Greg Crawford

Category: Awakening

  • The Shift from the Church Age to the Kingdom Age

     

    As the church age is closing and the Kingdom age is emerging I am wondering exactly how much must shift to be able to transition. Terminology, function and mindsets are just the beginning. New ways of ancient ways returning, new paths of ancient paths must be walked. So much of our current approach, as much as we don’t want to admit it is really coming out of churchdom and not kingdom.

    We all know and can list all the changes and shifts occurring over the last 10 years. Our expressions of worship, intercession, prayer and even teaching are starting to take on Kingdom perspectives. These outward functions are all related to one thing, revelation. Revelation comes to confront doctrine and what men believe to be true. Revelation may not replace past truth but will bring fresh understanding of what God is emphasizing for this moment. It also may bring things that have been lost and in need of being restored. But as I told one pastor “I’m not here to convince you of what I believe but I have come to bring revelation and only ask you put it in what you believe. If it is from God it will change your belief system.”

    The awakening so many are talking about and the reformation to follow are both directed connected to the kingdom age and not the current/passing church age. This is the dilemma we are in. The church age has brought us to a place that our relationship with God is focused upon us and our need, while the Kingdom age is about living with eternal perspectives based on seeing Him and His kingdom in everything. By that I mean we may not see the conversion of, but the influence of. While the church age seeks for conversion, the kingdom age is not concerned with this as much as they see all things are in the kingdom and its influence is being felt by everything and every person.

    I believe one of the things we are still needing to help facilitate the kingdom age is to have leaders who have emerged from the secret places of the Mysteries of Christ. Like reformers of past major transition upon the earth, there has to be remnant within the remnant of those who have paid a price to walk in holiness, who have encountered the real throne room, and are carrying the breath of God. Ones not seeking fame, meetings or followers. Ones who care nothing for how men react but how God is displayed in His glory. These are being formed in this hour in secret places. If they will be the ones to emerge to launch the kingdom age, or if it might be the ones they will mentor in secret will be the ones, is still to be determined. The one thing for certain is the institutionalized church ( that is any church with doctrines of men attached to it, that are not biblical and kingdom) is not really seeking a kingdom that has no end. But the good news is there is a harvest that has eternity placed in their hearts and it is our role to find the key to unlock them. That key is kingdom age dynamics. Kingdom language, function and approaches. God has prepared a people for the remnant Kingdom Age forerunners.

    This book would help you in this journey….

  • Awakening Nature

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    Recently I was in a service and an invitation was given. As people started ministering to the individual the entire room was focused on them and no longer on the Lord. The Lord spoke to me and said this is not awakening. It seemed odd to me because the attempt was being made to meet the need. Then I noticed what he was speaking of. The focus was on the one and not on HIM. The lord said I have ways to meet the need as you remain focused on me. We were trying to meet the need by anointing and even by knowledge of God and not from the nature of God. You see the anointing still ahs a mixture because it is the enablement of our flesh to engage into supernatural. The nature of God is pure and has no mixture, thus the results are very different. You see revival is the activation of the gifts, awakening sir the activation of the nature.  This is a great paradigm shift of how we do ministry.

    I was in a prayer meeting and people love how I pray. But I don’t pray very often. I don’t just pray to be praying or to show how eloquent I can pray. I only want to pray what the father desires to be prayed. I only want to come into alignment with Jesus intercession. The anointing enables me to know that, but when I pray I pray from the nature within. That’s why the prayer is so powerful. That’s why people are drawn to the prayer, because it is not me praying but the nature praying. When we pray from the nature we see almost instant results. This is the new prayer paradigm that is coming as well.

    We are looking for a certain thing to confirm that awakening is here or not. Many are trying to look at awakening with certain elements or things we are looking for that confirms awakening. We want to see the signs of holy laughter bring a return of joy, healings bringing a return of health, miracles, etc. We want to see outpourings like past revivals. We want to see mass salvations. Yet these are the signs of revival which is restoring things to a former state. Revival deals and focuses on individuals. Awakening focuses on a corporate body.

    A Christian that has actually experienced an awakening to those things, their authority, or maybe the unlimited possibilities of God will begin to produce these signs of healings, miracles, prophecy etc. These signs are actually signs of being a Christian that is living to the full or one who has been awakened to the fullness of God. These things are actually the fruit of an awakened heart and not the actual awakening. The actual awakening is not actually seen.

    The awakening is a hidden work that occurs in the heart. It is unseen. It is a holy place. A holy work. A work of wrestling for the nature of Christ to be formed that the breath of God would flow outwardly creating and releasing those around. It is an unpacking and unfolding of the nature of God to be allowed to be more dominant than our nature. That’s when the awakening we are all really looking for becomes most prevalent in touching society.

