Would You Believe Me if I Told You?
By
February 4, 2009"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." (John 16:13-15) How many things does God want to say to you, but you cannot bear them now? Think about that. About a year ago I was asking the Lord about things to come. I hear one stream in the body of Christ that are predicting great devastation upon America and/or other places in the world. On the other end of the spectrum, there is a chorus of voices proclaiming that things are just going to get better and better. Personal prosperity, peace and joy are ahead. In between those two are the majority of believers who don't know what to think. Either scenario seems believable. So I asked God about it. What He said caught me by surprise. He said, "Would you believe Me if I told you?" I know what the answer is supposed to be. So do you, but it revealed something about me I didn't like and that was that I was not ready to bear, to carry, to receive the Truth. Believe me when I tell you that I sought Him diligently about this for some time. And the sense I got was that there was a door number three so to speak... an option I hadn't considered. An option I knew next to nothing about. An option no doubt that I would find hard to believe, and therefore wouldn't. Instead of trying to figure out the answer, I am focusing on knowing the Father. The better I know Him, the easier it is to bear His words. There are things I could tell you in this email that you might easily misunderstand because you don't know the place in me from where those words come. Knowing those private places in me allows you to understand not only the words I speak and the context, but more importantly the intents and motives of them. My wife is one who knows me this well. My words land with her in a way they land with no one else. She knows me like no one else. So it is with God. When you know Him intimately well, there are things He can tell you that had He told you earlier in life, you could not bear them. Instead of trying to pry those words from His lips, simply pursue God. Know Him both in the fellowship of His suffering and in the heat of the battle. Know Him in the night season and in the dark season of your soul. As you do, you will find that He has many things He wanted to tell you all along but you could not bear, but now you can. For the record I am beginning to see through door number three and yes, it is hard to believe my eyes. I would tell you but... well, we will just have to get to know each other better... (0-:Â Â Actually I see as one who sees men as trees (Mark 8:24) which means I see enough to recognize moving objects but not enough to drive. More on this in the future. Final Note: Last night I wrapped up part two of a teleseminar with our friends at Kingdom Business Journal. If you missed it, you can hear it by going here.
2011 Archive 
2009 Archive
Comments (15) - Post a Comment
Wow! This is what the Lord was revealing to me this morning as I was seeking him on some answers. Know me more. Dig in deeper. The other things are not as important as that. That is the most important - our relationship. I am going to post this email in my journal as confirmation
Debby at 12:44pm EST - February 4, 2009
I understand where you are coming from. My impression is, though, from your article, that the things you see through door #3, that we are not able to bear now, do not speak well for the future of our country. We are blessed beyond words, that we live in a \"kingdom\" that shall not be moved, \"though
the earth be removed and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea\".
It is a time we all need to seek wisdom from \"The Father\" to know how we are to live in move in this kingdom. I am reminded of the words of Jesus to
his disciples -- \"when they persecute you in this city, flee to the next\" and
also the Angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph to \"flee to Egypt with the young child and His mother
Jerri at 12:44pm EST - February 4, 2009
OOPS accidentally pressed send.
We need to be diligently seeking our Father's face for direction in this time we live in and trust that His love will guide us for the future of our children and our children's children. There are times to fight and times to flee. My
fear is the complacency I see in so many Christians who think they can just
think positively and all will be well.
Thank you for reminding us that we need to be cutting through that veil of flesh to see and hear the voice of \"Our Father\". He spoke the worlds into being. Surely, we can listen for His voice to \"His Own\" blood bought children.
Jerri at 12:51pm EST - February 4, 2009
thank you so much. What confirmation confirming what God is speaking to me about focusing on Him, intimacy with Him, and the rest will line up. By the way, I am no longer in a sales business, but I am so challenged and encouraged by your emails that I continue to read them!
Christy at 12:52pm EST - February 4, 2009
Wow. Great post - in fact, one of the better ones I have seen.
Intimacy reveals heart. Keep 'em coming!
