MAKE SURE YOU PUT CUSTOMERSERVICE@IDENTITYNETWORK.NET INTO YOUR ADDRESSES IN YOUR EMAIL SERVER. IF NOT, YOUR EMAILS FROM US WILL GO TO YOUR SPAM FOLDER.

Hide Behind the Cross by Steve Porter

By Steve Porter

Sign up to receive our daily articles and receive 2 FREE MP3 Teaching Downloads

by Jeremy Lopez automatically.
 
(New Subscribers Only Please) 
 
*The Seeing Process of a Seer
*What Next God? Discouraged After Your Prophetic Word.
 A $20.00 Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
MP3 Teaching Download
By Jeremy Lopez
Price: $10.00
Sale! $6.99
Click HERE to order.
 
 
I was 18 years old and headed to India on a preaching trip for the summer. Until this trip, I had never preached before, but being a pastor's son there was an assumption that I, too, could communicate with people like my father.
 
The great day of our first of many meetings had finally arrived.  We had flown thousands of miles - practically around the world, for this opportunity.  It was a beautiful day and the sun was out.  Many Indian people came to hear us all speak. Anticipation was in the air.
 
When it was my turn to speak, I had no idea what I should say.
 
"How long should this be?" I asked, looking at my team leader.
 
"Oh, about thirty minutes," he said, patting me on the back as I approached the microphone.
 
"Thirty minutes!"  I gasped, trembling.  "Maybe ten minutes."  Wiping my forehead,
 
I gazed at those Indian people all looking and waiting for my message.  I froze.  My throat was so dry I had difficulty speaking.  My tongue seemed tied.  I felt I had nothing to give them.  All I could say was, "I will remember you and tell the Americans back home to keep you in prayer."  I couldn't think of anything more to say, so I quickly sat down.  I knew my team was disappointed in me.
 
The others on my team seemed to have no problem speaking, but I just couldn't talk. Meeting after meeting went by with the same result every time.  When it was my turn to speak, everyone knew what would happen.  I would trip over my tongue with each word and talk very little and then sit down.
 
Why Would You Send Me Here?
 
I felt totally ineffective and bound up.  At one meeting, I managed to rattle off a story I had once read, but still I was not anointed nor was I able to communicate well.  I knew people on my team were amazed that a pastor's son could not even speak.
 
I felt like a failure and began to question God, "Why would You send me here to let me fall flat on my face?"  That summer 1989 was a disaster! I absolutely swore off any preaching for the rest of my life, after all I could NOT speak.
 
Sometime later I prayed this prayer:
 
Dear Lord, I prayed, please use my past for Your glory. I give it to You.  By giving it all to the Lord, I also gave Him all my plans for the future.  Suddenly, I knew what I needed to do.  I needed to go to Bible school to seek God and pray for His will to be done in my life.
 
God led me to Pinecrest Bible Training Center, located in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains in New York.  There I began my maturing process. Wade Taylor took a special interest in my life and became my spiritual father for the next 23 years.   God began to instill in me His character and qualities.  And I became His man, not my own.  He gave me a love for people I had never before experienced.
 
I had to Surrender
 
Before too long, I heard God calling me.  I had to surrender and stop running.  I realized then I was going to do what I vowed I would never do - be a preacher.  On a mission trip with my bible school I headed to the island of Jamaica.  My team was a preaching team like I was part of in India.  We all shared in tent meetings, churches, and open-air meetings.  Our team was separated into groups, and we were sent out all over the country.
 
Night was slowly creeping up on us as we walked along the dirt road leading to the church on the mountain.  My heart beat against my chest like a hammer pounding nails. What would this night hold?  I was nervous because I knew I was the main speaker for the evening.  Sergey, a Russian brother from Bible school and I were teamed together, and we had spent a lot of time praying for tonight's meeting.  We were warmly greeted as we entered the church and took our places.
 
"Pray for me, Sergey," I whispered in his ear.
 
"God will bless you, Brother," he responded with a wink.
 
The singing ended and Sergey got up to speak.  After a short while he sat down and I knew I was up soon.  Oh, God, please anoint me, I can't do this without You!
 
"It is so good to have Evangelist Steve here tonight," the pastor shouted, startling me from my prayer. "He is a mighty man of God!"
 
"Everyone praise the Lord as he comes to preach to us tonight!"
 
Set Free
 
Oh, God, I thank You for Your anointing, I prayed as I approached the pulpit.  Thoughts of India flashed through my mind, but as soon as I stood before the people something different happened.  When I opened my mouth to preach, I felt the fire of God within me as I said the name JESUS!  It stirred in me like a raging river.  Every word I spoke seemed penetrating and full of meaning.  My tongue was literally set free that night, and as I walked the platform, I was preaching under the power of God.  I couldn't believe my own ears.  I was actually preaching!
 
When I gave the altar call for salvation, 20 to 25 people responded. I just stood there in utter amazement as people filled the front.  During those two weeks in Jamaica, I led nearly 100 people to Christ.  That first night, God spoke to me something so profound that it has changed my life.
 
"Do you remember India, Steve?" He said.
 
"Yes, Lord," I answered.
 
"That was your strength.  Now do you see Jamaica?"
 
"Oh yes, Lord," I replied, my excitement rising.
 
 "That is My strength in you.  Remember where your dependency comes from!"
 
He is Your Source
 
And now I understood. God had allowed me to fall on my face in India to show me where my source was.  I needed to learn that my dependency should always be on God, and today there is not a service that goes by that I don't ask God for His anointing to minister. I find a back room...fall to my knees and ask Him to hide me behind the cross as I lean on Him.  I realize that if anything is going to happen in a meeting, it must completely be the Holy Spirit's doing, not something I could ever work up.
 
I am nothing special or extraordinary, for I am just a broken vessel that depends on Him.
 
Jesus must always receive the glory.  If we think the reason for God's power in ministry is because of our strength or ability, our pride starts to get in the way of His work, and we become a useless vessel.  God went out of His way to teach me such a valuable lesson, using what seemed at the time a horrible trial.  The lesson is priceless and close to my heart. I have never forgotten this principle and it has become the foundation of our ministry. I hope my story will encourage you to.
 
Hide behind the cross and remember where you dependency comes from.
 
Steve Porter
 

Visitor Comments (0)

Be the first to post a comment.

This page does not exist.
© 2022 Identity Network Inc.