Rested and Refreshed

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There is an interesting verse in the book of Exodus that adds a tremendous insight into the creation story as found in the book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2. It is a verse that also gives us some fresh insight into the God whom we worship and serve and who revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. Of course, this means it sheds light upon our own lives as well – and dictates that we change to come into line with God’s design and God’s plans and purpose for us. And we do this for two reasons: so that we can become all that we are called to be as well as do what He wants us to do and be involved in. Powerful verse.

Exodus 31:17 “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

I like what Robert Morris (Dallas/Fort Worth pastor) has to say about this… “How is an omnipresent God refreshed? Because He doesn’t have a physical body, this verse refers to more than just physical rest. Literally it means “to take breath.” After creating this world, God stopped and “took breath.” Likewise, Sabbath allows us to stop and breathe – to restart our minds, bodies, emotions and spirits.”

I admit that I am guilty of not taking a breathe on a regular basis. I like what I do and so it is a joy to “work” and so I don’t think of taking time off. I never think GGIM (Good Grief, It’s Monday) nor do I celebrate TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Friday). I celebrate each day as the sun rises (I watch it rise from my second story office window) as a gift from the Lord, the Giver of all life. I dedicate the day and myself to Him and simply jump in with both feet. When the day is over – long after the sun has set – I thank Him for the day and crawl back into bed. So, do not do a lot of thinking about a day off or taking a Sabbath.

Yesterday was Monday … And I did something I seldom do. I slept in, drank several cups of coffee while doing “nothing” and took the afternoon off and did some things I wanted to do that were not work related at all. In fact, didn’t involve accomplishing any tasks at all. It felt good. And, by supper time, I could feel the difference – I felt refreshed. Gee, God may be right – we do need to take time away from “everyday life” and simply let our body, soul and spirit breathe. Afterall, if He needed to rest and be refreshed – and we are created in His image – how much more do we need to take this weekly time to “be” and to stop our “doing”?

Have you stopped to “take a breath” recently. Are you obeying the 4th of the Ten Commandments to take a weekly Sabbath? If you are careful to obey God’s moral laws as expressed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) – then remember not to break this one – “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). The book of James states that if you break one you have broken them all – so, let’s obey the Lord and take this seriously needed Sabbath rest.

Just a thought!

The Inaugeration of President Obama

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As I spent some time this past week watching the coronation of the new president of the United States – well, it seemed like more than an inauguration of a president – and, in my mind, one step up is the coronation of a new king or queen to the royal throne of a nation. We are told that the new president has brought hope to his people and will bring much needed and major change as well.

I am reminded that there is really only one King – and His Name is Jesus. He was born King in Bethlehem. He died as King on the Cross of Calvary. He ruled over death rising from the grave and is seated at the right hand of God the Father as King. He will, one day, return as King of kings and Lord of lords. We are to look forward to – and pray for – that day to come soon (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Jesus brings major and immediate change to a person’s life when they are born again. They become “new creatures in Christ”. The old things pass away and He makes all things new inside a person. He removes the hard heart of stone and replaces it with a soft heart of flesh. He puts His Holy Spirit inside us to guide and direct us into His will for our lives so we can walk according to His unique plans and purpose for each individual. He plants His nature and character within our hearts – this is known as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). He also continues to make daily adjustments as we walk with Him, read His Word and obey. His change is always for your own good and is permanent lasting throughout eternity.

Jesus is also the One in whom we place our hope. Better than this He is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). We are also to look with hope for His return to claim His people and judge the living and the dead (Titus 2:13). And, even more exciting – when you were saved you were born again into a ‘living hope’ as found only in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). We live as those who are aliens and strangers in this world for we are simply passing through on our way to an eternal home with Him. So, we live with this hope and thus live differently than those who do not believe and don’t know the Living hope – Jesus.

