Five-Fold Today - When Kings Go To War - Don't Legislate My Glory! - Battlefield Vision - Government of God - Wait on me - Time to Listen - In My Presence - To Possess or Not to Possess is the Choice - Loose the Angels
WHEN KINGS GO TO WAR
I saw in a spiritual vision, a group of people who represented
believers inside a building symbolizing our modern day church
structure. The atmosphere was charged with activity and everyone was
hustling and bustling about. Furniture was being rearranged, chairs
were being stacked, new pictures replaced old ones on the wall, new
carpets were being laid and fresh paint with splashes of bright color
garmented the building with an updated look. Many had a sense of
excitement and anticipation as though some great event were about to
happen while others seemed weary from the past season of activity and
battle. Some appeared to be insecure about the change that was taking
place. There seemed to be a measure of conflict in the midst of the
activity and yet the plans for the transformation of the building
continued to go forward without retreat.
THEN I SAW THE LORD
I then saw the Lord ride up to the building on a large majestic white
horse. He sat on the beast as a Warrior King. There were others
riding with Him and although I did not see them clearly I had the
impression that they were heavenly hosts.
On approach of the building, double doors swung open and He entered
the sanctuary in awesome divine authority. Many stood in awe as they
beheld His Presence in this majestic and authoritative form while
others seemed to be oblivious to the fact that He had entered.
THE TIME TO FIGHT IS NOW!
He pulled His sword from it's sheath -- it was shining and glistening,
radiating a heavenly, pulsating, glory. He looked around the room
intently at each one looking for hearts who were turned towards Him
(an impartation of divine strength was infused into each one who was
acknowledging His presence). He then raised His sword, pointing it
upward in a swift motion. With clear, precise words He declared,
"Come, follow Me to battle....the time to fight is now!" "All
authority in heaven and in earth has been given unto Me...let us go
now and make disciples of the nations." "There are battles to be
won......in righteousness and in justice we will war." Some seemed to
hear the command very clearly and were eager to follow, others heard
but did not want to leave the setting they were in, some were too
tired and weary to go, and yet others appeared to be deaf to His
voice.
Only a few left with Him....only a trickle responded to His
voice......would they follow later?
A GREAT AND MIGHTY ARMY
......I then saw what looked like a multitude on war horses. They were
riding on in battle fully arrayed in heavenly armour, glistening in
the same way as I had seen the Lord's sword. They were riding in
rank, as one soldier, a great and mighty army....ferocious in
authority....it was the army of the Lord.
They were going to war...... warring against injustice.....warring
against poverty, sickness, disease, death......warring against
oppression of every kind....yes...in the authority of the
Lord.....they were going to war.
END OF VISION
INTERPRETATION: 1. The changes being made to the building is symbolic
of a season of transition that the Body of Christ has entered into in
order to prepare for the coming move and visitation of the Lord.
There is a sense of change in the Body and things are being
re-arranged and re-structured as the transition is discerned. Some
will be flexible and eager to facilitate change while others might
resist and be uncomfortable with it. Some are weary from a past
season of warfare and activity. Rest in the Lord must be taken in
order to be ready for the next visitation of the Lord to His church.
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." At times
conflict and opposition will be evident although the transitional
changes will still progress.
APPEARANCE OF CHRIST
2. The appearance of Christ as a Warrior King indicates the coming of
the Lord to His church in the manifestation of His awesome authority.
The vision indicates that the Lord will "suddenly" come to His temple.
"Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up ye ancient doors; that
the King of glory may come in." (Ps 24:7) It is an hour to prepare
for Him. In the vision not everyone discerned Him. This speaks to me
that faith is required to see Him in this coming move. The
absorption in daily affairs and church activity seemed to dull the
spiritual senses of some. The deafness indicates an inability to hear
His voice or to acknowledge Him due to unbelief.
ANGELIC HOSTS
3. The angelic hosts that accompanied Him speaks of angelic
visitations in this next move which will aid the Body of Christ in
being released into battle. I had a sense that these particular
angels that accompanied Christ were warrior angels. They will
minister to the saints as we follow the Lord into battle.
THE AUTHORITIVE POWER OF THE WORD
4. The focus on the sword in the vision indicates the exaltation of
the authoritative power of the Word of God in this coming move. The
Word of God is going to be wielded with a heavenly and divine
reverence. The authority of the Word (Jesus) will be imputed to those
who stand in His Presence and to those who discern the hour of His
visitation. This part of the vision speaks of the potential
empowerment that the Body of Christ will receive in order to work
glorious miracles, signs and wonders in the days of harvest.
