Posts Tagged ‘Kingdom living’

Disciple of Christ – or – disciples of the world?

Posted: November 14, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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The cool-aides been removed & the waters been drained – time for the True Gospel.

We can talk about love all day and try to rah, rah, rah ourselves into a hyped up emotional state and never even begin to move then enemy out of our lives one tiny inch – Its time to wake up, step up and enter the war – Hell isn’t playing games & its time we stop playing games, playing Church and start being the Bride whom our Lord went to the cross for.

Jesus isn’t looking for cheer-leaders, He’s looking for humble warrior servants who are not afraid of getting dirty by touching the lives of the unwanted, visiting the widows, taking care of the orphans and sitting in the hospital waiting rooms praying with people we don’t even know. True warriors who don’t sit around the TV all night because they are so hungry to spend their nights on their faces weeping for the lost in this nation and around the world.

You can tell the strength of the soldiers who surround you by their dedication to training, study & attention at the briefings before the battle – How many of those who sit with you on Sunday, join in when its a prayer meeting? The Bible never said a thousand excuses will drive the enemy away.

Are our meeting just a public place where information is passed and people feel good?

Or are they meeting’s where people leave changed from who they were when they entered?

Do we desire meetings that will make us feel better about ourselves or do we want meeting where Holy Ghost comes into the room and does some surgery – painful yes, but the pain is worth it as it is a purification that is needed on the road to Holiness? Because the meeting’s Jesus held were about death to self and service to others, not one step self promotion meetings to improve our opinions (pride) and motivate us too a deeper love of ourselves.

Many exclaim “Lord put the coal to my lips” yet when a little persecution comes they cry “To Hot, to hot”

Jesus never built the Church to be a social club or even a hospital, He built it to be a dominion taking, Hell smashing war machine to claim back the world by ejecting the evil one, all to the Glory of the Father by the Authority He has given us.

If we cant see the Kingdom around us its because we have not died to the world, death which gives access to Holy Ghost to enter in and open our eyes. Come on people you will never grasp the Kingdom as long as your hands are filled with the pleasures of this world. It’s time to end the traditions of men and start living the Kingdom life – An all out submitted life to Jesus as Savior, Lord, King and most of all Master. A totally surrendered life that is willing to tell Jesus “No longer my life, my dreams nor even my heart but yours and yours alone Lord”. That’s what He asks for in fact that is what He demands and nothing short of it – if you don’t believe it you better read your Bible, especially the Red Letters.

Many seem to think the Keys to the Kingdom Jesus spoke of are keys to the bank, to the pleasure club and freedom from labor. Nope, so sorry Charlie, the keys Jesus was talking about where to the storehouse for mission provisions, for opening the doors of hell which has taking captive the lost, to the prayer room with a direct line to the Throne room and to the Armory to suite up with the weapons of Spiritual Warfare.

Time to end the self preservation meetings and enter the battle field, people are dying spiritual around us as we ponder the meaning of life. Jesus summed it up – Die to self, allow Holy Ghost to transform us into His image, teach others to do the same and bring Glory to the Father.

~Russ Welch

It’s Time to take it to the Extreme Level of Discipleship

Posted: August 29, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Just about 3 years ago, after spending several months in the Book of Act’s and having read David Platt’s; Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream , Holy Ghost brought me to a place of Holy conviction because my life was not in line with what the Bible describes as a true disciples of Jesus Christ. During this time of repentance and seeking the truth according to the scriptures and not those of men, I made this declaration to my Savior, Lord, King and Master Jesus Christ: “I spent the first 45 years of my life trying to startle the fence between the world and the Kingdom. I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be radical.” When we study the Bible and the great movements of God we find that All history shapers are radical, and I believe it’s time for believers everywhere to take on this attribute.

There have been times during this period that I have lost friendships, been called an outsider, been scorned by the very leaders I had looked up to. It has cost my family fellowshipping with those we had attended Church with for years. There has been a cost and I believe there will continue to be a cost. But I can not remain silent where I see error. I can not stand by and watch good hearted people be drawn to a powerless gospel that will lead them to Hell, when we have been giving the authority to walk in the power of Holy Ghost and release the True Gospel of Jesus Christ, just as He and His disciples taught and lived it.

I adhere to the teachings of Christ, having read and continue in the reading od the thoughts and religion recipes of man. I can not but weigh all things against the Word of God. That which does not line up with His Word, I throw out and sound the alarm that others do not fall into its evil religious trap.

In the Word I read the following commands of the Lord that can not be watered down nor ignored by those who desire to be His true disciples;

The Lord called us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s radical.

