16 May 2014 by Jason Law CM –
Revival and resilience; that was the palpable and prevailing atmosphere in the Paul Wilbur concert, held in Grace Convention Center on the 10th of May 2014. More than a concert, it was a much needed boost of revival for Christians and a potent reminder of God’s sovereignty and power even during difficult times. The songs sung that night weren’t just performances; they became cries of praise and worship from the hearts of Christians towards God. Many times throughout the night, we broke into spontaneous vocal cries instead of lexical ones.
Those who have attended Paul Wilbur’s concerts in the past know that he’s a worship leader of immense anointing from the Lord. A great number of his songs are prophetic in tone; and they range through all kinds of mood; from the contemplative to the rousing and awakening. This time, Malaysians got opportunities for the first time to worship with Paul, owing to the efforts of the organizers from Freeindeed Music (freeindeedmusic.com).
Paul Wilbur started the concert by sharing about his faith in God. He shared that throughout the history of Christianity, the forces of darkness have always envied the people of God. In the early history of the Israelites, Israel was a nation small in size but mighty in their God. They were surrounded by huge, aggressive nations throughout much of their existence, and the devil wanted even that small piece of land for himself. God denied the devil, for the people of God were under His protection, and nothing the devil did could prevail against the sovereign will of God. From a small nation perpetually in danger of being swallowed, they did not just survived but flourished, right up to this day. Today, you find the people of God making a difference for Him in every nation of the world.
Paul also shared about his ministry in nations that were staunchly anti-Christian. He shared that in one such nation, he was conceded an area of 5 acres out of disdain, but that area was packed with people who were hungry for God, and many newcomers to that meeting restored their relationship with God, even within such humble settings. Throughout the world, he saw the mighty movement of the Hand of God, calling and restoring people back to Him.
Many of the songs that were sung that night echoed this faith in the sovereignty of God. In ‘Adonai’, we proclaimed that every eye will see His glory fill the sky, and every tongue will cry out Adonai and sing praises to Him. In ‘Your Great Name’, we claimed the promise that through His great Name, the lost are saved and find their way, every fear has no place, the weak will find their strength, hungry souls receive grace, the fatherless find their rest, and all the world will praise His name.
Psalm 66:4
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”
Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.
The presence of God and the air of revival were so strong that night, and many people made personal breakthroughs. ‘Let the Weight of Your Glory Fall’ and ‘For Your Name Is Holy’ were powerful anthemic moments. When Brandon Roberson, who was one of the guests in Paul’s team that night, led worship through his song ‘Desperate For You’, you could see the real desperation, thirst, and longing for God, and it echoed throughout and inundated the whole hall.
The song ‘Why Should I be Afraid’ was an encouraging reminder, during a challenging time for many Christians, that the battle belongs to the Lord. He is our light and salvation, and in days of war, He will hide us in His sanctuary, and we will stand and see the victory through Him. Paul shared that while we sometimes feel like no matter how hard we try, we often take one step forwards but two steps backwards for the Lord, it is not His fault. He still loves us because of His innate nature as Love (1 John 4:8), and sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we just need to be still in His presence and know that He is God.
Psalm 46:10
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
There were so many quiet moments of contemplation and soaking ourselves in God’s presence that night, as Paul led us in gentle songs representing our relationship with God, in songs like ‘Song of the Beautiful Bride’ and ‘Dance With Me’, which are poignant depictions of how God view us and our passionate responses to God (1 Peter 3:4).
“Song of the Beautiful Bride’ affirms our identity as the Bride of Christ, redeemed from darkness, clothed in His righteousness, reflecting His glory, fully alive; while ‘Dance With Me’ expresses the freedom we have through Christ, beyond measure.
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
1 Peter 3:4
Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
The night ended on a strong note with the well-known songs of revival ‘Days of Elijah’ and ‘Song of Ezekiel’, calls to raise congregations of worshippers amidst days of great trials and temptations and dryness and seeming-deadness. The shaking, the smell of smoke, and shouts and cries may surround us, but in such settings, redemption very often draws near. God is shaking the nations around the world until men understand that He is the only Solid Foundation on which to build, and that there is no other Rock besides His Name, Paul exhorted.
The floodwaters may rise and the plains may burn but we will not be overcome or singed if we stay faithful to the Lord. The Lord has called us to be His standard and the bearers of His holy Name unto the nations in this hour and time, and strength and security will derive from Him for He is our foundation. This is a time for Christians to be strong, holy, and faithful before the Lord.
1 Chronicles 29:12
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
There are certain experiences that cannot be adequately expressed in words, and the session of worship to God, led by Paul Wilbur in GCC that night, was one such experience. The worship was spontaneous and unregimented, people sang to the Lord from the depths of their hearts, there was a real sense of freedom in those hearts, and so many people returned to the Lord that night. More importantly, every cry of praise and worship was directed to the Lord and the One deserving of it all.
Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.4 The King is mighty, he loves justice—
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.
5 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.8 Lord our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
though you punished their misdeeds.9 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
This worship night was brought to you by Freeindeed Music.
Pictures in this article contributed by Grace Convention Center Media team.
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