Rick Warren had an excellent article on observing a personal Sabbath.
This principle is extremely important to me, and I think vital for anyone involved in ministry (well, really for anyone overall but I think ‘ministry people’ tend to neglect it). I have had seasons in my life where I did not obey this principle and seasons when I have and there is a drastic difference. When I do coaching with young pastors/leaders this is one are I really emphasize.
Here is another great excerpt from Passion for Jesus (Mike Bickle) that really impacted me:
“From here, let me give you the Mike Bickle paraphrase of Zechariah 4:6-10 -
Zerubbabel had tried to get people to work on rebuilding the temple, but they were so discouraged that no one would work. So the disheartened governor sat down on a huge stone, looking around at the heaps of rubble from what had once been a great temple before the Babylonian army destroyed it in 586 BC.
“Jerusalem is in total ruins,” Zerubabbel sighed. “There is nothing left of this city. Toppled stones and debris everywhere. This place is a disaster.”
Just then, young Zechariah, the prophet tapped Zerubbabel on the shoulder. He said “How’s it going in your work to rebuild the city and the temple?”
“What a disaster!” moaned Zerubbabel. “Nobody showed up for work again today. Here I am, ‘the great restorer of the land of Israel.’ We are supposed to raise up this temple to the glory of God but I cannot get anyone inspired to work on it.”
“Zerubbabel, God is with you.”
Looking up at the young prophet, Zerubbabel questions, “God is with us?”
“Of course He is. The very fact that you are in the city and no longer in captivity is proof of that. God says that your hands have laid the foundation of this house, and you hands will finish it. But there’s something you must do first.”
Zerubbabel moaned and shook his head.
“No, no. Listen to me. See that stone over there almost hidden by grass and weeds? That’s the capstone, the finishing stone for the new temple. Its the final stone the people will put into place, the stone that signifies the building is completed.”
“Yeah, OK. So?”
“Well, God says you’re to shout, ‘Grace, grace!’ to it.”
“To what?”
“To the stone.”
“I’m supposed to shout at a stone?”
“Listen to me, Zerubbabel. God said to tell you, ‘it is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.’ You’re supposed to put your confidence in the grace of God. That’s what shouting ‘Grace!’ is all about. Come on now. Get up, walk over there, and shout, ‘Grace! Grace!’”
Zechariah, I know you mean well But I’m already having trouble getting people to follow me. If they see me standing out here in the middle of these weeds, shouting at a rock – “
“Zerubbabel, are you going to obey the LORD or not? Are you going to trust His grace, or aren’t you? Now say it!”
“Ok. What have I to lose? I’ll do it. Here goes: “Grace… grace…”
“No, no, that will never do. Shout it man! Like this: Grace! GRACE!”
After a couple halfhearted shouts, both stood silently looking gat the stone. Finally Zechariah said, “You know what’s the matter with you, Zerubbabel? You despise the days of small beginnings.”
Zerubbabel made no reply, and Zechariah continued, “Because you do not see a lot happening around your right now, you’re counting these days as unimportant. You have thrown them away as irrelevant. But the very fact that you’re here in the land is the beginning of the move of God. There is something very great he wants to perform.”
“It doesn’t feel like a move of God to me.”
“That’s because you’re out of touch with how God sees it. You are despising what is happening now because it looks small. It is small, but it is also real; and it is legitimate. All these obstacles that look like great mountains will become a flattened plain. You’ll see the day when the temple is complete and the capstone is set in place. Why wait until that great day when the last finishing touch is pout on the temple before you begin to see the validity of your work? Begin praising God right now, and trust Him that your efforts are relevant even in this day of small beginnings.”
(Passion for Jesus, Pg 184-186)
Today I had a great meeting with one of the servant-leaders in our church and he was sharing with me about some real transformation God has been doing in his life regarding keeping his word, and being dependable and consistent. He was going through a difficult season but he was humble enough to take responsibility for his part in it and was really walking out some cool personal change.
