Right now everything is changing – the Scientific Revolution and the information age have plummeted all of   us  into unprecedented change in every area of our lives! And, change is especially happening in the Church! As ministers and believers in this time of extraordinary change, it is imperative that we have the wisdom to know what changes to keep and what to discard!

    There are two sides to this change! The first component of change concerns the precious ideals that we must value and keep. Let’s call them lawful    BOUNDARIES. A boundary indicates a proper border or limit. In other words, there must be rock solid unalterable truths and we must continue to honor the Word of God as sacrosanct.

1. Proper “BOUNDARIES” are indisputable Theological Truths that will never change.

There are unmovable Truths of Scriptures that must be treasured and cherished, they must be defended and fortified. They are the genuine, rightful, and legitimate ethics and principles that must be upheld.

Here are a few of my essential main beliefs. I believe in:

1. One God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Creator of all things.
2. The centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ and personal salvation by free will choice (volition) through His shed blood.
3. The inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God. The rightly translated Word of God is inviolable and irrefutable! 
4. The Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit. Eternal security. The finished work of Redemption which includes the defeat of the devil by the cross.
5. Ongoing and progressive salvation and sanctification (that includes integrity, legitimate moral standards, and principles of Christ-like character).
6. The literal personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ — and also in the potential of Christ-likeness returning amidst the many-membered corporate believer.

Truth doesn’t ever change. God never changes. But our understanding of Who God is and understands the language of Scripture, WE do progress. And, as we proceed further into comprehending Truth, our capacity and perspective increases and changes.

Every minister must deliver the most theologically sound information available. The God who dwells in our midst, gives us keys to unveil and activate His powerful purposes and unlock the believer’s potential to profoundly impact the world.

Apostolic ministers and leaders have the crucial privilege maintain fundamental integrity during this time of reform and revolution! We have the mandate to preserve desirable BOUNDARIES by modeling ethical, decent, honest, reliable, and principled behavior. We also have the obligation to teach and uphold these unmovable truths that must remain as  our prized standards and BOUNDARIES.

 2. BARRIERS

A BARRIER blocks, obstructs, or impedes. A barrier can separate or hold apart. It can restrain (like a fence or gate). Barriers are issues like: ineffective religious tradition, needless rhetoric, and old mentalities of archaic paradigms. Every incorrect and limiting barrier MUST be taken down and corrected. Among these barriers are:

INDIVIDUAL BARRIERS. We must confront that lens of superstition, false emotionalism, and limiting ideas that restrain and keep believers from being fully self-expressed and released into their destiny.

SOCIAL, GENDER, and RACIAL BARRIERS. Barriers against the equality of personhood must be removed. We equally esteem one another because the image of God is fully expressed in all people. Every believer can individually express full Truth. Equality and unity of the Body can only be expressed through diversity.

DOCTRINAL AND DENOMINATIONAL BARRIERS. We must NOT camp at the doorstep of ineffective rigid controls, or cultural superstitions, or useless routines that become obstacles to the purposes of God.

Briefly, a closer study of the original Greek shows several facts that contradict several man-made doctrines:

• God is not vengeful. God is good. He doesn’t tempt us with evil. He loves us. He forgives us. He wants us to LIVE victoriously in His sight!
• The first Church was full of BIG thinkers! Nobody in the early church was poverty minded. He loves to bless and prosper us.
• They were not Levitical.
• The first leaders were appointed as apostles and not priests.
• They were not looking to escape – no matter how difficult life became.
• They were not fearful of man’s opinion.
• They did not cower or even bother to spiritually map the devil.
• They were willing to die for what they believed.
• And, the Power of the Holy Spirit impacted in even greater measure than we have imagined! He wants to heal us. It is His will that we are whole in our spirit, soul, and body.

His Kingdom is expanding! His Kingdom is WITHIN US. This is the glorious day of the RADICAL RENNOVATION OF OUR BELIEF SYSTEMS. The Lord reveals to us fresh and unheard truth that speaks of unprecedented newness. It requires vast structural and governmental changes. Present Truth won’t fit any past mold or definition. As BARRIERS break, it is with fervent expectation that we grasp the exploding and immeasurable revelation of a God who loves us and Who lives in the NOW! 

It was the mission of Jesus to tear down every barrier of religion and replace it with Himself! We must maintain the righteous God-given BOUNDARIES and at the same time combat the counterfeit and illegitimate BARRIERS so that the Lord can lead us in dynamic and vibrant ways that resonate with His intentions.

We who live in this moment of time, have the incredible opportunity to transition into the Apostolic New Day of the Church!   

Dr. Kluane Spake       http:/kluane.org  /  spake@mindspring.com

The Disciple Who Leaned on Jesus’ Bosom 

 By  Ron Cottle

         During my days in Graduate School, I was taught that “the disciple who leaned on Jesus’ breast” was John Mark, child-son of Mary of Jerusalem, writer of the second Gospel.[1] However, recently I have changed my mind. Some of the reasons include a strong look at the actual biblical texts in John’s Gospel. They seem to prove that the writer of the fourth Gospel and “the disciple who leaned on Jesus’ bosom” are one and the same individual. These passages are John 13:21-30; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:24. We shall return to each of these shortly.

