Lionheart Restoration Ministries

A Letter From the Director of Lionheart...

2012-02-06T14:07:00.002-05:00

To Our Lionheart Family and All Friends and Supporters of Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN,

The Body of Christ has truly entered a new era—one unlike any time in Church history. It has been said by many different prophetic voices over the last few months that the Lord is hitting the RESET button in the body of Christ. In other words, He is bringing sudden shifts in our mindsets and lifestyles in order to realign us with Him in the fullness of His purposes. Some of these “resets” have been subtle. Many, if not most, have been quite dramatic. Though this process is uncomfortable, we must learn to rest in the Lord because each reset is meant to bring us back to the original call of loving Him, pursuing His presence and establishing His purposes.

Lionheart Restoration Ministries is no different. The Lord has reset and realigned many things in our midst in the last few months. Each reset has been deeper than the last, and with each reset the Lord has brought us closer to Him and His perfect will as we have obeyed His word. Now it is time for yet another….

At the leading of the Lord, the Prayer Furnace of East TN is shutting down indefinitely beginning Monday, February 6, 2012. All existing watches will stop and the sanctuary will only open on a redacted schedule for corporate prayer meetings and services.

We are making this decision after much prayer, fasting and seeking the face of the Lord. The Lord has made it clear to us over the last few months that the day of the Prayer Furnace is over, and God is ready to lead us into a new era of revival and restoration. Lionheart is not laying down our call to worship and intercession. We are still fully committed to that part of our call, though obviously the implementing of it will now change.

As we transition, here are some important items to note:

Lionheart Restoration Ministries is not shutting down – We will still have regular services on Sunday mornings, Care Group meetings Sunday afternoons, and week-night meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here is our updated weekly schedule of services:

Sunday

Lionheart Sunday Celebration Service | 10:00am-12:30PM
Lionheart Care Group | 4:00 – 6:00PM

Tuesday

Corporate Intercession | 6:30pm-8:00pm *New Time*

Friday

Training, Prayer Ministry and Prophetic Ministry | 7pm-9pm
Beginning Friday, Feb. 17 we will start a series on Deliverance Ministry.

We are still praying – The foundation of Lionheart Ministries has been and always will be prayer. Special morning prayer meetings will start Thursday, February 16th. It will be an hour of focused intercession Monday through Friday from 6am-7am. We are going to start each weekday ministering to the Lord and crying out for His presence and glory to come. Join us before you go to work!

Our March conference is not changing – Pressing Forward With Randy DeMain, our upcoming March conference is still on schedule for March 9-11. You can find more information on our website about it, and look for information on our scheduled IONA concert on June 28th.

As we look to the future, we want to take a moment to thank all of those who have participated in the Prayer Furnace over the years. We look forward to what the Lord has in store for the body of Messiah in general, and Lionheart in particular, in the coming years. What we can say for certain at this point is that the Lord has no need for “buildings” made with hands…He only requires an assembly of His people committed to standing before Him, and He will build them into a temple for His glory. We, as many others in the body of Christ, will move forward now in the hope that we will still see that temple built in our area.

Grace and peace,

Mike McClung, Director of Lionheart Restoration Ministries

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

2012: Revive, Repair, Rebuild and Flourish

2012-01-09T15:03:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of each year, I take time to seek the Lord for direction and a scripture that will describe and launch us into the next year and season. I began seeking the Lord in October around Yom Kippur about the new season that He is unfolding before the body of Christ. The scripture that He gave me as a strategic and intercessory template is Ezra 9:8-9.

Ezra 9:8-9: And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

After being released from Babylonian captivity by the mercy of God moving on their captors to release them to return and rebuild the house of God, we find them still in bondage to “Babylonian” thinking and ways. They are still not a wholly separated people to the Lord, but have intermarried with pagans taking up their mindsets and practices. They are mixed in their lifestyles with biblical worship and worldly friendship. Ezra realized how this has broken God’s heart and offended Him, and how God’s covenant people are in imminent danger. Ezra sets himself in repentant, humble intercession before the Lord for His people. The prayers he prays take complete ownership of the idolatry and disobedience, acknowledging their condition and telling the Lord that He has been more merciful than they deserve. Yet, in the midst of his anguished cry of confession, repentance and intercession, he also states, in hope, the fact that the Lord’s purpose has not changed and it is still completely possible to see His glory restored and the community transformed.

We are living in much the same conditions of compromise, stress and imminent threats, both naturally and spiritually, making it seem almost hopeless for true kingdom breakthrough and revival to come. But, the Lord always loves to show Himself strong in the worst and most hopeless conditions, empowering an underdog remnant to overcome and glorify Himself! In spite of everything, there is still “a peg in His holy place” from which, beginning this year, He will release breakthrough, revival and restoration.

Years of lack, reproach, idolatry and mockery, where darkness has grown darker, are about to be turned. Until the body of Messiah has been pruned from the Babylonian mindsets and ways, which include ambition, offense and bitterness (all of which are rooted in pride), etc, we are disqualified to bear authority and responsibility such as is now coming. Just like Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 49-50), until all vestiges of personal ambition and retribution had been dealt with, we cannot experience the fullness of God’s promise.

We will begin to experience the glory of the Lord invading our lives, our meetings/gatherings, our businesses, etc, which will release authority and favor to rebuild and restore the local and community-wide presence and power of God. Both individual fellowships and the corporate body of Christ in cities and communities will begin to experience restoration and wholeness. His glory will intensify and affect the people and systems at a community level. The “wall” or hedge of His presence and glory (Zech. 2:5) around these places will begin to be restored. Large cities like Detroit and smaller communities (everywhere humble, passionate intercession and worship has been and is being offered) will begin to experience a shift in the spiritual and natural atmosphere. Some places will have quick “invasions” because the people and the place have been prepared, and in other places, it will be incrementally (Judges 2-3) lest they be overwhelmed with the effects.

Gross darkness is upon us (Isaiah 60:1-3), and will become even “grosser”. But the promise is when this happens, the Lord will respond with glory arising upon/among us. Now is the time to pray and declare breakthrough and restoration. Hope is being restored and fruitfulness is beginning….

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Forming the Heart of David By David Townsend

2012-01-03T15:57:00.001-05:00

Many places in scripture we see that during a time of great need, a man or woman of God appears to deliver a Word from the Lord and/or bring deliverance, seemingly out of nowhere. Their origins and/or training for the task are a mystery, and their sudden appearing like the signature of the God that sent them. John the Baptist, Gideon, many of the prophets—at first glance they all just seem to appear with no warning and immediately start doing what needs to be done. Many times, it only seems that way to the people of their time, other times they just appear in scripture, and we get no direct back-story. There is literally no word in the bible about Elijah before he appears before King Ahab and declares a drought. Moses disappeared in disgrace after murdering a man, only to re-emerge suddenly after 40 years with the boldness to confront Pharaoh to his face, and with the authority to work powerful signs of deliverance. And probably the most surprising of all, a 14-year old runt/shepherd boy named David, on an errand for his dad, ends up taking down a giant, leading the Israelite army to victory, and eventually, becoming king. Not only that, when he is finally king, he sets up kingdom that God said will never end.

Reading these accounts, it can all feel a bit intimidating and disheartening for anyone who desires the Church to become what God intended it to be, especially those just starting to see how desperate our situation is. Take David as an example. His “technique” appears to be like he just showed up and shazam! knew what to do. It’s hard to model a discipleship program based on such an example. It is hard not to wonder how David even got the “heart of David” we talk about so much. We can see the effects in his life, but the causes are elusive. Since many in the Church are starting to awaken to the true state of the Church, questions that have been asked by a few in the past are starting to emerge on a macro-level: “What training did David get that enabled him to make such righteous choices and eventually lead and change the course of his generation and generations after him?” Or in other words, “What we’re doing isn’t working, how do we get what he had?”

Most of us could offer the short answer (“Well, uh, it’s from the Lord, I guess…”) but how that looks in real life, everyday, and how we move toward it, very few of us know. I sure don’t. We have, as I’ve heard it said, “lost the knowledge.” And the knowledge we have is at best “book” knowledge—factual understanding without experience.

But there is hope. If we want what David had (a part of what Jesus walked in), if we want to see hearts like his arise in this generation so that the “light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Cor. 4:6) would be seen in this age, we must nail our instincts of “analysis, then action” to the Cross and just do what he did.

While this may seem like we’re back to the original problem, the truth is we can know more about David’s upbringing from scripture than it first seems. We just have trouble seeing what the Lord is saying with our limited vision (read: carnal thinking). Though it is not spelled out chronologically in one succinct passage of scripture, the conditions of his early life are implied through several passages. And more than that, because God is a generational God, we can also see how the formation of David’s heart for God actually started in a long line of righteous choices in his family, all the way back to Judah, at least. By thinking generationally, we can also understand that as we pursue the Lord and try to make righteous choices, our greatest reward is to increase the capacity for God’s love in future generations.

In this way, we will gain the knowledge we need by walking out righteous choices for the Lord over the course of decades, learning what we need “on the trail” as we submit to fathers and mothers in the faith. This is nonsense to the natural mind, but it is the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps there are so few like David in our generation because so few have made or are making choices with the intent to produce righteousness in their great-grandchildren.

Judah chose righteously, as did Salmon, Rahab, Boaz, Ruth and Jesse. All of their choices, for good and for bad, helped form the infrastructure of David’s heart, and we will look at this over the course of the next few articles.

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Our Earnest Need for the Spirit of Elijah By Mike McClung

2011-12-02T17:04:00.001-05:00

God has promised to send another release of the Spirit of Elijah before the Lord’s return. What does the Father long to reveal through the spirit of Elijah that is so desperately needed today? A glimpse back to the times when God has previously released this Spirit will help us understand His purpose and recognize our need to earnestly seek that which will awaken us to rend our hearts and prepare for the coming King.

In Mathew 11:14, Jesus declares to the people that John the Baptist is Elijah, “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” He came to prepare the hearts of the people so they could receive the message of the Kingdom. John the Baptist lived an austere, fasted life. He was completely sold out to the heart of God and the message he carried from God. He was born to prepare the way for the One who would fully reveal the Father’s will. In John, the spirit of Elijah turned the hearts of the people to repentance. This is how they were made ready to embrace the Lord. Only the Spirit could draw people that were steeped in religious tradition to embrace the uncompromised truth that John the Baptist lived through his radical lifestyle. John who remained in the desert, dressed in camel’s hair and eating locust and honey, drew crowds ranging from kings and priests to common people. Just as God separated John unto Himself, God drew and separated people from their spiritual traditions in order to hear the truth.

John’s radical lifestyle and message brought people to repentance. Elijah’s message and demonstration of the Spirit caused people to repent. Both men revealed the heart of the Father.

To understand what God is going to do today, we need to look at the circumstances surrounding how God released the spirit of Elijah in previous generations. The same circumstances in culture surrounded the times of Elijah and John the Baptist. Both cultures were in a feeble, backslidden spiritual condition as a result of what they worshiped. Both cultures were steeped in religious traditions introduced by men through demonic agents.

In the days of Elijah, Jezebel introduced Baal worship (1 Kings 13-19). The “spirit of Jezebel” worked through sensuality, witchcraft, immorality and idolatry. Jezebel introduced and expanded Baal worship in Israel. Baal is the god of power and sex. Wild orgies which included unbridled sexuality and child sacrifice fueled Baal’s power in the days of Elijah. In the days of John the Baptist, the greed, jealousy, control and religious traditions of the Pharisees and Sadducees blinded the eyes and the heart of the people to who Father God actually was. This is still Baal worship only it is fueled by a lust for power.

When the people are blind and filled with spiritual and moral delusion, God sends a prophet to bring people to repentance. This is His mercy! Repentance opens the way to the heart of the Father. God sends the Spirit of Elijah to restore the Fatherhood of God, and fatherhood in general. The primary motivation in God’s heart is to restore relationship: both vertically and horizontally. For this to happen, there must be a destruction of mindsets (strongholds) through embracing the truth, and self must go to the cross. This is the message of Jesus: “…the Son is able to do nothing of Himself.” (John 5:19). We must repent (change our minds), and take self to the cross.

The ministry of the prophet is to turn the hearts of the people back to the Father and the hearts of one generation to another (Mal. 4:5-6). The ministry of every father should be to capture the hearts of the children and have them join him in pursuing Father God, and transfer this heart attitude and alignment to succeeding generations. In 1 Kings 18 we see Elijah call out to a generational God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:36-39)

Elijah restored a true picture of the Father and demolished what had blinded the people and prevented them from seeing God. The revival, pictured in the descending rains, followed quickly after Elijah’s travailing intercession.

Throughout scripture, we witness this pattern of spiritual fathers demonstrating the heart of the Father which leads their spiritual children to repentance. Jeremiah faithfully and consistently delivered a message of repentance to the people, although none would turn.

Jesus declares the dangerous power behind the false religious traditions of His day in Mark 7. Their traditions had made the Word of God of no effect. People could not hear or perceive God because they were so deceived by the lack of truth. God had to send someone radically different to “wake” people up! In God’s final call of mercy to the nation of Israel and Jerusalem, He sent the Spirit of Elijah once more. Some did hear like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea.

God told the prophet Jeremiah to stop praying for Israel (Jer. 14) because they had gone so far that He could no longer reach them, and He would wipe them off the earth like one wiping a dirty dish (2 Kings 21:13). When there is no difference between the world and the church, God sends a father to turn the hearts of the people back to the Father. This is mercy in action, because it is never God’s heart to judge or punish…He longs to be merciful and bring redemption!

I believe the church, and our nation, is at such a juncture once more. In my opinion, the vast majority of churches have been seduced by the wiles of “Jezebel”. The lust for power rules and whether it is “signs and wonders” or “programs”, the motive is the same. Ministry becomes self-centered and self-serving.

