Prophecy: More than future-telling

Posted on June 11, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: …” Acts 2:14-16 (WEB)

Words of God spoken through a prophet = prophecy. ‘Prophecy’ is a tricky concept. Many think of it like divine fortune-telling. Literally thousands of books, even a few movies, have been created about prophecy – truth or deception.

In my observation of the prophets in the Bible, their life is not one to be envied! They did not do well with their families and neighbors. Most were shunned by those they thought would love them – many were even killed. Often the message that God had for them to deliver would cause a murderous response!

My husband, Henry, wrote some pamphlets and two of them are about The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts: Prophecy.   I hope you will take a few minutes this week and read them. He explains these subjects so well. Gives me some things to consider in my spiritual walk.

Remember how Paul said to not respond to prophecy with contempt but to “test” everything and hold on to what is good; avoid evil. Hold on to those things that glorify Jesus and build His Kingdom. Walk away from everything else. I do not have to argue or convince some that they are wrong. I just walk away and keep focus on what is “good”.

‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Acts 2:17-20 (WEB)
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More than Just a Change

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.                                    Acts 2:4-6 (WEB)

Those who were in that fellowship on the first Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit. ALL were anointed with the power that Jesus promised in Acts 1. No one was left out. All were anointed because all were together in that room. The room did not have a ‘red’ group or a ‘blue’ group. They did not sit ‘traditionalists’ on the right and ‘charismatics’ on the left! They did not have separate prayer meetings because one group wanted to use the Torah and the other wanted ‘new words’. The fellowship was united!!! This was key.

Change was not coming – it was here! One minute they were – the fellowship. The next some hurricane-force wind that deposited flames of fire on each one. It was the manifestation of the Holy Spirit: the Beginning. THEN they were changed further. The members of this fellowship found they could speak in languages they had not learned in Hebrew School!

I am going to give you a personal testimony. You can believe it or not. One night, we had visitors at our service from Germany. Some of them spoke English, many did not. They just “dropped in”. We did not know they were coming. The wife of one of German visitors was from France. She did not speak or understand English. Not a bit. The husband asked me to pray for his wife. Now, I did not know how to speak French except for “Merci” and “Bon jour”. But I did feel I was to pray for her. And I did. I spoke a 2-3 minute prayer and she began to cry. I took her hand and said, “May God give you the strength and grace to forgive your father.” The woman fell to her knees, grabbed me, and began to speak in French. Her husband told me later that she was speaking words of forgiveness to her father. God had translated what I had said directly into her heart and told her the desire of His heart that she be healed through this forgiveness. She left the church that night full of joy and knowing the assurance of how much the Father loved her. God was not constrained by my lack of languages! To this day, I do not fully understand what happened but I know that God blessed us all by His manifested love!

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.                             Ephesians 3:14-21 (WEB)

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More than a Hurricane

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.           Acts 2:2-3 (WEB)

In September 2004 I sat in a God-given sanctuary in Pensacola, FL and survived Hurricane Ivan’s 130-mph winds. 130 MPH!!! If I could imagine what the hallways of hell might sound like – it would have been like the wind howling outside that home. It was – horrific. When it had past over 50% of the trees were gone.

As I read these verses I hear again the rushing of a mighty wind like I did in 2004. I would have been diving under any available bed and would not have cared if I fit – I would have squeezed! Think of sitting in a prayer meeting; asking God for His wisdom and knowledge to know what to do next. The room is filled with my brothers and sisters and we are of one mind – seek God. Strain to hear His voice. WOOSH!!! A wind BLOWS through the room; swirling and ripping like nothing we have ever known! In that moment of perfect unity, maybe they knew it was God. It seems by their subsequent actions that they did. They responded to this extraordinary experience with power and authority. That comes from God!

Notice that the Holy Spirit manifested itself individually on each person. The Holy Spirit is so AWESOME to touch each person as he/she needs and is directed by the Father. It is not a cookie cutter anointing!!! We are equipped individually just as a suit is tailor-made. Read the lives of these saints. Each one had gifts that was just for them. There were no ‘twin’ or ‘multiples’ but each was anointed as needed for the call in their heart.

