MY MARATHON - Part FOUR - 1993
This is part four of a story about the Marathon God told me I would be training to run. You may want to go back to parts 1-3 to get the full context.
1990-1993 For three years we stayed in our house, worked in the area but never again saw most of the people we had fellow-shipped with for up to 14 years. I went back to the church office, on a couple of occasions and tried to reconcile things, with the Pastor, by now that they had discovered that the other couple had been lying and that they were trying to create division. In the end, Bob moved away to the Denver area, and became a Baptist pastor, partially in reaction to all he saw in the charismatic movement.
1990-1993 For three years we stayed in our house, worked in the area but never again saw most of the people we had fellow-shipped with for up to 14 years. I went back to the church office, on a couple of occasions and tried to reconcile things, with the Pastor, by now that they had discovered that the other couple had been lying and that they were trying to create division. In the end, Bob moved away to the Denver area, and became a Baptist pastor, partially in reaction to all he saw in the charismatic movement.
There were a small group who left the church right after they prayed me out.
I hadn't planned on leaving, so I was surprised and really had no place to go for worship the next Sunday morning, or for that matter for the next season. I certainly didn't tell anybody to follow me out, but some of them wanted something more and so they left. In the end most of them dropped into a larger more prosperous AOG church. Because, no one really enjoys the wilderness journey, where there is no structure, no programs, no padded pews, no soft chairs. After all, you might have to move from rented space, to rented space, use an overhead and/or song sheets. There may not be any sound equipment, microphones, PA system, and certainly not a decked out nursery, or a youth facility.
I hadn't planned on leaving, so I was surprised and really had no place to go for worship the next Sunday morning, or for that matter for the next season. I certainly didn't tell anybody to follow me out, but some of them wanted something more and so they left. In the end most of them dropped into a larger more prosperous AOG church. Because, no one really enjoys the wilderness journey, where there is no structure, no programs, no padded pews, no soft chairs. After all, you might have to move from rented space, to rented space, use an overhead and/or song sheets. There may not be any sound equipment, microphones, PA system, and certainly not a decked out nursery, or a youth facility.
1990 - 91We met with a group of people in a house church weekly, we discussed the word, we prayed and we worshiped. We stood in a circle and worshiped acapella. Anyone can lead out, when there are no instruments, no platform, no worship leader, no podium.
1991 - 92 We also met some people from Mankato, through David R. they wanted us to connect with them and we prayed about it and God eventually gave us direction. We met with them monthly for a period of one year and a half.
1993 - Eventually we sold our new house, I left a good job, and took a 66% pay cut and we moved into an old house with a bad foundation in Mankato. And then the week before we moved out of our metro house...Saul raised his head, a storm that had been brewing for a year hit the fan.
1993 - Eventually we sold our new house, I left a good job, and took a 66% pay cut and we moved into an old house with a bad foundation in Mankato. And then the week before we moved out of our metro house...Saul raised his head, a storm that had been brewing for a year hit the fan.
Now, through his whole process I have discovered that someone can beg you, almost on bended knee, to come, but then once you are en-route, the same person can hurl a javelin at you, almost before you have arrived. This has happened three times in the story of my Marathon.
July 20 1993 - Tuesday, I was invited down to Mankato to redeem some salvage items for my house renovation from an old farmhouse which was going to be burned down a few weeks later. They asked me to bring Robert Ewing with me (a new acquaintance visiting from the UK) who was recently saved out of a worldy lifestyle.
Three men (all leaders at the time) from independent fellowships in Mankato decided to read me the riot act about bringing this newly saved 'friend' Rob into their meeting, because they saw demons all over him. However, none of them offered to cast out the demons and welcome this brother as a new born babe. One man in particular literally yelled at Rob, inside the mini-van for an hour as he drove.
While they didn't 'yell' at me, when we arrived at the farmhouse, they rebuked me and accused me of horrible pride, specifically concerning my prophesies. "That they were filled with so much pride that they were poisonous to the Body, but then they exhorted me, "you had better not quit prophesying." well I had a difficult time sorting that one out.
This all happened on the Tuesday just before I would move my family here to Mankato permanently to join in ministry with these same men!
July 20 - after pulling the tub and several doors from the farm house and dropping them at my 'dream' house in Mankato. We arrived at the home of one of the men to spend the night, and I asked the Lord, "What was all that about? Are these accusations true?" And the Lord directed me to open my bible to a disturbing scripture reference...
Well, I don't know if that is true. I guess, I would refer them to Acts where a couple dropped over dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. I only know what my experience was with this situation.
As soon as I read the words, I was shaken, I knew it applied to the actions of that evening. I pleaded with God, "please do not bring down on them the consequences relayed in this passage, certainly not on my account." I went on to say, if their actions had violated His laws, He was free to do whatever He pleased. God spoke to me and said, "it was not up to you."
Tragically, within several months the man whose house we were at, when this conversation took place, became involved in an affair, was divorced and disappeared from leadership and from the local fellowship scene.
A few years later the second man collapsed of a heart attack while jogging and died clinically. After he was resuscitated, he became gradually disconnected from others. His entire leadership team was scattered, he dropped out of ministry and could not remember things that took place from the time before his collapse. He was unfaithful and then divorced his wife and left town.
