Lisa Great

We as the church have spent much of our time presenting an image of Christ to the world. We have added lights, smoke, sound systems, outfits to wow the best of them. Our image has been established externally, but now we have spent a lot of time talking about our image internally.

Teaching people to know who they are in Christ, reminding them of Christ in them the hope of glory. Helping them tell a new story in their hearts, minds and souls. We have let people know God loves them, we see them and they are wanted. People need to know who they are, who created them and what Genesis 1:26-28 says about them.

Adding to this we have entered into a sound that is coming out of the people of God on soccer fields at the World Cup, on slogans and banners at baseball games: John 3:16. We have heard people’s voices and messages on social media, from young to older. Pulpits and platforms have sent forth the sound of salvation to the nation. Our sound is getting louder and this is a good thing.

Now God is adding one more aspect to our arsenal of declaration to the world. He is adding fragrance. He is adding smell. He wants us to smell like him. 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” God has created a fragrance line for us that we are to wear.

Our smell is out attitude, how a room experiences us, what people say once we leave a place. What smell are we leaving behind. Smell remains even when we leave. If you are in an elevator, people say, you smell good. Once we are off the elevator your smell is still in the elevator. God is releasing His fragrant line for both men and women, because what we smell like in our attitudes matters to God.

Our fragrance is the final touch which will add value to our image and our sound. We are called to be people who are seen, heard and smelled, so the kingdom of God can be represented on earth as it is in heaven. We are to smell good. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Over and over again the video game Mario Bros comes to mind as the best way to describe how the word of God is a deep well and if you push on a verse they will unlock for you mysteries you could not have known.

If we read our bible and don’t understand it, we must just keep reading, the road that is rough upon arrival will smooth out in understand as you keep treading the path of the discipline of reading.

But if you have some understanding of the word, then the next layer is to read until you no longer hear other people’s voices, sermons, podcasts, books when you read a verse. This too takes time, but is worth the miles of travel in the word to remove all these voices.

Then you get to a place where the word is an adventure. You can’t wait to get up and open your bible for you know there is something in there that will electrify your spirit with truth. This is the Mario Bros analogy I speak of.

In the game Mario has pipes he is jumping on and over. Some pipes, if he pushes into them open up a world he did not know was there on the surface. In biblical vernacular we call this a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16 when Peter declared Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus said, you could not have known that if My Father did not tell you. Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Psalm 25 says, “The secret council of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” This secret language is common in scripture for Amos 3:7 says, “For God does nothing without revealing His secrets to His servants the prophets.” But what secret is being spoken of.

Secret is sod in Hebrew and it means divine council. It’s: the one who fears YHWH is granted a seat in His council — admitted into the deliberative throne-room space where God’s purposes are formed and disclosed. (Claude)

As we lean in to the Lord with respect for God (fear of the Lord); honor and obedience to His voice, we are now postured to be in the divine council and hear secrets about His covenant. We hear, so we can speak not so we can hoard what we heard.

Everyone is invited but not all lean in, so not all hear the secrets of God so as to speak them to the people of God. This is not an elite society, this is a posture of listening in order to speak for God not only about God and to do it accurately, it starts with listening. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

When the nations align with the kingdom of God and what the Lord has been doing on the earth, long before we got here and will be doing long after we leave here, it is a powerful time to be alive.

God has been building the body of Christ since Jesus was slain before the foundation of the earth. This building project escalated after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When He ascended into heaven, the Bible says in Ephesians 4, He gave gifts to men.

God gave gifts, He gave craftsmen to the earth to build the body of Christ. The 12 apostles are craftsmen of Christ, the apostle Paul is a craftsman of Christ. There are still craftsmen of Christ on earth right now.

These builders God gave to the church in a specific order, not for hierarchy but for building. Paul says it this way in 1 Corinthians 12:28, listen to the order established. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”

What was the reason for the order? Because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6) and we are being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter). If God is building us into a house, the first thing you do when building a house is lay the foundation. Henceforth, first apostles.

Proverbs 24 actually speaks of this idea before Paul does by saying, “Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”

God is a builder and when the nations are aligned with God for the building up of people, for nations are people, we have a perfect match and things move quickly. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Edification is an architectural term and is where we get the word edifice. God is building us into a body that will be established on truth, will be able to stand in the midst of storms and will reveal the glory of God to nations who have yet to decide to build. Friends, God is building the body of Christ and there is so much work to do, everyone has a role to play. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

One of the earmarks of the new narrative, which is actually an old narrative that has been buried under the traditions and doctrines of men, is that of God’s nature.

We have been taught theology of God, not nature of God. To know theology apart from nature is challenging because it is hard to obey, to trust, to follow someone you do not know.

We have traditionally invited people into a one night stand. One night they stand up and give their life to Jesus. But we all know that one night stands are rarely long lasting relationships and are definitely not true intimacy.

