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The Spirit of Dominion

I purposefully remained silent yesterday.  I went about my day with few words and even few interactions with others, purposefully.  In fact, I have released fewer words last week than any preceding week.  As I sit here, the weight of this subject is freeing and constraining.  The authority in my life continues to guide me into new understanding of his role, over my life. 

Silence is the window from which the Holy Spirit guides me.  Silence comes in many forms.  For some it appears in crowds.  For others it comes in their secret place.  For me, it comes and goes simply being in relationship with myself.  Now, as perplexing as this may sound, I have always been the closes to the Holy Spirit, when I remove myself from all distractions.  Corporate worship is important.  Relationship with others is important.  Being in contact with others is important.  However, I have found, these can either usher or hinder the move of God on my life.  Lately, music has become my best source of inspiration and doorway to my personal Teacher.  It is my hope I express the impartations whispered this week in a way free of confusion, disruption, or any semblance of conjecture on my part. 

I find it affirming this week’s Daily Post Weekly Challenge, focused on silence.  Silence held the words within and limited the flow of whispers, until fruition dictated release.  Preemptive release of a Word from God, hinders the pathway of delivery and can delay arrival at its appointed destination.  I have seen it play out in my life at different periods of time.  Yet, growth comes in testing the ethos against the experience.  The more I make myself available, the more I experience the powerful move of God in our world.  God appeared mightily over so many situations this week.  I visualized the revelation of God in the life of God’s people all around me this week.  It is truly humbling.  There are no words to express the emotional waves flowing at his Truths unfolding before my very eyes.  Yet, my reliance on the Holy Spirit; will continue to guide me, into releasing the Truth, in a way so deemed necessary for this time.

Emmanuel I call upon your very presence to enter and release the declarations from Heaven as you deemed fitting.  I declare and decree clarity upon this topic.  I declare and decree understanding upon the text and the writings here.  I declare and decree a scarce place in the atmospheric walls, surrounding the knowledge transmitted, from thought to page.  I declare and decree obedience to the transmission regardless of the tone.  I declare and decree Elohim’s steady hand on the writer’s mind, effectuating Truth and not conjecture or misunderstanding of the governing text.  I declare and decree the environment is free and clear of all demoniacal (see meaning here) forces.  Let the Word of God carry forth both in Heaven and in Earth.

The Holy Spirit provided only one scripture for this particular section found in I Samuel 3:1-11.

I Samuel 3: 1-11 “Speak, God. I’m Ready to Listen”

^1-3The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.

^4-5Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Yes? I’m here.” Then he ran to Eli saying, “I heard you call. Here I am.”

Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” And so he did.

^6-7God called again, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel got up and went to Eli, “I heard you call. Here I am.”

Again Eli said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)

^8-9God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”

That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed.

¹⁰Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

¹¹God said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I’m getting ready to do something in Israel that is going to shake everyone up and get their attention. {MSG}

Before, I knew the fullness of God I knew God’s presence.  Yet, there is a difference in knowing and knowing.   As I recall my early experience with the Great I Am, I remember holding discussions with my cousin about God’s character from my Bible School teachings.  These debates for any 9 year-old were deep.  However, my knowledge of God had limitations in my understand of the fullness of his deity.  You see, God spoke to me in a way I could receive at my age.  Somehow, even then, I recognized God’s intentions for me where only for my betterment (Jer. 29:11).  I knew he loved me in spite of my flaws.  I knew he cared for me in spite of my persistent to live on my terms, at times, solely in my humanity.  I simply knew the day I walked the long aisle towards the altar, I was coming home.  Yet, I had no idea exactly what any of it meant until later in life.  God has always been speaking, urging, and seeking my ear to turn towards him at every turn.  For my part, most of the time, I answered.  On occasion, I simply chose to ‘go it alone’, because how else does one come to understand exactly who they are.

Today, I draw from the story of Samuel’s first personal moment and affirmation with God.  His spiritual leader until this moment of beckoning had only been Eli.  Eli held his hand and guided him according to the teachings of God.  Just as his mother, Hannah had promised before God blessed her with Samuel from her barren womb.  Interestingly, she never forgot her promise to God or her first-born.  She continued to visit once a year with her support for his ministry.  Yet, Eli was Samuel’s sole parental figure until his calling.

