Facing Insurmountable Odds

Many of us are either facing intense battles or we have in the past.  And, it is virtually guaranteed that we will in the future.  We live in a fallen world living with the consequences of iniquity, sin and trespasses.  We have an enemy who is set on doing what he can to oppose God’s purposes in the earth. And, we have our own flesh, and the effect of the flesh of those around us, that we have to overcome in order to walk in the fullness of God’s  purpose and destiny for our lives.  God doesn’t just take the enemy out, He allows us to face battles, even in wilderness seasons, according to Deuteronomy 8:2, “to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”   

Battles, testings, and trials are inevitable.  Victory has been secured through Jesus’s finished work.  But, we must learn to rightly understand and walk through each one using the keys of the Kingdom that we have been given that will bring us into the victories Christ has prepared for us.  

Here are some basic things we need to understand about the battles that we face (this is by no means an exhaustive list, but represents some consistently present tactics of the enemy):

1. The enemy will always seek to DISTRACT and DIVERT you from God’s purposes and the assignments He has prepared for you to walk in for His glory.  (Prov 4:20-27; Prov 5; Eph 6) 
2. Battles and attacks will be sent to get us DISCONNECTED and walking outside of the sphere or place God has ordained for us to be submitted for Kingdom purposes.  God ordained that we would be knit together as the Body with each part supplying its share which causes growth of the whole in love.  Misalignments or misalignments cause dysfunction and malfunction of the Body. (See I Corinthians 12 & Ephesians 4) 
3. ACCUSATIONS AND OFFENSES will be set by the enemy to create breeches and to breakdown relationships.  A spiritual principle we cannot ignore is that “a house divided cannot stand.”  (Mark 3:20-27) The enemy is the source of division and accusation, and will use any means necessary to divide even the chiefest of friends. Be on guard. (I Tim 6:20-21; Prov 16:28) 
4. The Enemy will always contend violently against us, individually and corporately, to keep us from occupying the seat of authority God has purposed and ordained for us to operate out of according to the assignments He has prepared for Kingdom advancement.  (Ps 139:16; Eph 2:10) 
5. The closer we get to breakthrough the greater the battles, the enemy will form confederations, even bringing together unlikely allies, in order to stop the purposes of the Lord.  (Consider Jehosphat in 2 Chron 20) 
6. The devil is not just picking on you!  He has a focus to destroy God’s purposes even as he attempted against Jesus, the very Son of God.  (John 8:42-27; Luke 4:1-12)

KEY TO VICTORY: 

1. STAY FOCUSED upon the Purposes & Assignments of the Lord always before you. 
2. FACE your fears and obstacles by taking them to the Lord
3. PRAY and seek the Lord with prayer and fasting, call others to join you
4. LISTEN for the Prophetic Word of the Lord that provides strategies and directions for facing the battle at hand
5. OBEY the Word of the Lord as received through Holy Spirit and God’s assigned leaders in your life.  This is KEY for corporate battles. 
6. STAY PUT in the assignments of the Lord…. don’t allow the enemy or your own fears, doubts and unbeliefs to take you out of the purposes and assignments of the Lord 
7. REMEMBER…. We are already more than conquerors through the finished work of Christ.  
8. EMBRACE and ENGAGE the grace Christ has provided for you  
9. KEEP ON moving with the Lord.  If you don’t stop you win!

You may hear more on this topic by listening to our Podcast entitled "Keys to Spiritual Warfare: Facing Insurmountable Odds."  It is available by clicking Here.  

Alignment and Honor: The Key to Multiplied Authority

Keys of the Kingdom

Lately the Lord has had me in a season of contemplating various keys He has given me along my journey of walking with Him, ancient keys that He is restoring. These keys are absolutely necessary to open gates that have too often have been locked to the modern-day church. The early church possessed and utilized these keys and saw incredible advancement of the Gospel of the Kingdom with signs, wonders, and miracles. God is restoring the keys of the Kingdom to His people as He prepares us to walk more fully into the greatest move of Holy Spirit the world has ever seen!

