The Gatekeeper Anointing

The Gatekeeper Anointing
Billy Humphrey
November 2nd, 2003

In the year 2000, my wife and I were in our 9th year of ministry as youth pastors at our local church in Norcross, Ga. During this season we decided to rename and revamp our youth ministry. The previous name was tired and no longer reflected the values and vision of the ministry. The driving force of our ministry was an intense yearning to see revival break out in Gwinnett County to sweep 100,000 souls into the kingdom of God. Most of our preaching, teaching and discipleship were anchored around this cause and we wanted a name that reflected this. After many discussions and brain-storming sessions with our key staff we believed "we" had found a name that accurately portrayed our passion. In reality the Lord had directed us to a name that had far greater significance than we could have realized. The new name was 212. 212 was derived from the Fahrenheit temperature for the boiling point of water. The idea was that everything that we were about was to be boiling, on fire for God. 212 really seemed to fit.

I searched the scriptures diligently through every chapter 2 verse 12 to find a reference that supported our vision and values. Unfortunately, there was no chapter 2 verse 12 that seemed to work. I then turned to one of our theme scriptures Isaiah 64:1 and read it more thoroughly. To my surprise, it was right there before me:

Isa 64:1-2 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence; 2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil; To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!

The boiling point was compared to the visitation of God that Isaiah prayed would shake the nations. Isaiah's prayer in vs.1 had already become a theme scripture for us and now it was clearer than ever.

About a year later a good friend showed me an obscure scripture that caught my attention.
1Ch 9:22 All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted office.

It was stunning to see 212 right there in the middle of the scripture. I thought that it was interesting, but honestly, I had no clue what a gatekeeper was. I had heard of gatekeepers, but I thought that it was one of those ethereal, prophetic teachings that did not really relate to everyday life (I have since learned differently). Further, I thought that if Gatekeepers were an important part of seeing revival come that I would have already known about it because I had spent, what I thought was, a lot of time studying revival. How little I really knew and how little I still know. Isn't it wonderful that God doesn't base his calling and anointing on our lives upon our lack of understanding or our barrenness but upon His plan and endowment of grace?
Throughout that year the Lord would periodically bring back that scripture to my mind, but I did not doing anything about it. Finally, I decided to study and find out what exactly a Gatekeeper was. As I began to look at the whole passage in I Chronicles 9 I recognized that there were powerful truths hidden in the symbolism of the duties of the Gatekeepers of old. Further, it became clear to me that there were modern day Gatekeepers who were commissioned in similar ways as the ancient Gatekeepers in the Tabernacle of David. The revelations that were within this once obscure scripture staggered me.

In this article I want to unfold the powerful symbolism that the Lord showed me regarding modern day Gatekeepers and their role as it relates to the great revival to come. Let's look at some of the key points of the whole passage together.

1Ch 9:22-33 22 All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted office. 23 So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, the house of the tabernacle, by assignment. 24 The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the east, west, north, and south. 25 And their brethren in their villages had to come with them from time to time for seven days. 26 For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites. And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. 27 And they lodged all around the house of God because they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of opening it every morning. 28 Now some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them in and took them out by count. 29 Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all the implements of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices. 30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices. 31 Mattithiah of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trusted office over the things that were baked in the pans. 32 And some of their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites were in charge of preparing the showbread for every Sabbath. 33 These are the singers, heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.

In Charge of the Gates

The first thing that I noticed was that the Gatekeepers were in charge of the Gates of the Tabernacle of the Lord. They were the ones who opened and closed the Gates to the presence of God. This was amazing to me because I knew that God had deeply wounded my heart with the desire for revival. I literally sensed a personal responsibility to "open the heavens" so that the Lord would come down in power. Now the Lord was defining my role as one who was "in charge of opening" the gates for the presence of God to come into the county and into the region. God had confirmed to me in the renaming of our ministry the very DNA that was already alive in my heart. We had been commissioned to open the gates to see the presence of God invade the region. In the same way modern day Gatekeepers are prophetic intercessors, another name is watchmen, who are commissioned by the Lord to open the gates over a region to see the King of Glory come in (Psalm 24:7)

This Trusted Office
The next point that struck me was that it was a "trusted office". In other words, there were literally people whom God was entrusting with the responsibility to fervently pray and intercede for the heavenly gates to open in geographical regions. The urgency of this responsibility gripped my heart with an even greater desire to see God come and break in with power in the region. The truth that He would entrust people in partnership with Him in regard to the manifestation of His Glory caused me to passionately set my heart towards the reality of His visitation and subsequent habitation. Modern Gatekeepers have been given a responsibility as forerunners to prepare places and people for the invasion of the glory of God.

They Lodge Around the House of God

The Gatekeepers literally lived in chambers around the House of God. The reason that they stayed there, so close to the Tabernacle, was because they had a revelation that it was their responsibility to open the gates (v. 27). I believe that as they began to serve in their ministry that they became captivated with the beauty of the Lord. Once their hearts were captivated by His beauty their natural commitment to serve became total surrender from a heart of voluntary love. This spoke so strongly to my heart of the difference in commitment that the Lord desires of His people compared to the way many believers seem to live today. Much of the church in the West has settled into complacency and casual Christianity. Yet God desires to see His bride alive with a heart that is smitten with the knowledge of His love, living lives of radical commitment to Him and His purposes. This truth needs to set in upon us. Once we get a true revelation of the reality of his love and His beauty, commitment to night and day intimacy with Him is natural.

Appointed over the furnishings

The furnishings of the Tabernacle included serving vessels, flour, wine, oil, incense, spices, anointing ointment and showbread. Each of these is full of revelation in its symbolism. Yet, for our purposes here we will focus on the flour, wine and oil. Throughout the Old Testament these three are used together. Flour or grain, new wine and oil are symbols of specific Kingdom realities. Jesus said look unto the fields for they are white unto harvest (John 4:35). The reason that the field where white was because it was covered with grain. So grain or flour is a symbol of souls. We are familiar with the symbol of wine as a symbol of the new move of the Holy Spirit which is to be held in a new wineskin (Mat 9:17). We are also familiar with oil as a type of the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. (Isa 10:27) As we unveil the symbolism of the flour, wine and oil we see that Gatekeepers are directly involved with not only preparing for the new move of the Spirit of God which will see massive signs and wonders and salvations, but also furnishing these things or bringing them forth. The ministry of Gatekeepers is directly tied to entering into revival in a region.

These are the Singers
Finally, the scripture declares that some of the gatekeepers were singers who were free from other duties and they were employed in intercession and worship to the Lord day and night. God provided that the Gatekeepers could live lifestyles of prayer, worship and service night and day before Him. Comparable to this today is the prayer movement that God is raising up across the nations where people are supported as full-time prayer missionaries to pray in the great revival that is to come. God is recoiling in power at the prayers of these modern day Gatekeepers in order to explode in a blast of His power so stunning that the entire world will experience it (Acts 2:17). His Glory will visit and engulf the entire planet just as waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:14)

In my first contacts with these scriptures many of the truths did not strike me. God had not unlocked the power of their revelation to me. As the Lord began to deal with me about resigning our youth ministry and transitioning into the ministry of IHOP-ATL, the power of this scripture captured me in a brand new way. I had been stirred to understand that the revival to come and the prayer movement were one reality in God's economy. They were not exclusive of each other but simply complimentary facets of the same purpose. I also realized that God had deposited a hunger and passion for revival in me that would not subside. It is still an itch that I cannot scratch. However, I had not realized when we renamed the youth ministry 212 that it directly related to Gatekeepers in the Tabernacle of David. When we finally studied the Tabernacle of David and realized that it was a ministry of 24/7 worship and intercession it was after God had begun to deal with us about transitioning our ministry to start IHOP-ATL. Honestly, we never put it together that the Gatekeepers were in a 24/7 prayer ministry until after God had begun to transition us into the same type of ministry. Two things are for sure: 1) His ways are perfect 2) We are much more dim than we think. When we finally got the revelation that God had given us the name 212 to point to a reality that He was calling us into in the days ahead we were shocked and radically blessed at the same time.

Now, every time that I see the number 212, it is a reminder to me that God has called me to be a Gatekeeper. And not only a Gatekeeper but a Gatekeeper in the modern day Tabernacle of David, living a life of 24/7 worship and intercession to see the gates open and the King of Glory come in.

I pray that this revelation will grip your heart as it has gripped mine. Perhaps you too, are a Gatekeeper, called to open the presence of God in your region. I believe that the Lord is raising up an army of Gatekeepers to open the Gates in these last days for the revival to come. It is overwhelming to consider that the Lord has given us the dignity of having intimate relationship and even further, partnership with Him. As people in partnership with the Un-Created God we need to leave the entrapments of this world and give ourselves in passion and recklessness to His purposes. It is those who live lives of lovesick abandonment who will enter in to the reality of complete commitment to Him and His purposes.