               The opinion that John Mark is “the leaning disciple” makes sense to a 20^th and 21^st century western American male mind-set. It is at least awkward to think that Jesus and John, two full-grown men would sit or recline in each other’s bosom! It’s a picture we just don’t like to think about. The word translated “bosom” is kolpos and is “lap” as used by Rudolf Meyer in Kittel’s massive Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.[2]    

               However, the other picture is of the man Jesus holding on His lap the young boy, John Mark, nephew or cousin of Barnabas, son of Mary, Jesus’ hostess in the upper room at Jerusalem with His disciples. He held the fatherless child while He taught and socialized with His disciples at Mary’s house. This is a much more appealing picture. Jesus’ temperament was surely one that would attract the fatherless child hungry for adult male affection and also lead Jesus to give him attention while enjoying the residence and hospitality of his mother.

 JESUS’ BOSOM

                A good study of Jesus’ bosom in biblical Greek tells another story. According to Thayer, bosom is kolpos (κόλπος) and means literally “the front of the body between the arms.”[3] Metaphorically, however, it was used in several other ways. One of these is one’s regular place at the table during dinner (deipnon – δειπνον) – the main evening meal at which the participants recline on couches and require two hours or more. John 13 where Jesus washed the disciples’ feet was such a meal and teaching time.

               Meyer says “At a meal kolpos is the place of the guest of honor.”[4] Thayer says “(It is used of) the one who so reclines at the table that his head covers the bosom as it were, the chest, of the one next to him.”[5]

               So this kolpos was the place of honor. What was John’s honor that allowed him the special seat next to Jesus in their times of teaching and ministry and social life? This is a question of fascination to which we must return.

               However, before we do, it is important to note that the exquisite Luke, a precise historian and philologist, said in Luke 16:23: εν τοις κολποις τον αβρααμ ειπαι “to be in the bosom of Abraham.” By this is meant “to obtain the seat next to Abraham or to be a partaker of the blessing of Abraham.” Verse 22 sets up this meaning by saying that Lazarus the Beggar and not Dives the Rich Man was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom – paradise, a place of honor and reward.

               In the Book of Maccabees IV: 13:16, we read “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were received up into Abraham’s bosom (kolpos).” This came to mean not only paradise in the after-life but also a place of special favor with another.[6] In John 1:18, the author uses this same expression of Jesus Himself in His relation to God the Father: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom (kolpos) of the Father, He hath declared (exegeo – exegeted, interpreted) Him.” Here is an expression of the closest, most intimate relation with another—Jesus lived in the bosom of the Father.

               This place of honor and appreciation means surely that John, the disciple who wrote the fourth Gospel and four other books of the New Testament, was Jesus’ special “go-to-guy.” He was the one who paid more attention to His person while the others paid greater attention to His purposes. In other words, Jesus had a “leader’s special servant,” an assistant who made things happen for the leader.

               How convenient and logical this is, and how true to biblical history! Moses had his special servant and apprentice, Joshua. Elijah had Elisha to see that the immediate needs of the leader were met as he led, taught, and directed the “Sons of the Prophet” groups. It is likely that this was God’s purpose for David[7] with Saul when he was called to be the king’s armor-bearer. But Saul rejected David and tried to thwart God’s will through jealousy and nepotism.

               It is also the position of Joseph with Potiphar and ultimately Pharaoh. The Hebrew had a special word for such a personal servant to a leader. It is shareth – a noun from the verb sharath – “to serve, attend, or wait on a leader.” It is used several times in the Old Testament of those who serve the leader, are closest to him, and are his apprentice.

               This seems to be the acknowledged position of John among the Twelve. In John 13:21 after Jesus had washed the feet of all the disciples and taught them about servant-leadership (13:1-20), He became troubled (agitated) in spirit and said, “…one of you will betray me” (v. 21). All were wondering of whom He spoke. So Simon Peter, the leader under Jesus of the Twelve, beckoned to the one reclining next to Jesus (“the one whom He loved”) that he should ask Him. When John did so, Jesus answered, “He it is to whom I will give a sop (piece of vegetable or bread) when I have dipped it.” When He gave it to Judas, John then knew of whom He spoke.

               So John was Jesus’ shareth, His personal servant and armor-bearer.[8] That this was, in fact, John the Apostle who wrote the fourth Gospel, and not John Mark who wrote the second Gospel as I earlier thought, is proven by the following passage.

And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. (John 13:27-30)

               John was close enough to be aware of Jesus’ words to Judas when He gave him the morsel and said, “What thou doest, do quickly.” John then adds that the others did not know what Jesus meant by these words. However, John knew.  John the Apostle was Jesus’ Shareth:[9]

                A brief look at the following passages in John’s Gospel will show clearly that the “Leaning Disciple” was the Apostle John himself.  John 19:26: When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! At the cross during Jesus’ suffering there were three women named Mary. There was His mother Mary, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Jesus’ mother’s sister, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25). Only John of the Twelve was present at Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:26).

