Home churches, especially those made up of folk who have left traditional church, often ‘reinvent the wheel’ in the way they do things. Putting on ’services’, the hymn sandwich approach, having to ‘do’ certain things to feel they are valid as church, and so on. For groups reaching out missionally, those from traditional backgrounds who fall back into using ‘churchy’ language soon find there is a gulf between them and those to whom they are seeking to build relationships. Here is an outline of an article by Stuart that challenges us to be listening and obedient to what God is saying to us ‘TODAY’.

DON’T GET STUCK WITH A STICK!

by

Stuart Gramenz

I was thinking about the many truths being restored to the church, when the Lord began to reveal some of the things that would hinder believers from receiving and entering into what He is presently doing. To help me understand, He reminded me of some aspects of Moses’ life.
Israel was told they were going to enter a Promised Land, a land of rest. (Heb. 3 and 4). Even though he was Israel’s leader and a great man of God, Moses did not enter into the Promised Land.

WHY?
“Why was that?” the Lord asked me.
God of course had used Moses to do many great miracles using his rod. He had cast it onto the ground and it became a serpent; used it to turn a river into blood and divided the Red Sea. (Ex. 4:3,4; 7:17; 14:6.)
At one stage of their journey in the desert, water was needed for the thirsty Israelites and the Lord instructed Moses to use his rod once again.

“Behold I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and the water will come out of it, that the people might drink”.
And Moses did so… Ex. 17:6

At a later date the same problem arose and, once again, Moses was given an instruction by the Lord. However this time there was a difference in the procedure.

“Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water…” Num. 20:8

What did Moses do?

Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly… Num. 20:11

Moses was told to speak to the rock but instead he hit it with his rod. What was the result?

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Num. 20:12

Wow! He was going to miss out on the big one…the Promised Land.
At first glance it seemed to me that Moses was judged rather harshly. All he did was to hit the rock instead of speak to it. After all it accomplished the same end result and they received their water. Why was God upset with him over what would seem a minor mistake?

After all Moses was a good guy, he knew God’s word backwards and would have obeyed the Ten Commandments to the letter of the law.

A Personal Relationship
First of all God was expecting far more from him than simply obeying the previous commandments. The reason; Moses had a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord.

So the Lord spoke to Moses as a man would speak to his friend. Ex.33:11

God had additional specific and individual instructions for Moses to follow and He expected him to hear and obey.

Past Experience
Secondly, because those instructions were different for each particular occasion, He expected Moses to be adaptable.
Even though Moses knew God’s voice, he didn’t have an ear to hear this particular tailor-made instruction.
He failed to be open to the new way that God wanted to move and instead acted out of past experience.
Moses had many years experience of using that rod. God instructed him to use it to do miracle after miracle. He knew how to get water out of the rock; he’d done it before and knew the method. The method worked, but God was displeased. Why?
It wasn’t what Moses achieved; it was how he achieved it.
God was trying to wean Moses off using the rod onto another way of releasing His power; that of simply declaring what the Lord told him to say.

WHY THE STICK?
Why did he have to use the stick at all? Did it have some magical power? Of course not! A rod was used originally to help someone when walking on a journey. It was like a crutch or form of support.
God initially told Moses to go and speak directly to Pharaoh (Ex. 3:18). Moses, however, was totally insecure.

“But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” Ex. 4:1

Moses needed some support, a crutch.

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
And He said, “Cast it on the ground.”
So he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent…. Ex. 4:2,3

God did of, course, do other things to reassure Moses but the rod was used time and time again.




MADE BY MAN
The Lord went on to show me that the stick wasn’t something that He created…it was man-made. He simply used something man had leaned on and then used it to achieve His purposes. God was transitioning Moses from using something made by man to simply relying on His words.