When we take people from a one night stand into theology, we create people who have head knowledge rather than a revelation of Jesus Christ. Knowing someone’s nature and character is key to a lasting relationship.

When we know their nature/character, when they do something out of character, we can pause, ask questions and give grace, for we realize that is out of character for them. But if you don’t know them you can’t trust them and the same is true with God.

This is why the new narrative is coming with God’s nature and good theology, but nature is leading the way. Love will be the earmark of God’s nature that draws people into the theology of God. For theology apart from love does not create disciples of Christ who become ambassadors of Christ.

We are going to learn about covenant, loyalty, love that stays, truth that endures, grace that abounds, hope that doesn’t disappoint and kindness that is everlasting.

Once you taste and see that the Lord is good, you will not desire any other reality that preaches a theology apart from love. You will be so alive, because you are so in love, and you will want to show the love you have seen to everyone around you, everyday. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

I had an open vision in worship yesterday at church. Jordan, one of the worship leaders yesterday, was singing a song saying the Lord has no rival, not equal, but He is the name above all names. The congregation was all in, singing with all our hearts.

Then, we were singing our own song to the Lord, another one of our worship leaders Kat, who was on her knees, so could not be seen, but only heard began to sing about the name of Jesus. While she was singing I saw a hot tub.

I saw a hot tub in the middle of our worship team. We have our church in a barn in Thompson Station, TN and our worship team stands in a square and our congregation surrounds them. We sing over each other in church, we look at each other, we point to each other and decree songs over each other in this posture our apostolic leader has created.

I see this hot tub in the middle of the room as she is singing, there is vapors coming up, as it is hot water. We are singing, I am seeing and the tub is there, but once we begin to sing What a Beautiful Name, all of the sudden our voices are the jets in the tub.

The water begins to stir with our voices being the jets in the tub. The church in that moment is singing and I am seeing this hot tub. I am looking at it, listening to our people sing and the Holy Spirit says, the people will sit in the midst of us to be healed in the hot tub of His presence.

I immediately think John 5 and the pool of Bethesda. Bethesda is a Hebrew word and it means house of flowing or pouring. I was in awe of this vision, the presence of God in worship and knew this aligned with our house, because our apostolic leader always tells us rivers of living water will flow from our bellies out of this house.

God is wanting to put hot tubs in the midst of our worship, so others can be healed by the flowing and pouring of praise that comes out of us as His people. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

For the past two Saturday’s I have went to the Bon Aqua, TN mineral spring to get fresh water. Little did I know this small, off the beaten path, you can’t find it on a map location would yield so many insights to me and to a friend of mine who I talk to about water quite often.

There is a phrase that has been heard in some circles saying, “Watch the Water!” On a national level if you watch the water, you will see the reflection pool in Washington was cleaned and when it was, the reflection of two monuments in that city were visible in the water.

The enemy does not like clear water, clean water, for he knows when the water is clean, pure, clear, it becomes a reflection of that which is in proximity to the water.

We as human beings are made up of 75% water, and when our water internally is pure, unadulterated, clear and clean by the blood of Jesus, we become a reflection of the One inside of us, who is in proximity to us spiritually.

Is it any wonder the enemy wants to pollute our water with fear, anxiety, negativity anger, depression, doubt, insecurity, etc, etc, etc.? If the living water inside of us is flowing freely, it is clear, pure and a reflection of Christ who is in us.

Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Water is a reflector and you and I are predominantly made up of water because we were created to be a reflector.

Back to my little town in TN, called Bon Aqua, which means Good Water. While sitting in that river of mineral water yesterday, with my feet lodged in the dirt, next to the rocks, whenever I moved my feet dirt was stirred up and created a cloud, but the flowing water was not moved by the cloud of dirt. The moving water actually removed the cloud of dirt quickly.

There is a river of life inside of us, even when sin arises, the living water moves it along as we repent and confess. Don’t dwell, contain or ruminate on the cloud of dirt (sin) let the living water wash it away and let the healing waters of that river bring life from your feet up. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

There is ever increasing value of things on earth and when we understand what carries value and what carries more value, we will continue to pursue until we apprehend that which is of the highest value.

The Bible says, everyone has been given a measure of faith. Faith is exercisable and as we exercise our faith, we increase in our authority. We have all been given authority, but we do not all exercise it, so though we have access to it, we do not all operate in the strength of it.

One of the valuables on earth is money. Every culture has coins and paper money. Coins and paper carry value because they have purchasing power. The denomination on the coin or the paper reveals how much value it carries.

Metals carry even more value than coins or paper, so people have begun to by silver and gold. Each coin or bar carrying a weight that reveals its value. Metals are an increased valuable in the earth realm. They carry more value than paper or common coins.