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s radical.

Our Lord God said we are to preach the gospel to every person on earth and turn all nations into His followers. That’s radical.
So the question at hand is “What does it really mean to be radical servant of God today according to the doctrines of Jesus Christ? “A true radical is one who defies the whims of his times and calls people back to root realities and root causes.

To be honest, the Church is not impacting the world in the manner Jesus calls us to. We have built empires unto men, schools that are tainted with worldly philosophies. Today more than ever before the greatest need in the body of Christ is for radical followers of Jesus Christ who are anchored in:

• truth, not emotional, worldly and philosophical based thoughts of man
• grace, not legalistic religion
• faith, not skepticism
• discipline, not indolence
• history, not fads
• hope, not despair.

So we truly see that yes, the greatest need in the Church today is the need for radical disciples of Jesus Christ who are anchored in Christ and the assurance of His global glory. “We who have fled to Him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to His promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Heb. 6:18-19, NLT).

I am tired of the religion being taught in our Churches today, tired of the seeker friendly message, the feel good messages and the focus on what we can get out of following God rather than what God can produce through us as we line up obediently to what His Word calls us to be. I want to be a truly radical follower of Jesus: rooted in Him, extremely in love with Him, extremely devoted to Him and His cause. The acrostic below spells out for me the components of a radical life fully given over to Jesus:

Revelation. True radicals live by revelation drawn from intimacy with Jesus.

Anointing. True radicals are anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Discipline. True radicals retain that anointing by practicing historic Christian disciplines.

Integrity. True radicals are those whose public persona is matched by private purity.

Courage. True radicals follow the truth, speak the truth and call people to the truth.

Anchored. True radicals are anchored in history and hope; in the Word and the Spirit.

Love. True radicals are driven by the love of God at work in them by the Holy Spirit.

One theologian observed that the great revolutions in the history of Christianity do not occur by discovering something new. Great revolutions happen, he stated, when someone takes radically something that has always been there. Martin Luther took the simple gospel message of justification by faith radically. John Wesley took the simple message of biblical holiness radically. William Seymour took a present-tense encounter with the Holy Spirit radically. There are countless, known names as well as the nameless servants of the Lord who have over the past 2000 plus years as well as in our day, in our day take the Masters teaching in regard ministering “to the least of these” radically.

Brothers & sisters I believe with all my heart that this is the day for us to take Christ’s Great Commission radically. I believe it is the hour for us to go forth with radical faith, radical commitment and radical love and usher in His second coming by making disciples of all nations. We can’t start a revolution by being worldly and full of man made religious doctrines.

Let’s get radical!

Jesus does not want Luke warm followers – He desires Radicals

Posted: August 26, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Jesus does not want Luke warm followers – He desires Radicals – in fact He clearly state states that if we are not radical about following Him He shall spit us out of His mouth. (Rev 3:16)

As the return of the Lord draws closer and closer, I believe we the Church are in a very crucial season and the enemy know that is is bringing great confusion into the Body. I see this especially as we look at calling of man verses the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ in regard to “Grow or Discipleship” As we look at what the word disciple means we need to realize the enemy is out to destroy, twist, distort and pervert the teachings of Christ and today we are challenged with some real misconceptions of discipleship and what radical discipleship looks like.

So today let us ask the question what does disciple in the Bible really mean?

The word disciple comes from a Greek word which means, someone who not only learns but becomes attached to one’s teacher and becomes his follower in doctrine and conduct of life. In other words a disciple is someone who walks in the footsteps of his master or emulates his lifestyle.

Let us ask this question of ourselves today – Does my life emulate the life of Jesus?

There are a number of initiatives over the years that have been fruitful and not so fruitful. If we do not allow Holy Ghost to direct us, and together spend time in prayer and the Word we can end up leaning more on mans leadership than that of the Father.

We have seen this in our generation such as the of discipleship teachings that came out of the “Shepherding movement” which brought forth a perversion of discipleship teachings. In all honesty it birthed a season of “perverse and unbiblical obedience” to leaders. Many still struggle with these teachings today. Only the allowance of Holy Ghost to have the freedom to bring forth the Fire of Gods purity into our hearts and meetings can be a safe Spiritual wall against the influence of such dark deceptive doctrines, though they appear to be gentle as sheep these doctrines are wolves who seek to scatter and destroy the Lords sheep.

We must seek the Father guidance and come to the realization that there is more to this Christian life than what many are living. We must realize that the call of Christ on ever person who proclaims Him as Lord is a radical call.

