Acts 13:2 --- King James Version
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Exodus 25:40 ► |
See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. |
2 Samuel 18:22 ► |
Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, "Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite." But Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward." |
Ephesians 2:10 ► |
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. |
Good deeds are commendable, and we are called to do good works. But let us pay attention to Ephesians 2:10 where we are told tht we have been created in Christ Jesus to do certain type of good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Which works are this kind of good works, and how do we know which works are namely the works which God prepared in advance for us to do?
In January 2013 I had a privilege to attend a SoE or School of Evangelism with Reinhard Bonnke. The School was held at London Kensington Temple or KT church in Notting Hill Gate and it was my first time to visit it. But I did not just jump at the opportunity. I went there for I had been seeking God in the private place, and He had told me that He wanted me to go there. So, I went there.
He told me at the same time, or a little earlier to do also another thing. This took me to the meetings of Roberts Liardon, an American preacher whose name had been known to me ever since a booklet of his found its way into my hands years ago.
I have forgotten how it happened, or who might have given me this booklet on spiritual warfare, but God used it, and I read it over and over again, until I had gleaned maybe every revelation packed into it.
I knew the name of the preacher. But that was it.
Also, when I came to this land in July, 2008, I naturally looked into the spiritual scene and followed the happenings and happened to notice that the given preacher moved to London, and became the Dean of the above mentioned KT Bible School only a month after our arrival. So that captured my interest. He invited people to join his Bible School group when they visited Israel, and some local places, and I briefly considered doing that. But Holy Spirit asked me to stay put. So I stayed put.
(And I never went and attended even any meetings at KT church - although I was about to do it when Heidi Baker came over, and had already purchased coach tickets, but decided to go to my church, instead. As Holy Spirit had asked me to stay at my church. So, I stayed.)
I was fairly active in my hometown, and as I had looked up the church related and decided that a certain prophetic place was a place to go, I was mainly focused on that at the time. Later, Holy Spirit told me to go to a bigger church. It was located out of city, in a nearby village, and hence I had not come across that earlier.
(I regretted not finding it earlier, for it was a strong church, and I felt that I as a foreigner would have benefitted of sitting under the teaching of the Word of God. But I had already committed to the prophetic church which was in the city, and I was not so very much into instant church hopping. So, I stayed where I was and that was it at the time.
Later I was invited to join a local prophetic community and attend seminars and events, but I turned the invite down as God had asked me to stay where I was.)
But when the above mentioned prophetic place had the entire Christmas season off, I decided to give this other church a go.
We met the senior pastor who had founded the work, and he impressed us by driving in front of our house, and giving us a lift to his church.
It was the Christmas Day, and he was the one who preached. He also invited us to partake of their Christmas lunch after the service.
So we knew the church. And when the time came, Holy Spirit told us to go to this particular church. About a year later, the church had moved to our local high street, 0.4mi from our doorstep.
But all this (plus more) happened, for I walked with God, sought His face (or His guidance and direction for me) and followed whatever He told me to do.
Today, He has taken us to London.
(It was something in my heart, and something that I had been trying to do on my own for nearly a decade.
But at the opportune time, it happened. And it was easy transition. All things that had been challenging for me earlier, suddenly fell into their places. The door opened. And we entered in.)
This is my story and how He has been leading me.
It is not enough to know where God wants to have us, it is important to know also the timing. When God calls us, He speaks the end from the beginning.
*
But there is a period in between.
We may call it e.g. a transition. (For the sake of illustration, regarding the passing of time.)
Prophet Elijah was in transition when his supernatural season at the river where the ravens brought him food, and the river provided water, ended.
He had to find what to do next.
He sought God.
God spoke.
Elijah had to rise, leave the old place, and go with God to his new place of provision and ministry.
But there was a period in between the former and new place.
And it took some time for Elijah to arive to the new place God had for him.
First comes the call.
Then the preparation period.
We may want to skip the above, and jump right in.
It is our human nature. Waiting is hard to it.
But years ago, when Holy Spirit told me about the things to come, He also told me that it was not so much me waiting on Him to act, but He waiting on me.
He moves when the time is right.
The time is right when the circumstances are right.
And talking about preparation and the call of God upon us -
the time is right when we are ready for our next step
and the challenges ahead.
For God is wise.
And He knows how much it takes.
And He knows our strength (better than we do!)
And it is His mercy that He does not release us to the field He has for us before we are strong enough not to snap and break under the pressure.
For the pressure will be there. And the opposition. Outside, and inside.
From unbelievers, and believers alike.
Whatever it takes to make us halt, or stop, or a full breakdown.
Better for us to get ready and be ready, instead of taking off prematurely, and breaking down and choosing to stop and turn around and find something else to do with our life
and give up on our call and ministry and consider similar to the Israelites when half-way there the return to our life as we knew it before.
Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us,
do not send us up from here.
Psalm 127:1 ► |
Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. |
No comments:
Post a Comment