    But before society and culture are impacted by this unseen force there has to be the voices of awakening to come forth first. Those who have decided to not live a normal Christian life of ease. Those who desire the very depths of God and are willing to let God deal with them, even severely if needed, to be able to remove the obstacles in their hearts. God is now taking the remnant we have been seeing formed over the last few years, who refuse the seeker friendly, institutionalized structures and is now given them the assignment of confronting the hearts of men. But this confrontation is not with words of men’s wisdom. Nor is it convincing words or begging words, or a memorized 4 spiritual laws or other techniques of the past. This confrontation is coming from the very nature of God within. The nature confronts. The nature carrying Gods breathe and when the words spoken from that point, it changes the heart.

    You see the disciples’ were still unsure of who Jesus was even after resurrection. People are the same today looking at the church even after we have been resurrected into new life. The disciples were not following Jesus the man around for 3 years. They were following Jesus the nature of God around. It was the nature and how it was projected that caught there interest and imagination. God does not anoint a person he anoints the message inside the person and thus the person is anointed. The same today is true. People do not need to follow us or be draw to us, that’s the problem with the church and especially our celebrity leaders. No we need them to be drawn to the nature of God within us. It is what will cause hearts to be changed in a moment of time and the answering of the call like the early disciples who left all and followed him (the nature of God).

    We have been given the honor (Doxa glory) from God to carry His nature so that other hearts would be awakened. Much like Peters shadow where we walk they feel HIM. Where we talk they understand HIM. You see quantum physics has discovered that just like our brains put out a wave, so does our heart. They call it your heart brain. The wave from our brain is about 6”, the wave from our heart is about 8 feet. So as Peter walked by and His shadow healed it was the nature of God healing. This “Zone” as I’ve been calling for the past two years is when our spirit bears witness to others, when we actually have fellowship with someone requires us to be this close for exchange of conversations, ( we don’t fellowship yelling across a room) and it’s when others gets in our zone they will feel him.

    Charles Finney carried this degree of the nature of God. He could get on a train, or enter a building and everyone around could feel the presence of God. Many would sob uncontrollably. Others would enter into repentance without any words spoke. There are other stories of men on ships in New York city coming back from sea with the presence of God so heavy that when they ported much of the city of New York could feel a deep sense of conviction.

    So the simple truth to be the voices or carriers of His presence that cause this kind of awakening of hearts is for us to enlarge our capacity for him. To allow more and more of our heart to be changed and convicted. To open up the secret doorways in our hearts, to Gods Holy Spirit to search us and if needed, to sweep us clean. These are the voices of awakening that are rising now. It is more than words. It is those purged so there is indeed more of him and less of us.

  • Laodiceans

    Revelation 3:17–18 (KJV 1900) — 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

     I find it hard to believe so many are in the organized church and are living below what could be a life of true joy and glory in God. The eternal purpose of God was put in place before the earth was formed and man was made to both have fellowship with God and to fulfill this eternal purpose he created us for. Why do so many not live any greater depth of Christian conviction and even many seem to once have the fire in their bones have fallen away and or fallen short of any heartfelt desire to truly know him? Past success, knowledge and relationship does not guarantee future positioning!

    We do know it is the last days not because of wrong eschatology but because as time continues to unfold as we measure it, we are getting closer and closer to a new age invading this present age. The veil between the realms of what we know and understand and the supernatural realm of Gods eternity are thinning on a daily basis. This thinning could be quickened on our side if we would decide to press through our unbelief and begin to live as he said we should.

    Yet the question remains of the great falling away. Many are thinking they have such knowledge of God but are not living the life of God. Many are in self deceived and even delusional state and vain imaginations saying God said, when in reality God did not say. The worst deception is not from the corruption that surrounds us but from our own unwillingness to not face the change required to answer convictions call. This self deceived state makes us reprobate and of no real use to our father in heaven, his plan, eternal purpose, or kingdom. We in our own strength have made ourselves of no true value to the one who paid such a high price for our freedom and for it to be on display before all people and nations.

    The end result seems to be a self induced belief system that is disconnected from full and absolute truth found in Gods word. It also has breed confusion within the unbelievers heart of what is to be embraced and what is to be denied. We have traded the comfort of our own deception and the riches of worldliness and its standards of knowledge over the freedom of God expression and his eternal riches.

    I fear many in that day will cry Lord Lord did we not cast out devils and speak with new tongues and do all these wonderful things for you. Yet those things are not things coming from our own ability but as the spirit wills. They are borrowed and we only stewarding them. God will want an account of our stewardship, but more so He will want an account of our relationship with him to know how we were to steward these things. Many will not be the Bride of Christ found in intimacy. Many will not rule and region as they have not even ruled and reigned their own lives. Many will be cast out thinking their exploits of yielding to the spirit will guarantee them position.

    If you have fears then you have not been illuminated. If you are anxious then you are not found in him. If your faith is not creating then the doubt of the world has become your portion. Only those whose hearts and motives are pure will enter in.  Those who did not love this world or their lives but saw themselves as foreigners and outcast of an unredeemed world. Citizens of a far better place. Ones engaged in the business of a king and His kingdom. These will be the ones chosen in the eternal purpose of God for great pleasures of eternal friendship and privilege of heavens vastness to participate in. Will we be numbered in the redeemed? Will all our works be burned in the fire and tried wanting? Let the Spirit of the Lord illuminate your heart and life with his illumination Glory and let him show you what true freedom really is.