The third man, I continued to work with in various ways until 1998. After only a few months of seeing his dream of a Discipleship Training Center, he moved away from Mankato, this time to the East Coast. I had an impression from the Lord that He would not return to Church life in Mankato. A few years later he returned to the region but stayed at a distance outside of Mankato, he lived in Wells for several months, attended a Lutheran Church (the denomination of his youth) and then died suddenly of a Heart Attack, in the Twin Cities Metro.
In the end all three men have left their wives behind, one by death and the other two through unfaithfulness leading to divorce. Of Course all of this makes sad. I mention it only because when God ready to move in power, it is critical to drop our agendas and any power plays anfd come into alignment with His plans.
The word I had delivered in 1992 that was so challenging (full of pride) was a word that each of them received immediately with joy, but afterword they decided it was not to be received, because it was a word for every man to humble themselves and to in honor prefer one another. Can you hear the disciples on the road arguing about who is the greatest?
Only recently have I been introduced to Stephen Jones and his writings, he indicates that during this time period specifically May of 1993 was a very significant. It was in May that My Wife and I discovered the house we now live in through a prophetic dream. We made a verbal agreement with the owner around May 30, 1993, began working on the house July 3, and moved into our new gutted out home on Rosh Hashanah that year.
July 20 1993 - Tuesday, I was invited down to Mankato to redeem some salvage items for my house renovation from an old farmhouse which was going to be burned down a few weeks later. They asked me to bring Robert Ewing with me (a new acquaintance visiting from the UK) who was recently saved out of a worldy lifestyle.
Three men (all leaders at the time) from independent fellowships in Mankato decided to read me the riot act about bringing this newly saved 'friend' Rob into their meeting, because they saw demons all over him. However, none of them offered to cast out the demons and welcome this brother as a new born babe. One man in particular literally yelled at Rob, inside the mini-van for an hour as he drove.
While they didn't 'yell' at me, when we arrived at the farmhouse, they rebuked me and accused me of horrible pride, specifically concerning my prophesies. "That they were filled with so much pride that they were poisonous to the Body, but then they exhorted me, "you had better not quit prophesying." well I had a difficult time sorting that one out.
This all happened on the Tuesday just before I would move my family here to Mankato permanently to join in ministry with these same men!
July 20 - after pulling the tub and several doors from the farm house and dropping them at my 'dream' house in Mankato. We arrived at the home of one of the men to spend the night, and I asked the Lord, "What was all that about? Are these accusations true?" And the Lord directed me to open my bible to a disturbing scripture reference...
Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent, Not guilty! and so establish his innocence.
2 Chronicles 6:22-23I understand that this is an Old Testament Scripture passage, some would even say God does not judge his servants any more, in the new covenant.
Well, I don't know if that is true. I guess, I would refer them to Acts where a couple dropped over dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. I only know what my experience was with this situation.
As soon as I read the words, I was shaken, I knew it applied to the actions of that evening. I pleaded with God, "please do not bring down on them the consequences relayed in this passage, certainly not on my account." I went on to say, if their actions had violated His laws, He was free to do whatever He pleased. God spoke to me and said, "it was not up to you."
Tragically, within several months the man whose house we were at, when this conversation took place, became involved in an affair, was divorced and disappeared from leadership and from the local fellowship scene.
A few years later the second man collapsed of a heart attack while jogging and died clinically. After he was resuscitated, he became gradually disconnected from others. His entire leadership team was scattered, he dropped out of ministry and could not remember things that took place from the time before his collapse. He was unfaithful and then divorced his wife and left town.
The third man, I continued to work with in various ways until 1998. After only a few months of seeing his dream of a Discipleship Training Center, he moved away from Mankato, this time to the East Coast. I had an impression from the Lord that He would not return to Church life in Mankato. A few years later he returned to the region but stayed at a distance outside of Mankato, he lived in Wells for several months, attended a Lutheran Church (the denomination of his youth) and then died suddenly of a Heart Attack, in the Twin Cities Metro.
In the end all three men have left their wives behind, one by death and the other two through unfaithfulness leading to divorce. Of Course all of this makes sad. I mention it only because when God ready to move in power, it is critical to drop our agendas and any power plays anfd come into alignment with His plans.
The word I had delivered in 1992 that was so challenging (full of pride) was a word that each of them received immediately with joy, but afterword they decided it was not to be received, because it was a word for every man to humble themselves and to in honor prefer one another. Can you hear the disciples on the road arguing about who is the greatest?
Only recently have I been introduced to Stephen Jones and his writings, he indicates that during this time period specifically May of 1993 was a very significant. It was in May that My Wife and I discovered the house we now live in through a prophetic dream. We made a verbal agreement with the owner around May 30, 1993, began working on the house July 3, and moved into our new gutted out home on Rosh Hashanah that year.
Dr. Stephen Jones says that on May 30th 1993, Prophetically King Saul died. To help explain that, he says, the Pentecost Season that represents the Saul Kingdom came to an end, and it was the beginning of the Davidic reign in Hebron.
The next date he shared was Nov 30, 2000, which would mark David's reign being extended to all of Israel.These two dates both have parallels in my personal life.
November 30, 2000 will be discussed in Part Five.
The next date he shared was Nov 30, 2000, which would mark David's reign being extended to all of Israel.These two dates both have parallels in my personal life.
November 30, 2000 will be discussed in Part Five.
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