Author Archives: Dr. Greg Crawford

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About Dr. Greg Crawford

I'm a spiritual father, apostle, revelatory teacher, author and conference speaker. I have helped many leaders through transition into greater expressions of the Kingdom of God. I am on a quest to see ancient paths and ways of God restored to bring a more authentic expression of Christianity upon the earth. I have a heart for the emerging generations, and to help form a place for creatives to be free to have expression. I enjoy hiking, camping, exploring nature and off road motorcycle riding in remote trails.

Worship Leading not Performing, Selahs, Moravians

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I felt like I needed to write some things about worship and specifically worship leading. Just like a leader who oversees a service so a worship leader is overseeing a segment of that service. Worship is about 50% of every service and good flowing worship will either prepare hearts or make hearts distant from God.

Worship is to be an expression of the heart and for a worship leader their heart must be right to lead others and release others hearts as well. If a worship leader is distant from God or not connected then the only place you can lead people is into that disconnect as well. As my son says the only place you lead people is to the place you are at.

In scripture the worship leaders in David’s Tabernacle were called “masters of the song”. This in Hebrew translates “Carries of the prophetic burden” Worship is more than songs being sung or a time for a person to perform or showcase themselves, but worship is fulfilling an ongoing plan of God of connecting with His people and His people connecting with him.

The practical’s need to be in place before we go into deeper veins of spontaneous free flowing worship. Some of these are introducing new songs after familiars songs are sung. Avoid long instrumentation, unless an atmosphere of reflection has been established. Seeing what songs are “connecting’ or have an anointing upon them for that time and then working around these. Also songs with lots of words, or musical transitions, a lot of times stop the flow of worship in a person heart. This has more to deal with selection and song writing but is something to be aware of. Also knowing when a set is over by judging the room and if people are connected or not. Just because there is a song set does not mean that set has to be done.

The goal of worship is not to practice worship, perform worship, or get your own way as a worship leader, but to bring people into an encounter with God and make an atmosphere that people can express their hearts. In other words the practical’s need done before we move onto greater things.

There are three descriptions about what we sing in scripture. A psalm is a prewritten set piece of music. A hymn is a spontaneous singing of past songs. A spiritual song is spontaneous singing of a new song. A new song is the place of life, and the breath of God is released into people’s hearts.

Once we are doing the practical’s we then can move on into spontaneous songs and specifically the technique of the Selah’s. The word Selah is generally translated a pause or reflection. A further examination of the word we actually see it has those descriptions but it means to hold the musical pause or reflection under tension until the next prophetic dimension is released. It actually has nothing to do with mediating upon what has been said etc.  Since worship leaders are carriers of a prophetic burden it would make sense that prophetic tensions would be part of leading in songs. Worship leaders need to learn to hold these tensions until the next one is released to maintain an ongoing ever expanding dynamic of worship in a worship set.

The Moravian’s were skillful in both creating these spontaneous songs and also in holding prophetic tensions with instruments. Their understanding of these tensions made them seek ways to hold tensions with instruments and hence they invented the pipe organ and the trombone among others.  The Moravian’s were the first to establish 24 hour worship and maintained it for almost 100 years! To be a worship leader in their meeting you had to be able to connect 15 hymns in a row with a spontaneous song in between each one! This creative flow they operated in, led them to building instruments for musical tensions, and the spontaneous creative flow opened a door way of 3500 new songs being released yearly. Because of the heart of worship being so deep in them they memorized both the music and words to all of these. Think of that next time you have to look at an overhead while in worship and let’s open up greater dimensions of worship in our hearts much like the Moravian’s and their followers.

Prophetically Preached Word now Unfolding

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Many times the Lord gives me a prophetic message to preach. Generally these come as and while I am speaking as the Scriptures suddenly are expanded upon by the Holy Spirit flowing through me in a way that is very supernatural. This does not happen very often but when it does happen I literally close my eyes and pace through the room allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through me. This can go on for a solid hour. It is such a time at the beginning of this year that a prophetic message came out of the book of song of Solomon. The message had the essence of the book within it but the focus was upon the discipleship, call, and impact of what the spirit of God would do in the hearts of people this coming year. The following is only a brief and very small portion of that message. The message was given on 1/28/2012 and can be found on our base website under the media section. http://thebaseiowa.org.

