I had an interesting conversation today that really sparked some needed revelation for my life. As the launching of the first installment of 8 orientation classes for the King's People began this last Sunday, I have started to ask myself some questions about the meetings.

I spent most of that first session tag teaming with my wife--child wrangling. That is our full time occupation. So sitting down and listening to a message or teaching for an hour and a half is not in the landscape of possibilities at this point. Even at our Thursday night home group we face challenges; its clearly the nature of this season of life. We didn't move from Idaho to North Carolina to attend meetings, home group or corporate, established or grass-roots apostolic. We moved here to live life. We moved here to practice and establish a way of life that becomes the Christian culture we've longed for in our hearts.

A question in the air...

"Where is the community I was hoping to find here?"

A Statement of paradox...

“We want the leaders to tell us what to do, and we want the the leaders not to tell us what to do.”

A thought...

What if we saw ourselves as a leader of spiritual servitude?

A consideration...

Is there really a church structure or model that hinders and quenches my ability to love and reach out?

Could it be that, even if we found ourselves in the most family structured, community-oriented church, we could still complain that there is no family or community if we don't understand that family and community come from within?

We can't look to an outside structure to dictate what should originate and be released from our own renewed hearts. Until we believe that community development must come from our depths, we will continue to look to an outside church model that satisfy an internal longing. I am sure you have heard it said, “Even though Israel was taken out of slavery, slavery wasn't taken out of them.” Even though Israel was delivered from an outside bondage, they remained in bondage on the inside. A change in outside circumstances doesn't always mean a change in heart. But when the heart is liberated, our outside circumstances bow their knee to a greater reality—inner freedom.

Check out Paul's inner freedom:

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 2 Tim. 8-10

There is no worldly law which can be applied to the life in the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal. 5:22-23

We need to be convinced of some deep truths: I am the one who is control of my love, my service, my giving, my community, the fruit of the Spirit; It will not be bound up or stopped by what goes on around me; I am now made free on the inside to freely love, freely give.

Have you allowed outside circumstances to put the fruit of the Spirit, which is being produced in your heart, to be put under some form of law?

Just some things to consider...

mjh

Acts 19.

I believe Paul's missionary work in Ephesus speaks volumes to the mission of The King's People. Paul asked the disciples in Ephesus, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "We haven't even heard that there was a Holy Spirit." This may very well be the case for many who are disciples in this city. " We haven't heard that there was a Holy Spirit."

It is our job to communicate with Spirit speech, King's speech, through our lives and community expression, as a living demonstration of our core values, and introduce many to the precious person of the Holy Spirit. It is time to hear and be introduced to the Holy Spirit in a fresh new way. Paul then asked, "What baptism did you receive?" They told him it was John's baptism, which was a baptism of repentance.

Repentance is a vehicle of the Lord to lay a foundation for Life in the Spirit to begin. As Bill Johnson would say, "Repentance is not complete if we don't introduce people to the Kingdom." After the Spirit is poured out on the Ephesian's disciples, they spoke in tongues and prophesied, their new speech an evidence of a new goal and focus, Spirit life, which is intended to translate into Kingdom Life.

Paul then spoke boldly, arguing persuasively, about the Kingdom of God. This is the reason for the baptism of the Holy Spirit--to boldly speak about the Kingdom. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not made available to us to have good Sunday, or any day, meetings, or even charismatic services. We have the Spirit to express the Kingdom. "Let your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven" is carried out in the fullest expression when a people are possessed by the Spirit.

In a sense, the Spirit brings the Kingdom because His is the Kingdom. No one can say Jesus is Lord expect by the Spirit. The Spirit's job is to reveal Jesus to us as King and to bring the Kingdom through us. We ask for the Kingdom to come by the Spirit because it is by the Spirit that we cry out ABBA Father. It is by the Spirit that God is our Father. Paul, filled with the Spirit, demonstrated Kingdom invasion in Ephesus. God did many extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses were cured and evil spirits left them.

