-- A Word through Steve Shultz

Back in the early 80's, I knew nothing of the prophetic, and little of the power of God. I believed that one could speak in tongues--but had never done it myself, and hadn't a clue how to do it.

Attending a large church for one of the first times, the speaker gave opportunity for people to turn around, meet and pray for one another, and then take communion together. I turned around and looked at the gray-haired man directly behind me.

"Steve," the man said.

Wow. He spoke my name and I wasn't wearing a name badge. I had no idea HOW he know my name--but he'd spoke it so clear, I could not deny it. I was too flustered--or taken off guard to ask him how he knew my name, but it made me open to what he might have to say--because I considered something supernatural had just happened. After communion, we had a few minutes to talk and I was explaining to him that I'd never spoken in tongues and didn't know how to do it--or get it--or whatever.

STARTING BY FAITH

He explained that people get tongues in different ways. Some get it instantly . . . some get it--by faith, over time. He encouraged me to begin--even in my private drive times--to begin to speak whatever words or sounds came to my mind. In this way, God might begin to teach me to speak in tongues.

I promised myself I'd give it the ol' "college try." My daily drive was about 90 minutes each way--from Riverside into southern Orange County, California.

So . . . as I began my Monday morning drive--I began to "practice" what he'd preached. The first sounds into my head . . . "shabak" (how would one spell that, I thought?)...I kept speaking in private. It became sabakthany (again, how would one spell that?) Over the course of days, it became, "sabacthana Lami." Over and over and over again, that's all I got--so that's all I said--week in . . . week out.

As those days turned into weeks, my wife, Derene--and my lives fell apart. Our marriage was happy--no real problems there. But finances drained beyond nothing. Credit cards filled to the brim and collection agents started to call. Work fell apart as a partnership in business broke up.

What was going on? Why was God allowing this? I kept speaking in my privacy, "sabacthana lami." I didn't have a clue why that's all I got, but this man had told me to speak in faith, the sounds that came into my mind, so I continued.

One Saturday morning--now about six months later, when things in my life had deteriorated to the breaking point, I lay in bed and decided to ask the Lord two things. First, Lord, (I prayed silently), "tell me what I've been saying in tongues all this time," and second, "Lord, do something completely unexpected this morning--break through and surprise Derene and me. We need a breakthrough. I somehow felt--for no particular reason, that He was about to answer that prayer.

THE PROVERBIAL CALL--FROM OUT OF NOWHERE

Within a short time, still Saturday morning, the phone suddenly rang. It way my father-in-law--again, for no apparent reason--offering to pay our airfare if we could get to the LA airport within a couple hours--to fly up for a holiday with the family in the Northwest--an event that eventually led to us relocating there, where we still live to this day. How exciting! And how out of nowhere. We needed some kind of break and this was it! When we got to the airport, we were so late, they had to "bump" us up into first class--the first time ever for Derene and I to fly first class!

But just before we had gotten that call--that morning, remember that I had asked the Lord, "Lord, what HAVE I been saying in "TONGUES" all this time?" Immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY (before that phone call came through) I suddenly had the answer. I even knew the Scripture. I knew where to look in the Bible for the exact interpretation.

IN THE WORD--THE WHOLE TIME

I turned to the passage in Matthew -- Jesus was on the Cross, suffering for the sins of the whole world -- past, present, and future, and Matthew describes what Jesus said . . .

". . . About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)

I suddenly realized, just as Jesus had cried out, "why have you forsaken me?" --"lama sabachthani"--I had been saying, "sabachthana lami" (spelling?), --"You've forsaken me--WHY?" For weeks and weeks, I'd been saying, "God, you've forsaken me--WHY?"

Then it was breakthrough time. Suddenly, upon learning the translation of the cry of my heart, the phone call came through, First class airplane tickets were provided, and the way was made for our whole life to change.

Why?--Because I'd finally gotten my act together? No! It was because it was time.

Dan 2:21-22 "He changes times and seasons. . . He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him."

EVEN EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE TO LIVE IS DECLARED BY THE LORD:

Acts 17:26 "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined THE TIMES SET FOR THEM and THE EXACT PLACE WHERE THEY SHOULD LIVE.

