I’ve developed a certain confidence that every time I speak or write, God will give a word—and He does. I don’t want to be without that faith.
Many ministries who have come up just so far and then failed, I doubt if any one of them ever felt that their work was done and perhaps the work wasn’t done. Instead of putting their confidence in the Lord, they may have become overconfident as Samson did when they woke him up after his haircut and told him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you.” “Ho hum, I’ll shake myself as before and go out and smite them.” But he did not realize that the Lord was departed from him (Judges 16:20). In one moment of indiscretion he had revealed the secret, for which he paid a terrible price.
Everyone wants to feel he can be trusted; however, I don’t believe that the people who think they can be trusted really can be. I am a minister who is responsible for many things told me in confidence. I don’t want to make any missteps and place false confidence in the flesh or make any presumptuous assumptions in my own mind or spirit. I don’t intend to go the way many leaders have, leaving with what they could have done only half-done.
I’m aware of a new fear of the Lord, and a carefulness, because we’re going all out. When you’re fighting a defensive action you know that the enemy can’t get to you too easily. But we’re taking the aggressive role and we intend to see many things come down in the name of the Lord.
I don’t want anything disastrous to happen at this point, and you don’t either—which means that we need a great deal of prayer. Seek the Lord and don’t be so childlike and naive that you assume everything will go along rosy. There will be real aggressive warfare. We’re going to knock down every stronghold we can get to, which means that we in turn will be targets of the enemy. Therefore real carefulness is required, with no presumption, as we walk softly before the Lord.
One thing you can count on: I’m not going to play God. Leaders sometimes assume a position where they play God. That is abhorrence to me and we’re not going to do it. We will walk in all the authority He can give as stewards of His word. Regardless of how much you reverence the apostolic ministry and are submissive to it, I will not permit you—through some human habit —to push me into a position that God hasn’t said the apostolic ministry embraces.
I’ll not touch the gold or the glory—it all belongs to God! We’ll not fail as others have failed before us. We’re going to walk with God. It’s a time to close ranks and pray for one another. The enemy will pick off one after another if he can. The psychic and spiritual attack will be most deadly. Don’t let anything shake you. Close your ranks. Stand fast, loyal to one another and to the Body of Christ, loyal to the Word, walking humbly before the Lord. Be determined that only the Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted in this day.
What does the Lord require of you where the apostolic ministry is concerned? Listen to the teaching, be submissive to the word, keep your eyes off the man as far as criticism—or conversely, exaltation—is concerned. But pray for him constantly.
The living Word is a big treasure to be contained in an earthen vessel, and it can be lost if something cracks the vessel and breaks it. I’ve seen others who played God and watched their downfall. There’s a lot of submission and respect to the word that I bring—and that’s good.
When I say something honestly and sincerely, people in this body listen to it. But I don’t want you to think of man above what is written. I don’t want you to push me into a place. There’s no limit to what you can expect from God, but you cannot exalt man out of measure and be guiltless.
Lord Jesus, keep me. Help those who have the vision of seeing this word loosed like a flood tide on a whole world. Help us, Lord, that in our urgent need of finances and abilities, we do not become commercial and rely upon the arm of flesh. Keep us true to the vision You’ve given us. Lord, do it through our faith, and without the usual means that men use:, propaganda, advertising, the selling of flesh, and the creating of images.
In this day let it be true again that people will look at us and marvel that God is speaking such marvelous truths through ignorant and unlearned man. Let the glory come from God. Let the glory be given to God!
Only let people take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus. God, do it again—only with a double portion this time. Write another book of Acts but let it come forth in power and glory.
As we watch Babylon fall and see it crash, everyone will marvel that God has used such humble means to bring about such fantastic ends, because the Lord entrusts judgment to His servants who have been perfected in Love.