progression

I had a very stimulating conversation with one of my mentors today about progression.  Progress in church, ministry, friendship, ect.  Progress seems to be a very catchy word in our vocabulary and as well it should be.  Progress – every one claims to desire it, some strive to reach for it, but few really pay the price for it.  One thing that I have discovered in seeking progress, is that no matter how hard I try, how much vision casting I engage in, how long I wait for some to catch the call, inevitably some one always gets left behind.  No matter how hard you pull and push there are those who are satisfied to stay behind.

Let us consider God’s first church – Israel.  They started on the journey of progress led out of bondage by God’s man Moses.  No one is left behind; all are wanting to leave Pharaoh’s land of bondage.  We seem to trend much easier to going forward when we are leaving pain and injury. No complaints are heard the morning after the death of Egypt’s first born.  But the true test is leaving our sphere of comfort.  Especially when we are enjoying a measure of success – like survival!  It amazes me the amount of people who are satisfied with simply surviving. They seem to be tethered to this invisible ball and chain that restrains them from going to higher heights and deeper dimensions in God. The hardest lesson in progressing in God (that I have experienced to this point) is learning that a tangible move of the spirit in my life does not equate spiritual progress.

They had genuine, tangible, real moves of the spirit every day of their lives.  The pillar of cloud and fire was present every day for 40 years.  Undeniably that was a move of God.  I don’t see those when I wake up each day.  When the dew ascended there was manna in its place.  No matter how far they traveled there was a rock that gushed water every stop along the way.  In fact, it followed them for 40 years.  God never failed to provide for them.  Their shoes grew with their feet and never wore out.  They had a real move of God.

But one by one each of them died in the wilderness.  It is apparently possible to have genuine, tangible moves of the spirit and never make progress.  I have preached in churches that shouted and danced and there was no mistaking that God was there but they were at exactly the same place as they were 40 years ago. Passing by the same spiritual landmarks week after week and revival after revival.  I believe it is possible to have a move of the Spirit and never allow the Spirit to move us.

There is no substitute for a move of the Spirit (in fact don’t recommend living without one), but don’t accept the mentality that is still present today that you must have revival over the same square mile patch of ground and never conquer new territories in the Spirit.  That is surviving; I’m seeking progression!

~ by brandongoynes on November 9, 2009.