This weekend I heard two different messages on giving in the kingdom of God and they both reminded of an essential principle when it comes to gaining an increase in any resource that comes from heaven. God gives more to those who give away what they have already received. The basic principle is that God gives to us so that we might act as conduits of his grace for others. We all know the analogy of the Sea of Galilee in Israel versus the Dead Sea. The Jordan River runs into the Sea of Galilee from the north and then out of the Sea of Galilee south to the Dead Sea which has no outlet. The Sea of Galilee teems with life as water enters and then exits to other destinations while the Dead Sea stagnates and supports no life because the water flows in but never flows out.

Jesus likens the Holy Spirit to streams of living water. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (Jn.7:37-39).

Jesus speaks of the Spirit as a life-giving stream that flows from within each believer. The apostle John was given a vision of a life-giving river in the Book of Revelation. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev.22:2-3).

This image reveals two things about God. First, life flows from his presence and secondly, the life of God is meant to give life to others and to bring healing to entire nations. The Holy Spirit is the life of God that flows into us from the presence of God and then is meant to carry that life or direct that life to others.

In Ezekiel 47, there is a similar image in the midst of visions God had given the prophet regarding a new temple in Jerusalem. In this part of his vision, Ezekiel sees the temple with water rushing out from beneath the threshold of the temple forming a river that ran eastward. The further the river ran from the temple, the deeper it became – the volume increased. Along the river banks trees grew tall and strong.   “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing” (Ez.47:12).

The further out into the nations the river ran, the deeper it became and more fruit was produced to satisfy the hunger of the nations and to bring them healing. When God pours out his Spirit on the church, it is not meant just to build up and encourage the church. God also intends for his people to take the life of the Spirit and freely give it to those who are hungry and thirsty and to those who need healing. When we only exercise the gifts of God’s Spirit within the walls of the church there will be little or no increase. When we take those gifts to the streets, to the market place, and to the nations the river will run deeper, the anointing will increase.

Those of us in charismatic churches are pretty comfortable prophesying to one another, praying over each other for healing, sharing words of knowledge, and even driving out demons. But taking those gifts outside the walls of our friendly confines is another thing. However, if we want increase from the Spirit we must leave the temple courts and go out into the nations. If we personally are asking God to increase the anointing in our lives, the principle is to not only minister to the family of God but also to take the gifts outside the body and use them to minister to those who do not yet know Christ. That is where the Spirit will flow more deeply. Pray for such opportunities and when they come risk introducing the non-religious to the supernatural move of God. Then watch the Spirit flow.

Once you have discovered that you are royalty, you must understand how royalty operates. In the kingdom of God it is not about perks, servants, living large, or living in constant comfort with every material desire coming your way. It is about relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It is about contentment with what we have. It is about expanding the borders of the kingdom through faith, love, and sometimes war.

To be successful in your role of governing earth on God’s behalf, you must understand that you have authority as a member of the royal family and as an ambassador of Christ. Many believers today have no sense of authority or power in their Christian life. They believe that Jesus has all authority but have no concept that they also walk in authority and should exercise that authority on behalf of their king.

Jesus demonstrated the authority that a man in fellowship with God can wield on the earth. He demonstrated it as Son of Man not as Son of God. We know this to be true because Jesus declared, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (Jn.14:11-15).

Jesus clearly says that those who have faith in him will do what he had been doing which he clearly identifies as his miracles – healing, casting out demons, raising the dead, stilling the storm, etc. He goes on to say that those who have faith will do even greater things than he did. Hard to imagine isn’t it, but that is what he said. As a member of the royal family and as a representative of Jesus on earth (who should re-present Jesus) you should expect Jesus to do miracles through you. If you read the context above, he not only gives you that opportunity but also commands you to ask him to do miracles through you for the glory of the Father.

Jesus modeled his plan for the church by exercising the authority of heaven himself and then delegating that authority to others. First he delegated his authority to those he called apostles. “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Mt.10:1). Secondly, he delegated heavenly authority to a wider circle of followers who go unnamed in the scriptures. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Lk.10:17-20). Snakes and scorpions in this context are metaphors for demonic spirits.

After modeling his “delegation strategy” he continued with his declaration that those who had faith in him (any believer in any century) would do what he had been doing and would do even greater things. He then delegated his power and authority to his church by the distribution of spiritual gifts through his Spirit. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues”(1 Cor. 12:7-10). Notice that power and authority are the benchmarks of the Kingdom. As a member of that Kingdom and the household of God, power and authority are attached to your position. You are appointed in the Kingdom and no appointing comes without anointing. Your anointing is the Holy Spirit who releases power and authority through you.

