Oh, this was not fun, even though I wasnt named. What is God up to?
Here is my email to my posse:
Hi there,
I need your help on something that the LORD seems to be on.
Yesterday, at Flatirons, the pastor told the story of an atheist buddy of his who encountered a person on an airplane who was telling him all kinds of weird stuff about God. The pastor’s response to their text thread (while this was happening) was to tell him to “shut up”. This pastor had been friends with this atheist guy for quite a while, and his point was that God has strategically placed us in people’s lives for influence. The guy on the plane was undoing all of his work. We need to work with people relationally and not with crazy things.
I was the guy on the plane. You could imagine my thoughts when he told the story to the congregation. He didnt name me, which is great, but it is troubling me all the same.
You see, the week prior, the CEO of the company I used to work for called me up. He told me that he didnt want me talking about God on airplanes. He had heard of me talking to someone on that same trip. Whoa! His point was that it was his nickel, and it didnt look good on the company when I talked about raising the dead. I told him that I would honor his authority in the matter but didnt agree with his position. He prefers to get to know people before sharing the LORD. Now, that is similar to what the pastor guy said.
So, I am paying close attention to this because I simply do not get something.
Here’s where I am without understanding. I get that when a church doesnt move in the deeper things of the Spirit like the prophetic, words of knowledge, signs, wonders, miracles, etc. they resort to the “just love on them until they ask” card. But, we also know that the supernatural stuff is for the lost, right? The kingdom is not of words but of power. But, power without love is nothing. And, the Bethel, Global and other teachers of the “stuff” all talk about risk taking and faith. There are countless stories of folks who did crazy things on airplanes, supermarkets, etc. that took boldness and courage to approach people of all kinds of beliefs.
And, big things happen.
I have mostly laid down the power ministry. In fact, I have had a couple of dreams in the last six months that suggest I need to pick my ministry back up and get at it. So, I am trying to get back in the saddle and see God move like I used to.
Then this happens.
What that pastor didnt mention was that I got a word of knowledge for a hurt arm on the plane. I dont even know if this pastor knows what a word of knowledge is, in all fairness. I asked the atheist guy next to me if he hurt his arm. He said no but asked why. That happens frequently enough – “why do you ask?” So, I shared with him the things that I have seen God do. I probably wouldn’t have said anything if I didnt get a word of knowledge first. So, I took a risk.
There is a battle against fear of man, when you move in that stuff. At least, for me there has been. So, I am typically not a bible thumper as one would define it. I try to move with Holy Spirit as He directs. I think that that is part of the reason I laid down praying for people in public.
And, to add to this, I got a call from a buddy of mine last week. We haven’t spoken in years, and it was super-encouraging to me to hear him describe how I prayed for him, and the LORD healed him of mercury poisoning. There were plenty of religious voices who didnt want me to pray for him. But, we did anyway. He said that he was on the pathway to dying. His exhortation was not to lay down the work.
I took the call as from the LORD. But, I have two seemingly opposing things at work here – both from God.
And, there are no coincidences in my book. The fact that the CEO and the pastor spoke on the exact same incident is crazy. The call, teaching from key ministries and even my dreams work in a different direction. And, I found today’s Elijahlist article right on topic with all of this. God is wanting me to get something here.
But, as I told the LORD, I just dont understand.
So, I am appealing to you. Please pray, and ask the LORD for wisdom.
Share what you believe He tells you. I just want to make the adjustments He is looking for.
Thanks so much,
John
Today’s ElijahList is on topic too:
“What is Your Personal Role in Releasing God’s Glory?” Amber Picota, Winchester, VA
Through a couple of different supernatural encounters, God spoke something utterly profound to me about His glory and what our role is in releasing glory in the earth through our everyday lives which I want to share with you. It is is my hope that we can advance the Kingdom of God together and have a great impact for God on the earth.
Several months ago, I had a dream where Jesus positioned my arms as if I was carrying something. With His finger He wrote on my right forearm the word “glory.” The words appeared as a rainbow on my arm. What Holy Spirit told me is that God is about to teach me how to be a carrier of His glory. Whoa! I was absolutely wrecked for the entire day after that.
A Beautiful Encounter
Several days later while working, I could not keep my mind toward work. I was just very moved to the point of tears. It wasn’t like I was sad necessarily, but I could not snap out of it to get any work done. I put on some worship music, which normally energizes me, but within minutes the flood gate was open and I had tears flowing down my cheeks.
“As I looked a little deeper inside His eyes, I could see the wounded ones, the rejected ones, the ones who feel like outcasts because they have felt unfit to even step foot in church.”
At this point, I turned the worship music off. I was sobbing and moved by the Holy Spirit. I stood up and walked from the love seat to the couch and sat down. “Okay God. What is it?” I said.
Right after that I had an open vision of Jesus in my living room. It was His image in front of me, sort of like a projector. As the seconds passed, He became clearer. Jesus said to me, “There’s been a horrible case of identity theft.”
The wheels in my head immediately started spinning. “Yeah, Jesus, You’re so right,” I thought, “What the Church needs today is some good teaching on identity. They need to know who they are, and what authority they walk in.”
Abruptly He says, “Shh…That’s not what I’m talking about. Just Listen.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Jesus goes on to say, “The identity that has been hijacked is Mine.”
“Yours?” I thought, processing it all.
“Yes. Mine.”
You see, the thing that God revealed to me is that many in the Body of Christ have presented a false identity of who God is to the world. The way many of us explain God, or represent God, is not true to His character.
God was showing me this: “If you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen Me.” This truth is confirmed in Scripture when Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me you’ve seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus is the perfect representation of God.
