A WORD TO A NEW BREED OF CHAMPIONS

"MY 'EIGHT' SECONDS OF GLORY ON A RODEO BULL--A WORD TO A NEW BREED OF CHAMPIONS!"

Recently I was praying about a certain area of ministry that I love and knowpeople are blessed by. I was concerned that God might be messing with my "favorite" area of ministry. I then had a vision of what God saw ahead--if I wasn't willing to let go of it all.

"EIGHT" SECONDS ON A RODEO BULL MAKES ONE A CHAMPION..."NINE" SECONDS MAKES YOU AT RISK!

In a vision, I was riding a rodeo bull. I knew in the Spirit that this bull represented my favorite area of ministry. To my surprise, I had ridden "eight" seconds on the bull. I was given great honor and recognition by the crowd in the grandstands. The crowd was cheering and applauding what I had accomplished, and how my ministry had touched their lives.

But then something terrible happened--I couldn't let go of the rope! My fingers somehow got stuck around the rope, and the bull that I had overcome began to throw me uncontrollably! I just could not let go (in rodeo terms this is called a "hang-up"). I must confess that I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to let go because of the thrill of the ride and the applause of the many people watching me and standing on their feet giving me a standing ovation.

THE NUMBER "EIGHT" MEANS NEW BEGINNINGS...I NOW NEEDED TO LET GO TO EMBRACE GOD'S NEW BEGINNINGS

After "eight" seconds of victory on a bull, when you fail to let go and exit quickly out of the electrifying arena, the bull begins to become the champion. It begins to overcome the rider and retaliates with full blown death in his horns and hoofs that has been building up during those eight seconds! The standing and cheering ovation changes to gasping and dread for the very life of the rider.

Spiritually, the number "eight" means "new beginnings." Many times at the height of success, in certain areas of your ministry, a new beginning has already started for you to enter into in another area of your life, which will yield yet greater fruitfulness. "Nine" means "fruitfulness," so you better be off the bull by the end of eight seconds to catch up with your new beginning.

HOW TO EXIT THE ARENA THAT MADE YOU A CHAMPION

I have never seen one champion bull rider leave the arena without his face in the dirt, a limp, a wound, or a bruise of some sort. With all of the fame, every bone in his body is crying out with pain, and often there is help needed from others to help him get up and away from the bull that he had overcome.

When you see someone being used greatly in ministry, and you think they are a champion in the Spirit, you don't know the pain that comes with overcoming the enemy of their ministry. You will be able to tell the real champions from the false. They will walk with a limp, and if you look real close, they will have a tear running down their championship face. And perhaps to your surprise, they are not really confident after all, as their security has just been shaken at the very core of their being at the height of their success.Many times, champions have difficulty limping off the field, as they discover fresh revelation that God is calling them away from the bull or arena of ministry they had victory in.

I sense myself, as well as others, feel an accomplishment in some areas in ministry, and have seemingly experienced success as we have loved what we have been doing--especially when it seems to be blessing many others. But somehow I see many fingers besides mine, getting stuck around the rope of success, and God is announcing from the judges booth, high above the arena of champions to, "Let go now! I want you off the bull."

Perhaps the bull is your "Isaac" ministry that everyone has fallen in love with and your identity has become wrapped up in. I wonder if Abraham's fingers got stuck longer than eight seconds on the rope that he wrapped around his son Isaac when he was about to sacrifice him.

Let go of the rope of your success--to embrace your new beginnings, that may take you from being a championship bull rider, to a possible unknown, where the only person who may know you is God, so you will get to know Him all over again. Or who knows, maybe you will get to ride a bigger bull!

COME UNTO ME ALL YE "CHAMPIONS" THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN

I sense the Lord calling those besides me, who have experienced some degree of success and even some degree of honor in ministry. Getting off of the bull can be risky and dangerous, but God is now reaching out His arms to catch us as we let go, and as we are seemingly thrown to the ground, He will bind our wounds, and pour in the oil and the wine to restore our souls.

Maybe I am alone in what I am experiencing in ministry. But in case there are perhaps thousands more out there, I want you to know you are not alone--God is with us! His new beginnings have already started for you and me.

It's in the letting go of the rope or ministry that we seal our spiritual championship! And that's "No Bull!"

Bill Yount
http://www.billyount.com/