A CORPORATE GLOBAL CALL
5. The call to the Body to go to war speaks of a corporate, global
call to go forth in authority to war against injustice, poverty,
sickness, disease, death, etc. It speaks of a season of mobilization
that will be under the direction of the Warrior King Himself.
WHAT THE BODY WILL BECOME
6. There was only a small response to the command and yet in the
latter part of the vision there was a multitude following Him in one
accord. This speaks of a small group who will respond initially but
an increase of involvement as the move progresses and becomes
discerned. The Body will become a mobilized united army which will
manifest the glory of the Lord's might, power and authority in the
earth. I believe that this army will minister mercy to the oppressed
and hope to the hopeless. The gospel will be proclaimed in it's
purest form with accompanying signs and wonders by a united, bonded
Body of believers who have become an "exceeding great army".
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
"And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat
upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges
and wages war.........and from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that
with it He may smite the nations......and on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written; KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS." Rev 19:11 --
16
cocking@telus.net
Don't Legislate My Glory!
As I have read many words coming forth concerning the apostolic move of the Lord, I have been
greatly encouraged by all that God is
doing and is getting ready to do. Yet, as I awoke several days ago, I heard the Spirit of the
Lord speak these words to me, "Don't
legislate my glory!"
Inherent in man's nature is to control. As mere human beings, we forever try to establish
ourselves and our agenda on platforms that
are built upon our own understanding and wisdom. This day, God is giving to us new measures of
His grace to bring us higher in the
spirit, to see things from a greater eternal perspective. It is only by His grace that we can
step into the newness of what is upon
us in these times. This apostolic/prophetic move will not be built by man's hands but by God's
hands.
Yet, the Lord would caution every one of us that inherent in the heart of man is the need to
legislate that which we can't
understand. We long to place a name upon it, to define it, and to provide a structure in which
this new move can rest and reside in.
Yet, God's word, in Isaiah 66:1-2 says:
"Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build for me?
And were is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," says the Lord."But on this
one will I look; on him who is poor
and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."
The Lord seems to be clearly saying "Do not legislate My glory. " In effect, He says, "Take
your hands off!"
Let us not confine God's glory to any prescribed limitations that rise up from the heart of
man. Let us never presume that the way
that God is moving now will flow forth from what has already been established. A new day
requires a new way. Let us humble ourselves
before the King to see the plans that reside within His heart for His kingdom.
Legislation flows through regulation - laws enacted by man to govern according to man's rules
and ways. Legislation will build upon
a platform of our understanding and wisdom. This is so in the natural. This is earthly and
rises up from the depths of man's need to
legislate and regulate. Yet, the kingdom of God will never be built through legislation but
upon revelation.
Release all plans and purposes to God for He is establishing this foundation upon His
revelation. All order, all structure, and all
purpose reside in the heart of the Father! Those who would build must access His heart
receiving a clear revelation of Jesus Christ
as revealed by the Spirit of God! Apart from Him, we can do nothing!
What is coming and what is already here will not be built from the ground up but will be
constructed as heaven opens and revelation
comes down. The foundation has already been laid in Christ Jesus.
In times past, when the Pharisees and the teachers of the law tried to legislate the glory of
God who stood in their midst in the
person of Jesus Christ, they could not comprehend Him. They did not see that He was the
brightness of God's glory and the express
image of His person. He would not be contained, regulated, or restrained within the confines of
their law. So it is today. The
increasing presence of the Son of God in our midst will not be contained within the rules and
regulations that exist within our
hearts based upon past moves of God, religion, or the traditions of man. He will supercede and
rise above all that has been done up
to this point for eye has not seen not ear heard all that is coming upon His church.
We are not to run to and fro throughout the land looking for that which already resides within
us. Christ is in us, the hope of
glory. Jesus rising up within us will bring an ever increasing revelation of Himself to us
individually so that He may expand us in
corporate unity to contain the measure of glory that He longs to pour into His Body, His
church.
d.westbrook@att.net
Battlefield Vision
Paul Jobe
In the vision, I saw a huge medieval-era battlefield in which the opposing armies were a
demonic horde and the Body of Christ.
Both sides had some organizational problems and communication was inadequate. I saw the
entire battle scene from behind the
lines, yet I could move anywhere I wanted to without being noticed by either side.
My attention was drawn toward the side of the Church where some disorganized skirmishes
were taking place. I noticed that
there were three segments in the Church which were doing different things. In the back and
well out of harm's way were older
Christians who had on shiny armor. Some were dwarfed in size because of their poor diets and
did not have the ability to fight.
Some were very tall because they had read a lot of books, but were skinny and weak. Others
were sitting in lounge chairs and
watching TV, not understanding that the enemy could easily overtake their territory and being
oblivious to the potential danger.
