One of the things the Holy Spirit
spoke to me about recently is to continue to be very deliberate and intentional
in supporting other ministries in a number of different ways. In some
cases I experienced that we have to support a ministry by building a platform
of success under them, even if their vision is not part of the vision God gave
us at Free 2 Celebrate. In other cases the support was of a financial nature,
and in yet another way the Holy Spirit has led us to attend other courses,
seminars, Bible studies, or to read outside of our field of interest.
I believe one of the moments the
Holy Spirit spoke to me about this was when He gave one of our prayer walk team
members an image of a heart. A healthy heart has 4 chambers and it
“receives” de-oxygenated blood from the body and “gives” it to the lungs.
Then it “receives” the oxygenated blood from the lungs and “gives” it to the
body. In the event where a baby is born with a heart where both
these systems work properly on their own – but do not work together – the baby
will die (unless there is medical intervention to rectify the problem).
In other words, the heart must be able to give and receive to
function in such a way that it can sustain life for the whole body.
This was a profound revelation to
me since I have more than once experienced how something in the spirit
dies because ministries in the body of Christ cannot give and receive
from each other. We are supposed to be one body with one Head – Christ-
but also with only one heart. We should be working together in His
Kingdom. However, we often are so focussed on our own visions that we
cannot give and receive oxygen from each other. And… it is a
condition of the heart…. and it causes the whole body to suffer and die.
And so it happened on one of the
occasions where I attended another ministry’s meeting that the Holy Spirit gave
me the following scripture… it is from Proverbs 8. Please read the whole
chapter but I am only going to quote the beginning and the end of the chapter:
Verse 1-3
Does
not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
And
verse 32-36:
“Now
therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favour from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favour from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
Whoever finds Me finds LIFE…
Where is wisdom to be found? In this scripture Wisdom stands at the high
places, where the paths meet and at the city gates, entrances and doors…. It is
great Wisdom when we stay teachable, when we give and receive at the crossroads
where we meet other travellers within the body of Christ. It is the Holy
Spirit’s Wisdom when we make sure that Jesus is enthroned in the high places of
our lives (our minds), and when we allow Him to infuse us with the oxygen of
His truth through the gates, entrances and doors of our lives. When
Wisdom is enthroned in her rightful places of authority the body can give and
receive life from each other without fear, without foolishness and without
trying to function in isolation.
Where is Wisdom? Is Wisdom
enthroned in her rightful place? In my life? In your life? In
our city? In our church? Where is Wisdom? It is time to
repent of dethroning Wisdom and enthroning our own wisdom by closing our
borders in pride, fear, arrogance or through being unteachable, not wanting to
either give and/or receive from the rest of the Body of Christ… let us step
across that border and reach out to the rest of the body enthroning Wisdom as
The Gatekeeper, guarding the heights, gates and doors, receiving His guidance at the
crossroads of life.
© November 2016 Gerda Venter - Author and Picture
© November 2016 Gerda Venter - Author and Picture