The Lord started out speaking in song of Solomon 1:4 concerning the wooing and drawing of a courtship and invitation of the courts and chambers of the King. It would be a coming into a secret place reserved and prepared by God for a people whose hearts were prepared for him.

Solomon 2:4 it speaks of a banner over us. “There is a banner over us, there is a covering that is coming. We’ve built the house of God and in our state for 3 1/2 years. The house has a foundation in it and a structure to it. This year 2012 God will bring a covering to it. The covering will hide what God put inside the house. What he will put inside the house is more precious than anything we have ever seen. What is precious is what holds the covering up. It will support the weight of the covering of his love, so this love will not crush us”

The Lord revealed to me that that covering is more than the covering of love, but it is a covering of his glory that would rest upon us. This glory is coming to do but one thing and that is the hiding of his holiness. The glory is the covering, and his holiness is what’s most precious that will be placed in the house.

Song of Solomon 2:13. “God says a second time to come away. There will be a call to come, some will come, others will not, but God will call and call again become. There’ll be two calls this year to come away into that place.”

The Lord showed me that we are in that first call. The secret place in the call that is upon the body of Christ right now is a call in the holiness. I am literally seeing some answering this call in this hour. I am also seeing others not responding. This call the Lord is talking of is a deep intimacy which require deep holiness.

Some of Solomon 2:14 “ …. There is something of great value that is coming, it will be coming out of the wilderness, a place nobody’s expecting. People will come of the caves of Adullam year, coming out of hidden places, but coming forth with a perfume fragrance upon them and a pillar of smoke upon them, God burning the dross but also leaving the fragrance where he has been.”

The Lord showed me that this coming forth in this fragrance is the fragrance of holiness. The pillar of smoke upon them is there to hide the holiness from others so that they would desire to seek it as a great hidden thing. The coming forth that will occur at the end of this year will be those that have put themselves in the place of holiness.

Some of Solomon 4: 1 – 5 “…. This year a depth of discipleship that is going to stand out on the mountains and hills for others to see so others will desire to have. ….. The death God is requiring upon his disciples this year is going to enlarge and it will be something noticeable enough that others will recognize it but it will also carry something of life that others will see as well.”

The Lord showed me this death process is a death to the things of the world as we shift into the place of holiness. Holiness will enlarge upon those that have decided to walk into those depths. It will carry life that others would be willing to see is directly related to Hebrews 2:14 that no man would see God unless they follow holiness. The true disciples will be willing to pay the price of this death.

Song of Solomon 4:7 “no spot in the is where God wants to take these disciples there be a remnant that God will take into these things.”

This is nothing less than the description of holiness.

Song of Solomon 4:9 “the neck represents the will of man, the eye represents what we perceive and understand. A ravaged heart is a heart that has been lit on fire by the fire of God. The question is will we do something that will capture the desire of God this year?…. He will see that our eyes are upon him, and are will bent towards him. It will cause his heart to come towards us in a way that is greater.”

“For us to come into the place of holiness it will require a breaking of our will. As our will becomes conformed to the image of his son and the things of the world slide off the true understanding and perception that we are needing in this hour will become our portion. As God sees our will begin to bend and go after him with hearts on fire we will actually capture his desire for us. Not only will our eyes be turned upon him but that his eyes will be turned upon us in a new and fresh way.”

The rest of the book of Song of Solomon we have not yet walked out as of yet, or are at the place of it unfolding. These are just some of the revelations that I received last night out of our time of prayer that started at 10 PM.

Common, Unclean, Dishonoring

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Hebrews 12:14 —14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Today we have so many topics we hear preached on but one, holiness. We just did a weekend in this area and for many it was an eye opener. We are just not as holy as we think we are. The Bible says to follow holiness which without no man will see God. A current generation is desiring to see God. The word “See” means with the actual eye. It is the word we get optometrist from. And following means to purse, run after, to press into.

