THE FATHER’S HOUSE
Sutherlin, OR

Our Pastor, John Zumwalt, preached such a powerful message January 9, 2022. It was Vision Sunday and he purposed for us to catch the direction of 2022 for our Church. Please read 2 Kings 3.

The situation presented here is a severe drought was in the land and there were no visible avenues to relieve it. Fast forward and see the distress of that time in our world today. The drought here is the same as a famine. Without the Word of the Lord, and no visible effective resources, people become fearful, discouraged, depressed etc.

In 2 Kings 3, three things suddenly turned a hopeless situation into victory. Those same things can turn around our personal distressing circumstances and change our nation. Here is the remedy! Pray and seek the Lord’s direction (prophetic word). Act. Worship. In 2 Kings 3, the victory ultimately depended on obedience to do as instructed. With no visible sign of wind, clouds, or rain, trenches were dug to contain water. The deeper the trench, the greater the amount of water could be contained. hallelujah! At the time of the morning offering, suddenly, the trenches were filled with water!

Pastor John had shovels for those who were willing to be diggers. As he was speaking, I immediately had a vision of impulsive diggers, rushing out to start making those trenches. Unfortunately, not everyone was properly dressed for the job. Rubber sandals and tennis shoes were sinking in the mud. Few had coveralls, work gloves or jackets. Dirt was flying everywhere. Worse yet, many of the people decided it wasn’t really a great idea as they didn’t see any water filling their trench. They put down their shovels and walked away.

Scripture tells us that rivers of living water will flow out of our heart. The first trenches that need to be dug are in our hearts. As we dig out past heartaches, lies, wrong beliefs, etc. it is essential we are properly dressed for the job, to have on the armor of God. The deeper we dig, the greater intimacy we have with the Lord. and greater the water we will have to pour out to others! It takes obedience to act and discipline to develop a daily routine. Even so, some diggers put down their shovels and walked away. Why? They did not have faith to persevere. Regardless of our circumstances, we are called to walk by faith, not by what we see. Perseverance is to continue a behavior regardless of visible effectiveness. God’s Word never fails. It will come to pass in due season. Believe it to be so Keep digging!

Link to service https://youtu.be/3sh58sT8reU