Last night I mentioned about a refocus that would take place. Well today it happened without me even trying to do anything. I spent what seemed like an entire day in the prayer house as I have been doing recently but noticed particularly when I went in the afternoon that I wasn't feeling the presence of God and that my mind would shift to praying about anointing and healing very easily. Not that there is something wrong with pressing in for that, but that shouldn't be in lieu of a relationship with the Father.
So when I got home I pulled out a favorite sermon of mine by Bill Johnson that I haven't listened to in a while. It is titled, "Intimacy Before Victory." When I first heard this message it greatly changed the way I thought. It kept me from feeling pressured to "perform" by seeing people get healed. Not that I wouldn't pray for people, but rather I wouldn't beat myself up if something I did not yet have the faith for was not healed. For instance, I had faith that your pain would leave, but not too much that your deaf ear would open. Check this passage from Matthew 17:19-21...
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
The weird thing is that Jesus didn't go fast or pray right then to make the demon come out, he had already gotten the breakthrough through prayer and fasting before he was faced with this demon. So this had almost become my focus: that God would give me the breakthrough to see every sickness, disease, and disability healed. You may think that I am crazy or overly zealous; let me know if there is ever a time when you or someone you love needs healing and you will be glad I took the time to seek the breakthrough.
However, Pastor Bill mentioned in this message how important it is that our primary focus be worshipping God (it doesn't have to be music) and then hearing feedback from Him about us. Yup, I kinda forgot that. I got a little too much wrapped up in fighting for breakthrough that I forgot that the King wants me to serve his dinner and meet his needs (minister to Him in worship) before He will get me my dinner and make sure I have everything I need.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Developing History
I was just checking my email and came across this section of an article by Rick Joyner on the Elijah List...
"Many people have experienced profound changes in their lives by going on a television fast. Some have been changed so much that they threw their TV's out. If TV is sapping your life, stealing the quality time you should be spending with the Lord or your family, turn it off just one night a week and spend that time with the Lord or in conversation with your family--it could change your life and theirs.
Again, after doing this one night a week, you will soon want to add another night. Soon you will find yourself rarely turning your television on, and then it will be with purpose, not just randomly trying to find something to entertain you, which is usually a symptom of an empty, aimless, spiritual life."
Now I haven't had cable tv since I moved to California so the only bit I have watched was in the laundromat, but I thought that I should apply this to the internet. I probably won't throw out my computer as it is the main way I communicate with people, but I think it is a step in the right direction for getting a more productive lifestyle (you might not like the term "productive", but I do, and my opinion wins) in place so that I can get more reading done. There are too many good books out there for me to try to occupy my time by looking through my friends list on myspace (no offense), and there are too many cool people that I should make more time to hang out with by having everything I need to do finished so that I can have free time.
In this article, Rick Joyner also talked about getting time in the word and prayer. In the same way it can help if you start with a little bit and work up towards your goal. I need to get on this. I want to know the word and the only way I will know it is if I read it a lot. I need to develop a history with my bible just as I need to continue developing history with God in the prayer room. Amen to myself. Yay for Friday night, it seems like it has been forever since there has been anything going on.
"Many people have experienced profound changes in their lives by going on a television fast. Some have been changed so much that they threw their TV's out. If TV is sapping your life, stealing the quality time you should be spending with the Lord or your family, turn it off just one night a week and spend that time with the Lord or in conversation with your family--it could change your life and theirs.
Again, after doing this one night a week, you will soon want to add another night. Soon you will find yourself rarely turning your television on, and then it will be with purpose, not just randomly trying to find something to entertain you, which is usually a symptom of an empty, aimless, spiritual life."
Now I haven't had cable tv since I moved to California so the only bit I have watched was in the laundromat, but I thought that I should apply this to the internet. I probably won't throw out my computer as it is the main way I communicate with people, but I think it is a step in the right direction for getting a more productive lifestyle (you might not like the term "productive", but I do, and my opinion wins) in place so that I can get more reading done. There are too many good books out there for me to try to occupy my time by looking through my friends list on myspace (no offense), and there are too many cool people that I should make more time to hang out with by having everything I need to do finished so that I can have free time.
