Senior Pastor
February 2019
The Holy Spirit Is Moving In Santa Clara First Baptist Church.
How do we know the Holy Spirit is moving in the church? Many people have come to tell me: "We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit." Many people have written to me: "We felt the Holy Spirit move. He was present in the worship service." What other evidence is there that the Holy Spirit is moving? Here is how I have sensed and experienced the Holy Spirit moving at Santa Clara First Baptist Church.
New Followers Of Jesus
Four men from the Sikh religion decided to follow Jesus. This is how it happened: One Sunday morning, a man walked into the church lobby. He was new in the city and he could not speak English. Someone came looking for me, because the man was from India, and I can converse in Hindi. The man told me, "I am looking for a church and I found myself in this church." He came on a bicycle. At first, I did not know what to make of it. I asked him to stay for worship service, but he had to leave early to catch a bus to go to work. He told me he would come back. The next Sunday, he brought two more men with him, and they all kept coming back. One Sunday I opened the Scripture and taught them what it meant to follow Jesus. They decided to follow Jesus upon hearing the word of God.
Baptism
We had more baptisms than last year. Last Sunday, as I was welcoming the Hindi-speaking Life Group, one of the guys said, "I want to get baptized." More and more people are coming to me expressing their desire to publicly declare their faith in Jesus. They want to make a statement and to make a difference. They want to tell the world that Jesus has given them new life.
Prayer
"I have added one more prayer group," the leader of a men's prayer group said. We are a praying church with a purpose. We have gone from "Why do I need to fast and pray?" to "How should I fast and pray?" I cannot help but smile as I am writing this. A prayer-less church is not only a powerless church, but a defective church. Your willingness and participation in the 31 days of fasting and prayer are changing the spiritual DNA of the church.
Giving
Your generosity has grown. You are experiencing the capacity to grow through giving. The evidence of the Holy Spirit moving in the congregation is moving the hearts of people to give to the poor, to feed the hungry, and to cloth the naked.
A House Of Prayer For All
We have changed. We are multicolor and multigenerational. People from all walks of life and from all nations are coming. The Holy Spirit is extending the territories of our heart. Our church is truly becoming more and more like the triune God – different, but one.
Leaders Are Living A Surrendered Life
The staff mentioned that the Holy Spirit is moving like wildfire. The staff made a pivotal decision in surrendering to God's leading and forming an alliance with the Holy Spirit. We came to a pivotal point in our leadership to willingly yield to the Holy Spirit and his power.
Lately, how do you see the Holy Spirit moving in our church? Add your witness.