In this blog I am simply going to talk a bit about one of the keys I have discovered that is crucial to walking in greater measures of God's purposes.

Alignment and Honor:

The Key to Multiplied Authority

This afternoon I kept hearing the phrase, "Alignment without honor can never produce the synergy of authority God intends." After a couple of times of hearing this phrase, I knew Holy Spirit was highlighting a truth, a key, that He had taught me but I had never articulated quite this way before. Again:

"Alignment without honor can never produce

the synergy of authority God intends."

When I hear the word "alignment" the immediate context relates to relationships of vital importance that have to do with life, purpose, destiny, accountability, and yes, authority. Biblically, we see this very clearly in Ephesians 4:11-13

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (NASB)

The word equipping is katartismos which means to equip, perfect, repair, mend, or put into proper position or alignment as in a chiropractic adjustment. For any who have ever had joints or a back out of alignment, this is a vivid picture of what alignment - or misalignment - can look like and the importance of proper alignment to effective functioning of the body. Katartismos "suggests making something work the way it was designed to, to bring something from a place of ineffectiveness to effectiveness." (The Kartartismos Pastor by Kayle de Waal; LINK)

In ministry, proper alignment increases effectiveness and produces increased fruitfulness which is due to the synergy of authority that comes through the life flow of alignment. When alignment is rooted in authentic relationships, authority, effectiveness, and fruitfulness increase through the power of agreement working by honor.

When someone aligns with a person with a greater measure and sphere of authority, and if they choose to honor this one (or ones) who hold a place of leadership, authority, oversight, "fathering" or "mothering" in their life, there is a gate to increased authority that becomes accessible. Alignment connects us to the gate, and honor activates the key that unlocks the gate. The key opens the gate for us to move into greater revelation and manifestation of the purposes of Christ that are available to us in revelation, wisdom, understanding, and authority to walk in the assignments He has for us.

Another aspect of alignment is the life flow of revelation, wisdom, grace, and anointing that flows between all those who are connected together by authentic relational covenant. I have people who are submitted to the leadership grace God has given, and by virtue of alignment and honor they have access to increased authority. But it is likewise true that I am greatly enriched by the alignment as I receive life-flow of the Spirit of God through them as well. Alignment and honor produces increase of authority in every relationship that is properly aligned and functioning according to God's grace in honor.

The reality is, and please hear this.... Walking in alignment with honor toward the leaders God has placed in our lives grants us access to the synergy of authority of what they carry (and have earned!) propelling all of us (leaders and co-laborers together) forward into increased dimensions of authority to do all Christ has called us to do. Alignment and honor position us to walk in measures of authority beyond what we have yet earned. Wow!

Alignment + Honor = Synergy of Authority

Let's just take a few minutes to consider all the ways and alignments (relationships) where this is true.

• Submission to the Lord. This is obvious, I suppose, but must be stated since it is foundational to all other relationships. As we honor our alignment of submission to the Lord we are granted access to life and the authority to walk in His ways and purposes. 

• Relationship between husbands and wives. God set the order in the family of husbands being the head (not as in domineering) but as in order and position of function. (See Ephesians 5:22-33) As wives honor husbands and their place as head in the home, and husbands love their wives as Christ loves the Church, together there is a synergy of authority that the schemes of hell cannot prevail against. Together we are stronger! 

• Honor from children to parents. Ephesians 6:1-3 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth." When children honor parents it releases a synergy of authority to war through the fiery darts of the enemy, and to overcome the generational iniquitous patterns and curses that always seek to thwart the purposes of the Lord. Align with honor and together rout the enemy!

• Proper Responses of Employees to Employers/Bosses; Students to Teachers; Citizens to Governing Authorities: I Peter 2:13-14 "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right." Honoring God established order unlocks blessings and opportunities to walk more fully in the authority of Christ. (Obviously, when governing authority demands disobedience to the Word of God, our allegiance and obedience is first and foremost to Christ and His Word.)

