Stepping Through the Open Window
Femi and Remi are a couple from Africa, pastoring a church on the Canadian Prairies. In effect, though they didn’t say it, they are missionaries from Africa to Canada. I had heard so many good things about them the previous summer that I was really looking forward to their teaching and ministry. I enjoyed listening to him talk the second week I was at camp—-he’s very passionate and eloquent—-but he uses a lot of words to not say very much. The topic for the week was “Change”. We need to change. We need to be willing to change. But he didn’t say much about what that change should be.
I also had trouble with the way he did some of his prayer ministry. Some of it was interesting. For instance, he would stop his teaching and ask, “Is there a Cynthia here? I’m being led to pray for a Cynthia. She’s in trouble.” When it was evident there was no Cynthia, he’d ask if any of us know a Cynthia and there was always someone. He would then pray for the Cynthia that was known. Or he’d ask if there was someone with such and such a medical problem, call them forward and pray for them. I found this interesting and I learned from personal experience that this man has spiritual eyes and ears far more attuned than most people so I found these times of healing very interesting. For instance, he had a picture of a baby, connected to the group there, who was having trouble with its umbilical cord or belly button. Was there such a person, he asked? It took a long time but finally a woman stood up and said that her two babies, adopted children, have umbilical hernias. And so they were prayed for.
But I did have trouble when he had us all stand up, put our hands on the places were we have pain and then prayed and commanded all pain and all illnesses, naming them all individually, to come out and cease. This seemed too generalized for me and similar things happened throughout the week. There is weird stuff that passes itself off as belonging to God and I want to be discerning.
One thing that reassured me was the pamphlet I saw and took, advertising a conference their church is sponsoring later in the year. The conference is accredited by the Wagner Leadership Institute (Canada). I don’t know a whole lot about Peter Wagner and his ministries, but what I do know has been good and someone whom I respect a lot has high respect for Peter Wagner and so to see his stamp of approval on this conference made me realize that this couple, as strange as some of the things they did were, aren’t completely off in left field.
Actually, the conference, said to be "apostolic", rather intrigued me. The speakers are from the Ukraine, Nigeria, Malaysia, Texas and British Columbia. I had asked Danielle the first week to explain what apostolic meant and though she tried I didn’t really understand. I still don’t, but I wondered about this conference. I had also heard that Darlene, from the first week, was coming back in October to lead a prophetic intercession retreat/conference. Should I be going to these?
The answer was given the next day. Femi and Remi hadn’t mentioned anything about the conference. They were continuing to talk about change and said, “God is doing a new thing with an apostolic and prophetic anointing on his people. The window is open only a short time; now is the time to enter before it closes.” I wrote later, in response, I don’t know if Femi meant those two sentences to be connected but they’ve connected for me. I am at this camp because I changed churches to the Vineyard. Because I’m here [at this camp], I have opportunities to attend the two conferences [I mentioned above]. I believe this is the open window. If I don’t attend, I’m missing the opportunity God is creating for me. I must go. I don’t know how I’m going to afford it but I’m going to go to both.
A big part of the problem with the first conference was the cost. The conference itself wasn’t expensive but where would I stay? I’d be there 6 days. I can’t afford hotel accommodations for that long. I’m trying to pay off my debts and live within my means. I didn’t want to add to my credit card debt so what should I do? And yet God had made it plain that he wanted me to go. As I tumbled these thoughts over the week, an idea came to me. I used to go to a biennial Christian education conference in Southern Manitoba and because they expected lots of people from out of town, the sponsoring churches would provide billets. I took advantage of that one year and was really blessed by the family I stayed with. Would Femi and Remi’s church do the same? Dare I ask? It was scary to even think of asking them but if I was to go, this would be the only way so finally, towards the end of the week I got up the courage. I told them I wanted to go, couldn’t afford the hotels and would anyone in their church be willing to billet? Remi thought they would and so I gave her my registration form and fee and am officially registered for the entire event. I’ve also paid and registered for the weekend conference at the camp later in the fall. I have no idea why I’m going to these events, other than God is telling me to, and I have no idea what God plans to do with my going. What does he have in mind? What is he preparing me for? I don’t have a clue.