Isaiah 4:1 says:

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying,
"We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel;
Only let us be called by your name,
To take away our reproach."

This speaks of the spiritual condition of the church in the last days. The seven women represent the seven churches of Revelation 2-3. What they wear represents their lifestyle and behavior while what they eat represents what they believe (doctrine). It is their intention to remain in their apostate spiritual condition, but seek a covering to safeguard appearances.

More importantly, we are faced with the crucial common denominator of previous generations: our Father is rarely experienced within the church, and the body of Christ rarely expresses His holy character and nature. This is what led Jesus to righteous indignation to clear out the temple (Matt. 21:12-14). His displeasure always peaked when relationship with the Father could not be experienced! Is this not the state of the church today? We are in desperate need of the Spirit of Elijah to come once more to bring a repentant heart and a clear and distinct picture of our Father.

When the Spirit of Elijah comes once again, at least a remnant of God’s people will be broken once more and return fully to Him. This time there will be the powerful demonstration of signs and wonders, which characterized Elijah’s ministry, along with the brokenness and repentance that was experienced through the ministry of John the Baptist.

This joining to the heart of the Father, and the joining of the generations is one of our most critical needs. The last word of the Old Covenant scriptures is “curse” (Mal. 4:6). The curse will remain in effect until the restoration of this relationship, vertically with our heavenly Father, and horizontally between the generations is healed. Will standing in the gap to see this restored be a priority, or will we continue on in our tradition and comfort?

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

A Message for Kingdom Pioneers - By Mike McClung

2011-11-01T17:57:00.003-04:00

[Note: Though this article was first published early last year, we feel the Lord's leading to re-release it. Blessings.]

I am very thankful for those pioneers of the kingdom of God, going all the way back to Abraham, who braved the unknown and the scorn of others to press forward in their obedience to God’s call and leading. We owe everything we are and have to the spiritual and natural pioneers who faced misunderstanding and death at almost every turn to pave the way for those of us in this day to settle and enjoy the blessings and benefits both from the spiritual and natural dimensions. There are many pioneers still moving forward into realms yet unreached for no other reason than they heard the voice of Abba call them, and they’ve left all to pursue Him, out of love and simple obedience. This is a lonely, misunderstood and often dangerous place to be, fraught with spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and relational pressure and warfare that most do not or care not to know. I have a message for those pioneers that answered the call of God to press into the unknown…you are NOT a failure.

Having been on the cusp of pioneering a work hitherto unknown in the region we are planted in, I know of what I speak. Besides the warfare that comes from many in the body of Christ that think you’re crazy at best, and walking in heresy, at worst, those who are called to be pioneers face demonic warfare in the “outback” that those who have settled for comfortable Christianity have never faced…YET. That time has changed, and the invasion of demonic darkness into western culture is now rising to the levels we’ve only seen in third world countries in Asia and Africa. It is unfortunate that the indictment of Ezekiel against the leaders and prophets of his day stands as an indictment against us in the western church today. Ezekiel 13:5 (NKJV) says, You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. The corporate church and the individual believer have not been prepared for battle and it’s evident by how quickly believers cave into pressure, get offended, break their word or fail to be faithful to serve the Lord and one another. Pioneers who have pressed past their own comfort to embrace the cross of Christ within, in order to prepare a way, a place and a people for His presence and His purposes are having to deal with a great sense of failure. A lot of this is because of the lack of response by God’s people to the Holy Spirit’s message and work through these pioneers. My word from the Lord, again, to those pioneers…you are NOT a failure!

Pioneers have failings but if they have obeyed and endured, they are NOT failures. Pioneers make “all” the mistakes, because they have gone into places no one else has gone, except for the Lord Himself. Pioneers are not promised they will not make mistakes, but just like Moses, God promises to “be with them.” Pioneers are called by God to follow Him, and, if they make mistakes, LEARN from them, recover, adjust and press on.

As a pioneer, have you ever gone into a boxed canyon? You might have thought, “What have I done? How did I miss God? If I were only more (fill in the blank), this would not have happened.” You have not failed. Repent for any self-pity, come out of the boxed canyon and place a sign there that says, “Boxed canyon…don’t go in there!” Your seeming failure becomes a path that succeeding generations and followers will not have to take. Having failings does not make us a failure. If we learn from them, it makes us wise, vulnerable and ever more sensitive to the leadings and voice of the Holy Spirit.

Recently I was dealing with this very same question of appearing to be a failure because the success of the ministry seemed in great doubt. While out prayer walking and seeking the Lord, He asked me a question: Was Abraham a failure? Remember Elijah, son! That’s all He said to me, but every failing I have experienced and every burden I’d been under was instantly lifted off my heart. I have had many failings, both personal and ministerial, but the Lord was letting me know that I was not a failure in His eyes because I kept moving forward in obedience to Him.

Both Abraham and Elijah obeyed the Lord and launched out as pioneers into unexplored territory filled with incredible demonic activity. They simply obeyed in love, not knowing what to expect but knowing who called them and they were convinced He was faithful to keep them. Both men had personal struggles and failures. I would say that Ishmael is a pretty big failure that we’re still reaping the consequences of today! But, in spite of Abraham’s failings, he was not a failure in God’s sight. Both Abraham and Elijah received God’s “stamp” of approval for their faith and obedience.

Like Abraham, there are many daring to tread into uncharted wilderness territory where nobody has gone before. “Abe” was told to leave his family, who were idolaters who practiced child sacrifice. He had to leave the familiar to engage God’s presence and promises. He had to find the fatherhood of God, and be trained in His ways, so he, in turn, could become the father of many nations the Lord had promised (not to mention, the salvation of the whole human race through the child of promise – Jesus – who would come forth!). There were no fathers on the earth at that time who were examples of the Father in heaven! None. Abraham was not only being called to go to a land Abba would eventually give to a covenant people, but to bring a transformation to human fatherhood by revealing His own Fatherhood, in type, through Abraham. Abraham was a pioneer, not just of a land and a people, but of bringing the Fatherhood of God back to the human race, so He could be known and experienced as Abba. Abraham had many failings, but he was not a failure!

To all those pioneers who have answered God’s call to uncharted spiritual or other territory: you may failed in certain ways or certain things, but you are not a failure!

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

First Steps in the New Season of Restoration - By Mike McClung

2011-10-13T16:09:00.003-04:00

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor. 10:4-6)

One recent morning I awoke with this thought: To fully enter this new season of restoration, all illusion must be relinquished. You cannot have any disillusion in your life any longer. We have truly moved into a new season (some are calling a new “era”) which the scripture describes as the “season of the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Moving into and occupying a new season, just like moving into a new place, are two different things. We must not just enter the season, but we must “occupy.” We cannot occupy this new place (new wineskin) with old patterns over which the flesh, the world or the enemy had dominion. These places must first be surrendered and then demolished. Then full recovery and restoration can be released and these new seasons in the Lord can be fully entered and occupied.

To be delivered from illusion (and subsequently the soul-pounding heartbreak of dis-illusionment), means that every lie and false construct we have built, or allowed to be built, in our minds and emotions must give way to the truth and reality found in Christ and His purposes. To be disillusioned means I have somewhere constructed in my mind, emotions and will some “illusion” of the way I think things should be, or are going to be, instead of how they actually are and have been determined by the Lord. Moses, upon realizing his call as Israel’s deliverer, immediately set about to accomplish this task, knowing he was called, but doing it as he had "illusioned” in his mind and heart. The outcome? Death and a 40-year education in humility and brokenness through which all such illusions were shattered and removed. The Lord watches over His word to perform it (Jer. 1:12), but He will not “perform” my interpretation of the word, dream or vision. He does not fulfill His promise the way I necessarily think it should be, based on my comfort, ease or personal fulfillment. If there’s disillusion in my life, it means somewhere I have allowed a lie to penetrate my heart. These illusions/lies can even be based on promises from the Lord, where we have attempted to “make them happen” in our own wisdom, strength and zeal, and have not waited upon the Lord to fulfill them. It is here that many have grown weary and tired through deferred hope. I have to realize that I must have hope in that which is reality according to God’s nature and plan, and not hope that’s based on my false illusions, assumptions or personal plans and pursuits.

To remain in such a state of illusion (false hope) means an open door of affliction, temptation and enforcement of patterns of iniquity. Hope and faith in actuality become false hope and faith, and are used as tormenting tools of the enemy that keeps the negative effects and the vicious cycles of disappointment, woundedness and iniquities entrenched. Illusion becomes a driving force in the emotional area of our lives, much like a godly passion and zeal do, but become like a carrot held in front of us, year after year, with no fulfillment in sight. When the strongholds of illusion are removed, as we see in the training of the wilderness in Moses’ life, the Lord is then free to release the fullness of His promises and purposes, because the vessel is set aside with no personal or pre-conceived bias. There is no room for offense or disappointment as the Lord, Himself, has become the sole object of affection. The emotions are set aside for Him and not the fulfillment of our personal destiny, business or ministry. His desire becomes our desire. His ways become our ways. His destiny becomes our destiny….

A prayer: Abba, search me and try me, and bring to the surface any stronghold of illusion in me. The lies and “false hope and faith” that have deceived and deluded me, I give you permission to dismantle and destroy. May true change, recovery, restoration and transformation now come and be established in and through me in this new season. Let Your word, promises and purposes now be fulfilled...YOUR way. Amen.

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

The Fullness of Time By Mike McClung

2011-09-06T21:06:00.001-04:00

The last few years have been the most volatile, unstable and stressful in memory. From a natural standpoint, fear and failing faith seem to be “standard operating procedure” – IF we have failed to understand Who is allowing all of the shaking for His own purposes.

Transition is all around us, and very prominent within the individual and corporate life of the body of Christ. We are moving into a new season that has been prophesied about by not only different prophetic voices, but also in the scripture itself. To move into this new season means we must leave that past season and the things of the past season.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times (kairos) of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times (chronos – season) of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)

We have been in an “opportune” (kairos) time of preparation to enter the new “season” (chronos) of restoration that must come to prepare the bride of Christ, the nations and the earth for the return of the Lord. We are fast approaching this “fullness of time” where the sovereign will and purposes of God converge with the faith and preparation of His people. This will establish agreement between heaven and earth that will allow His kingdom power and purposes to enter into the world’s sphere on an unprecedented level. This fullness of time is upon us. Here are a few thoughts on how to know the timing of the Lord is here….

The Dealing of the Lord with Internal Hindrances

To enter through the “narrow gate” of transition (see Matt. 7:13-14), the Lord begins to deal with internal hindrances within the individual member and corporate body of Christ.

Four of these greatest hindrances are: 1) offenses, which include unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment and subsequent anger and revenge; 2) ambition – which is anything that stems from self-reliance, self-fulfillment and control issues; 3) jealousy; 4) critical, judgmental or rebellious attitudes and actions. All of these aforementioned sins and hindrances are rooted in pride, and subsequently render us unable to pass through the transitional gate and temporarily disqualify us until we allow the Holy Spirit to deal with them. This does mean that we have to be “perfect,” but we must have our hearts perfectly turned toward Him in submission. This means we cannot justify ourselves or shift blame when we’re confronted with these weaknesses and sins.

No Way Out

Another way to know the fullness of time is upon us is that we have utterly come to the end of our own strength and wits. If I still have “fight” in me, or if I can still manipulate or try to bargain my way out the fullness of time has not come.

The vision is still in our hearts, just as it was with Joseph when he was in prison, but we realize it’s now impossible to see it fulfilled without direct intervention from the Lord. All fleshly attempts prove useless. In seeing this through, the Lord wants the glory!

Supernatural Release of Favor

The fullness of time has come when the Lord does a work or releases favor to us that is completely outside ourselves, our influence or our resources.

The Lord initiates transitional change by causing a situation in which our gifting, graces or wisdom will be the only remedy or answer. God gave Pharaoh two dreams that only Joseph could interpret. All human wisdom or resources fail, but the Lord supernaturally opens a door for the fulfillment of His promises and destiny.

Failure Turns to Victory

The fullness of time has come when the Lord works successfully at the exact point where we have failed in the past.

This could be a personal or vocational failure. But, out of nowhere, the point of failure is overcome and the ancillary ramifications are turned. We have not understood that the Lord has actually been demonstrating His love and mercy to us in allowing human effort to fail. He has been silently developing endurance in us, and this endurance produces character (Romans 5:4). Greater Christlike character can hold up when breakthrough comes, as our character can now support the authority and approbation that comes with it. When the victory comes, everything now reflects His beauty and glory and nothing of the flesh can receive any merit.

Christlike Character Formed

As previously stated above, God’s timing comes as Christlike character is developed. Our character has been so thoroughly disciplined and trained (Heb. 12:6-8) that we now can stand before kings without intimidation, compromise or be a reproach to Him!

God Moves Someone Else on Our Behalf

We also know the fullness of time has come when the Lord moves someone else to intercede or be a resource on our behalf.

Some else will plead our cause without us having to defend, vindicate or promote ourselves. Our anointing, graces, and dominion gifting are touted by others and not ourselves, and others begin to seek us out without any hint of self-aggrandizing. The Lord is glorified and our faith is strengthened and extended because we KNOW the Lord did this.

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org
www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Spiritual Warfare: Two Views in the Church By Mike McClung

2011-08-19T10:11:00.001-04:00

Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Acts 10:38: “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

I John 3:8: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Eph. 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The Lord created both the earth and man, good. Both have been seized by hostile, evil forces that are seeking to destroy both earth and man, and also God’s plan and design for time and eternity. The Cross of Christ has completely defeated Satan, all of his minions, and every work of the enemy. The church is now the means by which this defeat is to be enforced and all the powers of darkness subjugated to the will of God.