      John heard Jesus say to His mother, “Woman, behold thy son!” And then He said to John, “Behold thy mother!” And from that hour the disciple (whom He loved) took her (Mary) as his own mother.[10]      John 20:2: Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. After Jesus’ burial and early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene came and stationed herself at the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. She saw that the stone had been removed from the mouth of the grave. She ran and told Simon Peter and John. John outran Peter to the tomb but did not go in. Peter, when he arrived, burst into the tomb and found it empty of a body. Then John went in “and he saw and believed” (v. 8). John was the first to arrive at the empty tomb and the first to believe – pisteuo – have saving faith in the resurrection of Jesus.

               John 21:7: Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. This event is set in Galilee, the home and workplace of Jesus’ disciples. They had returned to their earlier occupation of fishing. But on the first morning Jesus appeared to them and directed them to a miraculous catch of fish. It was John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”) who said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Again John was the first to recognize the resurrected Lord. Surely this is because as His armor-bearer, he knew Jesus’ idiosyncrasies better than anyone.

               John 21:23: Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is a part of the passage which records Jesus’ commissioning of Peter and His re-establishment of him as chief shepherd of the fledgling ekklesia and band of apostles. When He prophesied Peter’s martyrdom (v. 19), Peter asked about John, who was following Jesus as he was accustomed to do (v. 21). Jesus’ answer was short and to the point. He said in effect, that’s not your concern, Peter. Take care of your assignment (vv. 22-23).

               John 21:24: This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. This is the final reference in the fourth Gospel to “the disciple who…wrote these things…” In other words, the disciple who “leaned on Jesus’ bosom” is the same one who wrote the fourth Gospel. So, that was John the Apostle and not John Mark, son of Mary of Jerusalem. John the Apostle was Jesus’ armor-bearer and special spiritual son, closer to Him than any other.

finis 

Jesus

This is the revelation of Apostolic SONSHIP:

The Divine PATTERN is not for us to remain as servants, but to become grown up SONS and joint heirs.

Our success does not come through the popularity of our name or ministry, but rather in building God’s purposes with impact and influence. We should influence with Kingdom perspective everywhere and in ever arena of life. However, individually, we can only reach a limited sphere.

To increase our reach (metron), we reproduce ourselves in SONS (not gender defined, meaning both men and women) who are able to carry the vision.

Having spiritual SONS is NOT about leaving our personal legacy (or our own generational legacy). It’s also not so we can have a big apostolic network. Rather, it is all about building God’s generational intentions in this world.

Every believer is a son (teknon, child). But Romans tells us that “all creation is anxiously looking to see the Manifestation of the (grown up huious) SONS of God. ” The world wants to see the grown up SON eating strong meat – not believers (sons) still dribbling pabulum down their bib.

Jesus is NEVER called the ‘teknon’ of God (i.e. one whom God has given birth to or brought into existence) but is always referred to as the ‘huios’ SON of God. Jesus is the SON as a manifestation of His relationship with the Father or the expression of His character.

We mentor our sons until they become SONS — so that they can expand and multiply the Kingdom, and in turn, to mentor others.

While we are spiritual earthly parents, God is their heavenly Father. Our spiritual children are corporately His SONS.

Our “Metron” (effective scope or reach) of authority is enlarged and increased by the effective growth of our SONS. Together, with them, we accomplish the will of God without hierarchy.

The SONS minister out of sonship (being a SON).

Wherever they go, true SONS establish the order and culture of the Kingdom of heaven upon this earth (Mat. 6:10).

SONS are graced with the gifts of their parents. That DNA propels them to expand this dream while also fulfill their own calling.

SONS are given Kingdom authority on this world, in order to fulfill Kingdom purposes.

SONS advance from being Disciples to being Apostles.

SONS have the authority to release Heaven onto this Earth (Matt. 16:19).

SONS move from faith to FAITH and from glory to GLORY.

SONS proceed from being Disciples to being Apostolic.

SONS move past being Observers to becoming Benefactors.

SONS progress from being Onlookers to Pioneers.

SONS shift from being just Followers to Advancers.

SONS advance from the Resurrection to being the Resurrected.

SONS develop from being team members to being Team Leaders.

SONS progress from being Servants to being Soldiers.

SONS advance from being Believers to Kingdom Strategists.

SONS grow from being Heirs to Triumphant Rulers of their inheritance.

SONS move from being ordinary Christians to becoming those chosen as Christ focused Truth Bearers for Kingdom Impartation, Influence, and Release.

This is the beginning!

Dr. Kluane Spake © 2012   http://kluane.org

Dr. Kluane Spake is a member of ICA. She is a highly sought after conference speaker and learned theologian who walks in the Spirit. Her apostolic ministry has strengthened and challenged thousands of people to be all they can be in Christ. Contact: spake@mindspring.com 

People in today’s world are insecure for many reasons, and rightly so in most cases. People have been abandoned as children, deserted by mates, victimized on the streets and some have been the object of terrorist attacks. Schools, Churches, Shopping Malls and even Military Bases have been the scene of carnage from mass murderers. With the constant threat of nuclear bombs going off in different parts of the world, insecurity is an international problem.

 In the midst of this dire problem, there is a place of security for all who will enter in. Solomon said, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe”, Proverbs 18:10. The word “safe” here means “inaccessible”. Apostle Paul taught us that this safe place was “In Christ”. Writing to the Romans, Paul shared three aspects of the security provided for us by our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. The following passage reveals these three “faith builders” in great clarity.

