Last week Monday, October 10th, Cory, Keith and I met for our morning meeting at Burger King at around 8:00AM. We closed the meeting and I departed around 9:30AM. While driving, I received a call from Cory in which he told me they were approached by a gentleman that works there at Burger King right after I left. Craig (age 20) approached them to inquire about their profession. During discussion, Craig revealed that he is a Christian. Cory felt prompted to give Craig the Church's Greatest Need handout. Craig eagerly accepted it. As Cory described Craig, I did remember seeing him when I was at Burger King, but was puzzled as to why the LORD didn't have him come up to the table until after I left. Apparently, it wasn't time yet for me to meet him.
 
    On Monday, October 15th, Cory, Keith and I met at around 7:30AM at Burger King. Craig arrived at about 9:30AM and came over to our table. It was perfect timing as minutes before he arrived, we were praying to figure out what the LORD wanted us to do next. Craig seemed very excited to see us. During our discussion, Craig told us a little more about himself. He goes to church a few times a week and says that he really enjoys it. It was obvious that Craig has a very humble spirit, he truly has a seeking heart and seems to have a true desire to want to grow closer to the LORD. Craig said he truly enjoyed the "Church's Greatest Need" handout and shared it with his pastor who also liked it. As Craig talked, I was able to see that he was aware of more Scriptural concepts and verses than most confessing believers that I have met over the years, but I still couldn't "discern" his anointing. The whole time I felt and wanted to share something with him, but felt a wall and couldn't find the words or the opening to interject anything between Craig's sharing and Keith's and Cory's questioning him. At one point he mentioned that his pastor declared a partial seven-day fast for the congregation, where they are allowed to eat 'natural food' after 4:00PM. Even though a partial fast is definitely Biblical (Dan10:3) the partial fast declared by the pastor didn't strike me as having the proper weight with the LORD. By making this statement, I am simply trying to say that it seemed as though the LORD may have wanted more than a commitment to a partial fast for the work that HE is trying/wanting to do in the church, in Craig, or both. I wanted to ask Craig if he knew anything about normal (water-only) and absolute (no food or water) fasting, but again, I couldn't find the appropriate opening in the conversation. Finally, what did come to me was to ask Craig what he thought the LORD wanted from him. His answer basically entailed things like doing a good job as an usher at church, praying and studying the Bible I asked him if he studied the Bible everyday, to which he admitted that he doesn't but knew that he should. Then I was able to encourage him to give the LORD time in the morning, first thing in the morning, every morning, through prayer and Bible study (Mark1:35 2Tim2:15; 3:16,17). I told him that the LORD has confirmed to current CCCInc. participants that HE expects one hour of prayer/meditation followed by an hour of Bible study minimum every morning. Craig received the exhortation gladly and I felt as thought he was truly going to grab hold and put the concept into practice. He shook our hands and then went to work. It was obvious that this was the word that the LORD wanted me to give to him.
 

    As I talked with Keith & Cory about our encounter, Cory was sure that Craig was anointed, but I was still unsure. Cory also mentioned that it was obvious Craig had the gift of exhortation. This definitely seemed likely, given the way in which he shared his testimony with us. Craig's words seemed to just flow as is usually the case when the Holy Spirit empowers an individual to witness and testify about the power of GOD and the work that He is doing in their life. Later on that evening as I thought about the situation, what struck me was that Craig never once mentioned anything about hearing the LORD's voice. This seemed to be the LORD giving me another confirmation that Craig was not quite anointed yet. I called and shared this bit of info with Cory which the LORD in turn used to teach us more about manifestations of the anointing. We already knew that not every person that receives the Anointing of the Holy Ghost receives the gift of tongues, or other outward manifestations as is falsely believed and taught by many today (1Cor12:4-11,28-31). The manifestation can be very subtle and only properly discerned by listening to the person (and the LORD of course) as they talk about their lifestyle, and their level of understanding of Scripture. We shared the different things that happened in our lives when we first received the anointing, and how the signs and events differed. (see my initial Anointing experience)
 
    Cory said that for he and Keith, their lives were basically turned upside down, but hearing the LORD's voice was not one of the first things that made them realize that they had been anointed. So through all of this, the LORD broadened our understanding and showed us that even if a person not hearing the LORD's voice doesn't mean that the person has not received the Anointing. Through this the LORD seemed to be re-emphasizing that we must be that much more open and sensitive to the Spirit to be able to 'discern' where a person is at in their walk so that the LORD can more effectively use us to listen and minister to that individual, if that is HIS intention.
 
    Another thing that comes to me now while typing is that while Craig shared his testimony, it didn't seem to have the same weight as testimonies and exhortations from other anointed people that I have heard over the years. This is in no way meant to be a put down as it is obvious that the LORD is working in Craig's life. If Craig hadn't received the anointing yet, it definitely seemed as though it was the LORD's intention to change that! The LORD also seemed to be prompting me to print the Seekers handout for Craig for next week.
 
