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"What is God Doing Today?"
by Iverna Tompkins
Delivered April 25, 2004
Web Site: www.iverna.org
 I
was just attending church the other Sunday, not speaking there but worshiping
like all the rest, when I sensed the Lord begin to stir in my spirit. I knew He
had something to say to the church - the church-at-large, I believe. As I walked
to the podium in obedience to His prompting, this is what I heard in my spirit.
There's a question on the hearts of most of God's people today. And it is: "What
is God doing?" "I've given Him everything. I've tried to serve Him. I've
followed him. I...and yet, things are not going smoothly in my life. I pay my
tithe, and I'm still struggling financially. I've believed Him for healing and
wholeness, and I still ache. I lay down my burdens every time I get up in the
morning, and yet by the end of the day, they're still there or back again."
We could ask, "What's wrong with this church?" Or this one (wherever you
attend)? So many negative things keep happening to people. Sicknesses, financial
disasters, family problems, accidents, catastrophic diseases. And we conclude,
this church must be out of order or have the wrong staff. Or too much choir. Too
much, you know, music. Or, not enough this-or-that.
What is God doing in the Body of Christ today, and why?
I believe God is establishing His Kingdom - now!
Why are we so amazed at things when the Book is so explicitly clear about them?
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Ps. 34:19). "Count it all joy
when... Knowing this..." (Jas. 1:2, 3). "The trial of your faith..." (1 Pet.
1:7). "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial..." (1 Pet.
4:12).
So, if you don't want to have problems, live on the border. Keep one foot in the
church, but the other in your world. Don't make this heavy commitment by singing
along, "I'm Yours, Lord. Everything I've got..." Don't make that kind of
commitment. Just make a humming commitment "Hummmmm. Lord, I'm sort of Yours if
I agree and like the things You want for me." Come to church and listen to the
songs, then sing only the ones you agree with. Listen to a sermon based on
articulation, pronunciation, and theology - and vote on it, deciding if you
agree with the Word presented. You see, that's the way that the enemy will leave
you alone!
When you make a commitment, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,"
(Josh. 24:15), and "though He slay me, yet will I serve Him," (Job 13:15), all
hell begins to quake because there is power in that kind of life!! You want a
powerful life? Then, don't expect a trouble-free one. Look for the promise of
His grace to be sufficient to see you through. (2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 43:2, 3; Dan.
3:17, 18 ,25).
The Purpose of the Passion
You see, God is doing something so unique in the Body of Christ. Do you
understand that? You know what the church is? The whole purpose of the Passion
that we saw, not the movie but of the cross itself, was so that Christ could be
made the head of the church - and that God could be revealed therein.
That is our purpose. The church isn't just for an occasional "Bless me." The
whole reason for blessing is to be a bless-er. The whole reason for salvation
and baptism and communion and fellowship and friendship and life-change is to
demonstrate Him, God Almighty! It's not about you. It's not about me. It's not
about what we desire. It's all about Him!
Now, I do not in any way minimize hurt. I am not saying, "Well, just get over
it." I said that when I was young and had no "troubles." You don't just get over
hurt so simply. But every song we've sung today in this place gives the answer
to any problem here - it isn't just "get over" - it's "look beyond it." Look
unto the God of the hills (Psa. 121). Do not concentrate on the circumstances
you're facing! It's a matter of focus.
There are several ways to go through something hard. You can go through it in
self-pity and try to earn sympathy from those around you because you are in such
a sorry state. "Oh, poor you." Pity-parties are totally unproductive in the long
run.
Or you can go through tough times by carrying a heavy burden, again attempting
to gain emotional support from others as they observe your downcast appearance.
"How are you today?" "Well...there are things going on." There are always going
to be things going on!
Or we can do what we sing over and over in our precious times of worship. We can
lift our hands and hearts in praise to God, in spite of all we see and live
through. We can say, "Lord, I don't have to understand the why of everything or
the wherefore of everything. I just join the psalmist in saying, 'God is our
refuge! And God is our strength!'" (Psa. 46; 34)
You Can Take It
Don't ever say to me, "I can't take it anymore." Excuse me, but the Good Book
said you can! "I just can't go through any more. I'm telling you..." We whine.
Your Creator says, "You're strong enough. You can do this! I am helping you!" (1
Cor. 10:13; Psa. 125; 1 Pet. 2:9)
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). What do
you think that means? "Well, I thought it meant..." It means that every day of
your life, you can get up and radiate the glorious presence of the Almighty God
within you, walking out among the godless all around you. If you think things
are going to get easier, my friend, you're not reading the Book! "He that is
filthy, let him be filthier still" (Rev. 22:11).
The separation is on right now - the holy from the profane (Ezek. 22:26; 44:23).
We're seeing things my generation never imagined we would see. We're
experiencing things we never imagined we would experience in our lifetime - and
in the United States of America - in a country that dares to stand together and
sing, "God Bless America." We are now seeing anarchy and opposition and lies -
deceit right in the open - every day - every day - every day. Our nation, once
founded and based on Christian principles, beliefs, and tenets, is now in a
constant state of compromising the things of God. The church is even in
dangerous fellowship with the world instead of the pure fellowship with the
Christ.
