When Heaven Invades Earth Chapters 7-9

·         Apart from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we are only good religious people who try to do right in the world. (Chapter 7).

“Religion idolizes concepts and avoids personal experience. It works to get us to worship past accomplishments at the expense of any present activity of God in our life.” The Holy Spirit and His works in our lives are the spirit of Christ and we are called to live out of a place of that empowerment. Religion is the anti-christ spirit because it seeks to separate the empowerment from knowledge which is safe and known.  I was struck by this concept: If I am to remove the Holy Spirit and His works from my life would my life still function? The answer is Yes. I know this chapter was discussing it at the level of the Church, but what about in our own personal lives. I want to get to  a place that without the Holy Spirit my life does not function.  When our churches become routine and follow formulas it is called religion, but what is it called when our lives become routine and we follow formulas (worship, read my bible, go to church…) and yet Christ and His empowerment are not integrated into our daily lives. It is easy to point a finger at the church and say, “you have it all wrong” but can we model it in our lives first? After all we make up the church.

 

·         God is bigger than what is written in scripture and the Holy Spirit is there to guide us on the wildest of adventures if we allow Him. (Chapter 8)

The Bible is full irreconcilable differences that we have a hard time getting our minds around. Ideas such as God being loving but hating Esau or despising  Able’s offering. “Yet this uncomfortable tension is designed to keep us honest and truly dependent on the Holy Spirit for understanding who God is and what He is saying to us through His book. “ I believe the same is true today and does not only apply to scripture. People often make the argument that miracles and wonders that are not listed in Bible cannot happen or when they do are not of God. However, Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He did so in my opinion that is a license for ANYTHING to happen. We need the Holy Spirit to help guide us and keep us honest and dependent in bringing these “greater” things to earth.

 

·         Doing the works of the Father (God) always start with His presence. (Chapter 9)

Jesus, even from a young age understood that he was only to do what He saw His father doing. That required listening and tuning His heart to the heart of His Father. We are called to do the same. People often wonder why they don’t see miracles or the supernatural in their lives, but  have they put in the groundwork and taught themselves how to love His presence, hear His voice and OBEY?  I love  how Bill Johnson points out, “His presence always reveals His heart.” It is a great reminder that there is personal sacrifice, discipline and devotion that is required to walk in the supernatural as a lifestyle. Good old fashioned prayer, study, reading about it in history and then actually laying on hands and doing it. I like the final practical application that we don’t often include, association. “If you want to be a giant killer, hang around other giant killers. It rubs off.” I want it to rub off on me.

Justice

I had a recent encounter with Jesus where I saw Him for the unique part  he played in the trinity. I was taken to the cross and as I looked into His eyes they were burning, roaring flames of fire and as I looked into them I saw the injustices of the entire world past, present and future. That is what he died for. He sits in heaven and weeps that we don't utilize the fullness of what He accomplished that day on Calvary.  I saw Him sitting on a line in heaven, it was the line between heaven and earth and he prays for us, weeps for us to cross that line and pull the justice of heaven to the earth.
My sister and her husband serve the Woodland Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. For 2 years they have been doing foster care and taking in little ones that have no home and no one wants. They had one special little girl who is a long term foster kid who will never be returned to her parents.They have had her for almost 2 years and were trying to find a way to adopt her. She was suddenly and for no reason taken away a month and a half ago. She has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and  ADHD and requires constant attention and was thriving with Joylyn and Joel. After a week of back and forth with the office those in charge admitted they were in the wrong in taking her away and they would get her back after one more person signed off on the case. Well, 2 weeks later they not only said they wouldn't give her back but they took away their license to be foster parents. No reason given.
Today my sister got to see her little girl (almost 3 years old) for the first time in 2 months and she said, "she has gone from thriving to surviving. She is sick, back in diapers, doesn't talk at all and has no sparkle in her eyes." Where is the Justice?
How do we cross the line and call the justice of heaven, that Jesus paid for to earth? He paid for it and I believe that, but what is stopping the materialization of that justice in this situation? Jesus has a special place in His heart for the orphans and I believe that such injustice makes Him weep and His heart hurt even more. I am standing, believing that the justice of heaven will invade this situation. That all accusations and falsehoods will be broken and that Sabrina will come home to a family that loves her and wants her. Stand with me to see justice in this situation.

