Appointment with Jesus

By Dr Gavin D Williams

During a time of recovery from emotional, physical and emotional burnout in 1986, the Lord Jesus spoke to me through a brother who has a gift of prophecy. The instruction was clear: "Give yourself to waiting on Me as the priority of your life." Through the years that followed, I have given my best to be faithful to that heavenly calling. This book is the record of many aspects of the journey into intimacy with God discovered through the now almost 40 years since that challenge was given.

 

The core of this book may be summed up in the statement: "The disciplined life in the secret place sets the foundation for effective ministry in the public place". I have proved the reality of that statement in my own life and now I share the lessons learned along the way with those who will take the time to read this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr Gavin D Williams
• Release date: Jan 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223401605

Dr Gavin D Williams

Dr Gavin D Williams is an internationally respected Christian leader. He has ministered as a pastor, missionary, para-church leader and speaker for over 50 years.  Dr Gavin was originally trained at the Baptist Theological College of Queensland (Australia). In 2003 he was awarded the Doctor of Practical Ministry by the late Dr C Peter Wagner of the Wagner Leadership Institute in the USA. Dr Gavin's heart is to see all God's people discover an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and to understand more of what it means to live as a mature and victorious believer. His teaching is very pracical because it rises from his own journey and daily walk with the Lord.

Book preview

Introduction

The year was 1986. I had just begun the long journey of recovery from physical, emotional and spiritual burnout. At the age of 35, I was a husband, the father of three children and the pastor of a large and growing church. Outwardly, things looked great, but I had come dangerously close to losing everything. Because I had not taken care of my physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, I had come to a place where the demands of life and ministry had drained my every reserve. I was physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I praise God that he sent people who could see what was happening in my life and who guided me into a process of healing and recovery.

Very early in the recovery process, God spoke into my life through a brother who had the gift of prophecy. The word of the Lord to my heart was clear: Give yourself to waiting upon Me as the priority of your life. The command seemed so simple, but for me it was like being asked to climb the highest mountain in the world.

The sad reality was that I was a prayer-less pastor. I knew how to lead the congregation in prayer. I led the prayer meetings and could sound very passionate when everyone was listening. However, in the secret place with God, the place where it really mattered, there was almost total silence. I knew much about doing the work of ministry but very little about being a man of God. I knew how to speak for God, but not how to speak with God.

The years that followed that prophetic instruction have been an incredible journey. The Lord has lovingly taught me about the things He requires of His servants. I learned that He values me as a person more than the work I do for Him. I learned that He treasures my relationship with Him more than the energy and enthusiasm I give to doing His work. I learned that real strength and authority in ministry comes from being still in His presence, not from being constantly on the run.

At the heart of my journey has been learning to sit with God in the secret place. The psalmist writes, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty"(Psalm 91:1 KJV II). I have learned that the most important part of my day is the time when I sit in the presence of Jesus in quiet prayer, reflection and meditation upon His Word. My morning appointment with Jesus has become the highlight of my day.

This book is about a journey: a journey into the secret place where you and Jesus sit together in quiet communion. In these pages you will be invited to step aside from the busy flow of life and ministry and learn the art of stillness and quietness. You will discover a place where the struggles of life come into perspective. You will be challenged to seek the quiet ministry of the Holy Spirit and to allow Him to bring peace to those troubled places in your soul. You will be invited to learn to hear the voice of God speaking gently into the deepest recesses of your heart and mind. It is my hope that you will discover His gentle hand leading you step by step into His purposes for you. It is my prayer that you will learn to rise from the secret place into greater effectiveness in life and ministry.

This book has three sections:

Section I. The Disciplined life in the Secret Place

Here we explore the Biblical principles of learning to dwell in the secret place of the Most High God.

Section II. Developing Your Secret Place with God

There are some principles that form the foundation of the journey into the secret place with God. We will explore these foundations and give practical guidance for establishing an effective and lasting appointment with Jesus.

Section III. Disciplines of the Spiritual Journey

There are a variety of spiritual disciplines which God’s people have found helpful in seeking a deeper walk with Him. We will explore some of these disciplines in a practical way which I hope will enable you to apply them to your life.

Some parts of this book you may only need to read once for the truth to touch your heart. On the other hand, you might find yourself returning to other parts again and again to be refreshed in one or other of the disciplines of the spiritual journey. However you use this book, it is my hope and prayer that God will touch your heart with a deep hunger for His presence. Only in His presence will you discover that effectiveness in Christian life and ministry rises out of who you are in Christ and not what you do for Him.

In recent years, a new definition of ‘grace’ has emerged: Grace is the empowering presence of Christ within that enables you to be all that God created you to be and to do all that He has called you to do. It is my prayer that this book will enable you to grow in His grace.

March 2023 Edition

It is now nineteen years since the first edition of Appointment with Jesus was published. In those years, I have taught these principles to Christian leaders around the world. The book has been translated into seven languages in Africa, Asia and Europe. In an amazing way, God has taken it to far flung places and led many to find the secret place with God. I am humbled by what God has done with this simple book.

