The Orphan Spirit in the Church

As I spent the last hour reading blogs, looking at pictures and reading more about Iris Global Harvest School of Missions, it struck me how much of their teaching is on the identity of a believer. They focus instead on being sons and daughters of God, walking in his authority as his children.

Then I read this blog...and a Harvest School Alumni hit the nail on the head in the paraphrase below, I'm camping on this for right now.  

We are not orphans but His beloved children. Stop living like an orphan –  stop coming to Him with that begging attitude, to stop striving or stop being in that pleasing performance but instead to live knowing that He is your daddy.

Whoa! Do I NEED a paradigm shift in my Spirit. Part of what Jesus said was that we would do the same works as He and even greater. That basically God would manifest Heaven on Earth, showing His glory to the nations of the world.

Are we limiting this manifestation of God's glory because we aren't acting like sons and daughters of the King of Kings? Yes! We are acting like orphans. If you see someone limping around in the grocery store using her cart to help her stand up straight [I'm using this example from two weeks ago, because I felt Holy Spirit tell me to ask her if I could pray for her and I DIDN'T do it; God help me be bold as your daughter], do you simply pray under your breath and ask God to "Please heal her Lord...if it be thy will." SHAME ON YOU, SHAME ON ME! If we are sons and daughters of the Most High King, we would know our place. Sickness is NOT from God. We would have gone to her in a very gentle manner and ask her if we could pray for her and then in a very fierce manner taken authority as sons and daughters and brought Heaven down to Earth right there in the supermarket aisle.

I share this not to condemn you or me, but to WAKE US UP! Oh how much I have to learn!
God is merciful, He is teaching me to walk as a daughter of the King, to walk in boldness and know my place as His child.

I think of the testimony shared by evangelist Jim Rogers, about how on an airplane ride back from Africa he prayed for a lady next to him that had a hurt shoulder. He didn't want to, he was tired, but Holy Spirit kept nudging him along. After that, the lady told the stewardess that her shoulder was healed. The stewardess asked Jim if he would pray for her knee that was tweaked. He did. God healed it, instantly. Then the stewardess came over the PA system and announced that if anyone had any kind of sickness or injury to come up to the front because there was a man there that was praying for people and they would be healed. Jim literally experienced God's glory, bringing Heaven down to 35,000 feet in a transatlantic airplane.

When you hear this testimony, what emotion does it elicit? For me, it's one of encouragement. See the same Holy Spirit that nudged Jim into obedience on the airplane lives in each of us. We hear this and we want the same thing, it's an unction that we feel. Yes, Holy Spirit, move in me like that too. Yet, the difference between most of the Church and Jim is simply this: Jim does not operate in the mindset of an orphan spirit. He operates in the mindset of the son of the King of Kings. If Holy Spirit is nudging him, God is telling him: "Jim, let's bring Heaven down to Earth today. Son, pay attention, I want to show you my glory."

I'm ready to see His glory. Bring Heaven down to Earth God!

New Things

This past weekend I had the honor of speaking to the youth at our church. It was one of those things where the youth pastor leans over on the Sunday before and says, "God wants you to speak to the youth next Sunday."...errrr....uhhhh.....ok? 

It's been a long time since I've been around teenagers. I forgot how FUN they are! I spent most of my teenage years deeply involved in youth ministry and even into the first couple years living in Ukraine. Now that I had kids and had "grown up" I haven't spent much time with teenagers. I NEED to spend more time with them. They are so fun. 

God has really been stretching me on teaching and mobilizing young people for missions. It is our mandate as believers to GO PREACH THE GOSPEL UNTO ALL NATIONS. That's what we are supposed to do as Christians, no ifs, ands or buts about it! We are ALL supposed to GO, not just write checks and feel good about our small donations. It's in the Bible, read it. Matthew 28 will tell you all about our mandate as believers to go to the ends of the earth and preach the Gospel. I know, sometimes TRUTH is scary and it hurts, but read it and then go get your passport! 

On Sunday evening, our church showed the Heidi Baker film, "Compelled By Love". It is a MUST see for all Christians. I had watched the premier a couple weeks earlier at home, sobbed through it, and felt a strong impression that we were supposed to go to Mozambique to do the Harvest School of Missions for three months. Eric wasn't too sure....UNTIL he watched the film. Now the question is WHEN? And HOW? It will take about $25k to get our family over there. That means a LOT of changes. Likely next summer, for three months. 

Please keep us in your prayers as we seek God's will and direction for this new season. It's all a little overwhelming, to say the least. We are confident in His provision, His wisdom, His direction and His timing for our family. 

After Harvest School? Ukraine....when? We don't know yet. He is preparing the way.