Faith, Prayer and Holy Spirit...Three Powerful Keys to Unlocking the Release of Heaven on Earth

·         “Unbelief is actually faith in something other than God.” (chapter 4)

Wow, that sounds a bit harsh, but when you take the time to think about this statement its power is revealed. God is the able to do anything and when we believe that it is considered faith, the type that brings the Kingdom of heaven to the earth. When we don’t believe it we are not believing that God is omnipotent  and therefore we are believing in something  else. This sounds so simple. Why can’t we just live out the simplicity of this statement? Sure faith comes out of relationship, hearing and responding but when we really break it down our lack of faith is really just our lack of belief in God being…well… God.

·         Prayer allows us to come into a place of faith, gives us perspective on problems and empowers us to act in radical obedience. (Chapter 5)

Prayer and intercession is a very special topic for me. It is the place where Holy Spirit taught me how to hear the heartbeat of heaven. I love prayer because it appears so innocent and yet has the power to transform the world. I have led many prayer/intercession groups in places that were hostile to the things of the kingdom and yet visions and words from God were not only experienced by people who say such things don’t exist but also they were accepted. I really loved Bill Johnson’s challenge to pray until you come into a place of faith and gain heaven’s perspective on the situation but rather than asking God to take care of the situation act out of a place of faith and command  “mountains to be moved.”  Prayer is  tool to gain heaven’s strategy and God’s heart but coupled with faith it is our battle plan to bring Heaven to earth in every situation.

·         It is impossible to see the Kingdom of heaven come to earth without knowing the Holy Spirit and experiencing His baptism. (Chapter 6)

The Holy Spirit is the great gift that Jesus left for us a gift that the prophets of the Old Testament could never have imagined. I love how this chapter points out that baptism of the Holy Spirit puts even the least of the new covenant believers ahead of the OT prophets. WOW!  So why don’t we act like it. A great point is made in this chapter that we should be so overflowing with the Holy Spirit that our mere presence brings an atmosphere of heaven that requires a response from those who come in contact with it (believer or non-believer).  “one baptism, many fillings. Why? We leak.” This was a great reminder to me that I am broken and if I am not seeing an overflow of HS in my life and those around me I need to look at where I am leaking and seek out ways to be refilled.

I love how these three chapters  gave us three important, no vital, ingredients to seeing heaven invade earth. Faith. Prayer. Holy Spirit. The three work together and yet they all have one thing in common, they are not a formula they are established out of relationship.

The Tension of Becoming a Servant Leader.

Years ago I was given a prophetic word by a group of my closest friends. It was a picture of an auditorium full to capacity except for one seat left at the very front. I kept pushing others toward that seat, but it was meant for me. The implication was that I am called to take my place of honor and stop pushing others toward it. This was a hard one for me.

For years my one of my favorite Bible verses has been Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” I came to latch on to this verse after years of frustration feeling like I am never recognized for all that I do, that I am invisible. This led me to feel guilty for desiring recognition and this verse became my scapegoat. The things I was doing were being seen by men so God would get the glory.

This week God revealed to me the lie that I have been believing in this area. Often God was not getting the glory and others were getting the recognition for what I was doing. He reminded me of the picture or me trying to give up my seat. Sometimes this was done out of true servant-heartedness, but other times out of a sense of false humility. I was never able to have peace in this area because I was believing lies. Jesus came to free us and He does want us to be the best version or ourselves, the version He sees. By not walking in the fullness of that purpose (which for me does include being in leadership and places of authority) I have been hurting myself and others.

I tend to see people for who they are, the good and bad, and I am a cheerleader for the potential I see in them. I have empowered many to unlock their destinies and walk out their callings. However,  because it is so natural for me I often feel like it should be natural for others and get hurt when no one sees me for who I am or what I am called to do and empowers me in that process.  As an Achiever I am driven to accomplish and that has become my way of obtaining recognition. I realize that my sense of identity needs to be in who I am in Christ, how He sees me. I need not be afraid to be the leader I am called to be but I also need to walk in humility and continue to serve.  It is the tension that seems to pull me in opposite directions but I pray that day by day, step by step and moment by moment I will choose to walk into the reality of becoming who He created me to be. Jesus modeled beautifully how to be a servant leader and I encouraged to emulate His example.