EACH TIME I THINK ABOUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AZUSA STREET LIKE; I SEE THE EARLY CHURCH. LET ME TRY TO DRAW A PICTURE FOR YOU . IN THE UPPER ROOM THERE WERE A COMBINATION OF PEOPLE WHO HAD FAILED JESUS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND THOSE WHO HELP ON IN WEAK WAYS. THERE WAS MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS WHO WAS YET TO FULLY COMPREHEND THE SURPRISES THE TOOK PLACE IN HER SON SHORT LIFE.(THE ANGEL GABRIEL, THE PROPHECY IN THE TEMPLE, GETTING MISSING AT TWELVE, THE WEDDING AT CANA , PREACHING A NEW MESSAGE THAT IN A WAY CONTRADICTED THE OLD,PROCLAIMING HIS DEATH AND RESSECTION EVEN BEFORE HE DIED, THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HIS DEATH ,HIS REAPPEARANCE AND NOW HIS ACECSION. I CAN IMAGINE HER NARRATING THE EVENTS OVER AND OVER.) THERE WAS PETER WHO WAS CALLED SATAN AND ROCK IN ONE MINUTE BY THE MASTER. THE MOST PAINFUL MEMORY HE HAD, WAS THAT LOOKED THAT CHRIST GIVE HIM AFTER HE BETRAYED HIM, OH IF HE COULD ONLY BRING BACK THE PAST AND HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE . THERE WAS THOMAS WHO HAD NOT GOTTEN OVER FROM PUTTING HIS HANDS IN THE NAILS PRINTS OF HIS MASTER. HE KEPT EXPLAINING THE FELLING HE EXPRIENCED, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE EMPTY GRAVE, HOW THE DISCIPLES FLED AND LEFT THEIR MASTER WHEN HE WAS BETRAYED, HOW THEY HID, HOW THEY REGRETED FOLLOWING HIM AND FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES. HOW THEY SAW HIM ASCENDING TO THE HEAVENS) .... THE ATMOSPHERE WAS ELECTRIFYING .THERE THEY WERE EXCHANGING EXPERIENCES AND PRAYING AND PRAISING GOD FOR BEEN CHOSEN AS A PART OF THIS GREAT EVENT.
EVERYONE IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WAS AT THE SAME LEVEL. THEY WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROMISED THE MASTER GIVE THEM BEFORE HE LEFT. THEY WANTED TO PROVED TO THE MASTER THAT THEY NOW UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS NO ORDINARY MAN ON AN ORDINNARY MISSION. THEY WERE EAGER TO PROVED THAT THEY HAD FAILED THE MASTER AND NOW PREPARE TO GO IN THEY WAY HIM EXPECTED OF THEM. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THAT ROOM. THEY WERE UNITED IN PURPOSE, THEY WERE UNITED IN PRAYERS, THEY WERE UNITED IN ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT THEY COULD NOT DO IT ON THEIR OWN.THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR DOUBTS, NO PLACE FOR BACK BITING , LIES , ETC.
THAT WONDERFUL DAY THE SPIRIT HAD NO PROBLEM ENTERING THAT ROOM. THE SPIRIT BROUGHT WITH IT WHAT HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM MEN AT THE TOWER OF BEBEL. IT BROUGHT THE KNOWLEDGE TO UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE; OUT OF WHICH ALL LANGUAGES CAME. THEY CERTAINLY COULD UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINAL ROOTS OF ALL LANGUAGES, AND THAT OPENED THEIR EARS AND LOOSE THEIR TONGUES. ALL THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY ACCEPTED THEIR WEAKNESS AND WERE WILLING TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. THERE WAS NO AGE, STATUS, COLOR, EDUCATIONAL, ETC DIFFERENCES AMONG THEM. THEIR SECRET WAS UNITY OF PURPOSE.
YOU SEE FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IF WE WANT AZUSA STREET TO BE A HOME FOR ALL WE MUST GO BACK TO THE UPPER ROOM AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THERE. THEY WERE NOT PERFECT PEOPLE BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO BE GLORIFY. EVERY ONE WAS EVERYONE ELSE BROTHER/SISTER AND TRY TO HELP UPGRADE ONEANOTHER.
LOVE AND UNITY WERE KEY WORDS. THERE WERE NO FACELESS PEOPLE; NO EVIL PLANS OF BETRAYALS AND BACK BITING, THERE WAS FORGIVENESS AND LOVE AND SWEETNESS IN THE AIR. YOU COULD FEEL IT, YOU COULD TOUCH IT, YOU COULD SMELL IT, YOU COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE IS THE EYES OF EACH BELIEVERS. THAT IS THE KIND OF ATMOSPHERE THAT TRUE SIGNS AND WONDERS FLOW THROUGH.
PLEASE SEND ME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS PLACE A HOME FOR TODAYS CHRISTIANS TO EXPERIENCE THE UPPER ROOM EXPERIENCE. WE NEED TO A ELECTRIFING CHRISTIAN ATMOSPHERE WHERE UNITY WILL CAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FLOW IN A POWERFUL WAY. COME LET US REASON TOGETHER AND MAKE THIS PLACE A HOME TO BEAR OUR WEAKNESSES AND STRENGHT AND OUR SHORT COMING INTO CORRECTIVE LOVE.