Apostles, Prophets, and Revelations, Oh My!

I was a little bummed because I just haven't seen the power of God in church.

I think my post on "church pizza" was spot on.

Then, I got to working on a few pages on my website yesterday. There were some links that needed to go, some new ones to be added, but then there were a few links in particular that I hadn't even fully investigated myself.

The one in particular led to a page titled "Are There Modern Day Apostles and New Testament Prophets Today? by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D."

When you get done reading my post here, you need to click through on that link and read that article.

Apostles and prophets? 

Prophecy, now I've been giving that a lot of thought lately. Back in May when things started happening, I noticed the prophecy. God was laying things on my heart and mind so I spoke them. But then, those things started happening. That caught me by surprise and was quite humbling. For some reason I thought prophecy was a strange thing for ME to do, after all, God called me to be a "missionary" and to cast out devils.

It goes back to revelation. God will reveal Himself and His plans to those who seek diligently after Him.

Why should we think that the occurrences of John and Paul were so unique?

John was just a young man when he started out. He didn't know anything, but he really loved Jesus.

Paul was a devout and zealous murderer; a christian killer to be exact.

Why were they so special?

God CHOSE them.

Has God chosen you? If you have any doubts, do a New Testament search for the word "chosen".

God reveals Himself... God's Kingdom has Power... apostles and prophets...

So, last night, I was just bummed. I didn't even want to go to church (Oops! Did I type that out loud?). My wife wanted to go so I "went with her".

We got there, and they didn't have a song leader so they commissioned my wife. It appeared they didn't have a speaker so I was asked (and I almost didn't go!).

As it turned out, they did have a speaker. Interestingly enough though, the scriptures I would have given if I spoke, were covered by somebody else via testimony; I made note of that.

As the speaker brought his teaching on "offenses" (interesting, considering the past month's events!), something he said grabbed me. He had something specific he was going to give me. At the end, he asked me to come up, and he prayed a specific (God-led) blessing over me. I gladly received that!

After the service I got to talking to the fellow that testified. It took a little while, but I realized he WAS A PROPHET!

OH MY!

He didn't go by a specific title of "Prophet So-And-So", but he was the real deal.

At the end of our long conversation he said, "We'll have to go to the hospital together."

What?! I have been thinking all week about the guy who was SUPPOSED TO GO to the hospital with me to minister, but never did (that was last year).

So here's this guy, didn't know him before this conversation, and, OH MY!

So where's the power? He's got it.

So where are the prophets? He is one.

So who has God revealed Himself to lately? He can tell you and so could the speaker.

So when are you going to release me to go minister in the hospital, God? Very soon.

I think the last thing he said got to me even more - when God calls you to do something, He just rolls it out and IT'S DONE!

Oh, ya.  

"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13 "NASB)

It's God's work. He's doing it. He will see it through.

What a night...

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God Club

I'm still a little bummed (in Jesus Name).

Church prospecting, well, we're not just supposed to preach the Word; God's POWER should be displayed too.

Where Is the Power?

Not like a club meeting, but really seeing God's power. I crave it, and I know I'm not alone!

Then, there's this-

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."  Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)


Have you ever thought about that verse?

Have you ever sharpened a pocket knife or watched it done?

Dragging the blade across a stone... little pieces are scraped and ground off... I mean, OUCH!

Imagine yourself for a minute, being dragged across a course stone; little pieces of you being ground off...

Do you get this?

OUCH!

But it is for our good, right?

To be complete, and needing nothing... James 1:2-4

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Missionary To Greeneville?

Missionary to Greeneville?  But don't you live there, you ask.

Yes, yes I do.  Let me explain:

Yesterday was September 9th.  Let me back up a little further to Wednesday the 8th. There is a new family that has been coming to church.  The LORD nudged me and I knew I needed to talk to them. I encouraged them to grab me after the service so we could swap phone numbers. We talked for a while after church and swapped phone numbers. There was a need there, a monetary need.

I thought to myself, "Well, I don't have any money, so I can't help them there. I'll visit with them and pray and let GOD take care of their needs."