I noticed that the TV cables were being fed from the enemy's camp directly into these
televisions.
The next line of Christians were called "young men" and consisted mainly of housewives and
teenagers. These were well aware of
the ensuing battle and were busy with different tasks. Some of these were carrying food and
water to the front lines to refresh
the warriors. Others were holding binoculars to try to see the enemy's movements. Those with
binoculars were the focus of many
of the enemy's arrows and many fell because they spent too much time looking through the
binoculars and didn't see the enemy when a
close attack came. Some made the mistake of trying to walk around while looking through the
binoculars. This resulted in them
falling into pits that the enemy had laid. The biggest problem for these was that they
couldn't get high enough to look down on
the enemy. Some of those in the rear had tall towers called "finances" that could have helped
them, but they did not want to share
the towers nor bring them into this part of the battle, lest they get scratched.
The third group of warriors was a
combination of those mounted on horses and those on foot. The ones on horses were
well-seasoned in battle and moved with great
skill. These had the names "Apostles," "Prophets," "Evangelists," "Pastors," and "Teachers"
on them. Each one had a different
colored horse according to their designations. They were systematic in battle and communicated
with each other well. Each mounted
warrior was responsible for about 100 of those on foot.
The footsoldiers were called "Children" and were extremely ferocious in battle. What they
lacked in battle smarts they made up
for in their zeal to defeat the enemy. They were motivated by love for the Head of the
Church, yet expressed this love on the
battlefield by throwing themselves into battle. Most of them had recently come from the side
of the enemy and because of this,
knew the enemy's tactics very well.
The most unusual thing about these warriors was that they had missing armor. Some were
missing the shield of faith or belt of
truth, yet this did not stop them from being willing to die for those still caught in the
enemy's camp. I watched as several of
these children ran straight into the enemy's line and were cut down quickly by the demon's
swords. Other children would see this
happen, yet go after the enemy time after time. Seeing their zeal, the mounted warriors
gathered the zealous children
together and started giving them some instructions. Very soon, the battle changed and the
Church started getting the advantage.
The Church plan was to concentrate efforts on one area of the demonic horde and
systematically send huge numbers of children
warriors and mounted soldiers against that area until the enemy was defeated or retreated. I
watched as these children were cut
by the enemy's swords, cried out in pain, yet still tried to fight. I was overcome with
emotion at their zeal and was reminded of
the verse, "Those who did not love their lives unto death." What amazed me was that as soon
as the wounded children would cry out,
a mounted warrior would quickly arrive and apply a topical medicine called "The Word of God"
which almost instantly healed the
wound. To the horror of the enemy, these wounded warriors would arise again with greater
wisdom and resolve to fight, their
battle scars being a strength and a symbol of honor. This battle plan was followed until the
enemy was totally defeated.
As I pondered the vision, I was reminded of a couple of verses- "He who seeks to save his
life will lose it, but whovever loses
his life for My sake will find it." "He who has been forgiven much loves much."
Paul Jobe
GOVERNMENT OF GOD
Is. 9:6-7 "...and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon His shoulder...
of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be
no end."; Col.3:15-16 "...and let the PEACE of Christ rule (govern)
in your hearts... let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom..."
Government... when we hear that word, many of us think of laws
and taxes and hierarchies of officials appointed by men.
Church government... when we hear that word, unfortunately many
think of laws and taxes (of course we call it giving) and hierarchies
of officials appointed by men. Now don't get me wrong here, I
DO understand functional authority; we must have order and organization
in the church. Many problems in the church are a result of inaccurate
understanding of functional authority; i.e. the false clergy/
laity system, or the role of a 'pastor', or the absence of apostles
and prophets. Before we can sort out these 'functional authority/
government' issues accurately, we must first turn our eyes to
a higher government.
The word that is translated as 'government' in Isaiah 9 is misrah;
it comes from the word sawraw, which is a primary root meaning
to prevail, to have power. The word translated as 'rule' in Col.
3 is brabeuo, meaning to govern, to prevail. Now if governing
means prevailing, then obviously there is something we are prevailing
against... and we must understand what IT is, before we can prevail
against it!
"...we do not war after the flesh... to the pulling down of strongholds,
casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God..."(2Cor.10:3-5); or as the Amplified
Bible says, "...we refute arguments and theories and reasonings...
and we lead EVERY thought and purpose away captive into the obedience
of Christ." I believe that what we are to prevail against are
the carnal mentalities of the Adam nature. Eph. 6:12 also tells
us that we wrestle "...against principalities, against powers,
against rulers of darkness..."; in order to prevail or govern
we must understand how spiritual entities operate within the
bounds of spiritual authority.