If you believe it's possible that God has called you to be a Gatekeeper pray this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I pray that you would give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation that I may understand the truths and the calling of being a Gatekeeper. Tenderize my heart to serve you in night and day intercession to see your glory invade the land. Increase my faith to believe that my prayers and service will affect the spiritual climate of my region. I speak to the every Gate and say be open. King of Glory come in and have your way in this region, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

By Faith Walls Fall Down

BY FAITH WALLS FALL DOWN
By Dr. Michael A. Halleen"By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days." (Hebrews 11:30)

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394-1460) never captained a ship or sailed on a voyage of exploration. He stayed home and read accounts of others who had. He thought about what they said and let his mind march around new theories about what the world must be like. He wondered and imagined, calculated and drew maps. Prince Henry died thirty years before Portuguese explorers were able to test his theories, but when they did, they brought back proof that he had been incredibly accurate. As a result, Portugal took the lead in world exploration for fully a hundred years. Other nations held back, making excuses about internal problems. Other explorers did not see the possibilities or worried about lack of money. They lacked faith to move past what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles.

To feel bound by perceived limits is so human, so common. A century ago there were predictions that no one could ever drive a car 60 miles per hour because the wind would suck one's breath away. In 1934 the track coach at the University of California laid out what he believed were the absolute limits of achievement in track and field events. All of them, of course, have long since been exceeded. High school athletes today are out-performing Olympic champions of a few decades ago. There appears to be no limit to how fast we can run, how far we can go, how high we can leap.

So we do well not to set limits on what we can do and become as children of God if we believe in the power of Christ within us. We do well not to minimize the potential of the people of God when we act in faith. Walls fall down. Families are transformed, communities changed.

When my two grandchildren blow out the candles on their birthday cakes each year and make their wishes, I make one of my own for them. My birthday wish for each is faith, the single quality that will guarantee him a successful life. Faith is simply trust that God is stronger than all the limitations, hurts, fears and problems they may face. I do not pray that they will have superior intellects or well-coordinated bodies. I am not concerned that they be popular or clever, blessed with talent or wealth. I care only that they will persist in faith toward the goals and dreams that God may give them — the Prince Henrys of their time.By faith walls fall down.

Paul, Silas, Timothy and the Call

Hi gang - you know I have an immature/not quite ripe thought I want to pass your way regarding the prayer & fasting that will precede the Call in Nashville. Ordinarily I’d let it ripen, but I’m feeling a little reckless and immature today – so anyway, here goes . . .

I had a dream the other day about a group of young people who were being separated into two teams. Neither group was good or bad. Actually, it seemed like I loved both groups. However, there was a group of little boys in front of me that I suddenly cared for. Something about them reminded me of Timothy, Paul’s adopted son in Christ.

They were expressing concern about the way the teams had ended up because they were intimidated. The other team seemed too strong, i.e., the odds were stacked against them.

Corey Russell (a teacher on intercession at IHOP-KC ) was sitting on the floor with them in order to identify with them, coach them and communicate at their level. I said to the kids, "Don't worry, you have Paul and Silas on your team and they are pray-ers." Corey took my hand to let me know that he agreed with me and his hand lingered there and although it was awkward, I was aware that he really wanted to communicate encouragement that what I said was right - and as I let go, I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit lingering over us.

When I woke up, I was puzzled because it seemed to me it would have been more likely for me to think “Paul and Barnabus”. But the dream was clear, so – I waited for God to make sense of it. It turns out that He was quick to do so because I ended up in a seminar last night and my friend was talking about Paul and Silas. She recounted the story of Paul and Silas in prison. They were imprisoned for a couple of reasons that are too lengthy to go into right now, but the passage of focus was Acts 16: 25ff

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Now, here’s the deal - Paul and Silas most likely were not praying and singing hymns just to get God to release them. It seems to me that they were just loving Him because they loved Him. The reason I say that is if you look at the passage, they never sought to escape when the earthquake broke their chains. As a matter of fact, at the end of the chapter, when they are set free, Paul is quite cranky and says that they were jailed without cause, so he insists that the dudes who locked them up ought to come and escort them out – justifying them completely. In the meantime, their prayer and worship preceded an earthquake that not only broke their chains but broke off the chains of all of the prisoners and one result was that the jailer and his family sought salvation.

All righty then, one more thought and I’ll try and tie all of the pieces together . . .
At the beginning of this chapter, Paul has just been aggravated by John Mark not sticking things out and he runs into Timothy. He’s quite soft hearted toward Timothy and he wants to take him with him on his missionary trip. Timothy’s mom is Jewish, but his dad is Greek and apparently did not allow him to be circumcised when he was a baby. Paul does something bizarre considering that he advocates so staunchly for the Gentiles to not have to be circumcised. He tells Timothy that he’d like him to be circumcised. It appears that something is different here - he’s looking for young Timothy to have a voice to the Jews. He knows that the Jews will not listen to young Timothy unless he fully identifies with them. So Paul, in essence, steps in as a father and circumcises Timothy himself.

So what’s the connection to the dream? This 40 day prayer/fast and The Call are in essence a time of separation for our young people; Timothys perhaps? I believe we are called to get down on the ground with them and intercede (Corey) and encourage them by identifying with them; communicating that they have fathers and mothers in the faith that will link hands with them in prayer and worship.

The gift that we have to offer them is our prayer and worship and an offering of love for love’s sake. It’s the kind of kiss that really moves God’s heart because it’s not a manipulative act of affection to bring about the change of our circumstances. At its heart, it’s truly and simply because we really love and trust our Father’s intentions . . . while also caring for the next Generation; helping them to develop the same/better in their own lives.

Now, I know that some of us feel imprisoned right now as well and God cares about that – He’s on it. But this act of love expressed in prayer and worship, like Paul and Silas offered in their prison, inadvertently yields a result that is not really just about us, it’s about all of the other prisoners and the jailers that God wants to set free and He’s willing to move both heaven and earth in order to do so.

Additionally, if I were to walk out the analogy, perhaps our young Timothys will have an opportunity to identify with and speak into the Jewish people about Jesus as we take up our roles as Moms and Dads and identify ourselves with them; bringing the youth alongside us and helping them to circumcise their hearts to the Lord.

If you are going to engage in this solemn assembly, can I encourage you to grab a young person and pray with them during this time? Teach them about their role and their invitation. Identify with some young soul that needs to be loved and encouraged to step into their rightful identity. If you don’t have some young dude or dudette that will pray with you, ask God if there is someone He would put on your heart to simply pray FOR. But in the midst of it all, let’s look at God and just love Him BIG, simply because He’s just so good, so wonderful and we are falling deeply in love with Him in all of His beauty. Let’s thank Him for this opportunity and watch for the earthquake that set prisoners and jailers free.

Hosea 6:1-3 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Much love, t

A Prayer Primer

A Prayer Primer

What follows are some basic biblical foundations that, when understood in succession, ought to release faith for this partnered intercessory prayer; birthed through the power of love. We will begin to believe in this partnership as we know and believe in our partner and in His love.

Indeed, I tell you truly, the one believing into Me, the works which I do, that one shall do also, and greater than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you may ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:12-13

In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will petition the Father about you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:26-27

1. Our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is love. 1John 4:16
2. He fully knows us and loves us Psalm 139, John 1 & 3:16
3. We didn’t start out broken and we don’t end up that way either. We were made for Love. Genesis 1 & 2, Revelation 21
4. As much as we hate the idea that we could be responsible, we, as a race, are responsible for bringing sin and suffering into our world. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned. Romans 5:12
5. The result of sin is death and injustice and it affects all of Creation.There was no way we could fix the problem, and no way to stop it. So God, who is Love, came to our rescue. For He made the One who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Our Father endured the painful tearing of separation; a broken heart if you will; in order to inflict the full wrath of holiness judging/conquering sin upon His deeply loved Son instead of us. In that act, He made us sons. That gave Him great pleasure. Isaiah 53:10
   
   Take a close look now at Isaiah 53 before we go on.
   
   Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed? For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor magnificence that we should see Him; nor form that we should desire Him. He is despised and abandoned of men, a Man of pains, and acquainted with sickness. And as it were hiding our faces from Him, He being despised, and we did not value Him. Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain; yet we esteemed Him plagued, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each one turned to his own way; and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgression of My people, the stroke was to Him. And He appointed Him His grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death; though He had done no violence, and deceit was not in His mouth. But Jehovah pleased to crush Him, to make Him sick, so that If He should put His soul as a guilt offering, He shall see His seed; He shall prolong His days; and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul; He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge the righteous One, My Servant, shall justify for many, and He shall bear their iniquities. Because of this I will divide to Him with the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil; because He poured out His soul to death; and He was counted with those transgressing; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for those transgressing.
   