  • Kingdom Discipling

    ImageHere is the forward of my book at the printers…..

    I wrote this book because I have sensed a decline of Biblical culture in the Church. For the sake of being relevant and culturally acceptable, we have compromised our original culture as the Church and actually become irrelevant. We have moved from a Church in America that once affected culture and maintained its morality to becoming a group who claims relevance but actually has little to offer and is largely ridiculed and/or ignored.

    For the sake of numbers, we have become seeker sensitive and morally soft. We no longer speak with outrage at injustice but silently stand by and watch as society’s culture is now dictating to us how we spend our time, efforts and money. We have become a subculture within a culture that has no voice.

    Without a cultural shift in how we disciple people in their relationship with Christ, we will continue to produce what we currently have as weak believers, a few disciples and few true authentic Christians. We have no one to blame for the weakness of the American Church but ourselves. We are responsible for what we have both allowed and created. What we have is admittedly broken at least by those with real discernment. The question is why we are still doing what we know produces no results?

    Why are we building so laboriously what the next generation does not want to inherit and will actually tear down and build over? In the mean time, we are wasting valuable energy and efforts and will lose the cultural war as we wait to cycle another generation through a process that is unfulfilling. There has to be a deep repentance for what we have become and a return to true discipleship. We have to get away from the “Club Med” concepts we have grown comfortable with.

    It will require us getting into people’s lives and speaking what is needed to be spoken instead of what they want to hear. We may not have mass numbers and multitudes of followers but we will have solid world changers and influencers of cultural thinking formed.

    The Kingdom is not about membership but relationship. The Kingdom is not about salvation but Lordship.  The Kingdom is about moving people in a strategic manner from being a new believer, to being a disciple, to being a Christian.

    In this book, I look at this premise and how we can move people and some of the elements needed that we currently are not producing. It is not an extensive process manual, but gives the elements needed to transition and produce real Christian Disciples who are willing to lay their lives down for the King and His Kingdom.  We also will look at what has affected us and eroded the correct culture we should be producing.

    This book is not for the faint of heart and for those not willing to approach new concepts with an open mind for change. For those who are willing to embrace this, they will see how Kingdom discipling can have long term cultural effects. May you read with an open mind and allow the Holy Spirit to give you the Spirit of understanding to embrace apostolic grace and Kingdom dynamics.

  • Awakening!!!!

    I want to post concerning the awakening we have been experiencing over the last 8 weeks. We are seeing a genuine awakening that has transpired. I want to tell you about what it is marked by and what we are seeing happening. But first let me attempt to define awakening. 

    There is a great difference between awakening and revival. Revival means ‘to be brought back to a former state of being that has been lost, to revive’.  Awakening means ‘to come out of sleep or to have something suddenly revealed in an enlightened way that changes your focus’. Revivals are focused entirely upon the individual and meeting the needs of the individual through the gifts of the Spirit. Revivals are very internal focused and are short lived. Awakening is focused entirely upon the revealed Christ and Kingdom by the life of the Holy Spirit. Awakening is outwardly focused in function and the effects are long lasting.

    One of the greatest things that awakening brings forth is truth, bringing function, through yieldedness, to a greater purpose. It brings clearer identity and definition to the intentions of God for the moment of time upon the earth. Awakening brings revelation that causes a person’s spirit to be made alive in a way that is sustained. Awakenings all start with a remnant people who then begin to reform, that causes a greater group to be awakened which then leads to society transformation. What everyone is looking for is the larger sweeping awakening and not many are seeing the remnant awakenings that are occurring right now. The greater is coming and the remnant is already occurring!

    So what is going on with us at The BASE? We are seeing an activation of people where it is almost the entire Body contributing in some fashion in a meeting. We are seeing so many people bringing prophetic direction at times you wonder how it will all fit in the gathering, and when it is done, it does! We are seeing a strong moving of the gifts of the Spirit that are not hit and miss but accurate with instantaneous healings and results occurring.

    In our last awakening meeting, there was activation of singing in the Spirit. It was modeling the supernatural in a natural way. The Lord spoke to establish a heavenly choir. We asked those who flow with singing in the Spirit easily to come forward and face the people. About 15 came. We then placed 3 mics and they all began to sing in the Spirit and passed the mics around so 3 led from the mic at any one time and all carried and led at some point. They sang over the congregation for about 30 minutes. We then had those in the congregation who had become free in this to come forward and join the others and the number about doubled. We also had someone filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time. The activation brought many who had not sung or struggled to be freed into this beautiful heavenly symphony.

    The Lord told me several years ago that when you see three generations flowing together, that is the move He is bringing. We are seeing this as children dance and worship with us. All ages are moving. You know you have awakening when without prompting or no one around the children, they are praying for each other. We had about 15 kids this past meeting and when someone stepped into the lobby, the children had been praying for each other.

