In a very long time, I dont think I have had tears rolled down my cheeks. Maybe I can count how many times that had happened through my lifetime. You know, I was listening to a sermon by Priscilla Shirer titled: “When it feels like God is doing nothing” during the week. You may need to listen to it on YouTube. By the way, Priscilla is renowned pastor, Tony Evan’s daughter.
The sermon was particularly inspiring from beginning to the end. It got me stunned. The mannerism and articulation in her voice was superb. Priscilla analysed all the names God was known for in each books of the bible. She eventually talked about simple obedience. Coincidentally, that was the second time hearing about that subject matter this week from a different sermon.
I listened to one of the series of ‘Marked’ by Michael Todd. In the sermon, he talked so largely about normal obedience to God’s word. Mike mentioned emphatically that whatever situation you find yourself, simple obedience will launch you into great exploits and opportunities. In fact, the clamour for what’s Gods will for my life? Or what’s the next thing I should do? is found in obeying simply the things God has told you to do before now.
God requires that you study the bible and pray daily, have you done that? Those things he told you to specifically do and not do, have you heeded? To buttress his point, Mike made a classic demonstration that seem to me as the best ever graphical illustration of obedience and faith. A summary of it was this: he called a young man to join him on the podium. Todd instructed Mr X (the young man) to obey every of his commands as the audience watched.
Mr X was told to take a step back, and then a step to the right, then to start jumping up and down. He was told to pick up a guitar that was on the stage and to later drop. In all of these, Mr X obeyed without any grudge. Todd finally told him to go take a seat in the drums corner, he advised him to sit well,then directed him to a particular section just within that vicinity. Mr X reached out to an item wrapped. He returned to stand beside Todd, at his command again, then told to unwrap the gift, lo and behold, it was an headset. Todd told Mr X, ‘it’s all yours, you can have it and return to your seat😊’
The gift item was the sweetest part of the illustration, right? It was incredible! But did you observe the processes that were involved, and the simple normal obedience at each stage Mr X observed? Todd did reiterated that he knew where the gift was because he had kept it there. He was ready and willing to give Mr X. He wanted full or total compliance to even the instruction that didn’t make sense to Mr X (such as jumping up and down). Just in the same vein does God deal with us humans.
God’s packaged a special gift for you ahead, but he wants you to obey all the instructions at hand that he’s told you. Priscilla, at the end of her sermon gave a background to the choice of the actor used as ‘Mrs Clara’ in the award winning movie “war room“. According to Priscilla, two weeks prior to the shooting of the movie. The director, herself and some others were waiting on God in intense prayer for the right person to fill that role. Other people auditioned either a character flaw, or something in their CV that disqualified them or were not just fit. The location of the shoot (Concorde, a lonely small town in US) was also another mitigating factor.
In Carolina lived Karen Abercrombie, 55 years old born in Pennsylvania, who grew
up as an actress with so many famous contemporaries in the movie industry. Karen had lived all her career life in Los Angeles but rejected so many roles in movies because they didn’t gel with her Christian faith. She had been discouraged over the years whenever she measured her success in the acting field, so she decided to start an acting school in N. Carolina. As the prayers rose to the throne of God, Karen appeared and yes, she was the perfect fit for the role. Karen’s role was the heart and soul of the movie. I suggest you go see that movie again. It got me in tears at that juncture to know that a woman, in her middle age, who never won any award nor was well-known became a star, a recipient of dove, movieguide and grace awards and a delight to Christendom for her faithfulness and dogged determination of righteousness over the years. It was a breakthrough movie for her, the directors and other cast.
In her own words “I am an actress, a newfound producer. I am a wife and a mother, and yes, most people probably would know me from playing Miss Clara in the movie, War Room, which was actually an answer to a prayer that I had put up 13 years prior to my even becoming involved in the project. Yes, and I’m working right now. I wanted to produce films because I see we are inundated with so much trash via the big screen and television, and so I see how … the impact that War Room made. I just want to create other projects, you know, like projects, faith based, good stuff, so that we can take the world back, spread the kingdom”
I just want to do you a gentle reminder; God has not forgotten all those obedience,
sacrifices and silent prayers you have offered to him over the years, He’s bottled them up, He’s preparing a sumptuous delicacy, when it’s ready the whole world will be amazed. Please don’t forget to obey God’s little, britty, unthinkable instructions today and always. Many blessing awaits you.
Eminent Gold cares but God cares most.
EGC 2019
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