In The Mailbag January 20, 2017
I am interested in your thoughts concerning group leadership which is truly Spirit led. You related the story of meeting with some others and were singing and sharing until the pastor showed up . Time to get with “the program” was just the opposite, was it not?
When can tradition allow for the movement of the ever flowing spirit? Have we straight-jacketed the Spirit of God for the sake of comfort and freedom from potential error? Can the lack of individual depth and relationship with the Spirit ever allow for groups to function for prolonged periods in freely flowing response to His directions?
If a few mature individuals function with the Spirit, must they usually be content that their service to the King be individually expressed, including within the group with is a mix of mature and babies, some with considerable trust and those whose experience is has not had time to be refined? -WJ
Those are all very deep and important questions.
The first thought that came into my mind was the evangelist who came to the former Assembly of God church in Springfield, Roger Webb…(Circa ~2000)…
He introduced himself, and proceeded to read from the Book of Ezra. After his reading, he closed the book, sat down in the front row and looked up toward heaven.
All of us wondered why why wasn’t doing something. I was irritated and wanted to leave. But I could not. I was frozen in my seat. Time started to have no meaning. 1/2 hour. Seemed like 5 minutes. About 45 minutes into total silence, someone started weeping. A few minutes more, a few people were giggling. None of us had moved. I felt was floating. I have never experienced such peace. After somewhere around half hour, Roger got up and shared on why Ezra was so important, and how God had planted it into his work. He finished and said we were all welcome to come back again the next night.
Of course we did. We could not wait to see what God had planned. Same thing. Roger read from Ezra and sat down. One half hour of silence passed. The peace that passed all understanding filled the room. Roger got up and instructed everyone to hold out their hands, there was a gold anointing. He walked around the room and brushed our hands one by one. Wow, sure enough gold dust was falling unto our hands.
The next night we all gathered up front, and touch each others hands, and the gold dust miraculously spread. It seemed to be falling from the ceiling. The next night, Roger related that God was going to fix bad teeth with gold crowns. We first looked in our neighbors mouth to see a before picture. Then we waited. After some time, Roger said to look into your neighbors mouth again. Someone said “oh man, you got some Gold teeth!”. Pretty soon, I could hear women in the bathroom screeching and screaming “Oh my Gawddd!!” A man from my church had gotten a new rack, uppers and lowers. He later explained that his wife and him were poor and they could not afford to go to the dentist.
Every night were like little children playing with the Father. One night we went up front together and we were all slayed in the Spirit. We were kindergarten children sleeping while the Father rested.
For two wonderful weeks we tasted the joy of the kingdom. The last night was something I will never forget. We were all up front, as Roger told us to expect something was about to happen. I saw a star trek image of a transporter beam of light as an intensely big and frighteningly strong guard angel appeared. A second one appeared. They disappeared into the room. Then another transporter beam, and the King of Kings appeared. Regal, resplendent, esteemed. The audience of us hairballs all fell to our faces as if dead. He walked off the stage and disappeared. He proceeded to touch each individual with some unknown impartation.
After they left we all gathered together to say goodbye. Roger was going back home, and we were left with the realization of how wonderful church can be when Jesus is the head, and we allow God to be God!
Conrad Lampan tells me his implanted vision is to minister to Pastors and the church. My view is if we experience an immense harvest where will all the believers have the meeting facilities to be discipled and taught in the kingdom? Did not all of us get our milk from the mother church? But that is only for the church found in the United States, Europe and Australia?
What about China, India?. What about the underground churches in Iran?. It has to be a house church or a called gathering. Like Paul, Aquila and Priscilla sewing tents. “Where two or more are gathered together”? In the natural vision and world it would appear to be a combination of both?.
In 2002 on a trip to Boise, Idaho prophetic revival driving through the Columbia gorge I had a vision (get this), of Jesus pulling up beside my car. He was riding a chopped, long front forks Harley! He had long flowing hair in the wind and He was wearing aviator sunglasses. When He looked at me, and I received a long communication in the blink of an eye. This is the revelation;
“In future time on the earth, the church will experience intense persecution, a backlash. There will be communication blackouts and disturbances. Men that once belonged to groups like the Hell’s Angels will become my secret messengers to deliver communication between the brethren”. (Revelation 12:6)
So I believe at first the principles and kingdom values of the New Jerusalem will be preached and taught in the churches. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). This will create a scissure in the church body.
So to make a long answer shorter, at least, we must get out of the way to follow our Master’s example; “Then Jesus answered and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do. For whatever things He does, these also the Son does likewise”. (John 5:19). Ditto for the church!
