© 19 Colin Melbourne
It’s embarrassing to have to sit and listen to a Bible preacher who uses notes, isn’t it?
You may as well just get your Bible out, and read chapters of the New Testament until the droning ceases and you can escape.
I still have the single page of notes I used the first time I was invited to preach in a Spirit-filled fellowship, soon after I was saved.
I glanced nervously at it once, but instead of following my notes, put it away and spoke from my heart.
I’ve never used prepared notes since.
I learned the lesson
Anybody who is filled with God’s Spirit is already equipped to; preach, teach, and witness the Gospel of The LORD Jesus Christ with power.
We prepare diligently of course
…but in a very different way
A Holy Ghost preacher would be embarrassed to use notes, and a genuinely Spirit-filled Assembly would take him aside and set him on the narrow path.
Much like Aquila and Priscilla took aside Appollos, the zealous, eloquent, Alexandrian Jew, who knew only John’s Baptism; Acts 18:26 KJV;
And he [Appollos. Ed] began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Go Ye!
Now, imagine how the LORD feels when you go in His Name to declare His message of redemption.
Halleluia! That’s it child, just go, and I’ll be with you. We’ll make a great Team!
You prepare by diligent prayerful Bible study, and call on Him to anoint you with His Power.
Oh Yes of course, just preach The Word and The Holy Ghost will confirm it. That’s the way I’ve always worked. It’ll be terrific!
You venture, and boldly go where no man or woman is proclaiming the Gospel message.
You gather their attention, pull out your notes, and… begin… err… preaching from your notes.
How crestfallen the Lord is!
He’s right there eager and ready to confirm His Living Word, and all you do is regurgitate what you’d prepared and written down!
Can you see that is NOT Bible preaching, that is NOT Gospel preaching, and that is certainly NOT Holy Ghost Bible preaching!
If that is all you’ve ever experienced in your fellowship, you need to wake up and get into a place where they pour out Living Water to quench the thirsty souls in this parched wilderness.
Pass My Notes John
Can you imagine Peter and John at the Gate Beautiful?
Freshly filled with God’s Spirit for the very first time, they approach the Temple after being shaken by God for ten days in The Upper Room.
They spot the Beggar in his usual place, so Peter pulls out his notepad, flicks the pages to find what Christ said about begging, and reads it to the chap.
Would that have worked the miracle?
Would that have impressed Peter’s Lord?
Would it even have been obeying Christ’s command?
No, it would not
That is preaching the dead letter: Not the Living Word.
Oh that you might see the wonder, glory, and power of what every Spirit-filled believer already has inside his and her heart. Col 1:27-29 KJV;
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Oh that you would let the Lion of Judah out of His cage, and allow Him to speak through your lips.
What would He say?
Oh Halleluia! He’s already got that ready for you to launch.
He did it under the Old Covenant, it worked for Moses and Aaron, Exodus 4:15;
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Jesus reminded the first Disciples, Lk. 12:11-12 KJV;
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Was that a special ‘hot-line’ for emergencies only?
No, that’s the way God worked through Christ all His Life, and it is the way He desires to use you.
The problem is, your flesh gets in the way, your mind takes over the driver’s seat, and directs your steps and words, instead of humbly submitting to Christ’s Lordship, and offering your body a living sacrifice. Which is your reasonable service. Rom. 12:1 KJV;
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
One preacher put it this way; when the Holy Ghost was moving in a service and spoke to his heart what he should say, however, the preacher thought it would create turmoil in the assembly, so he hesitated;
“Lord, I can’t say that!”
The Lord whispered,
I’ll decide what to say, I just need the use of your mouth.
The man yielded, said what the Lord wanted, and instead of alarm, immediate blessing followed, wonderful miracles occurred in the service including lung cancer healed, as well as many other ailments, but better still, even religious folks became born again on witnessing the power of the Living Word!
The LORD is Risen in Me!
Yes, my God is alive, not wooden, dead, and cold like the gods of this doomed world.
He cares, He loves, and He speaks.
He’s speaking to you right now,.
Can you hear Him?
He wants to fix whatever is wrong in your life, whatever is crooked, infirm, deformed, whatever is fractured, and hurting.
All He needs is; your consent, your permission, and the sacrifice of a yielded heart and life.
Let Him have His way with you today, and always… starting right now.
© 19 Colin Melbourne