 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans 8:31-35

 There is NO SHORTAGE. “….how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” There is no reason to be insecure when it comes to provision in spirit, soul or body; God has told us He will not withhold any need from us. We needed a Redeemer and Father God did not withhold, even when it meant sending His Only Begotten Son. This is the clearest statement of God’s willingness to meet every need of our lives in every area of our lives. We can “rest assured” it will be done according to His promise. We should develop an “abundance mentality” and never entertain an “attitude of lack” which rests securely on the Word of God.

 There is NO SHAME. “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?” God has justified us; there is no need to be insecure in our acceptance by Him. Through the Blood of Jesus Christ we have been declared “not guilty” by the Judge of all the Earth, so who can bring a charge against us that will hold up in God’s court. Paul said, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God..“, by this he meant we are secure in our relationship with Him, we need not fear rejection while we live by faith in the finished work of Christ. This kind of assurance is the atmosphere in which great faith is developed like we see demonstrated in the life of Christ who said at the Tomb of Lazarus, “Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and that thou hearest me always”. No condemnation here but a consciousness of being totally right with God and confident of being heard by Him.

 There is NO SEPARATION. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” There are many people, things and demons that seek to separate the vital relationships of our lives and cause us to doubt the love of others. Paul says that even though we may be experiencing troubles and distresses of many types, none of these things indicate that God’s love for us has changed. Satan tells us that “God doesn’t care, or even love us” when we are going through hardships in our lives. On the contrary, our loving Christ shares the pain with us as we bump up against the evils of this world in our daily lives. God’s love for us never changes simply because God is Love, He loves us not because of something in us that incites that love, but because of Who He is. God’s love is always radiating out from Him to us regardless of the circumstances we may find ourselves in. It is when we believe in His love for us that faith arises in our hearts to trust for His deliverance.

 These are some of the apostolic truths needing to be instilled in the hearts of today’s believers who must live in uncertain times and advance theKingdomofGodin the Earth. 

 Dr. John Polis  © 2012

                                                      Igniting Your Destiny

               A Strategic Word for 2012 

                    By John P. Kelly

  Opportunities will come to you this year that you need to catch! And not miss!

 God has assigned opportunities to you. Opportunities you don’t want to miss and later regret.

 It’s not what’s done unto you that can hurt you this year, but what you don’t do that will hurt you. The Opportunities you miss can hurt you much more.

 I believe many people are just waiting for God to do something unto them. But God responds to seekers and movers.

 Zacchaeas was a man of action. He heard that Jesus was coming toJericho (Luke 19: 1-10) and went to great effort to be sure he could see him. He climbed up a sycamore tree. He didn’t care that the entire town despised him because he was the rich tax collector; he moved towards the goal to see Jesus. Zacchaeas was actively seeking more. He positioned himself to be found. And he was discovered by Jesus; the discovery lead to his moment of opportunity.

  The effort got Jesus’ attention and he took action because this was their divine appointed moment. The rest is history—not only did Zacchaeas get blessed, the entire town benefited from the encounter. Zacchaeas’ heart was convicted so much; he gave the poor half of his wealth and paid everyone back four times what he took!  

 Doing nothing is the invisible mistake we too often make. It is a sin of omission rather than commission. Fulfilling your destiny requires commission – cooperation with God’s mission for you. A commission must be acted upon. It will affect not only you, but the world around you.

 Action often involves risk. Taking a risk requires courage. Zacchaeas had to climb a tree so he could see. He took the risk; evaluated how he could get up the tree, and hung on until Jesus came by. Jesus noticed the courage, the determination, the will-power of Zacchaeas. He rewarded the risk by telling Zacchaeas he would go to his home that very moment, to dine and fellowship with him.

 Others such as Mary, the woman who in the midst of ridicule poured oil on Jesus feet and the men who broke open a roof to let their friend down in front of Jesus all took a risk, like Zacchaeas. They kept their eyes on the goal, not the obstacles. Risk born out of great determination is courage, the Old Testament word for faith.  Jesus honors faith, courage, and determination. They are the keys that help set your stage for God’s opportunities; his divine appointments.

 God has not given you (us) a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (clear thinking (2 Tim. 1:7).  Courage and love are powers that enable you to stand up for your moral and other value principles. The lack of courage is what typically causes people to not act on principles or seek and step into opportunities. They operate in a spirit of fear.                

Courage is not the lack of fear. Men in combat are full of fear, but chose to act courageously—even when scared to death. What motivates them to act instead of shrink back?

• The cause is greater than their feelings and their values more powerful.
• Their passion breaks the internal and external barriers.
• This is the igniting of faith, determination, and guts that empower the ability to perform.
• This separates the winners and losers.

                                    This is where heroes are born.

 Your life is a journey with a destination. Most would say life’s entire destination ends in death. Sure it does. “For it is appointed once for all men to die.”  But Jesus says what we do in life for him is what lasts, FOREVER. It is not burned up, these are our crowns presented to God.