    On Monday, October 22, Craig arrived at Burger King around 9:30AM while Cory, Keith and I were meeting. Just as we suspected, Craig had some good news to share with us! Craig actually did begin rising up earlier in the morning to spend time with the LORD first thing in the morning just as we had encouraged him to do! PRAISE GOD! He said that while doing it, he could really "feel the presence of GOD with him" when he gave the LORD that time in the morning. He also said that while studying Scripture, "the words really began to jump off the page" at him. It was obvious that the LORD really confirmed to him that the concept was truly from above and the LORD honored Craig's commitment. Craig eagerly accepted the Seekers handout when I gave it to him and asked where we get all of this "good material" from. I told him that all that we had given him thus far along with a lot more is on our web-site, the address being in the upper right-hand of the page. So from here on out, he could go to the site and get material on his own.
 

    During discussion, it took me some time to figure out what the LORD would have me to share with him this week. It turned out that fasting was the topic of the day. We asked Craig questions about the fast that he completed last week, looking for a way in which to introduce the concept of doing a normal or absolute fast for the LORD once a week for the LORD to continue to work in him. Fasting is not simply an act which causes the LORD to answer one's prayers, but it is essential for spiritual purging, (Mat17:18-21 Mark9:14-29) which is essential for sanctification, justification, righteousness, i.e., soul salvation. I asked him if his pastor encourages the congregation to fast on their own. He said yes and as it turns out, the LORD had already put the idea of fasting once a week on Craig's heart! The LORD even put it upon his heart to begin fasting on Wednesdays. At this point, I felt it best to leave well enough alone. To try and share with someone the concept of fasting on the true Sabbath, Saturday, it is necessary to be able to show all the relevant Scripture as well and how the Catholic Church "changed" the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, all to drive the point home. This didn't seem to be the time or place for that. Cory, however, did try to encourage Craig to fast on Saturday. I encouraged Craig to stand strong and have faith that the LORD will give him the strength he needs to get thru the day without eating and to ignore an negative thoughts that the evil one tries to give him to discourage him from completing the fast. I shared with him that I used to have a physical job similar to his a few years ago. I used to work at a gym in downtown Chicago. I used to park west of downtown and walk for an hour to get to work to avoid paying the steep downtown parking fees. At the job, I had to do things like clean equipment, sweep, mop and pick up weights, then would have to walk for an hour back to my car after I finished. There were many difficult days, but the LORD always gave me the strength to make it through. I never passed out or fainted or lacked the strength to do my job as a result of fasting. We also encouraged him to approach the fast in the same way that he approached the concept of getting up and spending time with the LORD first thing in the morning. When he did it, the LORD confirmed to him that it was indeed a commitment that HE would honor which shows that the idea didn't come from our puny little minds. The LORD would do the same thing with the fasting and he would truly be blessed by it. Craig eagerly accepted all that we said.
 
    Something else that stuck out during the meeting was that Craig's glasses were broken. Keith asked him what happened to them to which Craig admitted that he sat on them at some point last week. Craig had temporarily fixed them but obviously needed some new ones. Once that was said, Cory and I looked at each other because this was another way in which the LORD was pointing out Craig's current spiritual level. Needing and getting new glasses were symbolic of Craig soon coming to the point of receiving the Anointing of the Holy Spirit enabling him to see! (Jn3:3 1Pet1:22,23 Act5:32) We then prayed together and Craig checked in and started work.
 
    After Craig left, Cory said that he was wrong to tell Craig to fast on Saturdays. Cory said the LORD told him plainly that "I want him to fast on Wednesdays". Cory felt as though he should go tell Craig to fast on the day that the LORD had already shown him. While writing this, the LORD seems to be showing me that he had that happen for a reason. By Cory suggesting Saturday fasts to Craig, it helped open the door for me to share my work experience with him.

Also, when the LORD does indeed confirm Saturdays to Craig, he will be able to see that we didn't push him into it, but that the LORD confirmed it to him and again, Craig will know that the concept is from above and not us. Cory was easily able to convince Craig to fast on the day that the LORD had put on his heart. The mistake that Cory made in telling Craig to fast on a day other than the one the LORD had already pointed out shows how important it is to be praying and listening to the Holy Spirit. Just as the Almighty has a voice, so does the evil one, and he loves to blab any chance he gets. The LORD has shown us the only way to truly guard against satan confirming misinformation to us or using us to pass on misinformation to others is to be diligent over the LORD's Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.). Being diligent, unfortunately, doesn't totally prohibit satan's meddling, blabbing, and interference in day to day life, but it does help prevent his interference during critical times like sharing the Gospel with someone in need. So in this case, the LORD corrected Cory right away and no harm was done.
 
    As I drew closer to completing this report, what the LORD seemed to keep bringing back to my mind is that HE had me share with Craig the same things that HE has had me share with many people over the years, this being to encourage people to spend time with the LORD first thing in the morning through prayer and Bible study, and secondly, to fast one day a week for the LORD. Sharing these things with him was on me from the first time that I met him, but the LORD had me share it in HIS timing.
 