It’s interesting that we often teach people to pray for healing by asking Jesus to come and heal. That’s not a bad prayer but it is not what Jesus commanded. He told us to go and heal rather than to go and pray and ask him to come and heal. We often approach healing and deliverance like deputies who have been given authority to enforce the law but every time we should make an arrest we locate the criminal but then call the sheriff to come make the arrest. Deputies have been delegated power and authority to enforce the law. We have been given power and authority to enforce the laws of heaven. When we begin to walk in the knowledge of that authority and begin to exercise it for kingdom purposes, then we will be living as royalty.

That is who you are in Christ – appointed, anointed, empowered!

He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matt.13:33).

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.   “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matt.5:13-16)

In both of the above scriptures, Jesus spoke about the influence of believers on the world. If we are to make disciples of all nations, we must not only share the gospel with the lost but we must influence culture and nations as well. The enemy has had dominion over culture and nations since the Garden but Jesus commanded his church to take back those things so that the values of heaven are lived out the earth. Even our prayers should reflect that mission. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Unfortunately, too many Christians have interpreted that statement from the Lord’s Prayer to mean that once Jesus returns to establish his kingdom on earth, then and only then will God’s will be done on earth. But the Great Commission which commands us to make disciples of nations establishes a mandate to effect cultures and territories before his return. Until he returns to personally sit on the throne we are to be expanding the kingdom not only in individual hearts but also as salt, light, and leaven we are to be making our influence felt whenever and wherever we can support and promote righteousness. With mid-term elections just a few weeks away, we have an opportunity to be God’s salt, light, and leaven in America. To withdraw from political involvement because it is “too worldly” is to abdicate our responsibility to be an influence for good is this world.

We all know that morality and spirituality cannot be legislated and faith cannot and should not be forced on others by law or coercion. Yet God’s intention for government is that governments should promote good and restrain evil while the gospel is having its way with the hearts of men. Governments should be “under God” and see themselves as instruments of his purposes. As these mid-terms approach, I hope that every believer will choose to vote as a representative of the kingdom of God who is representing God on the earth by being, slat, light, and leaven in America and in her voting booths.

I do not presume to choose candidates for people but every believer should know what is at stake in an election and vote for those whose values and platforms are most closely aligned with the values and goals of heaven. I’m not saying that we only vote when platforms are perfectly aligned but we must support the candidate or the party that is closest to those values. Prayer is always essential and is also a powerful way of influencing our culture and nature. Since I don’t always know the heart of a man or a woman, may I suggest a prayer as we approach these final two weeks of campaigning?

            Father in heaven, I ask that you continue to have mercy on this nation. We have strayed and we have often sinned against you. But Father, I ask you to remember the faithful in this nation now and the faithful of this nation who have served you in centuries and decades past. I pray that you restore faith in this nation and exalt your name and the name of Jesus once again in America. Lord I simply ask that you remove every leader who has no regard for you or your commands. I ask that you remove everyone from authority who has no fear of you and no love for you. I ask that you remove all favor from those who are enemies of the cross and that you totally confuse the counsel of those who oppose you and your church.

            And Lord I ask that you raise up courageous men and women of faith who regard you and love your name and who will not fear man but only you. Lord give them favor even among their opponents and undeniable wisdom in their words. I pray that you will put your people in high places of leadership and authority so that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven in this nation. And Father, may your Spirit lead me as I step into the voting booth or have conversations with friends about America. Lord you said that righteousness exalts a nation so by your Spirit and by your mercy will you make America a righteous nation again. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen

Over the past week or so we have been looking at the letters to the seven churches of Asia to get insights into some of the things that take us out of the will of God or that misalign us with his heart. For those who want to walk in the fullness of God’s Spirit for a lifetime, staying aligned with the Father is crucial because being out of step with the Lord restricts the flow of the Spirit.

One thing we need to notice is that each of the churches who received a rebuke were still serving God in some ways and were still lifting up the name of Jesus. But they were also participating in or tolerating certain things that generated a warning from heaven that discipline was in the pipeline – even to the extent of Jesus removing their lampstand which might be a reference to the Holy Spirit.