   Take the time to hang out with Isaiah 53 and look into Ephesians 1-3. They are crucial passages for us to consider because they reveal this foundational truth: Jesus took on all of our iniquities, transgressions and sins. “Iniquities” refer to our nature of perversity; i.e., our downward bent away from God and toward sin. “Transgressions” refer to our willful rebellion; our choices that say “we will not obey” to God. In Isaiah 53:10 we are told that the “stroke was to Him”. In the King James Version, the word is translated “stricken” for our transgressions. The word “stricken” is the same word used to describe leprosy. In essence, He became a leper for our sakes as He took our sins upon Himself. We’re also told that He took upon Himself the iniquities of us all. He endured crucifixion and took the full blow of judgment; conquering all of our enemies, including sin and death. He demonstrated that Love is not just as strong as death, but stronger than death and because of that, He is worthy and the only One strong enough to break the seals of Revelation and bring about the redemption of creation. God is to us a God of deliverances (salvation) and to God belongs escape from death. Psalm 68:20, Song of Songs 8:6-7
7. This Beautiful One; this Bridegroom-Redeemer loves us so much He always makes intercession for us, even now. And the Holy Spirit; the comforter, teacher and power of God in action, reveals the truth to us, lives in us and makes intercession with us so we can be in union with God. Isaiah 52:10, 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, John 3:16, John 1:29 John 14:16, Hebrews 10, Romans 8:26, Revelation 5
8. When Jesus, our forever High Priest, paid fully for our sins, iniquities and transgressions, He completely clothed us in His righteousness and He has taken away our shame. He didn’t just pay for those sins we committed before our born again encounter, He also paid for the sins we still struggle with as we work out our salvation. We can boldly approach the Throne of Grace to find mercy and grace because we are IN Him and Christ is in us (plural, corporately) the Hope of Glory. John 1:29, Colossians 1, Hebrews 10
9. Our destiny as the Body and Bride is to operate from the same identity as our Bridegroom-Redeemer, Jesus. Our original DNA (both inherited and perpetuated) carries a sin bent nature and a destiny of death. In the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we get the opportunity of a lifetime so to speak. We are identified with Him in faith and that original identity is crucified with Him in an event that transcends time and space. We emerge from that death into His love bent nature and a destiny of eternal life. We are born anew into/with a new identity. We are a brand new creation. We are clothed with Him and given His DNA. We are in essence and in truth, completely immersed in His name/character/identity. (As a matter of meditation, we are actually baptized in the name/ character/ identity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Chew on that one for awhile.) To be baptized in a name means we are fully immersed in; wet with; clothed with; covered in . . . in this case God. Therefore, we are called to live and love from this identity.
   
   But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer; for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is no slave nor freeman, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are of Christ, then you are a seed of Abraham, even heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:25-29
   
   That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of…revelation…that you may know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…which He worked in Christ when He raised Him…and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places… He put all things under His (Jesus as a Man) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him… Ephesians 1:17-23
   
   Raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ... Ephesians 2:6
   
   For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. "For this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." Gen. 2:24 The mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ and as to the assembly. However, you also, everyone, let each one love his wife as himself, and the wife, that she give deference to the husband. Ephesians 5:30-33
   
   But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter. Hebrews 1:8
   
   Son though he was, he learned obedience through his sufferings and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:9-10
   
   They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelation 5:9-10
10. God is good. The Hebrew word “good”, when describing God’s goodness, isn’t a small word or concept. It doesn’t mean “nice”. It means “wildly good”; tremendously, extravagantly good. His goodness and lovingkindness is completely full and bent toward His own. We can rest in that always. . . . The Lord is good; His loving-kindness endures for ever, and his faithfulness unto all generations. Psalm 100:5
    
    For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them that fear him. Psalm 103:11
11. He is unfathomably rich in grace and mercy. We may draw upon the riches of His grace and mercy every time we turn to Him, even as we struggle with the remnants of our pre-Christ nature; i.e., our sins, again and again. When we confess our sins and repent, He is incredibly faithful and quick to forgive us; He is our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word; the kiss if you will, of our testimony. As a result, we can ascend the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. Ephesians 1-3, 1John 1:9, Psalm 24:4, Revelation 12:11
12. The Father loves us and loves us and loves us . . . . and hears us because of the gift of righteousness we receive in Jesus. 1Kings 8, 2Chronicles 7:12, Psalm 5:2, John 3:16, John 11:41-42,1John 3:1
13. We are seated at the right hand of God with Christ Jesus and we can and ought to pray from that position (Heaven to earth) Ephesians 2:6
14. We are given governmental responsibility for the earth. Genesis 1:27-31, Psalm 115:16 That responsibility is rightly released through love/justice/humility and prayer.
15. We engage in that responsibility with authority by agreement with God and each other in prayer Matthew 17:21,18:20, John 17, James 5:17, Revelation 8:3
16. We are made from the fabric of Creation. It has been subjected to futility because of us until the sons of God are revealed. Creation’s destiny is entirely tied into us. Genesis 1- 3, Romans 8:18-23 Walking in our true identity and agreeing with God in prayer makes all the difference.
17. The sons of God are identified as “the peace makers”. Matthew 5:9 We become “peace makers” as we embrace our identity in “the Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6 and are conformed to His image as the image bearers. Genesis 1:27,Romans 8:29
18. Jesus taught us that as “peace makers” we could choose to love our enemies, and pray for those that persecute us; so that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45. That means, through the gift of prayer in love, we don’t have to expend useless energy maintaining our anger, our bitter wounds and the chains of un-forgiveness. What a relief! And, as we forgive, we are forgiven. As we are merciful, we receive mercy. It’s the sowing/reaping model of Kingdom living.
19. Love and prayer are intimately connected. Prayer is our love language. It is how we engage with God throughout our day; how God helps us with our choices; and how we release love/justice; transforming the scenarios we face. More than that . . . love can be prayed into people and situations. And this is my prayer that your love will keep on growing more and more in full knowledge and perfect insight. Philippians 1:9
20. Our hearts are softened in prayer. (That is at least one reason that we are called to pray for our enemies – so that they won’t be our enemies anymore. One less thing to worry about.)
21. God likes prayer. Prayers are incense (a pleasing smell) before the Lord. The elders around God’s Throne have harps and gold bowls filled with the prayers of the saints. Our prayers are mixed with the fire on the altar and hurled toward the earth with the purposes of God directing them. Psalm 18, Revelation 5:8, 8:1-5
22. God receives thanksgiving and praise because of answered prayer and through that our joy is made complete. Until now you asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full. John 16:24, also see Philippians 4:6
23. Our Father’s House is to be a House of Prayer and in the House of Prayer we will find joy. Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13

House of Prayer Weblog

I've been filing articles that I thought would one day be useful on this site for a few years but it has been dormant for awhile. Now that I'm in Kansas City and unable to communicate at the IHOP meetings, perhaps this venue will serve my need to make resources available and keep people informed of what is happening out here. Hope this helps! t

I'm in a particularly mushy place this morning and was reading this "devotion" on Jesus. There's tremendous wisdom in the excerpt. Hope it makes you tender and restful. love, t
By S.M. Lockridge
“He is the one who made you; it is He who made us and not we ourselves. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork No means or measure can define His limitless love and no farseeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. “No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He’s enduringly strong and He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally steadfast and He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful and He’s impartially merciful. He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s God’s Son, He’s the sinner’s Savior, and He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
“He does not have to call for help and you can’t confuse Him. He doesn’t need you and He doesn’t need me. He stands alone in the solitude of Himself. He’s august and He’s unique. He’s unparalleled, He’s unprecedented, He’s supreme, He’s preeminent, He’s the loftiest idea in literature, He’s the highest personality in philosophy, He’s the supreme problem of higher criticism, He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology, He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion, He’s the miracle of the age He’s the superlative of everything good you can call Him.“He can satisfy all your needs, and He can do it simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak and He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He sees. He guards and He guides, He heals the sick, He cleansed the Leper, He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers the captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek.“He’s the key to knowledge, He’s the well spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance,
He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness, and He’s the gateway to glory.“He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquers, He’s the head of heroes, He’s the leader of legislators, He’s the overseer of the over comers, He’s the governor of the governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the King of kings, He’s the Lord of lords.
“His office is manifold, His promise is sure, His life is matchless, His goodness is limitless, His mercy is everlasting, His love never changes, His word is enough, His grace is sufficient, His reign is righteous, His yoke is easy, His burden is light, I wish I could describe Him too you, He’s indescribable because He’s incomprehensible, He’s irresistible because He’s invincible. You can’t get Him off your hands, you can’t get Him off your mind, you can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him. Pilate couldn’t stand it when he found he couldn’t stop Him, and Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. And the witness couldn’t get their testimonies to agree and Herod couldn’t kill Him, and death couldn’t handle Him and thank God the grave couldn’t hold Him.
“There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. He has no predecessor, He’ll have no successor, you can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.”
(Reference) http://www.rbcdothan.org/Outlines/you_can_trust_him.htm
• if you would like to listen to the excerpt of this please go to http://
www.cs.unc.edu/~taylorr/lockridge_sermon.html