    You know there is awakening when an entire room full of people show up hungry.  This last meeting the room was packed. There were not enough chairs and we had to set up more.  Some came as far as 2 ½ hours to encounter God’s presence. This was the first time in such deep veins of the Spirit for some people, but God met with them and they felt relaxed enough to participate. Some raised their hands for the first time in worship, others danced for the first time.

    We have had another ministry and some spiritual children move here to be part of what is unfolding. We had another man tell us he is moving from another part of the state to be here. I have another spiritual daughter in Georgia who will end up here as well. A traveling ministry has connected with us and told us that in all their travels for 3 years they have seen some places that have freedom but no place has it as deep as what they see going on with us now. You know you have awakening when people relocate their lives to be a part of it.

    Awakening is when the worship songs go from singing about God to singing to God to singing God’s intentions. The Way, the Truth, the Life. Our creative prophetic worship has deepened and the prophetic stream is connecting people into a deep place in God. What I am saying is we have flowed in creative spontaneous worship for almost 8 years and this is now different and deeper. It has been awakened.

    Prayer time is awakened as well. A whole room of people in our last meeting turned and faced a 12 foot map of our state. We cried out to God for over 20 minutes for God to move and bring awakening. Many went and laid hands on the map and a fish net with piles of names written on paper placed within it. The names are of people needing salvation/return of prodigals/awakened. When we concluded this, many continued to be gripped with a burden for our state and its souls.

    You know awakening is present when you can experience messages that confront and issue sobering challenge without the concern for offense. We, as a ministry, went through a season of those who were not really with us and God replaced them with people who love seeking truth. We gained some extremely solid people who are also extremely serious. I say that to encourage those of you who are getting pared down in this hour- the serious ones are coming! This changes the revelation delivered to a deeper place. We are seeing a steady stream of visitors. Many are now joining us and not just visiting. I love the group we have and the spiritual family and community that have formed and could see no other type than what has emerged!

    You know awakening has come when leaders are confronted with the truth of their fruitfulness in ministry and though they may not change, they are now wrestling with decisions they must make. We are seeing this as we have presented a new model for Sunday gatherings, with the merging of congregations to be the Church of a city. Some are interested and others are wrestling. We are walking this out as it too, is also part of awakening.

    You know awakening has come when the breath of God has come and is blowing new life into you and out from you. This is how I describe the corporate gathering times. It is fresh, exciting, and free flowing. It is seeing the strategy of God is people, and the resource is His presence. Riches that have no end on both accounts!  It is looking out into a room full of people who almost all are dancing and rejoicing before God. This is the motion of His creativity being released and seen in this unhindered expression of appreciation.

    Awakening is when young teenagers come into a meeting and the presence of God is so heavy they are caught away in it. To see them pray for each other, weep before God and worship and it is their first time. To see a young teen boy so gripped with the state of our nation he comes to me as I’m leading the meeting to ask me if he could lead us in prayer to see things change. A heart so pure and motive so clean, with no agenda but change, no pride but humility and simple prayer that touches the heart of God. A boy who has no real deep understanding but His spirit is alive unto God and energized in His presence. This is the way our last awakening meeting occurred! All of these things in one meeting!

    When congregations come into one sound and one voice and one heart, this is awakening!

    When people are living for nothing else than His presence, this is awakening!

    When people will abandon all and forsake the accolades of men, this is awakening!

    When Truth is proclaimed and game playing stops, this is awakening!

    When we desire all to participate, but cherish what is present so we allow nothing to taint it, this is awakening!

    When each corporate gathering has greater intensity than the last and is building, you have awakening!

    When holiness is the standard, and the breath of God is what can be tangibly seen, this is awakening!

    This is the awakening we are experiencing!

  • Angelic Governmental Structure

    Cover Angels helping us contend with spline

    Here is a small section out of my new book “Angels Helping Us Contend”. You can get it on Amazon and Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/Greg-Crawford/e/B00BEGN362/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360948944&sr=1-2-ent

    Up to this point, we’ve been given a basic understanding of angelic activity, functions and categories. We have seen some patterns emerge in Scripture and also the function of angels in different dynamics interacting with humanity upon the earth. Now we will look further into this angelic structure that God designed and see that it is a reflection of God’s government that He wants the Church, had always planned for the Church, to function in.

    What I’m about to share is the revelation the Lord has given to me concerning angelic government. For starters, I will say that angels are willing to hold what men refuse to hold. I believe it is the role of God’s fivefold ministry government to hold and function in some ways how the angelic host functions. We should be doing spiritual warfare, we should be messengers of God, we should be declaring the holiness of God and protecting it, and we should be burning ones. All of the dynamics that we have seen describing angels are actually somewhat a description of what God would want out of His fivefold ministers and leaders.