We have everything to live for and the only thing worth dying for and it is all found in Jesus Christ – the one who is King and who brought much needed change to our hearts and lives and brought us to the place of great and eternal hope as found only in Him. And it is all a sure thing. Forever settled and established.

There is nothing better or more certain than what we have in Jesus Christ our King. Pray for the President of the United States and worship only Jesus!

2009 – A Year to Remember That Dead Fish Float Downstream

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The Bible states:
Jude 1:3b “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

Being a true believer – and contending for or standing up for the faith that you believe in – is a serious proposition in the world in which we find ourselves living today. Being a Christian is not for whimps! Living by the truths of the Bible and declaring them as the correct way to live life will mean that along with declaring you will also be defending the faith that you believe in. Not easy in a world of many religions, various belief structures, and twisted Christian doctrines and beliefs. Holding to the truth as recorded in the Bible and seen in Him who declared Himself to be the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life is not an easy proposition. Christianity is not for whimps.

Many believers today take the easy way out. They don’t speak up when opportunities present themselves. They don’t tell others of their faith in Jesus Christ. They don’t present Jesus and a relationship with Him as THE answer to each and every problem a person is having. They don’t tell others that without knowing Jesus personally as Lord and Saviour that they will spend eternity in a Christ-less and loveless Hell. It is simply easier today to say nothing.

I believe when we don’t take a stand for Jesus and defend or contend for the faith we believe in – that we will eventually not even really believe in it ourselves any longer. When it is not regularly tried and tested – it becomes unreal and irrelevant and then forgotten. When we are not reaching out and contending for the faith we become dull of hearing and the Christian faith slips into the category of ‘another religion’ instead of being the great adventure it is meant to be as we get to know God and then do mighty exploits with Him. When we are no longer defending the faith it usually means we are also no longer living it (and thus no one even knows we are a follower of Jesus and so we are never confronted and so do not need to defend or content for what we believe).

It is certainly the easier way. Less hassles. No arguments. Nothing new to learn. No embarrassments when we lose the argument or lose a friend as a result of a heated discussion. We prefer to keep the peace in spite of the fact that Jesus never called you to be a peace keeper – He told us we would be peace makers. Peace keepers compromise so that they don’t rock the boat. Peace makers are willing to work hard and fight for what they know to be true and right (God’s Word).

So, yes, it is the easier way. But then “dead fish float downstream”. Easy. No hassles. No effort, No problems. No conflict. But also NO LIFE! Pacific coast salmon swim upstream to reach their spauning grounds. Dead fish float downstream. Fish grain strength and life by swimming into the current. Dead fish float downstream. So, many believers who do not contend for or speak up and defend the faith lack life and spiritual strength or backbone. They may be saved or born again (or maybe they aren’t) but they are not alive, passionate, dedicated, dynamic, vibrant, winsome or effective as ambassadors for Christ Jesus. Their faith lacks punch and is like a bowl of three day old Rice Crispies – no snap, crackle and pop.

2009 is a year when the Lord wants to change all this and He is calling His people to stand up and speak out. He is asking that we contend for and defend the faith once delivered to the saints. He is asking us to tell others of the night-and-day difference that He has made in our lives. (1 Peter 2:9) He wants us to first build our own house upon His Word and then teach (tell) others how to no longer build their house upon the sand. This is called contending for the faith!

So, are you swimming upstream – with all the effort and energy and struggle that takes – experiencing the life it also brings – or are you laying on your back and floating downstream along with the dead fish?

Our Upcoming Trip to Ukraine

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In less than 3 weeks I will be returning to Ukraine to minister to God’s people there. I was recently there in November, 2008 and was planning to return in June or early July. However, as we were leaving to come home in November they asked if we could return sooner and suggested February, 2009. We agreed. It is fast approaching. (A July trip is also already scheduled).

