So, here we are again and thankfully, or at least I hope you think it's thankfully, this post has taken a lot less time. I pray that you do not feel too inundated with three posts in about a week but just feel blessed and encouraged. Enjoy!
Firstly, I want to talk about obedience as Papa has been teaching me about this. He wants me to be obedient and do as he asks but rather than just obey I have always sought confirmation before stepping out when I have heard from him. Now, it is not wrong to seek confirmation but recently Papa clearly told me that he wanted me to be obedient to what he tells me immediately and not check it out first. He told me to trust that he knows my heart is to be obedient and he can ensure that I always end up on the right path even when I mishear, which of course I do. He told me that the worst that will happen is I will look foolish but then I can manage that on my own, so no worries there then! I love that he has a sense of humour! So that is what I am now endeavouring to do and below, where I tell you about my plans for my future after Bethel, is the first big thing that I've stepped out with. But hey, what's the worst that can happen?
I got my visa last week to allow me to go to America but for a moment it was a bit touch and go. Well, it would have been, if I did not know God was calling me to Bethel and no man, not even the US government, can thwart his plans! When I filled in the online part of the visa form it asked lots of questions about criminal convictions that I could happily tick no to but then it asked about illegal drug use. Oops! I know I have not used an illegal drug for 15 years but I did use for 17 years so could not tick no with integrity, so I ticked yes and gave them a brief explanation. The form completed and my interview booked I thought no more about it.
The first part of my visa interview entailed handing in various bits of paperwork, having my fingerprints taken and filling in a form about my drug use and criminal convictions. You could see the confusion on the poor man's face when I said I had no convictions, he could not work out why I had ticked yes. After a lengthy wait I went for my actual visa interview. Lots of questions about where I was going and why, how I would fund myself and what would I do when I came back, all went really smoothly. Then we came to the drugs question and again I was asked about any convictions. I explained that I had no convictions and saw the same confused look come over the lady's face that the previous man had had. I decided to explain that I endeavour to live my life with integrity and ticking no to drug use, though they would not have known anything different, I would have known I had lied and I could not do it. Bemused, the lady said she would be a few minutes as she had to check something. I could hear her talking to, I assume, her supervisor saying that similar cases would usually be refused due to drug use and criminal offending but I had no convictions so she was unsure what to do. After a few minutes she came back and told me I had been granted a visa and asked if she could ask a question. The question was, what made the difference? My response, I met Jesus! I think there may have been some interesting discussions that day in the embassy because I chose to walk with integrity and not take the easy option.
Next, I would like to tell you a little about Cherish. Cherish is a women's conference run by Abundant Life Church in Bradford and all I really knew about it was it was girly. I am not girly so never intended to go but God had other ideas! A friend was going and her roommate dropped out so she asked me. No! That was my initial thought but God turned my no into a yes, he's good at that, even when it is a surprise to us. So I went wondering why and in quite a negative way if truth be told. Why did I want to go to Cherish when I was going to Bethel? On the first night one of the first things the host said was that the conference was not just about being girly but about seeking the more of God, the miraculous, the signs and wonders. Wow! Immediately I was asking Papa for forgiveness for my arrogance and negative attitude and declaring I was open to anything and everything he wanted to do in me while I was there.
The next 2 days were just full of amazing confirmations that all I am believing God for is right (will tell you more after this below) and that what I see is only the start because his vision is far greater than mine, it is bigger than I think. Wow! I am called to be the woman who rises in the darkness and brings the light! On the last night as we were worshipping Jesus and singing that all we are belongs to him because he paid the highest price for us, Holy Spirit did something deep within me, he undid me and changed me on the inside. I am still walking out the revelation of this but know I am his in a new way, more yielded, more surrendered, willing to lay down my life for his sake. Wow! What a privilege!
Now to finish this post off I have left what I think is the best until last. My apologies if you disagree! So what is my future, the destiny I was created for? I was created to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8 NIV) Awesome! Truly though, this is the destiny of every believer so how has Papa called me to fulfil this amazing calling? Where will my unique experience and character with Holy Spirit truly make me the woman who rises in the darkness and brings the light? Well, I am called to make my home on one of the poorest estates in Leicester and see it transformed through the power of the Gospel. Wow! I will bring the kingdom of heaven to my neighbourhood because he lives in me and I live to see him made famous. What an honour. Now I see why I need to go to Bethel, I need to be trained and equipped to walk this out.
As if this wasn't enough, I am also called to be a fire starter. To ignite and encourage passion and vision in others, to see them make my ceiling their floor and allow Papa to do things I cannot even dream of through them. Wow! I have big vision. I will see an estate transformed. I will see the lame walk and the dead rise but I am called to ignite a generation who will do even greater things to see their King, King Jesus, made famous. I am humbled by the magnitude of all he is entrusting to me and so excited to be able to partner with Holy Spirit to see it happen.
What else can I say but wow? He truly does take the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, the weak things of this world to shame the strong and I am so thankful for that. I know along the way I will make mistakes and will look foolish but in truth, I would rather look foolish for Jesus than wise for me. I hope you have been encouraged to press on for more as you have read this because your destiny is amazing. If you believe in Jesus then you were created to partner with Holy Spirit to do greater things than he did and he raised Lazarus from the dead after 4 days!
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