09/19/26Gathering: From warfare to worship

The Champion's House gathering centered on a powerful sense that God is leading His people into a new season. This season was described as a transition—a passage between what has been and what is coming.

The church was encouraged to recognize that God is opening doors, breathing on new opportunities, and bringing His people into a deeper experience of His presence.

The message was not simply about change in circumstances, but about a change in posture: moving from heaviness to praise, from striving to surrender, and from relying on human strength to trusting the Lord.

Moving from Heaviness with Praise:

The congregation was encouraged to remove the “garment of heaviness” and put on a garment of praise. While spiritual warfare still exists, the nature of the battle has changed. The focus is no longer on fighting from fear or exhaustion, but on worshiping from a place of faith, hope, and victory. The enemy was described as a liar and a defeated foe. Therefore, worship, intercession, and declarations should reflect what God has already done and what He is continuing to accomplish.

Praise is not merely an emotional response. It is an act of faith and spiritual warfare that creates room for God to move.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord:

The primary Scripture was 2 Chronicles 20, where King Jehoshaphat and Judah faced a powerful enemy army. Jehoshaphat was afraid, but fear led him to seek the Lord rather than depend on himself. He called the people to prayer and fasting and reminded them of God’s power, faithfulness, and promises. The Lord’s instruction was: “You will not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, standstill, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Judah was instructed to go out against the enemy with worshipers at the front. As they began to sing and praise, God set ambushes against their enemies, and the battle was won. The congregation was encouraged to position itself in: Faith, Hope, Expectation, Reverence, Obedience, and Worship.

God’s people do not have to manufacture victory. They can worship while God fights on their behalf.

The Wilderness as a Place of Preparation:

The wilderness was another important image throughout the meeting. It was not presented as a place of rejection or punishment, but as a place of preparation, transition, and potential blessing. The congregation was reminded that Noah built the ark in-land and when there was no visible evidence of a coming flood. In the same way, God may ask His people to build, prepare, and obey before they can see the fulfillment of His promise.

The wilderness can look empty, difficult, or unproductive. Yet it may be the very place where God is forming His people and preparing them for what comes next.

The message also connected the wilderness with the call to rebuild ruined places. God’s people are being sent into areas of brokenness to bring Light, Life, Healing, Restoration, and the presence of God.

The wilderness is therefore not the end of the journey. It is a place where God prepares His people to carry His presence into cities, families, communities, and nations.

Psalm 18: Deliverance in the Midst of Darkness:

Psalm 18 provided a vivid picture of God’s deliverance. It describes a person surrounded by danger, entangled by the ropes of death, and overwhelmed by destruction. Yet when the person cried out to the Lord, God heard and intervened. The psalm declares: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer." It goes on to describe God reaching down from heaven, rescuing His servant (like Jehoshaphat) from deep waters, and bringing him into a spacious place.

The imagery of Psalm 18 was connected to the worship experience and to the reading from 2 Chronicles 20. Darkness, fear, and death may surround God’s people, but they cannot overcome the life and light that come from God.

God does not merely give light—He is life itself, and His presence drives back darkness.

The congregation was encouraged not to condemn themselves for experiencing fear. Fear can become a signal that drives people toward God. Like Jehoshaphat, believers can acknowledge fear and then turn their eyes toward the Lord. Psalm 18 also emphasizes that God equips His people for the battles they face. He strengthens, protects, trains, and delivers them. The church was encouraged to wait on the word of the LORD, not presume or assume; Instead to seek the Lord, hear His word, then act.

The ultimate source of victory is not human ability, but the Lord Himself.

Worship as Listening and Obedience:

Worship was described as more than singing. It is also listening for the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit may lead someone to sing, kneel, remain silent, dance, pray, use a flag, or simply wait. Worship requires surrendering control and responding to what God is doing in the moment. The congregation was encouraged to worship loudly and wholeheartedly, without murmuring or hesitation.

The Threshing Floor and the Secret Place:

The gathering also focused on the image of the threshing floor, a place where grain is separated from what does not belong. Spiritually, the threshing floor represents surrender, purification, healing, and transformation. God is dealing with fear, doubt, unforgiveness, pride, frustration, and other hindrances—not to condemn His people, but to prepare them for deeper intimacy and greater usefulness.

The secret place was presented as essential to this process. Believers were encouraged to spend intentional time alone with God, moving beyond religious routine into genuine fellowship. The invitation is to run to the secret place, even if the time begins with only a few minutes each day. In that place, God becomes more than a doctrine or distant idea. He becomes personally known as Father, Savior, Bridegroom, and beloved Friend.

Welcoming the Glory of God:

The meeting also emphasized the Hebrew concept of kabod, referring to the weight, glory, honor, majesty, and manifest presence of God. God’s presence cannot be manufactured through music, lighting, preaching, or programming. His people can prepare through worship, repentance, reverence, and surrender, but only God can reveal His glory.

A gathering centered on God's glory is one where: Jesus is exalted, The Father is honored, The Holy Spirit is free to minister, Leaders are willing to release control, The church is not afraid of silence or waiting, God’s agenda becomes more important than the schedule.

The desire is to move from talking about God’s presence to genuinely encountering and hosting His presence.

Becoming a Ready Bride:

The congregation reflected on Revelation 19, which describes the marriage of the Lamb and the bride making herself ready. This speaks of preparation, holiness, righteousness, and intimacy with Christ. The church is being called to become a people who are increasingly surrendered, purified, and prepared for Jesus. The transition God is leading is deeply personal. It involves becoming more like Christ, walking in righteousness, and allowing His light and life to shine through His people.

Prayer for Mexico and the Nations:

The gathering also included focused prayer for Mexico. The prayer addressed: Unity and strength within the church, Freedom from idolatry and false beliefs, The release of the pure Word of God, Protection for believers facing persecution, Deliverance from violence and criminal organizations, Wisdom and courage for national leaders, Salvation and transformation throughout Mexico. The dream shared during the meeting was connected to themes of idols, cleansing, Scripture, spiritual opposition, and the need for the Word of God to bring freedom.

The congregation was encouraged to pray for Mexico with compassion and expectation, believing that God can bring light into darkness and establish His purposes in the nation.

Ministry and Community Opportunities:

Several upcoming opportunities were announced, including:

• A Yom Kippur service and time of consecration

• A Sukkot gathering with food and fellowship

• An Emmaus Bible study and Zoom meeting

• A future Burn Intercession gathering

• A Kingdom intercession meeting

• An original theater production through a partnership with Sojourn Productions and Sojourn Community Church

  • Volunteers are needed for acting, stage management, set construction, lighting, sound, costumes, props, photography, marketing, hospitality, prayer, and financial support. The production is expected to take place over two weeks in April, with final dates to be confirmed.

    
    

Moving Forward in Faith: The overall message was a call to move forward with faith and expectation. God’s people are being invited to leave behind past seasons and enter a new place of worship, intimacy, and spiritual authority. The wilderness is part of the journey, but it is not the destination. The threshing floor is a place of preparation, not destruction. The battle is real, but the victory to the Lord. As Psalm 18 reminds us, God is the rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, and stronghold of His people. He hears the cry of those who call upon Him, reaches into the deep places, and brings them into a spacious place.

The invitation is simple: Seek the Lord. Enter the wilderness with faith. Stand firm in hope. Worship while He fights. Run to the secret place. Surrender on the threshing floor. Make room for the Holy Spirit. God is leading His people from what was into what is coming—and He is preparing them to carry His glory into the world.

For the full message, go to: https://www.youtube.com/live/0jP9wUxwqRs?si=9Lhuhn0HDqaBEUU1