September 21, 2010
A preacher was having his usual sermon when all of a sudden there was a cloud burst. After about one full hour of complete non-stop rain, everyone began to evacuate because the whole church was flooding, but the preacher just stood there preaching in the ankle-deep water.
A man drives by in a car and shouts through the church doors, "Preacher, you better get out of there before you drown!"
The preacher replied, "Don't worry. God will save me."
The man then drove away.
The water was now knee-deep and a man in a raft floated over to the church and said to the preacher, "You better get in here before you drown!"
Despite the second warning the preacher just stood there and replied, "Don't worry. God will save me."
The man then rowed away.
The water was now waist-deep and a man in a power boat came to the preacher and said, "You better get out of there before you drown!"
Despite the third warning, the preacher just stood there and replied "Don't worry. God will save me." With that the man jetted away.
The water was now neck-deep and a man in a helicopter came by and yelled to the preacher, "You better get out of there before you drown!"
The preacher refused to move and replied, "Don't worry. God will save me."
With that the man flew away.
The water then got so deep that the preacher was sucked under and died. When he opened his eyes he noticed that he was in heaven.
He then saw God and asked, "Oh God! Why didn't you save me from that horrible flood?"
God then replied, "I sent you a car, a raft, a power boat, and a helicopter! What else do you want from me?"
The challenge in our praying is to recognise the activity of God in our lives and the answers that He gives to us. God is working 24/7 to bring about His Kingdom purposes for the world and hence our part in it.
God’s purpose for our lives is not separate from but contained in His whole purposes. His answers to our prayers are connected with His Kingdom answers.
Last Sunday I prayed for a lady about whether she should sell the house that she was living in and partly owned or continue to live in it. She was quite confused and understandably so as nothing was clear for her. As we prayed and talked later, I asked her what her ministry was and where was God leading her.
That was also an issue that had no clarity. I suggested that she should focus and where God was working in her life and leading her to participate with Him. Once she had clarity about her ministry for God, the housing would sort itself out.
In Genesis 28, Jacob has been sent to Haran to Uncle Laban to find a wife. He is fleeing from his older twin brother Esau and through the mother’s plots and plans heads off to Laban. He stops as the sun has set and puts his head down on a stone to sleep.
He had done this many times before but something different happened. He dreamed and he experienced something in the dream. He met God and realized that this was God’s place. He saw in his dream a ladder with God’s angels coming and going.
God speaks to him and reveals that this land on which he is sleeping is part of the Promised Land that God is going to give to Him and his descendants. God affirms that He is with Jacob promises to bring him back no matter what!
Jacob awakes gobsmacked about what he has experienced. He realizes that this was no ordinary place but God’s place. “Surely the Lord is in this place but I did not know it! (Genesis 28:16).
How many times have you and I have failed to see and comprehend that the place where we are, is really God’s place and more importantly God’s place for us.
How many times have we failed to recognise the presence of God in where we are: our workplace; our church; our community?
It is easy to get unsettled about our work place; our place of abode; the church where we worship. But it is more important to discern God’s presence in the midst of this unsettling period.
The unease may be God’s Spirit stirring things up and calling you to move to s different place. But it may also be the Spirit of God stirring things up so that you may discern that you are being called to stay where you.
“What are you doing, God, in my life? Why is this stirring going on? What are you seeking to say to me so that I may know your Kingdom purposes for my life?”
We can easily get agitated and this may be Holy agitation. But it is important to discern what God may be saying. He may be preparing you for something in the future and he is getting you ready. But you are not to move now. But He may be stirring you up to refocus you on what you should be doing and asking of Him in your present place.
In the midst of his flight from Esau, the search for a wife and the uncertainty of the future, God spoke to Jacob and give Him not just the next step but a picture of the future steps. As we know from Jacob’s life it was another 14+ years that he returned and fulfilled what God had showed him. But God’s promise remained viz He will not leave Jacob and He will make sure that Jacob will return to this place!
As God revealed himself and His kingdom purposes to Jacob, so he will to you.
It may come through a dream like Jacob or the still small voice like Elijah or a vision like Peter. But God will speak to you at the right time as you seek His face and wait upon Him. God will reveal himself and His purposes for you. God will help you to recognise what he is saying and doing in your work place; your life and your ministry.
For us at Walking Free this has been an ongoing process as God continues to reveal to us His purposes and plans and what we may need to pray and do.
At the moment new clients are coming in dribs and drabs. Yet we still have been doing 15 ministries per month. We have yet a team in place at Coolangatta and we are praying for that to take place.
However the church has been growing spiritually, financially and numerically where attendances are up compared to last year. We are slowly encouraging people to seek God’s presence through the worship. I am encouraging people and taking the opportunity where it presents to pray for physical healing.
God has shown us that more prayer needs to be put into Walking Free and its future. We will do that and not be discouraged as it does take time to establish this ministry.
We are going to Adelaide for a much needed break to celebrate our eldest’s, Naomi, 30th birthday.
When we get back we will resume our praying discerning God’s presence and activity in our life and ministry. It is exciting and God still has more truth to reveal to us.
Our son David has taken over the operation of our website. He has made some changes to it and developing it from his perspective.
Our friend Jen had done a wonderful job in establishing our website and now she is moving on to do different things. We are very grateful to her for all that she has done concerning the website, art work and publicity.
I am still seeking God about book writing. There is still some more discernment that needs to happen before I start this venture as it will take up much time and writing. I am praying that this will become much clearer for me in the next couple of months. It could be a distraction and may be the wrong timing at the moment. Liz and I will keep praying about this.
We still see our clients being set free as we pray for them. It has been humbling to see God putting people back together through our praying and then in between times as people walk with Him.
We are grateful that Robyn continues to be available to pray with Jenny for clients. We give thanks to God for her new job as administrator for Out of Mind Banners and she is able to take Thursdays off to pray.
Liz and I pray that you are well and God is blessing you abundantly. Thank you for praying for us and supporting us in this venture of faith.
Prayer Points
- Thank God for His activity in your daily life
- Thank God for his daily blessings
- Thank God for His son and your freedom from sin, sickness and Satan.
- Thank God that He provides for all our needs.
- Pray for discernment concerning the next steps for Walking Free..
- Pray for new clients to come at the right time for our team members.
- Pray for new people to become prayer team members. Pray for a team to be established at Coolangatta. Pray for a healing centre to be established.
- Pray for Coolangatta church to continue to be open to the healing work of Jesus. Thank God for growing openness to His presence. Thank God for increase of worship attendance
- Pray for wisdom and inspiration to know what to write in a book.
- Pray for our prayer teams: Hal and Debbie, Barbara, Robyn, Jenny, Liz and myself.
- Pray for our management team: John, Liz, Jamie, Robyn, Rod, Jen and Craig. Pray that we receive God’s leading for our ministry.
- Pray for the Toowoomba site of Walking Free.
- Thank God for the financial provision of this ministry. We are grateful to the many that are obedient and give to our ministry weekly, monthly and one off. We have been blessed with gifts of merchandise and money, computers and printing. We have been blessed with many talented and gifted people who give of their time, talent and treasure each week to help this ministry have a Kingdom impact.