We spoke for over 5 hours about Brant and Shekinah Fellowship, as well as the Lord's calling on each of our lives. When it was my turn to share about what God was doing in my life, I was nervous and tried to change the subject, but pastor David would have none of it. He 'pinned me in a corner', so to speak, so I reluctantly came out with it. For the sake of time, I'll give you a quicker version.....
I was born again on January 4th, 1975 in Camas, Washington. Shortly after that, I felt a strong calling to full-time ministry, but the passion was rather non-specific in terms of the area of ministry. I attended Northwest College in the fall of that year and took a number of Bible classes, but still didn't know exactly what God had in mind for me, and, frustrated, began to pray earnestly that the Lord would make clear to me just where my place in the Body of Christ was to be. After the fall quarter and Christmas vacation (again- 1975), my friend, Willy, had offered to drive me back to college for the start of the winter quarter, saying that he wanted to stop on the way up to see pastor Tommy Barnett at Kent Christian Center. I agreed, and shortly after entering the church, my life suddenly changed forever.....
It was January 6th, 1976, and on the bulletin board in the foyer was a copy of the 'Shekinah Fellowship' magazine, with a photo of Brant Baker on the inside cover. The bulletin advertised that Brant was to minister in that church in about three weeks. I had seen Brant once before, about two months after my conversion, at Angelus Temple, so I knew who he was. As I looked at his photo in the magazine on that bulletin board, something incredible happened to me, and it took me completely by surprise. My heart began to beat more rapidly, and the Presence of the Lord came upon me as I'd never quite known it before. I was absolutely 'spellbound', as it were. I could not stop looking at the photo, and at this point, God clearly spoke to my spirit, 'This is where your place in the Body is- this is how I will use you. You have prayed about this and I am now showing you'.
This all happened in a very short period of time, but it seemed to me as if time had stood still. By the way, I cannot remember what pastor Tommy Barnett spoke about or what was said, nor did I care, as great a preacher as he is. The Lord had spoken to me, and as I entered my dorm room at the college that night, I knew for the first time what my specific purpose and calling were. There was also a heightened sense of the Presence of God, which has stayed with me all these years. During the very rough times in my life (and there have been many), I would wonder whether God had really spoken to my heart, but despite all of the trials, all of the pain, all of the delays, I could not get rid of the extremely intense sense of my calling, and for the past thirty-two years, God has been preparing me for it.....
As I shared all of this with pastors Tilson Shumate and David Sloane, I began to wonder if they thought I was crazy ( I'd spoken to a couple of my pastors in the past about this, and gotten the 'you're weird' look), so I was apprehensive, but felt that it was time to share it with them. When I finished, to my surprise, they were smiling. David suggested that Tilson anoint me with oil, and as he did, they both prayed and prophesied over me, and once again, the Presence of the Lord came over me.
Both had Godly council for me, and when we finally parted company, I knew that the meeting had been ordained of the Lord. God had once again confirmed His calling on my life. David Sloane wrote in his telling of the meeting on his blog spot, "Jim was full of passion for digging up the old wells that had become clogged and plugged up".....
I had never before seen it in that way, but I realized that he was right- These wells are ours (the Church's) by birthright, and the devil had come in and covered them up- the audacity of the enemy of our souls! I became angry at Satan for trying to silence the work of God, by attempting to cover it all up with dirt, so to say- as if it had never existed! Many younger saints today have never heard of Brant Baker, or known the Presence of God as He manifested Himself in Shekinah Fellowship services in those days, and we're here to share all of it with God's people today. We're digging up those old wells, and God's Spirit is about to move again as He did before the wells were covered over. It has been a long time coming....
I'm reminded of the period between the old and new testaments, in which God did not speak to His people. This period has been referred to as 'the 400 silent years'. God had previously told Israel concerning His Words, " And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by thy way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Read Deauteronmy 6: 4-13- It's so rich!
The time of silence is over, the wells are being dug up, and, while the enemy had covered them over, I believe that God allowed it so that the Lord's people would begin to miss and eagerly seek His Presence once again. Some of us remember, and we have told our children of His Glory, while others have become discouraged and lost heart. Do not despair! The Eternal, Almighty God is about to move in the Glory of His Manifested Presence once again. May He move you by His Spirit this very minute!
En Agape,
Pastor Jim Ewing
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