Evil must have an entrance into the earth and this is found through
the iniquity and sin of man. You see, a principality is really
a demonic spirit that operates through a 'principle' that MAN
gives authority to, '...whatever YOU bind (that is, declare to
be legally binding) on the earth shall be bound in heaven...'
(Mt.16:19). We bind on the earth who we ARE in the earth and
what we DECLARE in the earth! The way you defeat a principality
is by establishing via your LIFESTYLE, your very presence, a
higher 'principle'. Principalities, powers, demonic forces only
have authority in the realm of the SOUL (or the natural realm),
and only as man gives them entrance by operating in those 'principles'
of darkness. We defeat them as we live from the realm of the
SPIRIT, a higher realm of authority... we are literally bringing
the Kingdom of heaven (the spiritual realm) to bear upon the
kingdom of this world. This happens NOT by shouting at a demon,
but rather by walking as the manifestation of Christ in the earth...
warfare automatically erupts as we walk into the situation by
reason of our very presence, or actually the presence of Christ
IN US. THEN we can shout at that demonic force! This is the government
that must be established first... the governing of the SOUL by
the SPIRIT and from this position of being under and within the
authority of Christ, the SOUL under the authority of the SPIRIT,
then we declare the Kingdom of God on earth.
You see, the government is upon His shoulder, and WE are His
BODY; so as the Body of Christ, the government is upon OUR shoulder
also. Now, I don't know what's on your shoulders, but the thing
on my shoulders is my head... I must have an accurate mentality
in order to govern or prevail. I'm not talking about just having
made mental ascent to an apostolic concept either, I'm talking
about our SOUL being governed by our SPIRIT, taking on the MIND
of Christ.
You'll notice that the verses we are working from speak of PEACE
closely tied to governing and prevailing... my friend, if you
are always stressed out, then you are not living from your SPIRIT.
Much of our stress stems from uncertainty and worry, which is
based in fear. Fear can be a powerful controlling influence in
a person's life, and yes, even in their ministry. Thousands of
'Christian' books are sold each year that produce fear and anxiety
over the future... is this really the plan of God? Some stress
comes from over-commitment, trying to do 'too much for God';
spiritual burnout is rampant in many ministries today. Zoe SPIRIT
Life is submitted to and always aware of the sovereignty of God,
and that it is His plan and His work in us and through us. Yes,
we must cooperate but it is His work... we do our job, not someone
else's and certainly not His job!
Once this understanding of His sovereignty and His peace has
been established in us, then we can approach issues of functional
authority and governing. You see, the Kingdom or government within
us determines the kingdom around us... until the one is established,
the other will not function properly. Having established this
foundation, let's explore a bit of functional government... specifically
the role of the prophet as they relate to the apostle/ leader/
pastor (or for most churches, the leader they call 'pastor',
however inaccurate that title may be; for illustration purposes
I'll use the term pastor/ leader. In most cases, true pastors
are not very good leaders, and true leaders are not good pastors,
they are a very different function. Also, I'm not saying that
prophets are never leaders, many times they are, I'm just dealing
with the spiritual perception aspect.)
Keep in mind that Christ is your Head, NOT another man or woman
and that "... there is only ONE mediator between God and man,
the Man Christ Jesus..."(1Tim.2:5); but we also must submit to
one another in love, especially in matters of functional authority.
In most churches (inaccurate as it may be) the person called
pastor is ultimately where the buck stops in matters of functional
responsibility (when something is wrong, they get the phone calls).
As a leader, they are the one who takes the information they
receive and distribute it to the different parts of the Body
to get done what needs to get done, a bit like the brain in the
human body. (Ideally this is not just one person but a plurality
of leadership, that's another subject though.) The prophet is
a bit like the eyes and ears (I'm not saying prophets don't have
brains... I ARE one! sorry, that's my attempt at humor)... they
have spiritual vision and hearing; they provide vital input to
the brain. Now a brain without input is either sleeping or watching
TV!... unfortunately, this is the case in many churches; they
are asleep or being entertained. The brain must receive and submit
to the information provided by vision and hearing... likewise,
the pastor/ leader must receive the prophetic. Now, not everything
your eyes or ears perceive is useful or pertinent information,
that's for the brain to decipher. So if you tell 'pastor' something
and he/ she doesn't do anything about it, don't get too bent
out of shape. The functional responsibility is theirs not yours,
you just REST in the sovereignty of God, knowing it is now between
'pastor' and God. Now unless you've established the government
WITHIN that I spoke of at the first of the article, you'll probably
find it impossible to rest in the PEACE of God's sovereignty.