In this article, Rick Joyner also talked about getting time in the word and prayer. In the same way it can help if you start with a little bit and work up towards your goal. I need to get on this. I want to know the word and the only way I will know it is if I read it a lot. I need to develop a history with my bible just as I need to continue developing history with God in the prayer room. Amen to myself. Yay for Friday night, it seems like it has been forever since there has been anything going on.
I'll never change the subject
So I don't know how it happened, but I was late for work this morning. I woke up and thought, "man it feels like I have been asleep for a long time," so I looked at my phone (which serves as my alarm) and sure enough it said 6:00 am. I did a double take as I didn't think that was possible, so I called in real quick and headed out the door. It was kind of a rough day. As I was on break there was a group of several people that were actually predicted how soon they would get fired. Why? It was as though the new standard was perfection. No one can be late ever, don't mess up anything, you must meet your times or else. When did it get to this? Throughout the holiday season we have had dozens of lazy people wandering through the store instead of doing their work and now that they are gone, they are gonna fire the good workers they have? On the bright side, that would force me to look for a job that would be better (I can't imagine one being worse or paying less). Regardless of what happened, I worked hard and actually still had fun, but was just starting to think of where I should put in an application next.
After getting some household supplies and some juice I headed over to the prayer house I have been doing recently. The presence of God is so amazing. I was lying there when I happened to think about why I haven't been getting words of knowledge recently. It occured to me that I haven't figured out that one is God showing me something and the other is me feeling His presence so I simply told God, "if you give me words again I'll never change the subject." Just before that I was thinking about the man I had just prayed for at Costco. It was a fun little conversation and really shows how much I've grown over the past few months. I was just praying that God would increase my anointing so that people would get healed every time I pray for them (like that one guy, what's his name? oh yeah, JESUS). And so I prayed, "God, if you increase the anointing on my life, I will not change the subject. I will pray for everyone I see who has a need. I will not back away in fear or make an excuse that I am in a hurry or tired."
Actually, a few months before I moved out here I started leaving early whenever I had to be somewhere so that if I saw someone I would have time to pull over. I think I only used that strategy one time for a homeless man who then didn't want to come with me, but hey, God is after our heart. So if you start getting messages from me asking about this or that, don't be weirded out, it is just me not changing the subject. Or perhaps the better way to put it is me not assuming that it is just me feeling God's presence or even me not being silent and hoping that God will just use someone else.
On a side note, I have repented for trying to make a show of it, by leaving the word in a public place such as a comment on a profile instead of a private message. I would still love to pray for you though if you have any requests, feel free to email me at healingrevivalist@gmail.com and let me know if you would either like to remain anonymous or not have your testimony shared at all because I want to honor your privacy. Now for a few words:
Right foot (in general and on the outside between the heel and the ankle)
Right knee
Rib cage on the right side close to the arm pit
Left ear
Right shin very close to the knee
Right thigh on the outside a few inches from the knee
Please email me if you or someone close to you has any of these things so that I can know to pray for you specifically. God wants to get those healed up today.
After getting some household supplies and some juice I headed over to the prayer house I have been doing recently. The presence of God is so amazing. I was lying there when I happened to think about why I haven't been getting words of knowledge recently. It occured to me that I haven't figured out that one is God showing me something and the other is me feeling His presence so I simply told God, "if you give me words again I'll never change the subject." Just before that I was thinking about the man I had just prayed for at Costco. It was a fun little conversation and really shows how much I've grown over the past few months. I was just praying that God would increase my anointing so that people would get healed every time I pray for them (like that one guy, what's his name? oh yeah, JESUS). And so I prayed, "God, if you increase the anointing on my life, I will not change the subject. I will pray for everyone I see who has a need. I will not back away in fear or make an excuse that I am in a hurry or tired."