We will be ministering in three cities this time -not just two as in our time there in November. First we will minister in Boyorka which is located just outside the city of Kiev. The Church is pastored by Igor Garmazonov. Then 11 hours to the south-east by car – we will be in the city of Krasnoarmeysk in a church pastored by Dmitry and Inna Leo. We will be in each of these churches for 7 days ministering in a conference setting as well as having a number of leader’s sessions. Our topics will include the prophetic, the ministry of apostles and prophets as God is restoring them to His Church, the “prophetic wars” where local churches entering seriously into the prophetic ministry must fight against a number of spiritual forces that will come against them as they move forward with God.

In Krasnoarmeysk we will also be ministering to several hundred youth for two days during an “All Ukrainian Youth Conference”. I am really excited about this opportunity which arose out of some powerful prophetic words over some youth on our last visit. After our last service in November I met with the youth leader and his team and suggested we do something like this on our next visit. They instandly picked up on the suggestion and these two days are a result of that meeting late on our last night there.

Then, we will drive several hours back towards where we started and this time stop in the city of Dnipropetrovsk where we have Friday evening (1 service), Saturday (3 services) and Sunday (1 service) in a church we have not been to before. I have ministered prophetically to the pastor (Pasha) during our last visit and so he has invited us to come and minister to his leaders, people and other churches that relate to him. Then back to the Kiev area for a short night of sleep. Up and at the airport by 4:00 a.m. ready for 28 hours of airports and flights and we come home to Canada.

The team is excited about this trip – and we need your prayer support – for God’s guidance as we prepare and decide who is teaching at each of the three services a day – and what is being taught. We need prayer support for safe travel, personal health, wisdom and guidance, an increase in the flow of the prophetic ministry, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and what He is saying as we move quickly from one event to another and one location to another. There is so much that needs to be saturated in prayer both before we go and while we are there. Also, prayer even now for the leaders of these three churches as they prepare for our arrival and these extended times of ministry.

2009 – Time to Stop Excusing Disobedience!

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We have been given a great blessing – salvation by Jesus Christ. It is a gift of God, not of works or the result of anything we have done (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But we have also been given a great responsibility – to spread it as far and wide as possible during our life time. To go into ALL the world and share the Gospel that Jesus saves (Matthew 28:18-20).

The issue is not do you know this. Most born again believers know this truth.

The issue is – are you doing it?

Do you have a current, valid passport? No! Well then this is simply head knowledge and you honestly don’t believe that this truth from God’s Word is valid still today or that it applies to you. If God were to say to you that two weeks from now you were to go to some foreign nation to share the gospel with a group of people -you could not do it because you can’t get out of this nation (on a plane) or into another nation without a valid passport. You would be in disobedience to the Word of the Lord to you. So, take a step of faith – apply for a passport!

Do you share about the night-and-day difference Jesus has made in your life (1 Peter 2:9 The Message Version) as you go about your daily life? The Great Commission can be understood to say “as you go into your daily world doing daily things share Jesus daily…” or tell others about the difference being a Christian and having a personal relationship with Jesus has made in your life. Do you pray for opportunities to do this every morning? Do you look for open doors or opportunities to do just this as you go about your every day events of picking up the kids, buying gas for the car, grocery shopping, going for the mail….? No! Then you don’t really believe that the Lord is asking you to share your faith with others – I mean, maybe only certain people are called to evangelize. Maybe you don’t believe that people without a personal relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour go directly to Hell when they die (which means you don’t believe the Bible). Maybe you don’t care if people are going to Hell!

Have you sought out training so that you become more knowledge in both what the Gospel is and how to present it in a valid and relevant way in today’s society? Have you sought out a church that believes the Gospel as presented in the Bible and that will teach, disciple, equip and mentor you in effective, efficient, and biblical evangelism? Have you sought out others that will go out with you as you share the Gospel – Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two and the early Church (the book of Acts) usually sent out teams to share the Gospel. Have you sought out a particular “fishing hole” where you can go on a regular basis to share the Gospel and give your testimony – a park, a street corner, a food court at a certain mall? Do you seek the Lord daily about being part of what Jesus’ came to do – which was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10)?

