You may have read my last message about an amazing move of God/ revival moving down from Northland/Auckland which my wife and I have had the privilege to revive, plant and build committees by His direction for 8 different ministries in the last few month, with more planned over the coming months.
Here’s my question as I sat to enquire of the Lord “How do we sustain and not stop this move of You Lord?”. Because in past generations and locations the Lord had moved like this yet although it was started by Him and it was His will to see it continue, sadly man had stopped it over and over again. As it became about a person rather than God or Man has been unable to comprehend it, see it or believe it and so instead has stopped it.
If we look in 2 Samuel 6 we see King David, trying to move the ark, we see his first attempt did not work and even killed someone, yet as he searched the scriptures he suddenly realised this: The ark was not meant to be carried on a cart but carried by the men of God ( notice it was not one man, But a people ) This is no different today! His precedence is for His presence and glory to be carried by His children, which is the same with revival or a mighty move of God.
This is the reason why my wife and I have been travelling around the Northland/Auckland releasing what He has given us to others who are ready to carry it and release it into their family, church and community.
This brings me to the message and scripture the Lord gave me as I was pondering and praying Lord please help us not to be the people or the person to stop what you are doing. He took me to 1 Corinthians 3:6 so let’s read this.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase”. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV)
Then Paul continues in 7-8
“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour”.
The Lord said this to me honour the ones who have planted and the ones who watered, But don’t touch the Glory.
The next day the Lord sent me to
Jeremiah 9 as I was reading through it, I was trying to find why He had sent me to this long chapter in the bible, here I discovered these two remarkable verses
Thus says the LORD:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this,
That by His direction he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)
The Glory is His alone we were created to give Him Glory it’s in this place He will release even more of His glory onto the earth and to us. In the Bible there is over one hundred references to this, here are 5:
“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7)
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
(1 Corinthians 10:3)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. (Matthew 5:16)
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
The main thing is never meant to be us, our church, ministry, riches or life, He is the main thing, for it is all from Him and because of Him we can give Him the glory for He created us for this very reason. But the choice is always ours, for He has given us the choice through free will. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Roman 11:36)
Secondly we need to honour they ones planting and the ones watering, honouring each other for their role and part. He said to me “If we do this well then people will feel valued contributors and not be tempted to touch the glory.
Last we need to understand that His ways are not our ways and the way He thinks and releases His presence and glory through His Moving is often outside of our comprehension, which we see this in Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, by His direction neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts”.
Back up by Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”,
Ephesians 3:20 (TPT)
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you”.
What I’m saying is we need the mind of Christ to understand what the Father is doing and How He is doing it, otherwise we will miss it, discount it, reject it or even be the ones who stop it.
Yes if we want to see the move of God/ Revival continue, gain momentum, grow and increase we need to Honour the people God is using and ask the Lord to renew our minds and hearts. Open our eyes, ears and all our sense so we can understand His ways and means He is using. Yet above all Keep thanking Him and giving Him all the Glory!
Let’s end with the prayer out of Ephesians 3:21 (TPT)
“Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity”. Amen!
Craig Patten
Itinerate Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Ministries