The “problem of evil” has two primary theological philosophies. The first is the classical view of God, the enemy and evil. An overview of this sees evil as a problem related to God’s providence and character. Augustine held this view, as well as many others throughout church history. The assumptions of this view are: 1. God is loving and good, and, 2. God sovereignly holds meticulous, micromanagement over the earth and all men. This view holds that although God is not the direct agent of evil and bad things, He is indirectly involved because He has some hidden purpose behind allowing this evil to happen.

The second view of evil is the warfare worldview. This base of this worldview assumes God is not in complete control of either man nor the earth, and evil forces are exercising themselves in direct opposition to His nature, desires, will and purposes. God is not exercising meticulous, exhaustive control over the world because when He gave dominion to man, He never took it back, nor could He. If He had stepped in after pronouncing the laws and rules governing the earth and its creatures, processes and purposes, apart from man who was given dominion, God would have been found to be a breaker of His own word and laws. Apart from cooperating humans, God has limited Himself from operating, and will not intervene apart from His people who love, obey and willingly cooperate with Him. This is the paradigm we see acted out in the life of the Lord Jesus and the early church.

The former classical view encourages an approach to evil that defines it as an intellectual problem to be solved, rather than an opponent to be defeated. We theologize about evil instead of waging war against it. What we see in the Lord Jesus and the New Testament church is not a people intellectually baffled by evil, but those who are spiritually empowered to engage, defeat and vanquish it. To wage an effectual warfare, all evil must be understood as something that is unequivocally against God and God is unequivocally against it.

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To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org/
www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace

www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Special Announcement From Lionheart/ The Prayer Furnace...

2011-08-09T15:48:00.005-04:00

To All Friends of Lionheart/ The Prayer Furnace,

The Lord is speaking clearly and many mature prophetic voices have confirmed it: the Body of Christ is heading into a season like never before, and it is nearly upon us. The Lord has spoken to us specifically at Lionheart for many months that we should be prepared for big changes starting in September this year. Therefore, with this in mind, we are taking a Sabbath as a ministry for the next four weeks starting today.

Much like the nation of Israel in Joshua 5, the Lord often requires His people to renew the covenant with Him before He releases us to take the next step of His plan. While the sign of the old covenant was circumcision, the sign of the new covenant is the Cross. To us this means that the Lord is calling us as a ministry and body to take time out of our normal schedule to draw near to Him with the purpose of letting the Holy Spirit search us, try us and see if there be any wicked way in us (Psalm 139:23-24). It is a time to repent of and seek cleansing from any outstanding sins, offenses, etc. the Lord brings to our attention.

All are welcome to participate in this Sabbath, but please note that we will be adjusting our schedule and changing some of our services from now until Sunday, September 4th. The following is a short summary of changes:

The Prayer Furnace: The Sabbath schedule of the Prayer Furnace will be Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm, until Tuesday, September 6th (Tuesdays and Fridays the building will remain open until the end of each service) when it will return to the current schedule. We will be closed Monday, September 5th for Labor Day. During this time, all of our regular watches will be suspended so that our staff can seek the Lord. We will play instrumental CDs in the sanctuary to keep a devotional atmosphere.

Lionheart Services: Lionheart Restoration Ministries will offer three services of worship and teaching for the next four weeks: Sunday mornings at 10:00am, Tuesday nights at 7:00pm, and Friday nights at 7:00pm. The teaching during this time will mainly focus on shoring up the foundations of spiritual life.

It is our hope that by allowing the Cross to work deeper in us during this special time, we will be better prepared to establish the Kingdom of God in the coming season.

For more information on this Sabbath, call 865-984-0302 or email David Townsend at support@lionheartministries.org

Grace and peace,
Mike McClung, Director of Lionheart Restoration Ministries/ The Prayer Furnace of East TN

To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace
www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Tearing Down Our Idols – Part 3 – Mammon, By Mike McClung

2011-07-21T14:46:00.002-04:00

Matt. 6:19-33: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?..Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?..For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

A quote attributed to Martin Luther states the last thing to be converted to Christ in one’s life is one’s purse. Through the years I have found this to be true in my own life, as well as the lives of those to whom I minister and pastor.

The above statement of Jesus is not just exciting theory…this is the way He lived, and it’s the way He expects all that follow Him to live. You cannot serve God and mammon (money and material riches). “Americanized” Christianity seeks to bring a synergism between the world system, currently dominated by the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and a Christ-centered lifestyle. A Christ-centered lifestyle means a life submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit where His life is manifested in and through us. Trying to reconcile the commands and lifestyle of the Lord Jesus and a lifestyle dominated by the powers of this age is impossible. It is my observation that this is the place to which many of us western cultured Christians have fallen. We are trying to love two different masters, and the one true Master will not be shared with another. Americanized Christianity embraces all of the elements and practices of the culture and adds Jesus to the mix, trying our best to fit Him into our thinking and lifestyles. This kind of mindset and action is demonstrated no more clearly than in our thinking and practices surrounding money.

The world system (Babylon in the book of Revelation) is built on a cistern or “get all you can” mentality and practice. The kingdom of God is built upon God’s nature, and that nature is a conduit, or “give away all you can” mentality and practice. Jesus emphatically stated that we cannot serve God and money. One verse out of every three in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) has a warning about money and its ability to affect our hearts with covetousness and idolatry. We can easily end up trusting in money, material and riches (mammon) instead of simple dependence and obedience upon Abba as our Source. This becomes idolatry.

The Lord tells us to put our financial wealth into kingdom/eternal investments. It has been my experience that most of us in western Christendom think that in the giving of our tithes and offerings, we expect things to operate according to the world’s money system. If we give $100, we will get a 30-, 60-, or 100-fold return as money (or as some heretically preach, a miracle for us). What if the Lord told us, as He did the “rich, young ruler” in Matt. 19:16-22, to give away everything to the poor, and that we would never see worldly wealth or riches again, but in so doing we would store up heavenly treasures and develop a relationship close enough to the Lord to become like Him and do all that He did? Would we choose to “trade up” or go away sorrowful as the young synagogue ruler did? The world’s mindset is that if I invest financial resources, then I should see a reaping of financial resources with some kind of interest added. This is the world’s “success” mindset. This may or may not be true if we’re investing in (seeking) the kingdom of God first.

Here’s an example…. Chad Taylor is a good friend of mine, and part of what the Lord is presently having him do is a “basketball/tennis shoe” outreach. I love it! He is prayerfully giving away name brand, pretty high-end basketball/tennis shoes to young men who probably could not purchase them because of their present economic status. Many, if not all of these young men, are surrendering to Christ or at least awakening to the fact of the all-consuming love of God. Those who invest financially to purchase these shoes see NO financial return on their investment, but they do see an eternal/kingdom return. When was the last time, above our tithe, that we were even open to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit to invest this kind of money into eternal/kingdom investments, with absolutely no thought of financial return? By the way, if you want to make a kingdom investment in what God’s doing through Chad, go to www.consumingfire.com for more information.

Many with this “Americanized Christianity” mindset will invest in what may appear to be successful according to the dictates of the world: appearance, professionalism, education, etc. This is how deep the demonic mindset of the age has penetrated our thinking and lifestyles. We need to repent of such idolatry and develop a mindset and lifestyle of becoming a conduit of the Lord’s resources, which includes finances. The world’s money system is about to fail. It will set the stage for either an antichrist system and figure to capture the hearts and minds of the people (Rev. 13), or the kingdom system of Jesus Christ to do the same. The former will result in bondage, death and destruction, and the latter in life, peace and protection (see Isaiah 25 & 26).

Jesus gave away everything the Father gave Him. He was God’s conduit to bring heaven to earth. He has called us to be the same…just like Himself. He told us to freely give away what we had been freely given (Matt. 10:8). Let’s not become a “Dead Sea.” The Dead Sea is always receiving fresh supply, and it hoards all it receives, never giving out. The Dead Sea is just that…dead! Nothing, except bacteria, can live in it and it cannot support any life from its reserves. What a cistern!

To find out more about Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN, visit us at:

www.lionheartministries.org

www.facebook.com/lionheartprayerfurnace
www.twitter.com/thelionrestores

Tearing Down Our Idols, Part 2 By Mike McClung

2011-07-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them. Selah. (Psalm 54:1-3)

What does it mean to be “vindicated” by the Lord? I have found myself praying the prayer of the Psalmist for vindication for several years now. There have been literally years of misunderstanding, slander, offense, etc, that I and Lionheart Ministries have been on the receiving end of. Some of what has been said is deserved, as many mistakes and weaknesses have been exposed over the years. But most has been accusation that is beyond plausibility for rational thought. This type of regressive warfare and stress (friendly fire) begins to take its toll on the spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical health of both individuals and a corporate covenant community. In light of these “momentary light afflictions,” one begins to cry out to the Lord, as the Psalmist did, for “vindication.” Is it righteous, Christlike vindication that one seeks? It is now my experience that what I thought it was to be vindicated by the Lord is actually the seeking of human retribution, at least at a motivational level. Such is the insidiousness and subtlety of the deception of the “idol” of self-preservation.

Vindication from God does not mean that all lies, gossip, slander, abuse, etc. that has been committed against us is righted. It does not mean that the Lord will payback with stern retribution those who have slighted or wounded us. Justice from God IS reaping what we sow if we do not repent. However, He desires to show mercy even to those who commit hurtful or hateful acts against us, just as He did to those who crucified Him. Until this test is passed, the fulfillment of His will and purposes remains blocked.

Most of the time vindication from the Lord means entering into the fullness of His purposes and promises with no justification or explanation from Him to anyone, including us. Everyone may have been convinced that they had you “figured out” or “counted out”, like Joseph in prison in Egypt (Gen. 30-41), or even the Lord Jesus Himself during His earthly ministry. God proclaims His vindication by fulfilling His word and calling, with little or no explanation. When Jesus rose from the dead, there was no angelic visitation into the homes of the Pharisees or Roman authorities saying, “Nyaah, nyaah, nyaah, nyaah, nyaah!” The resurrection itself was Abba’s vindication of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus, saying “You’re all wrong and He’s right, and you better change your minds!”

If I’m waiting for God to convince everyone that I’ve been misunderstood, wronged or even abused, I will continue to wait in disappointment and in the training room of a wrongful imprisonment. If I will forgive, leave justice in the Lord’s hands and get on with His purpose in and through me, I will enter into the place of the fulfillment of His purpose. Joseph was completely incapable of vindicating his innocence or making anything happen in prison (Gen. 39-41). Entering into the promise of God for his life, literally overnight, was something only God could make happen. When Joseph was promoted, there was never a vindication or pronunciation of his innocence, even though he was!

The desire for vindication in human eyes remains one of the biggest blockages and stumblingblocks to fulfilling the Lord’s purposes in our lives. Vindication, from a human point of view, becomes more of a prideful “I told you so” or a subtle vengeance on those who have wronged us. It remains as an idolatry of the heart because my glory, and not the Lord’s glory, becomes the focal point.

Tearing Down Our Idols By Mike McClung

2011-06-28T21:04:00.000-04:00

Jonah 2:8: Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. (NKJV)

1 John 5:21: Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

On June 7, the beginning of the festival of Shavaot (Pentecost), I began to have serious heart arrhythmias combined with classic symptoms of heart malfunction – shortness of breath, chest pain, etc. I believe we are entering a new season where, if we will position ourselves biblically, we will have a great refreshing, infilling release of the Holy Spirit. This is to prepare us for a new season beginning on Rosh Hashanah described in scripture as the “season of the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:19-21). I was expecting a great release of deep repentance and power to come. I still have those expectations, but with the current state of my heart problems, the Lord has radically altered my conception of what is required.

After spending a day in the hospital and gladly returning back home and to the Prayer Furnace prayer room, I spent the morning following my hospital stay seeking the Lord on what was happening to me. I sat down in my little place and prayed, “Lord, You have my attention. What is happening?” His reply was quite shocking to me….

He told me that He so wanted to bring me into a deeper experience of intimacy, power and friendship with Him but He could not because I had “murder” in my heart. 1 John 3:15 states that if we hate our brother we have murdered them. I had not realized how much bitterness, anger and hatred had built up in my heart since my early years, specifically toward one person in my life, and had been compounded by the years spent in intercession and dealing with the body of Christ. I had literally “deified” my own personal problems and wounds for years, and after many years of intense spiritual warfare and stress, like a beach ball held under the water, there was no way to “manage” them any longer. Ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my soul, they were now manifesting in my physical health. What had been “managed” through soul power could no longer be held under the surface. My tares were apparent, and unless I worked with my Husbandman to remove them, there was no way to move forward, much less live a life without severe internal and health ramifications.

One of the greatest revelations to come to me over the last few weeks is the depth of idolatry that exists in my life and in the lives of those who name of the name of Jesus. We have so embraced the culture and spirit of the world in the church, that the idolatry of self just about permeates every facet of our lives…even our worship and “ministries.” One of these extant idolatries that the Lord began to deal with in me is that of “compartmentalization,” or how we live our lives according the standards and dictates of the age, with “Jesus” added to them, literally believing that this is biblical Christianity. It took a major health breakdown to awaken me to just how deep these tentacles have rooted in me. May the Lord grant us grace to not have to “train wreck” to allow the Holy Spirit to uproot and remove these idols of self that have overtaken us!

In continuing this journey, I have come to realize more than ever that there is no such thing as “secular” and “sacred.” Such compartmentalization of our lives is rooted in and bears the ugly fruit of idolatry. All things are sacred, if they can be ruled over by the Lord Jesus Christ. If it is something over which He cannot rule because of His intrinsic holiness, then it is not “sacred” and it is definitely not “secular.” It is evil, ruled over by a creator-wannabe.