• Relational Ministry Alignments: God has set order within His Ekklesia, as seen in Ephesians 4:11-12; Ephesians 2:20; I Corinthians 12:27-31; and other places. When we align according to God's order and demonstrate honor to one another the influence and authority of the Kingdom of God is increased and multiplied in ways beyond what we have dared to imagine. When the Body of Christ, the Ekklesia, properly aligns with one another, each honoring and esteeming each other for who they are in Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord, and willingly receiving and responding to council from those of apostolic-prophetic authority in our lives, we will begin to move into increased authority and effectiveness to do the work of the ministry that Jesus declared we would do. Alignment, submission, honor, trust, obedience, preferring others over ourselves, and not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought are all crucial to living out "alignment with honor producing the synergy of authority that God desires to release."

I am most grateful for the relationships the Lord has brought me into that have become Kingdom alignments full of honor -- not just one-way honor, but mutual honor born out of the love of Christ and the Spirit of God. Out of these alignments and honor incredible gates have opened for the synergy of authority to be activated that advances the Kingdom of God and pushes back the gates of hell.

May we all come into greater understanding and realization of

"Alignment with honor that produces

the synergy of authority God intends."

A Call to Realign Our Words in Trying Times

My heart is deeply stirred today as I see people posting comments about the "end of America" as if God has forsaken us, issued a sentence of judgement that is irrevocable, and essentially stating that there is no hope.  In response to such sentiments, I would like to a different perspective and propose some solid Biblical truths for your prayerful consideration. 

Yes, America has gone astray and lost her way in many ways.  We are in a mess and in a desperate place! 

However, we must recognize that this waywardness did not start in the world (meaning those that are not yet redeemed from the bondage of sin).  It began in the church.  The church (meaning professing believers and 'church-attenders') went astray.  We strayed from authenticity of an intimate relationship with Christ as both Savior and Lord and depended upon religious rules of dos and do-nots, and religious practices that “had a form of godliness but denied the power.”  We departed, or at least remained silent as the departing began, from solid Biblical truths within the household of faith.  The eroding of Biblical standards of foundational truth opened the door for a lie being called truth, dark being called light, and error being called enlightenment.   Quite candidly, much of the church has been  too concerned over offending anyone, losing financial support from their members, losing our social standing, or possibly being subjected to rejection or persecution because of our faith in Christ and His Word as the final authority in our lives.   The problem is not the world, the problem has been - and is - us….God’s people!  

BUT THERE IS HOPE!  

Throughout Scripture, time and time again, we see the Children of God (Israel) going astray, wandering away from God's Word and even openly rebelling against the Lord; and time and time again we see God making a way for their return and restoration - Awakening (revival), Transformation, and Reformation.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).  Mercy triumph over judgement (James 2:13), and the full payment for our redemption has already been paid in Christ (Heb 7:27; 9:25-27; Eph 1:7).  Our God is still in the business of restoration and recovery of all that has been lost, stolen, or laid aside (forsaken).

Let’s take the following words of Scripture to heart and into faithful response in obedience, intercession, and speaking words that line up with God’s words of Life and not of death.  There is power if what we say (spoken or written).  Let’s align our hearts to speak forth that which is filled with faith, hope, and love, not fear, doubt, and hatred. 

• “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Prov 18:21 
• “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” - Deut 30:19 

1.  An Invitation that Unlocks Forgiveness & Healing: When God’s people go astray and things begin to suffer under the consequences of sin, there is an eternal - yet conditional - promise for us if we will do what His word commands: 

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  

Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

2.  A Promise of Glory Rising in the Midst of Gross Darkness:  God’s word promises that when things get really, really dark, this is the perfect time for the Light of His Glory and Grace to rise over His people.  It is the perfect time for Revival to be poured out.  This is the context into which every revival throughout history has broken forth to transform lives and reform society.  Today is no different.  There is GLORY RISING upon God’s people that will cause those in gross darkness to see and come into the light of His glory and grace. Remember… light always dispels darkness; darkness does not overtake light!  

