While I was an associate pastor on staff at North Coast Church, I was active in helping to start and build a local chapter of Love INC (that is love In the Name of Christ – it is not a dating service). Love INC is great ministry to families and individuals who needed help with housing, food, utilities, and other basic needs. Love INC was part of World Vision at that time, and they were a very supportive parent organization.
A couple came to minister at North Coast Church one weekend whom I had never met, but they were well spoken of. The pastors and a large group of leaders, over 50 of us, met with them one evening for prophetic ministry. I was hesitant about attending, and not particularly interested in being an active part, so I sat in the back, hidden behind a gentleman who was well over six feet tall. After a time of worship the couple began to call out people in the crowd and speak prophetic words over them. If you have never seen this kind of ministry, it is fascinating, but also a bit intimidating. Thoughts go through your mind like, “Is this for real? Are they just making up general words that could apply to anyone, or do people like them really hear from God?” There is also the fear that if God does speak He might expose some hidden sin. Is that why I was hiding?
The husband spoke the first word to someone near the front, but while he was speaking his wife kept looking toward the back of the room, trying to get a better look at me - as I slid lower in my seat. She then said something to the effect, “You there in the back, are you involved in ministry to the needy?” “Yes,” I said, but thought, “Maybe one of the other pastors told them that I work with Love INC.” She then said, “I believe that God is giving you a blank check, and whatever you need to do this ministry, God will give it to you.” “Great,” I thought, “another God-is-going-to-bless-you prophecy. But I’m sure she means well, so God bless her.” She finished with, “I’ll go further, and I see millions of dollars passing through your hands to the poor.” This was too much. I was polite and smiled, but millions of dollars? Really!!
About two weeks later World Vision contacted all the local Love INC chapters, and said that they were starting a new program to help us multiply ministry in our cities. They were being given donated goods from major manufacturers, and they would make them available in semi-load quantities to chapters like ours if we had suitable warehouse space. I just happened to know a businessman who had a warehouse, and he gave us about ½ of his space. We found a tow motor and shelving for next to nothing. Semis started to arrive full of women’s clothing, jackets, shoes, toys, medical supplies, house hold goods, and office supplies. We contacted ministries to the poor and the homeless, as well as inner city churches who could use our goods, and passed them out by the van and pickup load. They held neighbourhood fairs in their church parking lots, passed out clothing to the homeless, and helped immigrant families arriving in our city. It was simply amazing. I stopped counting after the total value of goods donated topped 3 million dollars.
So you decide. Does God still speak? And when He does, why does He do it – not to tickle our fancy or make us rich, but to accomplish His purposes, to answer the prayer He taught us, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
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