Actually, a few months before I moved out here I started leaving early whenever I had to be somewhere so that if I saw someone I would have time to pull over. I think I only used that strategy one time for a homeless man who then didn't want to come with me, but hey, God is after our heart. So if you start getting messages from me asking about this or that, don't be weirded out, it is just me not changing the subject. Or perhaps the better way to put it is me not assuming that it is just me feeling God's presence or even me not being silent and hoping that God will just use someone else.
On a side note, I have repented for trying to make a show of it, by leaving the word in a public place such as a comment on a profile instead of a private message. I would still love to pray for you though if you have any requests, feel free to email me at healingrevivalist@gmail.com and let me know if you would either like to remain anonymous or not have your testimony shared at all because I want to honor your privacy. Now for a few words:
Right foot (in general and on the outside between the heel and the ankle)
Right knee
Rib cage on the right side close to the arm pit
Left ear
Right shin very close to the knee
Right thigh on the outside a few inches from the knee
Please email me if you or someone close to you has any of these things so that I can know to pray for you specifically. God wants to get those healed up today.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Will you pay any price?
One of my friends at school is radical. They have a passion for the lost that I have never seen in anyone except for maybe Chris Overstreet. I mean they are radical. Their faith is inspiring. The depth of their relationship with God is incredible. I say all these things not to draw attention to the person as they will never read this and hopefully nobody will even realize who it is. I know that they would not want any such attention. I have complete respect for this person and want to honor them in every way.
As radical their faith is, I don't know that I have ever met someone who is so committed to purity as they are either. They have the mindset of someone who has been in ministry for longer than they have been alive. Simply put they will not be alone with someone of the opposite sex. While this might seem a bit over the top and too religious for you, they are that committed to purity that they have set boundaries that other Christians will ridicule them for.
In talking with them recently I realized just how important these boundaries are. We have all seen pastors and leaders fall into sin, most typically sexual sin, yet the church still hasn't figured out that a price must be paid to guard what is valuable. Proverbs 6:32-33 says:
"But a man who commits adultery lacks judgement; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away."
That is heavy. The leaders who have fallen into adultery have essentially destroyed themselves. As much as others or myself would like to forgive the individual for what they did (remember we are supposed to forgive others), there will inevitably be people who will always shout "adulterer" or "sinner" and thus take away the platform that they once had. So not only did they destroy their career, but they may have also destroyed their marriage or family as well as the validity of their ministry by everyone they have come in contact with.
The safe place for people to remain pure is in a place where they aren't forced to make decisions to step away from temptation. The safe place is where there is no temptation! How simple, yet how true!
Why am I suddenly talking about purity? Because I am convinced that boundaries need to be put up in my life and in the life of others NOW, so that weeks, months, years down the road we will already have good boundaries in place to keep us out of sin. This isn't an area where it is wise to see how close you can walk to the edge without falling off. You want to get as far away from that edge as possible so that you don't even have to worry about falling.
As God was giving me vision this afternoon for something that I am passionate about I was nearly overwhelmed with excitement as different things seemed to line up and make sense. Prophetic words that I have been given were lining up with what God was showing me. To put it generally, it meant that I would have a significant leadership role in reaching the entire country in one great area of influence. With travel is danger. For me, anything that isn't routine is potentially dangerous because I am a systematic person who thrives on routine and what is come to be expected. It hit me that I must be radical enough to pay any price to make sure that temptation does not come my way while on the road and that in my life not even a hint of sexual immorality can be found. Not only would my own name be on the line, but also my ministry covering, and also God. My own shortcomings would have negative effects on many other people.
(on a side note, Mike Bickle just read my mail that I will be a part of a new breed of church planters who will seek the manifest presence of God and whose community of believers will display the power of God. I am watching onething live over the internet and when he asked people to stand who feel called to that I did and felt the Holy Spirit give me some confirmation! haha, yay God! young apostles and prophets unite!)