As I was talking with him, the Holy Spirit really began to convict/remind me of some areas of my life where I was not keeping my word. Concept is this: a huge part of walking in integrity is being a man of your word. When you say something you need to do it. Your word needs to be your bond. This is something that previous generations understood that ours has lost in many ways.
I remember hearing Jerry Savelle preach one time that he was really struggling to believe the word of God and so he was praying into it. During his time of prayer he sensed the Spirit say “one of the reasons that you struggle to believe my word is because you don’t even believe your own word!”
All that to say – I took a few moments to repent for not keeping my word, contacted the people that I needed to so I could make things right and am doing what I need to do to get things done.
How about you? Are there areas where you have given your word but have not kept it?
Rick Warren released a very good article recently titled ‘The Discipleship Methods of Jesus’. In it he outlined eight things that Jesus did to disciple based out of John 17:
He gives more explanation regarding each point in his teaching. I really like the clear way that he has broken it down. Based on my personal experience this list really hits the key points of seeing someone grow as a ‘disciplined follower’ of Jesus Christ.
I just finished reading ‘Passion for Jesus‘ by Mike Bickle – it was an outstanding read! There was so much packed into it (I’ve been tweeting different quotes over the past two weeks) but I wanted to share a couple passages that particularly stuck out to me:
“Spiritual fervency… is essential in our progression to spiritual maturity. However, as already stated, fervency is not the same as maturity. Our commitment to the LORD is usually much more superficial than we realize at first.
Like the maiden in the Song of Solomon, I have experienced difficulty in prioritizing intimacy and ministry. In my early life as a Christian I was more interested in ministering to Christians and witnessing to unbelievers than I was in spending quality time alone with God in devotional prayer. My heart grew cold because of this.
Even today, as the leader of the IHOP Missions Base, my life is still easily overwhelmed in context of a growing ministry,. I find that my heart can be pulled away from retreating in private or distracted from developing my secret life with God.
Like the Shulamite maiden, all believers pass through a self-centred state where out goals are primarily focused on receiving more blessing and experiencing more of Jesus’ presence. Blessings and the thrill of spiritual experiences are perfectly legitimate, but they are not the final goal of mature Christianity…”
(Passion For Jesus, Mike Bickle, pg.105)
This past weekend at CWL we had a surprise visit from one our our favorite people in the world: Faytene Kryskow. Faytene shared some updates with us regarding what God is doing in the nation but then at our Toronto Campus she shifted into the spirit of prophecy and things just took off (if you wanted to hear the word you can check it out on our MP3 section – just click on the Toronto MP3 from October 18th).
We had the word transcribed and I wanted to make sure that I shared it. This is a little more CWL focused so if you are not a member of our church and read it, please take some time to pray for us that we will walk it out.
Here it is:
First of all, I thank you God for this family and Lord I’ve heard Brendan say that so many times, “speaking to the family” I consider this place family, through my relationship with Brendan and Sharon family
I feel like the LORD is saying “multiplication!” and I just see multiplication everywhere, everywhere, everywhere but what I’m seeing actually in the midst is I’m having a vision in the midst and each one of you what I’m seeing is I’m seeing trees with branches that are planted by the streams of living water and God says that He is going to bring the multiplication through you. What I’m seeing in this vision is trees with branches that are being strengthened as they are planted by the streams of living waters but the fruit is going to come forth through the branches of this house.
And the LORD says that I have set you in this house because I have called you to ‘outside the box’ mandates and to ‘outside the box’ initiatives and I’ve set you in a house that understands reformation and I’ve set you in a house that understands discipleship and understands the importance of accountability and rootedness and holiness and also I’ve set you in a house that understands the importance of going out and influencing the world and influencing society. And I feel like God is saying that his endorsement is upon this house and there is going to be an increase of favor that is going to come upon you in the days to come and I hear the LORD saying as you have been faithful with little that he will give you more and you have been faithful with little in the past and God says as you are faithful to cultivate and weed out the things that don’t glorify me and the things that grieve my heart and you are faithful to cultivate the things that bring me pleasure and glorify me the Lord says watch what I will do!
