The Best Strategy

One Sunday night I was visiting a church.

During the meeting, I began to feel that I was meant to minister that night.

But there was nothing I could do about it, because I knew that by that stage someone else would already have been chosen to preach.

But still I felt I was meant to minister, so I just committed it to the Lord.

Then during one of the songs, an elder in the church came and sat beside me and said to me:

"I was supposed to preach tonight, but I just thought, seeing you're here, that I would give you the opportunity to minister".

So I accepted.

I'd heard about some concerning-behaviours of some of the youth in that church. Even during the service I'd observed some of them going outside disinterested and getting up to stuff.

So I thought to myself, "I'm going to preach about sin!"

But sitting in my seat, I felt the Lord say to me, "I want them [the congregation] to experience the joy of the Lord".

At first I wondered whether that would be appropriate.

But then I remembered that when Nehemiah originally said:

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength" (in Nehemiah 8:10)

it was actually immediately after all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

But Nehemiah told them, "Mourn not, nor weep".

"Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord".

"Neither be ye sorry..."

"...for the joy of the Lord is your strength".

God's grace knows best, I felt assured. And I felt excited anticipating what His strategy was about to accomplish.

So when I was invited to the stage, instead of giving them a sermon, I said to the congregation:

"I feel that God wants us to experience the joy of the Lord".

I didn't quite know what to do in order to let that happen though, so I said, "Let's sing the song 'The Joy of the Lord is my Strength' ".

The band played, the congregation sang, it was a little bit rousing.

But still I thought to myself, "I don't think that's what the Lord was talking about when He said 'I want them to experience the joy of the Lord' ". I felt He meant something more.

I remembered a couple of years before, I'd seen a preacher point to different people in a congregation and say, "Receive the joy of the Lord", and they seemed to - so I thought, I'll try that.

So I pointed to a lady in the congregation and said, "Receive the joy of the Lord". I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Straightaway the lady was filled with laughter, so much so that she ended-up on the floor rolling around.

That worked, I thought. So I pointed to someone else, "Receive the joy of the Lord" I said. Same thing happened. Filled with laughter.

One person after another. Until soon there was no need to speak anymore, it just spread!

Many were filled with joy and laughter, on the floor rolling around and didn't stop.

I hadn't laid hands on anyone.

The band wasn't even playing. (If the band had been playing, it would have been more of a hindrance than a help, especially if a song-leader was singing too).

I just stood there.

The Spirit Himself was working in the congregation, like a wave swept through.

After about 40 minutes, I thought I guess my time is up. So I dutifully handed back to the MC.

He invited testimonies. One lady came forward, "I was suffering pain, but now it's gone", she was barely able to speak she was so happy.

Another person said, "I've been depressed all week, but it's hard to feel depressed when you're laughing so much for joy!"

It was obvious that laughter was only what we saw on the outside: at the same time God was doing a deeper work on the inside.

Then the Pastor's son turned-up. He'd been visiting a sister-church that night, and he told us that he'd witnessed something he hadn't seen before: the congregation had started laughing for joy there too.

God was visiting His people - and it was just the start. Over the next several weeks and months, in every meeting in that church, even at music practices. Extra nightly meetings were added. No matter who was rostered-on for a meeting, they always let the Holy Spirit move.

Other pastors came and visited and saw the grace of God, and brought their congregations, even from other cities.

Nearly everyone - youth, adults and children - experienced joy and laughter; and tears, and forgiveness and reconciliation; they were filled with the Spirit and spoke with tongues, and interpreted, and saw visions and prophesied; there was repentance and deliverance from demons; they were on the floor unable to stand; then ended-up spontaneously dancing for joy.

From there it spread to other churches near and far, and to schools and universities. People got saved, it started getting media attention.

People started giving, until the churches experienced financial blessing like never before.

Numbers of young people consecrated their lives to the ministry, and decided to go to Bible college. And today some of them are pastors and missionaries.

"...the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 13:52).

God really knows the best strategy.