Exchanged January News 2013

January 2013

Inciting Incidents Dave Hickman: We each have a unique part to play in His Story, read about Dave’s.

By Dave Hickman Sitting silently and still is not easy for someone with Tourette's syndrome.

However, over the last year, God has given me the grace to sit in this posture with Him most mornings. Below is a brief outline of my experience in hearing and discerning the Father’s voice in these moments–which consequently, mirrors Elijah’s experience in 1 Kings 19.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah goes and stands on a mountain waiting to hear the voice of God concerning his distressed situation. As he waited for the Lord to “pass by,” Elijah experienced a wave of three things before God’s voice finally came–or he was able to finally hear it.

“A great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind” (1 Kings 19:11a).

When I first silently position myself to hear from the Lord, I am typically hit in the face with an immediate and furious wind of random thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I have come to expect this and to be patient with myself during this initial storm. However, the Lord’s voice has never come to me in or through these initial moments.

“And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake” (1 Kings 19:11b).

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After the wind of random thoughts, feelings, and emotions typically comes the second wave–the desire to move. As the thoughts, feelings, and emotions develop, my tendency is to act (or move) on these feelings and thoughts. I am tempted to break out my journal and write, turn on my computer and blog, or grab a piece of scratch paper and jot down insights for my next sermon. This is like an earthquake inside of me! It’s extremely hard NOT to do these things as they all seem so beneficial and helpful. However, I have found that in this too, the Lord’s voice is not found.

“And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire” (1 Kings 19:12a).

Then there is the fire of self-denial. At this point, EVERYTHING within me wants to act upon what I’m feeling and experiencing. This produces in me a “fire” to DO and not BE. My gut starts to literally burn as I deny these feelings and my desire to write, type, talk, journal, pray, condemn myself, etc. Frankly, it just frustrates the “hell” out of me to not do these things–thus, the fiery burn.

“And after the fire came a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12b).

At this point, I typically feel helpless–burnt up by self-condemning thoughts and guilty feelings, coupled with the fiery frustration of not allowing myself to DO anything with these desires.

Then, out of the frustration and surrender of simply allowing myself to BE, typically comes the whisper. The whisper usually sounds like something I would NEVER say or think to myself (although it feels like a secret I’ve always known to be true). It could be a phrase, a Scripture, or a single word. How do I know it’s of the Lord? Well, before I know it, I’m usually shaking my head in agreement–agreement that I am prideful, or loved, or worse than I think, or better off that I could ever imagine–or all those at once.

This whisper quiets my soul, causes my shoulders to relax, levels out my breathing, and lovingly draws my attention to Reality. And when I hear it, I typically close my eyes (or “pull the cloak over my face”) and just sit still at the mouth of the One who continues to speak today.

Read more about Dave: click here Dave is an IFEL member & Contributing Writer for IOM America.

Permission obtained from author to publish this article, Originally published Dec. 1, 2012 on http://davehickmanblog.com/

One of the “accidental ministries” of IOM is their “Text to Prayer” outreach. In the past year, the outreach has connected prayer partners in 9 countries. It has been a blessing and ministry to many hurting and desperate souls. Here is one of many testimonies: We would like to say a profound thanks and gratitude of your text to prayer message recently. It's so amazing for us to experience your love and deep concern with serious prayer regarding our critical situation, being hit by strong typhoons—twice. Thanks to prayers of the Church, even though our church buildings were damaged, we are all continuing to serve God as we gather each Sunday morning to worship in spirit and in truth. -Osias & Eva Digal of Philippines If you are not a prayer partner but would like to be a part of this exciting ministry—simply text this code to 602-292-2982 (TTP077).

You will receive two prayer texts per week. The only thing we ask is that you reply with a minimum of “I prayed.” Our permission based texting is regulated by replies.

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By Stephen Phinney When I use the term “exchanged life worker” I am addressing each and every indwelt Christian who has a desire to learn more about allowing the life of Christ to minister (or live) through their mortal being.

“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another” (Romans 15:14) God gave us the ability, through the life of Christ within us, to admonish (to put in the mind) one another in order to assist our Groom in keeping each of His Bridal members on the same road. The question begging to be asked is: What exactly are we to be putting into each other’s minds?

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The commission to admonish one another does come with some restrictions and guidelines. For example: “And not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil” (1 Tim 3:6).

A worker who is brand new in faith should not be given spiritual responsibility for others. The person who has not grown through obedience to the Word is not one who has been given wisdom of competence to minister to others (Heb. 5:12-14).

