Most believers I know have a desire to be useful & effective & achieve things in God.
We want to win people for the Lord & talk about Him in every way we can.
Paul constantly talked about the Lord & often asked for prayer support in getting opportunities, or what is sometimes described as opening doorways of utterance. We speak of being keen and enthusiastic, or zealous, but zeal is not always what we think it is and can often be misplaced.

In this presentation, we shall look at zeal, those open doorways and of the times when God actually shuts the door on us. In Revelation 3, we see-
He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens, says these things: I know your works. Look! I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Revelation 2:7-8

We shall see that there are times when God actually removes us, or places us in exile for a purpose.
He may take us out of a situation that could harm us in some way, or put us in a place of preparation, training us, equipping us, or separating us until the day comes when we can emerge out of our exile and be most productive.

He did that to Joseph! He did that to John the Baptist. He did that to Jesus and He could be doing that to you.

What you are about to read can liberate you and be a real blessing.

In my opening statement, I touched on the desires to be useful to God. We rightly want to get out there and do something,  but often step out prematurely, or presumptuously.
Getting a word from God is great, whether it is by personal prophecy or by scripture but it is often open ended.

A legitimate vision has no expiry date.

Therefore when God calls us to a task of some kind, it behooves us to find out where, when and how, just as much  what it is. If it is a “God vision” there is an appointed time for its fulfillment and trying to force it to happen is foolhardy and just as dangerous as lagging behind and missing the day of our visitation.
For example, Saul was on a mission that he thought was a legitimate ministry venture in his persecution of Christians. When the Lord appeared to him, His first command was to Wait for Ananias to minister to him. Waiting is not something we no not like to hear. Paul did not start his real ministry immediately either. He went into the desert of Arabia and was there for 3 years before going to Jerusalem and he did not specifically mention about going to Jerusalem until in Galatians 1:2, he said that he went there—14 years later.

Personally, I have problems with that, because I hate waiting. We all do. I jokingly say that my name is Robert Waiting Carter. I have been waiting for a specific promise, with numerous confirmations, of a ministry vision since the mid to late 1970’s!  It is as fresh today as it was when the Lord first spoke.
Even now, I am still learning what it is all about.

The Lord spoke several thousand years ago about the birth, death and ministry of Jesus.

What I will now share could enlighten you and give some answers why zeal is not what we once thought.

One aspect is Exile.

If  you think that you have been overlooked or stuck somewhere out of sight and out of mind, seeming to be doing nothing, God could have you there for a specific reason. We do not have to be doing something to be in the middle of the will of God. Thinking that we are supposed to be getting results, can sometimes be counter productive to His plan.

Jesus was always doing what pleased God. He did not do this automatically, but as the son of man who learned obedience according to Hebrews 5:6. We also need to learn real obedience. The bible is full of prophecies about Him but not one took place as far as His ministry went—until the time was right. He never stepped out prematurely, only starting to go about His Father’s business, as and when the Father authorized Him to do so. 

Exiled

When He was a baby, God sent Him into exile to save His life.

Many times in His ministry, the enemy tried to take Him out prematurely and on some occasions, it was by religious people.

They, like Saul, were zealous, but their zeal was misplaced. Although God had given them The Law and the Torah, their zeal became misplaced and when He challenged the status quo, they unsuccessfully plotted to kill Him.
Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 
Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. John 7:6-8

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. John 7:30

Back in Genesis, God made a prophetic statement that the seed of the women would crush the head of the seed of the serpent and the devil heard it. He knows the implications of that prophecy and tried to prevent its fulfillment.
He orchestrated the slaughter of baby boys in Egypt, but God preserved Moses. The child was raised in the palace right under Pharaoh’s nose! God got Moses out and eventually brought him through an impassable barrier that was the Red Sea.

You can be hidden in plain sight to achieve what God wants.
If you are facing what seems to be an impassible barrier that is just as formidable as that Red Sea, God can get you through it. God can arrange things to happen for your good in the middle of the worst case scenario, so when things look bad, that is not the time to hit the panic button. I cringe when I hear Christians talk about the devil as if he is more powerful than God and “attacking them”. I know that he is not a being to underestimate, but I also know that he is an already defeated foe because Jesus prevailed, not once but all the time and for all time.

When the devil tried to stop Jesus in His tracks just before He started His ministry, he misquoted scripture. He can read the bible you know, so “knowing” or “quoting” scriptures does not necessarily mean a thing. He lacked revelation, so we need to have real revelation of what God has said, not intellectual assimilation of information.
He appealed to the natural senses of the man (Jesus was just as human as you and me) but the Lord did not struggle and strive, but simply replied with His famous, “It is written”.
This is how you win.

I keep telling everyone to find out what God has said on any matter and apply that as a principle—and you have to do it for yourself. There is a special word, tailor made just for you, so you have to find it. I cannot “use it”—you have to “use it.”

