A word from an elder.
This is a time of urgency, of great change. I marvel at the wisdom and revelation that God is unfolding to our hearts in this hour. I’m sure every one of us has realized the blessings and the impartations, but I think sometimes we have a tendency to take too many things for granted. So many times when we hear the word coming forth, we accept it mentally as a word from God; yet deep in our spirit we have a tendency to reject it.
I want to share some familiar Scriptures with you out of Moses’ life, and unfold a burden that has been upon my heart. We can cause a man of God to lose a tremendous inheritance. Because of the pressure put upon him by the people of God, Moses lost out.
Our apostle is walking with love and compassion for the people of the Lord, but too many of them are taking advantage of the fact that he is an apostle of God. He should be free to find the word from God. Every one of us would say in our heart that if we knew we had a word from God, we would walk in it. But we have had many words from God, and now the Lord is challenging us: this is the hour to walk in them. When the children of Israel were encouraged to go in and take their inheritance, fear came upon their hearts, opening the door to withdrawal, and they didn’t make it. And then when the strong word came, they tried to go in, but it was too late. Only five of the ten virgins were prepared. The other five were too busy about other tasks. The door was opened, and it was closed again—that quick! (Matthew 25:1–13).
That is a picture of the day and the hour we’re in now. God has spoken a word, and He wants us to take a step in faith. God’s plan for the church included apostles and prophets as the foundational ministries (Ephesians 2:20). Churches have rejected that in the past, and even today people stumble over accepting a man as an apostle of God. What is the purpose of that apostle? He serves as a mouthpiece for God to tune in and hear the voice of the Lord, and know exactly for our own lives what we should be doing. If you won’t accept it as a word from God and walk in it, that’s your problem. Too many times people have sat and grumbled—as the children of Israel did in the wilderness—and have not heeded the word. Then they complain, “You’ve told us this, Sir, and now everything is falling down. What am I going to do?” He isn’t required to tell you any more than a word from God. If he has a word, he’ll tell you; but if he doesn’t, you can’t expect him to produce a miracle. If it doesn’t take place, I believe we have to look in our hearts and find out why.
Through the years I’ve noticed that the men who have been submissive to the apostolic authority are going on with God. Those who became rebels and did not accept the word as valid, are floundering around, and some have left the walk completely. I’ve seen it in our little group, where men have received a word from God through our apostle. Some have taken that word and walked on, and are becoming real men of God. Others have floundered in it, and have walked away. That is dangerous! We’re in a crucial hour. We will either walk in and possess the inheritance, or we’re going to miss it because the door will be closed. How sad, if like the foolish virgins, we are looking for more oil, more blessings, and find it’s too late and the door is closed.
We relish and enjoy the prophecies and the word; we keep speaking about that precious inheritance, but now the Lord is challenging our faith. I know He’s challenging me, for I’ve been facing things that almost scare me. But I know it’s a word from God, and I’ve moved out. The apostle gave me a word, and sent me out into things that I couldn’t understand or even believe. At times I even thought it was wrong. But because I was obedient and followed through with everything that was within me, it did come out right. We have to realize that when our apostle brings a word, he’s bringing it as an apostle of God under the anointing of the Lord. It is God speaking! If we reject the word, we’re rejecting God.
I believe this is a time when our apostle is at a crucial point, and we, the people could cause him to miss the tremendous destiny God has for him, if we lack faith in what we have had presented to us.
Exodus 17:1–5: Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord.… Do you believe you’re walking this day because God commanded you to be a part of this walk? Do you believe He brought you forth for this hour?
… and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” If you’re rejecting a word from God that has been spoken under apostolic authority—if you’re doubting it, quarreling with it, or floundering in it—then you’re testing God. No longer can we continually test God, crying in our own soup, so to speak, not really accepting what the Lord wants.
But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses (we read in the first verse that they went out according to the command of the Lord, and now they’re blaming Moses) and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders…” This strikes home too. I know what the Lord has imparted to these men of God who stand with the apostle. Listen people—you don’t personally need a word from Brother Stevens all the time. Every elder has a word from God, if you only come to them and believe that they can speak it. The new little church groups coming up don’t have an apostle with them, and how they would love to have him. They listen to the tapes and read the literature. They pray for the apostle and for you people, knowing that he is an apostle of God, and wanting to be submissive to everything he says. He reviews enterprises, giving us direction, and then we proceed. Those who walk in this submission are being met; they’re growing in God. They believe God has commanded them to walk in this walk now, and they’re not grumbling and complaining, thirsting for something more, when God has already given them a word. God has created an apostle who has imparted something in the chain of command right down the line through the elders. Every one is a man of God; and if you look at their personalities, that’s wrong. If you look at them knowing that they have a word from God for you because God chose them to have that word, you’ll receive that word and walk in it.