My prayers had met their fullness in Christ--He had placed within my spirit, the prayer of my heart, "Why have you forsaken me, God?" --and then He proceeded at JUST THE RIGHT TIME to answer the very prayers and pleas that he had placed within my heart. For truly, we are:

Eph 2:6-7 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

ON THE CROSS-- JESUS QUOTES PSALMS 22

As Jesus was on the Cross, he was quoting the prophetic the "Catch 22." Psalms 22 starts right out--and I quote:

Ps 22:1 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"

Isn't it amazing and profound that the same God who suffered on the Cross, who quoted David on the Cross when He cried out, "My God my God, WHY have you forsaken me?"--the SAME GOD who, knows the thoughts and intentions and feelings of the heart was crying out--THROUGH ME, "God, MY GOD, why have you forsaken me."

I call it the "catch 22"--because of such events as when Peter was walking on the water--and then he began to sink in his fear and uncertainty. In our case, Derene and I were sinking because of the fear and uncertainty in our lives. However, Peter was CAUGHT!

Matt 14:30-31 ". . . But when he [Peter -- and you and me] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and CAUGHT him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?’"

Jesus brings us through the storms, allows us to begin to sink--and in the midst of our cry, "Why are you letting us sink?" Don't you care if we drown? Why have you forsaken us?"--amidst that place in each of our lives, the Savior reaches out his hand and CATCHES us and then reminds us, "YOU OF LITTLE FAITH. WHY DID YOU DOUBT?"

I maintain that we must all go through this process. ALL OF US!

But SINKING was not the end of MY story....thank God!

Just as Jesus was raised from the dead not long after He cried, "My God, My God, WHY have you forsaken me?" . . . My story also ended with an amazing breakthrough! Did you know that Psalms 22 ends that way too?

The Lord (and David) --- in Psalms 22 FIRST cries out,

Ps 22:1-2 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent."

BUT AS SOON AS VERSE THREE, THE STORY BEGINS TO CHANGE:

Ps 22:3-5 "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed."

The writer is breaking down. He's dwelling on the previous goodness of God to OTHERS. He's reminding God of His attribute of faithfulness to those He loves . . .

But then He continues with his woes. These woes sound a lot like what you and I go through from time to time.:

Ps 22:11-18

"Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."

BACK TO PRAISES

First the listing of sorrows, but before He is done, David--and Jesus (who certainly knew this Psalm BY HEART)--on the Cross comes to the end of this Psalm--in this most unexpected manner--(Oh, by the way, It's Psalm 22 and VERSE 22!!!)

THE PROPHETIC CATCH 22

Ps 22:22 CHAPTER 22-- VERSE 22 SAYS, "I will declare your name to my brothers; IN THE CONGREGATION I WILL PRAISE YOU."

Then he continues:

Ps 22:23-31 "You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him-- those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for he has done it."

PSALMS IS A PROPHECY---ALL OF THE PSALMS . . .

I believe that God has prophesied through the Psalms that no matter who we are--we will all come to the point, at some time in our life, when we will feel like praying, "My God My God, WHY have you FORSAKEN me?" It's built into God's plan. And honestly--The LORD wants us to be honest and speak it back to Him. . . "Why, Lord, have you left me like this?" If we don't speak it, we'll say it in tongues (1 Cor.14:2--- "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does NOT SPEAK TO MEN BUT TO GOD.) --or we'll say it in our dreams. But honestly, WE'LL ALL SAY IT--that "catch 22" is that we'll all say it. And before the story is over, we'll say VERSE 22 OF CHAPTER 22--as the Psalmist said--and as Jesus did . . .

Ps 22:22 "I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME TO MY BROTHERS; IN THE CONGREGATION I WILL PRAISE YOU."

When we look back on our lives, we--perhaps to a person--no matter HOW MUCH OR WHAT KIND OF PAIN we've been through--are going to "DECLARE THE LORD'S NAME TO OUR BROTHERS AND TO THE CONGREGATION!" It's the catch-22 prophetic reality for each of us.

THE LORD KNOWS YOUR NAME--AND THIS IS HOW I KNOW

By the way, remember the man who knew my name--the man who I decided to listen to--to learn to speak in tongues--BECAUSE he knew my name? I called his ministry office not long after that church conversation and asked his assistant to ask her boss specifically how he had known--and therefore SAID my name that Sunday morning?

She said she'd ask him and call me back which she did shortly. Here's what she told me, "Steve, he didn't know your name and he says he never SAID your name. He's not sure what you're referring to."

Well, the LORD knew my name! And he knew it was the time and season to lead me into the next thing. And so, "I will declare HIS NAME TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE CONGREGATION!"

Because He CAUGHT ME!