    In the Old Testament, angels helped govern the spiritual condition but they were limited because of man’s free will operating in opposition to them. They have been given a measure of authority but not full authority. This is unlike man who has been given full authority, which is either rightly exercising it or delegating it, unfortunately, to satanic influences. As we see how angels operated in the Old Testament trying to bring the intentions of God, so should we, His fivefold ministers and leaders today.

    In the New Testament, man’s will is more aligned because of the Holy Spirit and not in so much direct opposition to what and how God desires to govern. The Holy Spirit has become a great teacher, comforter, instructor, and revealer.  The Holy Spirit’s role has replaced much of what angelic messengers in the Old Testament would do. Perhaps this is why we do not have so many angelic encounters as they did in the Old Testament. But I do believe there is a balance for angelic activity in our life, as long as our life is in balance with the Holy Spirit. If we are more focused on angelic activity surrounding us than on the Holy Spirit, then we are out of balance and in danger of worshiping angels.

    What we have seen so far is that angels are given angels under them to command. We see that there are chief angels as well as other angels. This points to a structure or a way of governing that God has put into place. Once again, we see that God has an overall structure that He wants us to follow and the pattern is repeated through families, the Church and fivefold ministries, and even into angelic functions.

    Revelation 12:7-8  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

    But we also see that angels take and give orders. We see that there are other angels submitted one to another and working in harmony to bring the intentions of God upon the Earth. We have seen that there are angels overseeing other angels and even waiting for them to complete their assignment before their own assignment can take hold. We have also seen that there is no insubordination or unwillingness to perform certain assignments given. We see that once an assignment was given to an angel, they held fast until it was completed.

    These things are all governmental or show governmental structuring. If angels are in a form of governmental structure, then so should we be. I believe we are falling far short as the Church or true ecclesia of God, in moving in full authority that we have been entrusted with. We can see from the previous paragraph, that many of those things that angels do, we do not do or fall short of completing.

    Governmental positioning

    There is a tremendous parallel of the different groups of angels and the government of God. Upon aligning them side by side, we begin to see just how much God is a God of order and structure. The longer I study all kinds of different topics the more I see you just cannot escape a governing body being established as oversight for the Body of Christ.

    In Ephesians 4, we see there is a government that God has set up of the fivefold ministries. There are five distinct gifts with the reality of a fourfold function. As you look at the angelic structures, we also see the same pattern emerging of five distinct giftings. If we begin to parallel these, they look something like this:

    Apostles – Archangels

    • Both are warriors and      conquerors.
    • Both have strategic      assignments.
    • Both oversee and direct others.

    Prophets – Messenger angels

    • Both have God’s heart and      intention.
    • Both have foreknowledge.
    • Both bring a specific message.
    • Both bring a message that may      not be understood.

    Pastors – Watcher Angels

    • Both are assigned to watch over      Earth and humanity.
    • Both are given specific      territory.
    • Both are not transient but are      more resident.

    Teachers – Cherubim

    • Both are proclaimers.
    • Both are protectors of the truth.
    • Both are protectors of God’s holiness.
    • Both are called to protect what is precious to God.

    Evangelists – Seraphim

    • Both are trying to bring men      into the holiness of God.
    • Both look at how sin holds back      man’s approach to God.
    • Both take coals from the altar      to touch the lips and heart of men.

    Now I know that these things seem hard to receive but there are distinct similarities. There is also a governmental structure with angels. Each one is staying in their function and assignment. And each one allows others to function in their assignment.

    I believe that there are primary corresponding angels to each office working alongside God’s government. I also believe these are untapped resources to help us align with heaven for a greater impact…….

  • The Pattern – Building Spiritual Community

    Here is another small portion from the book I am writing called “Kingdom Discipleship, Changing the Culture of the Church”.

    Unlike building a structure that has boundaries and is limited to participation if only within those boundaries, we are to be building a spiritual community. God does everything by relationship so anything that is not relationship driven will be lacking Kingdom dynamics. God’s original intention was that mankind would be His family  and that His family would have dominion in the earth.

    Jesus came not to bring a Kingdom but to reestablish it or reform it in the earth. Jesus’ first act was to get the family back through the act of redemption. The second act was to empower that family to be the Ecclesia through the working of the Holy Spirit’s activity in their lives.

    So the spiritual community we want to form has both these dynamics in it. The enlargement of the family as the family stewards the world around it with authority. Let’s go back to God’s original intention and take a quick look to see our role.  

    Genesis 1:26 (KJV 1900) — 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

     Adam and Eve were created from both realms, the dust of the earth and the creative nature of God from heaven. The dust of the earth gives us our physical form. The creative nature of God was the part or image that we were to take on that would produce life in us.

    The word ‘image’ means ‘the resemblance, copy or representation of’. The word ‘likeness’ means ‘similitude, manner, fashion, to be like, a pattern or model to be compared’. The words are not interchangeable. The word “likeness” rather than diminishing the word “image” actually amplifies it. Man is not just an image but a likeness-image. In other words, man takes on the representation of God to such a degree that the pattern and model of God is portrayed in man for others to compare. That’s a whole lot more than trying to be godly. It is actually doing it to such a degree that a pattern emerges. That pattern was how the “family” was to have dominion on the earth.

