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Barnabas Bulletin ~ 0103
FREEDOM TO OBEY GOD!
It is surprising what we learn when we hear the voice of God. God is for us, and when He speaks to us, it is exactly right for us. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth: He does not tell lies and He does not lead us wrong. A year or two back the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me: “Right now around the world, many of My people are hearing My voice; but because they are not free enough in themselves, they are unable to obey Me.” When I heard that word, I knew that the Holy Spirit was showing me the importance of developing such a freedom within myself so that I can obey Him whenever He speaks to me. If we stop to seriously consider what He said, then we soon learn the reason why we miss so many opportunities to see the supernatural of God released through our lives. God asks us to say or do something, and we re-act with, “Oh, I could not do that” or“What will so and so say?” or “What if that is not You, Lord,” etc. Instead of our being ready to do the Master’s will, we are looking for an “out clause” because we do not have the freedom to obey God. God’s ways are not our ways, and therefore His strategies for impacting people are very different to the way of the natural mind. I remember being in a Pastor’s meeting in the U.K. In that meeting was a large Brother who had all the hair on his head shaved to the skin. The Holy Spirit said to me, “Tell that Brother to ‘let his hair down!’” I inwardly re-acted and reminded myself that I was in a Pastor’s gathering, and “What if that Brother took exception to my words if I spoke them out,” etc. Finally I did speak those words out. And the Pastor responded with a big smile, saying, “I know exactly what you are talking about.” It would have been so easy to resist speaking that message to him. But I am glad I did, as it gave him a key to what God was desiring him to do. In a meeting here in New Zealand, the Holy Spirit showed me (in the Spirit) a man sitting in a Morris Minor motor car with his left hand on the gear lever ~ it was in second gear ~ and his right hand was pulling on the hand brake. The Holy Spirit showed me that was the spiritual state of his life at that point. I did not want to speak that out, thinking that maybe it might not have been a Morris Minor car, etc. But I did speak it out, and, when I did, the congregation broke into laughter. The more I spoke it out, the more they laughed, until I finally asked them what was so funny. I was asked if I had been to that man’s house. When I replied that I had not, they then told me that the man had eight Morris Minor cars parked around his home, and he was a member of the Morris Minor Car Club! The message was exactly right for him, and impacted him ~ and the congregation ~ greatly. I thank God that I was free enough in myself to carry that message through to the delivering of it.
If not, what is hindering you from being more effective in the purposes of God? Holy Spirit ministry enables us to speak, act and impart things of the Holy Spirit that no other kind of ministry can.Holy Spirit-filled people should be filled enough with the Holy Spirit ~ and free enough in themselves ~ to do whatever the Lord asks us. I have learned that He never asks us to do anything we cannot do. We may not have done it that way before, but the Holy Spirit is very creative and is not into doing everything the same way every time. Freedom! It is easy to talk about, but what about walking in the reality of it? If we still have fears, reservations, shyness, pride, etc., in our hearts, then we will always struggle to obey God. If these “hindrances” are still in our lives, then what are we doing about them? Are we going to be content to live the rest of our lives making excuses because of our inability to step out and obey whatever God asks of us? When we are free enough in ourselves we will joyfully do what He asks! Freedom means to be free of bondages and restrictions that stand between us, and the doing of God’s will. Again I ask:
Spiritual Gifts functioning out of our lives are the result of our hearing and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. Those Spiritual Gifts live within every Holy Spirit-filled believer! They are within you now! Be encouraged to stir them more and more so that you are not guilty of robbing other people of the blessings and purposes of God that He has ordained should be flowing out of your life. “Desire earnestly the best gifts” the Bible exhorts! (1 Corinthians 12:31; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 12, 24-26, 39). Why? Because they are God’s way of building up people and releasing them into the purposes of God ~ and giving freedom to obey Him! ~ Rodney W. Francis. Bible Readings: Romans 8; Galatians 5:1. Please Pray This Prayer: "Dear Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I thank You that You love me and are totally committed to my good. I lift my heart to You today and ask You to help me to be free enough in myself to be able to obey whatever You ask of me. Take away all fears, reservations, self-consciousness and pride ~ anything and everything that hinders me ~ and reveal more of Your purposes to me regarding what You want me to do. Help me to be willing and available to You for the releasing of more of the wonderful Spiritual Gifts out of my life to encourage and build up Your body ~ and people in the marketplace ~ wherever I go. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen." The Gospel Faith Messenger Ministry, New Zealand. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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