The earth and all it contains belong to the Lord (Psalm 24:1-2), but the purpose to which our human spirit yields them, including the internal thoughts and reasonings of the soul, determine if they are ruled by Jesus Christ or Satan. There are things we will not do, will not look at, will not listen to, etc. If the soul is submitted to the Holy Spirit, His grace will permeate our souls and bodies by experimental, consistent practice (Eph. 3:14-22). We stand and overcome because our spirits have been filled with, consistently yielded to and obeyed God’s Spirit in soul and body. If not, then the breakdown of all these components of our lives is inevitable.

The central factor in this is something or someone is receiving more attention and obedience that the Lord Jesus. Idolatry. This is a season of re-thinking everything and allowing the Lord to completely rearrange the thought processes and furniture of our lives. Another word for this is repentance. Idolatry permeates our society and we can have no power over it if there is something we allow more control over us than Him.

A Fresh Look at "Desiring God," by Patty King

2011-06-24T13:48:00.008-04:00

In Desiring God, John Piper presents his powerful case for Christian hedonism. Having previously associated the word “hedonism” with the selfish, pleasure seeking lifestyle which served as a main contributor to the collapse of the Roman Empire, it took quite some convincing to turn both my head and heart around to embrace Piper’s message.

After reading Henri Nouwen’s two books The Way of the Heart and Clowning in Rome which immediately grabbed my heart and revealed so much of my cold love towards God, there was a serious disconnect for me with Piper’s approach which largely builds on deductive reasoning. While the first two books exposed the barrenness of my heart, Piper’s message revealed the necessary connection between heart and mind and how both are intricately connected in our relationship with God. Even though at the core of our being we were made to enjoy God and be enjoyed by Him, the disconnect between heart and mind make us err in one of two ways.

If we only have heartfelt passion and lack knowledge and understanding of God, we will become “Charismaniacs.” By this I mean searching for the next “high” in God—singing, shouting, jumping, cheering, but not really “knowing” the God to whom we are cheering. If we remain intellectual in our faith, we risk becoming a Pharisee, absorbed with rules and regulations and never walking in relationship.

The culmination of this understanding came in the chapter titled “Worship.” Piper writes: “Strong affections for God, rooted in and shaped by the truth of Scripture—this is the bone and marrow of worship. Therefore Christian Hedonism is passionately opposed to all attempts to drive a wedge between deep thought and deep feeling. It rejects the common notion that profound reflection dries up fervent affection. It resists the assumption that intense emotion thrives only in the absence of coherent doctrine.”

I am indebted to Piper for exposing in myself the pendulum swing of either a heart or head encounter with the Lord, when really He wants me to enjoy Him fully and wholly. Piper’s insights about joy have also made me understand the power and strength of a joyful relationship with the Lord that continually grows in experiential knowledge, as well as passion. I understand now why joy will be an integral weapon that will bring strength and help us to endure the suffering that we will see and experience in the days ahead.

An Opportune Time of Refreshing; A Season of Restoration

2011-06-03T11:11:00.005-04:00

Acts 3:19-21: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

At the beginning of 2011, the Lord gave me this scripture as a template of what would be coming over the next few months, and then afterward, the following years. The Lord indicated that the body of Christ would be entering a kairos window of opportunity to align ourselves with Him and His purposes in a greater way, which would be attended by a great in-breaking of the Holy Spirit. The word for “times” in verse 19 is kairos, or the now, opportune timing of God. It is usually a very short window of time for us to align ourselves with the will of God, or the moment will be missed and may take years to come back around. This is what happened in the wilderness when the Israelites refused to obey the Lord and enter the land of Canaan, choosing instead to cave-in to the fear and unbelief emanating from their mindsets and emotional wounds and bondages formed in Egypt. Because they refused to trust God and actually accused Him of mischief, that generation, except for a Joshua and Caleb, missed God’s plan, and delayed it for another generation. A new, kairos moment is now upon us.

On June 1, 2011, I had an encounter with the Lord in our Prayer Furnace prayer room, in which the Lord told me that an “opportune moment” to enter into this “time of refreshing” is now open. The opportune moment will remain open until Rosh Hashanah, when the next phase of His plan, the “season of the restoration of all things” begins. The world is experiencing the remedial judgments of God on an unprecedented level in order to turn as many to repentance as possible. We are facing spiritual warfare, as the world is facing natural warfare, in an unprecedented way and on an unprecedented level. We must have a greater intimacy, holiness, anointing and authority to deal with the level of darkness and evil that’s arising. But, this is promised in Isaiah 60:1-3…when darkness and gross darkness begins to cover, His glory will arise within and upon His people.

Some of the best exegesis of Acts 3:19 I could find says that when the kairos moment comes, that the “refreshing” could actually be translated as the “violent blowing of God’s Wind.” Such is what happened on the day of Pentecost, and subsequent outpourings throughout history. This refreshing, life-changing and empowering release of the Spirit has been prophesied about for years. This outpouring would precede a great harvest of the earth (Gentile harvest), leading to the full restoration of the nation of Israel and the bodily return of the Lord Jesus. I’m not saying this is the “last” time of refreshing, but I do believe we’ve entered this window that will empower and refresh us from the past few years of hard endurance that most have had to press through. This past season of endurance testing is closing. This kairos of refreshing will bring vindication, validation and restoration to the heart, lives, ministries and businesses of those saints who would not compromise in the past season of endurance. In spite of all the hardships, they kept worshipping and pressing on even when there was no reason to worship and press on. Now is the time of great release, empowering and preparation to enter the chronos – the extended time period/season (Acts 3:21) – where all that the prophets prophesied about, plus all the prophetic words and promises the Lord has given His church, will begin to be fulfilled.

This season of restoration will also be a season of great spiritual and natural war and conflict. The land and promises must be contended for! The land of Canaan was given to the Israelites, but they had to yield to the Lord and fight for it. Actually, it was the Lord fighting for them, but the Lord has set it forth that His purposes in the earth must be partnered and participated in by humanity.

We’re preparing for war, but the Lord is going to carry this battle and we will fight from a standpoint of joy and victory. In an April holiday/ministry trip to Wales and Northern Ireland, I was given an open vision during an evening worship time in some very close friend’s church in Wales. In this vision, I saw the Lord open the door to a room that was dark on the inside. He went into this room and brought out a box full of rolled-up, sealed scrolls. There were literally dozens, or more, of them in the box. I immediately knew that these were unfulfilled prophetic words, promises, strategies and visions the Lord had personally given to me, either directly or through prophetic words from others. I knew what they were as I could see the title written on the outside. The word was never fulfilled because it was still rolled up and sealed. I saw the Lord, joyfully, begin to take each scroll, break its seal, and then unfurl them and begin to hand them to angelic beings that would immediately be dispatched. I knew that the fulfillment of these promises, strategies and blueprints were now being set in motion. The Lord also told me that this was not just for me, but for all those who had successfully passed the test of the wilderness, endurance testings. By the way, the passing of the test had nothing to do with being bigger, better, glory, etc. You passed the test, in spite of your flesh and failures, if you kept pressing forward in faith and endurance!

Now is the time to set ourselves aside to Him in devotion, worship and stillness to allow Him to “refresh” – loose the violent blowing of His Wind – to prepare us for the season about to break forth. I had seen in visions on June 1 many that I know who have been pressing through this past season of endurance. I saw the Lord come and breathe on them, and several of them received a new ring on their hands. The past season was a season of lack, testing, misunderstanding, seeming loss, etc., but if we will repent and align ourselves with Him, He will bring vindication, validation, refreshing and restoration as we move deeper into His end-time purposes. The Tabernacle of David is about to be fully restored in the body of Christ. The government of God is about to be restored in maturity (Eph. 4:11-16). The gospel of the kingdom is about to be restored in power and purity, without leaven. Great and ominous things wait on the horizon!

The Unveiling of Jesus as Judge, Part 3 - By Mike McClung

2011-04-28T14:46:00.000-04:00

Meeting Christ As Judge

The depth of intimacy with our Lord affords a liberty and honesty in our relationship like no other. No one will ever know us to the minutest detail as He. We have great assurance and confidence in Him, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus, as the perfect Husband, exhibits an unparalleled patience with His bride. He affords us an extended grace period or honeymoon, where we become secure in His undying love. When our relationship is strong and stable, as King, He is also faithful to begin to reveal truth to us about our character. He shows us weaknesses and flaws that do not conform to His image and likeness. Jesus is a faithful Bridegroom/King who confronts us, and works in us to conform our character to His likeness.

Truth is a two-edged sword that helps us first to identify with our new nature in Christ. As we align ourselves with His thinking and who we are in Him, we also begin to see that which is not of Him. We are like Adam and Eve in the Garden, as we see our nakedness. Nakedness here is a metaphor for the fallen nature of man, and that fallen nature is inherently rebellious to Him because is shamed-based at its root. We need clarity of both aspects of the sword. Our intimate relationship with and knowledge of Him gives us the courage to embrace the power of the cross prepared for us specifically, allow the Holy Spirit to work within our lives, and leave behind our old self to be clothed in Christ.

The bride must undergo the refining of the will so that she appears like her Husband. We are to be changed from glory to glory. The good news is that the end result will be glorious; the “bad news” is that the process is quite grueling. Malachi 3:2-3 says:

But who can endure the day of His coming?

And who can stand when He appears?

For He is like a refiner’s fire

And like launderers’ soap.

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.

A silversmith places a piece of silver over the hottest portion of the flame to burn off all impurities. His eyes are riveted on the silver because a moment too long under the flames would destroy it. He knows the process is complete when his image is reflected. Jesus watches over us and carries us through the fires of affliction until He sees His image reflected in us, His bride.

Our desire for the Lord, awakened by the revelation of His desire for us, gives us courage to enter the fire. Our knowledge (gonosko) or intimacy with His goodness and His desire for the ultimate best for us, gives us the courage to withstand the heat of the flame until His work is complete. Psalm 19:9-10 says: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

His judgments toward His bride are to be a desired, treasured gift. They are to be sought after, not fled from or scorned. We rejoice not in the process, but in the results of who and what we become. We rejoice because of His undying love and faithfulness to help us face the truth, purge us from bondage and sin, conform us to His image and share His inheritance with us!

Judgment begins at the House of the Lord (1 Pet. 4:17) and we are that house, and Jesus has begun this work. Throughout the ensuing articles, I will refer to this work of Jesus with His bride as remedial judgment. Because the work He is doing is His remedy to prepare us as His bride.

We live in the most spectacular time in all of history, what all of creation groans for, what all of history has waited for: the return of the Creator of all the earth. The brightest and the darkest days of all time lay ahead. The decisions that we make in response to the Lord’s work will determine whether our days are dark or bright. It is my prayer that all those who read these articles recognize the seriousness of the times, identify the role they are to play and push forward to advance the work of His Kingdom.

The Unveiling of Jesus as Judge - Part 2, By Mike McClung

2011-04-15T13:41:00.001-04:00

We are a bride awaiting our bridegroom

Jesus is returning for a bride that is without spot or wrinkle. We know that Jesus must have a bride that bears His image. The bride, who is the church, must make herself ready (Rev. 19:7-8). If we examine the betrothal process of the Hebrew culture, we can begin to understand how to embrace the intimate relationship the Lord desires.

It was customary for a Hebrew young man to prepare a Ketubah, a marriage contract (a covenant), which he presented to his intended bride and her father. Included in this covenant was the Bride Price, an appropriate gesture in Jewish society meant to compensate the young woman’s parents for the cost of raising her. In addition, and more importantly, the payment was considered an expression of the man’s love for his intended bride. This betrothal covenant was legally binding once the bride and her family accepted the terms of his Ketubah.

The wedding proposal began when the young man visited the young woman and her family in her home, and poured a cup of wine for his beloved in the presence of all. He then watched to see if she drank from his cup. If she drank, the covenant was accepted and they were betrothed. The young man then would give gifts to his beloved and then take his leave, announcing, “I am going to prepare a place for you, and I will return for you when it is ready.”

The young man then returned to his father’s house to build a room for he and the new bride there. (If they were wealthy, he would build an entirely new home, but on his father’s property). He was not allowed to skimp on the work and he had to receive his father’s approval before the work could be considered ready for his bride. When asked the date of his wedding, he would reply, “Only my father knows.”

As the bride awaited his return, she did what was necessary to make herself ready. Because she did not know the day or the hour he would come, she kept a lamp, lamp oil, her veil and other things she would need, at her bedside. Her bridesmaids were also waiting and had to have oil ready for their lamps. When the wedding chamber was complete, the bridegroom came to collect his bride. As the groom, accompanied by his friends, approached her home, they gave a shout and blew a shofar. Hearing the sound, she immediately arose to meet him and be taken to their honeymoon suite.

When the wedding party arrived at father’s house, the newlyweds went into the wedding chamber for a seven-day honeymoon/feast. The groom’s best friend stood outside awaiting the groom to tell him the marriage had been consummated. The proof of this was the bed-sheet bearing the blood shed by the bride as a result of her first sexual intercourse. This speaks of the purity before marriage; it also shows a blood covenant, a solemn, binding contract like that of God and His covenant people. The friends of the bridegroom/wedding party celebrated for the seven days as the couple honeymooned. When the couple emerged, as one, new unit the Marriage Supper began.

The spiritual implication of this tradition speaks many profound truths about the relationship between Jesus and His bride. All of these events bear witness of how Jesus fulfills His covenant with His bride.

We know that Jesus has kept perfect covenant with us. This Bridegroom has demonstrated His love to the bride. He’s poured out His love and continues to pour out His love on a bride that He loves more than we can ever know. It will take eternity to fathom the height, the depth, the breadth, and the length of the love of God in Christ.

