Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Last spring I started hearing this phrase in the background of my heart, “The Master has come and is calling for you.” It got louder while I was in China so I started looking for what it meant, I found it in the Bible. It was when Jesus showed up after Lazarus had died and was calling for Mary to come to Him (John 11:28). I did not realize at the time that I was beginning to experience a transition in my spiritual life.
In spite of the trying times we have experienced since 2009 the last several years have been the best church experience of my entire life. How could they not be? We have experienced the Holy Spirit River flowing, the heavens being opened and the Father working amongst us. We have experienced in measure the gospel of the kingdom at work in our church. However, there is more and God wants us to experience more of the gospel. It is not that we forsake what God has done, but if we only hold on to what we have we will certainly lose the life on it. Transitions can be awkward as you are moving from a distinct season of life or ministry to another yet to be defined one.
In the story of Jesus raising Lazarus He was at the edge of town and when Martha heard He was coming she ran out to meet Him, but Mary who had sat at His feet earlier was so hurt and distraught that she did not budge from where she was. The Jesus that she so adored seemed to have let her down in the moment she needed Him the most. It was only after Martha had been with Jesus and spoke with Mary that she got up and went to Jesus (John 11:20, 28-29).
Sometimes we experience disappointment, delay and even death. These are very difficult to accept and deal with, but in the midst of it all He is calling us to Himself. Unfortunately, we tend to try and fix things on the outside rather than go to Him. Some people leave their job, church or even their families in hope that new scenery will fix their problem. They just take the problem with them and after a time it will pop back up. In this past year I cannot tell you all the things I thought about changing or doing different, but in the end I knew it was my heart that God was after.
When I finally came to a place of surrender and laid it all down and got up and went to Him, it was like a new day dawned in my heart. I felt so clean. I felt a fresh breeze blowing in my heart, new life coming into me.
I do not know what will happen next. I am sure He will do some miracles. There are always miracles with the gospel. I believe greater things are yet to come. I have a lot of expectation about my life and ministry being transformed because I am being transformed on the inside. I am going to enjoy Him and not try to make anything happen.
Many Blessings, BW