If we open the Word of God and read it under the “Super-Vision” of Holy Ghost, we will indeed see that true Biblical discipleship if anything is radical. This is chiefly because it was taught and practiced by a leader who was more radical than his contemporaries. What he said and did practically blew the myths of leadership, and traditional views of serving God. Christ’s discipleship model is so radical because of its call, the cost and the rewards.

And to quelch the negative narrative that many will try to inject here by claiming that I am speaking about “work-based” salvation, let it be known that I believe that salvation is a free gift from God; you don’t have to do anything to earn it but everything else after getting saved is costly. If you ask the early disciples, the church reformers or any great men and women of God what price you must pay in following Christ, they would unashamedly without any hesitation would echo the very words of Christ who said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever looses his life for me will find it.” Let these words deeply sink into our hearts.

We must not be fooled by the watered down gospel being taught in many Churches today. My friends the Gospel truth is, following Christ comes with a huge price tag attached to it. It calls for a life style of self denial, giving up of our rights, and willingness to go through suffering, pain, heartache and possibly death. What comforts or pleasures are you willing to deny yourself in order to know Christ? It is about time that we stop fighting; grumbling and quarreling among ourselves over who will make the next meat balls and spaghetti meal and as a Church take a deeper look at radical discipleship.

Sadly many “leaders” in the Church are playing a game with the Lord’s sheep today, they are like political leaders vying for the most sheep that they may be seen as a great leader whose Church is the largest one in the city, thus their anointing must be seen as superior to all the other shepherds in the territory. They love titles and you will see them amass them like badges of honor “doctors, bishops, rev, apostles etc – some will even be Rev, Pastor Dr, author, apostle so and so, as though by displaying their titles brings honor – Oh they will get the honor here for sure and then stand before the Father and answer why they sought to steal the honor and praise of His people meant for His Son.

Yet while we sit around deliberating on the merits and challenges of radical discipleship there are literally thousands of our brothers and sisters who are paying the price with their lives because of their obedience to the call of their master. I was moved and deeply challenged by the stand that young Iranian Pastor Yousuf took, though he was offered freedom from execution simply if he confessed that, Mohammed is the great prophet of God but he simply refused to deny his master and prepared to die. What an example of a radical disciple of Christ.

Are your ears open today – Do you not hear the alarm sounding across the land? Do you not here the Master Jesus Christ calling you for a radical discipleship. Are you willing to pick up your cross and follow Jesus? May the Lord help all of us with courage to radically follow Him, even if it means loosing our lives? My prayer is that all of us will hear the words of Jesus at the end of our life’s journey that are recorded in Rev 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Amen

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

Posted: July 1, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the highest position. Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.

Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth). It is because of these sins that God’s anger comes on those who refuse to obey him.[a] You used to live that kind of sinful life. Also get rid of your anger, hot tempers, hatred, cursing, obscene language, and all similar sins. Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything.

As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly. Also, let Christ’s peace control you. God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. Be thankful. Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about God’s kindness.[b] Sing to God in your hearts. Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:1-18)

The Father has made His desire in regard to the life He desires His Children to live in Paul has written here – It could be made no clearer and it is a a Heaven sent recipe to living a Holy Life in Christ inspired through Holy Ghost. To be radical disciples we need the radical transformation of our hearts and minds that we may live such a radically selfless & Kingdom purposed life unto our King.

Discipleship is NOT Sexy

Posted: June 27, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Discipleship is NOT Sexy

It has been a long time since I have written anything. I have spent most of my days developing new friendships and trying to explain to them their need for Jesus. I wish I could tell you a bunch of stories of lives that have changed as a result. I wish I could tell you that hundreds have repented and are now serving the Lord faithfully. Instead, I’m pretty sad as very few of my new friends are ready to ditch their lives to follow Jesus. Some are not convinced they need to repent. Others are not convinced He is worth it.

The good news is that I regularly see God do supernatural things (too many stories to write out). I expected these miracles to result in conversions, but now I understand what Jesus meant when He said, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:31).

Jesus never promised revival; in fact, He told us to expect the opposite (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Even when people saw the supernatural, it usually didn’t lead to repentance (Luke 10:13). What Jesus did promise was that we would have His presence with us as we made disciples (Matthew 28:20). This I have definitely witnessed. Supernatural answers to prayer never get old.

Like most speakers/pastors, I like to share about conversions and victories! But by only sharing those stories, it may make people think that something is wrong if they don’t see a lot of fruit in their efforts. Maybe this post is a strange word of encouragement for those who have been sharing Jesus and not seeing much result. We may not often see repentance, but we do experience God being with us; and we do enjoy the peace knowing we tried. And that makes it all worth it.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

By Francis Chan

A total lack of respect in the Body!!!!