Anyway, the onething conference is severely distracting me, but essentially I realized that I don't want to have to quit the race half way through it because of a stupid decision. I want to run the race all the way until I die or until Jesus comes back and to be able to make my ceiling as high as possible to become the floor of the next generation. In Jesus' name. Amen.
::steps off soap box::
:)
(ps. I am aware of the legalism debate and it is not necessary to bring up in this blog...thanks!)
As radical their faith is, I don't know that I have ever met someone who is so committed to purity as they are either. They have the mindset of someone who has been in ministry for longer than they have been alive. Simply put they will not be alone with someone of the opposite sex. While this might seem a bit over the top and too religious for you, they are that committed to purity that they have set boundaries that other Christians will ridicule them for.
In talking with them recently I realized just how important these boundaries are. We have all seen pastors and leaders fall into sin, most typically sexual sin, yet the church still hasn't figured out that a price must be paid to guard what is valuable. Proverbs 6:32-33 says:
"But a man who commits adultery lacks judgement; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away."
That is heavy. The leaders who have fallen into adultery have essentially destroyed themselves. As much as others or myself would like to forgive the individual for what they did (remember we are supposed to forgive others), there will inevitably be people who will always shout "adulterer" or "sinner" and thus take away the platform that they once had. So not only did they destroy their career, but they may have also destroyed their marriage or family as well as the validity of their ministry by everyone they have come in contact with.
The safe place for people to remain pure is in a place where they aren't forced to make decisions to step away from temptation. The safe place is where there is no temptation! How simple, yet how true!
Why am I suddenly talking about purity? Because I am convinced that boundaries need to be put up in my life and in the life of others NOW, so that weeks, months, years down the road we will already have good boundaries in place to keep us out of sin. This isn't an area where it is wise to see how close you can walk to the edge without falling off. You want to get as far away from that edge as possible so that you don't even have to worry about falling.
As God was giving me vision this afternoon for something that I am passionate about I was nearly overwhelmed with excitement as different things seemed to line up and make sense. Prophetic words that I have been given were lining up with what God was showing me. To put it generally, it meant that I would have a significant leadership role in reaching the entire country in one great area of influence. With travel is danger. For me, anything that isn't routine is potentially dangerous because I am a systematic person who thrives on routine and what is come to be expected. It hit me that I must be radical enough to pay any price to make sure that temptation does not come my way while on the road and that in my life not even a hint of sexual immorality can be found. Not only would my own name be on the line, but also my ministry covering, and also God. My own shortcomings would have negative effects on many other people.
(on a side note, Mike Bickle just read my mail that I will be a part of a new breed of church planters who will seek the manifest presence of God and whose community of believers will display the power of God. I am watching onething live over the internet and when he asked people to stand who feel called to that I did and felt the Holy Spirit give me some confirmation! haha, yay God! young apostles and prophets unite!)
Anyway, the onething conference is severely distracting me, but essentially I realized that I don't want to have to quit the race half way through it because of a stupid decision. I want to run the race all the way until I die or until Jesus comes back and to be able to make my ceiling as high as possible to become the floor of the next generation. In Jesus' name. Amen.
::steps off soap box::
:)
(ps. I am aware of the legalism debate and it is not necessary to bring up in this blog...thanks!)
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Power
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Power from the Holy Spirit is necessary to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. I am believing that as I wait on the Lord I will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and in power. Last night before going into work I lay on the floor with my hands on fire. Although I have felt more intense heat for a moment, that was the most intense sustained fire I have ever experienced. I kept praying Matthew 10:1 but then also John 14:12:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
That almost seems like heresy to pray that I would not only walk in the authority that Jesus did, but would even perform greater miracles than He did. Well, it's in the Bible and Jesus said it. Lord, increase my authority and faith to do even greater things than Jesus!