Prepare the Way

"PREPARE THE WAY" by Rick JoynerMorningStar Ministrieswww.morningstarministries.org
The greatest sign of the return of the Lord is recorded in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." An acceleration of transformation is now going on in the Church in order to prepare the way for this gospel to be preached and this prophecy fulfilled. The greatest force for truth is now being assembled for this purpose.There are true, last-day prophets and apostles already living among us. Most are still immature, but they are here, they are maturing, and they will soon be released in power. Their commission will be foretold by the earth itself suffering spiritual contractions, so that all who dwell on the earth will tremble. God is coming to shake things up.
The Revolution
This "gospel of the kingdom" is not the same as the gospel of salvation, commonly referred to as "the gospel" which has been the primary message of the Protestant and the Evangelical churches for the past five hundred years. It is now time to understand the gospel of the kingdom, how it is distinguished from the gospel that has been preached, and howthe message of the church is about to change so that it is preached throughout the whole world.
We also need to examine the way that the gospel of salvation has been perverted in recent times, changing it from Him coming to save His people from their sins, to Him coming to save His people from their troubles. This is why so few remain in the faith after their "conversion." The only true salvation comes from the conviction of our sins and our profound and desperate need for the atonement of the cross of Jesus Christ. Anything other than this is a wrong foundation that cannot stand. He did not come to deliver us from troubles, but rather the opposite. When someone comes to Christ, he or she needs to immediately be prepared for troubles, as the whole fallen world will be against them.
Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming.
Without question, the Christian life is the most fulfilling, wonderful adventure that anyone can experience in this world, but it is also the most difficult life that can be lived on this earth. When people come to Christ, they need to be prepared for battle from the first day. If they are not prepared for this, they are very unlikely to remain in the faith, as the glaring statistics of those who "come to Christ" that are lost again to theworld should boldly teach us.When we are born, it is not the goal of our lives, but only the beginning. Likewise, to be born again is not the ultimate goal of the gospel; it is the beginning of the greatest quest and journey toward the full maturity of what we are called to be. It is now time for the Church to go on to maturity, and this must begin with our message. It is the greatest message of hope, but also a call to battle.
To preach the gospel of the kingdom does not in any way negate or denigrate the gospel of salvation. In fact, it is the gospel of the kingdom that leads to true salvation, which is why the Lord Jesus Himself preached this gospel, as well as the first century apostles. Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming. However, the gospel of the kingdom does include more than the salvation of believers -- it is the message that the rightful King is coming to take over.Those who are born again with the hope of salvation may be changed, but those who are born again in order to see the kingdom will be so changed that they are a "new creation" (see Galatians 6:15) -- which stands out in great contrast to those of the old creation. Just as the first century Christians stood out in stunning contrast to all who lived in their time, the radical faith that is about to be revealed through such radical Christians will cause the whole world to stand in shock and awe.Recent studies have revealed that modern, Evangelical Christians are really no different from non-Christians in basic moral and integrity issues such as honesty, cheating, and immorality. That is about to change. As the Lord warned in John 15, every branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off. If you receive anything from this bulletin, heed the following clear warning from Galatians 5:16-25:
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
Again, we can know for sure that those who practice such things as are listed under the works of the flesh "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The scariest thing in the world should be if we are doing these things and getting away with them. As we are told in Hebrews 12, the Lord disciplines His children, and if we are without discipline, then we are not His.The Gospel of the KingdomThe gospel of the kingdom is not just the gospel of our atonement, but it is the good news of the kingdom of God and the declaration that the King is coming to establish it here on the earth, beginning with us. To be saved with a vision of our salvation is good, but it is man-centered. To be saved by a vision of the kingdom is an enlistment into the army of the coming King. This is not a matter of "majoring on minors"; each has very different consequences and different fruit. When the gospel of salvation is preached, we are compelled to "accept the Lord" and, often, it is done as if we are doing Him a favor. When the gospel of the kingdom is preached so that His kingdom is seen, we will bow the knee begging His acceptance.
As the Lord instructed His people to pray for nearly 2,000 years, His kingdom is going to come, and His will is going to be done right here on the earth just as it is in Heaven (see Matthew 6:9-13). This prayer of so many millions for so many years -- the prayer that the King Himself gave us to pray -- is going to be answered. He wants to start with us. That He came to be our Savior is something we will marvel at for eternity; however, He did not just come to be our Savior, but our King . . . There is a difference.
The coming of His kingdom is the greatest hope that has ever been preached on the earth. There is no hope found in any other religion or any philosophy of utopia that is as great as what we have been given to proclaim. As the troubles of the end of this age increase, the light of the hope of His kingdom will shine brighter and brighter. Now is the time to fill our lamps with this oil.
The earth will be restored to its former paradise so that there is no more war, sickness, dying, hunger, or even pain. The lion will lie down with the lamb, children will be able to play with cobras, and no one will hurt anyone else. This is the greatest message of hope that the world has ever heard. The gospel is not just "good news," but it is the greatest news -- the greatest message OF A FUTURE -- that the world has ever heard. Our message must change from proclaiming that the end is coming to proclaiming that the beginning is coming.
He Comes to His Temple First
This is a sure promise, and the time is near for its fulfillment. The kingdom of God is surely coming to this earth, and soon. However, it can come to us today! We can live in the kingdom now, and those who begin to proclaim it will do this as true citizens of this kingdom. As we read in Revelation 3:20, the Lord has been standing at the door of His Church, patiently knocking to see who would open to Him, but the time is near when He will suddenly burst into His temple and take over. His Church is then going to be His body who does His will, speaks His words, and does the works that He did.
Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men.
We may think this is what we have been doing -- following His leading in everything -- but, in truth, few have followed Him in much at all. Many wonderful things have been done in His name, which the Lord has blessed, but He will bless many things that He will not inhabit. There have also been many terrible -- even diabolical -- things done in His name.
Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men. He is going to cleanse His temple, destroy the idols that have been set up there, and drive out the money-changers. He is then going to rebuild it so His church is, in fact, His church -- His body of which He alone is the Head.
Great changes have been happening deep in the heart of the church for years. These are about to accelerate, resulting in such a great transformation that it will be viewed as the greatest move of God in His people since the Day of Pentecost when He first poured out His Spirit on the Church. Like the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, it will begin with a remnant that has been very close to Him, but it will quickly get the attention of the rest of His people in every nation. These will also begin repenting of their ways that have in fact caused them to reject Him and live contrary to His will. Just as John had to preach repentance before Jesus came the first time, a great repentance is going to precede His second coming.
The sword of the Lord will sweep over the whole earth and remove from among His people all who are not bowing before Him. He will remove the arrogant and the stumbling blocks. When we see this deep repentance even touching the most highly visible and influential leaders of the Church, we can begin to expect a radical transformation of the Church so that true, New Testament Church life as the Lord intended can be re-established on the earth. Then the Church will not be known so much for its organization, facilities, or even its message, but it will be known as the place where the living God dwells. His people will be continually in awe of Him, and the rest will be in awe of His people.
Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted.
Another sign that His kingdom is near will be the mountains being brought low, and the valleys and low places being raised up. Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted. The message of the cross and the crucified life will be the first to be lifted up. The messages that have promoted presumption, self-seeking, and selfishness will be brought low. The messengers who promote them will likewise follow them.
Through the coming repentance, a great and profound maturity will come to the Church. It will be such a radical change that Christians will claim that they have begun to see the kingdom of God and even the King for the first time. To a large degree, this will simply be the result of getting our eyes off of ourselves and turning to Him. Instead of the Church being so focused on building itself, it will begin to focus on preparing the way for His kingdom. This reorientation from self-focus to that which is greater will, in fact, do more to build the Church than all of our self-focus was ever able to do.
Even so, this great repentance will result in a great pruning of the Church. Many will not be willing to make these changes. The recent split of many denominations around basic issues is but a small foretaste of what is coming. Those who are more devoted to institutions or organizations than to the Lord will have a hard time, and many will not make it. Even so, those who do must press on.
In a relatively short period of time, the Church will become more brilliant and powerful than it has ever been. The branches that are cut off from it will wither and die very fast. Do not die with them. Our allegiance must be to the Lord and His kingdom, which is bigger than any denomination or movement. When denominations turn from the Lord and His Word, it is time to turn from them.From Control to AuthorityThere have been many messages that have come proposing to be the gospel of the kingdom, but, as Robin McMillan observed, most of these messages have somehow been about how to control people. Indeed, a control spirit has not only entered into many of these teachings, but has sat in the seat of authority in much of the Church since the first century. There is still a great deal of confusion in the Church on the issues of authority, but that will soon change as a true authority is raised up.Obeying the Lord and His delegated authority is important. The Lord Himself explained that if we call Him "Lord," but do not do what He says, we are building on a foundation that will surely collapse (see Luke 6:46-49). Therefore, obedience to Him as the King is crucial for being a true messenger of His kingdom.
However, the way in which the Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom actually said very little about authority and obedience, but rather He demonstrated their power over the conditions on earth.
For example, when the Lord saw a cripple it was as if He said (I am paraphrasing), "You know, there are no cripples in Heaven, so watch what happens when the kingdom of Heaven touches this cripple on the earth." Then the cripple would be made whole.
When He saw a multitude hungry with no food, it was as if He said, "You know, there is no lack in Heaven, so watch what happens when Heaven touches these few loaves and fishes . . . "
The condition of Heaven would touch the circumstances on earth and prevail over them. In this way, the authority of the kingdom of Heaven was demonstrated to be greater than any authority or condition on the earth. He told His disciples to go and live the same way so that they could preach the same message.
He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain . . .
It is noteworthy that when the Lord turned the water into wine or multiplied the fish and loaves, He always made too much! Of course, He did this purposely to demonstrate the abundance of His kingdom. He did come to give abundant life! He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain (see Malachi 3:8-12). Likewise, the apostle Paul affirms the same in II Corinthians 9:6-8:
"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."
Life in the kingdom is one of abundance, having "all grace" abounding to us, "all sufficiency in everything," and "an abundance for every good deed." However, this is not just for our consumption, but for service. It is also in Spirit and power, which is why the apostle Paul wrote:
"And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God" (I Corinthians 2:4-5).
"For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power" (I Corinthians 4:20).
The message of the kingdom is about the King. The office of king is obviously about authority, but the authority of the kingdom of God is not about beating people into submission. In John 18:36 the Lord said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom is from above and, in many profound ways, not like the kingdoms of this world. Most of the doctrines concerning the kingdom, and even those which have been declared to be the gospel of the kingdom, are very hard to distinguish from the kingdoms of this world; they have very little evidence or demonstration of being from the realm of Heaven. What is coming will be different.
The foundational purpose of the coming gospel of the kingdom will not be about getting people to line up and obey. It will be about healing them, feeding them, and transforming their minds by such demonstrations of the goodness of God that people begin to love Him, His truth, His righteousness, and His justice . . .
To continue reading this "PREPARE THE WAY" Prophetic Bulletin by Rick Joyner, go to:http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/bulletins/2005/PB47.pdf