For the most part we view holiness by definition. Holy means to be set part, consecrated etc. It is a process we enter into at salvation. But holiness means the process has come to a point of existence or is completed. The main reason we seem to be stuck in consecration or sanctification is because we remain at the cross instead of desiring to go to the throne. The cross is more than salvation and freedom from sin. If that was the totality of what it represents then we are hopeless indeed. The cross is the beginning of living a holy life to become holiness before God. The cross focuses on us and the throne on Him. For the most part we want to continue in sin or in what we know to be unclean or profane, knowing there is a provision of forgiveness, mercy and grace. The cross starts a process of becoming clean before God. As were the throne is a present tense cleansed.

So the question is why are we not moving from cross to throne, from a process of being holy to a process of holiness. There e is a very simple reason. When we see holy and holiness in scripture we also see other words along side, unclean and profane. We immediately jump to the simple conclusion we know what is unclean, or profane and thus we know what holiness is. It is the opposites of these. But the definition of these words carries far more weight. You see what has happened is we have taken holy things and polluted them. We have made holy things common and thus made them unholy. We do not have reference for God, His spirit, His word, His worship, His leaders etc. We have grown accustomed to things and we no longer hold them as valuable. The words unclean also means to take away honor were honor was once given. It means to take away the purity of something and make it COMMMON!

Even the cross has become common place. Salvation has become simple and all-inclusive instead of exclusive. We have 2 main types of meetings as believers, cross and spirit. Cross being son, self and overcoming problems and sin. Spirit being gifts, manifestations and teaching. We do not have “Father God” type meetings. (Fathers loves – Toronto is cross meetings) I am talking about the holiness of God, awe-struck, sovereign presence, breath of God type meetings. We love to hang in cross and spirit meetings because nothing is really required out of us. We don’t have to live a disciplined life to participate. But Father meetings requires only the holy approach. We have seen revivals and moves of God around the cross and spirit but not fully around the Father. The awakening that is coming will encompass all three and bring the fullness of Holiness.

The most defining thing of why we no longer see holiness, is things that should be holy are treated as common. We believe meetings and gatherings will just be “common” so we don’t attend. We believe there is no value in attending, or if we do go we don’t really participate whole heartedly. Our conversations are unholy in Gatherings as we talk not about kingdom but what is common. Our actions, our thoughts, drift into worldly things Even that which should be holy we treat as common, such as communion, preaching, worship.  When we look upon the world we have no standard of holiness, so we view the world differently and define what is unclean not by Biblical terminology but by cultural acceptable terminology. As Leonard Ravenhill put it, “it is no longer adultery, it is having an affair. It is no longer fornication; it is sex outside of marriage. We have taken the sting out of sin”. Sin has become to familiar with and common as well.  We no longer call things in the world unholy or unclean. We open the door to all to come and join in with a meeting that is supposed to be Holy and we wonder why God is not showing up.

We need to search our hearts and see the places we have made God common. Where have we not showed honor and thus allowed unholiness or that which is unclean to come in.  Leaders preach a message on holiness and see what God will do as you restore things back to being uncommon and clean again.

Culture War

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We all see the culture war occurring in front of us daily. We hear reports, have discussions and form our opinions how to resolve things. Many Christians fight for cultural preferences as if they are heaven or hell, or eternal issues. Then when we bring forth things of the kingdom we don’t fight for these or absolute truth with the same passion and we wonder why the church is losing the culture war. We are not only not relevant, but have allowed the culture around us, by our own voice, to be most relevant .

As Children of God we are not fighting for political gains, cultural influences or even to change culture. We are to be children first of a spiritual political group call the Ecclessia of the Kingdom. We are to be part of an economic group called the Blessed of God. Philippians says our conversation is in Heaven. The word conversation means business, conduct, administration, and employment. We are to be concerned about the economy of God, which is the spiritual well being of Gods Kingdom on the earth and how it influences the hearts of men. We are to bring the influences of the Kingdom of God and allow truth to influence first the culture of the individual heart, to the point of it bringing cultural change because of the internal kingdom shifts within those hearts.  We can easily see this pattern in scripture as people abandoned idols, changed religious practices and changed their values, and what they spent their lives on as truth prevailed in their hearts and caused cultural shifts in their lives. When enough of the masses shifted individually we then saw a cultural shift within a nation. This is a spirtual awakening and not convincing words of mans wisdom. This pattern is in scripture and in human history.