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Power from the Holy Spirit is necessary to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. I am believing that as I wait on the Lord I will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and in power. Last night before going into work I lay on the floor with my hands on fire. Although I have felt more intense heat for a moment, that was the most intense sustained fire I have ever experienced. I kept praying Matthew 10:1 but then also John 14:12:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
That almost seems like heresy to pray that I would not only walk in the authority that Jesus did, but would even perform greater miracles than He did. Well, it's in the Bible and Jesus said it. Lord, increase my authority and faith to do even greater things than Jesus!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Are you kidding me?
Matthew 10:1
"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness"."
v. 7-8
"As you go preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, clease those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
Just in case you think Jesus only wanted the twelve disciples to walk in authority to drive out demons and heal every disease and sickness....
Matthew 28:18-20
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Yup, Jesus told the disciples to go teach everyone else to obey everything He commanded them. If there was ever a man in history that I would want to hang out with and learn from it would be Jesus. That is like getting private instruction to create from the inventor Himself! God, help me to walk in the authority that you have given me to drive out evil spirits and to heal EVERY sickness and disease!
"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness"."
v. 7-8
"As you go preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, clease those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
Just in case you think Jesus only wanted the twelve disciples to walk in authority to drive out demons and heal every disease and sickness....
Matthew 28:18-20
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Yup, Jesus told the disciples to go teach everyone else to obey everything He commanded them. If there was ever a man in history that I would want to hang out with and learn from it would be Jesus. That is like getting private instruction to create from the inventor Himself! God, help me to walk in the authority that you have given me to drive out evil spirits and to heal EVERY sickness and disease!
Thankful...
I'm so thankful for God right now. This year has been amazing and each day, particularly in the last month has been incredible and better than the previous day. I'm thankful for His presence. So thankful that I can feel when He is around me and that He is actually around me. Thankful for my family, even though I didn't get to see them. My parents are wonderful and my two sisters are great. I also am thankful for the two funnest and funniest brother-in-laws in the world. They are so cool. Speaking of cool, my 3 nieces and 3 nephews make me the proudest uncle in the world. I am so thankful for my friends old and new. The ones I have had many fun memories with and the ones that are challenging me right now to run in order to win the race. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of peers. I'm so thankful that God is using me in a significant way to touch the world. In a way that matters to me (for everyone that will say that they are making a significant impact, I could do what you do and feel unfulfilled because of the call on my life, nothing against what you do, but for me it would be lowering the bar to shoot for anything less than what I am). I am thankful that today God used me to help bring one of his sheep back closer to Him. I am thankful that God has matured me to the point of having a lot more wisdom than I used to. I am thankful for my air matress and that I don't have to sleep on the ground. I am thankful for my job and that it pays my bills...barely. haha. I am thankful for JOY! I am thankful for my apartment even though the heat isn't working. I am thankful for my car and expecially for the heater which works REALLY well. I am thankful that today I got to ride a Whizzer. I am thankful that I don't own a motorcycle and have to ride it in the cold and rain. I am thankful for what God has done in healing many people when I have prayed for them. I am thankful for what God will do in 2007 when I pray for people and when I speak. I am thankful for the increased anointing that is coming (c'mon Jesus, this is good stuff!) every day. I am thankful for impartation and getting whacked by God. I am thankful for the prophetic words, dreams, and visions that God has given me. I am thankful for when God gives me words of knowledge, even when they aren't right (maybe that isn't Him then?) but especially when they are right (that has to be Him!). I am thankful for everything that God will do in 2007. I am thankful that down's sydrome, cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, blindness, deafness, cancer, tumors, paralyzation and others will all be healed. I am thankful that the dead will be raised. I am thankful that headaches will go away. I am thankful for divine health. I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful for hot pockets. I am even thankful for everything else that I didn't mention (I could literally keep writing this for the rest of my life and never finish it because I am thankful for everything!).
What are you thankful for?
Merry Christmas!!!!
What are you thankful for?
Merry Christmas!!!!
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