Posted: June 19, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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A total lack of respect in the Body!!!!

By Russ Welch

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself (Eph 5:22-33)

I agree with what Paul is saying here whole hearted – the question I have is how and when did the ways of the world get slipped in here – women’s lib and male egotism  – For I do not see where Paul says women disrespect your husbands until they become like Christ, nor husbands disrespect your wives until they learn to submit – Yet I see this being played out in marriages across the Church horizon and it really comes down to a total lack of respect on both parties. Even if your wife is the worst ever, we are still called to love them as Christ and if your husband is not any where near a saint leave alone Christ, the message of submitting has never been dismissed.

Many profess to be disciples of Christ yet their lives are lived as the disciples of the prince of Hell.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Prov 17:27-28)

I listen to wives t& Husbands tare the other to shreds in public, many of the discussions which should be private are made public and we wonder why divorce is at a higher rate in the Church than in the world outside? I will tell you why, we have made a vow before God and God alone which we brake day in and day out – we cry to Him for Mercy yet His ears remain closed because we can not even show mercy unto one an other.

Are we the Bride that Christ is coming after?

If we treat our spouses with such disrespect we are in all reality treating God with the same disrespect.

It’s time we start living Bible rather than merely speaking Bible and this is in every area of our lives – not just in the public view but in the secret places as well – If not, we better get use to the rocks crying out the praises  of the Lord for the praise of the defiled will never reach heaven!

I myself believe that a family should worship together, pray together and battle the war of hell against the family together – when you separate one from the other you weaken the line and allow the enemy entrance. I do not see this as merely a personal opinion, I see it as scriptural sound and a mandate from the King Himself.

We need a radical transformation in our lives – a radical holy fire that will burn & put to death ever worldly thought that our minds may be transformed into Kingdom thoughts.

My take: Why my church rebelled against the American Dream

Posted: June 15, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Editor’s Note: David Platt, Ph.D., is the author of the New York Times bestseller Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream and is senior pastor of the 4,000-member Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama.

By David Platt, Special to CNN

We American Christians have a way of taking the Jesus of the Bible and twisting him into a version of Jesus that we are more comfortable with.

A nice middle-class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts.

A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who for that matter wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings comfort and prosperity to us as we live out our Christian spin on the American Dream.

But lately I’ve begun to have hope that the situation is changing.

The 20th-century historian who coined the term “American Dream,” James Truslow Adams, defined it as “a dream… in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are.”

But many of us are realizing that Jesus has different priorities. Instead of congratulating us on our self-fulfillment, he confronts us with our inability to accomplish anything of value apart from God. Instead of wanting us to be recognized by others, he beckons us to die to ourselves and seek above all the glory of God.

In my own faith family, the Church at Brook Hills, we have tried to get out from under the American Dream mindset and start living and serving differently.

Like many other large American churches, we had a multimillion-dollar campus and plans to make it even larger to house programs that would cater to our own desires. But then we started looking at the world we live in.

It’s a world where 26,000 children die every day of starvation or a preventable disease. A world where billions live in situations of such grinding poverty that an American middle-class neighborhood looks like Beverly Hills by comparison. A world where more than a billion people have never even heard the name Jesus. So we asked ourselves, “What are we spending our time and money on that is less important than meeting these needs?” And that’s when things started to change.

First we gave away our entire surplus fund – $500,000 – through partnerships with churches in India, where 41 percent of the world’s poor live. Then we trimmed another $1.5 million from our budget and used the savings to build wells, improve education, provide medical care and share the gospel in impoverished places around the world. Literally hundreds of church members have gone overseas temporarily or permanently to serve in such places.

And it’s not just distant needs we’re trying to meet. It’s also needs near at hand.

One day I called up the Department of Human Resources in Shelby County, Alabama, where our church is located, and asked, “How many families would you need in order to take care of all the foster and adoption needs that we have in our county?”

The woman I was talking to laughed.

I said, “No, really, if a miracle were to take place, how many families would be sufficient to cover all the different needs you have?”

She replied, “It would be a miracle if we had 150 more families.”

When I shared this conversation with our church, over 160 families signed up to help with foster care and adoption. We don’t want even one child in our county to be without a loving home. It’s not the way of the American Dream. It doesn’t add to our comfort, prosperity, or ease. But we are discovering the indescribable joy of sacrificial love for others, and along the way we are learning more about the inexpressible wonder of God’s sacrificial love for us.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my country and I couldn’t be more grateful for its hard-won freedoms. The challenge before we American Christians, as I see it, is to use the freedoms, resources, and opportunities at our disposal while making sure not to embrace values and assumptions that contradict what God has said in the Bible.