And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Verse 7. You’re testing the Lord Himself when you rebel at an apostle of God, when you won’t accept and walk in the word he brings.
Moses traveled through the wilderness, learning many things. He was faithful as a man of God, to proclaim the word of God through all the wilderness wanderings. The people saw signs and wonders and miracles, just as we’ve seen many miracles. Yet we have a tendency to forget, in our constant concern about the pressures and the problems facing us. I think we need to stop and rehearse and rejoice in the miracles and victory God has given us. When we take a step of faith and believe God for something, the next step is always a little harder. Do you wonder why your prayer isn’t answered? God is trying to work something deep in your spirit so you will have faith to believe for something far greater. As you grow more and more, you will be held accountable and responsible for what you’re walking in. An apostle must give a greater account to God than you or I do. And we can make it easy for him, or we can make it difficult.
Moses had come through learning much from the Lord. He had seen the hand of God, and he loved God dearly, but let’s see what happened toward the end of his life. Numbers 20:3–5: The people thus contended with Moses (notice—again it’s the people) and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?” It was by God’s command that they went out, but they weren’t accepting it as God’s command. Now they were blaming someone else for their problems.
“And why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.” We are believing for projects which are the greatest steps of faith that we have seen the apostle move out in. We are going to back him up and believe God with him. I would like to have that kind of faith. If the mine is in a land of wilderness, just like the children of Israel traveled through—a wretched place with no grain; and if the people who are a part of that project, believe that the word of the Lord is sending them, and then grumble and complain, they will miss the very thing God wants. That which is holding up a lot of progress could be the fact that the people’s hearts are not prepared. The apostle’s heart is prepared, but what about the people? Search your heart and see—are you really prepared to go out? And if everything should crumble down around you, and go wrong according to your own understanding and in your own eyes, you still must believe, “God sent us out; God gave us the word and we’re going to believe it, and stand on that promise, no matter what,” and not say, “Brother, why did you bring us out here? Why did you bring this upon us?”
If God gave a word, then it’s up to us to walk in that word. God has brought us this far and we’re responsible to walk in that word if we are to go into the Kingdom now. We can’t continue to be babies and be milk-fed if we want to become mature sons of God.
It is so important that you walk in the joy of the Lord, knowing that everything coming against you is ordered of the Lord for one reason—to make you mature. Rejoice in it. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Don’t grumble and complain. Don’t look to our brother for another word, “What do I do now?” Look to yourself and say, “What have I done wrong in not accepting the word with real dedication and faith and walking in it?”
Verse 8: “Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock.” I believe Brother Stevens too, is facing that kind of a crossroad, where he will have to take another step of faith. From his present position his steps of faith are giving more and more a complete awareness of what God is saying. He will have to move out in things beyond our understanding, which God has shown him are to be taking place soon. He will be speaking some words that could shake you and make you discouraged, but prepare your hearts and believe. He is constantly seeking God, and not just for his own edification. You must stand behind him constantly and pray, knowing that when he speaks, it is God speaking, and not a man. This is the key.
Let’s see what happened to Moses. Verse 10–12: and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Does that remind you of the probe series of messages? Aren’t you glad that we have someone to give us a word to make us face what is in our own heart, instead of letting us continue to walk blindly because we won’t face the truth that’s in our inward parts, and bring it forth. Now is the time to lay hold of the word and appreciate it. Many people say, “Oh, I can receive a word from God myself. The Scriptures say that the Spirit will teach you all things.” Yes, when you grow up; but in order to grow, we need the apostles and prophets to direct us and give us that word.
Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
What a sad day that was for Moses. We’re coming to that point, where every word is spoken exactly as God said it and we will do it just that way—not according to our own idea, our own way of doing it. We will bring it forth the way the Lord wants it, even though it doesn’t make sense or seem reasonable.