The LORD says that as you are faithful with the little things, as you are faithful to tend to the little things like relationship, honor and sowing and the principles of the Kingdom of God he says watch what I will do with the big things as you are faithful with the little things, watch what I will do with the big things for am I not the God of Moses, am I not the God who told a weak man, to raise a weak stick and cause an entire sea to be parted.
And the LORD says again, as you are faithful with the little things and I feel like it is the little things like your time with the LORD, integrity and I really feel this as well: faithful with the tithe, I feel this is a key thing and I’m not saying this to try to get Brendan big offerings or anything but this is a principle in the Word and as you are faithful to apply the principles of the word of God I hear the booming voice of God saying “watch what I will do with the big things”
Father, I thank you for the increase of favor.
I also hear God saying that I’m about to bring you into and I’ve already brought you, but I’m about to bring you into a greater zone of signs and wonders and even the prophetic but specifically signs and wonders and I’m going to cause there to be a greater demonstration of my glory. I’m going to cause there to be a greater demonstration of notable signs and wonders and miracles and the LORD says as you lay hold of me, even as the woman with the issue of blood laid hold of the hem of my garment, as you lay hold of me I’m going to cause there to be even more testimonies that will come out of this house of simple miracles and I see the LORD saying that there will be a testimony and God is going to use this to impact your families and God is going to use this to impact your spheres of influence.
And I feel that God is saying that as the miracles begin to come through this house that this is one of things that He is going to use to begin to multiply and cause people to be drawn. The LORD says that revival is your inheritance the spirit of revival is in this house and is your inheritance. Family is your inheritance! This is a place that God has put that DNA in your spirit and I feel that there is this awesome tandem that you walk in, and it is not even just a tandem but there are multiple things of a tenacity for the things of the spirit and an adventurous spirit but also God has been cultivating something in the last 17 months to cause this to be a place of safety, a safe haven where those saplings can grow and can begin to grow and branch out.
For some of you, I just want to say this that “you’ve found your home – you have found your place” Some of you there has been this question of where do I fit in, where do I belong? And until some of the issues of our heart are fully dealt with and until the issues of security and knowing who we are in Jesus are fully dealt with there will always be that little sense of insecurity even when we are where we are supposed to be. But there is some of you that I feel that you have felt a little bit lost and felt a little bit, this is a specific word for a few people that it is going to hit, for some of you have been wondering where you fit in the LORD says this is your home and even if you feel a little bit out of place that is because I’m still working in my love into you and that this is a safe place.
Father I thank you for Brendan and Sharon and I see over you finances and I just believe that you are coming into a greater realm with this. I believe that you have been good stewards and I see in the spirit that you have been good stewards and you have been storing up for the things that God has put in your heart and God is showing you and I believe that as you continue to sow and continue to work the principles and continue to be faithful particularly in the area of finances, the LORD says watch what I’m going to do for there is provision in the seed for a great harvest. I’m going to say that again… the LORD is saying there is provision in the seed for a great harvest. As you are faithful to plant the seed God is going to cause there to be a great harvest to allow you to have the resources to do what God has called you to do.
Father we esteem this house in the spirit right now.
God I ask, I felt this sense when I walked in that there is a reward. You will get a reward because of what you have been a part of. You get a reward because of what you have sacrificed and because you have come and I am in no way in an elitist spirit to say the Cry is the only thing but you have sacrificed and you’ve stood with something beyond your own borders and I believe there is an authority tonight to release something in the spirit realm which will be your reward. Because the Bible says if you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet you will receive a prophets reward, and if you receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man you will receive a righteous mans reward. And one of the things that we have contended for in the Cry and with My Canada is for righteousness. And I feel that God is saying that as you have received a movement of righteousness as you have received what this carries you will now receive your reward.
