Worship
“…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17
There was a freedom in the house February 16th during corporate worship that I believe is a marker for a new season. Young and old were gathered at the altar in jubilant worship! Dancing, singing, laughing, tears and raised hands ushered in the breaking of chains. I caught a glimpse of a man beside me dancing who has never been known to dance! Youth were gathered together praising in a new found LIBERTY that permeated the atmosphere. As our voices sang out, “…you can’t hold me back any more…” it was evident that we were all casting off limitations of the past and taking new ground in our hearts and minds. Praise the God of heaven for drawing us closer and lifting us higher as we express ourselves to Him in the fellowship of OTC. May we plow ahead and welcome the new sound emerging in our midst.
The Message
“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.” -Proverbs 16:17
As we experience greater liberty in our corporate worship, we also are stepping into a new level of maturity. No longer can we, the body of Christ, continue to enable others bad behavior, operate in rebellion or manipulate leadership to make things the way our flesh would like them to be. We must press deeply into the healing of soul wounds, the breaking of ulterior motives that are not in line with the Father’s heart and the release of offense. Karen expressed that what is needed is seasoned/controlled vessels for the Spirit of the Lord to operate through. As we have learned recently, one can be filled to overflowing with gifting and anointing and yet harbor character flaws that are so damaging to that person and to others, that they can utterly halt your progress in the Lord, or worse, cause your mantle to be stripped from you.
It is our own responsibility to search out what attitudes of the heart are halting our progress. We must not allow our own rebellion to be a stumbling block in our lives. It is of paramount importance that there is FRUIT to be found in our lives and ministries. Karen expounded on the concept of fruit so that we can more deeply perceive it’s value. True fruit of the Spirit can only come from intimacy with the Lord God. Once we have experienced this intimacy, we become “impregnated” with the fruit of the Spirit. Only then that we can truly bear fruit.
Karen’s demeanor this week had an intensity that made a deep impact on the congregation. She passionately urged us to hear that we are NOT babies in the Lord any longer. We must take bold steps away from self-focus and victim mentalities in order to move forward in our callings. It was clear watching her body language and hearing the fervor in her voice that the Spirit of the Lord was crying out to His people to ARISE. The dangers of entitlement and rebellion were highlighted as Karen segwayed into the well known story of Balam and his donkey in Numbers 22. The Holy Spirit revealed a rhema word and concept within this scripture. The Lord showed Karen that in this application, the donkey represents a ministry vehicle (this symbolism is accepted widely as biblical interpretation for all types of vehicles in the study of dreams and visions. At this time, donkeys were a vehicle of transport.) This one “tip” from the Lord opened an entirely new vantage point from which to hear this word. The prophet Balam was riding the donkey, following a false accuser who was intent upon cursing a people whom God had forbidden His people to contend. This picture of the man on a donkey represents any of us in relation to our church, ministry or minister. It is a reminder to not try to “ride” or even beat our leadership in our attempt to go our own way rather than follow the leader’s direction he or she has received from the Lord.
When Balam is in danger because he is wrongly pursuing a course that is forbidden, the donkey (minister) SEES the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword and three times halts or alters course to avoid danger or death. Each of the three times the prophet Balam “strikes” this donkey (minister) attempting to force her back to his path. Karen’s imagery was so clear and heart rendering that I could have heard a pin drop in the room. Mouths hung open in awe as the confirmation of the Holy Spirit fell in the room. Balam wrongfully struck the very one that was seeing in the Spirit for the purpose of bringing him safely to his destiny. The angel’s response was not gentle.
“And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.” -Numbers 22:32-33
The angel of the Lord would have killed the wayward prophet and kept alive the donkey. Oh what a serious matter it is for God’s people to perceive! Rebellion against the leadership in our lives is not only going to frustrate our destiny, it can cause our annihilation. We must lay down the obstinacies, willfulness and unbelief against the God-appointed leaders in our lives.
Finally, we must maintain the mindset that we will not become entangled with battles that have nothing to do with us. Deuteronomy 2:9 clearly states that the people of God were to “distress not the Moabites neither contend with them in battle.” Balam was in wrongful pursuit of the Moabites. King Balak lured Balam into his hire despite this warning from God. Balam’s serious character issues and rebellion to God eventually cause him his life.
Father give us wisdom, plant in us the fruits of the Spirit and “fine tune” our characters as we move forward in this season. Lead us not into temptation. May the leaders in our lives be blessed by our obedience, our characters and the wisdom by which we live.