 It’s a ‘wisdom truth’ that you are called to more than die, you are called to fulfill a destiny. Destiny is the destination prior to leaving life. Fulfilling your Destiny is an achievement. It is designed to produce a profound effect on others.

  I don’t want to be remembered for what I died OF, but rather for what I lived FOR.

 Variations on a Theme

 Recently I was listening to Hayden’s ‘Variations on a Theme” done by Brahms. I remember hearing this piece of music during a music appreciation course in college. I really like this unique piece because it sounds like it could be some nation’s national anthem, before it switches to another variation.  

 This year will be ‘Variations on a Theme” for you.  Instead of change being thrust on you that you must react and adjust to—you will become a generator of change.

 This year, you will generate internal changes that will generate the external results; to establish destinations of achievements that will lead towards your destiny.

 Your course gets set this year towards your destiny.  Your destiny has been pre-determined not by you, but by God.

 This time next year, you will arrive at another destination of achievement. Your ‘measure’ will have increased. “But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you” (2 Cor. 10:13 KJV).

                                                      A ‘CLEAR YEAR’

 Let me make this clear, this is not the year you arrive at your destiny destination, this is the year you come out of a confusing 2011 to a CLEAR YEAR.

  A ‘clear year’ is one where you ‘see’ what the destiny is, understand what you must do, and change to make it happen. A ‘clear year’ is also a seeking year and a discovering year. Discovering your pre-ordained purpose; that’s your destination this year

 A ‘Clear Year’ is a year of Convergence.  Convergence is when all your skills, experience, education, and spiritual gifts come together and you discover your God-given assignment.

 Convergence is when everything God put in you unites—Igniting you – to fulfill your destiny!

Jesus came to his ‘clear year’ at age 30 by calling the twelve men to follow him and become his disciples. Then things began to really change. His destiny was ignited. 2012 is such a year for you.

 A journey has a series of destinations (achievements). DO NOT despise the small achievements for together they have a compounding effect towards your destiny. If Zacchaeas could push past those who he knew disliked him to get to ‘see’ Jesus, don’t you think Jesus wants us to ‘push past’ the fears, the doubts, the anxiety, the failures of the past so we can ‘see’ our destiny?  Of course he does, and he is cheering us on to make it, to reach out, to achieve a successful destiny. But we must act. Like Peter: step on the water, keep your eyes on Jesus, and he will support you.

 This is David’s story. Every gift came forth as David stepped up and acted his faith. He was anointed to be King. He served in Saul’s court. He killed Goliath. He became a hero. He united Israel. He was the ‘apple of God’s eye.’ And Jesus came from the line of David.

 Only Peter walked on water. Even when he started to drown, Jesus lifted him up. He is a hero that has been talked about for 2,000 years. That’s a lasting destiny.

 Now is the year to climb the tree, step out on the water, and claim your destiny.

• Be Proactive
• Be an Achiever
• Be God’s Champion
• Be all that you can be for the King and the Kingdom!  

I am praying for you to see, hear, and do your destiny this year:  Ignite!

 I want you to pray this affirmation right now: “I have a destiny and it will not be denied me. I am on a destiny life course that will glorify my God, my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He is King of Kings and I will be one of His kings!”

 For more strategies and wisdom, see my new website: http://www.leadtoachieve.com

 Building together with Him and you,

 John P. Kelly

Founder, LEAD and Convening Apostle, ICA

“Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD;
point out the right road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me.”
Psalm 25:4

LEAD 

PO Box 820067    Ft. Worth, TX 76182   

O: (817) 232-5815

“The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.

Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity”, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 MSG

“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,” Romans 1:5 NKJV

Biblical apostleship will bring about “obedience to the faith”, rather than obedience to “warped philosophies” because the apostolic anointing is a powerful tool of the Spirit that can demolish the lies of the enemy with a wisdom that cannot be disputed. This kind of wisdom is a mark of maturity among those who have lived a life of obedience to Christ as Lord.

Having been delivered from the “spirit of disobedience” inherited from Adam (Ephesians 2:1-4), the new believer in Christ should be taught the necessity of “learning obedience” (Hebrews 5:8) immediately upon conversion.

Our inherited blessings can be obtained thru faith that comes by hearing the Word of God, but “maturity” can only come thru obedience, the kind of maturity that can wield the apostolic tools of demolition that are needed for the challenge we face in a “crooked and perverse generation”.

Jesus as a young man entered the synagogue attempting to use the powerful tools of ministry among the sophisticated religious leaders of the day because he had obtained “knowledge” as a Jewish lad studying the Scriptures. However, as we can read from the passage in Luke 2:42-52, Jesus was not yet “mature” enough to enter the arena of battle where he was called to wage apostolic warfare.

After he returned with his parents to Nazareth and “became subject (obedient) to them, he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”, Luke 2:50-52. Jesus learned to obey from youth and developed the mature wisdom necessary as a result of that obedience.

