HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Ex 40:34)

This evening, the Women’s Fellowship was very powerful. It was different than any other time we gathered in the past. Something ‘interesting’ happened. This is the background story: Before the Esther’s Banquet last month, some women suggested that we should have games during the party. What they wanted was that the couples should play some games as entertainment. When I heard of this idea I immediately said no. I explained to them that this banquet is ‘a prophetic party’ and not ‘an ordinary party’. We fasted for the month of January the way Esther and her maids fasted. Our desire was that King Jesus, represented by our husbands, who are our kings, will see our heavy burdens and take over them. We decided that we shall dress royally, in traditional Nigerian attires. We shall lovingly cook for everybody. During the banquet, we shall keep silent and let the husbands do the talking, the older ones first… This was a form of submission and respect to our husbands. By faith, it was an open door for the Holy Spirit to touch our husbands to help us with our burdens. The banquet was very successful. My husband, Pastor Richmond Leigh spoke. He challenged the husbands to be more spiritual, more sensitive and more active with their duties as husbands. The Holy Spirit was there to touch and fill everybody with more love, passion and fire. I personally was very pleased with the Banquet. But after the party, I heard that some women said that the evening was ‘too dull’. Some husbands said that the party was ‘too spiritual’. These are the very words that came to my ears…

This evening I prepared a sermon about the role of the prophetic ministry. I wanted to defend myself, why I refused the games. I wanted to explain to the sisters that what we need is more of the Holy Spirit and not more entertainment. I wanted to say that games have a place sometimes, but not during a serious prophetic gathering when we trust God to speak and to move on behalf of our marriages. But this evening, my well prepared sermon could not be delivered. God did not allow me to talk, because He wanted to do the talking. As we started praising God, suddenly the Holy Spirit ‘came down’. The hall became like fire. Wave after wave of anointing passed thru our hearts. We fell in love with Jesus all over again. Everybody was lying down, weeping, laughing, praying or worshipping. The Holy Spirit said to me: ‘Stand back. Let me do the talking…” I was standing still, surprised at how the Spirit of God was moving in our midst. The sisters were screaming ‘Jesus…Jesus…’ The fire was burning and none could quench it. If anybody desired some ‘entertainment’, the Holy Spirit provided more than we could have imagined. There was no need for games. The King was in our midst. Who remembered games? Nobody…

I felt so small in the presence of the Master. Jesus is so big and wonderful. But I felt so good!!! He came to vindicate our stand. We are not hungry for religious games. We are hungry for the Living God! There is no doubt in my mind that miracles of salvation, healing and deliverance happened tonight. Repentance was real. Progress was made. Jesus opened a door for our Women fellowship that no one can shut. At a time, the power (NEPA) went off but nobody observed that. A woman I invited to Esther’s banquet told me that the senior pastor in her church stopped the women fellowship. She said it was because there was too much flesh, gossip and divisions among the women. She was surprised that we are still gathering as a fellowship. She said that it was a miracle. She asked what our secret is. I told her it is Jesus! Only Jesus! We gather around the Cross and worship Jesus. We do not gather just to be friends. That comes later. Each of us must pass thru the fire of glory before we are able to be friends to others. Purity comes before party. Oh… I cannot express the power of the anointing of the Holy Spirit surrounding us tonight. To God be all the glory!