When we attended Vineyard Christain Fellowship at the Barn in Landenburg PA, they showed a video of John Wimber's testimony over a couple of summer Sundays. It was great, and one part that particularly stands out to me was when John was talking about the moment he got saved (I think). His mind flashed back to a zealous Christian protester wearing a sign that said on the front "I'm a fool for Christ" and on the back "who's fool are you?" So John Wimber started out with a clear understanding at the moment of his spiritual birth that he was now to be a fool for Christ.
And I remember Rob preaching once that he believed the key to revival was going to be people responding to God in obedience in something foolish. In other words, as people get a revelation of grace and start to really trust God's heart of love for them they will enter into true humility (losing self-consciousness and becoming fully enraptured with God) and will no longer care if they look like a fool!
Last night my daughter was in severe pain as happens from time to time with her. Since she was a baby she's had stomach problems and it's not unusual for her to be doubled over in pain for a few hours moaning and groaning, sometimes screaming. I had the same problem as a child... We always pray for her when she's sick or in pain, as we do the other kids, but usually to no avail. But I'm usually still worried about looking like a fool, if you know what I mean, not wanting anyone else to be around when I'm praying for her. I'm still conscious of the 'foolishness' of expecting anything to happen and how 'foolish' I may look trying to do something .
I think last night started out the same, but then something changed. I started to be angry about the pain she was in, and for the first time (or at least the first time in a very long time) I knew faith was rising up, that is, the Spirit of faith himself. I actually think part of what happened was that I was very tired at this point and didn't care about acting like a fool! I began to authoritatively command the pain to go and Eva got some relief. In fact she didn't even answer me when I asked her how she felt because she went immediately into a deep sleep. A few minutes later the pain came back and I told it to go again and she fell asleep again and was fine for the rest of the night.
It's strange to think that often the greatest obstacle to seeing God do what I'm longing for in my life is my own resistance...but there is a glorious answer to this problem! Just need to be more and more in his presence, becoming more and more lost in him and his glory! What a terribly horrible prescription for health haha!
Don't believe anyone who tells you the answer to your problems is some prescription for a heavier burden or harder yoke, IT'S A LIE. The answer is always God himself and he is only ever a great delight to his children.
6 comments:
Julie,
What a great testimony! Simple faith! I know my own resistance the awesome things God has for me, has kept me from experiencing Him more and receiving great benefits as well. Like praying in tongues....
I remember a message where Rob talked about being foolish for God, which one was that?
I hope to become more of a fool for God!!!
Being a fool costs us nothing but our pride. "Some prescription for a heavier burden or harder yoke" feeds our pride. Is it any wonder why we fall so easily for the latter and end up missing the blessing? Great testimony!
Loys talked about revival this weekend at our church and it mirrors what Rob's said.
Be courageous and take a risk, step out and see what happens.
One time when our first child had troubles with his digestions system, his belly was rock hard. I was upstairs in the bathroom changing his diaper and I had had enough, I laid hands on his stomach and yelled at the sickness in his body and with full authority commanded it to leave. My husband wondered what was going on - he could hear me down a floor and across the house. I was taking back what belonged to us in the first place, heath in our bodies.
Good post!
I so understand what you mean about wanting to be alone when you pray for the children. Been there!
But, your testimony is so exciting. God does respond to our willingness to step out no matter what people think. And also - I'm beginning to realise that we don't need to plead and beg God to heal - we are in Christ, so we can simply command healing with His authority.
Thanks for sharing.
Julie,
I'm doing a lot more "taking authority" prayers like the one you describe. It really helps, though, for me actually to be under God's authority when I make those statements!
Charles Kraft's book, I Give You Authority, is a great reference for saying these prayers - he gives scriptural background and his own experiences.
Also wanted to say that your fellow Canadian, Bruce Cockburn, wrote some wonderful songs in the 70s about Jesus and faith (before he became an angry, social-justice singer). Especially on the album, Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws, he refers to Jesus as "Harlequin" and "that glittering Joker."
His point, of course, is that Jesus is the ultimate Fool in the eyes of the world.
Anyway, if you like acoustic folk songs with incredible guitar work, intelligent lyrics and a Christian worldview, you'll enjoy Cockburn's early albums. Here's a link to his discology:
http://cockburnproject.net/albums/chronology.html
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