What do We Want? The Power or the Person of Christ?

By David Hobbs

We have a lot of outside speakers come to our church. We are blessed with many big names and powerful ministries. Next week Paul Keith Davis, JoAnn Mcfatter, and Chuck Pierce are coming. It got me to thinking: What are we really looking for when an outside speaker comes to our church? What if the speaker came with a good message, which he delivered, then left? Would we be satisfied? I doubt it. For an outside speaker to be worth his honorarium and our attention, the message is expected, but we also want a demonstration of the supernatural. This most commonly means healing or prophecy (a prayer line with people slain in the Spirit is good too). It’s fine if you can raise someone from the dead, but that’s not required. But we’ve gotta see some people healed or hear some right-on, spine tingling, goose bump-inducing prophecies or we’ll feel we haven’t gotten our money’s worth. I mean, after all, we can always get a good message from our pastor, right!
That’s what makes Mary’s behavior in Luke 10:39 so amazing. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet, paying rapt attention to everything He said. But He wasn’t healing anybody or doing any miracles. He was just speaking, and we don’t even know what He was speaking about! But she was in His presence, where, according to Psalm 16, there is fullness of joy. And Jesus told Martha that what Mary had--being in His presence--was the best thing, and it would not be taken away from her (v. 42).
What if a speaker came just bringing the presence of Jesus—no healings, no prophecy, no manifestations of supernatural power—just the presence of the Lord? Would we be happy, or would we feel short-changed?
Reading through the Gospels, who were the ones always seeking the miraculous healings and divine manifestations anyway? How about Herod in Luke 23:8—“[F]or a long time he had been wanting to see [Jesus]. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle.” Or the Scribes and Pharisees in Mt.12:38—“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.’” In fact, Jesus rebuked all the Jews in John 4:48—“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders… you will never believe.” Even at the cross, as Jesus was dying right in front of them and shedding His blood for the whole world, what were the soldiers most interested in? They were hoping to see something supernatural! “‘Listen, he’s calling Elijah.’… ‘Leave him alone now. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.’ (Mark 15:35-36)”
I’ll never forget when missionary David Hogan came to our church about 10 years ago and the mayhem that ensued as people showedup from all over the Western U.S. hoping to see him raise someone from the dead like he’s done in Mexico. It was crazy, probably somewhat like when Jesus came to town.
So who do we identify with and whose behavior do we emulate: Jesus’ followers like Mary who were interested in Him? Or the Scribes, Pharisees, Herod and others whose only interest in Jesus was seeing something miraculous happen?
The gawkers actually hindered the miraculous moving of the Holy Spirit. Don’t believe me? Then why, when Jesus was about to have a really supernatural experience like His transfiguration, or do a miraculous work like raising the 12 year old girl from the dead, did He exclude everybody else and only allow His top 3 disciples to be present? (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 5:37, 40)
Let's examine our own hearts. Are we content to be with Jesus? Or do we have that restless spirit that’s always running after the latest experience, always seeking a new spiritual thrill? Is our concept of God like a trained dog on a leash that we’re always hoping to see perform some new trick? Or do we long to be in His presence even if He does nothing?

Polly's Story

By Polly Harder

[This is the fascinating story Polly Harder told me when I met her in Atlanta at the Christian Booksellers Tradeshow (July, 2007). Check out her book Don't Be Afraid]----David Hobbs