I also had trouble with the way he did some of his prayer ministry. Some of it was interesting. For instance, he would stop his teaching and ask, “Is there a Cynthia here? I’m being led to pray for a Cynthia. She’s in trouble.” When it was evident there was no Cynthia, he’d ask if any of us know a Cynthia and there was always someone. He would then pray for the Cynthia that was known. Or he’d ask if there was someone with such and such a medical problem, call them forward and pray for them. I found this interesting and I learned from personal experience that this man has spiritual eyes and ears far more attuned than most people so I found these times of healing very interesting. For instance, he had a picture of a baby, connected to the group there, who was having trouble with its umbilical cord or belly button. Was there such a person, he asked? It took a long time but finally a woman stood up and said that her two babies, adopted children, have umbilical hernias. And so they were prayed for.
But I did have trouble when he had us all stand up, put our hands on the places were we have pain and then prayed and commanded all pain and all illnesses, naming them all individually, to come out and cease. This seemed too generalized for me and similar things happened throughout the week. There is weird stuff that passes itself off as belonging to God and I want to be discerning.
One thing that reassured me was the pamphlet I saw and took, advertising a conference their church is sponsoring later in the year. The conference is accredited by the Wagner Leadership Institute (Canada). I don’t know a whole lot about Peter Wagner and his ministries, but what I do know has been good and someone whom I respect a lot has high respect for Peter Wagner and so to see his stamp of approval on this conference made me realize that this couple, as strange as some of the things they did were, aren’t completely off in left field.
Actually, the conference, said to be "apostolic", rather intrigued me. The speakers are from the Ukraine, Nigeria, Malaysia, Texas and British Columbia. I had asked Danielle the first week to explain what apostolic meant and though she tried I didn’t really understand. I still don’t, but I wondered about this conference. I had also heard that Darlene, from the first week, was coming back in October to lead a prophetic intercession retreat/conference. Should I be going to these?
The answer was given the next day. Femi and Remi hadn’t mentioned anything about the conference. They were continuing to talk about change and said, “God is doing a new thing with an apostolic and prophetic anointing on his people. The window is open only a short time; now is the time to enter before it closes.” I wrote later, in response, I don’t know if Femi meant those two sentences to be connected but they’ve connected for me. I am at this camp because I changed churches to the Vineyard. Because I’m here [at this camp], I have opportunities to attend the two conferences [I mentioned above]. I believe this is the open window. If I don’t attend, I’m missing the opportunity God is creating for me. I must go. I don’t know how I’m going to afford it but I’m going to go to both.
A big part of the problem with the first conference was the cost. The conference itself wasn’t expensive but where would I stay? I’d be there 6 days. I can’t afford hotel accommodations for that long. I’m trying to pay off my debts and live within my means. I didn’t want to add to my credit card debt so what should I do? And yet God had made it plain that he wanted me to go. As I tumbled these thoughts over the week, an idea came to me. I used to go to a biennial Christian education conference in Southern Manitoba and because they expected lots of people from out of town, the sponsoring churches would provide billets. I took advantage of that one year and was really blessed by the family I stayed with. Would Femi and Remi’s church do the same? Dare I ask? It was scary to even think of asking them but if I was to go, this would be the only way so finally, towards the end of the week I got up the courage. I told them I wanted to go, couldn’t afford the hotels and would anyone in their church be willing to billet? Remi thought they would and so I gave her my registration form and fee and am officially registered for the entire event. I’ve also paid and registered for the weekend conference at the camp later in the fall. I have no idea why I’m going to these events, other than God is telling me to, and I have no idea what God plans to do with my going. What does he have in mind? What is he preparing me for? I don’t have a clue.
posted by Magdaleine at 2:18 AM
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