The Key to Prayer

"The Key to Prayer is the Rock-Solid Belief That it is Personal"
by John Paul Jackson
Streams Ministries International
www.streamsministries.com

Very few good events that happen in this world occur without prayer being the moving force. True prayer is the union of the eternal and the temporal. God knows what will bring about His purpose in the earth; He then asks us to pray that it takes place. Thus, daily prayer consistently puts the enemy on the move. When we pray, the enemy must respond to God's movements instigated by our prayers. So, in effect, the enemy must respond to us instead of our responding to his attacks.

Unfortunately, we tend to think prayer is difficult. We think prayer is a human action that demands our time, effort, and energy; however, this isn't God's idea of prayer. He designed prayer to be an open, transparent relationship, brought through a spiritual atmosphere in which He can enjoy intimate communion with us. In other words, to not be able to pray would be the greatest disaster that could come upon us. It is only through God's touch that we can pray; it proves He is close to us.

The key to prayer is the rock-solid belief that it is personal. If we don't understand this simple concept, then we won't ever be able to truly know God, let alone enjoy His presence. All the things mentioned in the Lord's Prayer He wants to do for you -- personally. He desires to laugh with you, to cry with you, to touch you, to have intimate moments with you. Prayer times allow God to show you that He has plans, desires, and a destiny for you. Prayer is His moment as much as it is yours.


Unlocking the Mysteries of the Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer begins with, "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9). Many people, when they teach on this topic, stop at "Father," but I want to stop at "our" -- the very first word. The way Jesus opens the most famous prayer in history is rudimentary to understanding prayer's true purpose. We have been brought into the household of faith. This means that God is our Father. It is a family relationship issue -- not a foster parent type of concept. When we are born again, something actually happens in the spiritual realm and literally fulfills this statement. All of us who are children of God have God as our Father. He is our Father -- the Father of every one of us. But He is also my Father, and He is also your Father. Your relationship with your Heavenly Father is personal. Subsequently, it is then accurate to pray, "My Father . . . "

My mother and father have recently moved to New Hampshire to be nearer this ministry. I introduce them as "my" father and mother. Yet, they are also father and mother of my brother and two sisters. When we are all together we introduce them as "our" parents. Thus, our father and mother are, in truth, also my father and mother. One does not negate the other. And so it is in the Lord's Prayer.

If we don't grasp the personal intimacy of this, we will continually think of God as a God who is far away. Deists believe there is a God, but after creating the universe, He stepped back and is letting it run its course all by itself. They believe Him to be like a disinterested stepfather, who makes only periodic visits to see how His creation is doing. But the Lord's Prayer immediately disqualifies this belief because the first thing Jesus does is reveal the personal nature of the Father's heart. The truth is that God is completely, intricately involved in our daily lives and sends His Spirit to touch and transform us as often as we allow.


The Three Stages of Prayer

If we do not personalize prayer, we will never be able to go very far. We will end up drying out and becoming apathetic in our quiet time with God because we won't have a passion for Him. The three stages of prayer are desire, discipline, and delight. Each leads into the others. If prayer is not personal for us, if we do not understand the depth of God's passion for us on a familiar, individual level, we will never build true desire for Him, and our prayers will become stale.

So, when you pray as Jesus taught, let His first word, "our/my," resonate deep into your spirit. Let it speak volumes about your personal, one-to-one connection with your loving Creator.

Don't be afraid to take God personally, because that is how He takes you.


by John Paul Jackson

contemplation of heaven 

Olympic Story

courtesy of Tish
Some people understand life better, And they call some of these people "retarded"...At the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back......every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said,"This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story... Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. If you pass this on, we may be able to change our hearts as well as someone else's. "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

boiler rooms

v.6 The Practice of Learning and Discipleship· All Boiler Rooms are learning communities committed to mutual discipleship, study and the ongoing spiritual formation of the community as a whole as well as its individual members. Some Boiler Rooms are recognised by 24-7 as Training Centres, thus benefiting from a regular influx of trainees. · Within the core team at the heart of every Boiler Room community, we expect there to be a climate of relational accountability and mutual submission. An abbot or abbess is appointed to lead this team lovingly and with recognised authority, accountable ultimately to God and temporarily to 24-7 alongside locally appointed structures. · Whenever Boiler Rooms multiply we would expect the sending community to offer strong initial support and oversight to these new communities they have planted (see later).

Excerpts from Gary Weins for contemplation

I spoke from Psalm 50 about the Lord "shining forth" from Zion, perfect in beauty. The words there refer to God's self-disclosure, His unveiling of His own beauty and character. We then went to Hebrews 4:16 and spoke about the Bride's response of coming "boldly" into His presence because of what Jesus has done. The boldness in that passage is the same concept of self-disclosure, coming to the Lord exactly as we are because He has embraced us in our weakness. God says to us "Here I am as I am," and desires us to say to Him "Here I am as I am." It's a lovely reality, and there was tender and gracious ministry afterwards

This morning I spoke from Ephesians 3 about being filled with all the fullness of God, the stunning reality that awaits us as the Bride of Jesus. It was not a normal "preach;" rather, I simply spoke as I felt moved in the moment about the destiny that each of us longs for - to feel significant, to know power and authority, to stand shame-free and know the fullness of what God had in mind when He created each of us.

. . . Jeremiah 33 about God's invitation to uncommon grace. What will it be like when we have the fear of the Lord over His determination to do good to us? Perhaps then we will know the Spirit of prayer, and will touch those things that God calls "great and mighty things." The observation came to me in the moment that Job 26 calls the sustaining of the universe "the mere edges of His ways." If that is so, what in heaven's name would God call "great and mighty things?" Wow!!

