It was fun having Curry Blake minister at Highway recently.
He ran a “Divine Healing Technician’s Training” conference at our venue during the week, and then we had the privilege of having him share at our morning service.
For those that don’t know, Curry Blake is the general overseer of John G. Lake ministries, a ministry founded, as the name suggests, by John G. Lake in the late 1800’s. John G. Lake was a great “revivalist” and saw signs and wonders follow the Gospel wherever he went.
Curry Blake now carries a similar “anointing”.
Personally, when I did hear him share, I enjoyed what he had to say. (I only sat in on his messages on Saturday night and the Sunday morning service.)
But I have heard of a few people who didn’t enjoy his teachings, and were rather opposed to the message he preached. This brings me to the reason for this post.
As a culture, I think we are far too critical.
These criticisms of Curry Blake made me think... We so often have something to say about a person or their message because it doesn’t fit within the box of our understanding, our interpretation, or even the doctrine of our respected mentors.
And it is here where we must be careful!
I too had issues of my own! I had to repent. I will be downright honest with you… After a few incidents at the start of this recent conference, I asked God: “God, surely revival cannot come through someone like this? Surely not, God?”
This is a huge thing to say! And dangerous ground to walk.
Immediately I felt the Holy Spirit say to me: “I will bring revival through whomever I choose.”
As obvious as it may seem, I was reminded… I am not God! Who I am to make decisions, judgments and criticisms on His behalf?
He is in Heaven, and He does as He pleases! (Psalm 135:6)
Now, these were minor incidents and absolutely irrelevant to the message Curry was teaching. But it is amazing how quickly one’s heart hardens.
And here is where we must be so careful.
When we hold an opinion of a particular person or theological subject, it is very difficult for that opinion to be changed. Yet I believe it is these opinions that can prevent us from enjoying the sweet wine God so often wants us to drink.
Like large blockages in pipes, these opinions we hold so tightly prevent the flow of God’s wine in our lives. And we only allow those who hold the same opinions as we do to minister to us and thereby miss out on so much else God is doing through so many others!
We are all merely jars of clay. And no jar is perfect. Let us not look at the imperfect jar and miss out on the treasure God has deposited within those jars!
We all know this verse well:
Matthew 7:1 – 5 (ESV)
"Judge not, that you be not judged. vs2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. vs3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? vs4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? vs5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
What could those logs in our own eyes represent? We so often interpret them as issues of sin. But could I propose another interpretation? If the context Jesus is using in the illustration is judgment, could these logs represent our own opinions and traditions?
Are these opinions, understandings and interpretations we hold so dear preventing us from seeing everything God is doing on the earth today? Instead of enjoying everything God is doing around the world today, we only enjoy that which fits into our man-made, traditional boxes!
I am not saying throw your God-given intelligence and intuition away! Not all! Neither am I saying throw your opinions and interpretations away! Keep them!
But don’t let them get in the way of what God could want to do through a vessel you may not necessarily agree with!
Next time you find yourself under the ministry of someone you really battle to relate to or agree with; reserve all criticism (because it’s not Godly) and instead ask the Holy Spirit what He can teach you through that someone.
After all, Jesus did say that to inherit the Kingdom we must all be like little children.
It is the “pure at heart” who shall see God (Matt 5:8), not intelligent minds.
Pure heart or intelligent mind?
As much as I would love intelligence in its abundance, I would far prefer a heart that is pure before my God. Free from all cynicism and callous.
