“Do you remember me?” I asked in amazement. The man looked up at me from where he was seated. His eyes were full of surprise. I was the last person he was expecting to see. “What happened?” I asked with wide eyed curiosity. “Yesterday you were barely hanging onto the railing struggling to stand up full of pain and now here you are!” He recounted the story to me. After we had prayed, he wheeled himself into the hospital to wait to be seen. When they called his name, he wheeled himself into the infirmary where they gave him a room to wait for the doctor to see him. Just as the doctor came walking in, he felt the power of God all over him and it was then that the infirmity lifted off of him. The doctor asked him, “what can I do for you today?” Realizing that all the pain had left him, he looked up at the doctor and replied “nothing now. When I originally came here, I was racked with pain. I could not stand up. I had been in an accident and the pain was getting to be more than I could bare. When you walked in here though, all the pain left and I feel like a million bucks! Before coming in here, I prayed with a man in the parking lot. I believe the Lord has healed me!” With that he got up from the wheelchair, apologized for taking up the doctor’s time, then hurried out the door. He could not wait to tell his family. He got on the phone immediately and began telling everybody. His family was so happy for him. To celebrate they decided to go to a restaurant. The very restaurant that I had chosen that day. My head was spinning! “Praise God! Wow! Look what the Lord has done!”
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23)
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)
My mind that had gone from zero to fifty was now racing at awestruck one hundred miles per hour. My countenance must have beamed as I arrived back at the table where the Pastor was waiting to pray over his lunch. I sat down quickly so he could do the customary blessings and dig in so I could share with him the miracle that I had just witnessed. It hit me that this was not just one miracle. This was several miracles wrapped up in one! I recounted to him the story from start to finish to where we were now sitting in the afterglow, or at least I was. When I finished, he said to me with amazement, “now that’s a spiritual ‘atta’ boy if I ever saw one!”
I started to eat and enjoy the moment when he leaned forward and began to tell me what the Lord had commissioned him to take me to lunch for. He said, “Stephen, the Lord has given me a message to give you. He wants you to know three things.” I sat back and stared him right in the eyes knowing that this was going to be from the Lord and that I had better give him my undivided attention. After what I had just witnessed, I wasn’t about to miss another thing. He continued, “Stephen, the Lord says you need to know that every man needs a father, every man needs a brother, and every man needs a son.”
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.” (Psalms 40:3)
It was at that moment the song “Every Man” was born. The atmosphere shifted; the psalmist anointing fell like rain. I felt the deposit of revelation from heaven physically filling my spirit. There it was in in my knower as if it had always been there. The words, the music, the arrangement. “Let me see your pen” I asked the Pastor. Handing the pen to me he watched with curiosity and patience as I began to write the song (“Every Man” see the video here) on a napkin. This song downloaded from Heaven is on my new album “I Am a Son.” I named the album in memory of Don Nori Sr who wrote the book “I Am a Son” just before he passed. Listening to the Spirit I could already hear the sound that these prophetic lyrics of encouragement should be composed to. Lunch and a miracle! That’s the way I like it! The compete package and then some! Once again, the Lord had done exceedingly and abundantly far more than I had could have hoped for or asked!
“But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” (Psalm 115:3)
“The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.” (Isaiah 14:24)
This whole amazing journey has taught me to leave the results to the Lord when it comes to the when, where and how He chooses to manifest His miracle. No! It’s not always about the “moment” we pray but it is and always will be about the glory of God! Can’t you hear Him saying still to this day, “keep your hands off the ark!” When the presence of the Lord manifests the glory, it is time to give up our personal expectations and relinquish any thoughts of wrapping our mind around what does not belong to us. We share in the fullness of the experience when we fall into lock step with Jesus as we realize we are about our Father’s business and not our own. Don’t touch! Simply carry out your marching orders in accordance and within the confines of the realm of stewardship the Spirit of God has appointed you and nothing further.