IHOP Indianapolis' Value Statement

I. INTERCESSIONa. Night and day prayer is a literal reality taught in scripture and it is a prerequisite for full scale revival. This is based upon the worship patterns of the Tabernacle of David, Jewish worship under Ezra and Nehemiah, worship around the throne of God (Rev 4), the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Lk 18), and the Lord's Prayer (Mt 6). b. We value solitude and quiet contemplation with Christ. It is the foundation of healthy community We believe in gazing upon the beauty of the Lord through nature (Ps 19), through the written word of God, and through quiet communion with the Holy Spirit within (II Cor 3:17, Eph 3:16). Solid and vibrant relationships with others are dependant upon a healthy and vibrant personal communion with Christ.c. The Bible prayers are our model for prayer Prayer is agreement with God. We know we are in agreement with Him when we are praying the prayers He wrote. The whole body of Christ can unify around the Bible prayers.d. Worship and prayer are two currents within one flow of the Fathers heart In heaven, the prayers of the saints are mingled with the music of God and the songs of the saints (Rev 4 & 5). In the heavenly model, the elders have a harp worship and a bowl prayer. Jesus prayed that the kingdom would come to earth as it is in heaven (Jn 17).II. HOLINESSa. First commandment first - We believe the first commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, must have first priority in our hearts, affecting how we spend our time and our money. b. Friendship with Jesus - the one necessary thing. We believe the inward satisfaction of a vibrant and intimate relationship with Christ is the fountain from which fruitful and lasting ministry spring forth.c. Lovers outwork workers - Without the flames of Divine romance awakening and fascinating our hearts, the work of ministry will burn us out. d. Superior Pleasures - The pleasures of sin can only be resisted when the greater pleasure of Gods love is satisfying the heart (Psalm 37). Our goal must be to make God our delight, He will complete the work of bringing forth our righteousness. - "Sin is what we do when our hearts arent satisfied in God" John Pipere. Our Beauty to God - In our immaturity, weakness and sin, we are lovely to God and he delights in us. Immaturity is different than rebellion. Immaturity says yes to God but struggles in carrying out the yes. God delights and enjoys the immature believer who has a willing spirit but weak flesh.f. Authenticity We can only export or reproduce what we are. We can only give away what we own. We must be sure that the things we are trying to reproduce are the things we have become. Our stated values must be our actual values. g. Unity of Believers - We can only see a complete picture of Gods love with all the saints Full revelation and full blessing will only occur in the context of full unity under the banner of Jesus. (Eph 3:18, Ps 133).III. OFFERINGS TO THE POORa. Simple lifestyles - We believe in living materially modest and simple lifestyles, and that everything over and above what we truly need is to be radically given to the poor and for the advancement of the gospel in the earthb. We embrace a fasted lifestyle - We believe that the routine forsaking of fleshly pleasures positions us to receive all that God freely and joyfully offers us, and it frees up more resource to give to the poor and to missions.IV. PROPHETICa. Divine strategy for ministry to people flows out of a lifestyle of ministry to the Lord - David entered the tabernacle as a worshipping priest. Inside, surrounded by musicians, songwriters, and singers ministering to the Lord day and night, David received divine revelation and instruction. He then went out from the tabernacle as a King, and with that divine information, defeated all the enemies of the Lord. b. The great commission will be accomplished through the Great Commandment - We will be only partially effective in evangelism and discipleship until we are consumed with love and adoration for our God.c. The Fullness of God. We will persistently contend for the fullness of God in our midst and in our city.

God's Jealous Love -SJ HILL

Over the years, many people—Christian and non—have stumbled over God’s anger and wrath. His judgments have been both misunderstood and maligned. What so many have failed to comprehend is the fact that the Lord has always burned with pure passion for the undivided love and devotion of His people. As the Hero and Husband in the love story called the Bible, the Lord has always been jealous for the affections of His bride. Although the Bible is full of references regarding the Lord’s attributes, such as love, mercy and kindness, it’s really eye-opening to discover how much it also has to say about His jealousy:
• “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14)• “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) • “They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.” (Psalm 78:58)But exactly what does the Bible mean when it speaks of God’s jealousy? How can He be the epitome of love and be jealous at the same time? To say that the Lord is jealous most certainly does not mean He is suspicious because of some insecurity on His part. Ungodly jealousy is the byproduct of wanting to control and possess what does not belong to us. It is always demanding and cares very little about the alleged object of its love. In contrast, holy jealousy is at the very core of who God is. Within the depths of His being burns an inextinguishable fire of love called jealousy. His jealousy is a blazing passion to protect a love relationship that is eternally precious to Him and to defend it when it is broken. The severity of God’s jealous anger is in direct proportion to the depths of His love for those who belong to Him. His anger is never irrational and unpredictable. God’s love for Israel was the source of His controllable anger and wrath. It was because He infinitely cared for His bride that He burned with holy anger against her. This is passionately portrayed through the language of Jeremiah: “I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made” (Jeremiah 1:16). God’s anger and mercy are not opposites of each other; in fact, they are actually related. This is why the prophet Habakkuk prayed: “In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). It is inconceivable that the Lord’s love would ever end. This is why the psalmist asked: “Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” (Psalm 77:9). The message of God’s anger included a call to His adulterous wife to return to Him and be saved. He promised her that if she changed her behavior, His anger would subside. The call of anger was actually a call to cancel anger. It was not an expression of irrational behavior but a deliberate response on God’s part to deal with what was evil. To understand God’s anger is to understand His care. In Scripture, God’s anger is always described as something temporary rather than something that lasts indefinitely. The psalmist David contrasted the difference between the Lord’s anger and His enduring love: “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). This Scripture vividly demonstrates that anger is not an emotion in which God delights. His anger, instead, is a tragic necessity. It was compassion that transcended the most intense, holy anger; it was a love that remained steadfast in the face of human sin and weakness. And this is the splendor of God’s love and concern that was revealed through the prophets. The greatest example of God’s unfailing love, despite human sin, was His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus epitomized the jealous love of God because of His sacrificial love and devotion for His people. In Matthew 10:37, He made a statement that clearly illustrated His jealous passion for His bride: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus could just as easily have said, “I don’t mind you loving your father and mother or your son and daughter. In fact, I insist on it. But you can’t love them more than Me. You can’t love anyone or anything more than Me. I must be first place in your affections!” Jesus is emphatically telling us that He will not tolerate any rivals who try to steal our affections. The fire of His love will consume everything that tries to threaten our relationship with Him. This is why it is imperative we understand that “conviction” is really a manifestation of His burning jealousy for us, as He continually warns us of things that would seduce our hearts away from Him and destroy our lives. The Lord longs for our love and loyalty to such a degree that He will stop at nothing to keep us for Himself! May we all continue to grow in our understanding of just how spirited the Lord’s jealous love is for us. Let us renew our minds and free ourselves from attempting to serve God out of fear of punishment, and let us learn to live a life of obedience in response to His incredible love. S.J. Hill is a speaker and the author of Enjoying God and Burning Desire, available from Relevant Books.

Love Dream

I had a dream a few weeks ago that left a deep impression on me regarding a move of God in/on the Church. In short, "Love" invaded the Church. In the dream, I was dressed in white (as was everyone else) and lying down on the left, front pew of an old wooden church, talking with my sister. We were doing something that represented old, worldly comforts. I was a little bored. I looked around and realized that although the Church was gently illuminated (like candles in a dark room), the light came from each of the people in the building. There was a man behind me (second pew)that was, in reality, my Christianity Professor in College. He was illumined as well and covered lavishly in soft garments, but he had a stoic face - not happy, nor un-happy mmm . . . maybe slightly sad. I knew that Harry (his name) was jaded by the his experiences in life - particularly his experiences with the Church. Suddenly a Knight with beautiful flowing gold hair rode into the Church, up the aisle, circled behind the preacher and stopped- facing the congregation just to the left of the preacher. He was full of light and I immediately loved Him. He was "Love". I turned to Harry and said, "He is my gift to you Harry." The preacher's voice became audible and I realized that it was Charles Spurgeon (an 18th Century Preacher) speaking about "Love". I looked at Harry and knew that "Love" was being restored to the forefront for Him, myself, and the Church. "Love" captured my attention and I was no longer interested in old, worldly comforts. Suddenly a strong wind began to circle the Church and shake it violently. I spoke to my sister and said "We need to get to the lowest point possible." We ran down the stairs, out to a tunnel near the Church and got very low. I didn't want to go too far into the tunnel, but we did stay low and waited out the storm. The storm passed. When we peeked up through a rabbit hole, the sun was shining, the sky was sweetly blue and the grass was a wonderful green. The "mighty" wind had shaken the boards on the church off in some places, but the Church itself was intact and the people had not left, despite the storm. When I woke up I understood enough about the dream to know that "if we have not love . . ." applied and it was in God's heart to bring "Love" to the forefront. It's the balm for broken and jaded hearts. Getting to the lowest point, I think, refers to humility. I wonder, if "Love" is actually the hallmark of true revival and the hoped for move of God.

Pete Grieg- The Vision 24-7

Words of the Vision
'THE VISION'
So this guy comes up to me and says "what's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this… The vision?
The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.They wouldn't even notice.They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.What is the vision ?The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games. This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.A million times a day its soldiers
choose to loosethat they might one day winthe great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"
And this is the sound of the undergroundThe whisper of history in the makingFoundations shakingRevolutionaries dreaming once againMystery is scheming in whispersConspiracy is breathing…This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ? Can hormones hold them back?Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?
And the generation prays
like a dying manwith groans beyond talking,with warrior cries, sulphuric tears andwith great barrow loads of laughter!Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.
Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive
inside.
On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide. Would they surrender their image or their popularity? They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,
they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.Don't you hear them coming? Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.

