Growing In The Knowledge of The Lord - Part 2

Brian Fenimore continues his teaching on growing to know the ways of God and how it helps sharpen our prophetic words.

Growing In The Knowledge of The Lord - Part 1

Brian Fenimore teaches on growing to know the ways of God and how it helps sharpen our prophetic words.

The Sword that Divides

Kriston Couchey

DIVIDING SOUL AND SPIRIT
A friend of mine invited me to go to a men's camping retreat where we would spend the weekend fasting, praying, and repenting. When we arrived I was impressed by the level of maturity and fervency for the Lord. The leader of these men had a vision that was national in scope. I could see that with the men he had with him He could very well start a movement that could sweep the nation. I also discerned the heart idols of works of the flesh, and nationalistic pride that kept them from discerning between the kingdom of God and the soulish works of men. These Idols held by the leader tainted his God given vision, and affected all of the men he was leading. I had seen this idolatry in the hearts of many Americans and it did not surprise me.

When the leader said to split up into pairs he quickly pointed to me and said "I want to go with you." I shared a couple things the Lord had been saying to me about Abraham laying down Isaac (our destiny, purpose, and vision) in faith that God could raise up Isaac as He desires. He then announced that I was to be the speaker at the main gathering the next day. I did not maneuver this, God set me up again. After the usual nighttime demonic attack when about to face a stronghold, the next day I prayed about what to share and to my dislike the Spirit of the Lord told me to confront the idolatry. I did NOT want to do this, I did not come to confront this thing and knew from experience it would not be a joyous event.

At the meeting, I shared about sacrificing Isaac and laying down our God given vision in order to receive an even larger purified vision from God. I shared kingdom truth; confronting the specific idolatry birthed in the souls of men. I did not expect what happened. The leader ended up hiding in his tent crying and unresponsive. I went to his tent and ministered to him, showing him God's love and told him that he needed to lay down his vision into the hands of the Lord so the Lord could raise it up again as He desired. He would not accept what I had to share with him and was unable to lead the rest of the day. The weekend fell apart at that point and I prodded him to get up and lead these men. He got up in the closing morning and closed the weekend. He completely shut down spiritually, and later when I emailed him one of his men answered it because he still was unresponsive. The people were exasperated. Yet there were those that received what was shared with joy. Sadly, what I shared at that meeting was a judgment to this man, and the vision and plans God had given Him ended up coming to nothing.

THE WORD THAT JUDGES (DISCERNS AND DIVIDES)
For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two–edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern (JUDGE) the thoughts and intents of the heart.! ~The Writer of Hebrews~

If you have learned to speak by the Spirit of God, you probably recognize that what you release to others can be blessing for some, and like a spiritual roadblock to those who reject your words. The implanted Word (Christ) within you judges (discerns) or clarifies the true condition of the hearts of men. When the Word Himself is speaking through you, your very Words become a sword that divides soul and spirit; clarifying that which is from the soulish realm of man from that which is birthed in the realm of the Spirit. Jesus said, "I do not judge you, the words I speak to you judge, you." Men are judged by their willingness to repent and believe the living Word; which is the voice of God to men through whatever vessel He chooses to speak through. We do NOT make our own judgments. We must discern and come into active agreement with the judgments of God.

For every one instance of rejection and judgment there may be ninety nine instances of blessing and joy from those receiving the Word. 99% of kingdom work is not negative in nature but building up and releasing blessing and life. Paul said it well, "should I use my authority to tear you down or build you up?" There is more tearing down work in the church that must be done in this day then in Paul's day, and there will be times of confrontation. God's purpose in this hour is to redeem mankind in His mercy and love, and we should always have the mind and attitude of Christ to redeem and reach people. Nevertheless, men are judged by their willingness to repent and believe. In this new day we will be speaking Words that will be both blessing and judgment; blessing to those that respond, and judgment to those who reject. The heavens will open for those who receive the Word, and be closed for those who do not. If you are speaking the Word Himself, It is not you they reject, it is the Word of God, Jesus Christ. This is not about cursing anyone. It is the nature of Divine Authority entrusted to men that naturally judges iniquity. It is a work of HIS justice, not ours. It is the Lord's decision to judge people, but it is our responsibility to agree with and carry out His judgments.

I had a similar experience with a friend when God showed up in our home group in the mid nineties. While we ministered to, and shared the Word of the Lord with this man, there came a time when the Lord spoke clearly to me and said "Stop praying for him!" His rejection of the Living Word and His work among us had cut off the flow of blessing that others were receiving from the throne. It may well be that at a later time he will be able to receive, but for the time being He was judged by the Lord as not able to receive His blessing.