…God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be…

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.            1 Corinthians 12:18, 27 (NIV)

As we seek God to hear what He has for each us, let us not forget that God does give some gifts to all of us: Faith, Hope, and Love. And the greatest – is Love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

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Unity: More than a Word

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1 (WEB)

The writer of Acts, Luke, was an educated man. I don’t think he put any word down without considering what exactly he was saying. As a man of medicine I imagine he was interested, even fascinated, by the details of what went on in the events he told.

Luke is telling his – report – after what occurred. “Pentecost” literally means “fiftieth day”. If you are looking at Luke’s gospel and Acts and having trouble coming to an equation that equals 50 days – don’t let that confuse your faith! Luke did not let a little thing like geography and a calendar keep him from making a faith point! So 50 days from when Jesus’ Resurrection – 10 days after He ascended into heaven – the followers of Jesus were all together in one place and with one mindset. Stop a minute and think about that phrase:

all together in one place and with one mindset

Oh, that we could put aside ourselves, our personal mindsets, and embrace what Jesus wants for us as our focus for His Kingdom building!!!

Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?…

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. 3:11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.       1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 7-11 (WEB)

Let us consider the ministries that we have been called to be a part and how that ministry can connect with others and build The Kingdom without considering our success. Let us be obedient to Jesus’ plan and seek first His Kingdom and all things will be given as well.

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School is Not Out!

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,]“I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.” John 16:12-13 (WEB)

Here is another one of those words from Jesus that may be seen by some as something that they do not want to read. I think if we are honest we would say that we all have parts of God’s Word that we wished weren’t there! We must acknowledge all of God’s Word. I believe that means we must have more than just people who agree with us as part of our fellowship. We must grow into our ears to hear truth and discern what is a new revelation and what is – not.

Verse 16 is a statement that shows another facet of the depth of God’s love. Jesus has things He wants to tell us but His delivery of the message will be in perfect timing. Yes, there are times that I cannot bear what Jesus has to tell me. It is the Holy Spirit that knows my spirit and brings the message in His timing and with His truthful words. The Spirit gives God’s message – straight from the throne room of the Father.

Jesus says here that the Spirit will be bringing messages. God’s Word is not finished. He continues to communicate with His children. Just as He did not stop talking when Moses died or Jesus came back to heaven, God isn’t finished yet. Jesus says that the Spirit will be telling us about things to come.

Prophecy, words of knowledge, and discernment are ‘tricky’ things. We must apply the wisdom that God gives us when we receive a ‘new thing’ from God. It is a wonderful experience to hear from God. Yes, there is much to hear from God in the scripture that we know. There is more. And it will reflect the character of God that we know. Just as the ‘dots’ from the Old Testament connect with the ‘dots’ of the New Testament, so will ‘new’ words from God connect with what we already know.

“Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” vv.20-22

There are difficult, very difficult things happening and that will happen. The Holy Spirit does not bring happy news. He brings us news that will correct me, discipline me, encourage me, and teach me. Just as there were hard teachings in school, there are hard teachings to be learned from my best Teacher.

Let us commit our hearts and minds to God so that our ears become tuned to only Him. Let us be open to what God has to say to us. Let us be obedient to the path He has for us, knowing that Jesus promised that the Spirit would supply us with all that we need for whatever is to come.

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The Holy Spirit – More Than a Dove

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.” John 16:7-11 (WEB)

It is not a subject that I like to think about: sin. It is easier for me to consider the Holy Spirit as Comforter. I like that. I need that. But I also need the Holy Spirit as Convicter. Understand that there is a big difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit convicts. Our enemy, satan, condemns.

When I feel guilty and unable to change or recover, then I am being condemned for what I did. God does not condemn His children. He wants us to make a turn and change – repent – of our sin. He wants us to learn from our sin and “go and sin no more”. God wants to illuminate and shine a light on sin so that we learn right from wrong. Satan, however, wants me to think that I am helpless to choose a different path and so I can only live with my sin and let it ultimately destroy me. He is a liar and deceiver. Above everything, satan does not want me to believe in Jesus. Satan will say and do anything to keep me from taking that step of faith in a Savior and His love.