If the devil is as powerful and intelligent as people say, he would never have arranged for Jesus’ execution. I’d like to share a lengthy portion of scripture now and do so for a reason. Please note the emphasis.
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 
For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 
I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 
And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 
I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 
Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 
No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 
But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 
No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 
And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 
But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 
Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 
For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

When people say things like, “Well...you don’t now what God is going to do you know” or “The ways of God are mysterious and beyond finding out”, they are telling Paul and the Holy Spirit who inspired scripture that they are liars! Whilst God reserves the right to be silent on certain matters, we can and should know everything there is to know.
God revealed it to us in His word. If any minister tries telling you otherwise, he is either plain dumb, or deceived, or (and I have to be blunt now) not even born again! Read it again. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to understand or explain things. All you need is to be open and receptive and genuinely wanting to know the truth, allowing the Spirit of Truth to reveal things to you. That’s part of His job!

When I was studying for my doctorate, the theological emphasis majoring on hermeneutics, apologetics, exegesis, homiletics, philosophy and so on was taking me away from the truth of which I speak. If you doubt this, visit the web sites of most seminaries and bible colleges and check out their curriculum.  Most bible colleges in Australia, function in accord with governmental legislation and must meet their criteria. There are some valid reasons of course. 
Their curriculum must be approved but on most occasions are not faith based. They have to submit their material to authorities for vetting, especially if they want students to receive social security payments! Check it out!

The devil operates in the level of the natural mind and has no revelation knowledge to the same degree as we can have.
I know some readers are not well educated, have reading dyslexia and so on, but those problems are in the realm of the natural.
If you want to know, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He can and does equip us for things that can be totally outside our natural understanding and resources. I am constantly reminded of what He did when He commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle, saying- AND THE Lord said to Moses, See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 
And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and ability, in understanding and intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, To devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, And in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 
And behold, I have appointed with him Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and to all who are wisehearted I have given wisdom and ability to make all that I have commanded you: Exodus 31:1-6

All that the Israelites knew for 430 years was making mud bricks. They were slaves and knew nothing about such craftsmanship. God supernaturally equipped the men He wanted to do the job He wanted. If He is a God who does not change and a God whose word never falters, why, oh why, do men refuse to allow Him to provide for and equip them to do the work He ordains? The same Holy Spirit can also help you and equip you for the tasks God has for you.

I said all that to say this

Right from the time of the garden, the devil tried to take Jesus out, starting immediately.
He knew that Jesus would be born one day, but he did not know when! He killed thousands of innocent babies in the process and could not succeed. He still cannot succeed! That prophecy about Jesus’ birth, led to the murder of baby boys.

There were scores of prophecies about Him and His birth, such as Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalm 110; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 9:6-9; 11; 52:13-15; 53; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2 and many more.
One such prophecy said that there would be much weeping by Rachael for her children because they would be gone (Jeremiah 31:15).
Look now at what Matthew said-
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 
He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” 
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 
Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 
After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 
They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 
That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 
and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
“I called my Son out of Egypt.” 
Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 
Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 
“A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” Matthew 2:1-18

All this happened in fulfillment of prophecy.

God sent Jesus into exile! He sent Jesus away to save His life and the lives of His family! Once the risk had gone, they could all return home and this also happened according to prophecy.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1 

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 
“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 
So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 
But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 
So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:19-23

You may be wondering what this has to do with you. That’s a good point. 

You and I are part of the plan of God.

That is reason enough. It matters not what your role and function may be to a certain extent. What matters is that you’re in it if you name the name of Jesus. The day you were born again, the devil started hating you more than before. He is going down and knows it, but his plan it to take as many of us as he can down in the process and is very angry about it, because he knows that his days are numbered. I’m not saying that to alarm you, but to alert you to his plans.

Paul told us to ensure that we are wearing the armor of God, that is full and complete in every detail in Ephesians chapter six. I again urge you to read about this armor on my web site. Click here. Let us see some of this now.
Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. Ephesians 6:10-14.

Paul did not say “If the battle is won.” The outcome is certain, but in the process the devil plots and plans to get rid of us. Never fear. God has a plan and His plan is the best and if necessary, He will place you in exile!

He did that for Joseph and you know the outcome. It was not pleasant for Joseph at the time, but he came out the other side as the winner.

What you or I go though at times might not be nice also, but we can emerge victorious.

There are times perhaps when someone we know could be operating against us, even if unwittingly. If they do not see the things you see, they just do not understand why you are behaving the way you are. Do not think that all believers will be with you. They might be at a different stage of growth in the Lord perhaps and when you share your dream or vision as Joseph did, all kinds of problems can and do emerge. There is such a thing as spiritual jealousy, even amongst preachers. The bible reveals that our own family members can become an enemy (see Micah 7:6 and Matthew 10:36) and this is getting into a major topic in itself now, so I will leave it at that.