     Man is not simply representative but representational. Again there is a big difference. To be a representative means ‘to act on the behalf of’, ‘to have official office or duty’. Anyone can represent someone much like a lawyer represents a client. But to be representational means ‘how to relate to the representation’, ‘to have the ability to be represented, or made a defense for’.’ Having substance’. In the art world, it means it has the substance of a time or style but has individuality enough that it can stand on its own as well. It also can mean that enough substance exists that a pattern is seen and understood by all and others can copy the essence and express it without losing the essence. It establishes pattern over fulfilling duty. Perhaps the Church has been trying to take dominion from duty and not by establishing pattern!

    ‘Image’ is the natural dynamic of God. While ‘likeness’ is the spiritual dynamic of God. Man is the visible representative of the invisible, bodiless God. This makes man the image. But likeness actually guarantees that man is an adequate and faithful representative of God on earth. Another way of putting it is, God created man like the first painting an artist would do. But the artist painted other paintings along the same lines and hence a pattern was seen that we call an impression that is easily recognized as the artist’s work, even though the paintings are different. God is the artist and Adam was the first painting. Today we are the rest of the paintings and we should all be pointing to the artist!

     Creation was first in the thoughts of God, in the heavenly realm. Earth became the place God works out His thoughts and intentions. Earth was formed for God to create a pattern through man. So man is an actual living example  of the interaction of heaven and earth.

    Genesis 1:26–28 (KJV 1900) — 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

    Let’s leave out the word ‘man’ and read the underlined part above. It reads this way: the image and likeness of God was created to have dominion.

    All creation stayed fixed and untouched by the fall.   Stars, planets, galaxies etc. are still in place by God’s oversight. But the earth is the only thing assigned to man. God said I will rule all this and you rule the earth. God brought all things into order and then turned to man and said now keep this in order. But since the fall occurred, man lost the order and even lost the family. Jesus came, redeemed the family and then said to bring this in order again. You have authority! So we come to the time of reformation of all things. Reformation means ‘to reform, to stand upright, to bring into order, to re-constitute’. Reformation or reforming is not making something new or created but allowing God’s hands through our lives to reform it! In other words, God wants to use us to paint through us a spiritual pattern into the earth! Now that’s exciting!

  • Here is some thoughts from my book Awakened Heart!

    Here is some thoughts from my book Awakened Heart!

    Today as I came into the office, the Lord spoke to me and brought to remembrance a visitation that I had with him within the last year. The Lord spoke to me a great mystery concerning expectation. It forever has changed my concepts of faith and approach towards God. The Holy Spirit has quickened to me to share this with you in this week’s teaching. I trust it will be a great blessing for you.
    Psalm 62:5-7My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved . 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God .
    Many of us have seen this Psalm before. We read it as if our expectation is towards God, when in reality it’s says our expectation is from him. The word ‘expectation’ means hope, ground of hope, things hoped for, or outcome. David spoke this decree based on the foundation of his faith. He declares who God has been in his life. We see later on that Solomon, David’s son, also talks of expectation in Proverbs.
    Proverbs 24:13-14 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste : 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it , then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off .
    Solomon declares that when wisdom becomes a part of our soul there shall be a reward, and that reward is that our expectation will not be cut off.
    In this visitation, God woke me up at 3:30 AM . He had been preaching to me while I slept and then gave me these points to share with others. He also gave me the Scriptures to go with each section.
    1. Expectation releases the supernatural deposit within us. It comes from within the vessel be it a vessel that is unsaved or saved Acts 1:1-7— 2:1.
    The Lord showed me that saved or unsaved, that he had deposited expectation within every vessel. That we did not have the ability or the expectation within ourselves to seek him or hunger after him before we knew him. That this expectation deposit was what enabled us to experience salvation. This expectation enabled us to understand our need for God. He had put that expectation within every man, woman, and child to know God. Like David, every person has a hope within them. Even the vilest person has this deposit of hope or expectation abiding within. God showed me that no matter what a person says, excuses they make, or actions they display, deep within, is his expectation for himself that he deposited. The Lord showed me this is a key to unlocking any person’s heart.
    2. Fresh expectation always will produce the suddenlies in our lives. Mal 3:1, Acts 2
    Lord showed me that every ‘suddenly’ in our lives did not just occur but was the result of the release of expectation within us. He showed me that expectation also had creative ability within it that released the suddenlies that we see in Scripture. He showed me that as we walk in life, we always have an expectation of the day. That expectation is releasing things around us and putting them in motion towards us. But he showed me that a fresh expectation is what releases the suddenly. Fresh expectation is a collision of our faith with God’s hope.
    3. Expectation sometimes comes for a service as people begin to gather, that is why messages sometimes do not come until the last moment. Acts 3:5
    The Lord showed me that many times messages must change at the last moment before being presented. It’s due entirely to people’s expectation that they release. He showed me that leaders must be willing to change their message at any given moment because people’s expectations are shifting. He showed me that when everyone’s expectation becomes the same that is when His glory can invade. This synergy is when everyone’s faith and hope collide, allowing God to descend in a certain way to meet with everyone as if they were one person, body, or voice.
    4. When expectation shifts from an event to a daily lifestyle then revival has come to the people of God. Some can be in revival while others are not. Acts 3:5
    The Lord further expanded this by this statement. He showed me that revival, awakening, or reformation is depended upon a daily expectation more than a weekly event. The reason we are not seeing the results that we are looking for in the Church is because most of the Church only has an expectation for a single service each week. Revival, awakening, or reformation all has the makeup of daily expectation. The Lord showed me Paul’s daily expectation and how he walked in it. The release of daily faith caused the revival, awakening, and reformation of the early Church to occur daily not weekly.
    5. Awakening is the when the expectation of the Church exceeds the unbelief of the community. Acts 12
    The Lord showed me a community that has been completely changed because of the Church. He made the statement above and spoke to me that the Church’s expectation has to exceed the unbelief of the community. He showed me that when we realize the expectation is not from us but from him, he would change our perspective of what we would believe could really happen within a community. The awakening in a community is not about unbelievers getting saved at the church, but the Church coming into her realization of who God really is. He showed me how Peter was put in jail but that the Church’s expectation of God was greater than what held him. Even then, unbelief was rampant in the Church. He showed me expectation of the few gathered to pray exceeded the unbelief of the many. He told me not to worry about the numbers. But to make sure that the few were in unity and had the same expectation.
    6. Expectation is hope. Faith is putting expectation in fullness. This is why expectation releases revival. The Church’s hope in God and His ability to perform His covenant exceeds the world’s state of hopelessness. Heb. 11:1
    The Lord showed me that expectation carries the same dynamic and power as faith. He showed me that when we activate our faith we are actually putting in motion the expectation that he already has ownership of within our heart. This great hope exceeds the hopelessness of the world. Hopelessness carries a certain degree of power but expectation released is as if the power is doubled because faith is involved. He showed me that expectation is based upon our understanding that we know He is about to perform His covenant. The Lord showed me that many understand the covenant but many do not understand how the covenant goes into action. He spoke to me that it is about faith and expectations are the keys that unlocks covenant.