The real war is not about political or economic agendas. The real war of culture right now is if the Kingdom of God will hold influence in the earth and if the souls of men will be influenced by it. It is a war between good and evil. Between darkness and light. It is a war between the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. A war between the breath of God or the breath of man. It is a war of what our focus is, what is temporal and passing or what is eternal and everlasting.

Culture War

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We all see the culture war occurring in front of us daily. We hear reports, have discussions and form our opinions how to resolve things. Many Christians fight for cultural preferences as if they are heaven or hell, or eternal issues. Then when we bring forth things of the kingdom we don’t fight for these or absolute truth with the same passion and we wonder why the church is losing the culture war. We are not only not relevant, but have allowed the culture around us, by our own voice, to be most relevant .

As Children of God we are not fighting for political gains, cultural influences or even to change culture. We are to be children first of a spiritual political group call the Ecclessia of the Kingdom. We are to be part of an economic group called the Blessed of God. Philippians says our conversation is in Heaven. The word conversation means business, conduct, administration, and employment. We are to be concerned about the economy of God, which is the spiritual well being of Gods Kingdom on the earth and how it influences the hearts of men. We are to bring the influences of the Kingdom of God and allow truth to influence first the culture of the individual heart, to the point of it bringing cultural change because of the internal kingdom shifts within those hearts.  We can easily see this pattern in scripture as people abandoned idols, changed religious practices and changed their values, and what they spent their lives on as truth prevailed in their hearts and caused cultural shifts in their lives. When enough of the masses shifted individually we then saw a cultural shift within a nation. This is a spirtual awakening and not convincing words of mans wisdom. This pattern is in scripture and in human history.

The real war is not about political or economic agendas. The real war of culture right now is if the Kingdom of God will hold influence in the earth and if the souls of men will be influenced by it. It is a war between good and evil. Between darkness and light. It is a war between the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. A war between the breath of God or the breath of man. It is a war of waht our focus is, what is temporal and passing or what is eternal and everlasting.

What Does God Say?

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Today I woke up fighting overwhelming discouragement. I have fought this before but today it was so much stronger than any time in the past. As I wrestled with this, the desire to just quit was the thing I was fighting. I was remembering the prophetic words over my life. The mandate for the state the Lord had spoken. I was also reflecting on the suffering over the years and the things I have had to endure. I know another race is in front of me. Do I have the strength to run it? Will the words be fulfilled or would another end up finishing for me? Am I truly a wise master builder? If others are not running with me I just don’t know if I can do this next leg. Where are the prophets who are to be standing alongside me?  Will anyone run with me? Am I going alone? I know what God has said but it sure seems to be not unfolding. I guess today like David I must encouragement myself again in the Lord.

As I started to write this and got the first paragraph typed out the phone rings. A prophet from another state calls me directed by God to call at that exact moment. He speaks prophetically to me for 20 minutes. He knows nothing and I have had no conversation with him for some time. He starts by a warning of the prophetic attack now started against those young ones under me. (confirming what God was showing me last night)That I have been appointed to pray for them (God spoke this in the night for me to step things up)and this is why I today have felt such an attack.  He speaks the exact scripture God called me with Luke 4:18. He speaks of who I am to minister to. He sees a vision and gives this to me. He speaks of the forerunner call, the investment of God and the Holiness needed. (Holiness is my focus and God is giving me much deep revelation on it recently).  When it is all done the discouragement is lifted and I am ready to face the day.