In 1983 God started to talk to me about starting the non-profit ministry I'm the president of today. He talked to me for 5 years about it, but never released me to do it.
Then one day, while I was praying, sitting at my desk at the company I owned, God said, "Polly, I will make this company more successful than you have ever dreamed... or you can do My work."
Naturally I thought it was the ministry He had been telling me about for the past 5 years, so I said, "Lord, I want to do Your work."
He then said, "Close the doors!"
(I had been in business in Dallas for 3 1/2 years at this time doing sales around $300,000 a year.) I walked out of my office, told my staff I was finally going into ministry, and I would give them 30 days pay, but as of Friday we were no more. It was Wednesday. So I packed up the office and Sat. a.m. the movers moved me out. By faith, in three days I had closed down what God and I had built in 3 1/2 years.
I wish I could report God released me to do the ministry. However, two months passed, and I thought, “I need to go back to work.” I also thought I must have missed God somehow. By now many companies were contacting me, wanting me to come to work for them. I told God to close every door that wasn't from Him. A few days later a friend of mine, who was a recruiter, called me and said there was a new communication company that had opened. They were looking for all levels of management. She had told them about me, and they wanted to see me right away. I called and they set up an appointment.
They hired me on the spot, offered me more money & the highest level of management. I didn't feel released to accept the offer, mainly because they were open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, I might have to work graveyard, Sundays, holidays…. Can you imagine these changes after having the freedom of calling all the shots?
I went home and my sister asked about the interview. I told her what happened and she asked, "What are you going to do."
At that moment I heard these words coming out of my mouth: "I'm going to take it of course."
We both looked surprised because we knew Who had done the talking. The Lord also told me He wanted me to take the lowest entry level management position they had. So I started work making 1/3 of the income I was used to. Thank God I was debt free, except for the mortgage.
I discovered they had over 1,000 employees that I had access to. Because they weren't union, they treated their employees great. Anytime there was counseling needed, they used two people, usually male and female. After a short while, I realized I was the female that was getting called into all these counseling sessions. And even though it wasn't my role to take charge, the other counselor usually said nothing after we sat down with the counselee. So, leader that I am, I would ask the one in trouble what happened. After they told me their side of the story, I would say to the other manager, “Go find their file and bring it here." Once they left the room, the Holy Spirit would have me say one of two things to these people: "Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?" Or "Do you have a church home?"
Every time they would look at me for a few seconds, stunned, and then start crying--men and women alike. The response was usually the same, "I know the Lord is dealing with me.” Or "I know I'm not living right, etc."
We would then talk about the things of God. But the last thing I always shared with them, before the other manager returned, was this: "Listen, God told me He would make the company I owned more successful than I could ever imagine or I could do His work. I chose to do His work and He sent me here… for you! Now if He would interrupt my life so I would be here at this time just to tell you how much He loves you, wants to have a relationship with you, and about His wonderful plan for your life--don't you think you should consider getting your life right with Him?" They all agreed.
The amazing thing was, it didn't matter whether the other manager was gone for ten minutes or forty, it was always exactly the right amount of time for God to speak to them. When the manager returned I would tell the employee that I would take care of their file if they would take care of what we had discussed.
I was at that company for five years. The President called me in four times to tell me they were promoting me and would pay me X-amount of thousands of dollars more a year. But every time they promoted me, I knew it was because there were people in the new department that were ready to hear about the Lord.
Several months after I reached the highest level of management, I was in the board room for one of our meetings. The President finished the meeting. Then all of a sudden he said, "Everybody sit back down. I have a question, and actually everyone in this room probably has the same question. This question is for you Polly. We want to know how you can take our worst employees into a room and regardless of the amount of time you have with them, when they come out they become our best employees. What do you say to them?"
Naturally, the moment he said the question was for me, I was praying in the Holy Ghost for the answer. The Lord told me to say this: "I don't think it's as much what I say to them as it is I let them know Someone really cares."
Now the president was born again, but not spirit filled. I just kept looking at him and he kept looking at me. About 30 seconds passed. Finally I saw his eyes light up. I knew he knew Who it was I was talking about. He nodded his head and said "OK then, you're all dismissed.” The interesting thing was, company policy required two people to be in all counseling sessions. But from that time on, whenever anyone was tough to handle, the president would tell the other managers to bring the employee to my office and then leave. (Needless to say, it was against company policy to talk to the employees about religion.)
Then, one day, God told me my time was up. I gave notice and while I was driving off the parking lot my last day, God started talking to me about starting Jordan House--the non-profit ministry that is in both TX. and Nevada that I have operated now for the past 14 years.
However, those appointed times have never stopped. I can be in a restaurant or grocery store and God will point someone out to me and tell me He has a word for them. So I go up to them and say, "Excuse me, God has a word for you. Would you like to hear it?" No one has ever turned me down; and one time the word turned out to be for a man who afterwards told me he was the Sr. Pastor at a big Baptist Church in downtown FT. Worth. Is God amazing or what?
There is no better feeling than when we've been obedient and get to be used by God!

Google Polly or click on http://www.communicationforlife.net/biography.html for a brief bio.