However, for those who responded to the warning and realigned themselves with the Father, there were numerous promises. Some of the promises were primarily for the life to come but many can be understood as promises for the here and now. I want to look at those promises over the next few days because they are part of our motivation for staying in step with the Spirit in every facet of our lives.

To the church in Ephesus, Jesus said, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev.2:7). The word overcomes is significant because later in Revelation we are told that the saints overcame the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev.12:11. The word translated “overcomes” is the word “nikao” in Greek. It does not mean to simply endure but it means to triumph over, to win, to defeat, or to overwhelm the enemy. The word communicates aggressive action on our part rather than a passive endurance. It calls to mind the words of Jesus that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church. Victory for the believer comes from being on the offensive rather than the defensive. It reminds us that many great promises stand on our ability and willingness to wield the power and authority of heaven (divine weapons – 2 Cor. 10:3-6). Even though the promise of the tree of life in the paradise of God seems to be related to our heavenly state, we must remember that we are already citizens of heaven and are now seated with Christ in spiritual realms.

The promise seems to be that for those who align themselves with heaven and who aggressively take on the enemy, two things will be theirs in both this life and the life to come. One is the energy and power that flows from heaven that fuels an eternal life and the other is rest and the presence of God which paradise has always symbolized. In the book of Genesis the tree of life stood in the midst of the garden and those who ate of it could live forever. In John’s writings (which include his gospel. his letters and the book of Revelation) eternal life is not about duration as much as it is quality. Eternal life is the kind of life experienced by those who live in close fellowship with the Father. Jesus showed us that life in its fullness and that life is also available to those who live for Jesus no. The power and provision of heaven was a constant in the life of Jesus.

But in the paradise of God there was also rest and the presence of the Father. In the midst of threats and an almost chaotic schedule Jesus often stole away and found rest and comfort in the presence of the Father. How often did he go away to a private place exhausted, spend the night in prayer, and come back energized – even walking on water?

As Jesus closed his memorandum to the church at Ephesus he called them to repentance or “realignment” and promised that those who stayed faithful and maintained their alignment with the heart of the Father could live on this earth with access to the power and provision of heaven along with the rest and renewal that comes from being in the very presence of God. Ultimately, I believe that Jesus is the tree of life. Those who eat of the tree can live forever and those who eat of the bread of life will also live forever (Jn.6:51). It is through a close walk with Jesus that all these promises are ours. As we partake of Jesus we partake of life, rest, and presence. We partake of Jesus by submitting all that we are and all that we have to him with nothing reserved for ourselves. Be blessed today.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  (2 Ti.3:1-5)

Although these descriptors perfectly match our culture, the apostle Paul penned these words to his young protégé Timothy nearly 2000 years ago. The phrase ”last days” does not necessarily mean the end of times since biblically we have been in the last days or the last age since the day of Pentecost when the church was launched. In Peter’s sermon on Pentecost he quoted Joel who said, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all men…” The “last days” began with that pouring out.  More likely Paul was warning that their would be times and seasons during this last age before the return of Messiah when cultures and men would be corrupt and that such corruption would seep into the church.

When I read those descriptors my first thought was that Paul was describing  unbelievers in a fallen world.  But in context he seems to be warning Timothy that there would be individuals in the church who also fit that description and it was those whom Timothy was to avoid.  The final quality of these men reveals that they will have a “form of godliness but will deny its power.”  What exactly does that mean and is it a warning for us today as it was for Timothy in the early years of the church?

The word “form” here seems to mean “an outward appearance.”   These individuals would have an outward appearance of godliness or religion but would secretly deny its substance.  These could be church leaders who simply lead portions of the church for the financial gain, status, or the praise of men that leadership role offered. Behind closed doors they would treat their role as a job, an opportunity or a “gig.”  There faith would be in themselves and they would use and discard people to accomplish their own ends and to build their personal empire.   Ultimately they would view God, judgment, and the Holy Spirit as a kind of myth that they would espouse publically but not take seriously.  Behind closed doors they would love money, comfort, and hidden immoralities.  Ultimately these men are always exposed but the exposure brings reproach on the church and sends hundreds or thousands of disillusioned believers into the streets wondering if any Christian leader  can be trusted.

This paragraph could also point to leaders of culture: education, business, politics, etc. who might publically claim to be followers of Christ and, therefore, moral  – but behind closed doors in backroom meetings are as worldly and cynical as those who make no such claims. These men use God as a prop but deny the power of the kingdom of God.