A Prayer of Barenness

A Prayer of Barrenness

My heart aches. I love Him, yes, but faintly.
I desire Him, yes, but weakly.
I want Him, true, but waveringly.
Even the pain that lies within
I recognize to be such faint pain,
A mere discomfort next to the heart-wrenching anguish
That grips true lovers
My knowledge is nothing. My wisdom, infancy.
I see nothing as it truly is.
Eternity what is light. This life of earth what is dark.
Stories remain stories. Not sinking deep within my soul,
And scarring me with Divine invasion
Your cross is a picture, Your Heaven a fantasy.
Tears are sweet emotions, moved by Your sacrifice.
But not the tears of sharing in Your sufferings.
I say Your name so sweetly but do not know its Face.
All I am is far. So distant, so removed.
But You beckon me come.
Yet, my Lord, I am nothing. I have nothing. I know nothing.
When I thought I had something,
It dissolved before Your beauty,
And I was left naked. Possessing nothing.
Poor for words. Empty of all. Needy and alone.
Even so, my Love, call me.
Yes, do not leave me here but beckon me come.
Though I have nothing, though I am only poor,
I cast myself on your unfailing love
Where else would I go?
Whom have I but You?
By Dana Candler

Becoming a person of One Thing

Becoming a Person of "One Thing" by Mike Bickle

Preoccupied with Intimacy

For most of us, life presents dozens of options for career and lifestyle, passions and hobbies. In our pursuit of pleasure and meaning we run here and there, trying one job or recreational activity after another, collecting experiences but never devoting ourselves to one direction. Christians do this in their spiritual lives and ministries as well, bouncing from one teaching or church to another, trying on ministries like they try on clothes. But today, the call of God to the church is to dismiss ourselves from hither-and-thither chasings and cultivate a heart of unwavering devotion. He wants us to love Him, first and foremost, with all of our hearts. He wants us to be a people of one thing.

As you gaze upon the heart of God and begin to grasp that His emotions toward you are of gladness and burning passion for intimacy, nothing in the world will suffice. What you enjoy and desire narrows down to one thing. You begin to want to pour out your life in extravagant devotion upon the feet of Jesus. When your heart is conquered by the One who is fascinating, then no other captivation will satisfy. You will refuse to dwell anywhere but in this position of waiting on Him. You'll pursue Him alone, not allowing yourself to be distracted by anything less. Your hunger will be fixed on a single Source. There will be no going back to what used to bring satisfaction. Secondary pleasures will fade away.

This way of living, while exhilarating, disturbs and provokes people who are still living for many things. They ask, "Why waste your time on that? Why this extreme devotion? What's going on here? You've got to diversify, be more well-rounded, cultivate other interests. You're putting all your eggs in one basket." They don't understand the extravagance of being single-mindedly His. They feel blamed because their lifestyle is not focused on one thing. They might conclude that the person of one thing is mentally off or caught up in religious fanaticism, or has gone too far and will eventually swing back to normal.

Asking the Right Question

But they misunderstand what's on the heart of God. The first commandment, the primary thing God is concerned with, is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind." That is precisely what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church world-wide. He is cultivating hearts that are unreserved. He is promoting the kind of single-minded devotion the world is frightened of. Many in the church will reject it, and many will embrace it, but when the transformation is complete we will no longer ask, "What is the minimum that is required of me? What can I get by with?" Rather, we'll ask, "What is the very most I can give? I want to give it all!" When you discover the pleasure of living for one thing, you become ruined for anything less.

A Costly Offering

The Bible gives compelling illustrations of extravagant devotion we can use as models for becoming people of one thing. The first picture is in 2 Samuel 23 when three of David's mighty men performed an amazing feat on behalf of their king. "Then three of the thirty chief men ...came to David at the cave of Adullum...and David said with a longing, oh, that someone would give me a drink from the water which is from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate (2 Sam. 23:13-17)."

At this time, David had been anointed king, but he was not yet king. Jealous King Saul was chasing him from cave to cave. In fleeing this evil pursuit, David wandered in the wilderness for about seven years as three thousand or so men searched for him to kill him. About six hundred men joined David and they made their main headquarters the cave of Adullum. The Philistines were defeating the nation of Israel and had just captured David's hometown, Bethlehem. It was probably late one night, and David was likely bemoaning the fact that the Philistines were moving in and taking so much of the land. I imagine him and his men around the fire, the firelight and shadows dancing across their faces, and David saying with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

Some of the mighty warriors of David's army were at the front of the cave, no doubt guarding it from attack. Hearing David's longing, they got together and said, "Let's go get him some of that water." They knew it might cost them their lives, but they loved David with extravagance, and it thrilled their hearts to answer his request. They were a picture of the passionate loyalty we should have to Christ Jesus. They went far beyond the call of duty to answer the longing in their king's heart.

These three mighty men gathered their swords and spears and went out. Undoubtedly as they approached the Philistine front line, they saw hundreds of enemy soldiers. Perhaps they were afraid for a moment, but that fear was overcome by the anticipation of that moment when they would bring their king what he desired, and so David's mighty men broke through the Philistine camp and went all the way through the front line. I picture them working their way to the well and fighting for every inch of ground. Two of them probably fought while one scooped up the water. Once they retrieved it, they started back through the enemy line toward the cave of Adullum. I imagine them hissing to each other, "Don't spill that water, whatever you do! It's precious stuff." When they got back to the cave, they presented the water to David and proudly proclaimed, "We have the very water from the well of Bethlehem."

David's eyes probably grew wide. I can imagine the appreciation, the thirst, the amazement he was feeling. But he would not drink the water he so desired because of its preciousness. He said, "Far be it from me, oh Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives (v. 17)?" He recognized that the water could have cost his men everything. He might have looked them square in the eye and said, "Your children could have been orphans. Your wives could have been widowed. You could have lost everything to get me this water. It's too holy for a man to drink because it represents your entire life." So David took the water and went before the Lord. The water was one of the most holy gifts that had ever been given to him, and he poured it out to the Lord and worshiped God with words that probably expressed this idea: "Father, only You are worthy of this water."

Of all the stories that could have been told of David and his men, this story became famous as one of the most extravagant acts of devotion toward the king. There were 1.3 million soldiers in David's army at the peak of his military career. From that number, God highlighted only three examples of exceptional valor and commitment to David. It's important to pay attention to them. For us, this becomes a picture of devotion to King Jesus. It's a pattern for becoming people of one thing, with hearts after God's.

Hearts of Passionate Extravagance

What made those men risk their lives for a few drinks of water? Was it boredom? Bluster? Misplaced bravery? Desire for fame? Desire for promotion? Did they want a pay raise from David, or an easier schedule, or some time off to spend with their families? I don't think so. I believe the courage of David's mighty men came from one thing: their absolute, to-the-death devotion to him. Their boldness and perseverance which spurred them to unusual feats of bravery sprang from sold-out commitment to David, representing for us the Lord Jesus. I imagine them answering to David for sneaking off to get the water. I can almost hear them say, "David, we didn't care about losing our lives. Don't you see? We lost our lives when we joined you." David was a symbol of their salvation. When these mighty men came to him, they were distressed, discontented and in debt and David became their captain. The crowd that gathered to him in the cave of Adullum was the most motley youth group in the history of Israel. David redeemed them from worthless lives. When they had nothing to live for, he gave them a vision and a cause. He trained them and made them an army and a family. He shared his heart with them, and their hearts were ennobled and encouraged. They saw the beauty of who David was, his godliness and the favor of God upon him. They became men of one thing, willing to live courageously because of their burning love for him. It illustrates exactly the kind of abandonment God wants us to give to Christ Jesus.

Beloved, the only way we will have the courage to do extravagant acts of valor is if our hearts are enraptured by our God. The Lord desires people who go beyond the minimum requirements. He searches for lives of lavish commitment. Our goal should be to stand before Him on the last day and offer ourselves to Him like these three men offered the water to David at expense of their lives. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:28 that on the last day Jesus will gather all of these sweet things called the devotion of His people and place them at His Father's feet. Then He will kneel down and offer Himself to His Father so that His Father will be all in all. In that moment we will be Jesus' gift back to His Father. We will be the sweet water He offers. This prophetic picture will be complete. He will take us like David did and pour us out to God the Father.

Jesus' Humanity

Hans Urs von Balthasar in his book, Prayer,describes this joy. "The contemplative's gaze continually returns with great attention to the humanity of Jesus. It is the inexhaustible treasure entrusted to us by the heavenly Father. In a true sense He has 'despoiled himself' (Jn. 3:16) of Him to whom He is always pointing: ipsum audite (Mt. 17:5). The Son is no floating interstellar body; He is the fruit of the earth and its history; He comes from Mary (who is the exponent of the Old Covenant and of all humanity) just as He comes from the Father. He is grace ascending just as much as grace descending; He is just as much creation's highest response to the Father as He is the Father's Word to creation. He is no God in disguise, acting 'as if', simply to give us an example. . . No. He is the apex of the world in its strivings toward God, and He cuts a path for all of us, gathering up all men's efforts into Himself, the pioneer, the spearhead. He can do this only by being 'In every respect tempted as we are, yet without sinning' (Heb. 4:15), by bearing our burdens as the scapegoat (Heb. 13:11), the Lamb brought to the slaughter, slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Thus, He stands at the summit of heaven and earth."

"Gone" by Gary Weins

The following is the poem "Gone":
Though dawn is distant, I wake again, to sit in Your Presence, to wonder at you.