Also keep in mind that an indwelt Christian who is aged as a believer, but has walked after their flesh most of their Christian journey, is still to be classified as “new in their faith.” The reason for this is the wisdom of obedience has not settled into experience. The workers we should consider candidates for overseeing another soul, first, need to be well-groomed in experiential knowledge of Truth. The life of a worker is to be characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Does this mean that these workers must be “perfect” in function and order? Absolutely not. It means that to be effective as an Exchanged Life worker, one must show a record of a consistent and lengthy ability to walk after the Spirit. This person needs historical genuineness, authenticity, and evidence of the overflow of Christ flowing through him/her. This is where we get the idea of a dynamic view of ministry being an overflow of one life into another. A life that is not full cannot function in overflow - walking by the Spirit in obedience to God’s Truth. The evidence is seen in the believer’s response to Christ in him day-by-day to what the Holy Scriptures say and certainly the ability to withstand reproofs of life that come from the hand of God. After all the many years of counseling and discipling God’s hurting souls, I have come to embrace one clear factor in determining a person’s measurement of grace in understanding the Exchanged Life . How does the believer respond to the reproofs of life? Is he willing to be involved in confessing or confronting or forgiveness? Is he willing to do whatever is necessary for his own healing in order to make his life more at rest and peace? There are seven “requirements” for victorious living. I will be writing about these in my new e-mail series, “Identity Matters: 77 Truths for 7 Areas of Life.” But for now, know this: In order to step into the overflowing life of Christ, the worker must have their own cup filled WITH the overflowing Life of Christ.

In our present era of the post-modern church (everything is pointless), most minister to others because they are paid to do so, or minimally, want something in return. What Christ Jesus is hunting for is an urgency in the worker to minister because of what He said: “ ‘ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” ’ ” (John 7:38). This is the most desired description of an Exchanged Life worker.

The apostle Paul described a Christ as Life worker as “filled with knowledge.” The type of knowledge that he is referencing here is not what he learned by the wisdom of men in the institutions of men, but rather from the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:2). In our post-modern times, we lead people to Christ, require them to pay a minimum of $80,000 for a degree in ministry, negotiate a salary, and then commission them to work. In the days of Jesus, He oftentimes would pick men of higher education, but then Continued: page 4

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He would “dumb them down.” Why? So that He could fill them with the purity of the knowledge of the mind of Christ. As an Exchanged Life worker – please take time to read my life ministry passage—1 Corinthians 2:1-14.

I consider the above passage to be the absolute key to all believers who have a desire to minister to others. For the sake of illustration, I want to write a paraphrase depicting the post-modern version of ministry we are faced with today.

Here is a Post-Modern Incorrect View of 1 Corinthians 2:1-14 When I came to minister to my counselees, I did so in superiority of speech and wisdom, proclaiming to you what I learned in school. For I determine to know as much as I can from my studies, even how to add Jesus Christ and Him crucified to my method. I counseled you in strength, confidence, and in much stability. And my message and counseling were in persuasive words and methods of wisdom I learned in school, not by an uneducated view of laymen. And because of this, I implore you to grow in your faith’ but trust your counseling process to me, since I am credentialed to help you psychologically. For I speak a wisdom among those who are mature and degreed to assist the hurting. As for the wisdom of God, He uses the positions of the world to assist in His children’s recovery progress.

As for me, the good Lord revealed the root reasons for your troubles through a skill I learned as a qualified counselor. I have learned to search out your social history and the very depths of your mind through the methods I have learned. For how can I know your thoughts unless I ask the right questions and test you accordingly? Much like my walk with God, how can I know Him unless I memorize and study His Word.? I have received degrees from the world and the Spirit of God, so that I can deliberate on the wisdom I gained in school and those taught be the Bible, combining my degreed knowledge and Bible reflections.

It sounds like I am down on information and education. Actually I am – at least when it comes to using it as a qualification to minister to others. Shame on us for implanting a covert and hidden sense of the need of educating Jesus within us once we become born-again! Nowhere in Scripture does God even hint at sending converts back into the world to be educated to counsel, teach, or preach to the souls of His hurting children – nowhere. Why has the Church gone emergent or Laodicean?

It is a very short walk in the park for that answer.

If a believer in Jesus Christ is to counsel/disciple, he/she must know the life of Christ from the inside out and he must be willing to grow in that Truth! This means he must know Christ not only in thought of Him as Savior and Lord, but also in experiential knowledge, embracing that it is His life in us that gives us the source of all wisdom, knowledge, and manifestations of the works of God. It is only in the measure in which one knows God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as the Source of power and wisdom that points others in the Way, the Truth and Life of Jesus Himself. " ‘Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering’ " (Luke 11:52).

“Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

Editorial Comments: Kathy Hill, CO editor@iomamerica.org Entire contents of this publication is under © supervision of IOM America 2013 Reproduction permitted when entire publication remains intact.

Digital view or copies can be obtained online at: click here All Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963,1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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