See, I'm virtually unemployed.  I say "virtually" because I do work ONE day a week. This is all of the LORD's leading. I had asked GOD about this many times initially. Many jobs made themselves available and I asked GOD which one should I take. HE was silent. I spend my days praying and reading my Bible, but wondering what the LORD has in store for me. I begged GOD one day to PLEASE let me know what job I need to pursue.

HIS reply was, "Don't you enjoy the time we spend together each day?"

What? Of course I do! But don't I need to work?

GOD did let me know that I will have a job at a specific place as soon as a position is open.

But as time goes on, it appears that I am moving into a FULL TIME ministry...

Back to the topic at hand.

So, I am as poor as poor can be, but I'm not.  I draw a measly unemployment check, and work one day a week. I drew up a budget and there is not enough money coming in to pay the bills.
But,
ALL the bills are paid.
But, there's more.
Not only are the bills paid, but there is always money to give when someone is in need; ALWAYS.

That's what happened yesterday. See, these people that are coming to church just moved to this area. They didn't have enough money to get their electricity turned on. I was planning on going to the power company to pay my bill, and I thought it would be nice if I had "some" money to put toward their deposit. I sat down with the checkbook, receipts, and slips. I started adding and was shocked!

WHERE DID ALL THIS MONEY COME FROM?!

I mean, I know every check, every deposit, but the bills should have the account sucked dry, including sucking the ink off the pages. I checked, rechecked, and asked my wife if she had receipts that she forgot. She brought me a DEPOSIT slip; there was even more money!

It was real obvious that I was going to do something new today. I ran to the bedroom and went to my prayer "spot".  I said, "GOD, do you want me to pay these people's deposit? Is this money for something else? I don't want to be hasty and..."

Then a flood of scriptures came to mind.

I got up and asked the LORD to slow down; HE was going too fast!

"...Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:8

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer..."Philippians 4:6

"...but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." Psalm 34:10

"...no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Then I went back and started reading Matthew 10, the whole chapter, verses 7-42 in particular.
Then I heard GOD say my full name, followed by "Missionary to Greeneville".

I cried.

It had been bothering me for a little while that I didn't have a specific title or ministry.  You know, like pastor, deacon, chaplain, soup kitchen worker, whatever. I didn't have a "focus" or an outline for what I was supposed to be doing. Of course, I always do what GOD puts before me whether it's driving the church van, putting gas in somebody's car, buying someone some food, going with the ministers to the jail, praying with someone in need, or what ever. I just didn't have a specific "thing" to do or to be called.

But now I do. GOD said I am a "Missionary to Greeneville"!

PRAISE GOD!!!

Then after all of this, GOD confirmed HIS word with HIS word and what I was supposed to do yesterday.

Proverbs 3:27-28
" Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."


Yep, I had it by me. Time to go to the power company.


It came with a certain amount of resistance. If we doubt, then our faith falters. If our faith falters, then fear creeps in. If there is fear, then the enemy can have his way with us. I was not afraid; I was on a mission.


The lady at the power company was not necessarily joyful of what I wanted to do. I explained that I had a name, and I wanted to pay the deposit. She had a similar name listed, but I didn't have their address. She didn't want me to just pay for "a" account and turn on the wrong person's power. I gave her the phone number I had and asked if it was the same she had. The numbers matched. She quit resisting and gave me a total.


I'm not bragging on me; I'm bragging on GOD.  One plants, another waters it, but GOD makes it work!

1 Corinthians 3:7-9 KJV
(7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
(8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
(9)  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

Ya, that's what I was trying to say.

So here it is the 10th. The family called me. I left no name at the power company because I wanted anonymity. She called and thanked me. She was crying and praising GOD. She said "they" turned on the electricity today and she knew it had to be the church. I didn't tell her any different. I read the 2 verses from Proverbs 3 and said that's what we're supposed to do. See a need, fill a need. I told her to praise GOD. She informed me she had been calling her friends, praising GOD and running around the house.

I love it.

GOD is so worthy of our praise.

We don't praise HIM nearly enough for HIS bountiful, and manifold blessings.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31
"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!'


Halelujah!


GospelGunTom, Missionary to Greeneville

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