Some times when we hit the wall like this God steps in and bring you back on course. He knows what we can endure and the breaking point as well. He also can send anyone, at anytime, from any distance, to speak directly to us with a sure word, on time and filled with Him. If you are fighting discouragement God knows your heart and he will send His voice to you once again. He will never give up on the destiny of our lives. It is the carnal mind that fights against God. The warfare rest there. Let your heart connect with His heart and there will be no room for discouragement.

Running to Finish or Obtain?

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Today I have been thinking on the race I am starting, the second of my life. First race seem to be filled with great accomplishments. I have wondered will I accomplish the same things in the second race. Will I traveled to more nations, the greater exploits, see God do the miraculous in greater power, or with the second leg of the journey of my life not be as productive as the first. I feel I am starting out slow and hope to pick up speed. I was reminded of Paul who said to run as to obtain.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (KJV 1900) — 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

He never even thought about saying run as to finish.  I know that we are always telling people that they must run as if to win, but I believe we don’t really understand what Paul’s talking about.

The word prize strictly relates to character being built in person. Paul is referring to the race that was to be ran was not just something that we could see an accomplishment at the finish line, but realize there was character and things being built in our life and spirit in the process of running. This hidden prize was more important than any accomplishment that people could see. Most people want to cross the finish line, but many don’t want to run a race that requires a dealing in their life and character. The prize is something that is given to show that something has been attained. Paul did not say that when you finish you receive the prize, but was referring to something greater being obtained than trophy at the end of the race.

Paul goes on to say that you obtain. The word obtain means to apprehend or comprehend something. It means to literally be overtaken, seize upon and take possession of your own. It refers to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit influencing and laying hold of our mind and will in order that he could govern it. Paul both told us what the prize was and how the runner was to run the race that was set before him. As all runners run in a race many times it comes down to the will of the person if they will decide to finish strong. Of over 400 men in the Bible only 80 are recorded as finishing strong in the race they were given. We look at the three missionary journeys that Paul took in his life as great accomplishments of races that he has ran. We see churches birthed, converts, deliverances, and yet  what Paul is referring to is not his accomplishments of  traveling to nations, or confronting religious structures of the day. Paul was referring to a hidden work that was being accomplished in his heart as he was yielding his will to the will of the father. If we look at Paul’s journeys not so much as a journey of travel, but a journey of the dealings of God concerning Paul’s will being yielded to the fathers, we can see a deep work that was accomplished as Paul saw the prize that was laid before him and ran  in such a way to obtain!

Every athlete goes into intense training for years, and that training is lengthened based on the importance of the race that’s to be ran. It’s easy to run some simple short races, when they aren’t really that important to the overall scheme of life. Obtaining  requires a mindset of discipline, training, and understanding of the race you are on, the things that are competing against you, and a strategy of exactly how you will run that race.

Fathering, Sufferings, Restoring Hearts

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I just want to share my heart on some things as I reflect today of all those invested into. I am reflecting back on the multitude of pastors overseas, the students in our school of ministry and the current group of connections. One thing that seems to happen is different people connect in different season and for some reason then disconnect I have to honestly say I don’t see a kingdom pattern for the disconnect. Paul connected with Timothy for a life time. The 12 apostles hung around  together. Paul had certain teams who were still connected with him. But still Paul had those who abandoned him while in prison. It was only a handful who remained with him to the end! So what causes the disconnect?

As I am going to my 35 class reunion this weekend, I just got word of the death of a man who was a classmate of my son, who graduated from the same high school I did. He did not see his 15 reunion.  A young life taken so quickly and unexpected. I thought of the parents and grief their heart must be feeling. I thought of the wife and young child left. How does a heart go forth without becoming callused? How do you not become disheartened with life?

I know Paul and Jesus felt this same type of lost concerning those they had invested in and a nurtured in  spiritual growth. We say it is not permanent like a natural death when one walks away. But in many ways the eternal consequences could be the same.  The Father of the prodigal son must have felt some of the same feelings of lose as he stated my “son who once was lost is now found”. He had hope of the return as he was looking for him, but I imagine his faith had to supersede his disheartened state.  He was suffering as he carried the lose of his son daily. Yet through suffering we learn obedience. We see to the obedient state he responded with, when his son came home. He was able to reveal the heart of restoration to his son.