Each of these groups may believe in a God in some vague way but do not believe that God will ultimately judge the wicked or judge nations. They believe they can act without consequence and that true believers are really just suckers living in world of delusion.  Neither do they believe that there is a God in heaven who orchestrates lives and nations and that watches over the truly godly with his power and even entrusts his power – real power – to those who love him.  I believe we live in a season where both groups are profoundly represented in our society.   Not only that, but many believers who are moral believe that we are to serve God in our own strength and expect no miraculous interventions from heaven. The power of godliness for them resides only in the past.  Unfortunately, many unbelievers define Christianity by these people who carry the banner but not the reality or substance of the kingdom.

It is times like these that the power of godliness operating in the church is more critical than ever.  This power begins, of course, with faith but is also sustained by holiness. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira treat the Holy Spirit as inconsequential and bring deceit into the church. As a result God judges them and they die  -in church – in front of everyone.  We are told that great fear seized the church following that episode but also that great signs and wonders abounded and the church exploded with growth.  We also see the church being very countercultural and when political leaders told them that they could not teach or preach in the name of Jesus they simply prayed for boldness because they were committed to please God rather than men. We are told that after times of prayer and fasting when the church prayed for boldness to stand against the culture, God shook the earth and displayed his power through the church.

We live in a world where homosexual athletes and celebrities who have “come out of the closet” are celebrated and treated as heroes while sincerely committed Christians who play on the same fields and stand on the same stages are ridiculed and discriminated against.   We cannot slip into a form of godliness but deny the power of godliness ourselves by simply rolling over and giving in to the culture.  Holiness, faith, and a total commitment to please God and speak up for him must become the descriptors of this generation of believers or this nation will continue to slide into the abyss and at an accelerated rate.  So today be bold, be holy, count on the power of God and be blessed  in His name.

But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.  (Ex.8:18-20)

When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. (Ex.31:18, See also Dt.9:10)

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Lk.11:20)

This phrase, “the finger of God” shows up only four times in scripture.  The first time it speaks of the plagues on Egypt that ultimately forced Pharaoh to release the Hebrews. The second and third times referred to God writing his commandments on tablets of stone for the Hebrews and the fourth time is found in the gospels when Jesus is speaking about casting out demons. It’s an interesting phrase so I thought we might explore it.

The first three uses of the phrase are all related to the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt to the land God had promised the descendants of Abraham.  God told them over and over again that he was delivering them from slavery, oppression, and bondage in Egypt to make them a people of his own.

It’s interesting that when Jehovah sent the ten plagues on Egypt he described that judgment in the following way.  “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Ex. 12:12).  He says in another place, “The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods. (Num. 33:3-4).

Moses didn’t say that God had punished Egypt but, in fact, had brought judgment on their gods.  Scripture clearly teaches that idols are lifeless and powerless in themselves but they do represent demons. When men worship idols (false gods0 and offer sacrifices to them, they are worshipping demons and offering sacrifices to unclean spirits.  Note the following passages.

They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God—gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Dt.32:16-17)

They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations. (Lev.17:7)

They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Ps.106:36-37)

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. (1 Cor.10:20-22)

God targeted the real perpetrators of bondage over Israel and that was the demonic realm.  That realm possesses power and uses that power to possess and oppress men.  To answer the challenge of Moses, Pharaoh’s magicians through down their staffs and they became snakes.   They also turned water to blood and summoned frogs just as Moses had done. The Bible says that they had been practicing their “secret arts” or sorcery which calls upon the demonic realm to do their bidding.  It wasn’t long, however, until the magicians realized a power much greater than demons was being manifested.  But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”

Every plague that God sent was a demonstration of his power over a specific God of Egypt. He judged these demons by making it clear that they were powerless before the God of Israel and so were unworthy of any worship or sacrifice. When the text says that the plagues were the very “finger of God” of God, I believe it reveals that God was very personally involved in the redemption of Israel.  In Genesis 2, we are told that God formed Adam from the ground. The text implies that Adam was formed by a very personal touch from God who then breathed life into his nostrils.

We are told that that the Ten Commandments were written on stone tablets by the “finger of God.”  The writing of those tablets was to establish a very personal covenant between God and the Hebrews.  It was likened to a marriage covenant which God made with his bride Israel.  God did not sent a representative to establish that covenant but because was so personal it was written by his own finger.

I believe God took the enslavement of the Hebrews in a very personal way and knowing that our struggle is not against flesh and blood executed judgment on the demons who had prompted Egypt to treat the Hebrews in such a way and who had also seduced many of the Hebrews into false worship. It’s as if God stepped in front of his angels and said, “I’ll take this one.”

