PROPHETIC CHRONICLES

Chuck Kaliszewski

Some people think that ministry is solely isolated to the area located around the pulpit in a church. My experience differs from that opinion. In fact, pulpit ministry reflects only a small percentage of my actual ministry time. The balance is found outside the church walls with people in their homes, business’, airports, restaurants, streets and private settings. In other words, the greater portion of ministry is accomplished not in the church but within normal functions of everyday human experiences.

On recent trips, I realized that I was ministering to a good percentage of believers experiencing the same situations in their lives. This was true no matter their nationality or language. These believers were greatly stressed, confused and filled with a loss of direction. Personal questions began to surface. Such as, have I sinned against the Lord? Have I missed God? What have I done to be in this position? The Lord identified to me that these saints had entered a time in the wilderness or desert.

Common experiences tell us that at some point in our walk, we will make a passage to the wilderness/desert. For this lesson we will not differentiate between a wilderness and the desert. From this point they will be treated as the same. Most Christians dread and resist this journey. One thing is for sure, when one finds oneself in this place, these are no ordinary days. Grave dangers dwell and thrive in the wilderness. Luxuries of life and frivolous cares vanish like mirages. The true basic needs of our lives are made very plain. The extreme elements of climate such as blistering heat by day and the bitter cold of night will attack. Paramount on our immediate needs list is water. We must have it. Where do we find it? Without water, death begins to wither the organs from within. The issue of shelter to protect us is obvious. But there are other dangers living in the wilderness.

In the desert, there are predators who view us, not as caretakers of the field, but as consumables: MEAT. These beasts lay in wait for one slip of misjudgment. They hope to prey on the visitor’s weaknesses. This is no casual walk through the park or business as usual. The wilderness is no dream vacation spot. How did we come to find ourselves here?

Certainly, one can find oneself cast in the desert through poor personal choices. Choices like unrepentant sins, disobediences, rebellions and hard-headedness. These choices, we agree, will guarantee you booked passage to the wilderness. But let us set aside this cause for the most probable reason one finds oneself in the wilderness. And that reason is because the Spirit of God has led us there.

Why would our loving Father lead us into such a volatile environment? The reason is simple. Something else is waiting for us out in the wilderness. Our GOD is out in the wilderness waiting. In the desert, our God prepares to reveal himself, His will and His directions to us. A visitation of God, that we could not have imagined, waits for us in the desert. Scriptures indicate the Lord’s insight on this matter. Let us investigate a few of these examples.

Our first example involves Moses. After killing an Egyptian man for beating his kinsman, Moses fled to the desert for fear of pharaoh’s vengeance. Moses was raised in the palace of Egypt. He received the best of educations. He was trained and groomed for leadership of the most powerful nation in the known world of his day. Now he must live in isolation and humility. In this wilderness, Moses would receive the revelation of his life. From the miraculous burning bush, the Lord made His visitation and Moses learns of God’s destiny in his life.

We too, can be lead to a place of isolation and humility. There, we are positioned to receive our time of visitation. It is here, amongst various dangers, the Lord revels His will. God makes leaders in the desert. Moses left the desert to return to the nation of his birth, not to fulfill the plan of man but of God. He goes to reveal God’s plan to the children of Israel.

Our second example is with the children of Israel. Through a series of divine manifestations and miracles, Moses brings the entire family of Abraham to the banks of the Red Sea. The enemy followed to destroy God’s promise keepers. God used Moses and the Red Sea opened to allow passage to the children of Israel. The Red Sea was going to be used by Pharaoh to snare the fleeing hoards. Instead, the Lord chose the Red Sea to be His enemies’ burial place. And Moses leads God’s children into the desert.

This course was not without it’s diversions. The people of God were not united in their faith to follow Moses. The route, certainly, was no easy street. We should be reminded the desert is a place of isolation. Every need of the children of Israel had to be provided by Jehovah. The present hardships caused some to turn their heart back to the life in Egypt. The desire to return, to slavery, was greater in some than the desire to press on to the promise of God.

In the desert, the Lord gave His law. The desert was used to separate the rebellious parts from its faithful members. The desert is the Lords pathway to His promise. The desert is a device to groom the children to become disciples of destiny. Though it can seem that we are abandoned, we know He will never leave us or forsake us. Here lay a precious principal: Whatever our God leads us into, He will also lead us through and out of. What starts, as a desert place for visitation becomes our path to a new habitation in a land of milk and honey.

The desert is filled with silence. And silence is a difficult experience for some to endure. Our culture is not tolerant of silence. Yet, our Christians lives have times of silence. Here is another treasured principal: When it seems to us that the Lord is being silent, rather He is truly speaking volumes to us. All we need is that our hearing be tune to that frequency. The desert provides that hearing chamber. “The Word of God came to John (the Baptist) in the wilderness.” Luke 3:2

The third example is located in Matthew 4: “Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness.” After being baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist the Lord was led into the wilderness. Here He began His 40 day fast. Upon completion, Satan came to tempt the Master. Jesus was successful in overcoming those temptations not on His behalf but ours. There was no sin or weakness in Him but in us. He was the forerunner who went to the place of temptation only to emerge victorious. His victory is part of our God given heritance. The desert can be a place that we enter for testing. This place is where we can emerge with the King of Kings victoriously and Satan publicly cast down. Those victories are permanent in our lives.

Matthew 2:13- 15 is our final example. “And when they departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And be there till I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. And he arose, toke the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. And he was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which had been spoken of the Lord by the prophet, out of Egypt have I called my Son.” When Herod was dead the angel appeared again to Joseph telling him they should leave Egypt. So, Joseph took his family and settled in Nazareth.

We can be lead by the Lord into the wilderness for our protection and preservation. There we wait for the signal of clearance that our God has dealt with our pursuing enemies. Then we can continue our lives unhindered to complete the plan of God. I have had several experiences where I found myself in the desert. I did not encounter an angel. Instead, I was met there by confusion lose of direction and purpose. There I questioned the Lord and His love for me. I viewed others prospering and enjoying their lives and ministries. I was not allowed those luxuries. Sadly, I discovered that I lacked trust in the Lord. Then I learned that the Lord had been protecting me. Even, preserving me from the enemy who was determined to destroy me. I did not even perceive that my life was in danger. But the Lord knew.

Yes, I was embarrassed for my lack of trust. But, I was also rejoicing at the goodness and wisdom of my God. Afterwards, I was allowed to enter into a higher level of the plan of God for my life. The wilderness was the place of preservation for me. It was a safe location, where I could wait for the signal from the Lord that the way is clear. My enemy had been removed. My confidence in the Lord has greatly increased from such experiences. Now when I enter a desert place, I consider how great the Lord loves me.

Hopefully, the next time we enter the wilderness/desert; we will be comforted knowing there are divine reasons for the journey. We can expect to be positioned to receive a greater visitation of the Lord. We will be separated from our rebellious nature as our faithful parts can enter into the land of milk and honey. We can face temptations that the King of King will help us overcome. And the desert can be used as a place to protect and preserve us till our enemies are dealt with. We serve a wise and loving Father. He only has our best interest at heart. Let us open up our hearts to expect to receive good from the hand of our God. Where He leads, there I will follow.