Author: lisagreatenebeli

I am a wife, mother, author, speaker, blogger, and Founder of the Apostolic Resource Center www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Have You Been Bit and Don’t Know It

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Have You Been Bit and Don’t Know It?
 
Matthew 12:25, “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
 
James 4:1, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
 
As I listen to the news, as I listen to church people, as I counsel married couples, as I listen to parents with their children, I cannot help but notice we have been bit and don’t know it. What we have been bit with is a venom that comes straight out of the mouth of that ancient serpent, the devil. I call it the disease of denominationalism. One may wonder how marriage, church, parents and politics can all be bit by the same disease, for the categories are rarely listed together? Yet, the devil is no respecter of persons, all he wants to do is steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). Have you ever noticed how the devil treated Judas? He bit him with the venom of destruction at the Last Supper, then he sent him to do the bidding of the religious leaders, who were also bit with the same spirit, allowed him to be paid for his service, but once Judas recognized how his actions decided Jesus crucifixion, he was remorseful ((Matthew 27:3). Yet, the religious leaders did not care, for Judas was just a pawn they needed to use to accomplish their demonic purposes. What they didn’t know is that the devil was going to do to them, what they did to Judas.
 
The religious leaders, the politicians, the people, all were bit and didn’t even know it. I would suggest the same is true for people today. Most have been bit and don’t know it. Bit with what you may ask. The spirit of denominationalism, which is the venom of the devil himself. It bites politicians, parents, church people and leaders alike, spouses and anyone else you can think of. It divides countries, churches, families, companies, races and people in general. It is a spirit that so many people are bit with, they do not even think to deal with it when they are doing spiritual warfare. It is demonic in origin and manifests in destruction of relationships on every level. LIke the religious leaders did with Judas, by throwing him away after he did their bidding, this spirit will use you to its advantage and then spit you out as though you have no worth.
 
Most people have been bit by it and don’t even know it, that is why they can’t recognize it. It is subtle, it is sneaky and the only vaccination against it is love. Not that cheap love, not that weak love, not that love wins kind of love, only love for God and love for people, that is rooted in biblical understanding of love as noted by Jesus when He said, if you love me, you will do what I command, that kind of love. Love that trusts God even when you don’t understand. Love that is passionate, powerful, and doesn’t throw people away. That kind of love, which very few know is the only vaccination for this spirit of denominationalism.
 
What is the spirit of denominationalism? In its simplest form, it is the belief that if we do not agree we cannot walk together. It demands that we agree on everything in order to go to the same church; eat at the same table; live in the same house; it demands submission to one person’s ways, thoughts and beliefs or it says without words, get out, you’re not welcome, I don’t want you. In politics, it manifests as Democrats who will not confirm Republican cabinet picks; in churches, it manifests in not letting certain people in leadership roles; in families, it manifests in one person as the final say on all things; all in all, it seeks to silence any voice that does not agree with it.
 
The reason there are over 43,000 different organizations under the banner Christianity is because we cannot agree, so we cannot walk together. Amos 3:3 says, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” Amos said, we have to agree to walk together, not agree to agree. If you went to the temple during bible days, you would have heard arguments on doctrine, beliefs, theology, etc. on a level that many could not handle, but once they debate, the argument, the discussion was over, they walked out of the temple arm in arm, for they were brothers first and had not been bit by the spirit of denominationalism.
 
The church is divided, that is why it lacks power, it lacks authority and it lacks authenticity. If we disagree, we leave and find another church where people believe the way we do or we start our own church. Jesus said, the church is to have one voice, one message, one call, “REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS HERE!” Division has never been God’s plan for the salvation of the world, the kingdom of God has one King, Jesus the Christ the son of the living God, one book, the Bible, one way, one truth and one life; it is a narrow road, very few want to travel on it, that is why they create their own way, their own church, their own whatever, but there will be a bride for Christ and she will speak with one voice, she will live in plumbline with her husband Jesus of Nazareth, and she will only listen to one voice, His.
Have you been bit and don’t know it?

