This is from chapter 10, “Where Did It Fall?” in a book named, “Greater,” as written by, “Steven Furtick,” wherein his note had been paraphrased and summarized. 9 Aug. 2014. Chapter 9, “Where Did It Fall?” In that someone had said, “We have to go back to Bethel, Son, and you have to take me,” it was first referred to in the Old Testament where Jacob build an altar marking his life-altering encounter with God, so must we go back to Bethel, that marks the place of our encounter with God, in that when we had our first encounter with the Holy Spirit, it gave us the definitive nature of our call to the ministry. As for myself in relation to my definitive call to the ministry, reading this chapter really does confirm that I must go back to that old country church, not out on the hill, but in the museum in Portage La Prairie, Man., in order to relive that moment I was called into the ministry. Wherein back then, I thought she was crazy, off her rocker, and don’t know what she’s talking about, many years later it wasn’t that was nuts, it was me that was crazy, off my rocker, and didn’t know what I talking about. Wherein back at our “Bethel,” we can be exposed, embarrassed, and convicted, in that we can be told that we’ve lost our first love, the anointing, conviction, and confession thereof, we can have a life-altering encounter with God, wherein we can get our cutting edge back. In that by now, we’re hopefully all in, burned our plows, already digging ditches, using what resources we have, and dripping from our “dip” in the Jordan, so as to keep ourselves humble, wherein God’s plan is opening up to us, we take bold steps of faith into it. In that we’re not purposeful in losing our momentum, wherein sometimes we’re not even conscious of it, the moment we lose our edge can come from a short, but snide remark from someone, in that bitterness took root in our heart, but couldn’t know it until after we’ve gone through another, “Upon Further Review,” session. In that the path to a greater life is not one of a nonstop momentum of gradual ascent, nor of an automatic, permanent position, it’s an intentional daily decision, wherein we do not turn on the autopilot that causes us to lose what we’ve sacrificed so much to gain, and we wonder if we’ll ever get our cutting edge back. In that when we wonder about it long enough, wherein it turns into despair, we’re often tempted to completely give up, in that we don’t take the necessary steps to regain what we’ve lost, but that it’s never too late to regain our momentum, God has a recovery plan of, “Upon Further Review,” in place. In that many borrowed axe heads has flung off many sticks and landed in the water somewhere, the ones that were swinging those axes cry out to God for help, in that we can’t ever fetch it back, God has a plan in place, wherein after we’ve worked hard in doing exactly what we need to be doing in pursuing God’s call upon our life, and we suddenly realize that it’s not working anymore, we need another “Upon Further Review” session to retrieve our axe head, wherein we’re corrected, but not condemned for losing our edge in the first place. In that as Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the same water, that once lost axe head resurfaced, (2 Kings 6:1-6) so must we throw our sticks into the same water, such as what was seen during our latest camp meeting at, “Living Waters,” camp, wherein those who once swung their axes can retrieve their own axe head, to get their cutting edge back, are relieved of a debt we couldn’t possibly repay. In that when things go wrong, wherein maybe it was a harsh word of criticism, or a feeling of entitlement to what isn’t ours in the first place, it’s our responsibility to evaluate the situation by praying about what’s going on, wherein we can stay sharp by taking some preventative counselling before things fall apart, by taking to heart what Steven wrote towards the end of this chapter, in that part of it reads: “…Don’t worry. My marriage is not on the fritz. I’m not burned our or strung out or anything like that. It’s just that, well, I want to keep my edge. I want to do this right. I want you to have a healthy pastor…So like it or not, your pastor is a little crazy…We all need help to keep on track…and this is the best way for me to get that help.” (Proverbs 24:16) (His congregation, by the way, burst into applause)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 23:32:37 +0000