You go to work and are far more exhausted today than you used to be, putting in
the same number of hours of work. Why is that? The work isn't harder. Hello!
A Constant State of War
It isn't the job that's getting you down. It's that we are continually in a war!
A constant spirit battle is waged against the righteous, those who have made the
kind of commitment God is looking for from all of us. He says, "They're Mine!"
And the enemy says, "They're not going to last."
"God is our refuge!" "God is our strength." Psalm 46. Listen to it again. You
know it too well, that's why it doesn't mean anything any more. You have it on a
plaque in your house. You've memorized it, and so it's just familiar. Listen to
it! "A very present help."
What do you need right now? I mean, NOW. I'm talking about right NOW! "Well, I
just want Him to take care of all these problems, to deliver me from this mess."
Wrong prayer!
God is determined to strengthen you. He is going to have a strong and mighty
Kingdom. And it's going to be made up of the most unlikely people - like you and
me. They don't expect big changes to be made by "us."
You say, "I've been asking God to just, you know, put me into politics, or a
position of real authority - that when I speak, it would be like E.F. Hutton -
and people will listen to me and then I'll have a testimony."
Oh, no. It's the little people like us who just stand up and say, "Look what the
Lord has done!" You can't say that if you've never been through anything! But
when we come through some things, God will see to it that we are placed with
others who need to hear His encouragement - "God is our refuge," and, "God is
our strength," and, "God is our help," and, "God is out to do us good by
strengthening us..." And we will be the very ones to tell them this Good News!
Past the Halfway Mark
We have come more than halfway through the tunnel of life on earth. When we
start out, we meet the Lord as Savior, and we know it's going to be a long
journey. But church - I'm speaking to the church in general - we are more than
halfway through the tunnel. Now, think about it. You start walking. It's dark
ahead and you don't know exactly where you're going, but there's a lot of light
in the opening of that tunnel. So, "Praise God. I just trust Him to lead the
way. This is great." And then you reach a point where you can no longer see a
light ahead. When many people get to that first sign of darkness, they turn
their backs on it and walk back. They retreat to that beginning area where they
had some light. And then, in time, they start out all over again. We must press
on in the dark and trust Him for the light to come.
The majority of churches that are meeting today, in the Name of Jesus, are not
preaching this kind of a message. They tend to go back over the same ground, and
many of the same people answer the same altar call, week after week after week.
And there appears to be little or no progress in their spiritual growth. They
stagnate right where they began - "saved" and going to heaven, but not walking
in the Light they have. No wonder it was important to be written: "Forgetting
those things which are behind, I reach for those things which are ahead. I press
toward the mark..." (Phil. 3:13).
Now, as you keep retracing your steps backward, our merciful God will always
take you back. Yes, He will. "Oh, well, I think I've committed the unpardonable
sin. I can't go back to Him." Not true if you're conscious of it. That's the
conviction of the Holy Spirit so you can confess, forsake, and get on with it!
No Going Back!
We need to say, "I'm not going back! I'm not retreating just because I don't
know everything that lies ahead. I don't know how I'm going to get to a city not
made with hands, but I have a promise! I have God's promise that I have enough
strength to go on. He said, 'I AM your refuge. And I AM your fortress, and I AM
a very present help.'"
Many of us made that commitment for salvation some time ago, and we have been
pressing on into the Kingdom. And now we're way beyond the halfway mark. If you
turn around now, it will be darker going back because you have now been heading
into the Light without actually realizing how far you have come already.
We are going somewhere. As individuals, we're going some place. As a church, we
are going to that place where God is making His presence known in the assembly
of His Body; where He is consistently there as we gather to praise Him and
worship Him and fellowship with Him and the members of His Body.
Would you give that up? Not for anything! So, "whatever it takes for this will,
my own will, to break, Lord. Whatever it takes, Lord, for us to get closer to
You. We have made this determination - we have to know You! And this beacon is
going to be a Light that shines brighter and brighter and brighter."
Stagnation
You will see churches rise. You'll see churches fall. You'll see churches rise
and stagnate. The church - you're going to hate this but it's true - the
churches that stagnate will have the most people. It is not an easy choice to
press on with God. "Many are the afflictions..." and many will find their
contentment in knowing they have secured their eternity with God - period. They
will not risk going through the darkness, or the floods, or the fire (Isa.
43:2), even though God's promise is sure: "I will be with you..." (Isa. 43:2).
Don't you worry about those churches. Don't try to pick them out or in any way
identify them. We are not to look at them with any negatives in mind, but we are
to recognize that there is a very high calling of God to press on with Him. And
there is also a high cost we will pay as we choose this way. But, church, it
will be worth whatever the cost.
Some rough roads have been plowed already to get us to this point. We dare not
become discouraged now. Things have never been brighter for us! Church, things
have never been more promising for us! It is true that we still hold in our
hearts unfulfilled prophetic promises that I know - I KNOW - that He who has
promised is faithful - who also will do it. (Heb. 10:23; Phil. 1:6; 2:13)
by Iverna Tompkins
Delivered April 25, 2004 at the River of Life Tabernacle, Phoenix, AZ
Web Site:
www.iverna.org
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