I was doing one of my “Dream Trips” in Palm Springs, California when a certain lady came up out of the audience.
She was experiencing a great deal of trauma and I felt the Lord had shown me how to minister to her and “reset” her life.
I felt impressed to stand in the place of the men who hurt her. Standing in the stead of her father I began the work of asking forgiveness. As we prayed she let out a shriek and collapsed to the floor. The room was still for what seemed like an eternity, as she sobbed on the floor. Suddenly all went silent. She began stirring and we helped her to her feet. When she stood up again the audience let out an audible gasp. She had the most amazing shimmer radiating from her face.
The “gasp” was due to what we saw. To our collective shock she had experienced a “reverse aging” miracle and looked ten years younger.
I knew that there were unsaved people in the room who saw this. As the presence of the Lord increased, a thought came to me …”You better make sure God gets the glory. You don't want them looking at you and thinking YOU did this. This isn't about you.”
So, instead of stepping into the flow of what was happening and ministering to more people, I diverted the meeting into a song focusing on the Lord and explaining how Jesus can set people free. I didn't want the focus on me and felt uncomfortable. Weirdly, I didn't feel comfortable worshiping either. Something was wrong and the anointing lifted.
Had it been a church service what I did would have made sense, but I was doing a sort of secular seminar. It was a different meeting with different spiritual ground rules. I was to find out that God is the one who is out of the box and I am the one who is “religious.”
I went back to my hotel room perplexed. What should I have done differently?
I heard a knock on the hotel door. It was a participant from the seminar, a Jewish concert promoter whose friendship I always enjoyed, especially because he would tell me stories about artists he met in the music industry. He knew them all. He was not a believer yet but God always seemed to use him to speak to me.
He commented on how amazing the meeting was. But I knew there was more. He said that he felt drawn to my message yet pushed away. By forcing unbelievers like him into singing my Christian songs, I was creating a disconnect in the very place where God was doing something intriguing that drew skeptics in.
He told me that I should not feel the compulsion to explain everything that was happening in my meetings but that I should leave an element of mystery to draw people in.
I got to thinking. Jesus did not explain everything to the multitudes, rather he spoke in the language of stories. Then he demonstrated his compassion by supernaturally solving problems. The signs and wonders and the stories made Him the most interesting event in Israel. Even Herod looked forward to seeing Him do something. Note that there were stories and demonstrations in public and explanations IN PRIVATE.
“But without a parable spoke not unto them: and when they were ALONE, he EXPOUNDED ALL THINGS to his disciples.” (Mark 4:34)
Our job is not always to plant and harvest in the same conversation. We should tell amazing stories and do inexplicable stuff that makes people curious and hungry…and as they keep pressing in, the deeper quest will draw them into a more powerful conversation and conversion.
Thank you for this mentoring message. I am listening, learning, and doing. Yesterday, I boldly challenged respectfully my material wholesale supply manager. He displays bold quotes by historical leaders in US history declaring the necessity of liberty. I asked him, “Did you vote in the NC primary?” He answered, “No.” I said, “surely you will vote in November ?” No, the government system is corrupt and broken. My vote won’t be counted.. They have proved, “they will choose leaders who they want.”
The anointing of the Holy Spirit was triggered. We addressed consent by silence, personal responsibility to voice and vote the solution is in the resistance to the problem. He was listening and responding with a willingness to change his beliefs. The Holy Spirit continued to clarify the solution to making America great again is by making America “Godly” again. In five to ten minutes the responsible path forward is repentance, by coming into agreement with God, His word, His Kingdom, giving forgiveness, believing unto righteousness, and confession into salvation. All this is followed by the Prayer which most or many have memorized, “The Lord’s Prayer.” However, now it may be prayed with an understanding of the Kingdom of God as a confession of submission to God!”
Amen!