    The last little bit to include is from Robert who made the following observation. The LORD put it on Craig to fast on Wednesdays, as it is halfway through the week, this being symbolic of Craig partially implementing the LORD's S.O.P., once the LORD brings Craig to the point of more fully implementing HIS S.O.P., HE will more likely to bless Craig with the gift of the Holy Spirit as well. (1Pet1:22,23 Act5:32)
 

Type: sub, corp, cell gr, stu gr, pastor; Level: confess, Jn14 Disc: Brief details of meeting; scriptures, if believed, Spirit cfm, proof of growth, recent victories, proof of Rom6.

    Cory and I met at Burger King at about 7:15AM this morning. Our last meeting with Craig, which was two weeks ago, was very positive. I didn't think I was going to see him today as I thought the LORD wanted me to depart before the time Craig usually arrives. I however was wrong and Craig arrived around 9:15AM.
 
    Craig came over to the table and we said hello and started with a prayer before proceeding any farther. He told us that he hadn't been to Burger King the last two Mondays during the time that Cory and I are usually there, due to job training. So it turns out that we didn't miss the opportunity to meet with him in our absence the last two weeks.
 
    We started with sharing general information. He told us that things were going well at church and that his time with the LORD in the morning was going well along with his Wednesday fasting. Craig made the statement that he wanted to upgrade his fasting to possibly two days a week instead of one. I encouraged him to be open to the Spirit and that the LORD would confirm changes to the fasting schedule in HIS timing. Craig agreed. Craig is a tad bit on the heavy side, I believe the LORD is going to work with Craig extensively in the area of fasting, not just for spiritual purging and cleansing, but also to help shed unnecessary weight. Craig is a young guy, around 20 years old, and I believe the LORD will also introduce and require regular exercise regiment from Craig and teach him more about eating a proper diet, all in HIS timing. This may seem a bit critical, but the LORD has made it clear to me that stewardship over the body is very important and that rigorous exercise is critical to entering the kingdom. The pain experienced during exercise is similar to the physical and spiritual difficulties one encounters while growing into Christ. Learning to push thru the physical pain during exercise seems to be a way in which the LORD conditions the mind and body to fight and endure for HIM. [see Basic Stewardship].
 
    One reason that I was slightly apprehensive about seeing Craig today was because I didn't know what, if anything, the LORD wanted me to share with Craig in terms of teaching. Craig mentioned that in church yesterday, the pastor's message originated from Job14:14. Thru discussion, I felt led to mention Job 1:1,8. We talked about the Scriptures and their meaning. I pointed out the LORD Himself declares that Job was a "perfect and an upright man, one that feareth GOD, and escheweth evil…" in verse seven. This is a very powerful and insightful statement, especially since it was the LORD that said it. I didn't want to go too deep but I stressed to Craig that the statement made about Job represents the place where HE desires all believers to be, but it is the work of GOD that brings us to this point. One does not attain this level of a walk with the LORD upon confessing that Jesus is LORD and Saviour, the LORD must purge us, teach us, and train us into such a walk with HIM. We also talked about the fact that the LORD likes to test and prove HIS servants.

As the chapter continues, satan is granted permission to afflict Job, which he does very mightily. Job lost his children, most of his servants and belongings, but verse 22 states very plainly, :In all this Job sinned not, nor charged GOD foolishly. This is the trademark of a true servant of the LORD and not many today can match the example set forth in Job. I told Craig that the LORD has pointed out Job1:1,7 out to me numerous times and that I pray that the LORD will bring me to that level of a walk with HIM. I continued by saying that one can only get to this point by seeking and obeying the Almighty, by diligent praying, fasting, and studying Scripture, by trusting and believing that the LORD will work this incredible work in them.
 
    One thing that I observed was that Craig's name tag said "Manager in Training." I asked Craig if when he was hired, was it Burger King's intention to train him into the position of manager. He said that this was not the case, and that he has no previous managerial experience, as he is only 20 years old. I pointed out this may have come about because he was diligent to fast and spend time with the LORD first thing in the morning when prompted. Craig has only been an employee for a few weeks and I knew that there were plenty of other people that had been there a lot longer than him, but were passed over for the position of manager. As Craig continues to be diligent to seek the LORD and do his part to strengthen, further, and deepen his relationship, the LORD will continue to use him as witness to others. When he has the cleanest, most efficient, highest revenue producing store with the most satisfied customers, people want to know how he accomplished all of this and he will be able to point to the LORD. This will be part of his testimony. We finished our meeting with Craig with a group prayer. It was another good meeting and a blessing to continue to witness the work of the LORD in Craig's life.
 

Type: sub, corp, cell gr, stu gr, pastor; Level: confess, Jn14 Disc: Brief details of meeting; scriptures, if believed, Spirit cfm, proof of growth, recent victories, proof of Rom6.