I’ve been so buzzed about this that I just have to share it… 🙂
Early in the new year as we were finishing up our family tenting (turned into tramping also) holiday (that was my littlest daughters idea – the tramping part) the Lord told me two things (there were other things which He told me but these two were together)…
He told me to submit to the leader of our Prophetic Intercessors group here in Christchurch and He also told me to submit to the leader of the Local Congregation which I’d started attending here in Christchurch…
When He told me I was quite surprised but after a moments thinking, “I wonder how I’m going to respond?”, He enabled me happily to do it and He said, “It is fitting for Us/us (Him/me) to fulfil all righteousness” (reminding me of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus)…
You see submission and me aren’t exactly – or haven’t been – “best friends”…
God knows that every level He’s taken me to He’s taken me “kicking and screaming”…
I have resisted Him “tooth and nail”… 🙂
I’ve even made it my business not to try and assist Him at all in all of the surrenders which He’s brought me to – in fact I’ve actually gone in the other direction…
“Why have you done this?” you might ask…
I’ve done it because God has given me some pretty huge promises for my life and I do not want to try and make any of them happen…
I don’t want to have to feel that I have to “keep it up” in my effort to stay in God’s will and accomplish these amazing promises which He has given to me…
I remember one night in Doha, Qatar while I was working overseas away from my wife and children and grandchildren paying off a debt we had in Dubai, UAE at the time, that I had an encounter with God and I really told Him how I wanted it to be in our relationship – that I would not try at all – ever – and I wanted to know in my own heart that any surrender which I ever came to was completely Him and had nothing to do with me or an act of my will but was Him from the inside of me enabling me without regret or any effort to surrender so I’d know I wouldn’t “lose it” somewhere down the track when I “relaxed” or “stopped trying”…
It was so powerful that night – the Presence of the Lord was so real – He loved it – I really sensed that (it wasn’t pretty the way that I was talking – but He really loved it) – He loved it that I didn’t want to strive and I was amazed cos I thought He’d tell me off “big time”…
I digress…
Anyway, so I surrendered to these brothers – I love them both – they are both very precious to me – I love them as myself as brothers in the Lord – Praise You Jesus – that in itself is a miracle – and I honour them both as men of God in our city…
Then what I started seeing was that as I had surrendered to these brothers that the Lord started to knit our hearts together in sharing in ways that I’d never imagined possible…
All – I believe – out of my submission – out of His enabling of me to submit – cos, as I said, submission is not really “my thing”… 🙂
I have seen amazing things happen both in our Prophetic Intercessors group and in our Local Congregation since that time – I’m not going to go into details – but I can honestly say – amazing things – things which I could never have achieved…
And it’s all been done from “underneath”…
Coming “underneath” and lifting up the work of God in the midst of those situations…
Knowing who the man is who is anointed to lead in that situation and coming “underneath” and supporting him and lifting him up in the work of God…
I am laughing with joy as I type this…
This is the way of God…
Not to try and come in from the “top down” and domineer or show that person why you are so much better than them or are just “the greatest thing since sliced bread” but to “come under” and honour and pray into those people all that God has prayed into you…
And also as I “come under” I receive the blessing of what these brothers have to share with me…
I am – as of this morning – just starting to see the power of that in the Christian Internet Forum which I participate in also – sometimes I can be quite “thick” – but it’s dawning on me – Praise You Jesus… 🙂
Lining up under God is awesome…
I have been experiencing it and know that I will experience it more in the days ahead (I am grinning from ear to ear – Praise You Jesus – this is a miracle)…
I recommend it highly – submission that is – when the Lord tells you to do it that is…
Praise You Jesus…
Thank You that You submitted to the Father showing us the way…
Thank You Holy Spirit that You submitted to Jesus and to the Father to Glorify Them and not Yourself…
I love You Lord – You are my Best Friend…
I worship You Jesus – You are my Greatest Example – and I love You…
And I give You – Jesus – all the Glory and to You too Father – I love You Father…
You are Worthy of all my praise – all that I could ever give You – You are Worthy…
Love in the Lord,
Andrew
a house of prayer for the nations 
Praise Yah. I rejoice with you in your victory in submission.. I also struggle greatly in this area, however my struggle is due to extreme abuse I suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to be authority figures in my life, but instead did me great harm, by abusing that position.. It has taken me a very long time to come to a place of complete forgivness towards these who did me harm. however it had nothing to do with me, but was a work done in my heart by our precious Ruach Ha kodesh that brought me to that victory. However I must confess that submission is still very hard for me, as there is still fear associated with that..HOWEVER WITH YESHUAS HELP I WILL OVERCOME..BLESS YOU BROTHER ANDREW.
