Prophesying From Love and Compassion - Stacey Campbell

Stacey teaches from her own experiences on the devastation that can come from the prophetic gift if it doesn't flow from a heart of love and compassion.

REVIVAL AND REVOLUTION

REVIVAL AND REVOLUTION

REVIVAL; THE BEGINNING OF REVOLUTION
How do you know the difference between a person who has experienced true revival and one who has not? The one who has experienced revival no longer needs reviving. I had a dream the other day in which there was a baby not breathing. It was the church, and it needed resuscitating (reviving) or it would die. But, when the baby is revived; it's greatest need is not continual reviving or resuscitation. Continued chest compressions only serve to suppress the NORMAL functioning of a heart that is beating.

Revival is an EMERGENCY measure to bring something back to life or save its life. When my youngest daughter was born she needed quick attention to revive her and get oxygen flowing to the lifeless limbs that were starving from lack of oxygen. Once she was out of danger and was breathing well on her own, she was given into the arms of her father and mother to nurture her and raise her.
So what is the need for a baby who has been birthed, revived, and is now breathing and alive? You raise it up to be released into the world to fulfill it's destiny. If you are revived, you are now an alive NORMAL Christian. If you are constantly needing revival, you have a serious underlying condition that needs to be corrected in order for you to live a productive life. If you are on life support, which is where some people are, you are not breathing for yourself and it may be time to pull the plug. Revival refers to the initial work of the Spirit to bring back to life that which is dying.

Revival IS needed, and I love revival. But, we need to lift their vision higher. Revival meetings are good, but not the end goal. The formation of Christ in His people is the end goal. That goal is to quicken to life that which is dead or dying in order that after it has done it's work, people will become NORMAL power filled children of God; finding their destinies in Christ. If we need revival we are dying. Revival is the doorway into a kingdom lifestyle and expression of the Christ life; walking in love, obedience, power, and faith. We should be experiencing renewing, refreshing, and refilling daily ON OUR OWN; and bringing the part we have to share in the gathering of saints.

If you are revived you WILL revive others and it is no longer about a meeting, but about BEING the life of Christ to others. It is time for many to move on to NORMAL kingdom lifestyle. The early church was a Presence and power filled body. We are entering the days of the "maturing" of the seed (Christ) that was planted in the ground that it may not abide alone. Once people are revived we must release them into NORMAL kingdom living. The formation of Christ in His people is the end goal.

There are certain things which tend to bring people back into a state of needing reviving. One major one is a leadership mindset and structure that does not understand the goal, has the wrong goal, or does not know how to accomplish the goal. This is where true apostolic ministry needs to come in to release people into their place.

APOSTOLIC REVOLUTION
After an evangelist brought revival to Samaria an apostle came in and established the people. Following revival must be the equipping and releasing stage that causes life to flow through the members of the body. I do not refer to most current understandings of apostolic ministry. The maturing of the saints has become stunted and sidetracked under the current apostolic model. The apostolic ministry I am talking about is still emerging as ministries that will truly raise up the body in maturity to be what they are called to be. These will give people a vision of their identity in Christ and release them to be what they have been given to be by Father.

Here is what the new apostles look like:
They do not have networks of followers; they have love relationship based connections.
They are not OVER groups or demand a fee or tithe in order for people to be related to them.
They are not just teaching and preaching, they become the example of their message. Their greatest work and joy is just watching, waiting, and enabling people to do the work.
The only covenant they have with others is the ONE covenant of blood.
They submit to you as you submit to them, and receive the gifts of others and correction of those considered less then themselves on an EYE TO EYE basis.
They are true Fathers with REAL relationship with people (much "apostolic fathering" today is based on position and NOT relationship). Their goal is to release people into their destinies.

Let me give an example of what is coming to the church:
An emerging apostolic friend of mine was building a relationship with a Goth church. At a meeting the Lord spoke to him ten specific verses. He wrote them down in order, assuming he was supposed to preach. He waited after the worship for the mind of the Lord. As he waited nine of the young people stood up and gave the verses he wrote down in exact order, sharing what the Lord was saying to them through the verses. He waited for number ten but Father told him, "You finish with the last." It was training for him from the Lord. His wife watched the whole thing transpire. There are many who are going to be released to this very thing. Get ready, the kingdom is come. THIS is the kind of apostolic ministry coming forth.

SIGNS AND WONDERS
Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of the hosts, who dwells in mount Zion.
I had a powerful dream years ago of sitting on a stage in a chair in front of a church full of people while God simply sovereignly moved. But it was the people who were ministering the anointing to one another in the meeting while I did nothing but sit in rest and watch. I have already experienced this in part, but am pressing for an all out breaking loose in the church.