Isaiah 60:1-3  Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

3  The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

3.  An Assurance of Hope that keeps us secure in Christ alone:  Yes, it is promised that in this life we will have trials and tribulations, nevertheless our hope is secure.  Why then do we fret, worry, rant, and rave with sounds of fear, doubt, and unbelief? 

Psalm 33:18-22 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 to deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

Romans 15:13  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:27 what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

I Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

4.  God’s plans and purposes shall be accomplished.  God’s word clearly states that He will have a glorious, victorious Church that is fit as a Bride for His Son; one through whom He shall make His Kingdom manifest “on earth as in heaven.” (Ephesians 5:37; Matthew 6:10;  Luke 11:2) 

Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Psalm 138:7-8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;

You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

And Your right hand will save me.

8  The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands

[This may be applied to individuals, families, nations, and generations.  It is God’s good pleasure to see what He has ordained and purposed fulfilled.]

Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

[God has spoken much over our nation and her purpose to bless the nations of the world.  He is watching over His word and it shall not return to Him empty or void.  The question is — will we agree with the Lord so His purposes are fulfilled in our generation or will He have to wait for another generation to be raised up that will do what He has purposed.]

5.  God and His Kingdom are not shaken by things going on in the world… and neither should we be! We serve a God who rules an unshakable kingdom and His rule shall never end.  

Psalm 62:1-2  My soul waits in silence for God only;

From Him is my salvation.

2  He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Isaiah 54:10  “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,

But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,

And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”

Says the Lord who has compassion on you.

Hebrews 12:27-29  This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us [a]show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

6.  The Church that is rising in this hour is being restored to all God intended from the beginning. The power of death and hell has been defeated.  The “Greater One” is in us and the power of hell shall not prevail against Christ and His Church (Ekklesia-called out ones established to bring the atmosphere and the rule of heaven into the earth… not by force of human or religious action, but by the power of God’s perfect love.) 

I John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Matthew 16:18-19 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Revelation 1:18-19 “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades

Acts 15:15-18  ‘After these things I will return,

And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen,

And I will rebuild its ruins,

And I will restore it,

17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,

And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’

Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

In this crucial hour let us remember that God promises to do - and is doing - a glorious thing in the midst of gross darkness.  Let’s be a people who align our hearts to believe, think, speak, and write according to God’s word, will, and ways, and pray for the help of Holy Spirit and God’s holy angels to assist us in staying true to the purposes of the Lord in the earth.  

Psalm 141:3 May my prayer be counted as incense before You;

The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

3  Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

I Corinthians 2:9-10  But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

To the Offended All Things are Offense-able: Learning to Live Unoffended

A few weeks back, deep out of my spirit I heard the phrase, “To the offended all things are offense-able.”  I knew God was speaking and had something to say on the matter of being offended.  

The word offend means “to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause to feel upset; cause resentful displeasure in.”  Therefore, one who is “offended” is irritated, annoyed, angered, easily upset, and is resentfully displeased.  And, something that is “offense-able” is irritating, annoying, angering, upsetting, and resentfully displeasing.  All of that sounds. . . well, to be quite blunt, offensive!  

It seems that everywhere one turns the cries of the offended resound.  At the root of virtually every “war” - be it family wars, culture wars, worship wars, political wars, or even international or ideological wars - the issue is almost always, if not always, offense.  From the ridiculous, “Susie didn’t call Joey on his birthday,” to the sublime, “it is not real worship if not ________ (at the risk of offending someone, I will let you fill in the blank!)” reasons to be offended abound.  

A woman who writes a blog called, “Living in His Grace,” writes, “Basically, we become offended most often by unmet expectations and when something does not fit within our thinking of what is “normal” or fit within our worldview.”

Jesus wrote, “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” (Matthew 11:6) when answering the disciples of John the Baptist when they came asking if He was indeed the Son of God.  You see, things were not turning out according to their expectations of what would happen when the Messiah showed up.  In fact, John the Baptist was in prison and about to be beheaded.  Into that context, Jesus says… “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”  That is a call to live unoffendable! 

