Friday, August 30, 2013

If You Are a Pastor and Are Experiencing Opposition, Please Read This!

Not too long ago SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME, AND IF YOU KNOW OF SOME FAITHFUL HURTING PASTORS LET THEM KNOW WHAT I WILL SHARE HERE.

I testify that the following is true.  The event happened immediately after the Celebrating our Moravian Heritage and Advancing the Gospel event with two leaders from the Honduras Moravian Church.  We just had our going away dinner at the Golden Corral restaurant and where preparing to bring Brother Isai Nuth and Brother Misael Miller to Ted Steven's International airport so that they fly homeward after a very successful celebration in Anchorage, Alaska.

There was a lot of activity around with folks coming in to eat, others to fill their plates at the buffet, and still others where paying and hungrily seating themselves around tables in the establishment to dine.  Then it seemed like a burst of energy/wind appeared!  What I saw was an elderly Alaska Native lady, who I did not recognize suddenly arose out of a sea of people.  As she rushed to take my hand, she stated with great emotion and excitement.  "Bishop Nicholson, God has given me something important to tell you!"  

The Inupiat lady, as I now recognized her Eskimo heritage looked me directly in the eye and then said, "Don't worry about the 'trials and tribulation' and opposition you are facing Bishop Nicholson! God is making Alaska a place of living waters and Alaska is going to be flooded. God will make a way for you through His mountains! All those people that opposed you and misunderstood you, someday will come to you one by one, shake your hand and they will say that they are sorry for what they did to you." 

Wow, what blessing when I heard these wonderful words!  It seemed the Spirit of God came upon me and I felt not only a big blessing, but hope for the future.

As I think back at the sudden word of encouragement from a stranger, it seems the words were really also FOR THOSE PASTORS, EVANGELISTS AND/OR CHURCH LEADERS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH OPPOSITION WITHIN A TRADITIONAL OR MORE INCLUSIVE CHURCH THAT RESISTS NEEDED CHANGE.  What this lady from way up north told me applies to them too. 

Was this a prophetic utterance?  In the Spirit, I believe so.  The promise from this prophetic utterance may be for any pastor and for that matter, anyone, who is involved in renewal and restoration of the Church to the living Word of God and the Gospel of Redemption.  So often it is these people and their family members that are hurt by negativity and discrimination, which has no place in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Praise God, I pray that peace, joy, and above all, hope will come upon any dear former or present Church leaders suffering because of the tares in the Church.  Please remember that we should not judge them.  Remember according to the scriptures, God allows them to be there until the great harvest, and then God will be their perfect judge.

SAINTS, CHURCH LEADERS...GOOD TIMES AND REFRESHING TIMES ARE COMING!