Word Reformation  2.22.17

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www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

 

During worship a couple of weeks ago I had an open vision where the Lord showed me a banqueting table filled with delicacies, dainties and delightful foods from all over the world. It was a true International feast, with many people sitting around the banqueting table. As I observed this scene the Lord said, can you hear them pray consistently? Can you hear them sing so beautifully? I said, yes, it is truly amazing, what I am hearing and seeing. Then the Lord said, but they are very weak, because they refuse to eat the food I have laid out before them. As I looked closer at the banqueting table and the magnificent place settings in front of the people sitting at the table, I did notice that they had not even taken one bite, even though the food was within arm’s reach. They loved to pray, they loved to worship and they loved to fellowship, but they did not want to eat, so they were weak.

 

I knew immediately what the Lord was showing me, if we do not eat, if we do not partake of the Word of God, we will pray, we will worship, and we will fellowship, but we will remain weak, because only the Word of God makes a person strong. People that don’t eat, no matter how much they pray, how much they worship or how much they fellowship, still remain weak, because they refuse to eat the Word of God right in front of them.

 

We are blessed to have a Bible in our hands. Some people have more than one bible, but they still do not eat. They go to 24-hour prayer houses, they join worship teams and go to worship events, they have coffee with friends, but to actually spend time in the Word of God, listening for His voice in His word, very few people do this and that is why the body of Christ is weak. Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.” This is not a salvation message, this is how you get strong. Faith is trust, belief is acknowledgement. It takes believing to be saved (Romans 10:9-10), it takes faith to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and Jesus said when I return will I find faith on earth (Luke 18:8), not believers.

 

Today we have a lot of believers, who said a sinner’s prayer, they pray, they worship, they fellowship and they may even go to church, but most believers do not read their Bible and many do not have faith (trust) in God. How do I know, because the church is weak and God is inviting us to be strong, but it takes a Word reformation. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I Am the way, I Am the truth, I Am the life,” in John 1:1 it says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God in the beginning.” Jesus is the Word of God! Bill Johnson says, Jesus is perfect theology, so if we know the Word, we know Jesus.

 

Once believers start reading the Word of God, they will meet the man that is the Word. You can’t trust (have faith) in someone you do not know. With the reading of the Word, will come trust, once trust is established based on relationship, a covenant will be made, obedience will be the result, for Jesus said in John 15, “If you love me, you will do what I command.” Once believers start obeying the Word of God, power will be released, for they will not be ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Then we will begin to do what Jesus commanded us to do, which is to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13).

 

What is coming is not another denominational reformation; nor is it some new names on an old system, what is coming is a Word reformation. Believers are going to begin to eat at home, so when they come together they are strong, which will cause leaders to have to steer the rushing river of revelation, rather than pray for one to start. The result of a Word reformation is going to be healing, deliverance, reconciliation, restoration, proclamation and transformation. Everything we are asking for in prayer will be answered when individuals realize authority comes through the word of God and obedience to it. Then we can ask and it will be given to us, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us (Matthew 6). We won’t need to spend 24 hours in prayer to get an answer, for we will have authority based on relationship that is rooted in trust. I don’t beg my husband over and over for something, because to him that would be nagging, I just ask and trust him for the answer. The same will be true for us as we begin to eat the food on this banqueting table. Everything will change once we answer the call to read the Bible. Let the Word reformation begin!

Love is Kryptonite to the Enemy

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Love is Kryptonite to the Enemy

 

 

Have you ever had a frustration conversation with the Lord? You know one of those prayer times where somethings off, you feel stuck, heaven seems silent on an issue? I had one of those talks with the Lord just the other day. During this, let’s be honest, one sided conversation, I was doing all the talking, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Follow the yellow brick road”. Now for religious people that will be hard to believe God would say that, but to relationship people, they totally get it. God said, “Follow the yellow brick road.” I had just bought the movie the Wizard of Oz, as someone I met is doing a prophetic project in Kansas and asked me to watch it. I grabbed my pen and paper and sat down to watch the Wizard of Oz like I would a sermon. What I didn’t know was how prophetic that movie would be for me.

