Aufstehen: Time to Stand and EatIan Nicholson - 22 Aug 2011

It wasn’t the most promising time for a life changing spiritual experience – but then God seems to have a ‘penchant’ for surprising us!  It was noon in the Middle East, the sun was beating down relentlessly and Peter was trying to pray on a rooftop. The problem was that he was probably more aware of his growing hunger and could smell lunch being prepared below!

Then he had a vision; in it a sheet from heaven was lowered containing all the animals he, as a good Jew, had been told were unclean and God spoke, ‘Stand up, Peter, kill and eat!’ Now visions are pretty important at any time but the Bible says (Acts 10) that Peter had this one three times! Peter saw, in a shocking way, how wide open God’s arms are for the unclean and undeserving. Following a Jesus who was friends (note: he was not just friendly – they were his friends) with prostitutes, drunkards and sinners took on a new dimension for Peter. If this was true then anybody could be changed by God’s favour and smile.

‘Aufstehen’ is a call for the church in Europe to ‘stand, kill and eat’ and to be involved alongside the ‘unclean and undeserving’. Patricia Green, a New Zealander in her seventies, will talk about her calling to Berlin to work with sex workers. We will hear from our 24-7 friends in Spain who are working with refugees & Germans moving onto the poorest housing estate they could find. Linda Harding will bring the challenge of Europe’s hidden peoples, the immigrants who are increasingly marginalised. The Heasley’s will talk about their latest summer ministering on the streets of Ibiza. Others will bring reports of their lives in the Balkans, Turkey or the Middle East. And you will bring your own stories! There will also be a big emphasis on worship, prayer and space for God to change our view of ourselves and His love for the world.

As we have been getting ready for ‘Aufstehen’ there have been several prophetic words coming through as encouragements:

From Australia

"I have been reading through the OT a lot this year, and have been struck a number of times by this passage in 2 Kings 3 (msg)
'He then said, "God's word: Dig ditches all over this valley. Here's what will happen—you won't hear the wind, you won't see the rain, but this valley is going to fill up with water and your army and your animals will drink their fill. This is easy for God to do; he will also hand over Moab to you. You will ravage the country: Knock out its fortifications, level the key villages, clear-cut the orchards, clog the springs, and litter the cultivated fields with stones."
In the morning—it was at the hour of morning sacrifice—the water had arrived, water pouring in from the west, from Edom, a flash flood filling the valley with water.'

I believe the Lord would say to 24-7 that the ditches have been dug faithfully with much effort, prayer, discipline and some hard choices that may have brought pain (or even as I type this I have a sense from the Lord that there is some pain now, that is not public, but it hurts!). 

I believe the Lord has said that He intends to fill the ditches with his overflowing water.  In my head, it ties in with the idea of “Standing Up” for Europe.  The preparation has been done, now get ready to receive the rain of blessing, provision and refreshing.  The obstacles that you are now facing will be swept away and the clear path will emerge...

From Sweden:

I have an experience that these three days will set a new course for the entire 24-7. I feel that the Lord said that He will indeed be there, not just to be there because we gather in his name but will really meet with people. These three days will not be something that we've seen before.
I feel that he told to look up and see that now it's about to end well. It does not matter how the start of things have been, it's the end that counts. He wants us to finish excellent. Believe that God wants to give a great seriousness and a new assignment by the understanding that the end of this time really is approaching.
Aufstehen can not be done with a sense that we have done it before so we switch on the autopilot.
Regarding the linkage between people, then I believe it is important, but I think the linking between heaven and individuals is the key. Have seen a gigantic plug being connected to heaven.
We, Europe needs the power of God, we need muscles to our faith and daily walk with the Lord.

Prepare for the unexpected! When I became a Christian nearly 40 years ago the leader of the Christians confided ‘I am amazed – you were the last person I ever expected to be interested in following Jesus’. Appearances can be deceptive and God can surprise us. Come to ‘Aufstehen’ – we are expecting to meet Jesus together and listen to His call to ‘stand’..... oh and take care if you go up into the prayer room before dinner !