“Education is Liberation” This is a slogan that was on one of the schools here in South Africa. Our first month has been spent at a Partners in Harvest-Iris ministry base on top of a mountain called Back Door in Mpumalanga, South Africa. This last weekend we went to visit another church in the same organization about 1 ½ hours more into the African bush. They were having a youth weekend, and it turned out that we were the main speakers. I was able to preach Friday night. The Spirit has been teaching me a lot about the early church in Acts 2:42-47. When believers come together in unity, what the world sees as impossible is possible. Unity has been in my mind a lot lately. When Christ is the common thread it is possible to love another believer, whom you have never met before in such a deep way. It has been like that for me in all the little churches we visit or work with. In Acts, the new saved devoted themselves to four key elements. Teaching (or learning), fellowship, sharing meals and other things (more then just communion), and prayer (after Jesus’ model in John 13). After constant devotion to these things, the product is wonders, signs, savings, miraculous feedings, healings, and encouragement. The Spirit of the Lord was oozing out all over the early church in Acts. The nations were being set ablaze for Him. Without knowing it, bickering ceased and unity had cemented in. Verse 46 and 47 says that day by day they met in the temples to pray, and practiced the above four elements. And day by day more people put their faith in the Lord. Supernatural events and faith requires daily choice of lying down of self, obedience, and walking in the light. As I was preaching this message to the church God told me that THIS IS THE KEY TO REVIVAL!! Then that got me so excited, and gave me goose bumps. Wow, the solution to stagnant lifestyles is here. Amazing faith, miracles, world change is possible when the Body of Christ unifies. The only supernatural thing about faith is just having faith; of wanting Christ more then yourself. This education is liberation for more of Him.
The Pastor of the church in Back Door truly is anointed. He was the son of witch doctors. When he was 13 he heard a voice in a dream saying “GO!” He got up the next morning, and left to the country’s boarder (he is from Mozambique) and met a man who told him he was supposed to wait for him there. This pastor found out that the week he left his whole family was poisoned. He went to an English-speaking Bible school, not knowing a word of English, and during his interview, the interviewer said his English was awesome. The pastor thought he was speaking Portuguese! It has been like that during his whole ministry. He knows 15 or 16 languages, never studying any of them before. Where ever he goes, God equips him with the correct language. He has raised 6 people from the dead, and sees more miracles then most. Two years ago at an Iris conference, he could see tongues of fire on the people’s heads who were worshiping. No one else could see it, and he told someone to take a picture. I saw the picture today, and yes, there were tongues of fire on the worshipers, as well as around the room. Some of you reading this may have chills right now, some of you may not believe it, and some of you may be crying out saying “I want this!!” The great thing about this pastor is that when the voice (he didn’t even know it was God at the time) said “GO!” He obeyed. And so it is for us. He does not just want to do these kinds of things in the few, but everyone who will allow Him.
God bless you as you strive for more.
-Rubie Palmer
Me with Lucky and Wonder (seriously, those are their names)