You can’t revert back to the old, because that’s unbelief. You can’t revert back to the rod, or the way you did it once before in the past. You will have to step out in new adventures of faith that will shake you when you actually face them. But if you step out, you’ll be like Peter—you’ll begin to walk on water. When Peter began to sink, the Lord didn’t desert him. He reached out His hand and pulled him up. Are you stepping out in faith? Go ahead! And if you start to wink, look up to the Lord and grab His hand, and see how the Lord will lift you right through it. Verse 13: Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.
The third chapter of Deuteronomy shows us the heartbreak that must have come to Moses because he was forbidden to go into the promised land. I wish you could feel this deeply and realize that you and I could cause an apostle of God to have the same kind of heartbreak if we aren’t careful now, at this point. Even though Moses had received that strong word forbidding him to go into the inheritance that he has been believing for all through the wilderness, and that God had promised him, yet he was faithful to continue to encourage the people, and minister to them the Word of God. He didn’t give up; he didn’t get mad at the people or turn his back on them; he didn’t walk away. He continued to serve God with everything that was in him.
“Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22. Moses cautioned the people not to be fearful. He had learned something, and he didn’t want the people to come right up to the point of stepping in the water, of seeing the waters part, of walking into their inheritance—and then have fear come in. Fear brings unbelief, and from that point on you go down, down, down. You know that. When you sense fear coming in, worship God and put your hand in His. Trust Him that He won’t let you sink in the water. Then watch what happens.
The Scripture teaches that Christ Himself is making intercession for us. He’s interceding for the apostle who is a man of God with the dedication and determination to walk in more truths than the past generations have walked in. Let’s back him up, and believe. Let’s not have the cry of Moses’ heart repeated in his heart.
Verses 23–26: “I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, Thou has begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Thine? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ ” Can’t you hear the heartbreak in his pleading, “Oh, can’t I just see it Lord? Can’t I just go over and see it?” What did the Lord say? “But the Lord was angry with me on your account (the people’s) and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter.’ ” That broke his heart. He had believed for the people, and cried out to God for them. He gave them a word, but they wouldn’t accept it.
“But Brother, you told me this, and look what’s happened to my life. My family’s fallen apart, my home is destroyed.” Is it because of some word that has come, or is it because you won’t walk in what the Lord has said you’re to walk in? I encourage you—let’s not let Moses’ sad experience happen again. Because of Brother Stevens’ great love and compassion for the people of God, he’s become too involved and should be relieved of all the tedious and trivial duties. He should be away more, in tune with the Lord, seeking words of direction. We want to go on, but we must decide—are we going to be involved only in our little realm of blessing here, or are we going to really walk forth?
I know what our brother has done for me. I know how my ministry was brought forth. I’m in submission to an apostle of God, and I knew that if I disobeyed a word from God, I would lose out; but if I obeyed it, I could walk in a greater glory. Everything He told me to do has challenged my faith. It was not easy, but I went, even when I didn’t consider myself ready. And our apostle’s spirit went with me. I know he imparted something, as he has imparted to every man of God who is in submission to him. Every one of them can move out in his authority.
I’d love to be able to preach the Word as he does; I’d love to discern and have that kind of revelation; but I am walking in a measure of it, and I’m taking steps of faith and drawing. I want more impartation to walk in more of it, because I want to meet the people’s hearts. I see their need. How they cry for a word from God. I want to bring a strong Word at times, and though I don’t want to hurt anyone, I know too that I must make them face things. But I also must be sure that it is a true word from God that I give them. Therefore I’m looking for more impartation.
The apostle imparted something to my family and me and the result thrills me. My older son could have lost out with God. But when our apostle talked to him sternly, and ministered to him, a change took place in his life. And today that boy has a greater submission to the apostle of God than to me. And I don’t regret that at all. I don’t mean that in any way he doesn’t love me or stand with me, for he surely does. But I know also that he would lay down his life or do anything the apostle asked of him. He’s been crying out for the apostle—burdened beyond measure—and encouraging the people to pray.
I have an inheritance. Why? Because I was faithful and obedient in submission to an apostle of God. When people won’t accept him as that, I rebuke them sternly, “You’re going to lose out with God. You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re rebelling at Christ Himself when you reject a word from God.” People accuse me of being naive. I’ll gladly be naive when it comes to the things of God. I’ve worked my way along in the world, and I don’t know of one person out in the world who has taken advantage of me because I was naive. I’ve made mistakes now and then, but I’ve learned by them, and I’ve grown by them. When the apostle speaks a word, I’m going to accept that Word and walk in it. And that isn’t being naive—that’s being wise. I pray that you will rehearse this word in your own heart, and think about your position now.