In 2 Corinthians 6:2-10, the Apostle Paul writes, 

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

Notice that Paul does not talk about being offended (even through much that typically causes great offense), he speaks of “giving no cause for offense in anything.” Paul had crossed over in his maturity to the place of being more concerned about hindering the advancement of the Gospel than in being offended over the way people were treating him.  

If Jesus or Paul had become offended because of the offensive ways they were treated, their purpose would have fallen prey to Satan’s schemes.  When we become offended, we cut ourselves off from the grace that is available to live victoriously, even joyfully, in the face of great trials, tribulations, and a multitude of reasons to be “irritated, annoyed, angered, easily upset, and resentfully displeased” - offended!  

In Proverbs 18:19 we read, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.”  This is a critical word of wisdom to understand the power of offense to divide even the closest of relations.  It is also crucial for us to understand the need to guard our own heart from being offended and from causing offense.  Both are absolutely necessary!  

One of the key problems with offense or being offended is that once offense comes it becomes increasingly difficult to break out of the cycle of offense.  Once offended everything is seen through the lens of offense.  You may even begin to imagine things being said or done to you that are not real, yet the offended heart perceives it as real as a brick wall.  A secondary problem is that for the one through whom the offense came, whether intentional or not, the journey of winning back the relationship of the offended is incredibly difficult - even impossible - apart from the amazing grace of the Lord. 

Another key problem with offense or being offended is that once offense is taken up it quickly progresses into a “root of bitterness.”  Hebrews 12:4-5 says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”  

Bitterness obstructs the pathway to God’s grace, causes trouble, steals joy, makes one hardened and brittle, eats away at the soul and defiles many.  Bitterness is a killer that is sown through seeds of offense. 

Here are a few simple practices to help us all break the cycle of offense.  If it is true, and I do believe based on Scripture and experience, that “to the offended all things are offense-able” then we must find ways to break out of the cycles of being offended.  

1. Forgive quickly when offenses come.  Forgive, not just in word, but in heart.  This is the best preventative key to keep from living offended.  
2. Intentionally operate in the opposite spirit of the “offense” that came your way.  Make this practical!  If you were cursed, speak blessings.  If you were dishonored, honor.  Avoid self-defense and give room for God to work, remember He is your vindicator! 
3. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal if there is a root of offense within your soul that needs to be uprooted.  This is crucially important if you find yourself being easily offended (upset, irritated, frustrated, angered) over even the smallest of things. Also, if you find yourself offended by something that you know does not match the heart of the person that you are tempted to be offended with. . . check to see if there is a lingering issue that needs to be uprooted. 
4. Repent, ask and receive God’s forgiveness, then by His grace move forward in a new way refusing to live offended for even one more minute.  Be brutally honest with yourself and with God over the reality of being offended…. It is a time waster, relationships buster, and a killer! 
5. Be reconciled.  Scripture says that we are to live at peace with all men as far as it is possible with us.  Jesus has given to us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), reconciling God to man and man to man.  Pursue reconciliation and know that you are only responsible for doing your part and trusting God to work in the heart of the others involves. 

In closing, I  will leave us with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans that provide keys of wisdom to live unoffendable in an offensive age.  

Romans 12:14-21  “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but [n]associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [p]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Father, I pray that we may all grow in grace to live unoffendable, to deal with the offenses of the past that cause us to be easily offended, and to be instruments of reconciliation by Your love in every arena of life that will break the power of the enemy who always seeks to trap us in the snares of offense that steal, kill, and destroy.  Lord, grant that we might grow in maturity to not only live unoffendable but to live free of giving reason for offense to others that the power of Your Gospel may go forth unhindered in Jesus’ mighty name.  Amen.  

©2015 Jacquie Tyre

Calling Forth the Sons of Zadok

But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok,
who kept charge of My sanctuary 

when the children of Israel went astray from Me, 

they shall come near Me to minister to Me;"
Ezekiel 44:15

There is a cry rising across the land for authenticity.  The younger generation seems to be leading the charge, though I dare say they are not alone.  Many of us from other generations are raising our voices with them.  And, we are not alone!