  • Worship Leaders, Drinking, Culture

    I recently talked with a couple people on the topic of worship leaders who also drink. They could not understand how they could be leading worship and doing this at the same time. The reality is we all have faults and short comings in our lives. Until we allow God to convict us we really wont change. Some of our faults are private and some are out in front. The Bible says to not be drunk with wine or come into a different state of consciousness. The Bible also states to not do things that make your brother stubble. Yet another place speaks of your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

    In a society that says it is cultural acceptable to be a Christian and drink is just that a cultural acceptable standard. But that is culture. The biblical standard is far different. Holiness is the ultimate standard and the things we do should not affect that. Drinking does not lead us to holiness. I know you will say well what about TV or this and that. I will tell you the same things. Much of what we fill our spiritual well with does not lead us to holiness. What you put in, is what you have to draw from. Much of what we fill ourselves with has demonic agendas attached to it. Stating what you believe to be a justifiable truth because it is culturally acceptable with no Biblical basis does not make it Biblical standard nor acceptable to God. Especially if you were once enlightened and now have fallen away from that truth.

    We want to see God move in America but America is the vilest self justified nation of the world. Much of the evil other nations face can be directly connected to what originates here. This is not my opinion but a repeated opinion my host in the nations I have traveled to have told me. I have had it explained repeatedly how American culture has adversely affected them and the life of the church, reducing spiritual life in individuals. Every time I hear of why it is not happening here, like over there, it brings me to one thing. We don’t realize they follow biblical standard and we follow cultural standards. In the church we change biblical standards and replace them with cultural standards. We don’t live a holy life and justify our self indulgences. In Africa, where things are happening like we desire to see, if a man drinks he is not fit to be in any role in a church but to sit under the word for a change from the addiction. In America we are willing as leaders to have no standard, so we can have a natural gift appointed to a position, even though their life is not whole. We have made what God has said is holy as common, and thus made it unholy, so we can be relevant to culture. And we wonder why God does not show himself in our meetings as His stamp of approval.

    The desire to have a culture of entertainment in the church has made the church to become another club with a “spiritual option” attached to it. The desire to please people and not confront their lifestyles carries greater weight that pleasing God. Homosexuals in pulpits, or teaching classes, people drinking on worship teams and leaders in sin are not biblical standards. They actually remind me of philistines, Baal, and other enemies of Gods people in the Old Testament that He said come out and be separate from them!