It is God’s Spirit that shows me God’s Hope. I begin to understand the larger picture that is the perfect Atonement Sacrifice – Jesus Christ. I begin to see God’s Kingdom as an eternal kingdom and that this world truly is not my home. I begin to understand that justice and right-ness is not going to come in my life here. The Holy Spirit shows me how I am to live my life just and right, following Jesus’ example, but I will be disappointed if I think this world will bring me justice and righteousness. That will only come from God and only happen in His Kingdom.

The prince of this world, satan, has been judged. His fate is sealed. (heh, heh, heh) When those trumpets are played and Jesus comes in His glory, satan will receive what is due him. I can’t wait to see it! What a great day that will be!

For now let me receive Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit and learn from Him. Jesus shows me by example how to be holy. The Holy Spirit corrects me so I actually learn how to turn from sin and live in a right relationship with God.

“Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:12-14 (WEB)

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Ask, Seek, and You Will Find!

Posted on June 3, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.” John 16:5-6 (WEB)

As a hospice nurse for twelve years, I have attended many, many deaths. I have been honored to be there as people truly looked with joy to where they were going. Jesus said He was going back. He was going someplace familiar. He was going home.

The disciples could not get past the fact that Jesus was leaving them. Jesus was abandoning them. He was going some place that they could not go – now. The disciples were sad. They were grieving. As Jesus observed, their hearts were filled – with sorrow.

When life takes a sharp turn, an unexpected turn, too often our hearts (and minds) are filled with sadness, disappointment, frustration, even anger. Those thoughts block the truth of the situation that the Holy Spirit is trying to bring. In this passage, the disciples were missing the message of what was to come. They could not hear the victory that was assured. God’s Kingdom was had truly come to earth through Jesus!

In life’s reality I may stand and stare at a close door and miss the doors and windows that God is opening! I believe that this is when through the Holy Spirit a fellowship of believers comes together and God’s desired focus can return. The disciples found this after Pentecost. They learned to come together in unity and help one another to stay to the course. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, brings that healing power that raises the eyes up from the closed door to the opening where Jesus beckons us to “Come”.

The hardest day of my life was when Jesus quietly, gently told me that it was not the Father’s plan for my son, James, to be healed. He was going to die. Even as my heart cried, “No!”, my spirit knew that Jesus was not bringing the message and then leaving me in the dirt! Jesus was there with strong arms to hold me and the assurance that He was not going to leave me or James. Neither one of us would ever be left alone as we had to walk in opposite directions – for now.

Jesus wanted His disciples to ask where He was going because the answer was important and victorious!!! The very thing that we may not want to know – may have the information we need to know!

“Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” v. 22-24 (WEB)

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Never Doubt the Love of Jesus

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,]“These things have I spoken to you, so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.” John 16:1-4 (WEB)

It is weirdly interesting to me what is left out of the lectionary scriptures. Lectionary scriptures are four groups of scriptures (usually an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a Gospel passage, and an epistle or letter passage) noted every week in the church year. I’m not sure if it is decided by committee or secret ballot but is whoever decides the list afraid of some verses? Do they think if pulpit preachers and teachers ignore the verses that are not on the list that the people in the pews won’t have to deal with hard questions in their lives? What alternative universe do they live in???

The lectionary last week took verses from John 15 and then picked up on John 16:5. Why leave out the four I noted here?

Jesus has just given the disciples maybe the greatest sermon. He gave what was in His heart to the ones He had hand-picked to carry the Message, His Good News. But being Who He is, He also had to tell the whole truth. The truth about what was to come. The truth about what it means to be His disciple, His follower.

All will not be perfect and wonderful to those who choose to follow Jesus. His path leads to the Cross. He told us to take up our cross and follow Him – to Golgotha. Jesus’ message was not just for His then disciples. It was for all of us! Our path may very well mean we will be asked to give our life as a martyr. It at a minimum will mean giving our life to His plan; giving up our own plans that do not take the same path as His. It would be difficult to read verse 2 and not think of the Crusaders of the past or the Islamic fanatics of September 11, 2001. Both killed in the name of God.