Then we also have commodities like oil, natural gas, energy, jewels, these are all valuable assets in the earth realm that carry an even greater value than paper, coins, silver, or gold. Each item is carrying an increasing value in the earth realm.

The Bible speaks to all of these elements on earth and then adds there is something of even greater value than all of these things. 1 Peter 1:7 says, “The genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Faith is the highest value we have on earth. Jesus even said, when I return will I find faith on earth. Elements cannot have faith, only humanity can have faith. That highest value item is already inside of you, but you must recognize its value, exercise it with obedience, pursue it with reading the Bible, for faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

Once you recognize what is of the highest value and make that your pursuit, all these other things of lesser value will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) You have a deposit of faith which is the most valuable thing on earth. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

The Word of God has predominantly for us in western culture been about theology but the word of God is more about marveling at who God is, rather than arguing over doctrines of men. I sense the desire of God to restore the awe and wonder of His word to us.

Would you be willing to join me in listening to the word of God through the eyes of awe and wonder today? If so, listen to this from Psalm 19. “The heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament shows His handiwork.”

The firmament is spoken of in Genesis 1 and it speaks of the sun, moon, and stars. Which makes sense when we read the next verses. “Day unto day (sun) utters speech, and night unto night (moon and stars) reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.”

This means the sun, moon and stars, which everyone in all creation sees on a daily basis, some better than others depending on cloud cover and light pollution, are hearing the glory of God.

We are living in a world in which the glory of God is speaking to us day and night, night and day. Whether in a village that has no known language, or in the biggest city in the world. Same sun, same moon, same stars all speaking the same language, the knowledge of the glory of God.

But what are the firmament speaking? This is where we must slow down, listen, stand in awe and wonder. One thing I think they are speaking is God is faithful. Every morning in my 56 years of life, the sun has been there every morning. It speaks of cycles, the moon every month for as long as we have been alive goes through a 28-29 day cycle. And it communicates power that is beautiful. The stars shimmer like diamonds on the velvet blue canvas above our heads every night.

Friends, theology matters, but awe and wonder awakens in us beauty that cannot be manufactured with such vivid detail and colors. God’s glory is heard by every human being everyday. We are not always listening, but He is always speaking. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Did you know there are many views of who God is? He is multifaceted, so there are times we need the back of His hand not His face like Moses did in Exodus 33, for the sight of His face would kill us. There are times we need to be told to shut our mouth when in His presence like happened to Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17.

There are times we need to sit at the table and let Him wash our feet like happened to the disciples in John 13 so we can learn what real service looks like. And there are times we need to stand on our feet like Daniel was told to do in Daniel 10 so we can hear what God wants to speak to us.

There are times we need to be told to go back and look again like Elijah said to his servant, for we missed what we were supposed to see as noted in 1 Kings 19. And then there are times we are told to go and wash in a certain pool so we can gain our sight for we are blind as happened to the man in John 9.

I do not know where you personally are and what God is speaking to you in this moment, but what I do hear is what God is speaking to the body of Christ corporately. There is a collective call to strength for the body of Christ.

I sense the Lord is speaking over us Psalm 18:32-36, “It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip.”

Cultural Christianity has made us weak, but Biblical Truth is infusing us with strength. Not human strength, Biblical strength, where gentleness makes you great. God is making his body fit for longevity. This will include a diet change in the word and exercising our authority in the spirit. This will make us feel better. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Understanding the language of the ones who would have written it and who would have understood it, unlocks realms of reality that cannot be understood by only seeing it and hearing it through our western eyes and ears.

Humility is going to be paramount for us to move forward as the church in this hour. The church has read the bible through the eyes of the west, not through the ears of the Hebrews. (Hebrews 4:12)

When we place our western worldview on the bible, we miss the truth that is in the word of God that will set us free. We have no excuse for ignorance, we must admit it is laziness which is why humility is lacking in those who say they know more than they actually do.

If one goal is to reach Israel with the gospel of the kingdom, we must think like a Hebrew, understand the mindset of the people we want to reach and we must admit they know more about the bible than we do. This is humbling in a way many are not willing to admit.

One of the pastors at our church said a couple of weeks ago that 80% of Americans have not read through the whole bible, not even once. What that says is we are biblically illiterate people trying to be bible teachers and scholars.

We tend to recycle what we are taught rather than seek out truth we do not know. Humility is remaining teachable, not locking into one reality and calling it biblical literacy.

One of the changes we must make in our thinking is about Jewish cosmology. “In Jewish cosmology, heaven is the realm where things are kept safe from earthly corruption. It’s a vault, not a destination.” (Claude) This one statement alone changes every verse we read about heaven. This takes humility to pivot our thoughts from somewhere out there.

I pray we find a posture of humility, no matter our gender or title, for what is about to be reveled is going to blow our minds. Truth has been hidden and is now being revealed. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org