MIRACLE COORDINATION IN ‘SILENT’ CITY

While deliveries were coordinated in most places through the city pastors’group, there were exceptions.

In one citythepastors somehow justdidn’t feel to engage with this – and we recognised that they were doing many other good things, so were not critical of this. No one had to help! But how could the delivery still be achieved?

A single lady from a conservativeand vibrantchurch contacted us and offered her help. When the need was explained, she had faith to believe it was possible and said, “I’ll make a start on that!”Then, as she took initiative, everything fell into place around her. God led her to people. She met a lady – who tookon delivery to a whole suburb on herdailywalks. Two friendscommitted to another area together.Thechurchshe attendsthen ralliedsome volunteers,as did another church theyregularly connect with.Also, quite incredibly, 3 of the first 6 people who called our Tauranga office to volunteer for the delivery came from that very city! And so, with mostchurches in that city not involved, Christians from across the city werestill united, and the homes received their booklets!

This raises an intriguing question:

Might God therefore have still seen a united Church in action in this city – even though very few churches were involved via their pastors?

What is the Church – and how does Church leadership work from God’s perspective? Consider: What were the leadership credentials of Gideon, Deborah, Jephthah, Ehud and Samson? Were they national leaders? Did they come from the establishment – or from the fringes of it? How did they become recognised and lead?

All human leadership structures in God’s Church are merely our best attempts at uniting together to do  good. None have  authority – as if they were in  charge of the Church (united) as a whole (unless you are part of the Catholic church, believing in the Papacy etc.).

• This means that, while we respect those in recognised positions, what we do for Christ isn’t limited to what those people see or endorse. (If that were the case your ministry in your work place or among families in a community might be invalidated because pastors’ don’t have capacity to understand it’s purpose or dynamics).
• The roles of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist etc… weren’t about authority – but about empowering the saints for the work of the ministry.  In God’s scheme of things it’s about servant leadership.
• I therefore suggest that  – from God’s perspective, the above city was united this effort, even though most of the pastors’ chose to remain unconnected to it.
  • God’s Church is ultimately Spirit-led. Different people are raised up for different things.
  • Those pastors are doing many good things.
  • Those who networked believers across the city to pray along every street while delivering the booklets to all possible homes (excluding ‘no circulars’ etc.) also did a good thing.
• For this reason, I feel fine with the fact that the pastors’ didn’t engage with this effort – even though the pastors’ groups of most cities and towns nationally did. No one needs judging here. Our team isn’t in charge – and God’s Church, under the guidance of His Spirit, is awesome!

Application

What lenses do you wear when looking at the Church? It’s an important reflection.

Also – God uses normal people to achieve supernatural things.  What could you yet do for God in  your community?