There is a call coming out of heaven.  It comes forth as a pure tone, much like a tuning fork, that is sounding forth with the very voice and character of the Godhead, and the honor of heaven's worship.  It is a pure.  It is perfect. It is trustworthy. It is holy and altogether authentic.

For weeks now, the Lord has had me looking at Ezekiel 44 to see the contrast between the priests who have strayed away from the ways of the Lord that He disciplines and limits in their approach into His presence and in their ministry among His people, and the "sons of Zadok priests" who are welcomed into His presence to minister unto the Lord and who are charged with leading God's people. There is much to be unlocked within this passage of Scripture, but for now I simply want to present a simple contrast between the two in order to reveal the sound of "authentic" Spirit-filled lives that both God and many are looking for today

Those who Stray from the Lord	Faithful ones as the Sons of Zadok
False Authority, produces an atmosphere of control and domination	True Authority, releases an atmosphere of liberty and security
False Worship, produces fast spiritual encounters and experiences	True Worship, releases genuine encounters and experiences with the Lord in love
False Anointing, produces "results" (manifestations, numbers, etc)  without lasting and enduring fruit of transformation	True Anointing, releases the grace of the Lord that exalts Christ and bears lasting fruit of transformed lives

Let's all commit to pray and seek the face of the Lord that we might be found to be faithful ones, as the sons of Zadok were, and that a holy remnant of faithful "Zadok" men and women will rise in the land resounding with the authenticity of the Lord.  It is such as these that will release the sound of heaven into the earth by lifting up the Christ in everything that do or say.  It is this pure and holy sound that will awaken the harvest in the land and bring about the lasting and enduring changes that are desperately needed in our day. 

Can you hear the sound of heaven?  

Can you see rising of the Zadoks? 

Can you hear the rumblings of awakening and reformation in our land?  

I believe you can.  Now let's press in, for now is the season and we were born for such a time as this!

What are you hearing?  Let's talk about it!  

Kingdom MinuteMen: Rapid Mobilization Forces (Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network)

HAPN Minute Men: Rapid Mobilization Forces

Recently through divine leading of the Lord, I found myself standing in a Confederate Cemetery as a part of a state and nationwide prayer initiative. One of the intercessors that was with our team called me over see a monument that was set to honor the genealogy of the Gaines family. What she did not know was that that monument turned out to be to a part of my family lineage from my maternal grandfather's family. The genealogy listing went back to the mid-1600's, and right in the middle was this inscription: "Richard Gaines, Revolutionary War Minute Man.". I cannot accurately describe what Holy Spirit began to drop into my spirit in those few moments.

Needless to say, this encounter began a season of seeking the Lord to discover what He was trying to speak to me regarding being a part of a company of "Kingdom Minute Men." This journey is just beginning, but I felt it was time to begin sharing what I am discovering, and invite you to begin a dialogue with you in hope that the Lord will birth a greater clarity of God's call for us to raise up a company of Kingdom Minute Men across this nation from state to state.

The following information was taken from a Wikipedia site and it provides an amazing picture for us to consider for this hour of revolution for the heart of this nation.

"They (revolutionary leadership) recommended to the militia to form themselves into companies of minute-men, who should be equipped and prepared to march at the shortest notice. These minute-men were to comprise one-quarter of the whole militia, to be enlisted under the direction of the field-officers, and divide into companies, consisting of at least 50 men each. The privates were to choose their captains and subalterns, and these officers were to form the companies into battalions, and chose the field-officers to command the same. Hence the minute-men became a body distinct from the rest of the militia, and, by being more devoted to military exercises, they acquired skill in the use of arms. More attention than formerly was likewise bestowed on the training and drilling of militia." [Source: Sparks, Jared: The Life of George Washington, page 134-135. F. Andrews, 1853]

As a specialized force within the Body of Christ that need to be mobilized quickly and kept informed and prepared for special initiatives, and kept employed in ongoing activity to stay sharp and prepared for speedy deployment to action, we are faced with a need to recruit, train, position/assign to "battalions", fortify the troops, and develop means of clear communication that alerts, rallies, and mobilizes the troops into their positions at a moments notice.

