Page 63 - Evidence of Things Unseen

The Struggle Continues

hen Judith had prophesied to me, while I was standing in the midst of my fellow
Wministers, she had no idea that my first name was Joseph. Everyone at Living Faith
knew me by my middle name, which was Bradley, and most simply called me Brad. It was
to be a few months later, when God called me to leave the computer profession and enter
into ministry full-time, that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and tell me to begin using
my first name, for the Spirit testified that the name was significant.
The son of Jacob who bore this same name was told that promotion was coming to
him, and this was also made known to his brothers. His brothers’ response was not positive,
and they eventually rejected him, casting him out from their midst and selling him into a
foreign land as a slave. I have only understood the similarities to Joseph’s path and my own
in hindsight, for when Judith spoke this word of prophecy I was still enjoying a measure of
fellowship with my brothers in Christ at Living Faith. When God told me He was calling me
to full-time ministry I anticipated a greater role opening up among this fellowship. This
thought was increased by something Richard had shared with me. He had told me that he
believed God would soon have him step aside from his role as head pastor of this church,
and he believed God was preparing me to step into the role he would vacate.
Things began to get more rocky in my relationship with Richard and the other
ministers as God continued to press our family forward into a greater walk of faith that we
might inherit the good land before us. The other ministers were given many tests
themselves, but they were shrinking back, rather than going forward. Each time this
happened a greater rift occurred between us. It came to the point that Richard was accusing
me of being prideful and arrogant for believing I was hearing from God concerning specific
steps of faith, when he and the other ministers disagreed.
This is a common reaction when one person is willing to face the giants in his/her life,
while those around them are not willing, due to the fear and unbelief in their hearts. The
Spirit has ministered to me much truth from the life experiences of David. When David was
willing to face Goliath, his elder brother Eliab, who had been hiding behind the rocks with
the rest of the Israelite army, accused David of arrogance and misbehavior. The true reason
for Eliab’s accusations of his younger brother was that David had not succumbed to the
same fear that was in his heart, nor did David view such fear to be the proper response.

I Samuel 17:28
Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when [David] spoke to the men; and Eliab's
anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with
whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and
the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle."

The anger of my brother’s in Christ also began to burn against me when I
demonstrated a willingness to face the Goliath that stood before us. I was willing to go fight
this giant, and I proved it by following God obediently when He told me to leave my
employer and trust Him for the provision of our family. The reaction was burning anger
from my brothers.
A couple months after I had left my employer the ministers called for a meeting to
discuss my situation, and they had in mind to defrock me, and cast me out from their midst