I feel so honoured to see what the Lord has done, crushing fires in a desperate world during a time of uncertainty, pain and isolation. We have now posted fifty life-changing messages on a new fleet of ‘vehicles’, which are viewed globally and on which we receive daily comments. If you go to Google and search ; ‘12 Days Of Discovering Our Identity’ it will lead you straight to the course which the Lord spoke into existence through us and is now changing lives nationally and internationally. All this in a world constrained by local and national policies which prevent Church gatherings and services.
Let me background this call. I am not a writer. In fact I have dyslexia, and my eyes are not clear due to a medical condition. To add to this, I’m still recovering from an illness that effected me at every level ; mentally, physically and spiritually. However in this state, during our Covid 19 lockdown (in isolation) the Lord told me to write ! I obeyed and asked others to help me to by proofreading, editing and publishing in print and social media. Hence the title; ‘What a difference a change makes’.
A change in my heart has brought about a testimony of, ‘all things are possible’. From my experience a heart level change precedes a mindset shift. When we set aside the world and align ourselves with God’s call and apply our obedience, then truely all things become possible and that’s for you too !So what is our next step ? It is to help, encourage and equip you and others for ministry. As a prophet (a role given to me by Jesus) I value and honour the grace (Eph. 4:7) the Lord has given me to teach, equip and journey with people on their road to their God given ministry.
Ephesians 4:11-13(Passion)
And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ.
Have you ever wondered what your ministry really is. Your ‘call’; your real ministry appointment by the Lord ? A lot of time we base our ministry direction on what we can do or are good at. But as seen above it is mostly established in what you cannot do ! That area of impossibility only made possible by His anointing presence and Glory.
1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT)
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
So here is your challenge today.
1. Ask the Lord what your ministry is, and looks like ? (Please don’t allow ministries you have seen or been part of to limit or be a stumbling block to what the Lord has for you.)2. Take 20 minutes of your day and ask the Lord to show you by dream, word, scripture or vision what this ministry will look like ?3. Write down all He shows you as descriptively as possible. Try to fully capture colours, images, impressions and words.4. Ask the Lord what is the first step in this ministry ? Write this down.5. Each day prepare for this ministry by getting up and saying ; ‘Lord I thank you for a new day, one day closer to the world to seeing the ministry you have for me to practice’. Amen6. Everyday ask the Lord for the next step ?7. Thank the Lord for all He has revealed to you, and is working in you, for what He has placed in front of you as a ministry.
Let’s pray
Father, I ask You for the grace of the prophetic to rain down upon Your sons and daughters. That they may see clearly in the spirit the plans and purposes You have for them. The ministry You have ordained just for them and the promise and provision You have released to fulfil it. Amen
Romans 8:29-30 (NASB)
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Craig and Winnie PattenItinerate Pastors/ Apostolic LeadersEncounter Ministries