This is an important hour. We are at the crossroads. Don’t retreat because of fear, because of circumstances, because of situations in your own life and home and family. Believe that it is all ordered of God. He has brought us forth thus far, and He’s not deserting us now. We must believe this word and accept it—not rationalize or reason it out, but by faith step out as we never have before and do whatever is commanded of us. God will see us through. Things may fall down and crumble, but that’s the way the Lord builds something precious. Believe it—and let it all crumble down—and God will bring something better and more blessed in the end.
Let’s believe and stand behind the apostle. Let’s not bring him to the brink where he is overpowered by the pressure of the people, so that he goes back to some other way, and hits the rock instead of speaking the word, thus losing the inheritance he is to walk in. I believe that God has commanded him to walk in even greater things right now. He would never turn on you, or desert you. Just like Moses, he would keep encouraging and praying, even if it was another generation that walked with him. Now is the hour! Let’s not be like the children of Israel, but rather let’s learn by their mistakes that are revealed to us in the Scriptures.
“We’ve accepted the word of the apostle with our heart in a lot of ways, but too many of us have not walked in the word given us; and this we should do.”
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:29. “God is setting before us a word, a new level that we are to enter in to. We can focus on many different things, but God is bringing a deep purity within our heart that we will want that perfect will of God—not just something that’s good or acceptable. Too often we allow a little of the leaven of malice or wickedness to remain in our heart, though the general course of our life is to contend for God’s perfect will. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A little bit of murmuring in one member can hinder an entire move of God.
Because of the unbelief in the children of Israel and their reluctance to enter in to what God had spoken, Moses lost out too. Let’s search our hearts and find those things that are hindering, that measure of impurity that we have tolerated within our hearts. God says, “Cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11). Within our heart must be that which says, “Cursed be he that doeth the will of the Lord negligently.” If we’re allowing any hindering thing to remain let’s go after it with a vengeance. Let’s enter into intercession, crying out day unto day and night unto night, because we’re the Lord’s remembrancers. We’ll give Him no rest, and we’ll take no rest ourselves until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62:6–7).”
“The load of counseling that our apostle is expected to carry, and the requests that he receives week after week take him away from the ministry of the Word and that close communion with the Lord that he, as an apostle of God, should be free to have. Yet the people of the Lord are still demanding that he minister to them. We are believing to walk in unity as the Body of Christ. That’s why we must get it into our thinking that when the apostle ministers a word from God, that is your word. That’s what you move on. By that you direct your life. You take that Word prayerfully to the Lord, and from that you get the course of direction for your life. Our apostle has outlined certain limited areas where an apostolic word is necessary, but the bulk of the requests that come for counseling, are completely outside that area.
With spiritual maturity comes also an aspect of initiative, where you find the direction for your own life about your own problem from the word that is coming from the Lord to the whole Body.
I think the elders too, need to take that initiative. Because the apostle is here in close proximity, it’s too easy to say, “I think that problem requires a word from the apostle.” The elders in the other churches are tackling things our elders won’t touch because they have to. They have to draw on the Lord and find the answers. With a prayerful carefulness we must all screen the problems that come to the apostle’s attention. We need to work out these things in our own lives, as we look to the word that is coming to us in every service. That word will be richer if you will allow the apostle to have that relationship with the Lord that his heart is crying for. It will be for all our benefit.”
“How submissive will we be to what we claim we believe? God is raising up apostolic authority. We believe our brother is an apostle. When he gives us a word, how submissive are we to that word? Those who have left or run from the revelation that is coming through the apostolic ministry, are in rebellion to the Lord, and are not submissive to a word that comes over their life. Yet often they tend to point their finger at Brother Stevens, as the children of Israel did at Moses. When humans begin to rebel against God, they look for a human scapegoat and say, “It’s his fault.” We dare not rebel against a word from God. If we believe that God has raised up apostolic authority, that He is raising up prophets in our midst, then we must give diligence to the word that comes, and spend more time seeking the Lord. When Satan comes in with doubts, or frustrations, or fears, instead of running and voicing that which Satan tries to bring, go into a closet of prayer. Seek the Lord in worship, and let the Lord confirm that which God is speaking.”