Wayne at 12:55pm EST - February 4, 2009
This question is most interesting and yet it speaks of some things that i have been pondering and asking The LORD about! Like the disciples to whom our LORD was speaking to I too don't understand fully about His death, burial and resurrection !On what hand what sense is it to die to self and place your life in the hands of The One whom the world deems is invisible and irrelevant to life? Yet this is what OUR LORD is asking us to do for HE knows because HE went the WAY of LIFE through death and received and released a power which death has no hold !There is a releasing rest for us as we are learning to yield to OUR LORD and you can be assure though now we are enduring hardships and tests HE will send and give us THE SPIRIT of TRUTH! Remember that HE still has many things to say to us and though we may not be able to bear them now HE STILL WAITS TO SPEAKS!
Thomas at 1:10pm EST - February 4, 2009
WOW! This message says sooo much and makes me want to just sit at His Feet and soak. I think of the Scripture that says \"We see through a glass darkly.\" but then I think of Psalm 1 that says \"we are like a tree planted by streams of living water-----we produce fruit in due season------everything we set our hands to do prospers\"
I am in a place that seems in the natural like everything is falling apart. Living on social security but my heart is expectant. I am believing God that my finances will turn around. I will have an idea that will flourish like a palm tree. I think of Moses starting out at 80 yrs old. Well I'm only 62. So I am just getting started.
Blessings,
Marsha
Marsha Kumar at 1:54pm EST - February 4, 2009
Michael, you have an awesome gift of speaking the truth in love and to draw us in to pursuing after God and seeking His heart. \"Better is one day in the presence of Abba Father than a thousand elsewhere\". He promises that as we draw close to Him, he will draw close to us. Knowing and worshiping God is what pleases Him and through that knowledge, our service to Him will flow in our lives and businesses. The emptying out of ourselves and focusing on His Kingdom purposes will bring true success and joy! Then, whether we abound or are abased, we can count it all joy for the knowledge of Him. Your sharing from your heart is truly a blessing. Keep going!
Chris D at 2:02pm EST - February 4, 2009
This is an unusual season for me. Your words of encouragement mean a lot to me. Thank you!
Michael Q. Pink at 5:23pm EST - February 4, 2009
So blessed to get your messages, and so blessed to be part of the body of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ! There are so many of us here (down under Australia) who love and worship Him too...and to link up like this is amazing...I am passing on the Word......May the joy of the Lord be your strength Michael, as you continue to labor in His field....Thankyou for the encouragement!!! From an Aussie sister....
Marita at 5:37pm EST - February 4, 2009
An awesome post!!! You always seem to lead us back to developing that personal relationship with the Father. Without Him we can do nothing, with Him we can do all things!!!
Tom Shaw at 6:45pm EST - February 4, 2009
Although I haven't seen the movie, A Few Good Men, I have seen the often repeated scene in the court room where Tom Cruise's attorney character asks Jack Nicholson's general character for the truth. And the reply is an angry \"You can't handle the truth\".
The Lord reveals to each of us in part & none of us have the whole picture this side of heaven or His Kingdom coming in fullness. Daniel received some things which were for a later time as did John. Knowing when to speak & when not to is both maturity & wisdom as well as obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Martin Allan at 7:10pm EST - February 4, 2009
It's time to be reading Habakkuk - the whole book.
See to start chapter 1 & verse 3: 5
“Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.\"
Regards,
Charlie
Charlie Hunsaker at 1:09pm EST - February 9, 2009
It is critical in these times of shaking, that we respond in total and complete JOY. Not in worry, not in fear, not in dread.
If God causes our economy to collapse, we must respond in JOY.
If the car companies fail, we must respond in JOY.
If the President and congress are unable to get stimulus.. real stimulus... passed that helps us.. then we are to respond in JOY>
Too many times, Christians respond in woe and dread. We walk around with heads hung low, selling everything and heading to non-perishables.
We are to be a light unto the world and the world needs a message of hope, joy and love.
The unknown things are joyous things for they are things of the Lord.
I encourage you and plead with each of you to walk with a smile, a song in your heart, joy, peace, love.
Reach out to others, not with the 4 spiritual laws, but with the message of Jesus, which is LOVE and JOY.
Matt Gillogly
Matt Gillogly at 10:15am EST - February 11, 2009
AMEN MATT!!!!
Lorisa at 3:59pm EST - February 11, 2009