Then in the gospel of Luke, Jesus says that demons were being driven out by the finger of God and that deliverance was a clear sign that the kingdom of God had been released on earth.  Deliverance is setting captives free. It is a redemptive act.  It is the same as God leading his people out of bondage to demons in Egypt. He is just leading them out of bondage to demons wherever they may be.  The words of Jesus suggests that God takes deliverance very personally.  He is present and working by his own hand to execute judgment on demons who are oppressing and seducing his people, his bride.

That tells me once again that God is all about redemption and loving relationships with his people. He is not a distant God.  He is not unmoved. He is the deliverer – the redeemer.  In the Exodus story we are told that he heard the cries of his people and moved in power. In the New Testament Jesus heard the cries of his people and he moved in power. When you partner with God to break the power of the enemy in the lives of his people, you are very close to the redeemer and you are about to see the “finger of God” at work.  Be blessed today.

In these last days, God will be pouring out more of his Spirit to match (actually overmatch) the counterfeit wonders and miracles of the enemy that are coming.  Within the church, we will see a continuing growth in gifts of healings, tongues, miracles and prophecy. That is a good thing and yet there will be growing pains as men and women will attempt to operate in these gifts without the benefit of being mentored by those who are mature in the use of these gifts. Many will begin to experience these gifts in fellowships where the miraculous gifts have been denied or simply ignored.  They will not have ready access to spiritual mentors in those areas.

If you are one of these individuals who hunger after these gifts or who is beginning to experience the activation of these gifts in your life, I encourage you to ask the Spirit to direct you to spiritual mentors in the community who are mature, godly, and experienced in the operation of these gifts.  Let me warn you that strong “giftings” do not necessarily indicate mature spirituality. There are some men and women who move powerfully in gifts of healing or deliverance or even prophecy whose gifts run ahead of their spiritual maturity.  We often see that phenomenon in the natural realm with athletes, musicians, and even politicians. There giftedness brings them riches, fame, and acclaim long before their character can handle those things.  It can happen in the spiritual realm as well.  Because of that, as you seek mentors look for longevity and character in the exercise of the spiritual gifts you are seeking or experiencing more that the flamboyant fruit of someone who is “wowing” everyone with their gifts.  The mature may also amaze people with their gifts but they will carry with them the mantle of humility as well.

As we move into this time frame of an increase in the miraculous gifts of the church we will also need to be cautious and gracious with those who are very gifted but not so experienced. This may be especially true in gifts of prophecy.  Mature prophets know that the gift is given for the comfort, encouragement, and strengthening of the person receiving the word.  They know that not everything they are shown by God is to be shared with the receiver.  Some knowledge they receive is simply to set the context for the rest of the message and is not to be shared – especially in a public setting.  For instance, a prophet may be shown a sin or a traumatic event in the life of a person to set the context for what God wants spoken over them to set them free from the sin or heal the trauma. However, the sin or the trauma is not to be revealed publically and maybe not even privately.

God is not in the business of shaming or re-traumatizing the people he loves. Those who are operating in the gift without maturity or mentoring may not realize that and some people may be hurt or embarrassed by the immature exercise of these gifts.  If so, we should not dismiss the gift and we will have to have grace toward the prophet.  We will all make mistakes as we grow and cannot grow without exercising the gifts.

Some prophetic words will be right on target and some may miss the target because we “know in part and we prophesy in part.”  We will need to test the prophecy and retain what the Spirit confirms with our spirit and hold the remainder loosely.  In this season of empowering, we will need to affirm the gifts and the gifted without requiring perfection or we will quench the Spirit in our churches or in our own hearts. We will certainly need to test the spirits and the prophecies but we must do so with grace and love rather than distrust and cynicism.

For those who are desiring the miraculous gifts or beginning to experience them, as I said before, I encourage you to seek mentors in your fellowship or in another part of the body of Christ in your community – balanced, gifted, humble and mature Christians operating in these gifts.  In addition to or in place of those mentors, God is also providing this mentoring through anointed books and teachings.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of the time when the knowledge of God would cover the earth.  The spread of that knowledge is being done, in part, right now by the writing of books, teachings on DVD’s, etc.  These can also be great mentoring tools.

Of course, the question becomes which of those can be reliable mentors?  I can’t give you a list, but let me say that you should look for or listen for several indicators of spiritual maturity in the writer or teacher.