Samuel therefore only knew the voice of Eli.  Samuel could not recognize God’s voice, because he had never heard God’s voice personally.  The timing of God’s appearance and revelation to Samuel is full of foreboding.  I find Samuel’s introduction to the voice of God particularly soothing; especially, considering my introduction to the voice and revelation of God.  While intricately connected to God’s presence in my life, I did not fully awake, until he called me again, many years later.  I remember being called and confused, because even in my studies, God had stayed behind the curtains.  He was silent, as I am, in my personal worship times.  The beautiful thing about God; remains his timely appearance, especially, when the situation dictates the sounding of an alarm.  For Samuel, God called him forth, four separate times.  It was Eli, who on the third time figured out Samuel was hearing from God himself.  There is something in this worth considering as the story unfolds.  But, this is not a teaching moment (see I Samuel 2:25-26).  This is only my search for truth in all things occurring in my life, as I seek to reconcile the eternal God with the internal God.

I continue.  Upon clarification from his spiritual leader, Samuel returns to his place of rest and awaits the voice of God.  God again shows his face and calls forth Samuel a fourth time.  He delivers a harsh declaration upon the house of Eli.  Imagine this for a moment.  Samuel’s only source of guidance, protection, and spiritual relationship to God received a death sentence.  More to the point, God has charged Samuel with delivering the decree of death over his teacher’s entire household saved one.  Imagine if it was you.  Could you do it?  Could you speak forth a word of death?  Would you be strong enough to overcome your fears?  What might you do instead?  Would it matter? 

Conviction is a double-edged sword, which all prophets deliver alongside edification.  The irony of this truth caused me to block out the voice of God, refusing to acknowledge the many warning signs of impending disaster.  I purposefully refused to ingest conviction, thus, never receiving the fullness of God.  I lived one eye open to please others and one eye closed to my own well-being, which created a level of resentment,especially, when others did not reciprocate in kin.  

How can you bring conviction with a mind refusing to hurt anyone?  You cannot.  I did not understand it until recently.  Sure, I had read books on leadership, establishing boundaries, servant leadership, and even the Bible.  Yet, there is something transforming when God reveals himself in his fullness to you.  You are truly never the same.  People look differently, to you.  Words sound differently, to you.  You appear differently, to you.  The best way to describe it is a kin to a baby encountering fire for the first time.  Before the moment, the child’s finger touches the flame; the child still finds the flame intriguing.  Once the child’s finger reaches the flame, pain comes, and the child, no longer views fire as intriguing.  There is a new understanding, created by the experience. 

The usage of fire is the best analogy, because it serves my purpose.  God is love without question.  However, the fullness of God, once introduced to you, personally, ignites every cell within your body, mind, soul, and spirit.  Forever transformed are you.  You know even as you seek to stay in ‘control’, you are not.  Wow!  Just imagine for a moment, God reveals himself to Samuel and Samuel even at his age steps into the call without question.  Why, is it so difficult for others?  Why, do some of us fight to the last breath before simply answering the call?  I do not know.  I wish I did.  I just knew I got tired of being in pain.  Like Jonah, in the belly of the whale, I wanted out.  Thus, I answered the call without fully understanding the sacrifice it would entail.  I am young in this phase of my call.  While, my encounter of déjà vu goes back farther than I can pinpoint, they lacked a mental connection to the Holy Spirit.  Yet, the Holy Spirit does indeed guide me, as the text promises.  Like Samuel, I grew up in the church, but a church, no longer subscribing to believing in miracles and wonders for our time.  Thanks to God, as soon as I became of age, and no longer required to attend church, I simply stopped attending all together. Sounds crazy, well, we are to worship in Spirit and in Truth.  We are to darken no place where the fullness of God cannot bear light.  Thus, it might be a little radical, but not necessarily, crazy.  I am grateful to know the voice of God today.  I am ecstatic to have a direct line to the Spirit of Dominion.  There is only one Spirit of Dominion.  The Holy Spirit lives and guides me into all Truth, assuring me of my right-standing in Christ.  My understanding of the text, about the voice of God and revelation of God, continues to mature, the more, I simply listen to the urging of the Holy Spirit. 

Everything happens for a reason and everything has a season.  I question, the preceding statement a little.  I recognize it traces back to the text.  Therefore, I am not, today, at least, questioning the appearance in the text.  I am questioning my understanding of the textual meaning of phrase.  I have no doubt, no matter the circumstance it will bring about the necessary change or move in my life.  I also believe everything has a place and a time to mature.  What I question is the finiteness of the phrase?  I am toying with the concept of unlimited access to the infinite power of God.   I am imagining a world, where the power of Christ reigns in this time through his children on Earth.  I am imagining a world, where we take the limitations off of Christ, to truly move, in our lives and lives of others.  I am imagining a world, where instead of fighting for equality, we simply speak equality into existence for all, and it exists.  I wonder how many are imagining the same.