November 26th -November 28th, 2006
1:16 a.m. (finished)
Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone has something to share, something to say. Have you ever noticed the dynamic in a room full of Christians? How EVERYONE wants to be the one who 'knows'? If there is a room full of Christians who truly ALL KNOW and have things to say, who then speaks? When your brother or sister in Christ comes up to you, bubbling with excitement over something the Lord just revealed to them, do you then interrupt, trying to top them with what YOU KNOW about that same thing? With what YOU just heard? Or, do you sit quietly and listen in love, rejoicing for them, that they truly hear God! Can you seriously NOT SAY ANYTHING, not NEED to be heard - just SIT THERE, nodding your head in encouragement, maybe even smiling?! Or would your pride/ego/flesh take a dive if you could not speak and be the 'one who knows'...with the enemy in your ear whispering, "Pssst...if you don't say something they'll think you don't know the Lord as well as they do - and you can't have anyone thinking that YOU don't know GOD WELL, now CAN YOU????"
As ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is our job to LISTEN. Most would not agree, instead proclaiming, "But WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE THE MESSAGE, therefore WE ARE THE ONES who need to be heard." But Jesus showed me a very long time ago (and asked me this day to share it with all) that when a person walks in HIS love, they will long to HEAR instead of being heard. Because in hearing (as with all other aspects of being alive) it is NOT ABOUT US - IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. AND we are to esteem others BETTER than ourselves, making that which they have to speak more important than hearing the sound of our own voice especially for the sake of proving that we know AS MUCH if not MORE than they.
About four years ago, I was experiencing serious situations with one of my children. I cried out to God and while He comforted me, I felt as if I was too close to the situation - I wanted to hear His perfect will for our lives and not just react/do things out of emotion - because as Jesus is first and foremost my heart, my children are the next part of my heart. The Word also says that it is wisdom to seek counsel, so the Lord said I could go to the leaders of the ministry I was attending at the time (as led by His Spirit).
Keep in mind, I was never allowed by God to be part of many actual church fellowships over the first 20 years of my walk (and even still, not yet) - He kept me hidden to Himself, training me up personally, and also He was protecting me from religion/religious spirits. So for me to even be a part of a ministry was unusual in and of itself. And for Him to permit me to go to them (because He shows me all things about all those around me) was also amazing. I knew what the Lord proclaims that His church SHOULD look like, and what He has ORDAINED it to be like, and thus I sent EXPECTING to hear HIM (because truly SHOULD ONE BE IN A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP IF THEY DO NOT FULLY REPRESENT HIM???)
Literally every person on the ministry staff that I asked for Godly counsel on how God would have me handle various aspects of this heart-breaking situation - instead of feeding me God's words of truth, wisdom, knowledge, guidance, revelation - they instead ALL SPOKE ABOUT THEMSELVES. Without fail, each person, after I shared that which I was going through and what I was needing to hear from the Lord, they would all say, "Well...let me tell you what I WENT THROUGH...."
This was so very wrong on so many different levels. How does what YOU went through minister to the hurt and need of another? Only JESUS has the words of life and light. Only Jesus can direct our path. Truly when someone comes to us to hear the word of the Lord we have NO RIGHT to speak anything other than that which the Lord would have us speak unto them. While God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He does not deal with us the same!
What if you came to me and said, "My child has changed - they seem really sullen and moody, hanging around with an entire new crowd of kids. I was picking up in their room and I found PILLS and a suicide note beside their bed - oh, I'm heartbroken - what is the Godly thing for me to do? How would the Lord have me handle this?" Only to have me respond, "You think YOU'VE got it bad, let me tell you what MY JOHNNY did...."
It's like...wait....WHAT?!?!?! HOW DOES WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU MINISTER LIFE OR GIVE GODLY DIRECTION?
And this is not to say that your story won't have a positive affect on the life of one that is hurting. As I am typing this to post (the Lord gave me this word on November 26Th - November 28Th, 2006, ending at 1:16 a.m.) it is today December 4Th - and in the last several days I sent someones testimony to a hurting person and it truly encouraged them. That is not what I mean. OUR experience can come later. WISDOM would have us minister God's word FIRST and THEN, if LED, to share other things second.
Even in my situation - I was seriously heart-broken - it was an attack of the enemy against MY CHILD THAT WAS VICIOUS AND MEANT TO DESTROY. I was TRULY NEEDING AND SEEKING GOD WITH ALL OF MY HEART, SEEKING HIS WISDOM AND GUIDANCE - and all they could do was tell me THEIR STORY. These were not even 'miracle ending "we-had-similar-situations-and-look-what-God-did" sorts of stories. This was JUST ABOUT THEM!!!
Let me interject here - if a person has been through something similar and there IS A MIRACLE ENDING PRAISE GOD! If God THEN leads that person to share some sort of testimony about how God came through in a like situation, AMEN! But what I know of God is that HE DOES NOT MINISTER TO THE HEART OF NEED IN OTHERS VIA SOMEONES PERSONAL STORY FIRST. It is HIS WORD that we are to stand upon, HIS WORD that is 100% promises, HIS WORD that offers life and wisdom, direction and knowledge! God's WORD is to be our testimony first and foremost, for there is NOTHING ELSE that has the words we need, the words to guide, the words to direct, to edify and encourage. At the END of receiving counsel from the Lord, it would THEN be fine to say, "Be of good cheer, this XYZ happened to MY CHILD and GOD did XYZ and WORKED IT ALL OUT".
BUT...more importantly when someone is trying to go through with God..."HOW did God work it out? HOW did He have YOU walk through it? Is He giving you any revelation on what HE WOULD HAVE ME DO?"