Are we taking His commands seriously or have we decided that we will pick and choose what we want to do and not do regardless of what He wants and regardless of what the Word of God – the Bible – states? I hope we are taking all this seriously because it is not a game. God warns us, as servants, that if we know the Master’s will (if you own a Bible you know the master’s will) and do not do it we are in trouble. Listen to His words. (Luke 12:47-48) “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

As I stated at the beginning … We have been given a great blessing – salvation by Jesus Christ. We have been given much and entrusted with much – and so much is required of us and we will be held accountable.

It is time to stop making excuses for our disobedience … Jesus said to those who just might have been about to make excuses … “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” (John 4:35). It is time to share the Gospel and the night-and-day difference Jesus has made in your life with others on a daily basis.

In 2009 I believe the Lord is growing much less tolerant of or patient with the many reasons and excuses we have for not doing what we really know is the right thing to do. And, as we step out in obedience and share the Gospel we will step into the greatest adventure ever offered to any person any where – for He promises to go with us everywhere we go in the whole world and back up what we declare with His presence and power. Now, that is an adventure worth grabbing hold of.

2009 – The True Prophetic?

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And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” (1 Kings 22:4-5)

Micaiah is the prophet of God. Isreal is divided into two kingdoms. There is an external threat to both kingdoms so they come together and form a military alliance. King Jehoshaphat in the south and King Ahab in the northern Kingdom come together to face the threat from Aram. A military alliance.

They need the counsel of God and divine guidance and so they hold a prophetic convocation that draws 400 so-called prophets of the Lord. The issue is discussed and all the prophets agreed unanimously that if the kings went up against Aram at Ramoth-gilead, a glorious victory would be achieved.

But King Jehosphaphat senses something is wrong and so stands up before the assembled prophetic voices and states, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” In reality he is saying, “This advice we just got from 500 who declare themselves to be prophets is not from God. Is there a real prophet who hears God’s heart here in our assembly?”

Instinctively Jehoshaphat knew that not one of those supposed prophets gathered before them spoke a genuine word, and he therefore called for a true prophet to come forward. Ahad (the other king in the alliance) reluctantly came forward and admitted that there was one other prophet whom they had not heard from … “but, I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” (1 Kings 22:8b).

That’s the issue isn’t it? I mean who wants to hear the truth from the mouth of a prophet or apostle? When a prophetic word speaks some correction into a person’s life – they are often offended and declare the person to be a false prophet or, at the least, declare the prophetic word to be inaccurate. We often dismiss words that speak to us about things we don’t want to hear, directions we don’t want to go in, things we don’t particularly want to do.

We want to hear good things from God about ourselves – things that line up with our heart desires and wishes. We don’t want to hear that God is opposed to our well-conceived plans. We don’t want to know that God stands against our delusions of grandeur. We want to be told only what we want to hear. We want to attend only the conference where the prophetic voice excites us, not the one that tells us the truth and truly prepares us!

Well, the Bible story (a true story) does not end there. Jehoshaphat insists that they send for Micaiah and he states, (1 Kings 22:23a) “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets…” Notice the true prophetic voice (Micaiah) calls them “your prophets” and not the Lord’s prophets. He goes on to say, ” and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

Not what you would want to hear when planning to go into battle against your joint enemy. One lone voice out of 401 voices declaring a word contrary to that declared by all the others. One lone voice crying in the wilderness. So, they jailed Micaiah and went to battle. They met disaster just as Micaiah had predicted. In fact, Ahab died in the battle.

Nothing has changed. We still flock to hear the prophetic voices that “tickle our ears” and tell us what we want to hear. And, those true prophetic voices that speak God’s heart to God’s people (as hard as that may be at times) are ignored and, most often, not invited to conferences – and, in fact, often have difficulty finding places to minister. They are relegated to the backwaters of the ministry world because they do not excite us in the way we have come to expect and desire (the flesh). They would not flatter our self-focus or our desire for great destiny and prominence.