• Does the author or teacher reflect the Spirit and character of Christ – love,  joy, peace, gentleness, patience, etc?
• Does the author or teacher point you to Jesus more than the gifts?
• Does the author or teacher quote scripture responsibly or does he/she misuse the Word to validate their own ministries and personal theology?
• Is there humility in their writing or teaching rather than pride and arrogance?
• Is there a critical spirit toward others or do they love the entire body of Christ?
• After asking the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth, does the writing or teaching resonate with your spirit or trouble you?
• Do other mature Christians who accept the full ministry of the Holy Spirit recommend the book?

In the coming months and years, God will continue to pour out more and more power on his church if his church is willing to receive it and become a faithful steward of the gifts. I encourage you to be in that part of his church that does so.  These gifts will not just be healing, prophecy or miracles but amazing gifts of mercy, generosity, teaching, administration, music, wisdom, and so forth. They will be required to face the last great assaults of the enemy on planet earth. Each of us will be on a growth curve in learning how to operate in our respective gifts. Be wise but also give yourself and others grace as we growth.

Sometime before Thanksgiving I will post the recommended books you have commented on.  I would still like to continue to hear from you about the most transformative books in your life so that others can drink from the same pool.  Be blessed.

Daniel, like many others of his generation, was a victim of poor leadership in the kingdom of Judah. The wickedness of King Jehoiakim forced God to release the dogs of war and they showed up on Jerusalem’s doorstep in the form of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. After laying siege to the city and taking the king of Judah captive, Nebuchadnezzar also took the best and the brightest of Jerusalem’s young men to Babylon where they would serve the empire.

Daniel was bright and educated. He probably never expected to see Israel or his family again. His deportation suddenly and irrevocably separated him from his family and the familiar reminders of his faith – the temple, the Torah readings, the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the feast days.  It would have been easy and even “normal” for Daniel to feel abandoned by the God he had worshipped back home and even to wonder if the gods of Babylon were, indeed, more powerful than Jehovah.  It would have been “normal,” but Daniel wasn’t normal.

Within this young man was a faith and a commitment to that faith that went beyond the ordinary.  That faith, commitment and even stubbornness was revealed immediately as Daniel resolved not to partake of the “unclean” foods of Babylon even though he had been ordered to eat them.  Maybe it was the arrogance of youth that made him stand against his captors but God honored his stand and gave him favor with his overseers.

As the account of Daniel develops we see that he was given power and influence by God, even in the midst of his enemies.  He was given an amazing prophetic gift and an uncanny gift for interpreting dreams unparalleled in scripture. There is one verse in all of the Book of Daniel, however, that always catches my eye. In chapter 6, the intrigues of palace politics were rolled out.  God had given Daniel so much favor with King Darius that Darius was planning to set Daniel over the financial affairs of the whole nation. Of course, this “foreign upstart” became the object of great jealousy and resentment from the “home boys” in the palace.

In their jealousies they plotted to discredit Daniel before the king. But the text says, “At this the administrators and satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt not negligent.  Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.’”

Daniel not only had faith in the God of heaven, but integrity in every part of his life. That quality allowed God to entrust amazing spiritual gifts and influence to Daniel.  How many of us desire great gifts in the kingdom of God and, perhaps, cultural influence but fail in the test of integrity and diligence?  When these men began to turn over stones to discredit Daniel they could find no mismanagement of funds, no personal scandals, and no lack of diligence in the things that had been entrusted to him.

After they had turned over every stone and could find no dirt, they decided that they would have to find some way for the laws of Babylon to conflict with the laws of Daniel’s God. They new the man well enough to know that the faith that gave him power and influence with the king was a faith for which he was willing to go to jail or worse. Soon, Daniel found himself facing a den of liars who had no compunctions about what they were doing and who would seem to have the upper hand because he would not use his power and influence to destroy them.

You know the story.  These manipulators “conned” an egocentric king into passing a law that for thirty days, no man could pray to another god or man except Darius,  under penalty of death. Flattered by the suggestion, Darius agreed and soon these men brought reports that Daniel had been discovered praying to his God in violation of the new decree.  Darius was trapped and as much as he tried to find a loophole for Daniel he could not. Daniel was tossed into a den of hungry lions but in the morning walked out unharmed because God had sent an angel to close the mouth of the lions.