“Jesus called a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you, He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4). As I watched this movie the Lord began to speak to me from go. First of all, Dorothy was living with her aunt and uncle, so she was either orphaned or some other situation happened to her parents. Next, she had a dream, which is what put her into the land of Oz and she knew she had gone over the rainbow. Upon arrival in her house, which was the vehicle that took her to the land of Oz, she landed on the wicked witch of the East and killed her. With instructions from the leader of the munchkins, she took the ruby red slippers off of the wicked witch of the East and put them on her feet and was told these slippers would protect her, so just follow the yellow brick road. (There are so many prophetic things right here for you to consider).

The story goes on and she meets three men on her following of the yellow brick road, a scarecrow who needs intelligence, a tin man who needs a heart and a lion who needs courage. As each joins her on following the yellow brick road, to Emerald City to meet the Oz, she encounters along the way the wicked witch of the West. The truth that hit me like a tidal wave was, that because she was wearing the ruby red slippers, the wicked witch of the West could not lay a hand on her. When the Lord highlighted this to me, I remembered that in scripture rubies mean passionate love. The Lord spoke to me and said, “Lisa, passionate lovers are kryptonite to the enemy, because he has no love in him”.

Immediately, I began to weep, as I knew that love is the answer to victory in our lives as believers. When we are lovers, the enemy cannot touch us, love is kryptonite to the enemy. No wonder Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Our love for God and for one another is what keeps the enemy at bay, for if we are lovers of God and lovers of people, he has nothing in us to work with. No wonder the enemy had nothing in Jesus (John 14:30), Jesus was a lover of His Father and of us as people. This is powerful to me, for I knew love was the answer, but I did not realize how powerful it actually was.

As the movie came to an end, they arrived at the door of the Emerald City and finally met the Oz, who did not grant their requests as presented for a brain, heart, courage and a home, but he gave them more than they asked for. Not only did love keep the enemy at bay, love kept them on the yellow brick road that led them to the place where they were given more than they could have asked or even imagined (Ephesians 3:20). When we are wearing the ruby red slippers of passionate love for God and for people, the enemy cannot touch us, for love is kryptonite to the enemy.

Evangelism in the Park

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While at a park yesterday I sat on a bench and three different ladies sat down next to me. The third a Muslim woman from Somalia we talked about all of the similarities between Christianity and Islam to the point there were so many I asked the Lord for a word of knowledge because I could tell I was not getting through to her about the difference. Then I started talking to her about being able to hear the voice of God and asked her if Allah had ever spoken to her, she looked at me with a funny look as though what did I mean God spoke to her? I said you pray correct, she said yes. I said does does Allah talk back to you and she says no the God knows everything I just follow. I told her many Christians need to learn how to obey their God the way you obey yours, but then…. I said well I hear from Jesus every day he talks to me all the time and I pointed up into the bright blue sky and said he’s invisible to our eyes but I hear him in my heart and in my head. She was dumbfounded by the thought that there was a God in heaven that actually spoke. 
The difference between Christianity and Islam is that Yahweh is relational and Allah is only to be obeyed not questioned nor asked for any response from. I lived in Malaysia for nine years and it was against the law to share my faith with any Muslim, now that they are living in America I have the leverage to tell them that Jesus is God and that He speaks to his people because he loves them so much. 

Re-Tiring: It’s Going to Be a Go

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Re-Tiring: It’s Going to Be a Good Year 2.7.17
 
I got a phone call the other day from a friend who was concerned she was going to be retired by God from doing ministry. I said to her, you think you are going to be retired, what happened. She began to explain her situation and asked me to pray as she was uncertain of how this situation would turn out. Then 4 days later, I got a text message from her that said, she resigned and now had been retired. I knew she was in pain, so I did not want to call as she was in the process of retiring from the place she was in up until that morning. While I was praying for her the Lord spoke to me and said, I am not retiring her, I am re-tiring her! I sent her a text immediately with this word from the Lord and I added, this is going to be a really good year. She immediately called me and disappointment and discouragement turned into hope and joy of what is coming with this re-tiring.
 
This statement from the Lord, I am not retiring her, but re-tiring her, has been ringing in my spirit for the past 24 hours and I sense this is not just a word for her, but for many in the body of Christ. Lana Vawser has released prophetic words related to a shift in direction for many in the body of Christ; Doug Addison has prophesied this is a time of realignment and reassignment; so I sense the words God spoke to me are just another piece in this puzzle of the major changes many of us are going through right now. The reason I decided to release this word, is because I think there are people who feel like they have been retired by God and I am here to declare to you today, no matter your age, your gender, your race, or your nationality, that God is not retiring you, He is re-tiring you!
 
