[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Protect Your Man of God - by Dr. Larry Ollison

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Protect Your Man of God - by Dr. Larry
Ollison
Date: 
Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:42:50 -0500

 

Protect Your Man of God 
by Dr. Larry Ollison 

At a recent ministers' conference, there was a seminar entitled,
"Protecting the Anointing." I overheard one minister comment, "Why should
we try to protect the anointing? I thought it was the anointing that
protected us!" Although his statement is true, it is also true that many
times a good message from God can go unheard because of the senseless words
of a third party. Let me explain.

A few years ago, I was prepared to deliver a specific word from God to my
congregation. I spent much time in prayer and preparation in order to be
sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I wanted to deliver the message accurately
and in the spirit that I received it. As I turned a corner in the hallway
to the auditorium, an usher stepped forward, pointed his finger in my face,
and began to tell me how he and his family would be leaving the church
because of a letter someone in our church had written. I let him rant and
rave for a couple of minutes. When I asked him what the letter said, still
huffing and hyperventilating, he said, "Well, I haven't actually read it
myself, but I know what it says." The letter wasn't the issue. The enemy
knew that I had a message from God. The enemy also knew who he could use to
attempt to spoil the message. The incident did not affect the teaching that
day, although it took me a while to refocus. Actually, it made me more
determined to deliver God's message to the people.

I've often thought about writing a book about some of the crazy things
that have happened in my services. Once while speaking in Iowa, I had a man
leap out of the congregation, run to the platform, and try to take me down.
For a moment, I felt like a quarterback being sacked. I kept my cool, the
power of God fell on the meeting, and the man got delivered from demonic
possession. Satan lost again.

Another time, I walked up to the pulpit as a guest speaker in another
church. I opened my Bible and said, "Jesus is Lord!" Immediately a man on
the front row leaped to his feet and yelled, "No, He is not!" I leaned over
the pulpit, pointed my finger in his face, and said, "Yes, He is, and in
the name of Jesus, sit down and be quiet!" The young man sat down and never
uttered another word for the remainder of the service.

There are some people who will get into the face of a minister just
before a service and talk incessantly. Little do they know they are being
used by the enemy in an attempt to distract the man or woman of God from
their message. Although a minister may be able to recover from unkind words
or from someone who will just not stop talking, it may affect the
intensity, the clarity, and the passion of the message being delivered.

A few months ago, I sat in a room for fifteen minutes with an
internationally-known minister just before he was to speak. There was no
one else in the green room. Nothing was spoken. It was obvious to me he was
meditating on the message and communicating with God. This was not the time
for small talk. For me to have tried to strike up a conversation about the
weather or sports would have been rude and foolish. 

While it is true that the anointing protects us, we must, to the best of
our ability, create an atmosphere for worship and ministry. We must respect
God's house, his messenger, and the message. When we honor God, He blesses
us with revelation knowledge. 

So the next time you think about criticizing your pastor or the guest
speaker because they distance themselves before a meeting, don't. It may be
that they are in the process of communicating with God to receive a word
for you. 

Scripture References:

He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a
while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have
time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by
themselves. (Mark 6:31-32)

Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd. (Mark 7:17 NLT)