You may take matters into your own hands and try to force or
manipulate 'pastor' into doing something; then government turns
into anarchy! Many prophetic people go through life frustrated
and stressed because 'the leadership won't do what I tell them,
and I KNOW I heard God!'... this is an inaccurate understanding
of government.
If YOU happen to be the pastor/ leader, even though the functional
authority and responsibility lies with you, if your eyes and
ears (the prophetic) keep telling you something, then you need
to listen! Don't REBEL against the vision and hearing that God
has provided through the prophetic, otherwise you'll end up in
a spiritual vacuum of sorts (without prophetic input)... thinking
everyone around you is rebellious, when in fact it is a reflection
of your OWN rebellion against the government of God. Obviously
I am speaking of proven prophetic people you know, not just anyone
who claims to be a 'prophet'.
If as pastor/ leader OR prophet you are truly established in
the government of the SOUL by the SPIRIT, prevailing against
inaccurate and carnal mentalities, then you will be able to submit
to one another in love... resting in the PEACE of the sovereignty
of God. Let the government of God be firmly established in the
earth!... and remember, we bind on earth who we ARE in the earth!
Come, Thy Kingdom... be done, Thy will... on earth as it is in
heaven!
info@DougFortune.org
Wait on me
David Howe
Wait on me. To all who need to hear.
Wait on me - For I will renew your strength - Renew your mind - Renew your spirit.
Do not wait on mans time - Do not wait upon your time but wait on me.
Do not wait upon mans ideas and opinions of my Word but wait upon My Spirit - For I will renew you - Renew your strength in all
things.
Look to me and me alone - Lean not to your own understanding of my Word - Your Understanding of my Spirit - But ask of me -
Ask of my Holy Spirit.
Dave Howe - Wellspring ministries - England.
Time to Listen
Andrew Combe
My people, My precious and chosen ones, will you incline your ears to Me?
Will you take a moment and allow Me to speak to you? Your days are hectic;
your schedule too busy; your time disorganised in relation to your God.
When you incline your ear, you will hear. When you seek Me, you will find
Me. Many times are wasted because My people are too busy to listen to Me.
Children, turn aside and see (Exodus 3 v 1-5).
I need you all to listen attentively, to lay aside time and allow Me to
instruct you, for strategy is needed. You need to know the next steps to
take and from out of the midst of My presence will flow understanding
(Psalm 73 v 16&17), that you may see the way in which you should move.
Living a life for Me means to always be diligent to hear My voice. My
Word speaks to you and you obey. I speak through My vessels and you listen.
Good, I am pleased. I am now asking you to come and listen to My voice
speaking directly to you. Audibly . . . yes! To your spirit . . . yes!
To you personally, I will reveal the plans and purposes of My heart for you
and for My Church (Jeremiah 33 v 3).
I will instruct you in venturing forth, for this is the season of expansion
and adventure. It is time for explosion . . . for you, My Church, to walk
in the true power I have given to you.
O warriors, don't stop praying and interceding, for the prayers of the
righteous man avails much (James 5 v 16-18). I move on the words of man.
Yes, you heard correctly. What comes from your mouth I can act upon and
reveal Myself, not only to you but also to those around you (1 Kings 17 v 1).
I have chosen to work through man and WITH man. O Church, few have come to
this understanding that I work with man. The words you speak, in faith
believing, cause Me to release My power to bring to pass that, which is
spoken forth. The sun stood still because Joshua, My servant, spoke . . .
Church, he had authority because he knew that God worked with man
(Joshua 10 v 12-14)!
To work through is to use as a channel. To work with is to work together
to get a job done. I need both in operation . . . the humility and openness
for My power to move through and the maturity and wisdom for us to work
together. That generates power . . . through you, working with Me, nations
can be changed, but an ear to hear is vital, to listen to My voice in this
time.
Incline your ears to Me O Church, for great plans lay ahead for you walk in,
but how will you move into them without first listening to My instructions?
I love you My Church, I love you !
Every blessing to you all,
IN MY PRESENCE
Shelleymae Bartlett
In MY PRESENCE ... is the place where you are fully changed in the areas that
I reveal to you.
If you allow the TRUTH of the reality of who I AM to penetrate the areas of
your hearts and lives that I reveal to you, one touch from the MASTERS HAND
will create in you a desire for another~
For MY TOUCH goes beyond the touching of the flesh of man.
I alone can touch the inner places of the heart to bring healing.
Surrender yourselves to ME that I might come and heal you.
MY TOUCH may seem hard at first, unfamiliar and sometimes may even seem one
with the pain, but go with the flow of the pain and trust ME.
It is with the pressure I apply MY TRUTH
And it is with MY TRUTH you are set free~
Free to be who I AM creating you to be.
I AM not finished with you and yet I see the finished product.