Re-tiring is a word we do not hear often, and if you are in the tire business or know anything about retreading, you understand that retreading is putting new tread on old tires. Re-tiring is God giving many in the body of Christ a brand-new set of tires. When we drive on the same set of tires for many miles, they have what is called tread wear, they lose their ability to grip the road, to withstand various weather conditions and are more susceptible to go flat. Some people have been riding on the same old tires for many years, but the Lord is not retiring you, He is re-tiring you. The Lord is inviting us to accept a brand-new set of tires, so we can continue to go for many more miles and make many more memories.
 
The challenge some are going to face in this season is that it is cheaper and easier to just keep the same old tires and when they wear out to just retire. Unfortunately, there is no scriptural backing for that attitude, so I am here to speak life into those dry bones (Ezekiel 47) and say, you will live again, you are a great army and we need you, arise! Or in the words of Isaiah “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43”:18-21).
 
Remember the word of the Lord to us…we are not being retired, we are being re-tired! and I would like to add, it’s going to be a good year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is Love?

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February is traditionally the month where love seems to be the topic of discussion. With Valentine’s day coming on the 14th, many are thinking about who they love, who they used to love and who they want to love. So, I decided to ask the question, what is love? Many would point to 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” or John 3:16, the “love verse”, but still the question remains, what is love? Is love a noun or is it a verb? I believe the answer is yes! Love is a noun and love is a verb, but one thing love is not, is unconditional. Unconditional means not subject to any conditions according to dictionary.com. So, what is love?
 
Love is a noun and a verb! 1 John 4:7-9 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.…” Love is a noun, because God is love! Love is a verb, because God sent His one and only Son into the world. If love was unconditional, if God could just declare He is love and never show that love, is it really love? The answer is NO! Love cannot be love unless it has a corresponding action of love.
 
One reason people like the idea of love being unconditional, is because they have bought into the lie that something is free. Nothing is free, freedom is not free, just ask the veteran or Jesus who died on the cross for your sins, so you could be free. Your freedom cost Him His life. It may seem like its free or unconditional to you, but someone, somewhere paid a price for everything you believe is free or unconditional. If love was unconditional, why did Jesus have to be obedient unto to death, even death on a cross? (Philippians 2); if love is unconditional, why were there two trees in the garden?
 
I have come to realize that we like staying children in our faith and in our lives because then we think we can continue to receive something for nothing. Look at all the things we believe are free, salvation, grace, love, just to name a few. Salvation is a covenant and ask any married person, covenants are not free, they are very costly; grace is empowerment, not a free for all, just ask the apostle Paul (Romans 6 & 7); and love is not free as we noted above. If we are going to grow up, we must realize that responsibility and requirements are not striving or living under the Law, but rather they come with maturity and a biblical understanding of what love really is.
 
Whether we realize it or not, we have been immersed in a spirit of lawlessness, which is why we want everything for free and when boundaries are set for safety reasons, some will reject them. Love is God and love has requirements. God required Himself to provide a sacrifice for our sins when He loved us enough to give us a free will. Our government loves us, that is why there are speed limits and traffic lights. Love is not lawlessness, love is having requirements. If love was unconditional then there would be no reason to believe in Jesus Christ as the One and only way to the Father (John 14:6).
 
When I was a youth pastor, I would tell the parents of my students, L-O-V-E are the boundaries that you set so your student feels safe. There is a difference between rules and boundaries, but that is another blog. So, what is love? Love is freedom, love is truth, love is grace, love is power, love is life, love is what will grow us up, but one thing love is not is free. You must choose to love, so if it costs you nothing else in your mind, it costs you your will. For Jesus said, If you love Me, you will keep my commandments! (John 14:15)
What the world needs is love, what I need is love, what you need is love, and when we understand love, then we will never go back to something masquerading as love. If it has no cost, it has no value. This is love, God is love!

