Sabbatical Season Blog 2: Gold Pots

Around 1998, after we had been in Vancouver for a couple of years, the Lord began to call people out of ministry or their jobs and put them on hold. We thought first that it was a transition period that would last for a while and then He would put them back into active service. But some of our friends were “on the shelf” for 10 years!! Some were judged as being irresponsible. People didn’t understand!

At the same time, I was struggling with the renewal meetings that were happening our area. John and I led regular meetings at St David’s on Thursday nights that were a blessing to many. We attended meetings at friends’ churches as they had guest speakers, healing services and renewal meetings. I knew the Lord was doing something. It might not all have been the Lord, but a lot of it was, and I didn’t doubt that He was in it.

But I was getting beaten up in these meetings. I was watching as others were touched and getting “drunk” in the Spirit or “surfing in the river” or whatever else was going down at the time, but I was being untouched and I felt something must be wrong with me.

I took these two things to the Lord, and asked Him what was going on. Why wasn’t I being affected? What was wrong with me?? What was wrong with these others who were “doing nothing”?

He told me that there was nothing wrong with me or them, but that this was a “silver pot time”. We were “gold pot” people who were still in the back of the furnace being fired and purified for the “gold pot time”. He said gold pots were not better than silver pots, they just had a different function. Each pot, whether it be for taking out garbage or serving the finest of food, was important and necessary in its own way. We need them all! But what the Lord was doing right then was a “silver pot” work.

This was a time when people needed to be reminded of the Father’s love. We had forgotten that He was a joyful, loving Heavenly Father. Many people had lost their first love and the joy of their salvation. The Lord was restoring this through the playful fun of “jumping in the river” and getting “slain in the Spirit”. This would prepare them to go the next steps in their preparations as His Bride.

It wasn’t that I didn’t need some of that too! I sorely did! But the Lord told me that the “gold pot” people and I were for a different purpose, and the preparation was different.

Arthur Burk (www.theslg.com) says we have come out of the Ruler Season into the Mercy Season. As he described this season, I recognized my whole life! I have been a Mercy Season person living in a Ruler Season. No wonder my life made so little sense and I felt out of step with what was happening!

I have not talked about this with very many people in the past, nor am I writing this to talk about me. But I believe there are more “gold pots” out there!! Now that we have entered the Mercy Season, it is time for us to be brought out of the kiln and used.

I believe part of what the Lord is going to use gold pots for is to touch the hearts of the wealthy business world to show the Father’s love for them. Sometimes the church looks to the world’s wealthy and covets their money, “for the Kingdom” of course!! I know I have been guilty of that sometimes! I KNOW I could use their money more wisely than they do!!! But we have to have pure hearts and clean hands if we are to touch their hearts. We have to leave their pocketbooks and bank accounts as matters to be settled between them and the God who loves them and has an amazing plan for their lives!

I was sharing with a friend a couple weeks ago who I believe is a gold pot too. He told me that God was teaching him not to covet what others have. The Lord showed him what an amazing witness it would be when he did not look to them to meet his needs, but watched as God provided for him while he shared God’s love for them, no strings or coveting attached!

So often people who have a lot of material things can’t trust the people around them. They never know if people are there because of being a friend, or for what they can get from them.

Just this week I heard about a very wealthy man who would throw huge parties on his boat, spend millions of dollars, invite hundreds of people and then go off and sit by himself while everyone at the party had a good time at his expense. No one even seemed to notice that he was not there! He was extremely lost and lonely despite his millions!

I needed these conversations. The Lord wants me to stop looking to people to meet my needs too. This is hard when there is no income coming in. The temptation is to look at each envelope in the mail or each speaking engagement as a potential source of income, instead of looking to the Lord as your provider. Since these conversations, and traveling across the continent, God has been faithful. I have seen HIs provision, and have finally been able to let go and fully believe that God, in HIS time, not mine, will bring to pass everything He has promised.

And God is good! He confirms His word! We were praying for a friend’s business when suddenly, his intercessors began to pray for me and John. She had only met us that day, and knew very little of our current situation. She began to pray for a house for us. She used words that were significant to me and John that she could not have known. She prayed my heart’s desire. The more she prayed, the more I heard the voice of God in her words. He confirmed that He knew my needs and has a plan to work it all out for my good as I follow and obey His commands.

The Mercy season is a characterized by relationships. Everything we do will come out of relationship with God and those He calls us to work with or serve. Gold pots are made for such a time as this. We need each other because our destiny is bigger than we are.

If you are a gold pot person, take heart. You are not alone! God has hidden many of us away for this day, and He will begin to reveal us to each other. Keep your eyes on Him and your hearts soft towards Him. He will provide everything we need to accomplish all that He has prepared in advance for us to do, and HE will get all the glory!!

Our part is to shine like stars in the universe, as we hold out the Word of Life!! (Phil 2:15b-16)