Your children are for signs and wonders. My own children (age 12 and under) are examples of this as they have ministered accurately prophetically to people with visions and words of knowledge in our small gathering at home. I will look to them to bring forth prophetic insight needed in a situation. As they share what they see, I get wisdom to the application of the prophetic word coming forth, but even then, God can still have another person share the application I may receive.

The apostolic anointing is fully functioning as apostles have the ability to know the mind of the spirit for a gathering. This does not mean they are to do the work. There is an "Atmospheric" nature of apostolic ministry that has yet to fully come forth that quickens and releases the kingdom within and through in people in a gathering. This type of maturing ministry is coming forth with greater signs and wonders then revival meetings with a special speaker. Father has determined it is so.

That dream of WATCHING God move through others while at rest is coming true. The body must be equipped to do the work of the ministry. When people do not find their place of authority In HIM, sooner or later their fire dies out. Peoples purpose and function in the body of Christ releases a flow of Spirit life in them and others. When they are not exercising in their place, they dry up. That is when and why revival is needed. So get ready for revival, and then a revolution that will turn the church and the world upside down.

In His Love
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/

DIVINE AUTHORITY

KINGDOM AUTHORITY - DIVINE AUTHORITY
There is official authority that honors and relates to others based upon title and position; and there is true kingdom authority that is by nature divine and works by love. Titles do not equate to divine authority. Not everyone bearing a title carries divine authority. There are people who ARE what their title implies and bear the divine authority of that title. There are men and women with a title that are called to what their title implies, but have become a shell of what they were meant to be, and their divine authority has crumbled to near powerlessness. Divine authority is about function and not dependent upon a title.

The prophet Samuel was one who carried divine authority that truly functioned and fulfilled the purpose for which this authority was given. Scripture says "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground." This verse precedes the verse in I Samuel that says "And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD." He did not become a prophet because men titled him or gave him a place of honor. He became a prophet by God's calling and his speaking God's words in obedience. Men honored him with a title because he ALREADY functioned with the divine authority of a prophet.

PROMOTION COMES FROM FATHER ALONE
Holy Spirit also set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work he had for them. He commissioned them as apostles, men did not commission them. Men cannot commission men, they can recognize God's commissioning and lay hands on in agreement with His commissioning. Men cannot give or take away divine authority, only God can do so. Jesus alone gave the ascension gifts of apostle, prophet, pastor-teacher, evangelist. He alone assigns elders in His body as well. The apostles appointed elders ONLY after prayer and fasting. It was NOT the apostles choice as to who to appoint to eldership. It was Holy Spirit's choice of who to appoint to eldership with the recognition of the apostle.

Much that has passed for ordination in the religious mindset church has simply been men's works of the flesh. Religious organizations with hierarchical leadership structures may label or title men with many different titles. A church organization giving someone a title and paying them wages to fulfill a role does not necessarily give their title validity in the kingdom. ONLY the Lord's designation of authority matters. Men "recognize" divine authority placed on others; even as the people recognized the establishment of Samuel as a prophet. It is not wrong to honor another with a title when they TRULY walk in the divine authority that fulfills that role. It can at times be helpful to use a title to recognize the function one has in the body in order to receive from that function. But, A title is not necessary to function in any measure of divine authority a person may have.

DIVINE AUTHORITY WORKING BY LOVE
Divine authority is most easily recognized and expressed in love relationships. Eli recognized Samuel's authority as a prophet first because He had an intimate relationship with him. Scripture says, "Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD has said to you?" Eli called Samuel "My son" and in that relationship was able to receive the Word of the Lord through Samuel that prophesied the demise of Eli's own lineage.

Authority in the kingdom flows freely upon love relationships and not simply because of a titled position. A man may call himself an apostle, but if he is unable to relate to people in a manner of loving trust and mutual giving and receiving relationship, he diminishes His own divine authority to serve people. Those with true divine authority do not need to relate to others based upon their calling. True divine authority flows more perfectly in eye to eye love relationships. This relationship is the sure catalyst for spiritual impartation and equipping. In love there is grace to impart powerfully, not just imparting of an anointing, but imparting real life that comes from love. Authority expressed without love is a clanging cymbal.

I was once led to fast and pray for deliverance from demonic oppression for an individual. After fasting and prayer, I ministered to this person and prayed for them. Nothing happened. It was then I simply put my arms around the person and loved them. I sensed the Spirit's prompting to once more pray and in that display of love the demonic oppression lifted and that person was set free. I experienced firsthand the principle of the kingdom in which divine authority works more perfectly by divine love.