Even the Name of Jesus became held in high honor after it was found out that not just anyone had the authority to Speak his Name and bring kingdom reality. One had to be filled with the Spirit. The exaltation of Jesus' name caused many to repent and make confession of the evil they had done. Even those practicing magic openly burned their books.

It is my heart and my prayer for the churches in this area to come into revelation about Kingdom, Spirit Life. Many are only walking out what they know. It's time to increase in the knowledge of God as the Holy Spirit. Paul didn't mess with the obstinate people who refused to believe. He simply left them. But there are many who are doing church the way they are because a Type of Paul has not approached them with the question, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

Come on King's People, let's do this thing!

Revelation 1

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man, in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

I am convinced the process which the Lord brings us into a new season must go into another phase because the gear to gain speed and momentum is different than the gear which maintains that speed.

I set my heart on all the benefits made available to me by taking this step. I was Convinced this new endeavor would satisfy in me everything I was disappointed with currently, as great potential was now afforded me. I was about to embark on something radical, new, exciting, with great opportunity, apostolic, fresh and organic, a fulfillment in the dreams and ambitions of my God. I looked to all those lampstands. God bless each of these wonderful reasons, but when we try to draw eternal life from lampstands, we will find ourselves frustrated and disappointed. In all my preparation for the move I didn't consider I was coming to Concord, Charlotte, NC to met with Jesus! Who is just past the lamp stands. I was coming to have my heart satisfied by a church movement that is radical and apostolic. Praise be to God who puts all things in my heart in order. His order. That is why He has assembled us. He wants to be our main attraction. Let's look to Him!

We can so easily have our focus of worship distracted by the variety of “churches” or lampstands. All churches in Revelation had somethings right and somethings wrong, but Jesus has it all right all the time. We should worship Jesus. Jesus will not be in competition with His churches when it comes to worship focus. Our hearts will come up empty if we seek ultimate satisfaction from a certain style of church. Granted being with the people of God is great and does bring satisfaction to our hearts, but there is a satisfaction our souls long for that can only be found in Jesus that often gets misdirected to a style of church. Yes even good old fashioned apostolic church. Let's look past the lampstands and Be overcome with Jesus. Let's worship Jesus.

mjh

He brought me out into a spacious place....2 Samuel 22:20

Whenever you get somewhere you haven't been before, you can be assured that it will not be at all like you assumed. We have this uncanny habit of referencing everything we're experiencing back to something we've experienced before, and can find ourselves disappointed when the new thing isn't anything at all like the old thing. But, funny thing is, that is exactly why it's called "a new thing."

• new   [noo, nyoo] adjective, -er, -est, adverb, noun –adjective unfamiliar or strange: ideas new to us; to visit new lands: Ring out the old, ring in the new.

So, fancy that this new place, with new people, new experiences, new ways of living, new everything, would be so entirely different from the old things we were so nicely used to.

Don't get me wrong, I would be the one that would intentionally go to a restaurant I've never been to, eat the strange food I can't pronounce, sit somewhere I never sit, and visit different countries just because they are different. But get me just a little bit too uncomfortable and I start looking back at what was.

The word I felt God was giving us as we moved was 2 Samuel 22:20 - "He brought me out into a spacious place." Sounds exciting and promising and...big! What I didn't realize that once the boundaries of what had become so comfortable were removed, and I was faced with that "spacious place," I would want to default back to whatever looked familiar, just because I don't yet know how to be here.

There are things that make me uncomfortable here. No job. No permanent home. No idea where things are. But these things have been strategically placed in my life to make me uncomfortable so that I learn peace and trust and rest. Because who needs those things when life is easy?

And for this I have Jesus.

r.

Also posted here

Heaven's Provision

I was reading Genesis 22 after praying one day about provision. The word provision was highlighted to me. Pro-vision. I looked up the word and saw it meant foresight. To look ahead.

In the story of Genesis 22, we see that the provision for worship was already provided. God had arranged for what is known in eternity to break into earth's time-line.

Abraham packed up his provisions for worship. He packed the donkey and gathered and split the wood. He then set out towards a predetermined mountain set up by the Lord. God already had in mind what he was about to do. Issac asks, “We have the wood and the fire, but where is the sacrifice?”