I believe that in 2009 we need to stop to consider what we are hearing prophetically – either personal prophecy or prophetic words for the nation, about the new president of the United States, financial markets or the economic situation. We need to weigh each word and consider them carefully. Do they speak the heart of God to the situation or are they simply fluff and a lot of fan fare that excites us because it is what we really wanted to hear … and thus elevates the prophetic voice to greater heights of ministry recognition based on false prophecy?

I believe that in 2009 often unknown prophetic voices will speak an accurate Word of the Lord. These ministries – often without national recognition, a television presence, syndicated radio shows, or major ministry organization pumping out magazines, books, CDs and DVDs – will speak forth a true and accurate Word of the Lord.

I believe that in 2009 these Words will travel world-wide via individuals on the internet who recognize that the Word is truly the voice of the Lord to His Church. There will be an unofficial prophetic web network who find and share these true insights from the heart of the Father. This web presence will be unlike any that are currently functioning as it will function with God-given discernment and will not simply post everything that someone declares to be the Word of the Lord even when it isn’t.

I believe that in 2009 the ministry of the prophetic will guide and direct the Church as it did ion the book of Acts – but that little of that direction will be heard through major prophetic venues and markets – but will be spoken by locally recognized and respected apostolic and prophetic ministries who quietly go about ministering to many without a “national presence” and without being generally well-known and whose names have not become a household word.

I believe that in 2009 prophetic ministry will mature and quickly “grow up” and will definitely declare a clear trumpet sound to declare the plans and purposes of God to individuals, churches, and nations.

2009 – A Year of Power If…

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So why does the Church have so little of God’s power evident in her daily life? Why does the modern Church walk in powerlessness and simply seem to be playing religious games while so many go to Hell and a Christless eternity every day?

Let me suggest that it is because we have forgotten how to walk in love – His love. It has nothing to do with needing to learn another and better evengelism programs and new evangelistic methods. It has nothing to do with our level of faith or our boldness in sharing. It has absolutely nothing to do with how much of God’s Word we have read, know and understand. It boils down to one thing and only one thing – love.

We are, in so many ways, a selfish Church whose focus is on “self”. We believe and have faith but our faith has been on “self” and what we can receive from God because we are believers. The extreme case of this focus is the wealth and health gospel (which isn’t THE gospel) being preached in North America and now spreading to many other parts of the world. Believers are hungry for God – but again the true root of that hunger is to see how we can benefit right now from having a relationship with God our heavenly Father. Seldom do we “count the cost” of following Jesus or “take up our cross daily”.

I believe that the true source of the apostle’s power was that they were focused on being “in Jesus” and this meant that they were also in the Father’s love. You can not be focused on Jesus – who is the exact representation of the Father – without being in the Father’s love which, when the time was right, released Him from heaven and He was born in Bethlehem as King. Selfless love poured out on the behalf of others. As we walk in that “selfless love” as first seen in Jesus we too will experience the supernatural and fulfill the scriptural promise of Jesus to His disciples … “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12)

The focus of our faith and of our hunger for God has been on self. Selfless love has been in short supply, and so miracles and the release of full power in biblical measure has been restrained. Example: We seek financial prosperity for the sake of feeding an already decadent lifestyle. Instead, we should seek material blessings so that we can give more away while living a very simple and basic lifestyle ourselves – maybe even living on less. Example: We seek inner healing of past wounds and relational issues so that we will hurt less and be healthy – thus seeking it for “self” and not for “love” so that we can then “comfort others with the comfort that we have been comforted with”.

Loren Sandford states, “Inner healing must be for the attaining of the Lord’s own nature that we might do His works, not for the attaining of our own happiness for the purposes of self. Inner healing must facilitate abiding in Him by cleaning up the place of abiding, so that His love can flow from us.” I totally agree.