The War We’re In

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One moment on the news and you know we are in a war. One hour in church and you know we are in a war. One post on Facebook, Instagram, Google+ or Twitter and you know we are in a war. One statement that is not politically correct, no matter how truthful it is and you know we in a war. Very few people cannot recognize that we are in a war, but very few people are identifying what that war is accurately. Politicians believe we are in a political war between Democrats and Republicans. Hate groups believe we are in a war over freedom of speech. Terrorist groups believe we are in a war over religion. Other groups believe we are in a war over the color of our skin, the definition of marriage, or the status of your visa. 
Depending on the way you think, you may believe that one of the listed wars are the war we are in. Honestly, I can understand why you would think that, because on the surface that is what it looks like to the naked eye. However, as believers in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God who was manifested in flesh on earth and is seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, who have a Bible, we must remember 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 “Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes”; 1 John 2:18 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour”; and 2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work”. 
The war we are in is an age-old war that began when Lucifer was kicked out heaven (Isaiah 14) for seeking to exalt himself against the knowledge of God. The war has not changed, in the words of Bill Johnson, we were born into this war. Therefore, as believers we should not be alarmed when the anti-Christ spirit manifests in violence of its varying kinds, not just in America, but around the world. We should not be shocked that when law and order are restored, the spirit of lawlessness that has been at work silently in the hearts of men and women worldwide, would begin to put up a fight. The apostle Paul told us in Ephesians 6:10-18, that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities and rulers in the heavenly realms. He then went on in those verses to tell us how to dress so we are ready for the battle. None of this should surprise us. 
The war we’re in is a spiritual one that is manifesting physically. It is not the first time it has manifested on earth and unless Jesus comes back in this war, then it will not be the last time this spirit manifests on earth. The war we’re in right now is the same war, we see all throughout the Word of God. From Genesis to Revelation, we see this war and we see the strategies from heaven on how to win this war. The spirit of anti-Christ, the spirit of lawlessness and the spirit of deception are all three, one in the same spirits. They have the same father of lies as their commander and they seek to counter any activity the kingdom of God makes. When you see anti-Christ manifestations, take heart, for it is evidence of kingdom activity. 
The war we’re in is not one to be afraid of, for fear is a tool the enemy uses to paralyze the believer into inactivity. The way to win this war is to love deeply, forgive consistently, read the word daily, connect with others faithfully and worship unashamedly. The way to conquer the anti-Christ spirit is not to engage in tit for tat arguments, but to “praise until the spirit of worship comes, worship until the glory falls, then stand in the glory” – Ruth Heflin. Your greatest weapons are the word of God and the presence of God, for they protect you from deception. Once you are vaccinated by the presence of God and the word of God, then you can go out into the world and rescue those who are being held captive by the spirit of the world. In the words of the old hymn, they will know you are Christians by your love, by your love, they will know you are Christians by your love. 
The next thing we need to address in a future blog is, what is love? One hint, it is not unconditional.

Jehovah’s 2017 Agenda

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Jehovah’s 2017 Agenda 1.27.17www.apostolicresourcecenter.org
I had the honor and privilege of being a part of a major move of God (revival) here in the USA from 1999-2004 and one man who I have a great respect for used to say, “you need to be careful of people that carry the disease called an agenda”. He taught us this because he is a shepherd and he wanted to protect us his sheep. But God has an agenda too and it is not to harm us, but to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). If you could know God’s agenda for the nations, would you want to know? I would, because I want to be on His agenda, not man’s agenda, not my agenda. Well, I think the Lord revealed to me this morning His agenda and I want to propose it to you. 
Lance Wallnau prophesied that Isaiah 45, a Cyrus, would be the 45th President of the United States of America. He was so confident that he heard this word from God, He wrote a book called God’s Chaos Candidate about this prophetic word God gave him. Prior to that prophetic word, the late Kim Clement, prophesied that a Trump would be put in the White House. Praise the Lord that both men, heard clearly from God and Donald J. Trump is now the 45th President of the United States of America. These prophetic declarations got who God wanted in the White House, now God is release His prophetic agenda for Cyrus, while in the White House. 