Where are the apostolic people today that can carry the “tools of ministry” into the arena of battle being waged on the Seven Mountains of Culture? They come from the ranks of those who have learned obedience from the early stages of development and have the wisdom to wage a good warfare. Jesus manifested this wisdom on the Mount of Temptation when the devil left him looking for a better opportunity that never did appear. He manifested this wisdom when facing the bitter Pharisees who sought to trap him by twisting the Word of God to their own meaning. In every instance Jesus’ reply was, “The Wisdom of God has said….” As apostolic leaders in today’s Church, we must restore the message of “obedience” so that we can produce the kind of mature people that can be “sent forth” to “take the land”. It is vital to teach God’s people the Apostolic Faith Message so that they can receive all of their inheritance, but it is just as vital to teach Apostolic Obedience so that wisdom and maturity can be developed in our generation. Maturity only comes through obedience.

Dr. John Polis © 2011 Revival Fellowship International

     Transitions are tough at best. Leaving the familiar, the tried and true, for the unknown or the untested is not something you want to do often. But when there is a mega-shift in the heavens that calls for moving from one level or one lifestyle to another, it simply must be done. Not to move with the Spirit is to lose His presence and power in one’s daily life and work.

The Bridge

God always provides the right bridge for a true, spiritual mega-shift in your life. Unless or until that bridge appears, it is foolish and perhaps even disobedient to attempt the transition. One of the basic lessons that longevity in ministry teaches one is this: 90% of the Will of God is timing.

The Timing

It is one thing to know what to do next or where to go or even with whom. It is another to know when. Doing the will of God out of His perfect timing will birth an Ishmael and not an Isaac! If Abraham taught us anything through his failures, it was that! (Genesis 16:1-16)

Usually the bridge for a ministry transition is another person. Of course, there are times when God will simply dry up Cherith in order to get us to go to Zeraphath. But usually He uses someone to guide us in the shift. (I Kings 17:7-9)

Samuel

David experienced a number of shifts – transitions in his life. But two stand out above the rest. The first occurred when God sent Samuel the Prophet to the house of his father Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. He lined up all Jesse’s great sons, seven of them. But the honest and accurate prophet chose none of them. He was tempted because of the appearances of some, but God told him, “No.” The Lord said, “You are looking on the outward appearance, but I am looking on the inward.”

So Samuel turned to Jesse and said, “Are all your sons here?” “No,” he replied because he had another, probably illegitimate son, who was tending sheep like a hired servant and not a son. He was summoned and God said to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him for this is he!” It became the greatest transition of David’s life.

Possibility Awakening

It was a time of “possibility awakening” in David’s life. There is no record that he had ever thought of or prayed for more than the life of a shepherd with his father’s sheep. But now, once Samuel threw down the bridge to the future, David was awakened to the possibility God had planted within him. Never could he go back from this mega-shift moment! Psalm 139, written about the period soon after David’s anointing, shows how David’s inner world changed that fateful day. That anointing by God through Samuel was the bridge to David’s future.

Nathan

A second mega-shift came in David’s life many years later after his fall with Bathsheba. He sinned grievously and blasphemed and embarrassed God, Israel, and his own family. All of this came by his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. But God saw his wilting, dying heart and knew he was capable of a great repentance and a world-shaking future.

So again God threw down a bridge in the person of Nathan, the prophet. He was a man who loved David and could command his attention and his confidence. “Thou are the man!” he said. Like the rock of David that brought down Goliath, these words felled David himself in his tracks. He crashed like a tree cut down in the wilderness. To go forward there was no passage except over this bridge – Nathan.

But Nathan’s loving accusation was God’s bridge from sin and bitterness to forgiveness and new life. It was “transition time” again for David.

God is faithful to send us bridges who will help us to shift from “a way that seems right unto man but leads to death” to a road that brings us back to God and His destiny and anointing in our lives.

Paul

The same mega-shifts occurred in Paul’s life. He was a self-righteous, legalistic Jew early in his life, driven to “become somebody” within the Judaism of his day. Bent on using the new “people of the way” as a bridge toward fame and power in his religious tradition, he set off for Damascus to persecute and hurt these ignorant “sectarians.”

Ananias

On the road to Damascus, God shined a great light around him and Paul fell to the ground. He was blinded for 3 days and led by the hand into Damascus. While there in blindness and fasting, God spoke to him and sent Ananias to throw down a bridge into the future for Saul of Tarsus.

When Ananias laid hands on Saul, “immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scabs” and he received his sight and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. (cf. Acts 9:17) Paul was enabled to see not just the physical things around him, but he could also now see spiritually as he never had before. (cf. Acts 9:21-22)

Ananias had become Paul’s bridge in his great transition from one level to another, one life-style to the next.

Barnabas

Finally, like David, Paul experienced another transition when he was rejected by both the Jews who were angry at his conversion to “The Way,” and by the followers of Jesus who feared that their arch-persecutor was not all he now claimed to be. Paul had retreated to Tarsus, his home town, to figure it all out and hear more clearly from God. He also needed to know God’s timing for the launch of his ministry. After nearly 12 years of soul searching, prayer, and study (cf. Gal. 1:11-24), Barnabas came to Tarsus to bring Saul into Antioch and his future ministry. (cf. Acts 11:22-26)

Here it was again – God’s bridge of transition for Saul the Seeker after God to Paul the Preacher of Christ. Barnabas opened the door of destiny for Paul that allowed him to become the greatest voice and influence in the history of the church except only Jesus Himself.