What a model for those of us who want to move in greater power and influence for the kingdom of God because those spiritual things entrusted to us and are to be governed with wisdom, diligence and integrity.  Without those character traits the show up first in the natural realm, the gifts and the influence might destroy us, wound the church, and dishonor the King we serve.

So maybe an inventory of our own integrity and diligence is in order. What could the enemies of God find in our current lives to discredit us and the God we serve? What small scandals might be lurking because of our careless words or actions? Sometimes we want to compartmentalize our life and live as if what we do or don’t do in one part has nothing to do with the other. We want to believe that we can seek God’s gifts, blessings, and influence and somehow think that the way we operate in the rest of our lives makes no difference. But the way we operate a business, pay our bills, speak truth to our customers or our spouse, relate to the opposite sex, work when the boss isn’t around, treat employees or the cashier at the convenience store has everything to do with how God will use us in his kingdom.

Jesus said, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11). The true riches Jesus spoke of are spiritual riches.  Daniel challenges me. He was not perfect, since only Jesus was perfect, but he lived a life that honored God at every level. When men rose up to destroy him they could find no basis for accusation. When his faithfulness to God set him in opposition to the state, God was there with Daniel in the darkness, as the lions grew hungrier through the night. In the morning, Daniel walked out to the delight of Darius who then honored Daniel’s God. Those who had opposed Daniel had a date with hungry lions.

In the future, as I pray for more spiritual riches from God, I will try to take account of my integrity, diligence. and excellence in the other parts of my life so that God can trust me with more. As we look at a nation that seems to be bankrupt of character, lets pray that God will raise up more men and women like Daniel who will honor God in every part of their lives and live above reproach so that He can set them in places of power and authority as well.

When I was being trained for ministry years ago, my instructors would often argue that God no longer intervened in the lives of men through miracles. The contended that we have the complete revelation of God in scripture and a sufficient record of all God’s miracles for man to believe. Therefore, miracles were no longer needed.

Of course, their view of miracles was that they were only granted for a certain season to authenticate the claims of Christ to be the Son of God and to validate the apostles so that we could believe that what they wrote and spoke was inspired by God.  Once those miracles were recorded, their function was fulfilled.

Of course, I accepted their explanation at the time because these were men who were revered as scholars and great articulators of the Word in my denomination. But looking back, I see that they had a very narrow view of miracles. The assumption that God acted in miraculous ways only to validate Jesus and a few apostles misses the point of many miracles and ignores a number of scriptures.  As you follow Jesus through the gospels he does say that the miracles he performed demonstrated that he had come from the Father.

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me.  But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (Jn.10:37-39)

And yet, many of the miracles Jesus performed were not motivated by a need or desire to prove who he was but purely out of compassion. In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus encounters a leper who asks for healing. Mark tells us that out of compassion Jesus touched him and healed him and then told him not to tell anyone how he was healed.  To the Gadarene demoniac of Mark 5, Jesus directed him to tell people how God had displayed his compassion by delivering him from his torment. In Luke 7, Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead because he felt compassion for her.

If you  chase that word “compassion” through a concordance you will see that Jesus (and the Father) were motivated to perform many miracles, including the feeding of the 5000, because they were touched by the suffering of ordinary people.  On numerous occasions Jesus told those he had healed or set free not to tell anyone. If Jesus were simply looking for validation from these miracles he would have instructed them to go tell everyone.

There is a great deal of suffering today that science, medicine, and psychology still cannot touch. I prayed for a good friend and a great Christian leader yesterday who, from a medical perspective, has terminal cancer.  The best oncology can do is buy him some time at the cost of a great deal of suffering through chemo.  We are asking for a miracle of healing because God’s heart is still touched by the suffering of his people.

To believe that God only healed, raised the dead, and cast out demons to validate the Bible is to miss his character completely. If God is good and if he is love then he cares deeply about our pain and our suffering. Miracles are simply an expression of that love and his great grace. Like salvation, miracles are not earned by our goodness or even great faith.  They are given from the compassionate heart of a Father because he cares. Miracles do not flow from our belief in what God can do but in our belief of who God is.

Certainly the side effects of miraculous healing, deliverance, provision, and protection are the praise of men, the glory of God, and the reality of Jesus. But we can believe God for miracles today because he still cares. Yes, God heals in church services and in great revivals, but he also heals in hospital rooms, living rooms, the garden department at Lowe’s, the center aisle at Wal-Mart, and, of course, at Starbucks.