In the African nation of Uganda, the teaching on the secret place has become the foundation of a unique equipping strategy for pastors and leaders known as The School of Advanced Leadership Trainings or SALT School. Ask any of the graduates what was the most significant thing they learned, and you are almost certain to hear of the secret place.

On a personal level, the journey continues. My morning appointment with Jesus continues to be the heart of my life and ministry. Throughout these past years, I have lived and practiced the principles set out in this book. Part of the reason for preparing this newest edition is so that I might incorporate some of the lessons God has taught me in these years.

In this edition there are some new chapters, updated illustrations and life experiences which I hope will add to your enjoyment in reading.

My greatest desire and prayer is that you may discover more of the wonder of the secret place with God and the enrichment of life and ministry that can only come as you sit alone in His presence.

Section 1

THE SECRET PLACE WITH GOD

CHAPTER 1

The Disciplined Life in the Secret Place

In the Introduction to this book, I shared a little of my experience of emotional, physical and spiritual burnout. I shared how, through a prophetic declaration, God called me to ‘ Give yourself to waiting on me as the priority of your life’ . In the years that followed, I set myself to obey the prophetic command. I had much to learn.

By nature, I am a Type A or Choleric personality. I am strongly task oriented, and capable of achieving almost anything I set my mind to achieve. Typically, I would go to bed late because my mind would need time to unwind from the machinations of the day. Rising later than some, I would step immediately into the day’s allotted tasks, taking little time to stop, reflect or pray. From the moment I stepped out of bed, my life was go, go, go! I then realised that this lifestyle was the reason for my burnout. I knew my life had to change dramatically.

I began by changing my schedule. I set my bedtime at 10.00pm so that I could rise at 6.00am. My wife and I began to pray together each morning before we rose from our bed. Then by 7.00am, cup of tea in hand, I was in my secret place and ready for my appointment with Jesus. At first, this dramatic lifestyle change was not easy, but I persisted until my body began to get the message. A new and more disciplined journey had begun.

I began to set aside additional time for prayer and waiting upon God. One morning each week I would drive into the hills about thirty minutes from our home and spend several hours alone with the Lord. I began to explore some of the spiritual disciplines I had learned earlier in my spiritual journey. I began to hear His voice speaking to me with a clarity I had never known before. This was a whole new journey of discovery and the Lord had many lessons to teach me.

You will not be surprised to learn that my life and ministry began to change quite dramatically. Not everyone in the congregation I was leading liked the changes in their pastor. They were used to a pastor who was always busy with some scheme or program. There had always been lots of activity around the church and I was up front leading the way. Now I was living my life with more time for my relationship with the Lord, my family and myself. That change was difficult for some people.

My preaching changed too. Previously, my approach to preaching had been intellectual and technical. Now I began to preach more from the heart. There was a newfound passion in my preaching, and that confronted people. Some found the changes more than they were willing to accept. There was public and private criticism. Yet, despite the challenges, I knew that, at last, I was beginning to discover an approach to life and ministry that depended more on the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit and less on my energy and enthusiasm. I enjoyed the change.

The Principle

Some years later, during one of my morning appointments with Jesus, I sensed a stirring in my spirit which signaled that the Lord had something to say to me. My response to this stirring was the quiet prayer, Speak Lord, your servant is listening. Then I took a pencil to write in my journal what I believed He was saying to me. For several moments the Lord affirmed His love for me. Then He gave me a principle that has become a cornerstone of my life and ministry. This principle put into a clear statement the things I had been discovering throughout those years. I share this principle with you because I believe it expresses both the heart of God and the central message of this book:

The disciplined life in the secret place sets the foundation for effective ministry in the public place.

As I considered what I believed the Spirit of the Lord had spoken, I knew He was reminding me of the profound truth that He was working out in my life. Since that time, I have continued to explore the reality of this principle. I have examined it in the light of Scripture and I believe it proclaims a fundamental truth from His Word. As I have continued with my personal practice of the secret place with God, I have shared this principle with many people around the world and watched as the Spirit has ministered the truth to their lives.

Although this is not a verse from scripture, it came to my heart as a clear word from God. Should you ever feel led to quote this statement for some reason, never put my name or any other name on it. It is not mine but His.

Thinking through this principle as the Lord spoke it to my heart, I believe it contains four important elements. I want to explain each of these elements briefly.

The Disciplined Life

Discipline speaks of order and commitment. A disciplined soldier follows the orders of his commander, no matter what the cost. Disciplined people order their lives so they are able to accomplish specific tasks. They manage their time, honour their commitments, speak the truth and keep their word.

When we step into the realm of the Spirit, the word discipline speaks of ordering our lives to give importance to matters that concern our spiritual walk.

A person with spiritual discipline will make their relationship with the Lord Jesus their first priority. A person with spiritual discipline will usually have a regular time each day when they meet with the Lord in fellowship for prayer and to read His Word. A person with spiritual discipline will make choices that strengthen their spiritual life and walk with God. A person with spiritual discipline will live their life to reflect the Lord Jesus to others in their world.

In recent years, the idea of spiritual disciplines has been replaced, in some parts of the church, with an emphasis on grace and freedom. A true disciple of the Lord Jesus will not fear discipline.

The Secret Place

The secret place speaks of an attitude of heart rather than