Isaiah 44:23 says, “I Am the One who says of the Persian victor over Babylon, Cyrus is My shepherd. He will accomplish what I determine. My word goes out concerning Jerusalem; it will stand a glorious city, again, and of My house within in, restoration will begin at once” (The Voice). As I read those verses this morning, the Lord spoke to me and said, this is My 2017 agenda. Here is what I see as on God’s agenda for 2017, with Cyrus in the White House. 
1. Esther will be victorious over Jezebel 

a. Esther was a Persian queen and Jezebel was a Babylonian queen

2. Cyrus is God’s shepherd

a. Read Isaiah 45 to see if you agree with Lance Wallnau that Trump is a Cyrus figure

3. Jerusalem will be a glorious city

a. Keep your eyes on Jerusalem with PM Netanyahu and President Trump leading together

4. God’s house will be restored

a. This in context is referring to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, watch for this

b. I also believe this refers prophetically to the restoration of the Church

c. Finally, I think it is a reference to the restoration of the lives of believers as we are the temple of God
The bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ” (NIV). I believe that prophesy is declaring the mind of God, from the word of God, to the people of God. Prophets are God’s mouthpieces, that is why Paul and Moses said, oh that all of God’s people would prophesy (I Cor. 14:31 and Numbers 11:29). I believe starting in 2017 with the election of God’s shepherd, a Cyrus, and with PM Netanyahu both in leadership positions we are going to see this 4 point plan of God’s agenda come to pass. 
I conclude with what God says the end result is of this agenda is for as stated in Isaiah 45:4-6 “For the sake of My servant Jacob, My chosen people Israel, I have called you by name, made you who you are, and bestowed on you and honorable title, even though you do not know Me. I am the Eternal One; there is no other God but Me, and even though you don’t know Me, I am preparing you for victory. I am doing all this so that people all around the world may know that I alone am the Eternal, the only God!” (The Voice). What an honor to be given, as people, Jehovah’s 2017 agenda. May God alone get all the glory!

Prayer-Prophecy-Production-Advancement 

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Prayer – Prophesy – Production – Advancement 1.25.17www.apostolicresourcecenter.org
For the past 25-30 years, the Church has been in stages 1 and 2 of God’s plan, which is our preparation for the next move of God, that is going to be like none we have ever seen before. In the most recent past, we have seen the rise of many prayer movements, from IHOP with Mike Bickle to Generals International with Mike and Cindy Jacobs. There are many other movements of prayer that are known like Dutch Sheets and the Appeal to Heaven or John Benefiel with HAPN, but for the most part, we have been baptized in a prayer for over 25 years and God has heard our prayers. Intercessors, are a powerful force that keeps the engine of the advancing kingdom of God moving on earth as it is in heaven. However, if prayer is only for prayers sake, we have missed the point. 
Prayer is communion with God, but if not guarded carefully it can become a form of consumerism. Whenever Jesus went away and prayed, He always left those prayer times with His Father with some directive that He was to accomplish. In Luke 6:12-13 it says, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (NIV). If prayer does not lead to prophesy, production and eventual advancement, then I wonder what you are spending all those hours doing. 
From the prayer movements, we saw the rise of the prophetic being restored to the church. People like Chuck Pierce, Rick Joyner, Kat Kerr and Kris Vallaton came out of these prayer movements. They began and continue to speak into our atmosphere prophetic words that give us direction, correction, and exhortation. They set the verbal course for where we are going. People like John Paul Jackson and Kim Clement are two prophets that our generation lost prematurely, but they were extremely accurate in revealing to us the voice of God, so we knew as a Church the direction that the kingdom of God was taking. The power of prophecy and the rise of the prophetic movement was seen in the election of Donald Trump as the current President of the United States and very few know that it was a prophetic word that put PM Benjamin Netanyahu in a position of power in Israel for a second time. Prophecy is powerful. 
Prophecy is the restoration of the voice of God to the people of God. However, if not carefully guarded, it can lead to unmet expectations, disappointments and even idolatry as we listen to the voice of the prophets versus learning to hear the voice of God ourselves and having the prophets confirm or correct what we thought we heard. Revelation 19:10 says, “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (NASB). 
Jesus prayed, Jesus is prophecy and He prophesied, but these two things were pointing to where we are now, production. Jesus valued producing and in the parable of the minas we see that Jesus shares a parable to reveal how the kingdom of God operates and it is evident in this parable that we are given money not for the sake of consuming, but for the sake of investing, which is another form of producing. Everything in all of creation was made to produce, from the first declaration made in Genesis 1 that said, “Let there be and there was…” to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it”. From Genesis to Revelation we can see the pattern or prayer, prophesy, and production. 
Production is for the sake of building, we are called to build people, build places that produce opportunities, build families, build churches, building is on God’s agenda, it always has been and always will be. But if not held in check, production can become a means of selfish ambition, pride or making a name for yourself. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus said, “And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
We have been living in a time of prayer, prophesy and some production. I believe we have entered a time of serious rebuilding, for what has been built has not produced well, and this rebuilding starts with a new government. When you remove the bureaucracy, you can get things done. The government God has established in His word is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:28 “God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” and Ephesians 4:11-12, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (NIV). 
God’s government is going to be put in position for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. With the rise of people like Bill Johnson, Ryan LeStrange and Jennifer LeClaire, we are beginning to see the apostles arising, for apostles build for the sake of advancement. In the words of Moses, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north” (Deut. 2:3, NASB). We have prayed and will continue to pray, we have prophesied and we will continue to hear prophesy, we have produced and we will continue to produce, but now it is time to advance. We cannot stop in any one of these places, we must keep going, for the kingdom of God is an ever-increasing kingdom, it is a likened unto a river, it is always on the move. That’s why the temple of the Holy Spirit is not a building, but you, but me. Pray, prophesy, produce and advance!

