In early 2007, we had the privilege to be in Bill Johnson’s Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. I wrote about our visit in an article. You may click to the following link to read more about it:-
http://pastorpaulang.blogspot.com/2008/11/our-visit-to-bethel-school-of.html
Bill Johnson wrote in his book, “The safest place in this war is obedience. In the center of His will, we face only the situations we are equipped to win. Outside of the center is where many Christians fall, facing undue pressures that are self-inflicted. His will is the only safe place to be.”
God anoints us to serve Him in absolute uncompromised obedience to do His will. It is not for our own self interest or greed. As God’s anointed servants, we have to yield in obedience to His voice, even if it does not seem logical.
However, there are also God’s anointed ones who try to please men and as a result, ended up in disobedience. Disobedience is rebellion and a sin of divination (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
Though God’s prophet, Balaam was going with the princes of Moab against the will of God. His eyes were so blinded by his eagerness & greed to serve the king of Moab that he could not see an angel with a drawn sword ready to kill him if he had moved on. God was opposing Balaam from making the trip. However, the donkey could see the angel so the donkey refused to move. This saved Balaam from being killed by the sword of the angel (Numbers 22:21-34).
Likewise, the Lord can put a stumbling block by inflicting sudden illness upon His anointed servant to prevent the servant from opposing Him, and thus committing a sin of disobedience.
However, we may mistakenly think that we are under spiritual attack as the devil is trying to prevent us from carrying out our ‘godly work’. But it is not so. Sin opens hole in our body for the evil one to torment us. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” God protects His anointed ones, provided we walk in His will.
The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul due to his disobedience and God sent an evil spirit to torment him (1 Samuel 16:14).
In Exodus 15:26 the Lord said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Thus, the next time we are inflicted with sickness that prevents us from making a journey to attend a ministry which is against the will of God, don’t think that we are under spiritual attack from the evil one. God, by His grace, may be putting a stumbling block to prevent us from doing something which He opposes, against the logic of our human reasoning.
I had my own experience with disobedience. Once, I disobeyed the Lord by going against His command to a prayer house. With my disobedience, I could sense that the anointing level was low during ministry at the prayer house, like the presence of God was absent. By His mercy, I did not incur His wrath. But I may not have such grace if I continue to disobey Him.
Another time, I was struggling with disobedience to dedicate my office units to Him until a messenger of God warned me that if I continue to resist, calamity will befall upon me.
Now, after witnessing the Lord’s healing upon my long term suffering of hypertension & prostate, everything that I have now belong to Him, including my body.
I do not wish to go back to the period where I had to be in bondage to daily medication. With this in mind, I have overcome the problem of having to struggle with obeying God. Living in His will, there is no spiritual attack as the Lord protects me.
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Pastor’s comment: Balaam was asked by the king of Moab to curse Israel but God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on these people, because they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12).
God’s pulpit must be respected and must not be misused to speak evil things about God’s people. In 2007, I was grieved that the pulpit was being misused by a pulpit speaker to vent his anger, making some humiliating remarks on God's people as per the article written in the below link.
http://pastorpaulang.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-awesome-encounter-at-agape.html
6 comments:
Dear Ps Paul,
Praise the Lord, I got the answer from God, I am not under spiritual attack.
Before I came to CKRM, my right body having pain, my leg, hand, ear, eye and head all at right side. After the 7 hrs anoiting God heal me.
I don't know since when my left side of body started pain, my leg, hand, ear, eye. Now I am sure that is not spiritual attack but I 'm waiting for God will, "what can I do for you Lord?"
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Thank you Lord, Thank you Ps Paul n Ps Esther.
Archer
Dear Archer,
God already prompted Ps Esther that you were to come to be the pianist at CKRM. However, the pastor who was to bring you along, did not do so. As a result of disobedience, her eye developed problem. It was a spiritual case. After you came when the pastor told you so, her eye was instantly healed, much to the amazement of the doctor who examined her the 2nd time.
This is one of the ways that God speaks to us. It is a way to break us so that we will earnestly seek Him.
I fell from the 1st floor, sliding head down all way down to the ground floor at Redding, California. That fall could have sent me home to the Lord or caused a massive stroke. God used this method, instead to heal me of hypertension. Praise God!
Obedience bring down the glory of God. Matt Sorger found the key of the anointing. Once he was counting the offering money with his staff, suddenly the Lord asked him to get up and dance. Our natural mind say this doesn't make sense. What should you do? If the Lord ask you to dance during serious prayer meeting or any event outside the church? He obeyed and danced. Two secretaries originally started to laugh until the glory cloud came in to the room. He encountered with angels, visions and empowerment from the Lord. For more detail, can click his interview at
http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=7579&security=1041&news_iv_ctrl=1194
Yes! Only by walking in His will, we face situations where we are equipped to win.
I often heard about "obedience is better than sacrifice". However, how many really understand the importance of obedience?
Obedience is all about walking in HIS will and God does not want an instrument with 99% partial obedience but 100% total obedience. As God's servant, we must learn to discern His voice and obey rather than seeking counsel from someone who does not walk in the spirit; falling into disobedience by doing what seems good and logical in human eyes.
Indeed, obedience is the key to grow in our spiritual life. Every time when we obey, the Lord will lift us to a higher level of spirituality.
"Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them" (1John 3:24). If we want to remain in Christ and He remain in us, we must obey His voice without any compromise. Or the Holy Spirit will leave when He is grieved by men's disobedience.
An instrument that carries out God's command boldly without any compromise is one who touches the heart of God.
The Pharisees were learned men; some had strong relationship with God. They had good insight yet they kept challenging Jesus. Jesus told them in John 8:47: “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
How could one walks in obedience if he can’t even hear what God is telling him to do?
Proverbs 20:12: “Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both.” Jesus expects us to see from our heart. A heart that doesn’t see is a hard heart. Ministry is about hearing and obeying the voice of God if we are to be effective instrument in serving God.
I recall Rev. Huang teaching that obedience is also a sign of humility. The willingness to obey God and the leaders over us also demonstrates submission and surrender. It is an area we can grow more and more everday. Moreover disobedience, to God, was an offence as serious as the sin of divination( 1Sam 15:23a; For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry). Ultimately, we must understand that Jesus is not Lord if we willfully choose to disobey Him n make decisions as we deem fit. The situation is worsen if one is moving in the anointing for he who is given much, more (accoutability etc)will be demanded from God (Luke 12:48).
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