The early Church was obsessed with being “in Jesus” which meant that they were also in the Father’s love. They walked in that love and gave it away at every opportunity given to them by the Holy Spirit. Their PASSION for Jesus became comPASSION for others and so they shared the good news of salvation everywhere they went and on a daily basis and God’s power was released resulting in miracles, signs, and wonders being experienced.

I believe that the anointing and the power of God has been upon us all along – but love (which activates and releases the power) has been lacking in many cases. So, we have walked in the flesh and developed programs to fill the void. Instead, we should have turned away from and not relied on the flesh and walked in the Spirit; we should have obeyed scripture when it states: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” It is not too late!

We walk in powerlessness – not because we lack faith – but because we have experienced so little of God’s love. We don’t have enough love. As long as our focus is on ourselves (individually or as local churches) we will continue to lack the level of love needed to be “other-focused” and reach out and “love our neighbours” telling them about Jesus and seeing the Gospel work with power. Afterall, “the gospel is the power of God unto salvation”.

Paul states (Romans 15:18-19): “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

To fully preach the Gospel we need to do so with words and power – and to do so we need to walk in the Father’s love, hand-in-hand with Jesus.

May 2009 see the Church turn her eyes on Jesus and her heart towards the Father. May 2009 see an encounter with the love of God that radically transforms the Church (and thus believers) as we now know it. May 2009 see the world truly impacted by the Gopel as we give it away in love and watch as the Holy Spirit backs up our feeble attempts to share the good news with power – miracles, signs and wonders. 2009 – a year of power if…

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Apostles and Local Church Eldership

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The Church is called to be apostolic in nature. That means it is built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20) and that the church has the fullness of the five-fold ascension gifts (Ephesians 4:11) functioning locally. God desires every local church to have all five ministries (callings, roles) functioning in a healthy local assembly. And, to have other trans-local five-fold ministries come in to minister as well. This keeps the local church from becoming isolated. Read more

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“in Him that we live and move and have our being”

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As we begin 2009 – the year of the Lord – I am reminded that it is “in Him that we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28); that He is “the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:8). So, everything we do in this new year must start and end in Him and with Him. We are to start a new year “in Him” and with “Christ in us” and we are called and chosen to walk each day of this new year the same way. Because of this, the good work He has begun in us He will bring to completion (Philippians 1:6). Read more

2009 – A Great True Word of the Lord (Prophecy)

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From Diane Cramer – wife of prophet Dennis Cramerwww.denniscramer.com / sign up for his free e-newsletter if you do not already receive it

It’s Time To Cross The Line In 2009
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First of all, it’s time to cross the finish line in 2009. It’s time to bring to fusion those tasks, projects, goals and purposes that God has ordained thus far for you and your walk with Him. No more waiting, procrastinating and putting off. Now is the time to complete those races that you’ve been running. Old goals must be ‘retired’, completed, and accomplished for the glory if God. Time to finish those races because God wants to ‘train’ and prepare His people for a new season; a new marathon of might, mercy, and miracles.

God is also preparing His people to cross new lines into enemy territory, on an unprecedented scale. It is time to set the captives free in mass and magnitude like today’s church has never known. God will have His people ‘in training’ to deliver those prisoners trapped in the occult and cults, in empty religion, in pornography, in obsessive compulsive behavior, addictions, depression, health issues, fears, and poverty. A flood of prodigals will return to the Lord, bringing great rejoicing to the loved ones that have diligently prayed for their return. New age doctrines which will greatly increase, but leave their followers empty, weak, and dependent on temporary answers. The gospel will come alive to them and set them truly free. Doors will open like never before into Islam, Scientology, and Mormonism to bring truth and deliverance to those people. As evil increases so will the power and presence of the church. God will open doors that most individuals have not gone through before. He will prepare the hearts of the lost and deceived to hear and receive the gospel to literally save their(mortal) lives. The lost will be delivered powerfully, as well from the evil, spiritual shackles that have bound and paralyzed them and be transformed into the eternal salvation of Jesus Christ. God’s people can no longer “do church”, but they must “BE THE CHURCH”.

