I entered the full-time ministry in 1983, leaving behind a good position as a
mechanical engineer with Rockwell International to serve in the ministry of
helps at a large church. One function of my job was transporting guest speakers
and caring for their needs.
It was a step of obedience, and we saw God's blessing on it. It was evident we
had moved up to a new level of faith where we had not walked before. At that
level I found gifts of abilities and wisdom I had not previously possessed.
In the second month in this position, I enjoyed the honor of transporting a
great international evangelist who had seen millions saved throughout the
nations of the world. We immediately became close friends. He gave me his home
phone number and encouraged me to call any time, so over the next four years I
kept in touch with him. He came to the church once or twice a year, and we
exchanged letters and phone calls. We were the same physical stature, and he
gave me a complete wardrobe of his clothes. He invited us to visit him and his
wife any time. It seemed he was as drawn to me as I was to him.
I knew I was called to preach the gospel to the nations of the world. It was one
of God's promises to me. As time passed, my desire to work for this man grew.
The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to serve him. I frequently was
approached by other believers who said, "I believe you will work for that man
one day." This always brought me great excitement, for it was the desire which
already burned in my heart. I was certain it would prove to be God's way of
fulfilling His promise that I would preach the gospel to the nations. But for
the time being I remained a van driver with big God-given dreams.
After I had worked for four years in this position, I shared with my pastor and
his wife that I felt God was preparing us for a move. They supported us but also
gave me the freedom to work for them as long as I wanted.
Eight hours after our meeting, the international evangelist called my home. He
asked Lisa and I to come and oversee a local church and Bible school he was
starting. He said, "John, can you see the vision? You'll start the church here
in the United States and then start others like it all over the world where my
wife and I have preached."
When I hung up the phone after our two-hour talk, I was so excited I just hit
the ceiling. I went outside to think and drink in all that had just happened. It
was almost too good to believe. As I walked outside, I noticed an uncomfortable
feeling deep in my heart. I thought, God, You can't he saying no. I could not
believe what was happening, so I tried to shake it off.
But the check in my spirit did not leave. I wrestled with it for three days,
reasoning that it could not he from God. Finally in frustration I did an
ignorant thing: Thinking it was possible that I was battling the enemy, I
shouted, "I am going to work for him in Jesus' name.". The uncomfortable check
in my spirit left.
Three weeks later, we flew to their headquarters and interviewed for five hours.
We accepted the position and were introduced to their staff during their
Christmas banquet. The salary was set, and we had a place to live.
I returned to Dallas, resigned from my position and prepared for our move. But
with only three weeks left before we were to leave, the uncomfortable witness in
my spirit returned. Thank God for His mercy.
We flew again to their headquarters. This time everything was different. The
meeting was strained and uncomfortable for all. Together we concluded that it
was not God's will. We Said our good-byes, and I left, knowing we had obeyed
God. But I felt empty and bewildered. I no longer had the dream that had
encouraged me.
Over the next few days I wept frequently while in prayer. Confused, one morning
I cried out to God, "Why did You ask me to put the dream You gave me on the
altar?"
God immediately answered, "I wanted to see if you were serving the dream or Me."
Instantly my sadness left. In that moment many questions were answered. Now I
understood. Later God showed me that I had passed a test.
A few months later another internationally known pastor asked me to join his
church staff. He wanted me to Oversee his young people. I almost laughed as I
thought, I have turned down the greatest opportunity I could have imagined and
now I'm being offered this menial position. (It's terrible, but that's what T
thought. I desperately Searched for a check in my spirit but found only peace.)
I knew it was God, and I accepted the position two clays later. As soon as I
accepted the call to go, joy and life sprang up in my soul. We packed up
everything and moved.
At our first Sunday service the pastor announced my arrival on staff and invited
me to speak to the congregation. Before moving, I had been eager to preach hut
not very good at it. In fact, just the year before I had lost a tape to one of
my teaching series from a Sunday school class and wanted to replace it, so I
asked my wife and her friend to he my congregation in our living room 'while l
rerecorded it. Halfway through the message, they both fell asleep. Looking back
now it is comical. I became so frustrated I wanted to wake them up, but I
couldn't because I was recording the message. I preached the last half of my
message to two sleeping women.
Now I was getting up in front of a few thousand. My wife prayed, "God, please
don't let John embarrass himself." (She told me this later.)
When I took the microphone, the Spirit of God came on me, and within thirty
seconds the entire congregation was on their feet, going wild. I knew my words
were not my own, and I felt an authority I had never known before. For the first
time I sensed power in the words I spoke. I sensed a flame burning deep inside
me.
When I sat down the people kept shouting. I was shaking tinder the influence of
God's Presence. It continued for several minutes. My wife looked at me in
disbelief and said, "What happened to you? You are not the same man!" It
happened again when I rose to speak in the second Sunday service.
The youth group grew from 60 to 250 young people in
one week. I was preaching like a new man. My wife describes it this way, "When
you crossed the state line to our new home, you became a different man."
The faith and anointing on my life had increased due to my obedience. I believe
if I had gone to work for the first international minister, I would not have
risen in faith, anointing and authority to the spiritual level I did as youth
pastor. We must remember, God gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts
5:32).
I grew more over the next two years in that position than I had in the previous
eight years. A year and a half later my pastor had a vision that he shared with
the eleven pastors of his staff. The vision held three messages; one dealt with
the United States; one with our local church; and one with one of his pastors.
He told us the portion which concerned the United States and the local church
and then said, "God has shown me that one of you pastors is not going to be on
our staff much longer. You will travel full-time. That pastor is you, John
Bevere."
As he spoke, the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and I wept. He said, "I don't
know when it will happen, all I know is that it will."
Six months later, August 1989, I received seven invitations from all corners of
the United States to preach in the same three-week span of time. I made an
appointment to share it with my senior pastor.
"What do I do with these," I asked.
He laughed and said, "I prophesied it; looks like you're leaving." He and I
planned my departure for the end of the year.
Over the next three months two different men from a foreign nation at two
different times called me out and prophesied what God was getting ready to do.
They did not know me or what had transpired in the last nine months. In fact,
the youth heard it for the first time in one of those services. My pastor, my
wife and I were in awe of how the Spirit of God confirmed what He was doing.
A month before my salary stopped, I was a hit concerned. I only had two new
invitations to minister (having already gone to the seven meetings that I had
received earlier), one at the beginning of January and the other at the end of
February. We had very little money, not even a third of our house payment for a
month.
My pastor had blessed me with a letter of recommendation and the addresses of
six hundred pastors. He encouraged me, "Do what you would like with this."
I addressed several envelopes when suddenly the Spirit of God questioned me,
"What are you doing?"
I replied, "I am letting churches know that I am available."
He said, "You will get out of My Will."
I replied, "But nobody knows me out there!" He said, "I know you; trust Me!"
I threw out the envelopes. As I write this book seven years later, we still
travel full-time. We have never lacked a penny or a place to preach. We have
never had to send out letters begging for financial support. Though at times
it's been tight, God has always been faithful. He has led me to more than thirty
states and several nations. God is true to His promises!
God continues to fulfill His promise to me. It always comes His way. With each
step of obedience comes a new level of faith.
Bevere, John. The Devil’s Door. Lake Nary, Fl: Charisma House, 1996, p. 188-193.
With permission, www.charismahouse.com.
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