Nehemiah: God's Broker Part 1

Intro.

In the recent Team conference in the Atlanta region, I mentioned briefly that at the present time I was reliving a kindergarten experience, specifically that of revisiting the ‘connect the dots' challenge. We all remember those endeavors where, crayon in hand, we start with number ‘1' and head shakily toward dot ‘2' and so on. The awaited outcome was, as all of the numbers were connected in ascending numerical order, some sort of picture which mysteriously became visible at the last dot. “Oh, look, a perfect copy of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel!” Or maybe a tree.

The last couple of years in my own pilgrim's progress have been one of those seasons of the hovering crayon. I seemed well located on number ‘5', but ‘6' seems to have been eradicated from the globe. At the same time, I have hope, because clearly there is a future. I can see ‘12', ‘17', and a host of others. It's just nailing down that next one…

Though all those other great numbers are out there, I can't skip ‘6' or that poor horse or whatever, could lose a whole leg just like that!

It took all of three minutes to share the above. After that service, I was deluged by folks who seem to be in identical dot deliberations. In fact, it might not be too far off mark to say that the church as a whole is searching. Countless have expressed the desperate need for a fresh direction. The whole ‘church scenario' as we have known it, seems to be up for a major overhaul. I need to write this quickly before reader(s) bolt after that last statement. The church is magnificent. Many times the habits we as the church fall into are great…for a season. However, there is an invisible line that is so easy to cross, whereby like Dr. Frankenstein, suddenly the marvelous living thing we ‘created' carries more liability than benefit. The servant becomes tyrant. The church remains glorious, because it is the body of the living Christ. However the routines we get into as we function together do not necessarily remain alive. Nuf said.

The purpose of these writings will be to shed some light on this issue and hopefully to glimpse some general direction for us all. I will center around the story of Nehemiah because that's where the Lord began to give me a clue for my own searching.

Rick Joyner was given a vision from the Lord that beautifully sums up this endeavor. He saw beautiful racecars with no motors. The people gathered around each one had to push the cars. It was nice, but something was missing. Later he saw motors placed in these machines, and now the cars carried the people instead of the former arrangement.

Rick in his book The Apostolic Ministry goes on to explain that these motors represent last day apostolic ministries that need to be restored to the church. Without such, we will be grunting and sweating just to roll a few feet. With those ministries in place, all of the other ministries will function properly and we are in for some ride! Fasten your seatbelts! More later………….