OUR PROMISED LAND
We are told regarding Moses and the people of Israel;

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings to us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Cor. 10:11,12

Their Promised Land was a life of rest. Heb. 4:11. The church is also given a promise of a rest.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Heb. 4:9

Some commentators see it as a future rest, the time we enter heaven, however there is a present day rest that we can enter into.

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb. 4:10

Jesus is our role model for this life of God’s rest. However, He didn’t sit around with his feet up all the time. How did He rest? He only did what the Father told Him to do.

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. John 14:12 NIV

He was totally led by the Spirit of God…at one with the Lord. This absolutely fulfilled Him, resulting in complete peace and joy…a life of rest.
We are given this Promised Land scripture;

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to My Father.
John 14:12

Many believers have tried to be obedient, going all out to witness to people, attempting to pray for the sick and working hard for the Lord. They didn’t feel rested. They felt worn out, tired and frustrated because they saw minor results in comparison to all their efforts. They were certainly faithful in obeying the Lord’s commands in a general sense, but they didn’t do it like Jesus.
Jesus didn’t read His Bible and simply try to keep the rules. He only did what the Father told him to do.
As with Moses, this promise goes way beyond learning the Scriptures and trying to obey them. We are to have a personal relationship with the Lord and He desires to have “face to face” talks, giving us specific and individual instructions.

This is the Promised Land, a new era, which the Lord is taking us into, where we cease from doing our works (even attempted “good” works). It’s the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer for us.

…that they may become one as We are one. John 17:22

However here are two different groups of believers who will not be able to move into this restoration truth

GROUP ONE
There will be one group of Christians who will find this new level of relationship and ability to hear from God hard to believe.
The majority of Israel, including the leaders, knew of the giants in the land and they could not believe they could enter in. The task was too great and overwhelming.

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Heb. 3:19

Like Israel there will be some who will not be able to enter this truth. The thought of a Spirit led life is too gigantic, too overwhelming. Some leaders will find it hard to believe for themselves, let alone the people.

GROUP TWO
There is, however, a second group of believers who believe in, and are expecting, a greater flow of God’s love and power through His people, but, like Moses, they will not be able to enter in.
As with Moses, the church in the past has been very insecure. We have seen scriptures that tell us we can walk and talk just as Jesus did, but the majority has not been able to totally fulfill it.
Many have not had the confidence, faith or understanding of how to live a totally Spirit led life. We have needed a crutch, something man-made for us to lean on. As with Moses, God operated at the level of faith we were at and the power and Spirit of the Lord flowed.
The things that have supported us come from various sources. Unlike Jesus, many have relied on printed material to hand out, “packaged” gospel messages and “getting people to church” to see people saved.
One of the greatest crutches has been the dependence on the Sunday church meeting. We have looked to the pastor, the song leader, and the musicians, depending on them and the meeting to release the flow of the Spirit.
As baby Christians there is no initial problem with this, for little children must depend on others. However we are supposed to be equipped at meetings, enabling us to grow into sons who are led by the Spirit … just as Jesus was. ( Eph. 4:11-13; Rom. 8:14).
If we are expecting the church meeting to be the only place the Spirit moves, or if we are looking to it as our total support and crutch, we will not grow into the fully matured person God wants us to be.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He leads me beside the still waters……
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps. 23:1,2,4

He is our Shepherd.
He is the one who leads us
He is to be our crutch and our support.

The Lord is taking us into greener pastures where we are fed and led directly by Him.

…the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John10: 4, 27

Jesus is our only role model. He didn’t rely on buildings and programs. He wasn’t burdened by mortgages and administration and was free to hear one voice…His Father’s. Every day there were meetings….meeting with His Dad, and then meeting the needs of others.
This does not mean that the Lord won’t use something in the natural or man-made to achieve His will. When Jesus prayed for a blind man He put mud in his eyes. However, it only happened once. It wasn’t a method He depended on.
The Lord is now weaning us off our dependence on anything apart from Him and His leading.
Is there anything that you are using as crutch, which would hinder you from hearing His voice? The indicator or evidence of this would be a loss of your peace and joy.