Jesus has gone to the Father and so He gives us His words and His Spirit to remind us of His promises and the mansion that He has planned for us. Jesus knows that the road that leads to that mansion will be worse than we can imagine so He gives all that is in His heart – a love that is higher and wider and deeper than we can imagine.

So if you come to scripture verses that seem difficult to absorb – they are put there with so much love – surely you do not want to ignore them!

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Jesus’ Gift – The Spirit

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27 (WEB)

Jesus speaks such rich words! Here in John’s gospel, Jesus is overflowing with important stuff for the disciples to remember in the years to come after Jesus has gone to the Father. Important words for me to remember!

The Counselor, the Paraclete, that comes directly from the Father – His very Spirit – will tell them about Jesus. The Spirit will remind them of words they may not have understood at the time they heard them. The words will be Truth; personal knowledge of Jesus. The words will stand in evidence of Who and What Jesus is.

My husband has studied and absorbed God’s Word most of his life. Even after seminary when he turned from God, the Word of God was deeply rooted within him. And the Spirit of God was ready and waiting so that when Henry turned back to God – the Spirit testified to Henry about Jesus. Henry’s spirit recognized the Spirit of God as truth.

In my worse moments, the Spirit speaks to my spirit far beyond what words could describe. The Spirit is unafraid to go down into that pit with me and bring the Light of God to show me the way out.

“You WILL testify”, Jesus says. Why? Because I know. Jesus is real and personal to me. He is in my life and I look at the world and see the pain and suffering and I know that Jesus is the only One who saves. Jesus is the only One who can heal that kind of pain and give life. I do not believe you will find me on a street corner shouting Scripture but I pray that you see me walking my life as a living testimony. I will testify to what I know.

For all the fullness [of God] was pleased to dwell in him; [Jesus] and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him, if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, [and Jody] were made  servant(s). Colossians 1:19-23 (WEB, my emphasis)

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“Hello, God?”

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Jody Neufeld
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.
Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions. Psalm 130:1-2 (WEB)

It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.    Isaiah 65:24 (WEB)

I just read today that Amy, wife of Phil Mickelson’s (arguably the #2 golfer in the world) has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Cancer is no respecter of anyone! Cancer does not care if you are a young child or a genius or champion. I do not believe there is a more frightening word than “cancer”.

In my years as a hospice nurse or as the mother of a child with cancer, when cancer strikes it is an immediate drop into a deep pit of fear and despair. It is from this depth that you cry out to the One who can do something! I have said it many times and continue to stand by it: It is fear that you battle – the cancer is secondary. From the moment that the word is ‘cancer’ is said to you or one you love, every bit of faith you have cultivated comes into play. It is not paranoia or pessimism that has me counseling people to build their relationship with God now instead of “getting round to it some day”. Wrestle with God today on any questions or areas of disbelief. God is ready to meet now. Wrestling with God on an issue and battling cancer and it’s ‘Big Brother Fear’ is not the way to do it!

Teddy Roosevelt said to “walk softly but carry a big stick”! Look at God’s promise in Isaiah. BEFORE I cried out of my pit of fear and despair – GOD HEARD AND ANSWERED! God has given that promise and His promises are always true! I can walk quietly in the confidence that nothing takes God by surprise! Nothing!

“But if God knew this was going to happen – why did He allow it?” I do not believe that God created cancer or any other suffering. But I do believe that He is after all GOD. Nothing can happen against His will. I am not taking the easy way out of this question but this is too big a question for me. It is a question that is about God’s eternal plan and I do not have the ability to have that answer. It is a question that I have asked. It is a question that I felt only God could answer. Since His plan for each person is for each person – only God can give His answer to me! And God’s answer is going to be for my question – not yours. His answer may not come immediately and it may not be a total answer given in one moment. It may come in parts in various conversations you have with Him.

Whether you are going through a cancer battle yourself or are praying for someone you love – know that before you speak – God hears and answers. Let us stop now and lay our petitions before Him and include Amy Mickelson.

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