The more and more I have thought, unto the Lord, about my last post, the more and more understanding I get. Please don't think for one minute that I am happy about the things that the Lord is revealing to me. But very honestly, I have suspected something like this for years.
More than ten years ago, we were attending a local church. When the Holy Spirit began to move in the worship dance ministry that I was leading, I was pressured out of the church. It was a traumatic and painful experience for me but during that season the Lord began to speak to me in very dramatic ways.
First, He proved to me that I was hearing Him. I could write a book about what happened in that season but let me just say that God began to tell me very 'odd' things. Then He would prove to me that I had heard Him.
For instance, I had been one of the small group leaders for a women's Bible study at this same church. We were just getting ready to start Beth Moore's The Patriarchs when the Lord asked me to step down. I obeyed. Then He told me not to even take the Bible study.
I confess that I was really disappointed because I was enjoying these studies so much.
Immediately after that the Lord began to lead me to read in Genesis and began to give me amazing revelation. I had a dear friend who was still leading one of the small groups. We would talk often and I would share what the Lord was showing me. Then, amazingly, she would get the same thing from The Patriarchs Bible study! This happened through the entire Bible study.
The Lord taught me the same Bible study by the Holy Spirit! The really amazing part to me was the details the Lord told me.
There were honestly some things that God did in this season that overwhelmed me a bit. I began to see angels and demons and become very aware of what was going on in the spirit realm and that took some adjustment. One day, I became so aware of something God had done, that I had to leave the house.
And then God began to break off some religious principles that I had been taught in the church. I'm not going to share these things today because I want the timing and the release of the Lord. It took Him some drama to set me free because I was very ingrained into the ways of the church.
One day, I was walking across my dining room when the Lord spoke to me and His Presence was like a weight that drove me to my knees. And that still wasn't enough to get me set free of the thing He had spoken to me about. It took months of me saying, "Are You sure?" before I had peace. The Spirit of Religion is a strong and binding spirit that keeps The Body from the joy and freedom that God desires His people to have.
I'm telling you all this because I know that I have said things on my blog that trouble some of you. And I get it. There was a time in my walk with the Lord that I could not have heard the things I know now. I would have become offended and immediately shut the door to what was being said. This is why Jesus talks about us being able to 'hear' Him.
The Lord showed me the spirit of pride once. It had hands over the eyes and ears of a person and it put a hand out in front of them held out in a 'stop' position. The next day, I was in a 'discussion' with an elderly gentleman and saw him do this same motion!
I do my best to obey the Holy Spirit in my encounters with people. Sometimes, the conviction of the Holy Spirit comes on me and I share what the Lord is putting on my heart and the person is greatly offended and rejects the Word. And I have learned to live with that.
But I know there are people out there who are hearing the Holy Spirit and need encouragement to survive in the organized church and this world. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate those who have befriended me on Facebook and by email and give me such loving, encouraging words daily.
love and blessings~
You have a wonderful spirit and love for the Lord, thank you. Don't forget that most of the time when someone is offended it is because they are feeling convicted and either cant face it or don't want to admit it. Thank you for being a great example of someone following and listening to the Lord.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Candy
Thank you, Candy, and thanks always for the encouragement. I know you're right about people getting offended and I have been the one offended by truth before. It's never easy to face our deceptions, is it? We all keep moving forward.
Deletelove to you and your family