TRANSITION TO KINGDOM REALITY
Where the love of God has waned, titles become predominant, where the love of God flows titles are not predominant and men recognize and receive more easily TRUE divine authority. There are those who use position and title as a means of personal gain rather then serving others. In the religious organizational structures that exist, positions and titles have drawn those seeking titles out of inner need for recognition or significance. The Ekklesia is transitioning into something different then the system that exists now. Many things are changing DRASTICALLY; this manner of titling and recognizing true divine authority is one of them.

When the Body of Christ relates to one another based upon love and not position, we can truly see and receive the divine authority of another. It is not wrong to recognize divine authority with a title. But, title is insignificant if true divine authority is not present. The measure of our divine authority in whatever function we are given by Father is according to the measure of the cross we allow to work in us and put to death our own ways. In all of this, we need discernment, and to walk hearing and obeying the Spirit of God. We must receive the divine authority that rests upon others. When we receive His divine authority upon the lives of others, we truly receive Him.

In His Love
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/

Surviving Mountaintop Experiences

Many years ago, I was asking God about my future, and He showed me a series of mountain tops. My destiny was to go from where I was up to the peak before me, and from there to greater and greater peaks. (In my youth, I was excited about it; it was some time later before I figured out that this is His plan for pretty much every human being on the planet.)

After He showed me the mountains, and after a dramatic pause, the scene shifted; it rotated sideways by about 90 degrees, and I realized that the path was not simply from one mountain top to the next, but that there were valleys between the mountaintops. Having spent decades hiking through valleys and climbing peaks and ridges, I realized how much work that represented. I found myself somewhat discouraged: if every “high point” experience is followed by a fall to approximately my starting point (or worse), then I’d be completely worn out before I ever reached the higher peaks of my destiny.

I’ve seen people who lived like that. They pursue mountaintop experiences, and because they pursue them, they also find them (there’s a lesson here somewhere: if you want something, it’s probably good to pursue it). But after nearly every peak experience, they’d go into something of a tailspin, and end up discouraged, maybe falling into sin.

Elijah was a man like that. We all know him for the battle atop Mt Carmel where he called fire down from heaven and killed 450 prophets of Baal, but one chapter later, he’s hiding in a cave, whining for God to take his life. Elijah had one of the highest mountaintop experiences in the Book, but he also fell as hard as anyone ever has, so hard in fact, that God fired him.

John the Baptist seemed subject to the same discouragement. Admittedly, he was in jail on death row when he got discouraged, but he experienced the same kind of hopelessness.

Fortunately, Jesus shows us a better model. He had a mountainside experience – actually, He had several – but He never hit the “Valley of the Shadow of Death” afterwards.

I wonder if we can learn something from Him?

Here’s how I see it.

Elijah had this amazing experience on Mt Carmel calling fire from heaven, killing pretty much the whole of the priesthood of the false gods. Right afterwards, he prays in the tiny little cloud that becomes the rainstorm that ends the drought (that he started himself years earlier).

And then Jezebel threatened him. It was a vague threat, no teeth in it really, but he ran for his life and prayed to die. God fed him along the way, and met him in the cave he hid in, but when he wouldn’t abandon his self-pity, He fired him. (“… and anoint Elisha prophet in your place…”)

John the Baptist did such a good job of prophesying the word of the Lord that he ended up in jail for his straight shooting declaration of God’s opinions of the king’s adultery.

And when he got there, he despaired of his life work. “Are you even the Messiah?” he sent his disciples to ask Jesus.

I find it interesting that both are prophets. In our day and age, the prophetic gifts are growing so very free. But perhaps it’s not without a cost, and a severe one, should we be less than careful.

Elijah comes down off the mountain top, and immediately immerses himself in more ministry (ending the drought).

John spends some time (admittedly, as a guest of Herod’s jailers) reflecting on his ministry.

By contrast, Jesus does something completely different. After His big dog experience with feeding the 5000, and what does He do? He sends the boys off rowing home as a storm rolls in, and He spends the night up in the hills praying.

I think that’s significant.

After the big ministry event:

Elijah goes on to the next big ministry event.

John reflects on the last ministry event.

But Jesus gets in God’s presence, and presumably unloads His soul to Him. (Afterwards, of course, He strolls across the storm-tossed lake to check on the boys.)

So when we have a big day with God, it seems that it would be good to spend some time unloading with Him. Debriefing.

I had a big day with him recently. Kind of an impromptu treasure hunt among believers for 10 hours. Afterwards, I needed to celebrate, yes. Worship is a good thing. But after that, I needed to spend some time reminding both Him and me that it was His work, and I was along for the ride.

A friend went through an intensive spiritual training school recently. When he came back, he spent some weeks just processing with God. Not doing. Not planning to do. Just sitting with God.

I think he was really wise.