In the year 2000 a prophetic friend of our ministry Rodney Francis said to us with a little chuckle "You are going to be living by faith!" For me at the time this was such a "way out there word"; because I had always had a ministry philosophy of being a tent maker. You know "Owe no man anything but love" sort of thing.
Well in the ensuing few years the Lord set about breaking my mindsets about "Living by faith" and I wanted to put this in print to encourage others to let go and allow the Lord to prove who he is and how he can bless in most unexpected ways.
I have learnt that his covenant name is Jehovah Jireh and the key word is "Covenant" Because in a covenant both parties agree that everything that they are and everything that they own are at the disposal of the other party to the covenant. For us that means that if he wants to borrow my shovel, He doesn't have to ask me first, he can just come to my garden shed and take it and if he doesn't wan to give it back, well he doesn't have to do that either because under the terms of our covenant everything I own is his anyway. We usually forget that under the terms of the same covenant we can borrow his shovel as well and we don't have top ask for it, or in fact give it back
Just go to His garden shed and take it because he's covenanted himself to us to allow us to access anything he owns. Well now my bible says "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills "I don't think that goes far enough really because he actually owns the hills as well. As believers we have forgotten that we are in fact in covenant relationship. If we got that revelation it would stop a lot of whining when God comes and takes our shovel without asking and we feel aggrieved. It would also stop a lot of winging and begging God for provision as well because everything he owns is ours. We don't have to ask for it, we just need to access it.
I'm reminded of the famous story often told in evangelistic meetings about the man who was stuck on the side of a mountain calling for help. An answer comes back from above "I'm here to help" the climber responds "who is it?" the answer comes back "It's the Lord" excited the climber says "Can you help me" the Lord responds "Yes let go and I will catch you" the climber responds "Is there any one else up there"
Is There Any One Else Up There?
That sums up the early part of my walking by faith life, When the Lord asked me to give away things or let go of business security in order to receive from his own hand my response was mostly "Is there any one else up there who can help"
But the Lord was determined to change me into someone who has to totally rely on Him for provision and now 12 years on I can say he has never let me down. He has left it until 30 seconds to midnight a couple of times but he has never let me down.
I've learnt some things along the way and I'm sure there is so much more to learn
1) Let go. Two simple words but in them is the power of the walk of faith.
You can't expect to work it out in ways understood by men. There have been times all hope seemed lost, there seemed no way of gaining provision or meeting a need. Then in an instant breakthrough comes. For instance a couple of years ago my car broke down on the way to a ministry engagement, I was in the middle of know where and the car was totally dead. I often say my old Holden died in a field. I rang the Pastor at whose church I was to minister who graciously came to pick me up. I ministered all week in that church and Joye my wife was coming down at the end of this to pick me up in her car to go home. During the week I just let go of the idea of being a two car family, I thought well we can manage and gave it to the Lord. I had been used to a certain level of giving in my meetings and was always grateful that the Lord met our needs always. But this car issue had put a new ceiling on my "Needs"
So without expectation I let go. I can't explain where the funds came from to this day but by the end of the week without me having to beg or plead or even mention it, I was able to buy another car and drive it home. He said let go and I will catch you and I did, and He did!
2) Give and expect a return It just might come from an unexpected source.
Hold on isn't that give and you'll receive? Well in the walk of faith the Lord some times asks you to sow into places that you will never see a return. My experience has been that I have reaped where I haven't sown and I have sown where I haven't reaped He has trained my attitude to be one of "Lord you are my provision and I look to you and not to the physical place I'm ministering to meet my needs. A short while ago I was ministering in another country the local contact person made promises but never fulfilled them it ended up costing me $739:00. I put this down to experience and gave it to the Lord. In my mind I decided I will see it as sowing into this country. When I got home a person who Ive never met but have had a couple of e-mail conversations with over the years sent me an e-mail and said The Lord had prompted them to sow into our ministry a sum of money now wait for it. It was $739.00 a most unusual figure but it had the figure prints of God all over it.
3) Breaking generational strongholds
This has been a big one for me, I come from a family who have all the I's dotted and the t's crossed in their lives especially financial security. In 2005/2006 I got really ill, and it was in this season that the Lord removed any crutch or support fallback, safety net what ever you want to call it, it was all removed. The Lord dealt a sever blow to my "pride of life" that said I can provide for my family in every way. In this period the Lord broke off many strongholds the biggest was the fear of lack of provision. Because my business had dried up in this period because of my illness my means of provision had also dried up. I ended up not having any provision but still having a tax liability from the previous years earnings. Initially the Inland Revenue were not sympathetic and started to pile interest penalties on top of what I already owed, because legally I did owe them money, they were not at all interested in the fact that I had been very ill and couldn't earn even if I wanted to. The fear of lack of provision really gripped me in this season, I went around in circles until the Lord broke through and said "What are you doing?" With penalties I ended up with a $40,000 debt it had ballooned from $15,000 and there seemed nothing I could do about it. I had to allow the Lord to finally kill the fear of lack in my life and lay it all down. Within days of me doing this the IRD appointed a new case manager. She said lets have another look at the debt did some reassessments and to this day Im not really sure how she arrived at her new figures but she phoned with the good news that the reassessment had shown them owing me money which covered all but a couple of thousand dollars which she was pleased to tell me they had decided to write off leaving me debt free. I was so amazed at the provision of the Lord I asked her to send it to me in writing so I could have it as a memorial to the goodness of God which she did. What had been one of the greatest challenges to my generational financial pride had become one of the greatest miracles of my life when He took control.