If a member of your family is giving you a hard time, please remember that they might not yet be born again so function by different principles, just as you did before you met the Lord. You could be “another Joseph”. You could be “another Paul” and he had to be let down the wall in a basket in Acts 9:23-25 to get him away from those religious folk who had not yet seen the truth. They wanted to kill him.
I’ve mentioned how we moved to Adelaide a couple of years ago. One was to facilitate the redirection in our ministry after many years of planning, but there was also another reason. It was exactly the same reason Jesus was sent into exile.

That was done to preserve His life and prevent a premature fulfillment of part of His prophetic ministry.
My own ministry has prophetic foundations that I need not discuss at this time. Suffice it to say that I did not choose this path for myself, but am doing my best to fit in with what I believe is God’s prophetic plan—and it is not always easy. We are to live by faith, but the faith walk is not always easy. Sometimes it is plain hard going.
The important thing is that the Lord sent us away...to preserve our lives! Again, I need not elaborate at this point, but we know for sure that in some way, both Marjorie and I would have been attacked, perhaps in our own home and possibly have been murdered. We are not imagining things or being melodramatic.
I’ve already shared elsewhere how we avoided an assassination attempt on our first visit to Liberia. This stuff is real folks. The enemy is not playing games. He hates us all and wants us dead and gone.

There is another aspect to consider and that is more for those of us in the ministry and it is in the areas of spiritual jealousy. I touched on this before. Never think that everyone will be happy for your success, for your ministry vision or for the anointing you have. Rather than being happy for you, they seem to want you to fail. It’s what we call “the tall poppy syndrome” in Australia.

Some pastors I know are afraid of the anointing! Others are envious and jealous. Some of my friends who will read this can attest to that!
A few have seen it.
Marjorie and I visited a pastor who represents a large ministry here for two reasons, (a) he invited us and (b) we wanted to talk with him. We were assigned preferential seating in the church and during the service preliminaries the Lord started to give me words of knowledge and the awareness that prophecies were forthcoming. I always ask permission first if I am a visitor and this was granted.
Sure enough, all the words of knowledge were verified and the people ministered to. I sat down again but the Lord immediately told me that I was not yet finished, so stood up again quickly (before the service resumed) and had a powerful prophecy with words of knowledge directed to two people. They were visiting ministers I did not know. One was on a sabbatical from the Philippines and was considering his future.
What the Lord did through me was astounding and absolutely accurate as they confirmed later.
I thanked the pastor, sat down and the service resumed.
Two days later, he telephoned me asking if we would come to his office.  We were ushered into his private office and I knew then that he was not happy. He was angry and out of control, abused me terribly saying that I had been totally out of order and to never do that again. He said that I must have been having “pizza dreams”.
I could feel the Tabasco sauce rising up inside me, but controlled it. We were gracious about it and assured him we did things decently and in order and that I had requested his permission to act as I did and would not have done so otherwise. He started to calm down and then admitted that he knew nothing about how to operate in those gifts of the Spirit. Why did he react? I do not know.

This is what I am talking about. He has since mellowed and we are in a good relationship, but the Lord told us to say nothing and make no effort at justifying ourselves and for a couple of years, He “placed us in exile”. Sometimes any attempt on our own part to justify or prove yourself  has the reverse affect. It can widen the gap between brethren, so allow the Lord to handle the situation.

Let Him reveal to you what to do about it.

I remember having a pity party once  over two issues.
I was trying to expand the ministry and had started a home group as a prelude to planting a new church.
Someone asked another man who was an assistant pastor to come. Next week, he arrived and started playing his guitar, leading in song. It took me by surprize but I did not react. I asked the Lord what to do about it, saying that if he returned, I would simply walk away and start again and do what Isaac did in Genesis chapter twenty-six. He agreed.
Isaac dug a well and the Philistines threw dirt into it and filled it up. That’s crazy, especially in the desert.
He dug another well and someone came to steal it, so he walked away and dug another. This happened a few times and Isaac kept digging wells until the dramas ceased.

He had learned that his source was not in the well, but in the God who put the water in the well. This lesson is powerful, yet it is not readily understood.

I keep telling people not to rely on man for help, but learn to tap into the source as he did.
I reasoned that if God wanted this, I did not have to fight to get it off the ground. After all, I had a promise. He didn’t.
If you have a promise from God, He will move heaven and hell to get it to fruition. You have to do what you can to prepare yourself and be ready for its fulfilment, but never try to make things happen. Trying to force issues can be a recipe for disaster and could even disqualify you. Let God do what He wants to do and you do what you can do.
The next week, he arrived again and started to act as if he was in charge. A few people looked up in surprize, but otherwise there were no other reactions. I walked out and he followed me, verbally abusing me. I never returned.