Do you see the difference?
But the Lord isn't asking me to speak on what it would have been like had they done it RIGHT. This is about how most of the times I couldn't even hardly get my story spoken VERBALLY to any of them without their interrupting and interjecting their "Well My child did...blah blah blahs..." Because they did NOT know how to walk in love. They did not know how to listen. The did not love enough to hear and not be heard.
What is the Lord trying to say: We are to be His hands, His feet, His mouth, His heart, AND HIS EARS. He is asking for us to be discerning about that which the hurting has to say, to LISTEN to those who He sends to us for a word, for guidance, for edification. Because IT IS NOT ABOUT US - nor has it ever BEEN about US! And this isn't just for those who are in leadership, although if you ARE in a position of authority, then GOD EXPECTS YOU TO REPRESENT HIM FULLY.
HOW CAN YOU MINISTER TO THE HURTING IF YOU DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM???
I've met VERY FEW (to this day) people in the body of Christ who TRULY LISTEN to anyone else - not ever. Sure, you'll get people sitting in the pews listening if it's someone perhaps 'well known/famous' in the pulpit/on the platform. But then afterword I've seen SO MANY going up to them afterword and start talking about WHAT THEY KNOW! It becomes this seemingly never-ending contest of who knows what, how much, and are therefore closer to God! (Have you ever said to ANYONE, "I've been saved for 23 years and...." to which they DID NOT RESPOND, "Well, I HAVE BEEN SAVED for 25 YEARS and I THINK...")????!!!!
Even very seasoned representatives of Jesus Christ talk talk talk. There is so much "I" in ALL OF THEIR STATEMENTS. "I" did this. And then "I" did that.... Even if it's for the Lord's benefit, there should NEVER BE "I" anything! And I tell you truthfully, it is most often as the Lord is leading YOU to say something to an individual - you truly have a word for them - yet they will speak (if they can even wait long enough for you to finish speaking) - just HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING - just to make it seem as if they are at least EQUAL to you in all things God.
PRIDE - PRIDE is what makes people unable to just receive the word of the Lord - it's as if hearing quietly will make them appear less...less...holy? knowledgeable? close to God? in some way.
And the subject of competition and jealousy is also yet for another day.
In THIS INSTANCE the Lord is speaking about HEARING - about LISTENING.
It doesn't matter what you think you have to say. You do not have the words of eternal life - only Jesus does. YOUR OPINION ABOUT ANYTHING DOES NOT MATTER - not ever. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU. God is asking that you STOP TALKING SO MUCH AND START LISTENING! To Him first and foremost, and then to those He sends in your path.
LISTEN AND HEAR THEM with His ears and His heart.
Then LISTEN TO JESUS to give you that which HE would have them hear in response to that which they have spoken.
KEEP YOURSELF OUT OF THE EQUATION!
Other than being a receptacle - the receiver of God's voice - YOU SHOULD ONLY BE A CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH HE MINISTERS! The conduit through which this encounter with God occurs for the one who is in need!
DO YOU SEE???
"Who has ears let him hear what the Spirit saith" has an obvious interpretation. However, take it to yet another level...who has EARS TO HEAR? DO YOU? Do YOU LISTEN? ARE YOU WILLING FOR IT TO NOT BE ABOUT YOU SO THAT YOU CAN BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE? STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR LIFE! STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK! STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU FEEL! STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED! STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH!
INSTEAD -
Start HEARING.
Start LISTENING TO JESUS SPEAKING ABOUT THE LIVES OF OTHERS
Start LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S NEEDS
START LISTENING TO WHAT THE LORD HAS TO SAY ABOUT ALL THINGS
We are to die so that Christ can rule and reign THROUGH US - so that HE CAN MINISTER TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS THROUGH US.
PUT GOD'S WORDS ON YOUR TONGUE - SURRENDER YOUR MOUTH AND LIPS THAT YOU MAY SPEAK FORTH FROM THIS DAY FORWARD ONLY THAT WHICH GOD GIVES YOU TO SPEAK UNTO THOSE HE SENDS TO YOU - AND THEN ONLY SPEAK AFTER YOU HAVE LISTENED TO THAT HURTING ONE WITH GOD'S HEART OF LOVE AND COMPASSION!
"Truly My beloved, I need you to humble yourselves always before me and before others. Did I not don a cloth about my loins that I might wash the feet of My disciples? I came to serve all! You MUST FORGET ABOUT YOU and focus SOLELY ON ME. As I begin to release My judgments , those through whom My light shines brightly will then become a beacon in the midst of destruction and devastation. MANY shall be frightened and lost because they do not know Me. CAN I TRUST YOU WITH MY WORDS IN THIS HOUR? WILL YOU SPEAK MY WORDS unto those that I send to you or will you speak your own? You CANNOT HELP ANYONE WITHOUT ME - without Me all shall perish. Therefore BE SLOW TO SPEAK, quick to listen. Be long-suffering, taking no thought for your self or fleshly needs - instead, SERVE ONLY. Listen to those I send unto you. Then ask of ME! Surrender your ears and you shall hear that which I would speak unto them. Surrender your mouth and I will fill it with My words! Yea, I will teach you how to speak forth My words in season to him that is weary. LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN! The hour is LATE. ESTEEM MY WORDS FOR THEY ALONE ARE LIFE AND TRUTH.
Isaiah 50:4: "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
Philippians 2:1-8
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
As The Lord Speaks
Via His Messenger
November 26-28, 2006
(finished) 1:16 A.M.
(POSTED 12-04-2006)
