Shiloh at this present time is full of students who desire for God to move in their lives. They are experiencing The Sweet Holy Spirit as HE so gently loves on them individually and corporately. These men are hungry and intense for the Word of God and for signs, miracles and wonders following The Word. The Holy Spirit is purging them and purifying them as they are yielding to HIM and allowing HIM to reveal to them The Father’s Heart and Wisdom and Revelation to know Jesus and posture themselves to be Apprentices of Jesus.  Hunger for God and intimacy with HIM at Shiloh has increased over the last few months with these students desiring to be taught of Him and used by HIM. The Word of God has always been a priority here and continues to be, but yet as The Holy Spirit is leading us this season we find not only The Word being taught with strong emphasis but also catapulting these students into assignments that put a demand on what has and is being taught. There is increasing ministry application getting these men prepared for the great soul harvest that The Lord has invited them to be a part of. 
 
Incorporated in the classroom setting is The Word being expounded on with addition of times of Ministry within the classroom that involve preparations to give Sermons on the various Books of The Bible that have been studied. The book of Job most lately has been challenging and intense but brings such wisdom for us all who will glean what The Holy Spirit is saying to us through this Old Testament Book. The Students were required to pray and ask Holy Spirit to reveal to them personally a Title for their Sermon, a supporting scripture from Job and then a New Testament Scripture to support this particular passage in The Old Testament. These students had to outline their sermon with principles that are relevant to us in our relationship with God today.  Book reports that are required monthly has now become less challenging for these students. So now we are challenging them to prepare a Sermon to give orally in order to challenge their audience to get off the sidelines of life and win souls (Matt. 28:18-20).
 
There are also pop quiz on The Bible at various times, and lots of scripture memorization that they have to recite orally. Some of these scripture memorizations can be lengthy with eight verses at times, and not only do these students have to recite but to be ready afterward to explain what this passage means and how we are to apply this to our growing relationship In Christ. There are also times of praying for one another, and laying hands on the sick within the classroom and believing for these recoveries. The men are encouraged to seek the Holy Spirit and then wait and listen to what HE is saying and then step out in faith to deliver what HE has impressed upon  their hearts. We are observing more and more these men yielding and making themselves available for the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the Love of God. 
 
We as leadership at Shiloh believe there must be training involved.  Jesus said make Disciples, not make decisions alone. These men are being taught The Word of God and putting into practice literally what The Bible teaches us as Apprentices of Jesus. We are believing that these men are not to wait until after they graduate from Shiloh to actively engage in Ministry Gifting’s, but to do so now in a safe environment. We never really learn until there is application of teaching.  We waste valuable precious time that belongs to The Lord if we wait until after these men graduate Shiloh. Some may say are you serious, isn’t there a risk involved with classroom order? In which we must reply, There is order indeed established but freedom for these men to grow and develop at the same time., and as we as leadership cry out to God to cause us to lead like Jesus, well quite frankly HE trained Those first Disciples, HE gave them assignments and told them to do ministry, HE did not wait for a period of time, they followed HIM and it was ministry day in and day out.  If we are not making disciples and sending people out then we are missing what Jesus commissioned us to do (Read Luke 10:1-20).
 
Inspiration without application moves you for a short time with a good feeling; however Inspiration and application coupled together changes and challenges us to indeed live out truly being an apprentice of HIS. Jesus turned the world upside down with the first Disciples, as HE mentored them and catapulted them out into where the people were who needed to know that there is hope, and there is a remedy. There has been far too much sitting on the sidelines in The Body of Christ, we are not utilizing what has been given to minister to others. We cannot squander what was given by The Master to bring a multiplied soul harvest for the Kingdom of God (Matt. 25:14-30, parable about the talents & abilities). Most Christians have never even given a testimony of God’s Goodness toward them, let alone leading another individual to Christ for salvation. It is time for The Body of Christ to be actively engaged in serving in the Love of Christ, with the laying on of hands for the sick and giving words of encouragement to those whom desperately need hope.
 
Recently we saw a quote from Hudson Taylor who truly was a Disciple of Christ back in the 1800’s. Hudson Taylor literally gave his life for The Gospel so that others might know his JESUS. We can surely learn by his example, as he is quoted saying, “I use to ask God to help me, and then I asked if I might help Him, I finally ended up by asking HIM to do HIS work through me.”