Can You Feel the Pull?

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Can You Feel the Pull? 1.17.17
 
Have you ever been to the ocean? The sound of crashing waves; the sight of the endless water line; the power of the waves as they crash. The whole experience is absolutely majestic. It is no wonder that prophets have been seeing a wave of God’s spirit coming with revival, global evangelism, unprecedented wealth, signs, wonders and miracles. Waves carry with them the power for all of these things. However, waves are created when the undercurrent waters, go against the waters that are above them. If you have ever swam in the ocean, you immediately feel the under current, it pulls on you upon arrival into this massive body of water.
 
In the ocean, the waters that are above are pushing you toward the shore, the waters underneath are pulling you out to sea, this push and pull is what creates waves that we love to listen to, watch and play in. I believe the same process is taking place in Christianity right now. We have a massive group of people who are pushing us to the shore through motivational preaching, promises without a call to relationship or responsibility and gospel life coaching. Turn on any preacher, one that has been around for a while or one that is just starting to make a name for themselves and you will hear this push to “do you”; “live your best life now”; or how the gospel can make you rich.
 
Can you feel the pull to be a motivational preacher? Can you feel the pull to tell people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear? Can you feel the pull to live near the shore where the waves are dying down, not rising up? The pull is strong, for the masses are near the shore, the money is near the shore, the fun is near the shore, the majority of preachers are near the shore. I call it cultural Christianity, it’s a preaching that says to love your neighbor means you don’t confront their non-biblical lifestyle despite their claim of believing in Jesus. It’s the call to preach a compromised message rather than one that brings conviction, for that is not popular any more. Can you feel the pull?
 
Paul felt the pull, so he said to Timothy, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (1 Timothy 4:1-5, NIV).
 
There is a pull in the direction of cultural Christianity that is relevant, motivational and entertaining, but it is not setting people free. But there is an undercurrent happening, that is pulling people out into the deeper waters; into the places of faith where it does not feel safe; into disciplines that hurt now but make you strong over time. There is another pull happening under the water that is not yet seen, but is felt by those who are in it. They hear the voice of the Lord in the secret place; they feel the pull of the Spirit into the depths of His heart; they have not seen what they are hearing, but they know whose voice is speaking. To you, living in the undercurrent, don’t go back to the shore, cast your net into the deeper water still, for a great catch. As we continue to allow ourselves to pulled out deeper into the unknown, it will create a wave, that all will see. A wave of glory, where God alone is the star of the show. A wave of healing, that no man or woman can take credit for. A wave of revival that will cause people to fall on their face in biblical repentance.
 
Can you feel the pull?