And so Father I just loose this right now in the spirit realm, God I believe there is a reward for this house. Every prayer that has been prayed by every CWL member at the Cry’s, every seed that has been sown whether individually or as a church. LORD, every word of encouragement, every word of blessing that they have deposited in my account and in our account in the Cry’s and My Canada as a nation I now in the authority of the word of God and your principles that say if you receive it you will receive the reward I now loose the reward and the dividends of it – I just saw the Lord just wrote, visually in the heavenlies – dividends – that there is dividends coming. Father I lose the dividends I lose the dividends in the name of Jesus
And one of the dividends, this is not a financial thing but this is a breakthrough thing – one of the dividends God is going to break off the spirit of barrenness off of some of even the girls, there is even some girls in this room right now that the enemy would try to put a spirit of barrenness on you and I just say ‘we break it now in the name of Jesus” and this house will be fruitful, this house will multiply and this house will be a house of conception comes to fruition IN THE NAME OF JESUS! In the name of Jeshua…
Father I thank you that you have written your promises over this house, that your promises are yes and amen. And I just feel that the LORD, this is a ‘selah’ moment, where He just is stopping, pausing , giving us a kiss on the forehead from heaven and saying “you guys are awesome, keep going,” and LORD we say back to you, we will keep going – for the sake of our king, for the sake of this nation that has a destiny in your heart, and the sake of the multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.
We bless you Jesus… Do what you want to do God… Amen.
I’m staying on the John G. Lake tip today… I came across the article written by him that I had read years ago but had forgotten. I was really impacted by it in a fresh way.
In it, he talks about his team in South Africa and the commitment they made to advancing the gospel – even at the cost of their lives, the lives of their wives, and their children. The following paragraph really hit home:
Old Father Van de Wall, speaking for the company said, “Brother Lake, during your absence we have come to a conclusion; we have made our decision. We want you to serve the Lord’s Supper. We are going back to our fields. We are going back if we have to walk back. We are going back if we have to starve. We are going back if our wives die. We are going back if our children die. We are going back if we die ourselves. We have but one request. If we die, we want you to come and bury us.
Remind me: what exactly do I get stressed out about in life and ministry?
I really don’t have a lot else to say right now…
Yesterday at Durham Campus during my message I mentioned John G. Lake (never got there at Toronto… Holy Spirit took over). I wanted to post a couple links for anyone who was interested in learning a little more:
Obviously, if you just google him you can find a lot more online resources.
This just wrecked me for the day… did you know that approximately 500 babies a year are born alive during abortions? What happens to them then?
Bill Johnson shared an interesting perspective on the ‘will of God’ in a recent article (it was from his ministries monthly newsletter which you can sign up for here) -
We usually think of the will of God as something static – fixed and unchangeable. We primarily associate it with specific events at certain times. The element missing in our understanding of this subject is our role in the unfolding of His will.
When God was going to destroy Israel, He told Moses to get out of the way because He was going to kill these people that Moses had led out of Egypt into the wilderness. Moses then reminded God that they weren’t his people–they were God’s–and not only that, he didn’t lead them out of Egypt, God did! God responded by basically acknowledging he was right, and then promised not to kill them. The astonishing thing isn’t so much that God changed His mind and spared Israel; rather, it was that He expected Moses to come into the counsel of His will, and Moses knew it.
Abraham was another who understood this. These covenant friends throughout history all seemed to have this common awareness of God’s expectation that they be involved in the demonstration of His will, influencing the outcome of a matter. They understood that the responsibility rested on their shoulders, and they must act before God to get what man needed.
The priestly role of an intercessor was never more clearly illustrated. The primary focus of His will wasn’t whether or not to destroy Israel; it was to bring Moses in on the process. His will is not always focused on events; it is focused on His friends drawing near into His presence, standing in their roles as delegated ones. The will of God is as much process as it is outcome . . . often fluid, not static.
