Rain clouds are hard to ignore because of the shadow they thrust upon the surface of the earth. Yet these gloomy and at times cold dark masses carry life. Those that carry the power of God are hard to ignore and at times appear to be controversial. Throughout history, men of God would make headlines for some of the most unthinkable acts of faith. The late John G Lake, who was marked as the founder of the modern Apostolic Faith Movement (AFM), was once recorded to have handled a deadly virus in the palm of his hands and told doctors to observe on a microscope and see them die in his hands.
Sadly, the church and the world never celebrates a man of God when they are still alive. No generation has ever celebrated God’s generals while they are still alive yet their message is for their generation. Why then are they never celebrated in their generation, but attacked by those they have been sent to help? Jesus Himself was never celebrated. He said a prophet had no honour in his hometown.
In a previous instalment of this column, I gave an example of Naaman and how he was instructed to go wash in the Jordan and how he exclaimed that the water was dirty and there were better rivers with clean water in his own country. The most celebrated generals that have passed on had in their time shortfalls that caused those around them to reject them.
News headlines of how a man of God has erred are hard to ignore. We are not qualifying man’s errors, but pointing out that God never calls the perfect, but those willing to be used. Naaman could have missed his miracle because he wanted a clean river. But his touch was not in a clean river, but it was in a river that he despised. An American minister says when eating chicken, you don’t want to eat the bones, but you eat the meat and leave the bones, meaning don’t ignore what God is doing because of the weakness of the vessel being used. Take that which is of God and leave the negative bits.
There are unique men who carry healing or prophetic gifts yet those they are sent to never accept them. Understand that every person has to deal with the flesh. But then, don’t connect yourself to ungodly men just because they have demonstrated signs and wonders. Let God open your eyes to see who is of God and who is not. But remember God never calls the perfect, but He perfects those He calls. It is no wonder, then, that He said don’t judge another man’s servant. (Romans 14 vs 4).
God bless you.
Humphrey Mtandwa is an anointed minister of the gospel and teacher of the Word based in South Africa. He has written several books including The Enoch Generation, Truthfulness and Theophany. He blogs at mtandwa.blogspot.com and can be contacted via e-mail or WhatsApp on +27 610286350.