I have desired and predestined you for MY PURPOSES saith THE LORD.
Allow ME to mold and shape you.
Let MY HANDS guide you~
Change you from GLORY to GLORY into the IMAGE of MY SON.
Let ME remove the flesh, the unwanted, unneeded pieces of clay.
They are not to be part of MY final MASTERPIECE.
Oh... You did not know?
You do not understand?..... {:o)
ALL of Heaven will stand in awe ...even you, when I jointly fasten you
together all adorned in your final splendor, brilliantly reflecting ME, when
I present you, MY GLORIOUS BRIDE.
So stand in MY PRESENCE & let ME work on and in you now,
so you can stand with ME then...even now ... soon.
Humbly submitted with Love In Him,
To Possess or Not to Possess is the Choice
Meri Burlingame
A few weeks ago as I left the building after morning
services, I "saw" a principle that explained some of the
things God was doing in that congregation. While the
context of what I saw was related to the local
congregation, it has become clear to me that it also
has much broader application for us as Christians in
this period of "transition."
I have been a part of this congregation for about 2 years
and have watched God bless it in a number of ways, and
have seen the increase of the power and flow of His
Spirit both as it moves through pastoral leadership and
as it moves through the congregation on a
Sunday morning. God has richly blessed them financially
and after four years of focusing on "building the people"
the land they bought is now paid for and they are
confident that God is directing them to begin to build
something on the land that will facilitate the life of
the body of Christ.
As I left the building, I could see the hand of God upon
the congregation and a measure of the great blessings
that lay ahead for them. But with that I saw something
very striking to my consciousness. This congregation was
at a place where they had to make a choice. If they
continue to go in the direction that they have been
going, they will build a very solid, well grounded
church, which the Lord would bless. It would be a
"fortress church in the wilderness" isolated in the
world, a place of refuge and security. However, they
would not possess the land.
If they want to possess the land and get the victory over
the five areas that have been declared by the church and
its leadership as the areas that God is most interested
in affecting the lives of the people in the community,
then a different direction would have to be taken.
Under the fortress church mentality, leadership truly can
trust that God will step by step show them what He wants
them to do. They are basically "self-contained." On the
other hand, the "kingdom church" cannot function on its
own. It requires assistance from "apostolic leadership"
in the "larger body of Christ." Those in a given
locality may never receive the "revelation" of the
answers to the way to get victory over the local
principalities and powers. The local leadership may not
have the "empowerment" and/or gifting to facilitate the
equipping of the local body to do the work of the
advancing the kingdom.
When dealing with a given locality, community, area,
region, there are certain "forces" at work that can
inhibit the release of knowledge and understanding within
that area. However, when leadership is called in from
other areas, they are free to minister and release the
power of God that no one in the local area was either
free to do....or called to operate in.
In this time of transition from the wilderness
church to the Kingdom Church that occupies the land,
there is the need to be equipped for ministry, and even
the "equippers" need equipping and need "equippers" to
come in and release to the people gifts and calling that
might not be present otherwise within a given area.
Similarly, there may be areas of healing and restoration
to which the people in the local church don't have access.
As with healing, so with teaching, deliverance, even
evangelism.
The old mentality of the "church" was that we have
everything within us that we need. As we move into the
awareness of the Kingdom, we become more aware that the
body of Christ is "broken" and is spread all over the
globe, each with its own gifts and calling. God is
working with a "corporate body" today full of living
stones and His goal and purpose is to bring all the
stones into their appropriate places. At this point,
there are stones scattered in places that are beyond the
understanding and knowledge of local leadership to even
know what to do with and in some places local
"leadership" doesn't even know where some stones are
hidden. Some of these will only be found and responded to with the gifts
and callings of those who are invited in from other areas
to minister. It is kind of like a parent needing
assistance in dealing with the various needs of their own
children. In the natural, we don't hesitate to allow
teachers to teach our children, doctors to tend to
physical ails, dentists to their teeth, ophthalmologists
their eyes.....etc. When the needs get even more
specific, we go to greater specialists trained in more precise
areas.
So with the Body. God has specialists that will minister
the many facets of His power and presence to His people.
Some who minister in the area of healing might be only used
by God to heal certain types of diseases. Why? I don't
know except that He has planned His body in such a way
that IT NEEDS EACH OTHER. The foot needs the eye, the ear
needs the baby finger nail. Rip a fingernail off and the
whole body hurts. Let an ear suffer and the whole body
will be in agony. So in the Body of Christ we need each
other to build up the body, to put the right pieces in
the right place at the right time.
