - nej, de har åkt dit för att få möta den helige Ande.

Så här skriver Colin Dye:

“On January 20th 1994, the TACF (then called the Toronto Airport Vineyard) experienced a fresh and surprising outpouring of the Spirit. It was accompanied by vibrant and sometimes controversial manifestations and effects of the Spirit. People fell to the ground under the power of God. Many were overcome by “laughing in the Spirit’ and others shook violently. But most of all the outpouring became known for the deep sense and experience of the presence of God. The news of the outpouring spread rapidly around the world including Britain where the press dubbed it “The Toronto Blessing’. However, John and Carol Arnott, the pastors of TACF prefer to call it “The Father’s Blessing’.

Soon, the small church in Dixie Road (situated literally at the end of the runway at Toronto airport) become too small. Thousands streamed in from all over the world to experience the refreshing, adding to the already swelling numbers of local people hungry for more of the Holy Spirit. In November 1994, a few months after the initial outpouring, through what John Arnott called “a miracle’ new premises were found for the church and the new facility opened shortly after that. The state of the art conversion of a Trade Show Centre, now supports a 4,000 seating capacity, fully-equipped TV and AV, children’s facility, training rooms, resource centre, restaurant, and plenty of room for “soaking’ as people experience more of the Holy Spirit.

Over the years some 7,000 “soaking kits’ have been sold and around one thousand functioning “soaking centres’ have been established around the world. The concept of “soaking’ is based on the Bible’s invitation to be filled and to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is far from being a once-only experience of infilling or baptism, but it is a continual and on-going experience as we learn to yield to the influence of the Spirit in our lives.

Experiences of the Spirit’s presence, soaking in the Father’s love and overwhelming expressions of worship and adoration have been the hallmarks of the Toronto Blessing. Since 1994, an estimated 4 million people have been through the doors of the church (aggregate attendance) and thousands have been saved and healed with outstanding testimonies of God’s grace and power personally experienced.”

På TACF:s beskrivning av “soaking”:

“To “soak” in God’s presence is to rest in His love rather than to “strive” in prayer. As the person receiving a touch from God begins to connect with the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence, he often responds by falling or simply lying on the floor. As he rests expectantly in God’s presence, often the Holy Spirit hovers over the person to reveal more of God’s love and to renew and repair areas of a person’s life. As the believer soaks in God’s presence, the Lord takes control and begins to draw his attention to God’s word either in the scriptures or through internal audible impressions or pictures he sees in his mind’s eye.”

Soaking är underbart. Det är intimitet med Gud.

Här är några härliga vittnesbörd om några från Kensington Temple i London som mötte Gud när de besökte församlingen i Toronto:

On the Holy Spirit’s Hit List - Gabriel Chan

When Colin first invited me to travel with him to Toronto, I was excited but not quite sure what to expect. All I knew was that it was one of those places famous for the presence of God and revival. After a few conversations with various people I came to understand that it was the place of “manifestations’ where, in previous times, people had fallen over under the power of the Spirit as they got out of their cars in the car park! I was curious about how I would react when I got there. I felt a great sense of expectancy as we began our journey. When I first walked into the TACF church building, my outlook on the things of the Spirit was certainly challenged! People lay on the floor in piles laughing, or “whowing’ or shaking under the power of the Holy Spirit. Others chose a spot to lie down and soak in the presence of the Lord. There seemed to be an incredible sense of freedom to “just be’ in the presence of God, and the service hadn’t even started yet! As the worship started on the first night, I was overawed by the sense of the presence of God. Right from the first song I felt the anointing and engaged in a powerful time of worship. Still, I couldn’t help looking around with a slightly incredulous look on my face - groups of people were holding imaginary cups in the air and downing shots of the Holy Spirit then walking around as if drunk. Some were lying on the floor while others danced around. Yet others shook uncontrollably and various sounds came from the crowd. Although these types of meetings are known in KT, I had not yet experienced such things for myself. In fact, it was utterly foreign to my idea of church. After the service I jokingly announced to Carol Arnott, founding Pastor of TACF, that I was a hard case and would have to be cracked! She promised that from that point I would be on her “hit list’. I even told God, “You’re going to have to blast me off my feet if you expect me to do any of this stuff”. I accepted that this really had to be a move of God, yet I couldn’t see myself moving in any of these things.

Through the week God decided he was going to entice me his way. After a few sessions I became accustomed to the manifestations going on around me. They seemed normal in a strange way and I was increasingly overwhelmed with the intimacy of worship and the heavy presence of God. I was further touched by the release of the gift of prophecy amongst the leadership team, and the manifestation of the healing power of the Lord - God healed people during every session of the conference. Increasingly, the hardness of my heart to the Spirit was exposed and I purposed after a time of resisting that I was going to yield and open my heart to whatever God wanted to work in me. God was truly gracious - I guess He was wooing me the whole time. I responded during a time of ministry and said in my heart while I was ministered to by Carol, “God, I yield to you” - instantly I was touched by an intense sense of the presence of God, above the heat and anointing I’d felt during the worship. This was more intimate - the start of a “deep calling to deep’. It was unlike any experience of God I’d had, but my mind started to wonder. “Hey, where’s your mind going?” Carol asked, sensing the Holy Spirit start to withdraw. I refocused and went back to the thing I knew best - prayer. I cried out but (as I later found) more out of striving than yielding, “God I’m hungry for you!” and other things like that. “Don’t pray!” she admonished me. I was amazed! Don’t pray? Surely that’s the key? “Not with this” she said, “Not with soaking. Soaking’s about the engaging of your spirit with the Holy Spirit. Your thinking gets in the way.” So, I just yielded my heart and drank God in. I guess that’s the best way to put it. It was strange, yet amazingly beautiful.

This was the start of me experiencing God in a whole new way - his heart engaging mine in a sweet romance. That truly is the only way to put it. Another few ministry sessions later, I was addicted - soaking in God. Much better than soaking in alcohol!

A taste of heaven - Andy Eyre

I had heard quite a lot about TACF and how you come back changed after spending time there. Well, what can I say? I was blown away with the tangible presence of God - it was as if there was a thick cloud resting in the atmosphere. They say that this is where the river is flowing and sure enough I found it so effortless to enter into the presence of God - the river really is flowing in Toronto!

I have been profoundly touched and ministered to in my heart and I will always remember my experience at TACF. The worship was simply beautiful and the whole team was full of the Spirit and flowing in the Spirit. It was encouraging to see these things. It was so exciting and yet so real and normal to walk in this way.

I know that I have been healed in my heart as I felt God’s love in a deep way. There has been a real impartation to my inner man, depositing a fresh and real taste of heavenly manna. John and Carol Arnott are wonderful, beautiful leaders who have a stillness and peace yet with such an authority in their gifting. I have never experienced such an open heaven and the amount of healings and prophecies and the tangible presence of God has really made a difference my life! There’s so much more!

Hoppas ni orkade läsa allt detta. Så, Andrea och jag är kanske på väg till en konferens i Norge med folk som verkligen upplevt väckelse. Det skulle verkligen vara underbart att få vara där. Och vilket äventyr att ta sig dit (och hem)! :)