Believe and have faith that He is accomplishing that for which we are being sent . We are the vessel but He is the Lord of the harvest. Jesus who is the Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father is Lord over all of His plans and purposes. When we move in the “moment” our attitude should be as if we are proceeding from the mouth of the Father just as our Lord Jesus does. We are sent ones.
Our expectations are to remain solely within the context of His faithfulness. Did He not say that His promises are yes and amen? Did He not say that He was watching over His Word to perform it? Yes, He did say that! His Word never returns to Him void neither is He a man that He could lie. His Word always accomplishes that for which it was sent and always bears forth fruits of righteousness. There is nothing wrong with standing on the Word of God in the “moment,” however, the moment does not belong to us. The One who created time and space calls us to be present within His moment with no expectations of our own choosing. Nothing within ourselves should dictate the outcome. Simply knowing that our faith pleases Him and validates us as sons should be sufficient. We should be content He is performing His Word according to His plan and purpose and not for our instant gratification. As obedient sons we step out by faith within the “moment” on behalf of Love. This is the Father’s heart. It is here where we find peace and rest in the doing.
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So, he went away and washed, and came back seeing. (John 9:1-7)
There is a whole lot of freedom in not having to jump through the hoops, or to be anxious with expectancy, for the Lord to perform the supernatural on cue according to our own limited imagination. Listening to the Lord tell us to go left or right, stop or go forward, stand or get out of the way is not always easy when we have visions of grandeur born of unrealistic expectations. This immaturity in the spirit realm concerning doing the good works has selfish ambition and anxiety written all over it. When our plans spring from within our own vain glorious expectations we step outside the realms of faith into carnal works of the flesh. Soon we find ourselves robbed of our potential to experience great joy in serving the One we love. Our joy should always be in our Salvation alone! Our obedience should always spring out of the knowledge that He loves us and chooses to express His Love and His power through His sons.
Immaturity keeps us disappointed and frustrated. Experiencing the reality of our weakness apart from Christ should be the impetus of the desire to “grow up.” Disappointments and frustrations are designed to produce a hunger and thirst for righteousness born out of the lack thereof. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Walking in the spirit realm at entry level is a process of falling down and getting back up again to maturity. It is a life long journey. We will always find ourselves entering into something new in Christ. He loves the new! He knows what He is doing and uses every mistake, wrong attitude and preconceived notions or expectation to mature us. No one has arrived that I know of, although some are under the impression they have.
The Lord is not offended with our immaturity, nor is He surprised that you would contend with Him concerning His part in the “moment.” Consider that when the Lord spoke us into existence, He already knew what the times and the seasons would be for us just as He has for everyone that He foreknew. Besides where there is weakness and failure and obvious sin His grace much more abounds. He has stacked the deck in our favor so that we can get back up and move on to maturity when contentions between our spirit and His Spirit arise. Praise God!
“for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” (Acts 17:28)
Many “moments” in our walk of mystery and intrigue in the spirit realm have pointed to unshakable knowledge that it is He who is working within all of us to will and to do His good pleasure. We are simply fulfilling the part we are to play in this dance of love. Let us all come to the place where we allow Jesus to lead us, His Bride, in the dance of cooperation. Let the dance instill within us this Truth; that signs and wonders would follow us without us having to micromanage the outcome! What a place of rest it is to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and not have to lean on your own understanding!
It is His plan; it is His purpose in all that He has called us to do. His will must prevail. It is not going to be about us except that we would grow in faith and glory as we love and trust the Lord. We are maturing sons who are about our Father’s business. His plans and purposes are always about Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father for and always on behalf of Love. Ask the Lord to sow this revelation into your spirit.
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ASK or THINK, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory (not ourselves) in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Thank you everyone of you who read these submissions and thank you for clicking on the links to the songs and the web page. Please take the time to click on the link to the “I Am a Son” book and remember Don Nori Sr who passed a year ago. I am grateful that my “moment” with Don and Cathy led to my introduction to Destiny Image and Don Nori Jr who has graciously extended to me this valuable opportunity.
