This morning during our daily time of prayer, day six of the prayer lines holy consecration, Brother Jamal began to pray. Typically all phone lines are muted to keep out background noises but this morning I neglected to ask the callers to mute their phones. Half way through the prayer a woman began fussing at her children in irritation of what they were not doing. She was so loud she over powered the prayers of Brother Jamal. The Holy Spirit told me to interrupt the prayer and to ask all callers to mute the phone but I did not listen. I acted in my own mind because I did not want to be a second disturbance. Although the young woman had stopped for a moment the holy spirit told me that she would say unfavorable things to the children because she was frustrated but again, I did not correct her, nor yield to the spirit and in less than two minutes she began fussing at the children again but this time she used foul language and I could hear the gasp from those on the line. I had to come forth and stop the prayer and then correct her and all the callers.
When the call was over some people sent me messages saying they were upset, appalled and offended. Many of these callers are new to the more than forty participants we have nearly every morning. All the callers have invited their family and friends to join them on the prayer line. After taking a cat nap and having dreamed a specific thing about thieves stealing from those who are left exposed and open, the Lord reminded me that none of us are so holy, so pure or so righteous and THAT is the reason for times of consecration such as the one (WE) as the prayer line callers are experiencing right now. People are expecting me to correct this young woman further and beyond what I said on the call but they missed the message in the group text message I sent that morning and its meaning for day six of this consecration period. The message said: “Are you giving God part or all of you? I am your accountability partner, as you are mine. Let’s give God everything, especially the dirty and shameful things. Mouth, mind, finances, children, marriage, heart, hurt, pain…Day 6 has begun and God wants ALL of you!”
The point is all of us are in different spaces and places. Some of us have never cursed. Some of us know enough not to curse in church, on the prayer call or during other fellowship times with the Saints. Some of us have been totally delivered from cursing but we still back bite, cheat, lie, steal, manipulate, doubt, fear, lack faith and the list goes on.
The prayer call is a place for the saved, unsaved and those trying to figure out what side of the fence they want to be on. I will not condemn nor judge this young woman. I won’t point her out or use her as an example. I won’t allow anyone to attack her. I will stand in the gap for her. So if anyone has anything to say, simply say it to me. I will be the whipping post for her. I will take the persecution from all the holy people that live lives perfected without flaw or blemish.
I will go even further being transparent, hearing those words come from this young woman was a mirror, no maybe I don’t curse at my children but in heightened times of frustration or even anger I have used similar words. My heart cried as God used this moment on the call as an opportunity to shine the light on me. God exposed an ugly place that is just as much mine as it was this young woman’s. Maybe it’s not swearing, cursing or using foul language for you but it may be words like, “I can’t! That will never happen for me! I’ll always be sick! I’m never going to get out of debt! My marriage is going to fail! I don’t think these family members will ever change!” and again, the list goes on.
It’s easy to persecute, judge and point out wrong doings, bad habits, ill behaviors and such with others than it is to love somebody right where they are. So again, I’ll be the whipping post. If you have nails, knives, whips, chains, whatever you want to do or say to this young woman to get if off your chest for how you were offended, simply say it to me and guess what? I will take it all no matter how bad it hurts. Her soul can’t be lost because we are holy! In fact, her soul is found because someone holy invited her to the call. So with my little bit of strength and my extremely strong faith, I’ll take her punishment because I know it won’t kill me but it might very well set her back to a place of self-condemnation and ill thoughts. It may wound and even kill her.
Trust me; I know she is already beating herself up enough. You know why…Because no one ever wants to expose the dirt within themselves in front of the Saints. That’s why they clean themselves up first before they come to church or in the presence of “the holy people”. They want to change, that’s why they come in the first place but they have the pressure of faking the funk and acting like they are much better than they really are. Why? Because, none of the Saints embrace filth.
Think about this: The Lord told me to go and hug a homeless woman on a bench. She was filthy but the Lord said it so I did it. He told me to hold her hands which were dirty and so I did. He told me to forget the smell and to smile at and pray for her and so I did. Then He said for me to tell her I love her and that I do care and so I did.
Later that same day I saw a homeless man sitting outside of the Subway Sandwich shop. He asked for money. I asked him what he wanted it for but only because the Lord told me to ask him. He said he was hungry. The Lord told me not to buy myself something to eat but to buy him what I would have gotten for myself. In other words feed but not just any old thing…feed him well. So I asked him what he wanted and then went into the store and purchased it. There was an old man in the store also and he said the young man was not homeless but that he was a beggar and a bum. He said there was nothing wrong with him and he needed to get a job and take care of himself because he is a grown man. The older gentleman went on to say I should not do anything to help him because he was just plain ole’ lazy. I smiled at the old man and said, “My heart is in God and God’s heart is for all His people. I must be obedient.” So I was. When I went back outside the Lord told me to tell the young man to get up off the ground and get clean. His eyes filled with tears as he told me his story. He knew precisely the three areas God had shown me. Then the Lord said to tell him not to be ashamed and so I did.
Now imagine if I had not listened to God but listened to the man because he was repulsed by what he could see when looking at the young man with natural eyes.
Clearly we sometimes sit in postures waiting for that right word, that right moment to be accepted, the right moment to be encouraged, the right moment for someone to feed us, the right moment to have our needs met, the right moment to be loved.
So again, I say, “I’ll be the whipping post for our sister who is clearly struggling. Maybe it’s her patience. Maybe it’s her timing. Maybe its motherhood – being single with small babies. Maybe it’s a lack of love or self-respect. Who knows? I don’t claim to know but I do know she is struggling. She has just as much desire to be right with God as the rest of us. So judge me in her place. Place the thorns upon my head. Persecute me. I’ll stand in her place. But remember this, by the measure you judge that is the same measure by which you, yourself will be judged.
“He who is without sin cast the first stone”~ John 8:7
“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from sin?”~Proverbs 20:9
**During our time of consecration God will expose us to what’s truly in our hearts individually and corporately. As Mother Patricia stated during the meditation today, none of us are exempt from pain but we are also NOT exempt from persecution or judgment and neither are we exempt from flaws! Yes we are new creations in Christ but we ALL die daily to the flesh in order to live for God being holy and acceptable.
This blog post is one with many messages to all who read. Take a moment to read it again and to share it with someone else.
OTHER SCRIPTURES MEDITATE ON DURING CONSECRATION:
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.~ Romans 15:1 New International Version
And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. ~ Mark 12:33 American Standard Version
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.~ Romans 12:9-10 New International Version
I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise…it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know that law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!
I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that its predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
~ Roman 7: 15-23 The Message Bible
Romans 13:10
Zechariah 8:17
Luke 10:27
PRAYER:
Lord, bless the eyes of the one who reads this post. Touch them in the inner most, depths of their beings. Remind them of your love for them. Encourage them to open and expose those parts they are ashamed to share with you. Wrap your arms around them and draw them closer to you. Heal the sin sick, the wounded, the lost, the afflicted, the bound. Remake them into what you desire Lord. Help them to love their neighbor honestly as you love us. Lord I thank you for revealing the ugly parts of me that I may be open to your truth and to change that which can only come from you. Help each of us to acknowledge our flaws, face them and then allow you to fix them...bit by bit and piece by piece. Make us whole. My God you are so loving and we do not take your lovingkindness for granted. It is in Christ name I pray for myself, my brothers and sisters, near and far, Amen