I’m really sorry about that Ruth, You will overcome, Don’t try just enjoy the Goodness of God and He will – as you say – Overcome in you – Praise You Jesus, Love in the Lord, Andrew
Ruth
My heart goes out to you in this situation. It happens all the time that is why Jesus whats us to only trust Him and not to put our confidence in men.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
I’m on another board that is having a discussion at this time about Christian women abused by their husbands. In the one situation the husband is demanding that the woman be submissive and follow his every command. Many women are trapped in this situation and if they do not believe in divorce they feel like their in a type of prison.
It happens in churches all the time, where ministers lord over peoples lives in congregations. When something arises that is questionable in the ministers life no one wants to offend so they hide it in the closet.
Ruth, Jesus is there for you, a very present help in time of need.
GaryB
Hi Gary,
The scripture which comes to mind is,
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. (1 Peter 2:13-14 NASB)
We only do this when the Lord specifically tells us to…
But we do submit ourselves to men or women as the specific case may be…
For the Lord’s Sake…
Understanding that this is the way He works…
It’s the highest form of trust in the Lord to submit ourselves under another human being and trust the Lord to overall in this situation…
I’m not talking about blind obedience but when the Lord specifically tells us – I mean via the Holy Spirit confirming this to our spirit – then we need to do this – for our own good but also to Glorify God…
I don’t believe that God threatens us into obedience but I do believe that when God asks us to do something we won’t really “move on” from that “place” until we do it… 🙂
Love in the Lord,
Andrew
I’ve had you on my heart just now Ruth and I believe that the Lord is about to birth this submission in you… I don’t have a clue who exactly He is going to cause you to voluntarily line up under but I know that it will be an act of freedom for you and not compulsion – I’m smiling on the inside – an act of freedom (from your heart) and not compulsion (out of fear)…
I woke up this morning with that scripture on my mind, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind”…
You have been given all that in Christ…
Fear is not you…
And fear is not coming from your new heart…
It is coming from “sin within you” – you can ignore it…
Yes you can…
It does not master or dominate you…
Praise You Jesus – I received this this morning and I’m passing it on to you sister… 🙂
We have been given the spirit of adoption – the Holy Spirit – by Whom we cry out “Abba Father” – He, the Holy Spirit is a Person (you know this – I don’t know why I’m saying it again :-)) – not leading to fear again – not a spirit of slavery – Oh Praise You Jesus… 🙂
Walk in your freedom – the prison door is open – it is not locked – your new spirit and your new heart have nothing in them but that which delights the Heart of God – you Ruth – delight the Heart of God…
Worship Him and be blessed my sister…
Love you in the Lord,
Andrew
Be released now in Jesus Name into all that He has for you – all the freedom that He has for you (Bless you)…
Andrew,
I agree wholeheartedly. I just thought in Ruth’s situation it was better to remove ourselves when we have a warning in our heart from the Holy Spirit, at that point were to realize its time to move on.
There are a lot of false teachers that are doing more harm then good in peoples lives.
Lord Bless,
GaryB
Andrew,
One more thing, What is “Tramping”, I am not familiar with this term. I did not know if it was something you do in NZ.
GaryB
“Tramping” is like hiking in the mountains or along coastal tracks, we have National Parks here where tourists and locals can “Tramp” and stay in tents or huts along the way, Love in the Lord, Andrew