God will equip His servants with His weapons of warfare. The sword of the spirit, His Word, will be the primary offensive weapon. The church will verbally declare the Word of God over situations and then by the power of the Holy Spirit results will occur in miraculous, immediate, and supernatural ways and beyond the scope of logical expectations. Jesus sent the Word and it was done and so will God’s servants. The disciples of Christ, will need to embrace the scriptures on a passionate level – the hunger and necessity for the knowledge of the Word will increase for the general population of the church. Through the Word of God, “whom the Son sets free will be free indeed”. There needs to be an expectation for the impossible. Faith needs to be applied, since “all things are possible for those who believe”. The Holy Spirit will sweep across the earth with comfort, power and refreshing as He has always done, but there will be prayer answered, healings realized and the atmosphere changed with immediacy upon the declaration of His Word by His saints.

Secondly, the power of the spiritual weapon of praise and worship will be essential to accomplish the purposes of invading the enemy’s territory. It will be the most powerful way “to resist the devil, so that he will flee”. “God inhabits the praise of His people” – “In this, His presence, is fullness of joy”. “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Worshipping God with all diligence and passion will equip His people with strength and direct the steps of the righteous as their hearts, minds and ears are turned to Him. “The high sounding praises of the saints to God will shackle the enemy.” This worship will be as the breath of God to invigorate the Body of Christ. Worship will oxygenate the life flow of the church. People will be filled to overflowing to powerfully accomplish His will. New levels of His presence will be realized by many who will give God time and opportunity to make these visitations by His Spirit.

In addition, there will be a new revelation of joy. The church will not be dependent on the world’s standard for happiness, fulfillment, or success. Joy will originate with Jesus, with His peace, and with His purposes being pursued. Life will be abundant for the church, but God will direct us into simplifying our existence on a daily basis. It will not be a time of want or lack, but a time of balance and back to basics. “The Kingdom Of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We will be reminded of the importance of relationships and body ministry. The church will meet in homes more than ever, and a new sense of church family will be birthed. The rescued victims from the enemy’s territory will be easily adopted into these families. This will be a new beginning for the church that desires the increased power and presence of the living God. This also will lay the groundwork for the future church that will need to go underground in the decades ahead. The ‘visible future church’ will be only a cracked facade hiding ‘death designed by man’. The living, vibrant church of the Lord Jesus, will be socially and governmentally rejected in the land and thus, will find it’s growth and productivity in the “secret places” that God will provide for His people.

Lastly, The church will need the workings of the five fold ministry to successfully cross the line into the enemy’s territory. The pastors are overworked and stretched and not equipped to do it all. No longer should it be business as usual. The church needs an offensive military strategy of cooperation and unity to conquer the enemy’s control of his victims. There needs to be a surge on the areas where rescues need to occur, by the joint efforts of the pastor, teacher, evangelist, prophet and apostle. This is the design of the original church, God’s original and perfect plan, and God wants it re-established in the current church. The church needs to be trained in the establishment of this multi-faceted leadership and church government that will establish a majorly effective church in these latter days. Sadly we’ve forgotten or avoided that original design.

Get ready to cross the lines of demarcation in 2009, some not ever before crossed. The church will claim and reclaim territory that belongs to the Kingdom of God. It is God’s plan for this new year to shake off the old ways, finish the former tasks, and set our sights on new goals, a new race to a new finish line. God wants to be the church’s Personal Trainer preparing each of His children for a heavenly race of Olympic proportions; a mighty season of victory over evil that exists in the world, while increasing the body of Christ, as God’s people “prepare the way of the Lord”.

“The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force”

“He has shown thee O man what is good and what does the Lord require of me, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.”

God prepare and bless us all.