I believe God has a dream for people today. It’s just not the same as the American Dream.

I believe God is saying to us that real success is found in radical sacrifice. That ultimate satisfaction is found not in making much of ourselves but in making much of him. That the purpose of our lives transcends the country and culture in which we live. That meaning is found in community, not individualism. That joy is found in generosity, not materialism. And that Jesus is a reward worth risking everything for.

Indeed, the gospel compels us to live for the glory of God in a world of urgent spiritual and physical need, and this is a dream worth giving our lives to pursue.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/23/my-take-why-my-church-rebelled-against-the-american-dream/

“I believe that David Platt is another Radical disciple of Jesus in our day, yet Christ calls each of us to be as radical as the disciples of the Bible” ` Radicaldisciples blog founder & Author Russ Welch

The Power of A Clean Life

Posted: December 13, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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The Power of A Clean Life

A holy people of God are being prepared for the great fulfillment of the kingdom of God on earth. Sons of righteousness with pure hearts in whom there is no guile are being prepared to minister with the army from heaven with supernatural wisdom and power. Their clean hearts and lives will offer no hindrance or resistance to the love and power of God flowing from Father in heaven by the Holy Spirit.

The maturing sons of God will not be daunted by the apocalyptic, cataclysmic events of a world being cleansed by the fire of God.

Who are these people demonstrating the full faith and power of a clean life? They are a new breed of grown up children of God that have emptied themselves and made room for God to rule in their lives. They are humble people of God who have allowed the fire of God to burn away every tendency of sin and the bondage of doubt and unbelief in their souls. They are those whose spirits are made alive and are fully redeemed to the fullness of the love and life of Christ Jesus. They are those who have no regard for the lies of the fallen world and its foolishness. They are those who have thrown off the past shroud of religious unbelief and ungodly madness of the fallen ways of a people sickened by lust and greed. They are those who are as if they had no past but live fully in the embrace of the life of Christ in the presence of God. They are people like you and I breaking through into a glorious life in the Sprit of God on shores of a new land filled with glory.

We are soon entering the most powerful and glorious time on earth. Before us is the time of fulfillment of that which the saints throughout history have sought. They gave their lives knowing it was for a future time. There is rejoicing in heaven when one is TRULY born anew as this new breed of redeemed spiritual creature into a new life of unhindered faith and power of God.

Not all will enter this new creation army of maturing sons living holy clean lives.

Many Christians believe that we are waiting for God to do something further to cause us to walk in supernatural victory. The general belief seems to be that the promises of Jesus to His people are true but not for us now.

For example, the promise that we would do the works that Jesus did and even greater works than the mighty miracles He did is seen as true but they will not come to pass until some future day when God does something more or some other event occurs from heaven.

John 14:12: Most assuredly, 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 My Father.

This common belief, I should say unbelief, is largely based on the natural reality that we do not see men around us doing these works. We need to keep in mind that our natural vision only sees what is closely around us and does not see all that is happening worldwide. Also we may not see clearly events that happen around us. Even if supernatural events happen around us we may attribute them to natural causes.

In part these erroneous beliefs are caused by the negative faith implanted in people through religious and secular training over the past centuries. Our experience has trained us that faith and power are limited and simply do not work today as they did in the first century.

People are locked in bondage of doubt and unbelief regarding the word and works of God. Many people reason that since supernatural works are done by God and not man, we are waiting for God to do something to make things happen. It is true that faith and power are gifts from God through Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit and not of our human effort or doing. However, there is no problem with the availability of the grace gifts of God. They are fully available now.

God is still all powerful and His word is still valid and cannot be changed. These provisions have been fully purchased by Christ Jesus at the cross and the delivery system has been fully established in the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. For a season after Pentecost the gifts were operative and flowing. Faith and power were supernaturally changing the world. Powerful miracles and works of God impacted masses of people and the kingdom of God was beginning to come forth on earth as it is in heaven. Supernatural power gifts came way back then and are available now?

Why should the people of God today have the faith and power of a beggar? Waiting beside the road of life begging God for a morsel of faith to get by for today. Why should we be begging for a hand-out of enough power to endure our bad situations one more day?

Gal 4:9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

What is going on people?

We are the world changers! We can have the faith and power of the first century! We can have the wisdom of God that will lead us into the kingdom of God!

Everything has been done so why should we be lacking in faith and power and continue waiting for God to send something more?

