Embracing Divine Rest: Wayne Porter's Power Message at Newark Revival!"

"Embracing Divine Rest: Wayne Porter's Power Message at Newark Revival!"

By Brenda Pittman

Like so many others, Wayne Porter had listened to three dynamic speakers _ including his son, Steve, the pastor of Refuge Ministries in Newark, New York during an old-fashioned tent revival themed “Winds of Refreshing” that had been held for three days in early May.

And when it was his turn to speak on the fourth and final day at the Sunday morning service, the soft spoken retired minister, who typically imparts few words, but sage wisdom resplendent of his love for and awe of Almighty God, expressed understandable trepidation about speaking following a more than hour-long glorious worship service flowingly led by keyboardist Stephanie Ribis that invoked a palpable sense of the beauty and loveliness of the LORD throughout the tent _ so much so that it moved some worshippers to lay prostrate at the altar joyfully weeping for some time.

 “How do I top that,” Porter humbly implored those gathered who could only honestly wonder the same thing after such a glorious time of worship that could only cause sensitive seekers to only want to tread humbly and speak few works in the sweet afterglow.

 But Wayne Porter, clearly hearing, rose to the challenge in the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

 “God is soooooo good,’’ he said in wonder and amazement.

 He then reminded everyone that the 182 Lincoln Road grounds the tent they were sitting in, and the nearby church building, had all amazingly been provided for by God’s “sovereign will during the last year.’’

 “HE has chosen this place,’’ Porter said in utter awe.

 “As we look around in our world today in chaos we need more than a little sermon, we need the mind of God to change our world wherever we go.” Porter continued.

  “How do you get up and speak after God moved as he did this morning?”

         But he said he had been asking the LORD throughout the revival “what do you want me to say to make a difference?”

         And He said God gave him one word.

         “REST.”

          “ A lot of people labor and do things ourselves and take on things we were never meant to take on,’’ he continued. “Every open door is not God. We need to know which door is God’s door . . . We take on unnecessary burdens thinking its God. We need to hear God.”

         Porter said believers need to be so close to the heart of God that they not only hear Him, but hear his whisper.

         “We are yoked up with Jesus.”

         “Oh God wants a people who hear His voice, who know His mind and heart. This is just a beginning. God has sovereignly chosen this place to manifest His presence and teach people to minister in the Spirit of God and change our world. He wants a people who are so sensitive to His voice. And if what’s happening is not gentle and lowly, it’s notGod.”

         “These facilities are a sovereign move of God _ provided by faithful people who know how to hear God,’’ Porter continued. “I believe the greatest feat of faith is the ability to enter into God’s rest. So He can talk to you. Motivate you. Lead you. Guide you and you can know His heart. I want to KNOW God.”

Porter shared what a blessing it has been for him to grow even closer to his son Steve since he moved into he and his wife, Diane’s home after his wife Elizabeth of  55 years went home to be with the Lord last year.

“God wants us to have that kind of relationship with him as though we are living together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s not religion. It’s a relationship. A Fathers Son or Father/daughter relationship.”

Porter explained when we are born again, God dwells in our Spirit. But our soul, mind, will and emotions is where the devil battles us and tries to distract us from our focus on and relationship with Christ.

“That’s where we get tripped up by the enemy. That’s where we get fearful. If we aren’t careful, we get into the soulish part and get tripped up. God wants us to be yoked with him. That we will listen to Him and not our souls. Do you believe God wants you to be restful? That’s what happens when we are yoked with Jesus. We turn everything over to Him. We cast all of our cares upon Him. You’ll never know what rest is until you cast all your cares upon Him _ day after day. I refuse to worry and let my mind take over. I say LORD I want to be yoked with you. He says ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ He wants to bring you to a place where you’re walking, talking and breathing God.

“Unless you are saying what God wants you to say you are saying NOTHING.”

Porter reiterated Refuge Ministries and Oasis Bible Training Center that will be coming in the fall is not his son Steve’s.

“It’s a school from the Holy Spirit!”

Once empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Christ’s disciples began to hear the voice of God from within them and acted accordingly.

“The Spirit made all the difference and makes all the difference today. I want to be able to hear God. We want to be like sponges and drink and soak up what God wants us to hear and do what God wants. I want someday to hear Well done you good and faithful servant.”