OUR FAMINE
Many of us are praying for the many famines seen around the world, little realizing the enormous spiritual famine besetting us.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11

There would be many who would think this could not possibly apply to us today. The bible is the best selling book in the world. We have an incredible amount of printed material now being made available.
However it doesn’t say there is a scarcity of the Bible or reading His word, it says the area of starvation is one of “hearing the words of the Lord”. He wants us to hear His daily words

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you and watch over you. Ps. 32:8

LEADERS WHO DON’T GET IT
There will be some present day leaders who, like Moses, will not be able to make the transition into this new Promised Land. They may have been highly successful in the past and have used buildings, programs and entertainment to see people saved and for the Spirit to flow. Again, as with Moses, God has used these men to see the people receive the benefits of His Spirit. Nevertheless the size of the outpouring that God is now releasing, is far too great to be contained in a building.


Like Moses, these leaders have been faithful and obedient to God in days gone by.. They can honestly say, “God told me to do it this way!” However it’s a new day. Just as with Moses, if they continue with the way they’ve always done it, they will miss the new move.
Will the people still be blessed? Yes! Even with Moses’ disobedience the people still received the water.
The people will receive the blessing, but the leaders won’t enter in.
This will be the hardest part for them to grasp. Not understanding what God is now saying, they will think that, because there is still a degree of blessing, they are in God’s will.

A DISTANT VISION
After disobeying God, Moses was led by the Lord to a high place and shown the Promised Land from afar.
Many leaders have seen the upcoming move from a distance. They know there is a great out pouring of the Spirit on the horizon. Unfortunately, they can only see it from afar and are unsure how it is going to happen. They are still looking to the old ways.
Under Moses, all the people watched as the Lord worked through him, but in the Promised Land God took the land through the people. In our present church system, most of the people still look to the leader as God works through them. In the new move, God is going to take the land through the people.
The Lord wants leaders to discard the rod…the rod on their backs. He wants to release them from the worry of buildings and stress of administration, enabling them to do what they are anointed to do. They are to imitate the works of Jesus in their daily walk relying on His specific guidance and as a Christ-like role model, equip others to do the same. They too will then be able to enter the rest.

The apostle Paul said;

Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…. Php. 3:12, 13

MY CHALLENGE
As I have begun sharing about this new move, there have been a few who seem to have been unsettled by it. Criticism began coming my way in various forms and, without realizing it, I started to become defensive. There was a propensity to become critical myself. Fortunately, God was on hand to give me this correction in the form of a prophecy.


Do not drop your guard in regard to criticism and start moving in the flesh.
It is my works … don’t try to prove the work.

By your reactions you can allow a critical spirit to enter the work. Guard against this. Be all things to all men.
This is a special work I am preparing; established movements will not understand the working of my Spirit. In this case, only those that I choose to open their eyes will see.
It is not your concern who accepts or who rejects the work.
You move on and do what I have told you to do.
Guard your emotions. Do not let them dictate your peace.

I included this simply because, as with me, there is a possibility of others losing their peace and joy…the very things the Lord is trying to establish in our hearts. Some believers may be openly critical, others will be afraid, just as the Israelites were and many will simply not understand, thinking it’s all too radical.

Pray for revelation for them.

HONORING PATRIARCHS
The Lord asked me, “Moses was disobedient and didn’t enter in, but how do you remember him?”
“I really only think of his humility, leadership and the great things You did through him.” I replied
“There will be many of my faithful humble servants who will see this from afar but they will not be able to enter in. Honor them as you would honor Moses.”
Let’s ensure that we do not become critical of those ones who have served the Lord magnificently in their generation. Instead let’s remember the great things they have achieved and remember:

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings to us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
1 Cor. 10:11,12


Let’s not be like Moses and get stuck with a stick.

Posted by Bessie on Thursday, October 26th, 2006 at 10:47 am.