The problem is not with the quality of the gifts prepared in heaven for us. The problem is not with the delivery system. The problem is with the reception. There is not proper place in the hearts of men to receive the gifts and ways of God prepared for His kingdom people. The receiving dock and the storage rooms are filled with other things that are blocking the way. The data banks in the hearts of men are filled and the faith and power cannot be downloaded until space is cleared and existing data deleted. A decision must be made by man to make the deletions to clear space for downloading great faith and power that will bring forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Experiencing the fullness of Christ in us is not waiting for God to do something further. Rather, God is waiting on a people that will make room to receive the faith and power of the kingdom.

God is waiting for clean hearts upon which to write His all-wise and all-powerful laws of heavenly wisdom and kingdom reality. The hearts of the people of the world including most Christians are filled with other writings. The space for God to write is already filled and there is not place for Him to scribe the all powerful wisdom and ways of heaven.

Heb 8:10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

2 Cor 3:3: clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

A far greater standard of holy kingdom living is being lifted up. A pure holy people of righteousness are to be prepared to walk in the supernatural kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. For the most part, mankind is not currently operating with God’s standard but has developed other standards. According to man’s standards many things are seen as good and worthy of retaining that are NOT from God and are not heavenly wisdom and truth. All that is not of God that is stored in the hearts of man and serves as standards for man is unclean to God. Even man’s best righteousness is as filthy rags in the site of God.

All natural men and many who are called Christians are filled with knowledge but lacking in truth and wisdom.

The false standards written in our hearts blind us to the powerful supernatural ways of God and prevent the reality of God being written upon our hearts. The ways of God are much higher and far more powerful than most Christians have even imagined.

Can you hear the call of God? Can you feel God pulling on your heart to turn to Him with your whole heart and leave the past to be made a witness of the things which Jesus will reveal to you? Can you see the call to be used in opening the eyes of the religionist and the secularist to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God? God is calling a people in this day as He called Paul who was one of the most religious men of His day. He was involved in the death and imprisonment of the followers of Christ. Yet, he surrendered his heart to be completely cleansed from the past and gave His all to change the course of history. He made room for God to write His way upon his heart.

Acts 26:16-18: But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.

Keep on pursuing love.
It never fails.

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Moving in the Spirit of God

Posted: November 25, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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As servant sons of God,, we not only have the privilege to walk in the reality of Spirit-empowered supernatural life, we have the responsibility to do so. We must be about our Father’s business. All of the resources of heaven are potentially available to us for accomplishing the will of our Father. Every day everywhere we go the limitless potential of Spirit God surrounds us. Countless powerful holy angels (ministering spirits) are available to assist us in the works of the business of our Heavenly Father.

A spiritual army is arising from the valley of the shadow of death. The lifeless shadow has lain upon the hearts and lives of God’s people, who were created to be kings and priests to rule and reign in this world with Christ. The enemy has, through false religious and secular doctrines and understandings shadowed our hearts from God’s supernatural spiritual reality. The arising spiritual army does not move by natural human strength or guidance and does not employ weapons built by man. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. ~ Paul

Divine supernatural love, power, and wisdom of Christ abiding in mature servant sons working with powerful angels will overcome all that lifts itself against God. Major strongholds of the enemy that are well fortified in the social order and governments of the world will be overcome by God’s army moving in the Spirit of God.

Ascending Above the Shadow

The shadow of death robs God’s people from life in the brilliant light of spiritual reality. It limits our ability to walk in the love, power, and wisdom that is far above natural fallen human life and the works of the enemy. Under the shadow of death the fullness of the reality of heavenly life in the Spirit is greatly limited. Intimate trust in God and faith to powerfully serve Him is hindered by the shadow of death. We are to serve Him by bringing forth His life into this world to transform the world into the glorious kingdom of God.

God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from all the trees of the garden except for one tree. They were told that if they ate of that one tree in that day, they would surely die. That day they were separated from intimate walk with God. They spiritually died that day, and life in the world abruptly changed. They were excluded from the intimate life with Father God and were cut off from the fullness of His provision in the garden. God provided a temporary sacrificial covering for them but their intimate walk with God was broken by their disobedience. Death (separation from God) passed upon all descendents of Adam.

For all who will receive it, Christ Jesus has provided the restoration of all that was lost in Adam.

The shadow of death on God’s people is not total spiritual death. Total spiritual death is total separation from God.

From Adam to Christ, God’s people lived in the valley of the shadow of death. God’s provision sustained them through their faith expressed by keeping the law of blood sacrifices and offerings that looked forward to the coming of Christ Jesus to fully redeem all that was lost in Adam, including walking with God in the Spirit. David wrote in Psalm 23 about God preparing a table before him in the valley of the shadow of death, in the presence of his enemies. This is a picture of God’s provision while moving through the valley of the shadow of death.

