Several years ago I was chatting with the Lord, as you do, & the Lord gave me this scripture:
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Sad to say my initial reaction wasn't even:
“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to ...
Instead I laughed.
I live on a tiny island: 17k long X 3 wide at its widest point, population under 3 000. Seriously, Lord?
When I realised the Lord was serious about this I went into denial. And the Lord just kept thrusting this scripture at me until I reluctantly accepted that it was so.
I quietly flipped. I knew nothing about New Testament prophets. I did not, never had, belonged to a church that had a 5~fold ministry. What I read was not particularly helpful but when the Lord calls He also euips & so I found myself at Rhema Bible School. This was still not particularly helpful ~ at least as regards the prophetic. It was however helpful in grounding me in dealing with the charismatic. I know it's weird but seriously people this whole house was operating in the charismatic gifts & totally clueless. Absolutely no idea. How could we? We did not belong to churches that taught on this.
When I asked the Lord [as you do ☺] why I was in Rhema His unequivocal answer was *Preaching & Teaching*. Ok. *sigh* I pottered along, just trying to be obedient, struggling with the extroverted elements of the charismatic that made me cringe & the Lord waited patiently. Firstly He showed me how the use of Tongues could help me centre more quickly allowing me to hear from Him more accurately ~ & yes, I know some of you don't go there. All I can say is the proof's in the pudding & it works. Then I got teaching on the anointing which helped me understand what was happening when I preached & how to flow with God's Spirit much, much better. Then the Lord showd me how the Prophetic works for me in preaching & teaching because I always ask, always have, what the Lord wants me to say to His people. And the change the Lord had me institute was to have my outline, have my scripture then leave Him room to flow through me so that in essence I was shining a light on the path the Lord would have His people walk. Whew!
And I have found myself in a most amazing place. I have a deeper awareness of God's Spirit within. My love for my Lord & Saviour just keeps growing until there are moments when I feel like I am about to explode from not being able to contain it! I am preaching with much more confidence, & authority. Far less of me, far more of God.
And having gone to great pains to get me into school & headed where He wants me headed, the Lord also opened up preaching opportunities. I have been getting 1~2 a month, some short, some full length. Getting my research done while studying, travelling & evangelizing has not always been easy but being able to move more freely in the Spirit has really helped here too. And the little church where I am ministering is starting to grow ~ enough that the Lord is speaking to me about the church preparing to deal with an influx. You read here. You've heard me blather on often enough on this subject & I know it's the Lord's heart also. It's one thing to get bums on seats. It's another & different thing to get people saved but it is a whole 'nother ball game to grow believers to maturity ~ & that takes the whole church! Working together. *sigh*
It's not that I don't like people. Truly it's not. But I'm a Big Picture thinker. Visionary. I get frustrated when the people start lagging behind God's vision & I know I have to be patient. So very patient. Like God is with me. Yep. Just like that.
2 comments:
I am so there...and not there. With you in spirit and not in persona, I mean.
As to tongues, the Nazarenes only believe it is useful when speaking to people in their own language when they do not know it. I part ways with them on very few issues, but this is one of them.
I am of the mindset that if God has given a person one gift (or many gifts) then she is to use it accordingly to His will regardless of what our modern-day Pharisees have decided to make policy. It has been my experience that pleasing God often clashes with pleasing men, even religious leaders. It is ironic that we have scriptures full of what we consider heroic and Godly men and wome, who defied religious laws and yet were obedient and pleasing to God, but we think we have it so right now that we need not consult God about what is pleasing to Him. We are a species swimming over our heads in the Sea of Irony holding fast to our hypocrisies.
Do as God leads, not as men says, and people will be blessed by God because of you.
I knew you of all people would understand. I am watching the middle east just now & my heart is so torn.Now is when the church needs all the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit ~ absolutely every single tool God gave His church & people are still holding tight to their traditions. *sigh*
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