You've ruined me, You know, for anything else. Longing for one vocation fills my soul:

To consider You, to feel You, to worship You, To find words (O, vain and futile task!) that capture what's burning in my heart.

Your gaze presses in upon me - warm, yet weighty, on the edge between tender and terrible;

And the oldest truth I know comes back again in plain yet haunting tones: You love me. I matter to You, and you are never not there.

My heart swells with yearning, quickened to what the Shulamite knew, so long ago, Your image gazing through the lattice, Your touch upon the door. Her pounding heart sets the tempo for mine as desire mounts - To be loved, purely and completely, O, wonder beyond wonder! I will follow after You, lovesick, for all my days.

You draw me upward, expanding my heart like a balloon over fire, And I am carried on Spirit-wings to regions only dreams have known 'til now. You cause all thoughts of place and power to become as nothing, Vapors with no reality, for nothing matters but to be with You.

I want nothing from You now, save this one thing: Let me live forever in a place like this - with You, just with You. Only touch my eyes. Please, Lord - I want to see.

I prayed last night for words that would declare Your Beauty, And now You answer my longing with joy that strips my tongue of speech, And renders me helpless, hopelessly in love, trembling my only choice.

This is the manner of man, is it not? To be before You, listening to Your heart, To feel Your love, to know without a doubt the oldest story is true. I sing with teary voice. I'm gone. You've taken me, O Lord. Do not put me back.

I believe You now. Such wondrous things in store! Words will come, and other ears will hear, and other hearts will be inflamed, And You will crown Your Church with Beauty, and She, With all who come and all who've gone before, Will gaze on You, and every moment fall fresh in love, and be Your Bride.
Copyright 2001 Gary Wiens

"The Weeping Room - Pathway to Strategy"

"The Weeping Room - Pathway to Strategy"
By Jennifer Miller

One day as I was in prayer the Lord began to open up my eyes to a spiritual encounter. I saw myself being taken up to heaven. Before me I saw a huge house with many rooms. I knew instantly that this was the 'Father's House'. I could feel the love of the father drawing me in, so I began to run as fast as I could to enter the house. As I entered, the Lord walked with me through many rooms, each one packed with spiritual meaning.

He quietly invited me to follow Him into the most beautiful room in the whole house - the intimacy room. It was absolutely extravagant and beautiful. Upon entering the room, I was overwhelmed with love and wanted to stay there forever. In the Spirit I could hear other people (other believers) in all the different rooms of the house. Some were studying books in the library; others were becoming intoxicated in the spiritual wine cellar. I was somewhat surprised that everyone wasn't in the intimacy room since it was the most beautiful room in the whole house.

The Weeping Room

As I was admiring this intimacy chamber, I noticed a little wooden hatch door on the floor adjacent to the bed. It seemed really odd to me, because it wasn't fancy and hardly seemed to fit with the rest of the room. I asked the Lord why it was there, and He told me that it led down to another room in the house. I asked Him why He would put this door so close to the most beautiful thing in the whole room, the bed. He responded, "I keep it here, because down there is where I spend most of my time". Instantly my curiosity was stirred so I asked what was down there. He said it was called the "Weeping Room".

Although it hardly sounded like a room I wanted to be in, there was a cry in my heart that said that if that is where the Lord spends His time, then that is where I want to go. I asked Him if I could go down there with Him, and He responded "Very few will choose to go down there, it's not extravagant like this room, it's lonely, it's not comfortable, and you have to get very low to fit through the door." I told Him that I didn't care what the conditions would be like; I just really wanted to be wherever He was.

So we opened the little hatch door and began to slowly climb down a dark staircase until we came upon the tiny room. I had to get on my knees to fit through the door because it was so small. As we entered the room it was very simple. All it consisted of was a small wooden chair. One of the walls had a small window in it. The Lord took His seat on the chair and turned His face to look out the window. Instantly I became aware of why this room was called the weeping room.

You Could Hear Every Cry

As you looked out the window - you could see and hear every single cry coming from people on the earth. You could see every single act of injustice all at the same time. Every starving child crying out to God, every woman being raped, every moan of the rejected ... you could hear every prayer, every cry all at the same time. The Lord sat in His chair and watched and heard it all.

At once I was overwhelmed with intercession and began to weep. I wept for hours. I wept for those who were hurting, but even more - I was undone by this beautiful King who would choose to spend His time in this place; This King who paid such attention to every cry and who was so full of compassion. As I sat and wept with the Lord, I began to 'feel' His heart-and all my selfish ambition began to fade away

While we were in that place I noticed that there was another door in the weeping room. I asked the Lord what was behind that door and He told me that was where the 'Strategy Room' was. As He said those words, instantly in my spirit I knew in that room divine strategy for end-time revival was available. Although the door was still closed, I recognized that Wisdom and Revelation where in there.

Divine Strategy Room

Heavenly blueprints were laid out to see the fulfillment of His kingdom coming to earth from that room. It was like the hidden room that everybody searches for. Everyone longs to have divine strategy. I immediately asked if I could go in there and the Lord soberly told me that I didn't 'fit through the door'. I instantly understood that I had to spend time in the weeping room. As I began to really apprehend the heart of God for the poor and the broken, then issues of my soulish nature would be stripped away until I would become small enough to fit through the door.

At that moment everything became clear. This was the only way to access divine strategy. From the place of intimacy God invites us in to a deeper level - He beckons us into the weeping room-a place where we choose to see what He sees and feel what He feels. And as we spend time getting the heart of God, things of our flesh begin to be stripped away until we are small enough to fit through the door that leads to the strategy room.

I had this encounter over two years ago but I believe that God is now moving many in the church from the place of intimacy into weeping. This will lead them into the strategy room. In actuality, you never have to leave the intimacy room; you just discover the deeper levels. Many have already surrendered themselves to the weeping room and extravagantly pursued the heart of God for the broken- they are now being invited into the strategy room.

Invitation to Divine Strategy

I had another encounter a little over a year ago in which I heard a loud voice say, "It's Time!" and in the Spirit I saw the strategy room door swing open. God is inviting us into divine strategy that will release a global harvest of souls, and establish the revelation of His kingdom on earth through overcoming saints.

I believe that as we enter the "strategy room," we will be compelled and moved by what we have seen and felt in the weeping room. I have a sense that some have gone before us into the strategy room. Unfortunately, most quickly forgot what the strategy was for and used it to build their own kingdom. (Haggai 1:3-7) God is in the process of raising up a whole company of believers who are repulsed at the idea of building their own kingdom. This company will have their hearts truly branded with passion and compassion. These are the ones that God is looking to release into the strategy room. "It's Time!"

Notorious Sinners- Mike Yaconneli

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I was reading this afternoon and ran across this passage. I thought "Thank You Father. You planted me sweetly within the midst of "Notorious Sinners."
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You might say Christianity has a tradition of messy spirituality. Messy
prophets, messy kings, messy disciples, messy apostles. From God’s people
getting in one mess after another in the Old Testament to most of the New
Te s t a me n t ’s being written to straighten out messes in the church, the Bible presents
a glorious story of a very messy faith. Sounds like you and I are in good company.
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A few years ago, I was introduced to a group of uncouth Christians who call
themselves “the Notorious Sinners.” These are men from all walks of life
who meet once a year to openly share their messy spirituality with each other.
The title Notorious Sinners refers to the scandalous category of forgiven sinners
whose reputations and ongoing flaws didn’t seem to keep Jesus away. In fact,
Jesus had a habit of collecting disreputables; he called them disciples. He still
does. I like people who openly admit their notoriousness—people who
unabashedly confess they are hopelessly flawed and hopelessly forgiven.
Graciously, these men invited me to be a part of their group.
The Notorious Sinners meet yearly at spiritual-retreat centers, where from
the moment we arrive, we find ourselves in trouble with the centers’ leadership.
We don’ t act like most contemplatives who come to spiritual-retreat centers—
reserved, quiet, silently seeking the voice of God. We’re a different kind of contemplative—
earthy, boisterous, noisy, and rowdy, tromping around our souls,
seeking God, hanging out with a rambunctious Jesus who is looking for a good
time in our hearts. A number of us smoke cigars, about half are recovering alcoholics,
and a couple of the men could embarrass a sailor with their language. Two o f t h e Notorious Sinners show up on their Harleys, complete with leather pants and leather jackets.
I admit I run with a rough crowd—Christians whose discipleship is blatantly real and carelessly passionate, characterized by a brazen godliness.Unafraid to admit their flaws, unintimidated by Christians who deny their own messiness, these guys sometimes look like pagans and other times look like Jesus. They are spiritual troublemakers, really, which is why they look like Jesus (who
was always causing trouble himself ). They are full of mischief, laughter, and
boisterous behavior, which is why they look like pagans. Truly messy disciples.
The Notorious Sinners are definitely a bizarre mix of the good, the bad, and the
ugly, living a spirituality which defies simple definitions. Oh, and they are some of the most spiritual men I know.

In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Through the pain in our lives, we learn to rest in God and nothing else