Page 43 - Evidence of Things Unseen

drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the
rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they
were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us...

Hebrews 10:38
But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no
pleasure in him.

For the space of two years the leaders of this church looked for a replacement minister
without any success, and for this same two years they would not recognize the minister God
had brought to them. God is patient with us, and bears long with us, but when we are
determined to have our way instead of His, eventually He will relent.

Psalms 106:13-15
They did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and
tested God in the desert. He gave them their desire, but sent leanness into their soul.

This body of believers wanted a minister who was more like them. Even as the
Israelites rebelled against Moses, the man whom God had selected, and put forth Korah and
Dathan and Abiram to lead them, this body of believers was eventually given a man to lead
them who would not challenge them in the way Leon had, nor firmly admonish them for
their failures.
After two years of searching, this body found a man to their liking. This man’s first
name was Steve. The Lord allowed me to have a close relationship with this man, and, after
he had been at this church for about a year, he asked me to accompany him on an overnight
trip. We shared a room together and were able to express things that were on our hearts.
Steve had a wife and three children, and they were all living in small rented quarters.
He shared with me that he had a desire to purchase a house in Fort Valley, which was closer
to the church, but he had been holding off because he was unsure of his future, and the
future of the church. His decision to remain in his small rented quarters was arrived at by
examining things with his senses and making a rational decision that he felt was the safe
course.
The Spirit strongly convicted me that Steve’s decision was carnal, and that if he did
not have faith for God to do a work through this body of believers, that as a shepherd of the
people he would be unable to lead them into the things God had for them. The Spirit
showed me that the issue of the house that Steve desired, but would not purchase, was
something God had brought before him in order to reveal the unbelief in his heart. If he
could not trust God to work through this people, and this lack of trust was keeping him
from purchasing the home he desired, then his unbelief would have a disastrous effect upon
his ministry to the body. He would be halted between two opinions, never willing to place
both feet in the water while looking to God to do the miraculous.
The Spirit led me to share with Steve concerning these things, and Steve began to feel
the conviction of the Spirit. Not long afterwards he came to me and shared that the Spirit
had convicted him in this matter, and that he had decided, as an act of faith in God’s desire
and willingness to work through this people, to buy a house in the community. He was
excited about this decision because it was a desire of his heart to have a home, and he felt
keenly that the Spirit had indicated this to be His will.