In our own spheres of influence or authority, we are to be in agreement with the judgments of God, and at times be the mouth that speaks forth God's judgments, be they for good or for the detriment of the others. Empowered by the Spirit, Peter pronounced judgment on Ananias and Syphyra and they died, Paul pronounced the blindness of Elymus the sorcerer who opposed the Word through Paul, and he was lead away because of his blindness. Paul told him he was "...full of all guile and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?"

Stumbling blocks and those that draw others into error are what gets the swift justice of God when the glory has landed. Even Jesus pronounced woe on the Pharisees who were leading people astray and keeping people from entering the kingdom. God is jealous for His people, and stumbling blocks can die for the sake of offending one of these little ones. And yet, thankfully Father has a long-suffering mercy and desire for all men to repent.

FALSE JUDGMENTS
The problem in the church is not judgment; judgment is good, the problem is FALSE judgments made from the SOUL of men. These judgments come from those who are not pure in heart, and their judgments destroy and defile people. People whose hearts have idols bless what should not be blessed, and curse what should not be cursed. What has passed for prophetic judgment today is a pitiful thing formed in the hearts of insecure deceived men and women. Those who have idols, offense, and judgment in their hearts will not be allowed to enter into what God is doing in this day. Many would use the authority of God to destroy anyone who opposes them or their personal agenda. They are not in submission to the will of Father and dead to themselves.

HOPE FOR THE CHURCH
The apostles James and John showed their nationalistic pride and prejudice towards the Samaritans with their desire to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. Their lack of discernment as to the reality of the kingdom and the merciful nature of God shows there is hope for the church that is willing to go through a death and resurrection experience. After the church has laid it's Isaac (destiny, purpose and vision) down on the altar to die, God will raise it up with His greater destiny, purpose and vision, which is the gospel of the kingdom untainted by the soulish imaginations of men.

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

Expanded Perichoresis

Editor's note: I'm not sure whether I agree with every single statement in this posting, but that's not of first importance. Bob has done a Biblically literate job of examining some aspects of the nature of God that have cried for attention. If you find something you don't like or don't understand (imagine that!), then skip on past it, and eat the meat between whatever bones you have found.

Expanded Perichoresis (Understanding the cognitive dissonance of the God of the Old Testament)

Sorry for launching my first blog ever with five dollar words. The two concepts are needed in order to lay a foundation supporting this trip into ancient mysteries.

Let’s start with Perichoresis: This is a theological term from way back. It was coined by early church writers and is now in play in the works of folks such as Jurgen Moltmann and C. Baxter Kruger. It is also called “Circuminsession” if that helps clear it up. Basically, it is the term used to describe the separation of the persons of the Trinity. God, as one, divides himself into three. It tries to describe the action of the three persons of the Godhead moving independently but together, working in concert, without ever being at odds or disagreeing with each other. The term was one of the first developed to explain the mystery of the Godhead.

On to “Cognitive Dissonance”: This is a term used in phsycology and sociology. It describes what Steven Covey would call a “lack of integrity” and what it means to a persons phsyche or mental state. We become cognitively dissonant when one aspect of our person disagrees with another. Hiding an alternate agenda is one aspect of the term. Let’s say 4 couples are at a cocktail party and out of the eight people, there are two who are having an affiar without the knowledge of the other people in the group. The innocent six are having a great time but the adulterous pair are having to watch their every action and word. Every time the husband of the cheating wife touches her, the secret boyfriend feels a rush of jealousy and does his best to not show it. He is enjoying the downside of cognitive dissonance. If we say one thing and do another thing which doesn’t agree with our hoped for character, we become double minded and are taken by cognitive dissonance.

Now that we have the underlying concepts defined, let’s move ahead. I have titled this article “Expanded Perichiresis”. You can probably guess I am about to expand upn the term. Now is a good time to turn to scripture:

Proverbs 8:22- 26, (ESV, (with LORD removed and our Father’s name replacing it.):

"Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.”

I wish to make one other correction to the text, drawn from the footnotes of my ESV bible: The term “possessed” is actually “fathered”. Yes, before Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, Wisdom seems to have been fathered by Yahweh. Proverbs 7:4-5 “Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

If, after finishing this article, you think it has brought you insight and been written with wisdom, you have your sister Wisdom to thank.

I have set in my mind that I will stay away from speaking of most of my personal experiences with the other realms and keep these blogs focused on our common experience. I will make an exception here. I have read that scripture in Proverbs seven many times and a few of those times I have obeyed the request to “say to Wisdom, you are my sister”. The first few times, it seemed an exercise. One day last year, it became a two-way conversation. I read the admonition, told Wisdom she was my Sister, and back came the reply, in a sweet female voice, “thank you for pursuing and finding me”. What?!! That short conversation with one of the attributes of God was a game changer for me.

