Imagine you order a pizza and after a while, the pizza delivery man came with the pizza on his hands without the box. In this inspirational clip from a message from Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel in Gainesville, USA, he tells the story of a Pizza delivery man bringing a pizza to the door without a box. I love that God can use us if we’re just clean and empty—ready to be filled by Him.
I have met two guys the last couple weeks : Steve from Germany and Jorèl from the Netherlands. Steve really inspired me by his radical dedication by leaving his job in Frankfurt as IT engineer sensing the Lord saying to him to come serve Him in France. Jorèl left his city of Utrecht to come live in Strasbourg some months as an intern in the European Parliament and at the same time dedicating his time sharing the love of God around him and in the street witnessing healings. For me they are living as described in Matthew 10:7-10.
And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give. Take no gold nor silver nor [even] copper money in your purses (belts); And do not take a provision bag ora wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support (his living, his food).
The word consecration is mentioned in the Bible for things and people and is intended to chosen subjects. But here, I would like to talk about personal consecration : To be set apart. As christians we’ve already been chosen so we have the privilege to become consecrated. In the old testament, it is not available for everyone but now, yes, and it is for every believer.
Recently, I have studied with my best friend the book of Zephaniah. In the beginning I was sad about the tone of the book which was just about judgements upon the people of Juda. Then in the last chapter, the loving nature of God was expressed. The Lord is still merciful even though the people is living in idolatry. Zephaniah 3:17 that we can read thereafter is for me the pinacle of the book :
The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent andmake no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.
It was at the time of the reign of king Josiah who bring revival to his kingdom by consecrating himself and the people by searching the Lord. They are not living in a patant sinful life but in a sort of compromise, doing everything religious but mixing the worship of the living God with the habits related to pagan idols. That was sufficient for God to prevent them seriously about the damning judgement that can fall upon them. Kong Josiah seized the moment and saved his Kingdom by consecration and setting himself to search the Lord. That brings us to the first step of consecration : Repentance. In Psalms 51:17 :
My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
Here King David is returning to God after sinning. It is the Holy Spirit action in convincing us of sin. Then our best response is to lean by confessing our sins and repenting from them. That’s the proof that God is inviting us into a life of consecration.
There are other Bible passages inviting us to a life of consecration. I would like to sahre some with you :
Romans 6:13/16/19
Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer andyield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness.
Romans 12:1-2
I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service andspiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, eventhe thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
1 Corinthians 6:12
Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything orbe brought under its power.
2 Corinthians 8:5
Nor [was this gift of theirs merely the contribution] that we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His agents] by the will of God [entirely disregarding their personal interests, they gave as much as they possibly could, having put themselves at our disposal to be directed by the will of God]
Lou Engle (see the video on my last post), took a decision of radical obedience fueled by his consecrated life after reading Matthew 13:44-46.
The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine andprecious pearls, who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.
This verse is a radical invitation of a radical dedication of the cause of the gospel for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. It also reminds me about what Heidi Baker is sensing from the Spirit to our time as encouragement. To yield, to lay down, to pay the price, to give everything. To not say no and miss out destiny. Living a life of total surrender for intimacy with Jesus! To reach more of the lost children. To get low, to go slow, to stop for the one, get lower still. To become radically in love with Jesus, to be married to Him. An invitation to greater depths.
By considering Isaiah 43:19, we can believe that God is wanting to do new things.
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive andknow it andwill you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
As John the baptist ministry which prepare the way of the ministry of Jesus, as our consecration through repentance can prepare the way for a Jesus movement. We need to position ourselves for the coming revival in our generation by consecration first then for example visiting places where we sense the Spirit of God moving or inviting people from those places. It is like a surfer who search to position himself where he senses the current moving. So we can enjoy an adventurous life in coordination with the Spirit. A life of a consecrated believer can be mistakenly viewed as boring. I believe consecration is the best mean to surf waves of the Spirit moves.
JESUS 