Bearer of the Flame

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd November 1, 2015 - Filed in Devotional - 9,140 views
  Of the angels he says, 'Who makes his angels winds, And his servants a flame of fire.' Hebrews 1:7 WEB
  
  When the preacher walked past our row of seats, it seemed like you could feel heat coming off of him. When he looked at you, it was as if he looked straight into your heart and saw how black that it really was. You felt as if he knew everything that you had ever done wrong. It was uncomfortable and I could not help but look away. I felt like I needed to go repent just being there.
  
  I was not used to this. You could usually sleep through the service at our church and no one would notice. Though I was saved and had attended church for years, this visiting speaker whom I had never seen before, walked in an anointing that I did not know existed before then.
  
  He called my friend up front who was sitting beside me, and began to tell him about the three car accidents that my friend had been in, and how God had spared his life so that He could use him today. He had never seen my friend before. God shared secrets with him.
  
  After this he called me up front and told me that He had given me an ability to understand things complex, that one day I would be in the ministry and to begin to prepare myself for it. I was twenty years old when he gave me that word and painted houses for a living.
  
  It excited me and I went through Bible college at night and got a degree, but when I graduated, every door was supernaturally shut. People would schedule me to speak at their church, then cancel the night before. Finally, I ended up working on computers for twenty years and just forgot about the ministry entirely.
  
  Years later, our computer business dried completely up and after months of job searching, the final week that we were getting ready to move out of our house, I was pushed into full time ministry as a pastor. It was the furthest thing from my mind at that point, but was a wide open door and the only job open to me.
  
  'Prepare yourself' meant a lot more than Bible college and it took twenty-five years, but here I am. Now I use the technical skills that I learned along the way to build the online church here and to send millions of emails a month. Refreshing Hope maintains its own server farm built by the pastor and we are using it to spread His word around the earth.
  
  I wrote all of that not to build myself up, but to say that my outlook on Christianity changed that day when I watched a man walk under a heavy anointing by God and speak things that came true twenty-five years later. He was genuine and carried the Holy Spirit like a flame. I want that, but it will costs everything. Total commitment.
  
  I learned that day that there is a level of walking with the Lord that not everyone has. Sure, we will make it to heaven, but there is an anointing for those that press into the heart of God right now and there is an intimacy to be had. There is more to this Christianity thing than I was taught. This is real and it is time to radically believe God.
  
  Prayer: Father, I know that You are there for me, and I want to be here for You. Use me Lord. Speak to me and through me. Help me to encourage others in their walk with You. Let me lead others to You. Anoint me to help bring in the harvest and guide my steps today, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
  
  Note: Good morning and happy Sunday! Don''t forget that today is the time change, so set your clocks to "fall back", if you have not already done so :). Thank you all so much for being part of Refreshing Hope Ministries! We are truly blessed by all who pray for us, offer support, and encourage us with your comments and participation at the online church!