How is the bride preparing? Are we making ourselves ready for our Bridegroom? In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Here is a glimpse of the preparation the bride must undergo.

Matthew 25 – Wise and Foolish Virgins

It says that at midnight a cry was made, “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. In scripture, a virgin is someone who is pure - washed from their sins. Spiritually this means that all ten of the virgins are born of God. We also know that all ten hear the Lord because they all responded and began to prepare for His coming. So what separates the wise from the foolish here?

The wise virgins had oil, not only in their lamps, but also in their vessels. These “vessels” were small bottles that were clipped on to a belt of an undergarment. The vessel was hidden beneath the outer garments. The foolish virgins did not prepare these intimate vessels as the wise virgins did to keep extra oil (the oil of intimacy) to refill their lamps and keep them burning. The oil represents the continual supply of the Holy Spirit’s grace and power through our secret life with the Lord; our relationship with the Lord which is unique, personal, and hidden. The wise virgins represent those who burn to know Him in a deeper way. They don’t live to “get by” just doing what is necessary to secure a reward. These are passionate lovers who yearn just for Him. Time spent with Him is as vital to sustaining life as the air that is breathed. The wise virgins represents a bride who continually lives to hear the call, “The Bridegroom is coming.” She is a perfect portrait of what preparation and readiness is all about. She has felt the wooing of the Lord. She knows His voice and she unreservedly responds to His call.

The foolish virgins have not cultivated this kind of intimate relationship. They have trusted in Jesus as Savior but the relationship in the secret place has not deepened or matured. The foolish virgins did not have the oil of intimacy. They didn’t have it in their vessels. They had oil in the lamps, which represent outer, overt gifting, ministry and demonstration. It is to our detriment that we choose ministry over intimacy! All ministry should flow from the secret place of continual love, submission and desire or the Person of Christ becomes a means to an end in ministry to people.

When the foolish virgins arrived late, they said, “Lord, open up to us. Why are we left behind? Why can’t we enter in? Jesus responds, “I don’t know you.” The Greek word for “know” in this passage is gonosko. It is an intimate knowledge of someone or something. He is saying, “I have no intimate relationship with you.” They are going to heaven: they are virgins which means they are set apart, but they do not have an imitate relationship with Him; they have not surrendered the SELF. This is the unfortunate reality for many church leaders and members.

The foolish virgins represent those who at the last wake-up call don’t have the strength, the passion, or the anointing to endure to the end. They represent those who do not have the oil of intimacy. There is a release of the anointing, a release of strength, and the authority of the Lord that comes to those who press in to know His heart. It’s the oil of intimacy.

He is wooing us. He is drawing His people to Himself and the bride is coming out to meet Him. That is the true bride! How intimate are you with the Lord? How well do you know Him? Will you be counted among the wise virgins or will He say, “I do not know you?” It will be the intimate relationship that will preserve us in the darkest days that loom ahead. We will not have the strength to fight the battles without the oil of intimacy. We must fight from the power that comes from our deepest love for Him. The force and power of His love will preserve us and sustain us in the hardest of times. There is nothing stronger than the power of His love.

Those truly intimate with Him, know Him as Savior, but also understand Him as Bridegroom, King and Judge. Now, our hearts once distant are calling out to our eternal Bridegroom. Jesus is awakening our hearts to embrace Him as the lover of our souls. As we come to know Him as Husband and not only Master, our Master becomes our Lover.

It is imperative that we know Him as Bridegroom and King. Without this foundation in our lives, when He arises as the Judge of the Earth, many will be offended and fall away. Just as His glorious beauty is seen as our Lover and King, so much more so is His beauty reflected as Judge. This is the Warrior who moves throughout the earth to remove everything within and without that hinders His love and our relationship and partnership with Him. (To be continued….).

The Unveiling of Jesus as Judge – Part 1

2011-03-29T09:41:00.001-04:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, We had everything before us, we had nothing before us. We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens opens his classic, A Tale of Two Cities with a series of paradoxical statements that paints a vivid picture of tumultuous times in England and France. The year is 1775, and while England is soon to lose its grip on the American colonies, France is soon to face total anarchy as the peasants arise to overthrow a corrupt and decadent regime. England is rife with crime and France with poverty. While life for the nobility was exquisite, the lower class struggled to survive. The plight of the times raised serious questions about man’s ability to rule justly and the desire of man’s heart to serve selflessly.

Two centuries later the world remains at the same threshold. In the midst of man’s growing technological, scientific and medical wisdom, there is a staggering increase of self-indulgent behavior ranging from drug abuse to aberrant and illicit sex. Amidst the plethora of revelation and inscrutable evidence of the Creator, darkness multiplies in unprecedented participation in cults and the occult. The best and worst of times are at hand, and they are exposing the heart of man. Jeremiah 17:9 says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Our current state of affairs testifies against us; man has thrown off the knowledge of God. We are seeing Psalm 2:1-3 literally fulfilled before our eyes: Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords (God’s moral restraining law and grace) from us.’

Our times are similar to those spoken about in Judges 17:6: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Notice that in those days there was no king – no leader to lead the people with righteousness and justice. But there is a King. His name is Jesus and He is and is Lord over all! His death and Resurrection are a complete, finished work. His finished work established His kingdom and opened the way for us to leave this present darkness and enter into His glorious light. Entering His Kingdom cannot be a half-way or half-hearted choice. We are in one kingdom or the other. We cannot have one foot in the light and one in the dark. Unfortunately, the body of Christ continues to do just that: trying to live for God on a part-time basis while simultaneously living for self.

From the Garden of Eden, we have consistently preferred our plans to those of our Maker. The Bible and two thousand years of church history are replete with examples of our inability to follow and obey. This is why history continually repeats itself.

In 539 B.C. Cyrus, king of Persia, decreed that all exiled Jews could return from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the Lord. However, Samaritan opposition quenched the initial effort after only three years. When Darius I assumed the throne, he silenced the opposition, which made it possible for the Israelites to resume their work, although it was the stern admonition of Haggai that refocused the attention of the Israelites. Haggai 1:5-7 states:

Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’

We must consider our ways and examine them in light of what the Lord says in His Word and what He speaks through His chosen vessels. In 2006, the prophetic voice resounded throughout the land speaking of a SHIFT and the importance of every believer to align with the purposes and plans of God. There is an open door in heaven for us to enter the purposes of God. Throughout scripture and experience when God opens one door, He shuts another. This is an hour of divine invitation. God has sent forth a call to enter in to all those who choose to hear His voice and are willing to follow His plan. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

This is a pivotal time of decision for the body of Christ. Just as in the days of Joshua, “we will choose this day whom we will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Jesus has told us, we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). The time to declare our allegiance is at hand. Jesus is calling for those who desire to serve Him and Him alone. Will you choose to be His chosen?

God Expects Us To Understand The Times and Seasons

The Bible clearly states we will not know the day or the hour of the Lord’s return. However, we are exhorted to discern the times and seasons of the Lord. The church, at large does not seem to be discerning the times at hand. God has been speaking loudly to His church for quite some time. He has spoken through the removal of His restraining grace in allowing terrorist attacks, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, fires and floods. He did not send any of these destructive forces, but these things testify that the wall of grace is down around this nation and the church. Humanity and our leaders (Psalm 2:1-3) have been systematically trying to remove every vestige of God’s word, law, influence and presence from the culture, especially in western society and thought. We must understand the seriousness of the times, focus our attention, and lay hold of His plans and purposes.

What is the Lord doing at this time? I believe the Lord’s work at this time is three-fold. The Spirit is moving the body of Messiah to: recognize Him as King and obey His commands, embrace Him as Bridegroom and prepare to be wed, and stand before Him as Judge, allowing Him to work His justice in and through us.

As we come to know and respond to Him in each of these dimensions, we recognize the work that needs to be accomplished in our own lives. We need to come into alignment with Him and His purposes. A glimpse into each one of these portraits will demonstrate what I mean.

We are to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as King

The Lord Himself is rebuilding the temple, but it is not a temple made with hands. It is the temple of our heart, the temple inside each of us (1 Cor. 3:16-18; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; Eph. 2:19-22). Jesus is working to extend His kingdom as He trains His people to live from His presence within. He desires us to live for Him completely and unreservedly. As we follow and obey the principles of His kingdom and represent His Image to the world, we extend His kingdom.

This is the way of the cross. It involves dying to self - our desires and our plans - as we wholly embrace the plans of The King. The Lord desires for us to enter fully into the Kingdom He has set before us, but we must choose to be chosen. It is a narrow road, but it is filled with His love, power and His glory. He is in search of soldiers who will accept His terms without question. This kind of commitment is equivalent to an unconditional surrender. It is a form of commitment that is foreign to the western mindset.

Those who have served in the military understand what it means to follow a commander. When an American military recruit takes the oath office, he or she literally steps across a line imprinted on the floor. This is a symbolic gesture to demonstrate the significance of the recruit’s decision. As each soldier steps across the line, he or she recognizes they are no longer their own. They lose all rights as an individual. Of course they are still a person, but they are now the property of the armed services; they are a part of something much larger than themselves. Each individual must learn to be obedient unto death, to go where they are told, when they are told, regardless of what it costs personally. This is a picture of true submission.

In contemporary society we have lost sense of respect and submission to authority. Western society emphasizes personal rights to such an extreme, that we think it is our right to be in control of every situation. We believe it is our duty to express our opinion at every juncture. If this were the case in the armed services, no battle would ever be waged. Every one would endlessly present their own battle plan.

During a battle strategy session, several officers may share their approach. However, when a strategy is determined and the meeting is adjourned, each commanding officer executes the orders given. He does not go out and announce to his command that he had a better plan, but no one would listen. That kind of talk would be considered treason. An officer gets behind the commander and executes the plan as if it is his own. Every officer comes out of the strategy sessions and says, “Here’s OUR plan.” Every soldier under his command follows his example.

This is the type of dedication and service the Lord desires AND deserves. It is an unconditional surrender to His will. The Lord is looking for soldiers. Ephesians 4:1 states, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

What is the Lord calling you to do? How are you preparing for the mission? If you have not accepted what He has called you to be and to do, He is not Lord over your life. You are still in command. If you are not preparing to fulfill your purpose wholeheartedly, will you be able to stand in the tough times that loom ahead?

When we are transparent and straightforward about where we are, we recognize we all have much work to do in allowing the Lord to take His place as the King of Kings in our lives. We must learn to put away our childish notions about what we want to do and be. We must recognize the need to come in line with the King and His kingdom. If we have not surrendered to Him as King we will never receive Him as Judge. Knowing Him as our Bridegroom is essential to being able to fully surrender to Him as King and Judge. (To be continued).

Entering the Fray, Part 1: The Two Battles, By David Townsend

2011-01-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:12

There are two core battles every believer faces. We are all drawn into the fight and shot at whether we understand warfare or not; we can even be taken out, while wondering what just happened. The first battle we are called and empowered to fight is to pull down the spiritual strongholds which hold us captive to our old nature. As the process of the Cross works deeper in individuals and in a local fellowship, the Lord begins to entrust the individual and fellowship with a small sphere of authority (influence) in that geographic and spiritual area. The deeper the Cross goes in the members, the more the sphere of authority grows. By this method, the Lord moves through His people to conquer the earth with the Cross.
The second battle is not as glamorous, not even as obvious, but no one can win the first battle if they have not mastered the second. It is the battle to stay in the right fight. Distraction comes in many forms, but anything that draws our attention away from the Lord and His will for our lives individually and corporately is evil. Both battles happen simultaneously and continuously throughout our lives as believers, and both battles must be won!

Born Into War

To understand the first battle, we must first understand that though we exist primarily in the physical realm, the battle takes place primarily on the spiritual plane. Instead of fighting with guns and bombs, we fight with worship and prayer. Paul states clearly in Eph. 6:12, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” All contention and strife we observe today are at the root spiritual problems. As terrible as some of the world’s problems are, they are actually symptoms of the influence of cancerous principalities bent on destroying everything God loves. If we are to win, we must be like good physicians and treat comprehensively—focusing on the root issue while not neglecting the painful symptoms.

The real war is a difficult concept for us in the Western Church, especially in the U.S., where we have turned God’s blessings into safety blankets. Whether it is money, technology, medicine or even religion, there is always something to hide under and pretend the real problems have vanished. We must accept the truth: we were born into a world at war, and if we do not enter into the fight and address the spiritual powers behind the physical problems, there will be no permanent resolution.

Some reading this are probably thinking, “Yes, I agree. But where do I fit in? I don’t know what I’m called to do.” Eph. 4:11-16 describes how the Lord has designed our many gifts and talents to fit together as we mature and submit ourselves to Godly authority so that as a body we would reflect Christ in the Earth (i.e., do as He did and forcefully advance the kingdom of God). I personally have heard this for years in the church, and yet the Church in this nation is still very divided and nearly powerless. As the influence of our narcissistic society has entered the Church, God’s calling on an individual has become about what that person can get, not what they can offer the rest of the Body. Selfishness in any form is sin, and sin always brings some level of blindness or confusion in our lives. Is it any wonder that so many in the church feel aimless about their purpose in this battle, when they have been taught that their calling is for themselves?

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3

But the Devil doesn’t fight fair and he does not hold back because someone is ignorant. This is something we must all understand: in war, knowing your responsibilities and following orders is life and death, and much death has happened because the members of the body of Christ were focused on themselves.

Now there is grace for immaturity. No one has arrived yet. It can be difficult to understand exactly what we are made to do. But the right thinking opens the door to right doing. If we want to know our God-given calling in this battle, we should think this way: knowing what I am made to do is life and death—for the person next to me in this pew. Or better yet, fulfilling our purpose as a church means another church or ministry can be blessed. If we can change our thinking, the heavens will open and so will our eyes.