I have told my friends many strange things but the prospect of telling them I was in touch with a female attribute, or facet, of Yahweh was going to take things too far for sure. I decided to bring it up slowly. I wrote to my most enlightened friends with a statement, “ I just met an entity, I didn’t think was a person. If you can tell me what it was, I will give you the rest of the story”. It took a seer friend two tries to nail it. His first guess was wrong. His next email said, “Well, if it wasn’t that one, you probably met your Sister Wisdom”. Dude! Tell me more! Back came his stories of seeing her graceful form and being amazed at her beauty and the sweetness of her voice. Soon another email came with a list of the attributes of Yahweh my friend had met and hung out with on his trips through the veil. It was obvious I had some learning to do.

(If you are reading this and writing the corrective email in your mind, don’t waste your time. I have had enough of blind leaders trying to lead me back into darkness. If this is madness, leave me to it. Deep called unto deep and I dove in without a life jacket. That is the way dead men sometimes act. Besides, you haven’t heard me out yet and I have given clear scripture references for my experiences, having confirmed them with one of the most accurate prophetic voices I know.)

Here I was, fresh from having my mind blown by God’s first created spiritual being who seemed to be an addition to the Godhead. I was beginning to warm up to some of Moltmann’s thoughts on Perichoresis and Wisdom herself was expanding my view much further than Jurgen had mentioned. My views of the attributes of Yahweh had just expanded, considerably. There were hours and hours of quiet time ahead and many wondrous depths to plumb. This article is the fruit of the contemplation, which followed my experience.

Let’s take a look at Wisdom’s job description, drawn once more from Proverbs. I will take up where we left off:

Pro 8:27-31 “ When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

Anyone who is well read on the apostolic reformation well likely notice how the job description Wisdom gives for herself reflects New Testament insights into apostles as “Master Builders”. Let’s listen to the Apostle Paul:

1Co 3:6-11 (ESV, emphasis added) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's “fellow workers”. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now let’s look to Moses. Moses had his hands full responding to Israel’s reaction to the report of the spies sent to scope the Promised Land:

Num 14:11-19: “And Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." But Moses said to Yahweh, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Yahweh, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Yahweh, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 'It is because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.' And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 'Yahweh is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now."

What Moses was up against were two, or more, conflicting attributes of God. This was God in the throes of “Cognitive Dissonance”. Moses rehearses what he knows about God’s being and intercedes for the people, playing on God’s better attributes to save them. Moses tells God it was his “Might” that brought the people out of bondage and asks God’s “Power” to be as great as he had promised in support of the people. Then he calls upon the abounding “Love” and “Forgiveness” of God because if God doesn’t relent, his “Name” will be diminished among the nations. Moses was caught between the many opinions of the people and the many facets of God. Moses was learning first hand of the expanded perichoresis, which followed creation. I figure Moses had some help from our Sister “Wisdom” in his plight.

If we, like Moses, want to be a “friend of God”, it behooves us to look at his pain and seek an answer to help him through it. You can skip ahead in the book to see the end of the thing. For that, we will need to see what Zechariah had to say:

Zechariah 14:7-11 (ESV, Emphasis added) “And there shall be a unique day, which is known to Yahweh, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Yahweh will be king over all the earth. On that day Yahweh will be one and his name one.… ….And it (Jerusalem) shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.”

We just walked the idea of expanded perichoresis through scripture from before time to after it. We have seen the God who is and was one; become many separate attributes, in order to redeem his creation. We heard Zechariah explain how he is reunited in the end.

Yahweh set his Wisdom outside of himself and charged her with watching over the affairs of men. Luke 11:46-52 states clearly it was the “Wisdom of God” who shepherded the innocent blood from Abel to Zechariah, leading Jesus to the steps of the Temple, and through them to death on the cross in order to rend the veil separating men from their Father. Wisdom holds the secret to the Old Testament bloodshed we are slow to wrap our heads around. Wisdom is given charge over God’s Children and creation. Why? Glad you asked.

Imagine if God’s “Grace” had been given the position of referee or watchman over men. Would there ever come any balance? Would there be any correction if God’s “Grace” were the defining attribute that was concerned with Man and creation? How about the thought of being overseen by God’s “Wrath”? That is not a pretty picture. Were his “Longsuffering” to be the referee over mankind, surely the end of death and suffering would be delayed indefinitely. Wisdom seemed the perfect one for the job. How wise, don’t you think?