Transitions – nothing is more important. The most critical time in a relay race is not the when a powerful runner is striding toward the next runner or the final lap in the race. It is the transition time when the baton is passed from one runner to the next. If the baton is dropped, the months of practice, the strength training, the endurance exercises are all for nothing.

It is imperative that transitions are made carefully and correctly in Kingdom matters as well. Few seasons have been as pivotal as the present. Mega-shifts in ministry are taking place all around us. Thousands of sincere and anointed men and women of God of one generation are passing the baton of leadership and anointing to the next. Every day the old are stepping back and the young are being beckoned forward to cross the bridge and accept the call to take up the mantle and move the work of God forward in a new era. May God enable us to draw out key principles of transition to help us cross the God-given bridges into the future and the perfect will and work of God.

It is time for the “sons of Issachar” among us to lay out principles of transition that are critical in bridging the anointing from one generation to the next, one older man or woman of God to another who is younger and better equipped to face the rising generation. I can think of no more urgent need today.

Ronald E. Cottle, Ph. D., Ed. D.
Founder and President
Christian Life Educators Network
www.CLENetwork.org

           All over the world the Spirit of God is causing sincere believers to re-examine how we “DO CHURCH.”  It is no longer about size…small groups…spiritual gifts…or seeker sensitivity.  It’s about making a significant and sustainable difference in the lives and families of our communities and cities!  There is a growing awareness that we cannot continue to do the “same old things” and get different results!  If we want to be “Salt and Light” as God meant us to be, we must do something different and be something different!

           Community transformation will not be accomplished alone by spiritual services, powerful preaching, musical masterpieces, or choir cantatas—as good as these are.  The church today needs a “Churchquake” of seismic proportions if it is going to be all and do all that the third Millennium requires!

           I define “Churchquake” as a paradigm shift!  A “paradigm” is a model consisting of shared assumptions of what is true or what works!  A “paradigm shift” is “a moment of ‘AHA!’ when one sees things in a new light and can never go back to the old ways again!”

           The first paradigm shift we need is a shift from building walls to building bridges!  Matthew 5:13-14 states, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”  The root of this first paradigm shift is to ask ourselves this question:  How do we as the church see ourselves in relation to our community?  Most churches see themselves as outside the community inviting people to “come into the church and out of the ‘world’ and be separate.”  As the Church, we must begin to see ourselves as inside the community as an agent of change and transformation!  Being “separate” in values and lifestyle is not the same as being “isolated” from those God has called us to love and reach.

           Here is a real example from a church in a mid-western state.  One day a pastor became “fed up” with the marginalization of his church within his city.  He knew that his people had what thousands needed and desired but did not know how to find.  So he made an appointment with the mayor and asked one question, “How can we help you?”

           The mayor gave him a list of “Challenges Facing the City.”  He went back to his church and asked them one question, “What can we do that will cause people of this city to say that God is here and at work in this city for no one could do these things if God were not with him?”  This simple leadership act made that Church no longer a “walled-in clique,” but a “bridge-building church” to the community God called it to love and influence!

      Since then, in just four years, one hundred other churches joined that one!  Five thousand volunteers built bridges into their city by building parks and playgrounds, refurbishing fifty schools, setting records for Red Cross Blood donations, enlisting thousands of new organ donors, offering scores of “Life Skill Classes” on finance, marriage, aging, parenting with over 5,000 attending, and donating nearly $1,000.000 to human service organizations for at risk youth.

      All of this leads to one conclusion:  once a church makes the mental shift from “set apart” to “Salt and Light,” it is limited only by its imagination and creativity in how it can serve and transform its community and city!

      But a legitimate question arises.  “Is this what the church is – a social service organization?”  Of course not!  The Church is the visible expression of the Kingdom of God in the earth!  Well, then, is it not enough to stand there separate and “over against” the community (the world) and “throw the Gospel like a rock” at it?  No!  It is not enough.  Jesus’ command was to “go into the world-system and make disciples…”  We must do everything in our power to earn the right to shine our light (the Word of God) and sprinkle our salt (the Spirit of God) in our city!

     When we have “made His praise glorious” by our good deeds and people see them and begin to “glorify our Father who is heaven,” the door will be open to plant the seed of Christ’s love that will heal hurting hears, mind shattered, restore broken families, and transform our city from within!  This is our mission!  This is why God has placed us in our city!

      Let’s stop just providing ministry programs and worship services for our community and earn the right to penetrate our community as “Salt and Light” to offer help, healing, and perhaps even transformation!

Paul had a more profound “revelation of redemption” than any other New Testament writer; he especially understood the triune makeup of man and the connection between the “heart and mouth”. “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the HEART man believes unto righteousness, and with the MOUTH confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10

“And since we have the same SPIRIT OF FAITH, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED and therefore I SPOKE”, we also believe and therefore speak”. 2 Cor. 4:13

Apostle Jesus operated in the same “faith revelation” as Paul, in fact, Jesus Himself taught it to Paul. Both Jesus and Paul operated from the “spirit man” and not from “reason or sense realm,” that is why they had “apostolic miracles”. (Acts 3:16)

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,  Be removed and cast into the sea, and does not DOUBT IN HIS HEART, but BELIEVE that those things which he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS.” Mark 11:23

Actually, the “apostolic faith message” seems “foolish” to the natural mind because the natural mind operates according to the “five senses.” The “faith message” Paul and Jesus taught was based upon a “sixth sense”, that is described in Hebrews 11:1 Amplified,

”Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [FAITH PERCEIVING AS A REAL FACT WHAT IS NOT REVEALED TO THE SENSES].”