Spiritual life was poured out at Pentecost. The Spirit of Christ in the Holy Spirit returned to abide in His people to bring forth the finished work of restoration of heavenly Spirit-to-spirit life on earth. The shadow of spiritual death was removed from those who received the Holy Spirit. The brilliant life of supernatural spiritual life was poured out upon and into those who received it.

Sadly, through the generations, many people returned to partaking of the fruit of the forbidden tree of human intellectual knowledge as supreme over spiritual reality of God’s strength and guidance in life. The shadow of death returned upon the hearts of people and the brilliant supernatural spiritual reality of God became foreign to them. The enemy, working through religious and secular education, devised doctrines of demons that became traditions of men that opposed the truth of supernatural spiritual reality and restored the valley of the shadow of death.

The army of God arising in this day is ascending above the valley of the shadow of death into the fullness of the brilliant glory of spiritual life that is far above natural life (supernatural life in Christ by the Holy Spirit).

The proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven is releasing the power of God from heaven to overcome the death of separation from God. Eventually the whole earth shall be free from the shadow of death and filled with the brilliance of the glory of God.

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! ~ Jesus

The Sword of the Lord comes,

Ron McGatlin

THE FIRE OF GOD COMES

Posted: November 17, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Throughout recent centuries God has been restoring piece by piece that which was lost when Adam and subsequently all mankind fell. The process of restoration involves first the revelation of what is to be restored. It is revealed as being reality for the time in which it is to be restored.

Over 500 years ago salvation by grace through faith was restored. In the early 20th century, the revelation of the baptism with the Holy Spirit was restored. The gifts of healings and miracles were restored. Later in the mid 20th century, prophets were restored, and then in the latter part of the century and into the first part of the 21st century, the apostles are being restored. These are just a few of the most recent major restorations to the Body of Christ.

Now that the prophetic is restored, God reveals what He is doing to His prophets. As the prophets proclaim the revelation of what God is doing, it begins to come to pass. A true prophetic proclamation resonates in the hearts of mature believers and prepares God’s people to receive the next piece of restoration from God.

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets, Amos 3:7.

The Restoration of the Baptism with Fire

This may not be fresh to some of you. However, the greater revelation of the fire portion of being baptized by Christ Jesus with the Holy Spirit and FIRE is being freshly revealed and made real in me.

Mat 3:11: I (John) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

New or fresh revelation is God uncovering for us what has always been. It is as if God lifts up the cover or lid, and our eyes are opened to fresh revelation. We may then marvel that we have not seen before this obvious reality that is now so clearly exposed.

I believe that in this season, the lid is NOT being gently lifted off the revelation of THE FIRE of GOD. The lid is being blown off with an explosion of power.

This will be more than the revival fire that has been poured out historically time and time again. In revival we cried out for God to SEND THE FIRE. His fire has now come and we are beginning to grasp what it means to be baptized by Christ Jesus with the Holy Spirit and FIRE.

This does not involve the hype and showmanship of highly promoted performance-based conferences. This is not a stage or platform production. The fire of God is not geared to man-made staged performance. You can lay aside the rock bands and high powered so called “praise music” with its costumed and choreographed dance. The fire of heaven is coming down in the person of Christ Jesus in the Holy Spirit. The Body of Christ will come forth filled with the Spirit of Christ from within and saturated with the fire of Christ upon us.

Living Water and Fire

Probably most if not all of us have been experiencing to some degree the inner working of the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit – the gifts, peace, inner power, joy, and more. However, most of us have probably not truly experienced the baptism with Fire coming UPON us in this present season. The fire of God is the glory of Christ falling upon us from above. It is the Christ in us coming together with the Spirit of Christ from above. The restoration of the baptism of fire is coming upon us exploding the powerful works of Christ Jesus into a desperate and failing world.

The fire of His glory is suddenly coming upon purified holy sons and daughters of God. The glory will not rest upon mixture or flesh, as the revival fire of the past has done. The Holy Spirit was poured out on flesh in revivals and outpourings in the 90s, and a measure of fire came for a short season. This that is now coming forth is much more and will be Spirit to spirit. Mixture will be quickly burned away, and only pure holiness will remain in the fire.

This past Sunday afternoon, I was meeting with a few close friends. We were seated in a relatively close circle each sharing from our hearts and from the scriptures. Something was said about being thirsty for the coming of more fullness of God or something like that. I heard in my spirit that it was in us and needed to flow out of us as living water. I read a couple of scriptures from John.