At some point in this revelation I’ve become so overwhelmed with a feeling of hurt. I felt like I could feel a measure of the rejection experienced by the people who have been cast out and pushed out of the local churches because of Christians who misrepresented the heart of the Father.
The Fire of His Love
As I’m feeling this way, Jesus reaches down to me and puts two fingers under my chin. He lifts my face up to connect with His, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, and I can see into His eyes. There was fire in His eyes and in that moment, He showed me the fire that burns in His eyes is the irrational, incomprehensible, overwhelming fire of His love. As I looked a little deeper inside His eyes, I could see the wounded ones, the rejected ones, the ones who felt like outcasts because they have felt unfit to even step foot in church. (Photo via Pixabay)
In this moment I could feel a raw surge of passion piercing me completely. I was wrecked for the whole day—and the rest of the week. I didn’t exactly know how these two experiences (my vision and my dream) were connected, but I knew they were. And I knew that God would connect the dots for me eventually. Yet, my heart was on fire, and I was forever changed. I knew He was about to teach me about the glory, and that I was supposed to pass on to others what I learned.
God Connecting the Dots
That following Sunday at church, we had Lynn Hiles come and teach. Worship was off the charts and I was completely ravished by God’s love that morning. When Lynn got up to preach, the first thing He said was, “I’m going to teach on the glory this morning.”
I began to tremble because God just said He was going to teach me about the glory. Granted, I had already read every Ruth Ward Heflin book on the glory, and also read David Herzog’s book, “Glory Zone.” But I knew deep down inside that God was about to fill in the gap and take me to school on the glory in a way like never before.
Summarizing What Lynn Shared
Lynn expressed that while reading the story of Moses in Exodus 33:17-23, he actually felt a little disappointed. And the reason being, Moses asks God for one thing: “Show me Your glory,” but instead God says that no one can look upon His face and live. Instead, He shows Moses His backside?
Lynn goes on to explain that later, he was reading Matthew 17:1-8, and it all clicked for him. In this passage, Jesus visits with Moses and Elijah face to face on the mountain and we see there that to see Jesus face to face is to see the glory of God. Back in Exodus, God says that no one can see His face, but then Jesus comes and says He is God in the flesh, and also Peter, James and John witness Jesus speaking to Moses and Elijah face to face.
God did show Moses His glory. Just not the way Moses probably thought He would. While Lynn was preaching, I was trembling. It became very apparent to me that Jesus came to show me His glory. Face to face. Eye ball to eyeball. Nose to nose. Glory! I’m STILL wound up about it. But the reason I share all of this with you is for a very important reason. You see, God went on to share much more with me about His glory.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:18-21
You Are a Carrier of God’s Glory
He designed you, inside and out, to be a vessel. There is a measure of God’s glory that has become your responsibility to release on the earth. You don’t release it all at once. You do it every time you flow in what God called you to do. You do it every time you advance the Kingdom, every single time you do God’s work, whether you’re raising the dead or hugging a sad child. (Photo via Flickr)
The work of God is often in mundane tasks. You have a personal role in releasing God’s glory in your life. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. You have access to heavenly blessings and power here on earth.
Now I want to wrap all of this up by explaining a little metaphor that God used to illustrate this whole scenario for me. I will pass it on to you.
You know the fire hydrants that are on the corner of some streets? If ever there is a fire, the fire department comes and hooks their hose to this hydrant and they crank open the valve to release the water through the hose. You are the fire hose. The hose is God’s glory, and the act of turning that lever which releases the water is actually your Spirit-led good works.
Examples of Spirit-led good works: God leads you to pray for the cashier at the grocery store, you dream of a friend so you call her the next day to check on her and give her a word of encouragement, you bring your neighbor soup because they’re sick, you step out in faith and give a prophetic word to someone—these are all Spirit-led “good works”.
Release God’s Glory by Being Who He Created You to Be
“God designed you, inside and out, to be a vessel. There is a measure of God’s Glory that has become your responsibility to release on the earth.”
You’re not saved by these works, but they crank open the valve for God’s glory to flow through you. Remember my little metaphor: You’re the fire hose, and the water is God’s glory.
What God showed me is that many people have kinks in their hose because they do not allow themselves to be authentic. He showed me that each of us has a purpose on the earth, and He longs to release His glory through each of us. However, when we are trying to pretend to be more like that person or this person, we limit the flow of what He wants to do through us.
Think about it. I’m sure every single one of us has at some point tried to be different. Every single one of us has probably thought that we’d rather be more extroverted like so-and-so. As a result, we try to “fake it till we make it.” The truth is, you’re much cooler and much more attractive when you wear the styles you feel confident in. You’re much more confident praying for others when you pray the words God is bubbling up in your spirit. You’re the only you that God ever created. There is a move of God in the earth that only you can fulfill. Creation is groaning in anticipation of you releasing all that glory that God packed on the inside of you.
Your likes and dislikes, your personality, your sense of humor, your quirks, your interests…these things are part of who God created you to be. They’re your flavor, your brand. These things make you YOU. Keep being you. Be authentic like the things you like. Be who you are and don’t change just to please people.
You could adjust who you are to please people, but there will still be people who don’t like you. You’re better off being your true self, even if that means some people don’t like you. In the end, the right people will be attracted to you and you can release what God placed inside of you in a way that only you can do. That’s your personal role in releasing God’s glory. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List go here.)
Amber Picota
Co-Pastor Streams of Life Church
Email: amazingamberpicota@gmail.com
Website: www.amberpicota.com
Amber Picota is an anointed minister and preacher, as well as teacher, who inspires and lights up the room. Whenever Amber goes anywhere to preach, teach, minister or speak, you will often find her moving the congregation to laugh, cry, take notes and be deeply stirred up in their spirits.