There is much talk about times and seasons, and this is a
season of transition from the "independent congregation"
to the "corporate Body of Christ". Many individual
congregations have been greatly used of God. They often
utilized leadership from around the world and may have sent people
out to other congregations unlike anything in the years
past. And yet, even that is different from what God is
calling us to today. It is the identity that we are going
to have that constitutes the corporate Body of Christ
which is able to possess the land rather than any
specific form of church order or structure. It is the
corporate identity as members of the body of Christ which
in part means recognizing that we are all parts of a
Body that was 'broken" that will bring forth the
humility that gives us freedom and access to all the
gifts and callings that God has put within His Body. Only
such a "church" will be able to drive out the demons
that the Lord drives into their hands as they seek to
occupy the land of their inheritance and do so as a
corporate entity.
The warriors that had possessed the land of their
inheritance before crossing Jordan were to remain with
the rest of the nation until all had possessed their own
inheritance. Not only that, these 40, 000 warriors went
AHEAD of the priests who bore on their own shoulders the
Ark of the Covenant.
Today there are those that "go ahead of the Ark of the
Covenant" who have possessed some measure of their
inheritance who are sent ahead to assist the rest of the
body to possess theirs. When they marched around Jericho,
what group of 40,000 was out there in front? Was it the
warriors or the priests? The warriors who had already
inherited their land were out in front. The priests
didn't have any land to inherit; they were only given
cities to live in. And they were responsible for
"carrying the presence."
These are all types of leadership God has placed in the
body in this hour that the church might be able to bring
forth out of the land the fruit that belongs to the Lord!
That fruit, of course, is a multifaceted body which
glorifies Himself, that is adorned with Righteousness,
that shines forth with Joy, and that speaks forth Truth,
and that walks along the highway of holiness.
Many leaders as well as individuals in this hour need to
ask themselves,"What do I desire? Do I just want the
blessing and approval of God or do I long to be a
intimate, integral part of His Work upon the earth?"
In 1993 I was driving onto the freeway when I saw a
choice that lay before me. While I knew clearly what that
choice was, it only has been within the context of what I
have seen these last three weeks that those choices are
now clearly understood. That day on the freeway I saw
that I could be permanently separated from my estranged
husband and continue to live with my mother, raise my two
girls, and be richly blessed of the Lord, never having to
look back. OR I could return to the family home with the
two girls and finish what the Lord told me He had begun.
When this last "option" was put before me, tears flowed
in my eyes as I thought of the many within that family
who had no knowledge of Jesus Christ, who were locked in
the bondage of sin and the price I had already paid in 10
years of marriage. The choice was a simple one.
Today I understand more clearly. To have gone on and made
a new life for myself would not have been wrong. It would
have been a way that God would have blessed. But it
wasn't the fullness of what God had planned for my life
The call and destiny of God to possess the land had been
planted deep within my heart. I knew that "the heathen
were my inheritance," that the family that I was a part
of was "my inheritance" along with the islands of the
sea. 10 years ago I had little or no idea what the price
of this journey would be nor did I understand that it was
a totally impossible thing for me to accomplish until the
coming of the apostolic.
Over those years I kept looking for apostles. Some of the
prophets around me told me I had to go out and seek
apostles to team up with, but I didn't know where to
look. As I sought the Lord I had the confidence that what
He was asking of me was just to keep looking to Him and
in due time I would be hooked up with whatever people He
purposed. Here and there I saw someone with what I
recognized as an apostolic call and vision. But no one
seemed to understand what it meant.
In each of the lives of these apostolic people I saw, the
apostolic vision ultimately fell by the wayside as other
trials and tribulations came into those men's lives.
Little did I understand that what I had seen was just a
glimpse of what was yet ahead, whose Kairos had not yet
come. And it is a good thing I didn't: for I would surely
have lost hope if I had thought it was going to be yet
another 8-10-15 years in coming to fulfillment.
It has been 7 years since that choice was made as I
pulled onto the freeway in 93. Today much more is in
place for the accomplishment of the purposes which I saw
that day. Have I possessed the land? No.....it can't be
possessed alone. It is a corporate work. Over the past
years various areas of my own heart have been possessed,
and even in the last few weeks, victory has been won over
ground that the enemy through his access to had the
ability to twist and turn me as he worked through people
and circumstances in my life.
What will it take to possess the land? In order to get
the victory over the five areas that the local
congregation has seen that God says is the local
"church's to inherit, it is going to cost everyone who
chooses to go that way everything in their lives both
personally and corporately. It isn't something that the
local congregation or even the local "community" can
accomplish by itself. It will take the resources of the
larger body to be released to it and received by it for
the local body/community to even know how to deal with
the issues and forces that presently possess the land. If
they don't choose to go on in and possess the land, the
vision will fall to the ground until the Lord raises up
other apostolic people whose desire to possess the land
of their inheritance and are willing to pay the price.