To my prophetic friend Rodney I owe a debt of gratitude, By being obedient to the Lord in releasing a Prophetic word that at the time seemed totally irrelevant to me he set in motion an unstoppable glory and challenge to generational strongholds that I believe will bear fruit in this season and in the seasons yet to come. To the Lord I am so grateful that He is who he says he is "Jehovah Jirah" The covenant one who provides. To the ones who have been moved and obeyed in sending us provision sometimes sacrificially thank you.
The journey continues, I hope this little word encourages you that He is able and will bless you because you are in covenant relationship with Him.
Sow Into good soil
If you would like to sow into our faith based ministry its good soil - you can by going to our web-site and press the donate button. You can also e-mail us and we will send you other ways to donate and help our ministry. www.hisamazinggloryministries.org
IAN W JOHNSON
E-mail ianjohn@xtra.co.nz
His Amazing Glory Ministries
Web-site: www.hisamazinggloryministries.org
ANZAC Israel Tours
Israel Phone 00 972 522401071
NZ Phone 64 272893330
Web-site: www.israeltours.co.nz
That sums up the early part of my walking by faith life, When the Lord asked me to give away things or let go of business security in order to receive from his own hand my response was mostly "Is there any one else up there who can help"
But the Lord was determined to change me into someone who has to totally rely on Him for provision and now 12 years on I can say he has never let me down. He has left it until 30 seconds to midnight a couple of times but he has never let me down.
I've learnt some things along the way and I'm sure there is so much more to learn
1) Let go. Two simple words but in them is the power of the walk of faith.
You can't expect to work it out in ways understood by men. There have been times all hope seemed lost, there seemed no way of gaining provision or meeting a need. Then in an instant breakthrough comes. For instance a couple of years ago my car broke down on the way to a ministry engagement, I was in the middle of know where and the car was totally dead. I often say my old Holden died in a field. I rang the Pastor at whose church I was to minister who graciously came to pick me up. I ministered all week in that church and Joye my wife was coming down at the end of this to pick me up in her car to go home. During the week I just let go of the idea of being a two car family, I thought well we can manage and gave it to the Lord. I had been used to a certain level of giving in my meetings and was always grateful that the Lord met our needs always. But this car issue had put a new ceiling on my "Needs"
So without expectation I let go. I can't explain where the funds came from to this day but by the end of the week without me having to beg or plead or even mention it, I was able to buy another car and drive it home. He said let go and I will catch you and I did, and He did!
2) Give and expect a return It just might come from an unexpected source.
Hold on isn't that give and you'll receive? Well in the walk of faith the Lord some times asks you to sow into places that you will never see a return. My experience has been that I have reaped where I haven't sown and I have sown where I haven't reaped He has trained my attitude to be one of "Lord you are my provision and I look to you and not to the physical place I'm ministering to meet my needs. A short while ago I was ministering in another country the local contact person made promises but never fulfilled them it ended up costing me $739:00. I put this down to experience and gave it to the Lord. In my mind I decided I will see it as sowing into this country. When I got home a person who Ive never met but have had a couple of e-mail conversations with over the years sent me an e-mail and said The Lord had prompted them to sow into our ministry a sum of money now wait for it. It was $739.00 a most unusual figure but it had the figure prints of God all over it.
3) Breaking generational strongholds
This has been a big one for me, I come from a family who have all the I's dotted and the t's crossed in their lives especially financial security. In 2005/2006 I got really ill, and it was in this season that the Lord removed any crutch or support fallback, safety net what ever you want to call it, it was all removed. The Lord dealt a sever blow to my "pride of life" that said I can provide for my family in every way. In this period the Lord broke off many strongholds the biggest was the fear of lack of provision. Because my business had dried up in this period because of my illness my means of provision had also dried up. I ended up not having any provision but still having a tax liability from the previous years earnings. Initially the Inland Revenue were not sympathetic and started to pile interest penalties on top of what I already owed, because legally I did owe them money, they were not at all interested in the fact that I had been very ill and couldn't earn even if I wanted to. The fear of lack of provision really gripped me in this season, I went around in circles until the Lord broke through and said "What are you doing?" With penalties I ended up with a $40,000 debt it had ballooned from $15,000 and there seemed nothing I could do about it. I had to allow the Lord to finally kill the fear of lack in my life and lay it all down. Within days of me doing this the IRD appointed a new case manager. She said lets have another look at the debt did some reassessments and to this day Im not really sure how she arrived at her new figures but she phoned with the good news that the reassessment had shown them owing me money which covered all but a couple of thousand dollars which she was pleased to tell me they had decided to write off leaving me debt free. I was so amazed at the provision of the Lord I asked her to send it to me in writing so I could have it as a memorial to the goodness of God which she did. What had been one of the greatest challenges to my generational financial pride had become one of the greatest miracles of my life when He took control.
To my prophetic friend Rodney I owe a debt of gratitude, By being obedient to the Lord in releasing a Prophetic word that at the time seemed totally irrelevant to me he set in motion an unstoppable glory and challenge to generational strongholds that I believe will bear fruit in this season and in the seasons yet to come. To the Lord I am so grateful that He is who he says he is "Jehovah Jirah" The covenant one who provides. To the ones who have been moved and obeyed in sending us provision sometimes sacrificially thank you.
The journey continues, I hope this little word encourages you that He is able and will bless you because you are in covenant relationship with Him.
Sow Into good soil
If you would like to sow into our faith based ministry its good soil - you can by going to our web-site and press the donate button. You can also e-mail us and we will send you other ways to donate and help our ministry. www.hisamazinggloryministries.org
IAN W JOHNSON
E-mail ianjohn@xtra.co.nz
His Amazing Glory Ministries
Web-site: www.hisamazinggloryministries.org
ANZAC Israel Tours
Israel Phone 00 972 522401071
NZ Phone 64 272893330
Web-site: www.israeltours.co.nz
