God's Pecking Order

God is selective.  He has personal opinions about what He wants to do. He'll chose one person over another knowing that His choice will have the ultimate effects of a display of His love in the Earth.  Both Mary and Joseph were selected to bring forth the "son of man."  His choices are so often NOT the way we here on Earth would choose. He uses the weak things of the world to shame the wise.  He chose a shepherd boy to slay a Giant Warrior and rule a nation.  He chose 300 men over 25,000 to witness an encamped army destroy itself while only using a water jug, trumpet and torch as their tools to see this aggressive army destroyed.  He chose a 7 day walk around an impregnable city to bring about a collapse of 2 stage wall system designed to keep it's enemies out.  Throughout God's intervention in the earth He has been selective and specific about what He wants to do to that His love and order are displayed in the earth.  

I attended a conference held at Chicago's Loyola University in the 1980's that taught me something significant about the moving of God's Spirit.  At the conclusion of the 1 day conference, the featured speaker inquired of the 3,000 people gathered about a specific health symptom.  To everyone's surprise a disproportionate measure hands went up acknowledging that they had that symptom.  Approximately 400 men, women and children then left their seats to gather at the platform area of the auditorium.  The featured speaker intended to teach us a lesson about how the Holy Spirit works with a hands on lesson.  He set up the scenario by selecting only 2 men from his conference staff to stand at the opposite ends of the gathered group.  The men stood in their positions while facing us gathered there.  I was in the crowd having been asked by a man in my group to come with him to the front.  He had the symptom mentioned.  The conference speaker then prayed a very simple prayer.  He said come Holy Spirit and minister to these people gathered here.  Silence then filled the auditorium as the 2 men who were designated to minister healing to these 400 people also stood and watched the 2 appointees.  Their eyes scanned back and forth for perhaps 5 minutes.  It seemed longer to us who were waiting.  Then one of the men went forward and chose one person to begin praying with.  I wondered if we all had to wait for him to visit each of us to get the prayer for healing.  The other man on the other side of the auditorium did not move but stood his ground for several more minutes and then chose a person whom he would begin to pray.  Suddenly, the sound of weeping began to come from the gathered respondents.  I looked around and saw people dropping to their knees, I saw others bracing some who seemed to loose their balance.  Many then began to pray for each other.  This happened quickly while the designated men remained praying for their original assignment.  My friend whom I escorted was standing behind me and I felt him tap me on the shoulder for me to turn around. Streams of tears were flowing down his cheeks, he said to me, "I am healed, it's gone, it left.  I felt it go."  Within approximate 10 minutes after that short prayer, "Holy Spirit come and minister to your people" the entire auditorium showed evidence that the Holy Spirit went far beyond the 400 gathered at the front near the platform.  Many now were praying for one another with a variety of dramatic responses to simple tears streaming down faces.   The love of God and presence of God were so evident.  Joy abounded through out the auditorium.  So many of us completely amazed at the simplicity of what was done in comparison to the overwhelming results.

God has a pecking order in everything.  He is purposeful and powerful.  He just needs us to keep our eyes and ears attuned to Him and He will take care of things that we can only dream about.  These are kingdom truths that apply in every part of the worlds cultures.  This is yet another example of what God can do if we just embrace His order.  

David's Visit To Ephesus

Acts 19 tells us an account of David's visit to Ephesus .... or sorry, I mean Paul's visit .... hmmm after reading it, it sounds more like something Jesus would do.   

Over the last 7-10 days the Holy Spirit has been hanging the book of  Acts 19 in front of me like a carrot hanging in front of a rabbit and I have been chasing after it everyday.   This is more unusual than usual for me in my relationship with Jesus so my attention is drawn to it.  It's leading me somewhere and I know it so I am chewing and biting on the carrot and it feels right.  In the scheme of my life in recent months the Word of the Lord (rhema) has been coming to me in chunks, all of it somehow connected as an advancement from one understanding to another.  I believe it to be instructive to me as the Lord is laying new foundations in my life for the next season of my life.

Those of us with revelation concerning King David's Kingdom and the 1st coming of our Lord Jesus as the "son of David,"  know David's kingship brought dominance in the land when he ruled as king. When Jesus walked the earth, there was a cry among the Jews to see Him free them from the grips of Rome who brought a gentile oppression over them.   Many of those Jews did not "get" what Jesus was doing by introducing the Kingdom of God into their nation.  He did that by identifying the first 12 men and spent a lot of time talking to them of things concerning His Father's Kingdom.  During that time Jesus performed many miracles, so many miracles that one Gospel writer phrased it this way, "books could not record them all."   What Jesus started here with the 12, still to this day has not stopped in any way, manor, shape or form.  It has an energy level that is so peculiar and can be likened unto the wind.   

Jesus was queried about His non-stop momentum and un-ending variety of miracles that had powerful results among the people connected to those receiving the miracles.  His answer to the questions was that He does and says what the Father shows Him.  My 2013 interpretation to Jesus' answer was, "I am in communion with the Father's heart concerning every situation that presents itself to me.  When I do that, miraculous results follow.  It's that simple."  

David obtained the identical results, that heart of worship inside of him, kept him in love with God and wanting God's very best.  In Acts 19, we find Paul digging into a culture, identifying some disciples and working together with them in long "discussions" and in three years time absolutely turned that city upside down.  So much said in Act 19 does not give us much insight into all they  discussed.  That is probably pleasing to God to not reveal that less men try and duplicate something that was specifically intended to deal with the principalities and powers dominating that city.   However, I "think" that Paul recaps much of his dialog with the Ephesians in the book of Ephesians in follow up letters to them.   

Selah, stop and rest in the generous forgiveness of the Lord!