Paralyzed Lions

5/10/2010

When I awoke this morning, the term, “Paralyzed Lions” was in my head. As I mentally turned the term over, I pictured a church congregation sitting on chairs in a church sanctuary. Throughout the congregation, which I saw in black and white, sat a sprinkling of people in vivid color. Other than their colors, there was no difference between them and their peers. The Lord let me understand that the colorful people who were “salted” throughout the congregation were all “Paralyzed Lions”, and I was one of them! For the last several months the Lord has been guiding me to change churches. Actually the idea first impressed itself on me a year ago, and has been building to a crescendo since. Of course initially I doubted my ability to hear and interpret the guidance, and severely questioned my motives.

At this point I don’t think the Lord was bothered by my caution, and about a month ago I received a prophetic word stating, in effect, “Now is the time to do what I told you to do. Make a decision and follow through with it.” But I hesitated again, this time questioning the proper timing – should I do it now or later, or at His further direction? Another two weeks went by.

I began to split my time between two churches, and the differences between the two did not seem subtle to me, rather, like night and day. Then I began to question how to gracefully extract myself from my old church, and worries poured in as I realized that although I was only a very small cog in the machine, I was a cog in the machine.

Then yesterday, as I prepared to go to church, I read Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1: ‘There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven..’; I realized I was out of time. I had to make a decision and it had to be done right away. But I slept on it…it was not to be, and even though I could hardly keep my eyes open before I went to bed, I lay there wide awake and uncomfortable afterwards. Then I realized, as I popped three Tums antacids, and fought a clenched muscle under my shoulder blade to pop them – I had to trust my guidance and start driving, because even God can’t drive a parked car.

The lions in my mind were Christians who have known the Holy Spirit and have previously seen His ministry within the church. They are the ones who know that God still imparts prophecy, words of knowledge, tongues and healings to his people. They are the ones sitting in congregations that have become lethargic and comfortable in their seats. They are the ones who wait for the Holy Spirit to begin a revival in their midst, never suspecting the Holy Spirit is waiting on them. They are the ones who have avoided their “ministry” by remaining silent while praying God will somehow overcome and overpower their church doctrines that teach “God doesn’t do that anymore.” They are paralyzed lions, and are becoming salt that is good for nothing within their local congregations.

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So here is my advice that I submit for your consideration. I believe the time for lethargy and comfort is over for the Church. God is putting in motion His plans to uproot the widely held, American view of “Social Club Christianity”. He is beginning to winnow His Church, and the polarization between those who represent the five foolish from the five wise virgins in Matthew 25, will become more and more acute in our times, and more easily recognized. I believe God is telling His Paralyzed Lions to put themselves in motion; get in the flow or risk losing their saltiness.

And if this resonates with you, trust that it is God you hear speaking….and if so, you are not innocent anymore if you remain asleep in your inertia. I’m not saying to rush out and change churches; I am saying fulfill your ministries within your congregations. If they won’t receive you, shake the dirt off your shoes.

And if you’re a lion, shake off the paralysis – He’s waiting on you. If you’re not a lion, consider this: All you know is all you know; but all you know is not all there is.

John