Identify Your Leader, Get the Rewards
Receive people according to the grace God has given them. Now, it is wise for us to carefully identify what God has called people to do. Ask yourself, “Has God called this person to pastor me?” “Has He called this person to speak to me prophetically, etc?”
If we identify people accordingly, there will be a release of much grace, because we have obeyed and received someone in the Lord’s name. Jesus said, “If you receive any of these little ones, a prophet, or a disciple in My name, you will not lose your reward.” (Matt10: 41-42)
Rewards come based on how you receive people according to what God sent them to do in your life. Elijah was a man just like us, but he was a prophet and said, “It shall not rain.” It did not rain for 3 years. (James 5:17)
If you receive people in their God-given capacity, you will be blessed. You should think, “This is someone who can pray for me, and I’ll receive forgiveness of sins. My sins can be remitted if I go here, I can get delivered of demons if I go to this person and submit myself, I can be discipled if I receive this person as a discipler or I can receive freedom from financial oppression. I can be healed, etc.”
If you receive people in the role the Lord appointed them, you will receive the accompanying rewards.
Lessons from the Israelites
The moment all the Israelites said to David that the Lord had said he was going to shepherd Israel, he became king over all of them. Before that, only the people in Hebron had received him, and he had ruled over them 7 years and 6 months already. While that happened, the house of Saul was still fighting. They were suffering defeat. Things were hard on them.
The moment they received David according to the word God had spoken long before, they became instantly under the protection of David, and we know that David lost no battle. So, from that moment, they won every battle that came against Israel as a whole. Every single one of them came under the protection and safety of David.
So, each of us must make a very wise choice of whom we allow to speak into our lives — who serves and rules in our lives. We need to carefully choose whoever we allow to shepherd us will determine our experience very greatly. King Saul lost battles. He suffered defeat and died at the hands of the Philistines because the Spirit of the Lord had moved on from him. King David suffered no defeat because God was with him. Why was God with him? It is because he had said that he was to shepherd his people.
We must ensure that we are sure of the role of the people God has placed in our lives. You must be sure that wherever you are and whoever you are under, it is God who has placed that person in your life. Ask yourself, “Is this meant to be your pastor?” If he/she is, you better treat him/her as that. As long as you don’t, there will be many, many inconveniences that should not be. If you do, it is to your benefit. You will reap the reward.
How God Operates: Proxies
Right now, there are children of God who are complaining, grumbling, and asking God why. If they were to hear the Lord, He would respond and say, “Why not? You have not received the ones who have come in My Name. You want Me to come to you directly and do everything. That is not how I operate.”
God operates through emissaries, messengers, and proxies. The structure of the kingdom is that proxies act on behalf of superiors. So, God will always use people.
Again, in the words of the Lord Jesus, “You will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”
It was to be in His name. People imply that they must see God directly, and God is wondering, “Oh wow. So, you pick and choose My modus operandi. Stop trying to see me directly. If I send someone to come and give you money and you say, “I don’t want your money. I’m waiting for my father to bring it directly.” What do you want Him to do? You ought to have been able to receive what He’s given you from His hand. We all must understand this. It is not only applicable when a person is higher than another; even if it is a small person who’s supposed to help a big person, we must receive people for what they are.
[To be continued…]