I have felt the disheartened state as sons and daughters have disconnected and seemingly become “dead” towards me. For those spiritually fathering it is very real feeling like the lose of a son or daughter. In some ways the grief is very similar. All those who spiritually father know what I am talking about. The desire to go on with life and keep trying can be overwhelming. But then God sends another towards you to minister to.

That is what happened again this week as I talked with a young woman this past Wed night. She is 20 years old and wants to serve God with her life. She is moving into full time ministry and taking training.  In the conversation I just heard  the Holy Spirit to say, “you need to be healed of your father’s wounds as this is hindering your identity.” She then told me her dad had left her a few years back and she has no contact with him. My heart again reached out. I think this is the key to fight dis-heartedness, to reach outward and not keep looking inward. There are those in need of answers and truly desiring help.

The hope all Spiritual fathers have, is not only the fulfillment of their sons and daughters fully functioning and impacting, but also a hope exist in all those who have disconnected to reconnect. This reconnecting helps ignite faith again and gives hope back. It I believe it helps heal the loses we suffer. This to in the last week has happened as I re-connected with a spiritual daughter who was out of contact with for almost 4 years. We talked as if there was no gap in relationship. This to has encouraged my heart greatly.

Anointing Is Not A Function

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What crowds in on, and takes away the anointing, is business of life. I have seen it time and time again. I have experienced it myself. I believe all believers fight it. But if the anointing is truly the divine enablement of God to do what we cannot do then how does business affect the degree of anointing? The real definition of anoint means to be set apart, consecrated, smeared or marked. It is more a state of being than a function God performs through us. Many I believe are saying “it’s the anointing” when in reality anointing is a past tense reality walked out in a present tense moment. What we are to be seeing is the outcome of being anointed. The outcome of being set apart! The outcome of consecration!

We say things like “wow that was anointed”! The reality is it was anointed way back before it was seen. What we are commenting on it’s the manifestation of the anointing! Something that has been through a long process. If we are waiting on a certain anointing to come in a meeting we will be waiting a long time. This is why we do not see things like in other nations. We are not going through the consecrating actions before we speak or minister. Anointing is not an indicator of character fully developed. So a person can be anointed in certain areas and in other areas have zero anointing. In other words anointing is a private act of God working out a person’s walk and not a corporate moment. Hence business in life crowding out God time and moments of dealing will decrease the process time required and diminish the anointing. What we have been calling anointed is only a glimpse into a person’s personal secret moments with God. It is the overflow that we minister from, and not so much a new flow we are trying to find!

Word That Encourages Me Personally

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“See how they suffer for righteousness’ sake. But see the steadfastness of spirit and faithfulness in the midst of the suffering. The Father’s heart is lavished upon them in their suffering, that He might reveal Himself more fully and encourage them in their journey. Not many will stand with them, but God has chosen them and will put His glory in them.

God has made covenant with them and they are set apart to break open many avenues for the Great Outpouring of the Spirit. The hedge of protection is around them for the completion of the work. There are 2,000 people in this country who carry the same mandates as them, but they are blazing the trail for multitudes to come into the greater glory of God.

Only purified vessels can walk in the midst of the fire. They have been speaking of sanctification and carry the end time message of consecration. It shall be released and fall like fire from heaven upon the churches. There are flames of fire hovering over the churches (like cloven tongues of fire). Such purity we have not seen since the days in the garden.

Such protection, Satan knows this is hollowed territory. Its like the fire and the cloud separating Egypt from the children of Israel. The trials have been abundant, but the strength of spirit is more abundant. Champions, warriors. So much yet lies ahead. So many storehouses yet to be opened. Storehouses of weapons for different battles. They must not ask for ‘just enough to get by on’. For the storehouses are overflowing and there is enough provision to carry out their mandates. As they engage the covenant, all of heaven moves and the earth responds. Someone has said, “but how can it be, they are so small?” But the 7-fold Spirit of God has empowered them!”

Peggy Miller Prophet