Wednesday, July 24, 2013

It was nearly 11 years ago that my wife and I first walked into an Apostolic Church. Both coming from denominational backgrounds this was different and at first, scared us. It was different, people shouted, people lifted their hands in worship....and then there was those tongues that I was always taught were not of God. But how could all of these people be wrong? They weren't!

So began our walk with God. It was a new dimension, it was more than tradition-it matched the Church that was in the Bible.

Fast forward to July 19th, 2013. We accepted our call to ministry, we accepted the call of God to start a Church and now we have our 1st “big” Revival scheduled. Our little Church that has been labeled backslidden by some in our town was serious about this revival. We prayed, fasted and sought God. We experienced great opposition. We experienced spiritual attacks during the week leading up to the Revival. But we continued praying, fasting and seeking God.

Bro. Tim Greene's name was given to me by a good friend in St. Louis. I was given a list of names but there was something that grabbed me and wouldn't let go when I heard Bro. Greene's name. Up to that, to my knowledge, I don't know that I've even heard his name. I picked him up on Friday morning without even really knowing what he looked like. We had a few previous conversations about the pick up times, pricing and such. That was it.

We arrived at the Church Friday night for Church. Really not knowing if anything great was going to happen. I was fighting a very tough Spiritual battle leading up to the Revival, to the very minute that service began. Major attacks of the mind was going on. Did I choose the right man or did I miss God? Will we have the breakthrough that we need as a Church? What's going to happen? Was the outreach and the Social Media Ad campaign just a waste?

It wasn't until the altar call that I knew something special was transpiring right before my eyes. After the music, after the announcements, after the exhorting from guest ministers...Bro. Greene got on the floor. He began to preach. I was expecting the Pentecostal fluff. The screaming that's generally called “good preaching”. The cookie cutter, recycled messages. But his approach was significantly different.

He preached a phenomenal message that touched the people. Did he get exuberant? Absolutely. But he connected to people. As he was finishing his message he asked everyone to get into a state of worship. That's easy for Apostolics, right? Right. But this worship opened the doors for the miraculous and the supernatural.

I feel great sorrow for the folks that haven't experienced Pentecost. There truly is nothing else that I would rather be. As Bro. Greene began to minister to individuals and prophesy to them I was taken back to I Corinthians 12 when Paul began to expound upon the gifts of the Spirit. Specifically verse 7, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”  To profit, or to gain. I witnessed people profiting from the manifestation of the Spirit that was in our sanctuary. It wasn't a show. It wasn't a put on. It was a genuine, heart felt move of God...like none that I had witnessed up to this point.

Folks began to weep as he spoke what God was revealing to him. As I overheard the prophecies I couldn't hold the weeping back. I stood in awe of God's wonder-working power. I've been to a lot of conferences, revivals, camp meetings, this meeting and that meeting. However, I never witnessed the pin point accuracy of prophecies and the gifts that's often not sought after, the Word of Wisdom & the Word of Knowledge. There's some things that folks had shared with me that only them and myself knew. But when God began to use His man that He sent to Maysville, KY there were things that transpired that I only heard talk of until then.

People were having breakthroughs that they thought were never possible. Some folks received long sought for confirmation for their lives. Others were placed on mountain tops after being in valleys for far too long.

I've been asked many times since the revival, “how did it go?”. I couldn't answer them with great detail due to the magnitude of the Heavenly bombshell that fell on all 3 Revival services. I'm still trying to sift through everything that God done...though I truly believe that eternity will be the only medium to convey the full effects of what transpired.

There were many that weren't there that needed to be. A few left without receiving what God wanted to give them. But most left with the greatest experience that they've ever had with our Savior. Regardless of what has been-TurningPoint Apostolic Church is marching towards a closer walk with God and ultimately authentic Apostolic Revival in our city and region.

To all the folks that read this that haven't received or has reservations about this Pentecostal stuff, allow me to assure you that it's really real and I urge you to experience it. If you are hungering and thirsting for more of God don't hesitate to contact me...I just so happen to know Him! I can tell you how to be filled and quenched!


Still in awe,


Pastor Brian D. Young