With the knowledge of new and dynamic strategies, I have seen many changes coming upon the Body of Christ -- all in search of the most effective messages and methods to see "God's will done on earth, as it is in Heaven". And because we are still in this world, I have seen competition and rivalry for the ear and the dollar of those who would "do the things Jesus did, and even greater".
Don't get me wrong! I am greatly encouraged that the Body is awakening to the seriousness of the hour and is willing to step into new realms of authority in Christ. We must take back territory from the devil that our negligence and lack of knowledge has surrendered to him. My spirit takes heart as I see Christians recognizing their power to heal the sick, cast out demons, commune in the heavenly realms with Christ, appear in the Courts of Heaven, and understanding that the Gospel of the Kingdom was Jesus's primary message.
Yes, I know the Holy Spirit is activating gifts in this season, but we need to remember that He is the One who empowers these gifts, not us. We are not in charge of our gifts, as if once given, we can employ them at our will. In fact, Jesus never talks about the gifts of the Spirit; only saying that the Father will send the Holy Spirit [in His Name] to teach us all we need to know to continue His work. I just keep hearing in my spirit that it's simpler than we make it, and it's not all about us. Has the Enemy somehow convinced us that seeking after the gifts of wisdom, or knowledge, or healing, or miracles; or seeking the offices of apostle, prophet, or teacher is the height of our identity in Christ? That the more we do and seek after, it means the greater we are esteemed in the Kingdom of God?
I will tell you that Mark and I have taken serious stock of the call upon our lives and how we are walking out our obedience. When we first began this Inner Healing Ministry, the Lord gave us a simple process to work with Him and Holy Spirit in helping people get free from the demonic bondage in their lives. And it is only natural to want to increase in knowledge and make every effort to seek new revelation from the Father. It is exciting and empowering to discover that we have access to the throne room of Heaven, and the Heavenly Courts; and that we can understand the tactics of the Enemy to program, develop realms of captivity, manipulate DNA, and establish iniquity in our bloodlines -- and much more! To be honest, it can be overwhelming to think that we have to know and be proficient in all manner of spiritual warfare to defeat these strategies.
But I thank the Lord that He has shown Mark and I that it is He who does the work; He just needs us to be obedient and willing to show up. He doesn't require intense, complicated methods in order to prove His Lordship over darkness. He reminds us to trust in His authority as the Centurion did; to have childlike faith as we enter each Inner Healing session, knowing that our obedient service to the Kingdom of God is based on our dependence on Him, not our own selfish ambition.
Therefore, I felt such conviction when I read Lana Vaswer's article on simplifying. My spirit was in agreement with her as she wrote, "this new era of acceleration does not mean you do more; it means HE will do more and bring things together in a momentum we have never seen". And we are seeing that in our own experiences. We have simplified our approach to our healing sessions, relying on Him to multiply the results. And with that strategy, we have found that more people are receiving freedom than ever before! And because the focus is on Jesus, and not us, the people coming for ministry are able to grasp that they, too, can serve the Kingdom of God and take back the devil's territory in the lives of others.
Doesn't that correspond to the last thing Jesus told His Disciples before He ascended into Heaven" .. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth". We are called to make Disciples and witness to them of the power of the Holy Spirit in the Kingdom of God on earth. And we are seeing an acceleration of Jesus's simple model in this new season. But it doesn't have to mean that we seek after recognition for gifts or after ministry titles.
So, I will let Lana Vawser's wisdom be the last word: "Do not be tempted in this new era of significant acceleration to BUILD in order to grow your platform. Do not be tempted in this new era to move with the “status quo” because that is what is “expected” or “how you grow your ministry” and “gain influence”. All of those “man made ways” are being thrown into the fire and on the threshing floor ... These new strategies He is releasing may look in some ways like “less” but it’s actually the place of your greatest multiplication because you are building in obedience to HIM and His voice ... Strategies God is releasing right now contain ‘Going back to basics’, ‘Returning to foundations and grass roots’, “back to the beginning”, ‘removing the clutter’, things you may have always known but you have moved away from, He is bringing you back to them ‘full circle’. These SIMPLE STRATEGIES will be CLEAR and NOT COMPLICATED and they will be the strategies for LONGEVITY and FRUITFULNESS".
I'll finish by saying this is exactly what Mark and I have heard in our spirit and the strategy we are following. We aren't looking to be "the latest and greatest" in Deliverance Ministry, but only want to be known by our fruit. And we are trusting Jesus to bring His restoration to all the lives we touch. Amen!
Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand".
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