This is an amazing statement, “faith perceives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.” I think it means the same as “believing with the heart” that Paul teaches us about, it is the sixth sense of the spirit man.  According to this verse, “faith can perceive a reality that the five senses cannot perceive because it is revelatory in nature.” That revelation is the Word of God to the individual that has received it, and therefore begins to speak it out of the abundance of the heart. We can simply say that “walking by faith” is walking by the “sixth sense” of the heart, independently of the five senses which have not yet perceived the reality the heart of man has perceived from the Spirit of God. Abraham operated in this kind of faith when he refused to consider his “own body now dead, nor yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Abraham “believed according to that which was spoken,” not that which he perceived in the five sense realm. We are told to “walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham” in Romans 4:12.

Abraham “believed in the heart and spoke with the mouth.” Paul said that Abraham “called the things which be not, as though they were.” If God said he was now “Abraham, the father of a multitude.” than Abraham was going to say it as well even though he had no proof in the five sense realm. That was “calling things that be not as though they were.” He had faith, the perception of a reality that had not been revealed to the senses,” he walked by the sixth sense.

This is the apostolic faith message we can plainly see in scripture. I believe we need a “fresh emphasis” of this message in the Body of Christ as a part of the Apostolic Reformation, since it was an apostolic message to begin with. We need more faith in these perilous times, more teaching on faith until we raise people to a level of receiving from God what Christ has died to provide for them. The writer to Hebrews told us that “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

During the early 90’s, I traveled as an evangelist for a historic Pentecostal denomination, conducting healing meetings across the US. God was healing as I preached the Word of Faith from the New Testament. Headquarters was so moved by the testimonies that I was asked to write a section in a manual to be used for all new believers in this organization. After I wrote it the leadership rejected it saying it was “too Word of Faith.” Amazingly, I had quoted from original Sunday School literature of this organization dated in the 50’s that clearly taught the same thing I was then teaching. It is amazing how in such a short period of time we can lose a truth that was so real to our hearts. Jesus said it like this in Luke 18:8, “Shall the Son of Man find FAITH on the earth when He comes.” This statement seems to make “faith preaching” an “end time message”. Let’s revive this message for today’s church that hasn’t yet learned to “walk by faith and not by sight.”

        One

 “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do no defraud, Honor your father and mother.” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then said Jesus, looking at him, “ONE THING YOU LACK, go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

 Jesus was an Apostle with a “One Thing Ministry.” He would not compromise the need to qualify in every area for a spiritual breakthrough in someone’s life or ministry. Today, a “religious leader” may do differently when someone comes into their ministry with resources like this young man possessed. The temptation would be to give the person what they want in order to gain access to their possessions. True apostles will not compromise the progress of a person in order to obtain from them what they think they need for themselves or their ministries. True apostles will discern the “one thing lacking” and seek to bring that issue into the light. Paul told the Thessalonians, “Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith.” 1 Thess.3:10. Jesus and Paul could not be bought or enticed by someone’s resources, but put the spiritual progress of the individual in top priority.

 There are many would be disciples who come and go today because they don’t like “the Word they received. ‘ Having been in apostolic ministry for nearly 30 years, I have dealt with many people sent by God to our ministry for further training and preparation for the destiny God had planned for them. Many have been like this “rich young ruler,” who had experience in the “things of God”, or were successful in business but still lacking in a particular area of character or wisdom. They were expecting to be accepted and promoted because of their “past” successes or experiences, and were shocked when I had to point out that “one thing” they were still lacking in order to have the next level of blessing released by the Father.

 These people are often of “championship potential” and they only need that “one thing” in their lives to be “set in order” before they can go to the next level. Sometimes they are “grieved,” like this young man in our story, and go away without full comprehension of what we are trying to reveal to them. This young man obviously didn’t realize that Jesus was trying to get him delivered from “trusting in riches” so that he could qualify for a “hundredfold return” (vs.29-30).

 He didn’t stay around for the “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say. Often when “young men” go away grieved over the revelation brought to them, they spread a bad report about that “mean apostle” who didn’t recognize all their background and experience, but instead tried to “control them” into doing what they wanted them to do.

 Sometimes, being an apostle who won’t compromise the best interest of individuals for the sake of gain will get you into some spiritual warfare that you would rather avoid. Nobody wants to have accusation and slander released against them, but that is often what happens when we are truthful and pure hearted in ministry. The disciples of Jesus saw this whole episode and responded that “they had done all that Jesus told this young man to do.” They wanted to know what they could expect for “giving up all for His sake and the gospel.” Jesus said, “You shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, and eternal life in the age to come.” (My paraphrase) Those who continue in the process and allow God to deal with the “One Thing Lacking,” can expect the same reward.

 © Copyright John Polis 2011