Staying in the Right Battle

Once we have found our place in the fight, we must understand that the second battle has just begun. The principalities and powers of the second heaven understand better than we do the potential of a united body of Christ in the Earth. They understand that they are completely and utterly defeated in open battle against the Lord acting through His people. Therefore they set up snares of sin and sabotage in interpersonal issues to pull us down into the mire of daily life and out of the real battle.

Now personal issues and strife within human relationships are unavoidable, but we must not fall into the trap of making emotional, mental or physical battles our primary war. When something arises that demands our attention, we do whatever is necessary to bring the kingdom of God into that situation, and if it can’t be resolved, we leave it in the Lord’s hands and get back to what God told us to do. If our lives belong to Him (I Cor. 6:19), then we have no right to get distracted. We must not let even our time be stolen from Him by doing something He has not told us to do. This isn’t an easy task; it is a discipline that is forged in us through many fiery trials. It is by winning the battle against distraction, however, that we gain the character to complete the task assigned to us.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Transition - Part 6

2010-11-09T13:24:00.005-05:00

Hindrances to Entering Our Promised Land

Oftentimes, it is ungodly soul-ties with something or someone that prevent us from advancing. The Israelites were so “tied” to Egypt, they would not enter into God’s full promises. Ungodly relationships form one of the worst hindrances to fully entering God’s purpose for our lives. If we want to fully serve the Lord, we need to stay single. Why? 1 Corinthians 7 encourages the single life, unless we find that one person who is totally devoted to what God has called us to be and to do. We will be judged for what God has purposed and planned for us at the judgment seat of Christ. By marrying out of loneliness, sexual frustration, etc, we have chosen to disobey the Bible. Once we are married, God says that marriage covenant takes precedence over all others. If we are married to someone who is not called to our purpose, we will probably end up never fulfilling it! (We will still have to give an account before God for the gifting, calling and graces.)

People who don’t tithe are cursed financially. We cannot pray ourselves out of it, nor can anyone counsel us out of it. We must repent and do what God says. It is a sobering time. This is the most important season in the history of the world and in the history of our lives. We must make adjustments in this time of transition. Ungodly soul-ties to something or someone are one of the main reasons people don’t enter into God’s plan or purpose. If we make the adjustments God is asking, then we will enter the inheritance and walk in the fullness of our dominion gift.

Today, there is a tug-of-war over us! The Lord is moving us towards Himself; He is offering us eternal life through His kingdom. The enemy is trying to pull us back to earthly concerns; this includes what is good and what is not. If we focus on the things of this world, we lose sight of the life God is offering us. Two principle soul-ties prevent people from making necessary transitions from living for this life which is passing away and laying hold of what is everlasting, eternal life.

Illegitimate Soul Ties

This includes attitudes such as holding offenses, resentments, attachment to carnal things, submitting to fear, continuing in ungodly relationships and “unsanctified” mercy. Many of these are self-explanatory and require self-examination to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what changes God requires. I will take a moment to explain “unsanctified mercy.”

Unsanctified mercy is when we have mercy on someone or something for which God does not have mercy. It is wrong, and it is ungodly. Let me provide an example. Suppose a young adult shoplifts and is arrested and placed in jail. The parents bail out their child and as the child recounts their fears of what it was like to be in jail, the parents start comforting their child. Mercy was extended when they bailed them out of jail. The inappropriate behavior and conduct needs to be addressed. People need the truth in love. They need to repent. Otherwise, they will remain carnal and never enter their purpose. When we comfort people with whom the Holy Spirit is dealing, etc, we possibly become a tool used by the devil to prevent another from entering into their dominion gift (Matt. 16:23). They need to die to self, so they die to wrong thinking. There must be a clear leaving of the old. They need to struggle, to have the cross applied so they can become free from bondage. There must be a clear leaving of the old nature to enter into the new.

Legitimate Soul Ties

Many have sentimental attachments to legitimate relationships and attitudes. A generation ago, it was common to refer to your spouse as your soul-mate. We have a legitimate soul-tie to our mate. However, many times we remain attached to people, places and things that God used powerfully in the past. We needed those ties in the last season, or when we were immature. God may now require you to separate yourself from a soul-tie in your past. We cannot mourn over past relationships. For example, Samuel continued to mourn over Saul after the Lord had rejected him (1 Sam. 16:1). God was ready to move on and Samuel needed to adjust. God wanted Samuel to anoint David as King. Samuel had to press on with God’s plan. We can no longer remain sentimentally attached to something that is not a part of our life now. We must enter into the fullness of God. When God writes “finished” over something, it’s finished. Many times, we try to bring it with us or resurrect it. We must come to realize that others, who have been a part of our past, aren’t coming with us. This is the kindness and severity of God. There must be a clear, defined leaving. Even Jesus had to sever ungodly soul ties when his “legitimate” earthly family tried to exercise illegitimate authority over him. Jesus said it this way:

And he answered them, saying, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?” And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Mark 3:33-35 KJV

When we choose to do what is right, those who will not come with us now will eventually remember. The memory of our choice may one day save them. Jesus made that clear His entire life. We must love God above all. We can’t be His disciple if we put anyone or anything else before Him. When transition comes, all the relationships must adjust with the road signs.

Passing through transition requires focus and resolve. We must determine in our heart, “I’m going where God is going.” Transition always precedes the fulfillment of destiny. There are many languishing in the wilderness because they refuse to make the transition. We must make the decision to change our minds and attitudes to inherit the promise. The choice to attain our destiny is in our hands! My prayer is that we choose wisely.

Transition - Part 5

2010-10-28T14:10:00.002-04:00

Training For Reigning

Today, we know little about the process of discipleship. What was it like to be a disciple of a rabbi in Jesus time? Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel, a leading authority in the Sanhedrin. If you were chosen by a rabbi to be his disciple, you were to sit at his feet and bear his yoke. When Jesus chose the disciples, he did not choose them so they could be the best that they can be and do what they thought was best! The disciples were chosen to bear His yoke with their dominion gift. When we become a part of a local fellowship, God is joining us together so our dominion gift will help that local expression to accomplish what God desires to bring forth from that body of believers, and in that training, to eventually release it to the surrounding culture to impact it for the kingdom of God. As powerful an anointing as Daniel had, the Lord did not set him alone…he placed him in community with at least three other friends!

Many today think that they should do their own thing; that’s lawlessness! They do not respect the leadership of the fellowship they attend. If we are to come under the yoke of the Lord, we will first need to recognize that we don’t know much! We’re moving away from the mentality that one does what one wants, when one wants. God’s searching for disciples, and will not tolerate independent action.

A disciple is one who adheres to and follows the teachings of a leader. It is one who wears the yoke of the one served. It is one who embraces the narrow place. At our local fellowship, our primary mandate is to establish the spirit of the Tabernacle of David, with the manifest presence of the Lord central to our focus and practice. We are devoted to developing priests who exercise authority like Jesus, the King-Priest, and prophetic and apostolic leaders who will all be a vital part of the transformation God intends for this region. To be a part of this fellowship, one must bear the yoke of this mandate. When people are centered in the presence of God, their identity in Christ is established, character is formed, and they begin to fully operate in their dominion gifting.

Character is important for us. It is our defense against the attacks of Satan. Jesus was never attacked like he was by the enemy until His dominion gift was released at His baptism. The devil took notice when the Spirit of God came upon Him. Immediately, the devil initiated an aggressive attack in the desert; the attack was on the character of Jesus. The enemy’s strategy against us is the same today as with the Lord; it is to shut down our dominion gift—to nullify it. The devil cannot attack our gifts directly because our gifts are from God and they operate regardless of our state (Romans 11:29). They are activated by the Holy Spirit working through us to accomplish God’s purposes in the earth. The enemy knows he is no match for the Holy Spirit, therefore, he attempts to fill us with fear, doubt, unbelief, or lead us into sinful or carnal behavior to mar our character. What happened to Timothy is a perfect illustration of how the enemy tries to shut us down.

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV

Timothy pastored the church in Ephesus which was one of the largest churches of the first century. He was a young man with tremendous responsibility. This is Paul’s message to Timothy: “God has not given you a spirit of fear.” He wanted Timothy to recognize where the fear was coming from, so he would know how to contend. Fear was shutting down Timothy’s dominion gifting. He needed to stir up what God had placed in his heart.

Faithful Servants Needed!

In Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable about a faithful and a wicked servant.

And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:42-48 NKJV

The faithful servant obeyed, operated in his dominion gift and was commended. The faithless servant obeyed and operated in his dominion gift until delay came. Then he started to abuse the other servants, either directly or indirectly through neglect. He stopped being faithful. His character had not been changed; his obedience was based on the reward not on representing his master appropriately. If he knew when the master was coming, he wouldn’t have become sloppy. He would have persevered. We can’t stop doing the right thing when no one is looking. We must persevere, knowing that hope never disappoints (see Romans 5 and 1 Peter 1). If we will not be faithful with what God has given us, the Master will come and take away what He has given and give it to someone who will make good use of it.

Matthew 7:13-14 states: “enter by the narrow gate… there are few that find it.” Going through a narrow gate or place of transition always brings us out to a broad place. Those who try to hold on to the past are destined to die.

During transition we must be faithful to what God has called us to do. Our character is being shaped so we can operate in the next place. The work God is completing in our character must be completed before we can enter the new place. There is a space between where we were and where God is taking us. I call this place, “the adjustment warfare zone”. It is where you are wandering and wondering what happened. Something has just changed.

When a woman gets pregnant, she is pregnant several weeks before she knows it. Transition took place at conception. A woman’s adjustment begins immediately after she becomes aware that a new baby is on the way. Modifications in diet and activity are examples of personal adjustments. All of the accommodations from preparing a nursery to purchasing all of the necessary items needed in the care of a newborn are a part of the adjustment. Considerable sacrifice generally is required as choices are made to prepare for new life.

Many of us are in the process of transition. We are in the thrust of transition concerning occupation, housing, or family. What captured our focus previously, whether a job or relationship, will not be a part of our future. An adjustment must be made. We must leave the old to embrace the new. An entire generation died in the wilderness because they were unwilling to change and would not adjust. There are many today who are also trying to cling to the past. We must leave the old. We have to adjust to move into what God wants to bring in our future. God has had great purpose in our wilderness. In the wilderness, He has dealt with mindsets, immaturity, emotions, and all ungodly soul-ties.

Transition - Part 4

2010-10-18T15:03:00.005-04:00

Community Is Necessary...Leadership Is Essential

How do we prepare for destiny? It is not accomplished independently. It is attained through community and a joining of the generations. Just as we are transitioning as individuals, God is transitioning generations. The generation that has led us is now shifting to an advisory capacity. Like Moses, they have been forerunners; they have led the way into the depths of God. Now they are needed to counsel and advise the next generation. Leaders like John Paul Jackson, Lou Engle and Mike Bickle represent a transitional generation that can join generations together. They are “raising up” the next generation to recognize their destiny before they are ensnared by the cares of this world.

The body of Christ has previously not sufficiently prepared young believers to face the demonic onslaught of our day. This is why many Christians involved in the arts and entertainment lose their way and never accomplish God’s plan. They settle for popularity or wealth, when God desired them to confront the culture with His kingdom. Elvis Presley was a youth pastor at an Assembly of God church when he was discovered. He frequently sang hymns and read the Bible amidst his own parties. The enemy got a hook in his dominion gifting due to corrupt people and their love for money; they led Elvis in the wrong direction. People would not tell him the truth or hold him accountable to what God called him to do and to be. Elvis did not have to give up serving the Lord to sing. Pat Boone is an example of one who never allowed his dominion gift to be overcome by the spirit of this world. Today, his entire family is serving the Lord.

It Begins In The Local Church

The church must be committed to transforming the lives of those whom God has entrusted to their care. In the local church, there are entrepreneurs with a dominion gift to change and transform the business community. These leaders should receive exceptional spiritual training through their local church. The church should bring them into an intimate encounter with the Lord, and train them how to prevail in prayer and spiritual warfare. The church isn’t to just take money from business leaders and build more buildings and programs. Many business leaders are apostles sent into the “commerce” mountain to bring the kingdom of God to that dimension of culture in their city or region. The church needs to train and equip leaders in hearing God and spiritual warfare. Then these young leaders will be able to speak life to those in authority over them in the business culture as to what is beneficial to the business. They will have supernatural answers and solutions for problems for which nobody has remedies. The Word tells us that:

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the Lord’s house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And all nations shall flow to it.

Isaiah 2:2 NKJV

This means that the Lord and those who follow Him will rule and reign above every other sphere of influence; He will accomplish this through His people exercising their authority in their dominion gifting. The above scripture is a direct reference to the re-establishing of the Tabernacle of David…the place of intimate encounter, worship and prayer. This burning intimate worship and intercession became the fuel for operating in dominion authority, as was exemplified in King David for whom the tabernacle was named (see Acts. 15:15-18; Amos 9:11-13), and also in the life of the Lord Jesus Himself.

Many believers are overcome by the spirit of the world. If they had been trained in intimacy and prevailing prayer from childhood, they would be ruling rather than facing defeat in their dominion gift. Many young celebrities are overcome by the spirit of the world because they never received correct spiritual training or discipline for character development. They were not ready to rule. We are all prone to be self-centered and consumed by the trappings of this world. We can’t be mediocre, which again means that we stop half way up the mountain. We are to overshadow the mountains of business, entertainment and government through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring transformation for all who have ears to hear.

Transition - Part 3 - The Discipline of Confinement

2010-10-11T07:06:00.004-04:00

Transition is very confining. It is the place of surrender where we give up our own way. It is uncomfortable. It is disciplined and constrictive. He’s taking us to a place where we have not walked. Marketplace transformation leader, Lance Wallnau, describes transition this way: “I’m going through hell, and I think God’s in it!”

Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines transition as the:

1. “Movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another.

2. In music, (a) a passing from one key to another; modulation, (b) a sudden, unprepared modulation.

3. Passage from one scene to another by sound effects, music, etc., as in a theatrical production.

One way transition can be understood is as it relates to the birth process. In birth, if momma is still laughing and happy, transition has NOT come! Jesus likened His coming to birth pangs. Why? All of creation groans in anticipation of His coming (Romans 8:17-19). Christian Breaking News recently reported that the earth is putting out a sound. There is a sound the earth is releasing as the sun’s radiation touches its atmosphere. Scientists have measured it and recorded it. Creation is groaning. It is waiting for us to get into our purpose as the mature sons and daughters of God. This includes entering into the fullness of our dominion gifting. We can easily identify and know what it is because of the way it affects others, how it affects the landscape and what is released from the earth and comes to the surface. Creation is liberated as we walk into our destiny. When Esther accepted her role as a worshipping, royal intercessor, she entered into her royal destiny, and her life, the life of her people, and the nation of Israel were all released from bondage and destruction. Embracing the discipline of intimacy, consecration and covenant commitment will take us to destiny.

Transition is the time when the Lord redefines or changes situations, relationships, geographical location, and especially our hearts to move us forward into a deeper relationship with Himself and His purposes.

Let’s get positioned for transition. Jesus rebuked people for not understanding the signs of the times. He always removes us from “what is” before He introduces “what’s next.” Hebrews 10:9 says, “He takes away the first that He may establish the second.” When Joseph left the prison, his time of disciplining and training was over, and he was placed second in command in all of Egypt.

It took 40 years to get Moses ready for transition. As a young man, Moses tried to settle injustice for His people through his own means: by murder. Forty years later, when God approached Moses to lead the Israelites, he did not feel qualified. The humility necessary to fully submit and follow the Lord and not men, had been worked in Moses’ life.

God will not listen to our excuses, because He does not need our ability. He is in search of one who is a willing vessel to follow and obey what He desires to accomplish. Moses thought his brother Aaron would be a better choice; God chose Moses not Aaron. As an apostle, Paul understood that he had been separated for God’s work from his mother’s womb (see Galatians 1:15-18). As a young man, Paul was a terrorist, persecuting and killing Christians. After conversion, when he was brought to Antioch, he was required to submit to the leadership of the church leaders for an extended period of time. He embraced the discipline and training the Holy Spirit brought into his life, and finally he was separated to fulfill God’s call. He was ready to exercise his gift and walk in the apostolic call on his life.

We cannot live from our old nature (the old man) or our old ways. Neither will allow us to reach our destiny. We must walk away from every dead thing in our life.

Transition - Part 2

2010-09-14T08:10:00.001-04:00

What is your dominion gift or gift mix? We are in a kairos (God’s right time) moment. We must get in line with God’s order and His timing. Now is the time to begin to walk in our dominion gift. Until intercession is established, things never fully work correctly, and therefore operating in our dominion gifting in the culture is greatly hindered. God created man first for intimacy and from that position we are to rule and reign. The word “mediocre” literally means “half way up the mountain,” which is a picture of those who will not accept the discipline and dedication necessary to see the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose. Part of this discipline is character development and learning to prevail in prayer. “Halfway up the mountain” is a picture of those who do not completely answer God’s call and quit somewhere in the process of training and discipleship. Most people quit during this transitional phase (between the actual change, and the full enactment), because it’s the place where our relationship, character and commitment is tested.

Nothing should move us away from our dominion gifting. Some have creative gifting to impact the arts and entertainment; others are to pursue political positions. God wants us to take dominion in the areas in which He has gifted us to rule and reign. We must engage business, government, the media, arts and entertainment…whatever God has placed in our heart. God’s glory is partially seen through His body walking and exercising their dominion gift.

Some are in training now, but are not yet fully operating in their call. God is dealing with character in the body of Christ. Relying on gifting rather than developing character has caused many individuals and ministries to shipwreck. When the enemy comes, who answers the door? Us or the Christ that is in us? God must deal with our hearts. Everything is a heart issue. God is trying to position us. That’s just what He was doing with Joshua and the Israelites when they were preparing to enter the Promised Land. They were facing a place where death, symbolized by the Jordan River, was overflowing its banks. We must look to Jesus alone in order to move through the narrow place we now face. No one can follow Jesus unless they are willing to go through this narrow way.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

We must move into a new place to operate in our dominion gifting. But, in this new place, we will be tested and tried. This is how God builds our character. We are moving to the place where death is overflowing the banks. We must consecrate ourselves fully to pass through this narrow place. We must come God’s way, which is through Christ and the way of the cross. This is what Jesus says.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV)

Transition - Part 1

2010-09-05T15:03:00.001-04:00

What is transition anyway? It is a defined leaving the familiar we have been in, and going through a narrow, confining passage, to an unfamiliar place. It’s a place that holds no name because it is the space between where we were and where we are going. If we observe a bundle of smashed grapes, we can no longer identify the distinct, beautiful, plump, ripe fruit. It is not what it was; it is not yet what it is to become — juice or wine. More grapes, additional ingredients and time all play an integral role in the transformation of the grapes to the desired, new state. Many of us are like these grapes; we are ripe fruit presently being squeezed through a narrow place. Just like the grapes, the Lord is changing us into who He has called us to be. Transition is what we pass through to become; it is the place of transformation.

Transition is explained in the scripture but not defined. Joshua 3:1-5 provides a clear picture of transition. As 2008 unfolded, the Lord strategically placed His finger on this passage to show us His work at this time. As we inch ever closer to the spiritual Jordan, our eyes and hearts must be fixed on Him if we are to reach His intended destination (our destiny, His plan for us fulfilled).

"Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, 'When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.' And Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.'" (Joshua 3:1-5 NKJV)

The parallels between Joshua’s generation and the millennial generation are striking! Those preparing to cross the Jordan watched the previous generation miss the fulfillment of God’s promise due to their preference for self-gratification, grumbling and fulfillment of the flesh. Those led by Moses were unwilling to contend for their spiritual destiny. Moses, seeing the next generation standing at the threshold of destiny, became angry as he observed them about to follow in their parents’ footsteps. They had become an “entitlement” generation; they thought they deserved something. As Moses witnessed them grumbling and complaining, he was aware of what this could cost them. However, he did not react with the longsuffering that was needed to bring a demonstration of the Father’s heart to a generation whose only example was a selfish, self-centered generation that preceded them. Even with their feet ready to cross the Jordan, the parents’ old ways would have overtaken them. Joshua’s generation had to prepare for a shift, embrace change, follow and obey.

Joshua’s generation was preparing to enter the Promised Land; the millennial generation is poised to experience the glory of the Lord. Both generations require leadership and guidance to understand God’s way. We have not passed this way before. God desires to influence every sector of humanity. He desires to join the generations to influence what has been in recent years referred to as the Seven Mountains of Culture. These mountains are: family, government, education, church, entertainment and the arts, media and (commerce, science and technology). The first mention that I, personally, ever heard of these was in a book titled Making Jesus Lord, by YWAM founder, Loren Cunningham. God wants a voice that accurately represents Him in these seven major spheres of influence which culturally shape our society. He’s seeking Daniels, Josephs and Davids; faith-filled, lovers of God who are walking in their dominion gifting and willing to exercise it regardless of the cost!

Daniel was only 17 years old when he was brought into Babylonian captivity. He resolved in his heart to live a consecrated life unto God (see Daniel chapter 1). Though he lived in the seat of pagan Babylonian culture, he remained separate from the influences of Babylon’s ways. He was a man God could trust, so the Lord allowed him to shoulder tremendous governmental authority. Those in the millennial generation, who are willing to remain separate unto the Lord, have a great opportunity to influence society. God will send those who are willing to have great impact on the culture into the seven mountains as they become proven vessels He trusts. First, both the heart and mind must come into alignment with God’s plans and purposes.

We cannot change the world if we are operating by worldly standards. The kingdom of God does not operate according to the standards dictated by the world system under the influence of Satan. So, how does God train leaders before He releases them to bring change to the earth? Daniel is an excellent example. Daniel’s life was founded on intimacy with God. His dominion gifting flowed out of intimacy. Through Daniel’s intimate consecration to the Lord, the gift to interpret dreams and visions manifested. He was given a gifting and solution that no one on earth could emulate. This separated Daniel from all the king’s advisors and Daniel one day “…sat in the gate of the king” (Daniel 2:48). Daniel served for 70 years in a foreign land that was hostile to God. His unwavering faithfulness to God while remaining a dutiful subject of the King provided a clear representation of the nature and character of the God he served. Daniel’s testimony made believers of several pagan kings who eventually embraced, and brought their entire nation under Daniel’s God.

Daniel’s testimony was that he had excellent spirit (Daniel 6:3). “Excellent” here is translated from the Hebrew word Yattiyr which means preeminent or “on top of the mountain.” This is a spiritual position of authority to rule and reign. Daniel’s incredible prophetic gift to see kingdoms and to interpret dreams came during his prayer time with God. Intimacy, passion for God, prayer and worship were Daniel’s foundation. For us to impact the culture like Daniel, these same qualities must be ours too!

Jesus lived His life from unbroken intimacy with Abba, and then came out of that place of intimacy and exercised God’s dominion, destroying the works of the devil. This is why we believe the House of Prayer movement is vitally important! It is a special place in a city or region where intimacy through encounter, prayer and worship is established for the entire body of Christ. God created us for intimacy and from the place of intimacy we are to take dominion.

The “Severity” of a Compassionate God

2010-08-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

Romans 11:22: “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

The Lord can at times seemingly be the most gracious and compassionate Being in the universe and also seemingly, the most “severe.” His severity only appears to be so severe because we are seeing Him through the eyes of the fallen Adamic nature. Adam, and all pertaining to him, is under God’s curse. There is no good in it, and it must be eradicated. God’s “severity” is only such as we dwell in fleshly lusts and carnality. His discipline comes into our lives to grow us up, and cause us to be literal partakers of His nature and divine attributes (2 Pet. 1:3-4).

When the “severe” disciplining hand of the Lord begins to be bared in our lives, it is imperative we have a foundation laid of His overwhelming kindness, compassion and delight in us. If we have not got a foundation laid in our lives of the absolute delight and joy the Father has in us as His children, when the Lord begins to bring maturity into our lives, we will lose heart, at best, and lose faith, at worst.

It is necessary that we dwell on His goodness and kindness, focusing in on His great love for us as we pass through tests and trials. It’s only as we “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2), will He complete that which He has started, and bring us into ever-deepening realms of intimacy, friendship and glory.

A Call to Intercession for the U.S., the U.K. and Israel

2010-06-21T12:51:00.000-04:00

I write this short note knowing that I could be labeled "doomsayer" by some, and possibly even "racist" by others (which I have been by some of my closest African-American brothers because of my call to prayer and repentance for where the nation is heading). But if the intercessors in our nation do not rise up and cry out, things are about to get very bad in the U.S., the U.K. and Israel.

The U.K. and BP

We need to be praying for the U.K. and BP. Many prophetic voices are saying that if BP, as a company, will humble itself and pray, the Lord will answer with a miraculous sign of stopping the well disaster in the Gulf. The Lord has been intimating the same thing to me, only it must extend to intercessors and officials in the U.S. and the U.K. We need to be praying for President Obama and his administration, because the administration could ruin relations between the U.S. and our closest friends and allies, the Brits. Finger-pointing, strong-arm threats and political tactics will not help what's happening, and we need to heal divisions and relationships, not make them worse.

The U.S. and Israel

The ruination of our relationship with Israel was well on its way because of certain policies and practices that happened under President Bush, and many more overt and outrageous things that have happened under the Obama administration. We have thumbed our nose in God's face many different ways over the last few decades. We have already legalized the shedding of innocent blood in this nation and promoted it worldwide (abortion). We are now one of the greatest practitioner nations of idolatry (self-worship, pornography, etc.) on the face of the earth, and going deeper into bondage by promoting homosexual lifestyles and making it "normal." Occultic powers rule at the highest levels of legal and political structures in our nation. We are in a sex-saturated society now where pre-teen children are practicing sexual activities they can see on virtually any cable channel and the internet. I believe there is one thing that has kept the hand of God (His protective grace) from being completely lifted off this nation: we have historically stood by the nation of Israel in its right to exist and its right to regain and live in its God-given land. This is being eschewed and turned back on with amazing audacity and speed.

Pastor John Kilpatrick has pointed out that President Bush's administration's demanded Israel relinquish part of its land back in 2005. This took place just days (literally hours) before hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast areas. This is NO coincidence! If we continue down the path we're on in relation to Israel, very, very bad things, will compound the Gulf oil crisis. If a hurricane were to hit the Gulf right now with the well disaster, poisonous gases, chemicals and oil could be spread over the entire eastern part of the U.S.

This is a Time for Humility

What we are experiencing is far beyond the capacity of men, scientifically, militarily, politically and even economically, to deal with, much less remedy. I believe we are under the judgment of God. And by this I mean He's removing His hedge of grace and protection around our nation because of our continued idolatry, rebellion and fist in His face!

