changed and ready

I once had a good friend that had very good, God-inspired ideas. But she would tell me to do them, or if I wasn’t available, she would tell someone else. Sadly, these words and ideas did not form themselves in her, for it is acting on what God says that forms His word in us. When we hear and speak the word of God but do not do it, we remain unchanged (Jms 1:22-24). If we want to abide in Christ and He in us, we must obey what He tells us (Jn 15:7-10), for His words change us, and make us ready to bear fruit for Him.

Today we have many prophetic voices who speak the rhema word of God. We see some of the same themes from several voices, and the scripture bear them witness, while also the Holy Spirit within us bears witness to their validity. Yet the church is largely unchanged by God’s rhema word. How can this happen? We see no change because we do not do what God is saying. To speak the word all by itself is not enough; we must become accountable to it, for this is how Jesus maintains His Life running through the vine to the branches. Jesus, the Word of God, is the Head of His Church. He shares authority with us, His branches. As we obey His word we pass it on to the other branches by teaching what He has said and by holding ourselves and others accountable to the word He spoke.

The first century church has been a focus of many speakers who seek the kingdom, wanting to do the greater works which Jesus told us we would do. A closer look at the epistles shows us that the apostles we want to imitate held each other, and all believers, accountable to the word of truth. If we feel we’ve done our duty to just speak the rhema word of God, leaving the hearers to take it or leave it, according to their own beliefs, we are irresponsible branches of the vine and will not bear fruit. If we believe we have God’s word on a matter we should teach it, encouraging each other to abide in the word, and thereby abide in the Vine.

It is the custom for many churches to have 40 days of prayer and fasting, to seek the Lord for guidance. This is a good idea. Over time, however, we have seen that there is no action taken on the guidance the Lord reveals. Because there is no action, the church does not have the word of guidance formed in them. Though they want more words from God, they are insincere in their seeking and unprepared for what the Lord would add to them. We need to review all God’s past words to us, and hold ourselves accountable to performing what the Lord is asking of us, in our personal lives, and teaching them to others. Then we will see the changes we’ve been praying for. And then God can entrust us with new things, for we will be ready. Amen