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"I have brought this people together today to make unto you a choice. You can minister unto men...or you can minister unto the King of Glory!" I stood among the sons of men, strong and tall. My heart was filled with enthusiasm. My life was given to the purposes of God. Upon that day, I said to the Lord, "I will do mighty exploits in the name of my God." The Lord came unto me and He said, "What is it, son of man, that thou would have?" I said, "Lord, if I could only be among those who play sweetly upon an instrument and who sing well in the house of the Lord, then I would do great things for my God." The Lord came to me and He gave unto me the desire of my heart. He let me play and He let me sing. I saw the day when the hearts of men were moved by that thing the Lord had given unto me. After hearts of men were moved, I stood back and I said to myself, "Now I will be content for I have been able to move the hearts of men." But in my secret hour I bowed my head before my God and said, "Lord, You have given
me what I asked for but my heart is heavy. I have a longing for something
more." With great joy, I marched before the
people of God. In my youth and in my enthusiasm, I spoke the Word and
men were delivered. I spoke the Word and their hearts were made whole.
I knew what it was to bind up the broken hearted and to pour in the oil of
joy replacing their mourning. He came again unto me
and He said, "Son of man, what is it that
thou desireth of Me?" And I said, "Oh my God, give me power in my hands
that as You did, I might lay my hands upon the sick and see the healing flow."
He said unto me, "It is done as thou has commanded." "God, I desire to go
against principalities and powers, the powers
of the wickedness of this world and spiritual darkness in high places.
He said, "Surely I give it unto thee. Now go." So I went and
the Lord allowed me to go into dens of iniquity, the holes and dives where
men hide from the light because of the sin and evil that is upon them.
There was a day when I saw demons cry out at the very presence of the power
of God that rested on me. Then one more time a gracious and loving God visited me in the night season.
He said, "Now - what is it that thou dost desire?" In brokenness of
heart, I bowed before Him and I said, "God, only that thing which You desire
to give unto me." The Eye of the Needle, The gate of
Worship! There before the eye of the Needle I heard the voice of the
Lord say, "Bow low." So I bowed lower. He said "Yet lower.
Thou does not go low enough." So I went as low as I could possibly
go. So I dropped them. I went through a
very small gate that is called "the eye of the needle." As I went through
this gate, I heard the voice of the Lord say, "Now rise to the other side."
As I rose, a very strange thing happened to me. You see, the gate which
was so small on one side that I must lay aside everything, was now so wide
I could not fill it. As I stood in the presence of the Lord I said,
"God, what is this thing that You have done unto me, for my soul is now
satisfied?" The Spirit of the Lord caught me away. He took me to the circle of the earth, higher than where the eagle flies, beyond where the clouds can rumble, beyond where the sun shines or the moon finds her path. There at the throne of my God, He said, "Look down upon My people." I saw strange things. I saw my companions
gathered around a very small gate that is, "the eye of the needle, the gate
of worship." I saw them wringing their hands and crying. They
were saying one to another, "But God has given us these instruments of war.
This sword is my sword and I will work with it against the enemy to bring
him down. I cannot go through this gate, for, if I go through this
gate, I must put down my sword. God has called me to be a warrior and
therefore, I will not do it." The Word of the Lord came to me, "Go now and tell this people before you, I have given unto this people extreme talents and much ability. But I say unto you today, if you do not come through the very small gate, which is the gate of worship, and bow low and lay before me thine instruments, thy talents, abilities, vision and power, thou shall always be among those who will only be able to minister to the hearts of men, and bless the hearts of men. But there is a gate open to the Church
in this hour, a very small gate. And through this gate, only men and women
who are worshippers will go. These people will lay their talents before
their God. These people will say, "God, we will be Your worshippers."
Through that wide gate they will come and they will arise on the other side,
not to minister unto men, but to minister unto their God.
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