He does so because of his unfailing love and compassion for hurting people.  Is everyone healed? No.  Is God’s heart for everyone to be healed?  Yes. I know that because there is no sickness in heaven where God’s will is perfectly expressed.  I know it because Jesus never turned down one person who came to him for healing. God’s will is not always done on this earth. There are also mysteries related to healing that we have yet to understand.  But many are healed, many are delivered, many are protected and provided for in miraculous ways.  And when more of God’s church begins to expect their God to work through miracles the more we will see and experience personally.  Simply put – expect miracles because it’s who God is.

I believe it was John Wimber who used to say that “faith” is spelled “r-i-s-k.” Life without risk requires no faith.  A life that truly attempts to emulate the life of Christ is full of risk.   I know couples and individuals who live in the most dangerous regions of the world to share the gospel with radical Muslims.  I know couples and individuals who lead underground house churches in China and North Korea who face the real possibility of beatings and imprisonment every day.

These are followers of Jesus who depend entirely on the power and protection of heaven for their ministries and these are also the followers who see God do amazing things on a regular basis – healings, dramatic and improbable conversions, miraculous provision, words of knowledge, miraculous protection, and so on.  If you attend a church that is involved in world missions at any level you have heard similar stories.

As you heard those stories you probably applauded these great men and women of faith but thought that such a life of risk and miracles was beyond you.  You may have thought that you would love to see the power of God manifested in such ways but assume such miracles are reserved for missionaries in third world countries. Or, perhaps, a bit of cynicism deep in your heart questioned whether these “Acts-like” moves of God actually happen anywhere anymore.  After all, you have never seen such things with your own eyes.

Here is the thing. The economy of heaven is abundant but not wasteful.  The power of God is not poured out where it is not needed and it is not needed where there is no risk. I will also tell you that “risk” comes in many forms for believers and not just in third world nations.  Believing God and acting on that belief is risky even in America.  We typically don’t risk death or imprisonment (although that seems to be on our horizon) but we do risk rejection, embarrassment, and disappointment when we pray for miracles.

Christianity that believes our faith is simply about living moral lives, fatalistically accepting the ebb and flow of life on a fallen world, and first experiencing the power of God at the resurrection takes no faith beyond believing that Jesus died for our sins. A greater and more biblical level of faith is required when you begin to ask for miracles and even more when you begin to participate in those miracles.

Even in America, acting in faith involves risk. Sharing your faith with a close friend or family member risks rejection and damaging the relationship.  Sharing your faith with a stranger also risks rejection and ridicule or suddenly feeling the responsibility of helping a new Christian grow and deal with all the baggage.

Praying for actual miracles in the realm of healing, broken marriages, children lost to addictions, and provision risks disappointment. What if the person you prayed for isn’t healed? What if the marriage isn’t saved? What if your child continues living on the street fighting addiction?  How do you handle that?  What do you think about God and his promises regarding prayer?  What do you think about your own faith and your own relationship with God?

When you step out in faith there is risk and some of the risk is found in your own disappointment if you don’t see your prayers answered as you anticipated.  Then like Jacob, you have to wrestle with God, your faith, and your theology.  Do you keep on praying for supernatural healing even after your loved one dies? Do you keep praying for troubled marriages even though one still ended in divorce? Do you keep trying to believe God for your child?  Faith says, “yes,” even in the face of past disappointment.

If you are a believer who only expects the ordinary and only prays for the ordinary you will rarely face disappointment or a crisis of faith. You will rarely wrestle with your understanding of God. But stepping out and asking for the extraordinary like praying for supernatural healing in a hospital room where everyone else is praying for an easy passing is risky.  But that is what faith does and that is when God shows up in supernatural ways – even in America.

I believe the reason we don’t see the miraculous move of God in America as we do in third world nations is that we often have been trained not to ask for miracles so we “have not because we ask not.” Sometimes it is because we trust in science and medicine rather than the God who created the very things science has not yet understood.  We often pray as if God’s ability can only match what science and medicine can do in the natural and so we only ask God to do what science and medicine can do without him.  Sometimes we fail to ask because we don’t want to seem extreme or weird to our religious friends.

God does not pour out power when his people make no demand on that power.  The demand comes when they ask for the impossible in the name of Jesus.  If you want to see God move in amazing ways, you must place yourself in risky positions where nothing happens unless God shows up.  At some point, the joy of being willing to risk will overwhelm the fear that was once attached to that risk.  As go further into deep water with Jesus, we will see greater and greater things.  So…swallow hard and ask big. It is absolutely God’s will for your life.