“If He is to be free to move in our lives, we will constantly be involved in impossibilities. The supernatural is His natural realm.” –When Heaven Invades Earth
I’ve been slowly reading through this book again by Bill Johnson (When Heaven Invades Earth) and its such a goldmine of truth and just amazing revelation. Last night I was reading some more of the book and something in me really started to stir. I’m not sure how well I will convey what I was thinking about but I’m going to try J.
I was introduced to the supernatural workings of Holy Spirit just over a year ago…(a year and three months maybe?). I remember the first night of being around people who function out of giving prophetic words, healing, words of knowledge, speaking in tongues, laughing in the Spirit – my spirit cried out … I was ravished and I sat at the banquet table in unbelief that it was all available to me. It was all new but I was all in.
Fifteen months later, I’m reading a book that’s description is “A Practical Guide to a Life of Miracles” – the first time I read it was almost a year ago and it blew me away…its still doing that! But I come to this part and my hunger for more is being challenged. I want to be able to say that I am sold out for Papa God – that wherever I go, Jesus touches people – in the physical realm – that Heaven really would INVADE earth. I cant say that I’m sold out right now. I don’t take time out of my walk through the store to pray with people (not because they asked me but because my Father said “go” and I went in faith). I have so many opportunities to be the hands and feet and I’ve let so many slip by because ‘how weird would that look? praying for a stranger in the middle of target or at the gas station- what If people stare- what if the person I ask to pray for thinks I’m crazy- what if the healing doesn’t come?’
I like to think of myself as confident and not dependent on what others think of me, but how true can that be if I’m not willing to look like a fool for Jesus? Is my cry “God, I must have more of you at any cost!” ? I say I want to love on people, but how can I if I don’t get over my pride and walk over to them? Just because I’m writing this, doesn’t mean ill get it perfect every time from here on out either – I’m just claiming boldness to rise up within me.
“The favor of God sometimes looks different from the perspective of earth than from heaven. My request for more of God carried a price” – WHIE
How much of a price am I willing to pay? My spirit calls out ‘whatever the price!’ and I keep allowing my flesh to get in the way. And this is what scares me – If I’m not willing to step out in boldness with the power of Christ to touch the lives around me (yes, at the gym, store, gas station, in my neighborhood) then I am not representing God the way He deserves to be and I’m holding back from giving out the fullness of the power of the cross to those I encounter.
“I will not lower the standard of the Bible to my level of experience. Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. To accept any other standard is to bring the Bible down to our level of experience, and deny the nature of the One who changes not.” WHIE
It brings tears to my eyes.
When I was first introduced to the lifestyle of walking with Holy Spirit and going after the supernatural, I was surrounded by a community that fostered that culture (which is AMAZING) but this isn’t a group I see on a weekly basis anymore. I was challenged by them for months and months ( I still am) and learned so much but now the comfort pillow has been taken away and I’ve stood still for a while, not sure of what to do, I’ve been feeling a hunger for more without even realizing it and now the scene has changed because regardless whether I go into a strip club to pray with the women and give them prophetic words – my everyday life is wanting the more. I don’t want to just be used during ‘ministry time’, If I’m going to be sold out for real – I have to command my flesh to bow down to Holy Spirit. I have to be willing to be a fool and loose myself because if I don’t, I’m offering a watered down gospel, a watered down God.
“I must be willing to fail to succeed” – Randy Clark
Failure chips away at pride – and willingness implies choice. The cost of more may be high but if we are offering a lower standard of the Bible or watering down the power of God to our comfort level, the cost is even higher.