Right now, no one but the Lord Himself can stop the Gulf well disaster, and bring healing and restoration to our nation. We must, as God's people, take ownership of what's happening just like Nehemiah did in his day (Neh. 1). The Lord promises to hear us and answer if we meet the conditions (2 Chron. 7:14). This does not mean life as we've known it - ease, comfort and abundance - is going to continue. This was the root sin of Sodom (see Ezek. 16:48-49) that led to the spiritual, moral and societal degradation they (and now we) found themselves in. It eventually led to direct intervention by God who could not allow it to continue. Before He acted, He went to Abraham, knowing Abraham's heart (who had become acquainted with God's heart by now), to allow Abraham to intercede for God's mercy to be shown. I believe we're in such a state and the Lord is coming to many spiritual fathers, like Abraham, to call them to council and intercession. They, in turn, are to call those under their care to humble themselves and seek His face and intervention. This is the sweet-smelling savor for which I believe He's looking!

May the Lord grant us abundant grace and provision to answer His call and intervene with His mercy and His justice. His judgments are good, because by them, we, and the inhabitants of the earth, learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9-11). But, we want remedial judgment to correct and restore!

The Cult of "It"

2010-06-08T12:56:00.002-04:00

“Have you heard the latest prophetic word?” “Have you heard the latest revelatory teaching?” “The move of God at (fill in the blank) has to be the beginning of the final move of God in the earth!” “There’s no need for the local fellowship anymore, your business can be your ‘church’ and missions organization!”

“The ‘Bridal Paradigm’ has fulfilled all my longings and questions! The ‘Seven Mountains’ teaching has finally set my heart to rest because now I know my destiny! Praise the Lord, we can now all come to rest because all our questions, desires and destinies have now been answered!”

I have literally heard with my own ears statements like these. Such is my personal observation of how many in the “charismatic” wing of the body of Christ have acted and reacted for many years. Everyone is looking for “IT” – the one thing that will bring revival, rest, healing, fulfillment…again, fill in the blank. The enemy continues to keep hungry, but deceived Christians from coming to rest on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ by the excitement that many leaders continue to foment. I know this, because I have done “IT” in the past.

This is NOT to say that these revelations, teachings and experiences are not true. It is a case where what is true replaces The Truth…the True and Living God. I believe they are all scriptural and need to be prayed over, received and embraced. But they are still “ITS” and not Him! Christians continue to live in the deception that there’s going to be a McDonald’s-drive-through “IT” happen, and every problem will be solved, the demonic power over cities will be broken, and everything will be okay. If it’s not a prophetic word or teaching, then it usually begins to revolve around the latest anointed personality that God has chosen to use. We remain much like the Corinthians - worshipping personalities, anointings or teachings rather than letting the anointing, person, teaching, etc, lead us to a deeper, intimate relationship with the only One who can only fulfill our desires. We subtly continue to substitute the “IT” for Him. Unfortunately, when the emotions settle down, and the newness of the revelation or experience wanes, the same boredom, disillusionment and feeling of incompleteness returns.

One of the main things that keeps us from union with Him (fullness and fulfillment) is: everything - teaching, revelation, giftings, etc, - is taken as being related to me and not to the Lord. Anything the Lord does or imparts has at its core the purpose of drawing us to Him and not to the “IT”. The enemy has continually kept the body of Christ from fullness by keeping us focused on the “IT”. Instead of keeping us in a constant search for the next revelation, experience, conference, warm-fuzzy or the like, we should be growing in maturity, endurance, character and steadfastness with a desire to share, serve and give. It should not always be me at the center of “getting”, but taking a servant’s role of giving out!

The Lord recently told me that much of what is happening in the world is an exaggerated reflection of what is happening in the church. There is monumental shaking taking place all over the earth, but the scripture is clear in 1 Pet. 4:17 that His remedial judgment will take place in His own house first. The Lord told me that He has never had “members” (as it relates to contemporary church “membership”) as a part of His eternal body/church. There is a great difference between someone who joins as a member and the planting of the Lord.

In Matt. 15:1-13 we have the incident of Jesus rebuking the religious crowd of His day for honoring God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. They were using scripture and tradition as a means to control people and manipulate the culture for their own advantage. God’s people could never truly find what they so desperately needed – HIM – because of all the trappings, hype and deception (the “ITS”). They were not whole because they were continually given “ITS” to follow and pursue instead of training and instruction to lead them into Abba’s presence and Abba’s ways. After rebuking the religious leaders, His own disciples admonished Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” (Matt. 15:12). His reply was, “But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch’” (Matt. 15:13-14). The planting of the Lord have settled down. They cannot be moved by fads, storms or fears, and will begin to produce a harvest of righteousness, a harvest of souls and a harvest of many other kinds of fruit.

The Lord told me sometime back, If you are not committed to the process, you are not committed to Me. In our culture, we are always looking for a quick fix, a shortcut, or some other advantage (an “IT”) that does not cut into our comfort/convenience-lifestyle. Proverbs 10:4 says, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Abba is a seasonal Entity (Acts 1:7). He does things in seasons, or cycles, until the work is complete. The word “path” in the Hebrew in Psalm 23:3 (“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”) literally means cycles, not our western concept of going from point A to point B on a path. We stay on this “path” (the cycle we’re currently in), until we are fully trained and fully matured in that cycle. We do not go on to the cycle of God’s plan and destiny until that work is complete in our character and equipping in our present cycle. The closest example we have to this nowadays is in the military and organized sports. Those who have participated in organized, competitive sports or the military know that you do not move onto the next phase until you have successfully been trained in the current season. To do so would mean to lose in the sport in which you are participating, and possibly dying in military conflict.

Now is the time to forsake the cult of ‘IT’ and become rooted and grounded in the Lord, His will and His process. The storms that are coming are going to need the “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:3) to be restorers, suppliers and a covering of protection in the ensuing years.

A Message for Kingdom Pioneers

2010-05-25T13:53:00.004-04:00

I am very thankful for those pioneers of the kingdom of God, going all the way back to Abraham, who braved the unknown and the scorn of others to press forward in their obedience to God’s call and leading. We owe everything we are and have to the spiritual and natural pioneers who faced misunderstanding and death at almost every turn to pave the way for those of us in this day to settle and enjoy the blessings and benefits both from the spiritual and natural dimensions. There are many pioneers still moving forward into realms yet unreached for no other reason than they heard the voice of Abba call them, and they’ve left all to pursue Him, out of love and simple obedience. This is a lonely, misunderstood and often dangerous place to be, fraught with spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and relational pressure and warfare that most do not or care not to know. I have a message for those pioneers that answered the call of God to press into the unknown…you are NOT a failure.

As a pioneer, have you ever gone into a boxed canyon? You might have thought, “What have I done? How did I miss God? If I were only more (fill in the blank), this would not have happened.” You have not failed. Repent for any self-pity, come out of the boxed canyon and place a sign there that says, “Boxed canyon…don’t go in there!” You’re seeming failure becomes a path that succeeding generations and followers will not have to take. Having failings does not make us a failure. If we learn from them, it makes us wise, vulnerable and ever more sensitive to the leadings and voice of the Holy Spirit.

To all those pioneers who have answered God’s call to uncharted spiritual or other territory: you may failed in certain ways or certain things, but you are not a failure!

God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life - the Cross....

2010-04-19T13:18:00.000-04:00

Eph. 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It has often been said (as quoted in the "four spiritual laws") that God has a wonderful plan for our lives. This is most definitely true, but I think that we have not consistently looked at this statement through the lens of scripture and reality, but mostly through the lens of western cultural thought. We need to rethink all of this to get to the essence of true living and kingdom impact that the Lord intended for us in fulfilling His desires and plans, and in being fulfilled in our destinies.

The above scripture is clear that we believers are His artwork - His masterpiece of poetry and art - that He desires to use to impact the people, culture and world around us. This does not only mean living according to "moral" good works, but the using of our lives, time, talents, graces, giftings and anointings to put His glory, power, beauty and redeeming/restorative love on display in creation. It means being fully developed in the image and likeness of Christ that all we are becomes the vehicle of His kingdom and will in heaven being manifest and done on earth. But, as is likely with most western thought, even though it's been religiousized by quoting scripture or put in elegant or exciting sermons/teachings, this "God has a wonderful plan" has in many ways, been turned to be a self-centered, self-serving opportunity to do our own independent thing apart from wholehearted submission and obedience to Him as Lord and King.

My question is: Where is the cross in all the "wonderful plan for your life" teachings? Has all the teaching about God's "wonderful plan for my life" (albeit true in its core meaning), been turned into a justification for self-serving ambition and "finding myself?" Where is the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice in all the "wonderful plans for my life?" Where is the call to lay down our plans and pursuits to fulfill His heart, His will and His plans for His glory alone? Is it possible, like the past generation's Dr. J. Harold Smith, that one would go to medical school and graduate, only to be called by God to preach and evangelize and never spend one day seeing medical patients? This is not to say that God never wants us to be happy or fulfilled. Just the opposite. But, the joy, happiness and fulfillment we are ever striving for can never be found in finding satisfaction in anything that pertains to the old Adam or the old creation. It seems the enemy does not have to tempt us with overt evil and rebellion with "worldly" things any longer. There is a subtle temptation more prevalent than ever that plays upon the "unfulfilled self" that even scripture is now being used to justify.

My greatest talents, even though God-given, and even those spiritual gifts that He bestows at salvation or Spirit-baptism, will never produce His fruit, life and kingdom until they have been purified by the cross. Death purifies everything from sin and self.

As God's masterpiece (workmanship), am I trying to paint a picture, write a poem, preach a message, sing/play a song, ad infinitum, FOR God? Or am I allowing Him, by yielding myself, my talents, my ambitions, my desires, etc., to an inward cross, make me into a masterpiece in the midst of a world gone ugly? I guess it depends upon your perspective....

A Sabbath Year Rest

2010-04-12T19:10:00.000-04:00

Lionheart Restoration Ministries/The Prayer Furnace of East TN is starting what we call A Sabbath Season of Rest and Renewal. Effective immediately and for the next five months, our focus as a ministry will be to allow the Lord to bring rest and refreshing to members and associates, and our staff. Though this might seem like a sudden shift of direction, in the context of the larger season the Lord has had the body of Christ in, renewal makes sense.

At the beginning of 2010, during Lionheart/The Prayer Furnace’s annual 21-Day fast, the Lord began to speak about the formation of a “new/old” wineskin in the Body of Christ. This mysterious phrase was grounded in Matthew 9:17:

“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Lord revealed that He was taking His church through a time of transition like never before, where one of the keys to shifting into the will of God for this new season would be reconnecting with the original designs of His calling (“new/old”). Because of this word, and many other confirmations, the Lord guided the leadership of Lionheart/The Prayer Furnace to shift in several dimensions as a ministry. This included changing our name and adjusting several aspects of individual ministries within Lionheart.

This is what I feel the Lord is speaking to the Body of Christ and to Lionheart/the Prayer Furnace, specifically. In order to handle the new wine the Lord is about to pour out, and the new battles we are about to face, we must make time for renewal. It is time to soak in the oil and water of the Holy Spirit to bring back our original elasticity. It is time for a Sabbath.

The Sabbath of the Seventh Year

Our current season is similar to the nation of Israel as the Lord trained them in the wilderness. As the Lord prepared the nation of Israel to inherit the Promised Land, He told Moses to instruct the people to keep a Sabbath year every seven years.

"1 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 20 And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21 Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.” (Leviticus 25:1-5, 20-21)

Note that the Lord’s purposes were larger than simply the comfort of the people. God gave Israel the Sabbath year to provide rest for the people, but He also desired rest for the land. Over-farmed land loses all nutrients after so many seasons. In His wisdom, the Lord designed a time of rest for both the stewards and the stewardship.

At the same time, we should consider that this was a command from the Lord, not just a good idea. As a part of the original covenant with Abraham, the land of Canaan was God’s promise to Israel and a blessing for them, but it was also Israel’s responsibility to steward properly. Part of all Godly stewardship is accounting for and fulfilling the need for rest. For Israel, the stewardship was the natural land, however, for New Testament believers our stewardship can be whatever the Lord has called us to accomplish and/or have dominion over. And as with Israel, we are in sin to neglect the need for rest.

Recently in prayer, I heard the Lord say to me, “The rest of the year is to be a Sabbath year of rest.” I also felt the Lord spoke in terms of the Hebraic calendar, which ends in September with the Feast of Tabernacles. As a confirmation of this word, Lionheart Restoration Ministries has just entered its seventh year of occupying our current facility.

So in accordance with the wisdom of the Lord in scripture and in prophetic indication, Lionheart Restoration Ministries is starting what we call A Sabbath Season of Rest and Renewal until September 2010. During this time, some of our services will change; others will take a break completely and return when this season is over. The ultimate desire of this time is to experience the renewal process of our spiritual “wineskin,” to be soaked in the oil and water of the Holy Spirit allow the Lord to bring back the elasticity and flexibility of a new wineskin.

Here are a few of the initial changes that will take effect beginning April 12, 2010:

• The Prayer Furnace of East TN will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only. On these three days, we will cut back on our intercessory watches and hopefully add more devotional watches. While the exact adjusted schedule is still forthcoming, the desire is to make more time available to minister to the Lord and to simply enjoy His rejuvenating presence.
• Tuesday night Corporate Intercession will become a time of training. Look for upcoming teaching tracts.
• The current Friday 7pm-9pm Prophetic Intercessory Watch will become a time of worship and renewal, where anyone who needs refreshing is welcome to come and enjoy the presence of the Lord. Starting at 7pm every Friday night, the Lionheart Worship Team will minister and a ministry team will be available to pray for any who need ministry. Also look for special upcoming speakers to minister during this time.
• Lionheart Fellowship services will continue as normal. Our Sunday morning service begins at 10:00 am. We will be having combined Care Group meetings on Sunday afternoon/evenings usually at 6PM, but may vary with the planned activity.

So we encourage you join us in seeking healing, renewal and refreshing of the Lord during this time. We trust that when by the time this season is over in September, the Lord will have refreshed us and our stewardship where we will be stronger and better able to fulfill His calling for us.