He lasted a month and that group split up. Some time later, Marjorie and I saw him elsewhere and he was a saddened and distressed man and he could not look us in the eyes. We offered to help him, but he declined and eventually left the ministry altogether. He was another man trying to function under a barred anointing. 

Another group of Christians embarked on a campaign against me. One person in particular singled me out for vilification and started a telephone smear campaign that was so bad, I considered taking legal action. I was hurting badly and started to respond in an immature way, crying my eyes out and complaining about what they were doing to me, when the Lord gently intervened. He said, “Welcome aboard son. They did it to me. They did it to the prophets and they will do it to you too.”
When I asked Him what to do about it, He told me, “Do nothing. Say nothing.” This is not what we sometimes want to hear. We could prefer going up to such men and give them a taste of “five-fold ministry” punching them on the nose, but no, the way to handle it was to drop it. We can win an argument perhaps, but lose a friend in the process.
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. 
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. 
The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. 
Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:1-4

The whole matter fizzled out and that group of believers disbanded. The ringleader’s marriage broke down and the last time I saw him, he was the saddest, most dejected man I had ever seen. The Lord told me to visit him and when Marjorie and I did, his once beautiful home was empty, looked forlorn and the joy had gone. There was a heavy atmosphere in the place and what was once a beautiful garden had fallen into a poor condition. The lawns were not mowed, weeds were springing up all over the place and the flowers had disappeared.
He admitted he was one of the ringleaders and I told him I  knew what he had been doing, but still loved on him.
We offered to help him and to share a meal with him but he did not accept our offer.
I do not know what happened to him.

I shared these things, not to brag or boast in any way, but to illustrate that such things are very real and that we dare not touch the genuine anointing on a real man of God. I’ve often heard the phrase-
Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15 

We jokingly said that in the past, but a handful of pastors with whom I was acquainted, used this as something to hold over others in a dictatorial manner and it was wrong. This is another topic in itself.

We do not have to agree with everyone or even like them, but we do have to love them.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, there are some people that we will never like perhaps and we could prefer not to see them leaving, not arriving, but if they are our brother or sister in the Lord, we have to love them.
We asked another pastor friend, “How is your church coming along?” and he replied that it was going well until the people started arriving. We still do not know if he meant it or if he was joking, but sometimes there could be some people who come to the church you know that you know are not with it and could in fact be tares.

Tares and wheat look alike to most people. They grow up together until harvest and are a real nuisance to farmers. A careful analysis reveals slight differences, but one thing I heard is that when the wheat is ripe, the stalk starts to droop, whereas the tare does not and keeps standing upright. The wheat “bows” but the tare does not! If this is true then there is a spiritual implication involved.

Tares can look the part, talk the talk and carry a big black bible under their arms, but the Lord is not Lord of their lives. The Lord told us such things would happen and He has also told us how to handle such matters. One way is to look for the fruit...

I’ve got to get serious now and close.

If the anointing you have disturbs others or makes them feel envious, do not be surprized if they come against you. They might not even be aware of what they are doing, so keep your eyes on the Lord and the road ahead and do what He has instructed you to do—no more and no less.

If you have a vision of some  kind, do not be rash and share it too often because you are excited about it.
Sure we all want to talk. I do, but I also know that sharing prematurely or talking to the wrong people can have an adverse affect.
You could be telegraphing your movements to the enemy, or stirring up the green-eyed monster called jealousy with others.

Be wise in what you say and to whom you say it and remember, that you could still be a work in progress, not knowing the full picture. When we talk too much or share prematurely, it is difficult to retract certain things. Preachers can’t recall DVD’s  you know and people have the ability to keep remembering those days when we sometimes acted like babies (which we all did). It’s harder to put the cat back into the bag after you have let it out. It is wise to wait while we plan and see what develops and nothing is always “so important” or “urgent” that you’ve got to have things happening immediately and try to  force them to happen.

That first prophecy about Jesus took 4000 years before it came together.

Sometimes the Lord will send you into exile for a while to get things sorted out and then, when we allow Him to do what is best, we can come out the other side smelling sweet as roses and enjoy the ride. Sometimes we need to loosen up and be able to laugh at ourselves. Cheer up! It may never happen.

So my friends, when you think that things are not going the way you would like or you feel that you are not being treated properly, pause for a while and look at the situation—you could be a work in progress and about ready to come out the other side.
Provided there are no grounds for those things happening because you did something stupid, God could be preserving you and placing you in a cocoon of protection for your own good. He may have exiled you for a reason. You could also be in a classroom to teach you something you would not see otherwise, or preparing you for something great later, just as He did with Joseph.

One day perhaps, you could come out of obscurity and tell someone, “Hey! I’m your brother Joseph” and you know what he did.

Blessings,

Robert

Keep walking by faith

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