    When leaders are placed in a leadership role it is because their life is an example to be modeled after. I have heard of people becoming alcoholics because they say their brother in a leadership role, at a checkout line buying alchol and thought it was ok to drink because they were buying. The person eventually fell away from God and died in sin. The real problem is the senior leaders standards are not biblical, more so than the individual who drinks. A person might be leading worship, or on a worship team but the reality is what kind of worship they are experiencing. Is it throne room and people are moved by the spirit of God or is it entertaining and based not on spiritual life but natural ability? Remember God will anoint things sometimes because he loves people and desire to meet with them. But how much higher or better could something be if the person leading had their life right.

    We want to see a move of God. Many do. But few want to pay the price of living a life that would release that kind of move in America. When this next move of God comes I guarantee it will have deep heartfelt repentance with it. Christians will be awakened to lifestyles they are living, that are contrary to Gods heart. They will repent not because of being caught or found out but because they realize THEY have broken His heart and made the heart of God sorrowful. The move of God is coming. Right now it is unfolding with those living contrary to culture, living a lifestyle of repentance. For those with mixture a moment of repenting for a lifestyle will suddenly come and they will be overwhelmed with it. Drop the culture society is trying to dictate and live a life contrary to it and you probably will be living a Biblical culture.

  • Visitation – “Authority Within Set Time”

    This morning the Lord woke me at 3:00 AM. This is always the time God has chosen to have in-depth conversations with me. It never fails as I come out of sleep with a “knowing” the spirit is near for conversation and I turn to look at the clock it has always been exactly 3:00 AM. It is never a minute less or more.

    The Lord began by saying “I want to talk to you about your authority, specifically your authority as an apostle”. He then proceeded to speak, first about the authority we all have as believers. We have as sons and daughters have positional authority because of the spirit of adoption. We have the same rights and privileges as Jesus who is our savior/ redeemer and spiritual brother. But for those of us with a governmental position in the kingdom we have a governmental position with authority to go with that function as well. I understood all he was saying, but the Holy Spirit was relaying foundation. This was what the Lord began to speak to me about.

    He said that all authority is ordained by him and is positioned in the earth for a set time. That the authority on the earth 100, or 1000 or even 10 years ago was effective for that chronos upon the earth but would not be effective for this season. (We are talking governmental authority of a fivefold office and not individual authority which is consistent no matter the time or season of the earth) That every season also has been assigned men and women to have positional authority for the time they have been set in place. That many desire to have authority from another era, but it would be non effective today. There is an authority that is to operate NOW in the earth and if operated will have the same effect.

    He then showed me a policeman, a president, and army general. How those in times past with the season of the earth they each were positioned in and how their authority operated. Then he took them from the past forward and showed them trying to use authority and how people listened but did not respond. He then took people from the present time and showed them trying to speak with authority in the past and how it was not relevant.

    The Lord then spoke and said “if you would use your authority as an apostle daily you would see the umbilical cords coming from second heaven be cut off people’s lives in a drastic way and they would become more free. (All things in second heaven are spiritual but not all things are from God.) You have the authority to wield like a great sword above the heads of people and can cut off chains of bondage.” He then showed me the cords trying to bring the wrong kind of life into people. He showed me the outcome that authority is positioned between heaven and earth as a covering and protection from demonic attack from second heaven. When that authority is not in place then people are subject to bandage’s, circumstances and other things.

    He also showed me every day was also a set time within others measures of time. He showed me how authority was connected with time but not just a season of life, or a year but even down to a single day. That in some things the single day required authority for that day and that day alone. That certain things required movement in that moment to change the spiritual condition and climate. I was challenged but what he was saying and showing me.

    He then showed me the relationship to chronos time and authority of fivefold offices. When Gods government does not know the times and seasons of the earth it affects how they use their authority. He showed me the standing still of the sun so a battle could be won. He showed me most fivefold ministers do not use authority because of not knowing the season of the earth they are in or their position in God. Most of the body is held in a bondage that could easily be broken if His ministers would take position as true covering and not a dictatorship demanding submission. I know for me I have grown weary in battling so many things over the years with so few willing to battle along side or battling for the wrong things.

    The Lord knew my thoughts. He said “I know, but it’s time to rise up again. Now you will see how much more effective you will be! Your season is coming to fullness not completion! The understanding gained will cause the reach of the sword to be extended! It is a season of time the few can reach far. They will be given a further reach, reaching over areas where others will not rise up. It is a season of a blanket of authority will be placed over the people of the earth. ” I know there is a strength coming to those who are weary. It will be a fresh breath to lift us! We are starting to feel this breath carry us at the BASE.

    He then showed me America and the saved and unsaved. The church accepting that which holds no authority because of the lack of knowledge and understanding. Assuming that what is seen is the best of what can be attained. He then showed me the unsaved. Amazingly they had taken the role and position of the church accepting that which holds no authority because of the lack of knowledge and understanding. Assuming that what is seen is the best of what can be had.

    I challenge those of you in ministry to extend your reach of authority. Shake off the weariness we all experience and see how God will shift you to cut cords of bondage. Get an infusion of His breath and gain  strength. We are about to take land we have never held before!