To possess this land will mean needing those represented
by the 40,000 warriors to go ahead of the ark; it will
mean having priests who are prepared to carry the Ark of
His Presence itself and the other items of His presence
that must be borne on the shoulders of priests who have
sanctified themselves and have put on the garments of
righteousness. It will mean that those who are called to
blow the trumpets will know how to call for the Body to
rise up and attend to a given work in a given time and
given battle/location and many other aspects of
"ministry.
God is still allowing us to make the choice. He gave the
children of Isreal the choice to go in and possess the
land or to yield to their fears and stay where they were.
God continued to give them shoes that never wore out, He
provided manna from heaven and water from the Rock. The
fire by night and the cloud by day did not depart from
them even though they liked the way things were better
than to risk all to possess the land. And that generation
passed away except for two before the younger ones were
directed to go in and possess the land.
Even Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land
because of his attitude concerning his role before the
people. When he struck the Rock when he was told to speak
to it, he violated the foundational principle upon which
leadership in the promised land is built......
fellowship/intimacy with God and with his people. When
the Rock was first smitten, Moses and the leadership went
out from the camp, but the second time when they needed
water from the Rock, it took place in the midst of the
congregation. The church that will possess the land
will have no separation of leadership and people: they
will be one, in fellowship with the Rock of their
Salvation, their total provision. Leadership will call
forth the provision that is needed and teach people how
to release all that is provided for them and for others
in Christ. Since the Rock has been smitten, all
provision in the Cross now only needs to be called forth
and released, another major operating principles of the
church that will possess the land of its inheritance.
Meri Burlingame
To the Churches of America:
LOOSE THE ANGELS!
Alan Brooks
I am calling you to LOOSE THE ANGELS! I am calling you to think big! For
whatever you loose in the heavens will be loosed on the earth. My Son Jesus
said that he could have called upon 12 legions of angels to rescue Him.
Therefore, since you are the Body of Christ, you can call for them to be
released as well. Since you will also do the "greater works", you can even
ask for more, for this is the time to ask for this! RELEASE THE WINDS OF
ANGELS TO BRING THE FIRE
Heb 1:7
7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his
servants flames of fire."
Are you worried that there aren't enough angels in heaven to help? I can
assure you that there are more than enough angels to answer every request and
more than enough angels to fight every battle. There are even enough to make
"winds." As in the natural realm, where winds increase the flames of fires
dramatically, so to in the spiritual realm angel winds will increase the
flames of revival! Winds of angels will turn a small flicker of hope into a
large bonfire in just a moment! (I see a picture of angels lining up in the
throne room receiving glowing coals that are to be carried to the earthly
realms).
THE ANGELS ARE SENT TO SERVE
Heb 1:14
The angels of God are being sent from the throne room to you to serve you.
Reinforcements upon reinforcements. Don't be afraid to ask the Father to
release His ministering angels to minister to you, His warring angels to war
for you, and His guardian angels to protect you and your loved ones. This is
key part of My plan in the times ahead.
THERE ARE "THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS"
Heb 12:22
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of
the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful
assembly,
It is written, "Ask and you shall receive." But there is always a timing
involved.
Now is the My time to ask for the angels of God to be loosed in the heavens,
and to believe that they are standing with you, for "the angel of the Lord
encamps around those who fear Him."
HE WILL "COMMAND" HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU
The Lord shows me a picture of myriads of angels standing before the throne
and the Father says to them, "Go, take your positions!" And they form large
streams of "winds" flowing towards the earth. They have been sent to serve
the Body of Christ, according to the perfect will of the Father. They are
being sent to serve and are waiting to help. Therefore, call upon the Father
to release them over your church, your city, and your country. They will
help you to loose chains that were previously unbreakable, and to open doors
that seemed to be permanently locked. Therefore, be bold, for I am looking
for a people who will stand and believe Me for this.
Release the angels, Lord
Release the angels, Lord
According to the perfect will of the Father.
Alan Brooks
September 20, 2000
A Vision by Pat Cocking
http://www.patcocking.bc.ca/
by Debra Westbrook
Jobies7@aol.com
by Doug Fortune
davehowe@fdn.co.uk
Yours in Christ,
Andrew
JonCombe@aol.com
(\O/)o Shelleymae Bartlett
Juneau, Alaska
Cricketak@aol.com
ap@myhome.net
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will
inherit salvation?
Release the angels, Lord
Release the angels of God. Let them minister, your love.
Release the angels, Lord
Release the angels of God. Let them minister, your fire.
According to the perfect will of the Spirit of God.
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