John 4:13-14: Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 7:38: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

As I read these verses I began to feel a strong stirring of unrest and dissatisfaction within. I began to proclaim that it is in us. We have it and are not letting it flow out to each other. We thirst and do not have, because we are not pouring out the rivers of living water to each other. I don’t have it because you are not letting it flow out to me. I was saying something like that when suddenly the fire of God fell upon me. The Spirit of God came UPON me and fire (glory) came upon my being like I have not experienced in a long time, if ever before.

At my age, I usually get up from a seated position slowly with help by pushing myself up with my arms. When the fire came upon me, I suddenly leapt straight up from my chair with shouts and did some sort of a rapidly stepping scooting sort of a dance or something in a tight circle as tongues and words flowed profusely from me. I could not see anything but the glory. I fell back into my chair and prophesied and praised as the river poured from me. As far as I could tell, glory filled the room and impacted us all. I do not sing at all, but at some point in all this, I actually flowed into spontaneously leading worship choruses. Prophecy, prayer, and praise flowed like a river.

It was like the flow of living water (Spirit) from within flowed out and met the fire of God. Perhaps this is a key to the fire (glory) falling upon us. First the dissatisfaction with our not flowing the living waters of the Spirit of Christ out of us. At the instant we begin to flow the living water, the fire comes.

It is as if the inner flow of the living water of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God’s people can meet up with Holy Fire and create explosive power. The heavy lid of religion with its erroneous theology of doubt and unbelief and our personal gods of prideful self-consciousness have held back the release of the power of the Spirit, creating an extreme back pressure in the bosom of God’s Spirit-filled people.

In the natural realm water contained in an enclosed vessel that is heated with fire becomes steam pressure. As the fire increases the pressure builds, and when the lid comes off, it explodes. At best we have been experiencing small leaks of power flowing out to the atmosphere of the world from the sons of God.

The pressure for the release of God from within us is now ready to explode into the world as God helps us to blow our lid off to full-out release the explosive power of spiritual reality of Christ Jesus.

First the Cross, Next the Spirit, Now the Fire

After the cross, the resurrected Christ Jesus gathered with His disciples before ascending to the Father and gave them instruction. They were sent by Jesus to do the same work God sent Jesus to do by the same power. Then He breathed the Holy Spirit into them (John 20:21-22).

Prior to this moment the disciples had not received the Holy Spirit. Even though they had followed Jesus and believed He was the Son of God, until Jesus died on the cross they remained of the first Adam. Because of the sinful state of mankind, they could not fully receive the Holy Spirit. However, it was at this moment after the cross, the sin curse had been broken and those who followed Jesus were able to receive the Holy Spirit from the breath of the resurrected Christ. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into them much as God had originally breathed His Spirit into Adam (Gen 2:7).

At this point redemption became a reality for the disciples who now had the Spirit of God in their lives. For the first time since Adam, the Holy Spirit was again within men other than Jesus. However, they did not yet have the full empowerment of the life of Christ Jesus within and upon them. He was still standing before them awaiting His ascension to the Father.

Christ Jesus had to return to the Father and become a “life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor 15:45). Only then could the Holy Spirit impart the fire of Christ Jesus to dwell with and empower the disciples who would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were instructed to not depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the empowering baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-8).

All of this took place in a relatively brief period of time. The cross and resurrection had broken the curse of sin and changed the sinful state of the disciples, opening the way for Jesus to breath the Holy Spirit into them before ascending to the Father. Then the promise of the Father could come at Pentecost in the full baptism of the Holy Spirit and FIRE. These works of God were being planted into the world to be multiplied in the fullness of time when all things were made ready.

From the revelation of the work of the Cross by grace through faith being restored around 500 years ago, to the baptism of the Holy Spirit about 100 years ago, to the revelation of the kingdom of God life on earth in the past few decades, to the recent restoration of true holiness by the Spirit within, to the today restoration of the FIRE of Christ Jesus coming UPON pure-hearted Holy Spirit-filled people of God, the restoration continues.

The Fire of God is the Glory of Christ Jesus

Forerunners of FIRE are emerging now. The real and fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit with fire will soon spread to the corners of the earth bringing the manifest presence and power of God into view of all. It will bring great empowerment to the humble and sudden destruction to the pride and loftiness of man. The progressive transformation to the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven is now being clearly seen by God’s people. The gospel of the kingdom is restored and being widely proclaimed. The FIRE of the Spirit of Christ is coming upon Holy Spirit-indwelled people bringing God-empowered LIFE.

The Sword of the Lord Comes with Fire.

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

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