Abraham prophetically declares, “God will provide a lamb for Himself.”

If you are wise, provision is something you have in your possession on the outset of the journey, not something you come into along the way. With every turn in the journey you acquire provisions for the days ahead. That is why the word means foresight. You look ahead and see what is going to be needed and you pack it and take it with you.

When I used to fight forest fires, we would take our provisions with us when we were flown into a fire. Those provisions enabled us to work for a set period of time. On one occasion the job was longer than what we had provisions for, so we had provisions flown into us via helicopter.

I see that God sent Abraham on a journey of worship in which heaven already possessed the provision. The Lamb that was slain. Abraham was about to unlock and come into the knowledge of that provision.

Through Abraham's obedience heaven's provision was released. The provision for the journey is given to you before the journey begins. God saw fit to look ahead and in grace satisfy our needs with well thought out provisions, which He hid in Christ. We now have Christ, which means we are not coming into provisions with don't yet have, but that we are on a journey to discover the provisions we now possess.

mjh

Seek First...the Spirit

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Joshua 1:8

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Here are some thoughts on the passages above for your consideration. I believe David picked up on key points of the life of Joshua and took them to heart. Both equated a blessed, prosperous and successful life with the delight and meditation of the Book of the law. How do we come into a lifestyle and capitalize on the benefits of law mediation?

God's law is His sovereign rule. Law has to do with government. We know that His government is one with a King and a Kingdom. To meditate on the ruling of God (his law) is to understand the kingdom. We know that the kingdom of God has everything to do with the Spirit. I believe that by mediating on the rulings of the King against the kingdom of darkness and making decrees in the Spirit (prophecy) is one aspect of seeking first the kingdom. I also believe that mediating on the law day and night can now be done by praying and speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is done by the Spirit which is kingdom. Another aspect of seeking first the kingdom is to make a concerted effort to speaking in Spirit (kingdom) speech, which must include prophecy. Cheers.

mjh

Treasures of Grace

Treasures of Grace.

I believe there are certain seasons, when what has been known in eternity has its beginning in time. Treasures of grace were buried inside of us the day we came into the faith in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority

Just like a buried treasure is found by someone only because it was first buried by some one else, so it is that our Father packed into us the wealth of His Son because we are now found in Christ.

There is abundant provision of grace made available to us who receive it. (Rom 5:17) Even though we have all of Christ and grace within us it take the event of time to come into an experience of what has been granted us in the kingdom. It takes time to reveal all the grace which has been poured over us.

Ephesians 1: 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

When the times have reached their fulfillment...the eternal manifests in time at that moment.

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

It is going to take the coming age of eternity to see the depth of the incomparable riches of his grace which God worked on our behalf in Time. And yet heaven is ruled by Grace, which means there is a view and experience of grace reserved for us in a timeless eternity.

We need to realize that we have a grace filled future because we have a grace fill past. Everyday we have encounters in life which call up the grace God has granted us. He is eternal and knows the end from the beginning. He has thoroughly equipped us with everything we need in life and godliness. A grace from heaven as been revealed which teaches us to deny ungodliness to live godly, self-controlled, upright lives in this present age as we wait with anticipation for His Return.

In God's wisdom, He has buried grace within our hearts, and certain life situations activate that grace and call it into action. It is because of our glorious past, what we entered into when we came into Christ, that gives us confidence and hope for glorious days ahead. I believe that is why at times we have a deja vu experience. Who we are known as in eternity breaks into our experience in time and testifies to His grace. We are living in time and eternity at the same time. Eternity is not something we are coming into, but something we have access to now. It is good to ask ourselves some questions. Who am I in eternity? When in time will that person be revealed as though I have always been that way? I had a friend tell me that once you have kids it is like you always had them. Memories before you had kids seem to include your kids after you had them. The eternal “us” is the mature accomplished us. If we could look back from our end to our beginning, we would see how God has set up our every step, because that is his perspective. I don't know how to end this, so I will leave here for your consideration...

mjh.