Many people look at the ministry of others and think, wow I would love to have that anointing or be able to reach people like that person. Once something has already been done, there is something in you that says, I can have that too because it’s already been done. My thought is this, do I really want to do something that has already been done? Does that take faith, the evidence of things seen? Maybe I am limiting God. I have to believe that He wants to do a new thing and not just keep doing the same old thing. What does it mean to go from glory to glory?
Have you ever thought about how God stopped what He was doing and He watched Abraham fix Him a meal? Here is God sitting under a shade tree just taking pleasure in Abraham cooking this meal. In those days it took 4 hours to slaughter the lamb, skin it, roast it, make the bread, all the preparation of making a meal. When we go into the bush to minister here in Africa, it’s the same thing. It takes about 4 hours to slaughter the goat and to cook it and the rice. And God, who has all this universe stuff to do, well He stops what He is doing, steps into time where man operates out of, and just takes pure pleasure in watching Abraham. He knew that He had to do this in order to make friends with Abraham, He had to spend time with him. God hasn’t changed. He still loves to watch us and spend time with us. Next time you cook a meal, invite Him to stay.
God’s love is all consuming and passionate. He will not tolerate another looking at us as He does. He is a jealous God. That’s why He keeps us hidden in Him. It is there that the enemy cannot see us. When God reveals His glory, He reveals us. When we let the King of Glory come in……… Wow!! Do you realize that God kissed Enoch so hard because they were so close that God just swallowed him up? Imagine that…. God kisses Enoch and just swallows him up. He couldn’t help Himself. Jesus said, “All who are thirsty, come and drink of Me.” If we drink of Jesus then He drinks of us. We are in communion. It’s a relationship. As we drink Him He says, “Wait a minute, I want to drink you too!” He swallows us up in that kiss, in that drink.
Heidi had twenty pastors in her office yesterday from all over Mozambique. They all told her the same thing. The people are hungry for Jesus. The multitudes are hungry for Jesus. There is exponential increase right now, there has been. Are we willing to face Hell with eyes wide open, to even suffer if need be, to feed the multitudes. We must drink of the Holy Spirit and eat of Jesus every single day in order to feed the multitudes. The world is being shaken right now, shaken up. This is the church’s greatest hour to share what we have with the hungry. What are we willing to give? Does it hurt to give, do we even feel the pinch? John 6:5 “Where shall we buy enough for the people to eat? This is all we have.” All you need is a boy’s lunch. God is not asking you what do you have? God is asking you for all that you have.
Heidi told us about a village not far from here which has still resisted the gospel. They have a very small church there but the pastor’s lives are always being threatened and they are being cursed by the local witchdoctors. Two pastors have been so frightened and their families attacked so much that they have quit. This village attacked Heidi and her team when they went in two years ago to preach the gospel. Heidi was actually injured by a rock that was thrown at her on the stage. They threw rocks at everyone. They had to get out of there quick. There was so much anger and evil in that place.
A few days ago God told Heidi to go back there. He told her to take the entire base of adults, which is about 300 of us, and go in force. So we loaded up into five big trucks, making two trips, and headed out to the village. Heidi began to preach as some of the team performed a drama about sin and evil and salvation and love and reconciliation.
After the drama and preaching we began to sing and dance and constantly sang and shouted and clapped the Name of Jesus. His Name was a part of everything we did. We NEVER left His Name out of anything. She even got the crowd to start repeating songs and yelling His Name. Then we asked if anyone had bad dreams or evil spirits bothering them in the night, raise your hands and we will bring peace to you. Lots of hands went up and we just started declaring Jesus’ peace over the crowd. Then we formed a “friendship tunnel” and invited those who wanted to be friends with Jesus to dance thru the tunnel and we would touch them and He would touch them. So many people went thru and kept coming back thru the tunnel.
I have been to 9 villages and have never felt so much peace in any place I have visited as I did that night. I found out the next day that this village is “begging” for a big church now. They want us there!!!
Yesterday I graduated from Missions School. Yes, I am a real missionary now (lol)! As the school progressed I felt more and more inadequate in myself. I sat there yesterday in such humbleness and told God, “God I feel so inadequate. I can’t see beyond my next step. I don’t understand this.” Then the Lord said to me, “You are exactly where I need you to be. You are in a place finally where you know that all you have is Me and without Me you can do nothing and therefore are truly inadequate in and of yourself. This I can use mightily because you will follow Me and trust Me only.”
I have tasted such a rich love. Every single day we spent so much time just soaking in God’s Presence and in communion with Him and each other. The more we communed with God and with each other, the more the love flowed out of us. The more we poured out onto others the more God filled us up to even greater levels of His Presence. Your love capacity cannot be increased just because you spend time with God. The only way it can increase is to pour it out on others.
David’s mighty men heard David say that he wanted a drink of water from the well in the city of Jerusalem. They ran through the battle lines of the enemy, arrows flying all around them, death at every breath, and they brought fresh water back for their king. And David poured it out on the ground as a drink offering to the Lord. Many people say that Jesus Blood was “spilled out” at the cross for us. Jesus “poured” His Blood out so that we could run in His love and in His strength, facing the enemy at every breath if need be. David poured out what he wanted most as an offering to the Lord. Jesus poured out all that He had left to give as an offering for us to His Father. When our King wants a drink of water, when He wants to drink of us, what will we do to get it for Him?
Bill Johnson from Bethel Church in Redding, California always says that he wants to finish well. The last few days of school have been very long and we would fall into bed exhausted. And at the end of every day my prayer has been, “God help me to finish well. Help me to never grow tired of running with You. I want to finish this race strong unto the very end, running across the finish line strong and finishing well, loving with every ounce of my being.” What can I pour out to my Lord this day? All that I have that is really mine to give is love. I pour it out and I sit in the dirt where it is poured and I know that is where He will drink.
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