As modern day expressions of the King of King's messengers or couriers releasing the decrees of the Lord to mobilize the people of the King's domain to be prepared for what is coming and to mobilize the social militia for quick response and rally the troops for concerted efforts across the land....Will we answer the call and determine to pay the price to be the Kingdom Revolution MinuteMen in this crucial hour in our nation?

Expanding Our Horizons of Faith

L'Shanah Tovah!

At this beginning of the Biblical New Year, I pray for each of you the richest blessings of the Lord that draw you closer into communion with His majesty and into a place of knowing the wonders of His glory as He finds a place of welcome in your heart to tabernacle with you.  And, I pray that this year, as we surrender to His Lordship together as One New Man, that His dwelling among us will increase in manifestations of His grace, love, glory and power.  He is looking for a people among whom He might tabernacle in fullness, and I pray that among us He might find such a place prepared for His majesty.

As I sat down to write this email the phrase "Expanding our Horizons of Faith" exploded within my spirit as a word I sense from the Lord as a call for us to lift our gaze up and look again.  This is a call to not just look again the same way we've looked before but to look again in a new ways.
Consider these possibilities as you "look again":

• Look Higher
• Look Further
• Look Deeper
• Look Broader 
• Look Around 
• Look Above
• Look Beneath 
• Look In
• Look Out 
• Look Beyond

These all point to looking in a new way and even to looking beyond what we may have seen in the past.  Perhaps, our view has been blocked by difficulties and challenges, or by fears, doubts and even unbelief.  Or maybe the view has been limited by past failures or disappointments, by circumstances that seem insurmountable or by perceived dangers that trigger paralyzing fear.  Or perhaps, the Lord is simply saying....you've looked in faith and you have seen amazing glimpses of what I have in store for the days ahead, but look again there's still more . . .

Whatever the case, the Lord is asking us to look again and allow Him to expand the horizons of faith for this new year.

Expanded horizons to see our cities, our states, and our nations fully awakened by the Spirit of the Lord and moving in power toward reformation of every arena of culture.  Can you see it?  

Expanded horizons to see family members, friends and associates come to saving faith and to live as radically sold-out disciples of the Lord Jesus. Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see relationships restored and broken-hearts healed.  Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see the Victorious Church arise to the place Christ intended to rule and reign with Him through worship and intercession, and to bring His Kingdom to bear on earth as it is in heaven. Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see believers walking in the fear of the Lord in all holiness, joy, reverence, and love, and demonstrating His grace in power with signs, wonders, and miracles confirming the testimonies and preaching of the Word of God.  Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see Christ's high priestly prayer of John 17 answered with genuine unity among those who believe - oneness with the Lord and with one another, with each joint supplying what is needed causing growth of the whole in love (Eph 4).  Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see masses of people coming to faith -- the harvest fields that are white unto harvest being brought in for the glory of the Lord.  Can you see it? 

Expanded horizons to see financial provision for you & your family, for businesses and ministries to provide for the fulfillment of the dreams, visions, and purposes of the Lord to advance His Kingdom and establish His covenant on the earth.  Can you see it? 

I encourage you to meditate on Isaiah 60 and invite the Lord to Expand Your Horizons of Faith!
We have several upcoming opportunities planned for us to join together to have our vision expanded for what the Lord wants to do in this season and to join our hearts together in worship and intercession for His Kingdom to come and His will to be on earth as it is in heaven!  I hope you will make an effort to join us.  And, if you would like us to come to your community to help facilitate a gathering for worship, prayer, teaching, or encouragement, please let us know.

For His Glory,

Jacquie Tyre

Kairos Transformation Ministries

State Apostolic Leader

Georgia Apostolic-Reformation Prayer Network

Georgia-US Alliance for Reformation