I said earlier that I would help to explain the “Cognitive Dissonance” of the God of the Old Testament. That could not be done without an understanding of how a righteous God falls into inner conflict. Moses had his hands full with the problem and we have made little progress on it for millennia. Like I said, our atheist friends have a good point about our seemingly double-minded, loving and vengeful God.

If you found this introduction to the thoughts, which swirl through my head interesting, just wait until you see where it will lead. Our next stops are going to unleash the wisdom I believe we have never found, or have lost along the way, in the sufferings of Job, and explain the events which happen on the Divine Council, or Assembly of the god’s, from Psalms 82. We are going to involve mankind in the clash of the Titans and in the process, gain valuable insights into how to wield the keys of death and hell.

One last thought. Remember Jesus words before taking the “Fullness of the Godhead”, which dwelt in his person, through the cross.

John 17:10-13: “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your “Name”, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Jesus left two of the many aspects of God behind when he went to the cross. The “Word”, which Jesus personified, and would not return to Yahweh until it had completed it’s task and God’s “Name”. The reconstitution of the Name of God is prophesied in Zechariah. Jesus took every aspect or facet of the Godhead with him through his death on a cross. As a reward he was given a “Name above every other Name”.

Here is John the Revelator’s view of the events Zechariah prophesied. Notice where the “Name” Jesus left with the apostles is at the end of the game. Also notice how we are to see God’s face, or all of the facets of God together in one:

“Revelation 23-25: No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Can you see why I think the expansion of the Godhead, into separate attributes, right before the creation story was written, sets Yahweh against himself, reflecting a lack of integrity (or oneness of mind), leading to “Cognitive Dissonance”? Once again, before tearing my head off in a frenzy of correction for implying God lacks integrity, consider this fact. The harshest criticism we face as the children of God is the FACT that the loving God we serve was bloodthirsty and vengeful all the way through the Old Testament. Our atheist friends are right. If we love them, they deserve for us to train our focus, at least for a little while, on the main issue separating them from the God we know and love.

The question is still on the table for us all to answer, if we want to walk out of the Cognitive Dissonance we suffer in not being able to rectify this problem for ourselves, and others. Yes, we took on the dissonance suffered by God. For my entire walk with God; I have been able to answer most every question when asked. There are a couple of very hard questions remaining for me, for us. Have you had any luck with the question “How does a loving God allow my child to die of cancer?” I will give you a hint of what lies ahead; it is not due to his sovereignty as we have been told. It is due to man’s lack of sovereignty and our seeming refusal to grow up.

We are going to need some wisdom to move ahead. Better get your Sister on the phone. It’s a family thing.

World without end, amen.

HEALING IN HIS WINGS

A TURNING OF HEARTS, A TURNING OF THE PAGE
We must lay down what we have known and perceived to be of value. In the face of Father and His great love we are as unfaithful prodigal sons, yet He receives us unreservedly as we approach Him with faith as a child. The ensuing days will be as if we had awakened from a dream, and we will forget the former things, new things have come: When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Father says, "Now is the day of my healing, now is the day in which those who fear my name and honor me shall go forth in freedom leaping as calves who have been kept in a stall, but now are freed. The time of affliction and infirmity of my beloved one has ended, the Day of the Lord is at Hand." Great healing is come to Father's own. Perseverance in the midst of trails and weakness is bearing fruit in this hour. Father says, "I have seen your weakness and you trails, and I now move my hand on your behalf. The world will tremble, the powers will all be shaken, but My name in your midst is a strong tower."

HEALING IN COMMUNION
While I have experienced healing in many ways in my life, Father has made it clear that for myself and many others another level of healing from the effects of the fall is coming in communion (common union) with others. There is a fullness that is found only in communion with the body. For those able to accept it, It has always been the will of God that Christ would be known in fullness in His body, truly the glory of God in Christ is being revealed in us. We are complete in Him, and we are also ONE IN HIM with others. Their strengths and graces in Him are available to us in relationship, and what He has given us is made available to others; the Life Blood flows and healing comes to the body. It is in effect HIM that we receive in others! There is coming a place of losing distinction as to what is Him and us as we become ONE with Him. There is a healing of mind, body, soul and spirit that is about to burst forth like a dam that has been blocked for nearly an age.

The healing coming forth is a result of His children returning to Him, and as a result returning to communion (common union) with each other as members of his body. Christ is coming to us in fullness as we receive Him and the portion He is releasing through His people. Truly, our "communion" of fellowship is in His blood, and we are partakers (part) of His body. For His blood courses through the veins of His body bringing life to the separate members. As we come together unified IN HIM, healing and life is flowing. I Cor. 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ? For one loaf of bread means that many are one body, for we are all partakers of that one loaf.

DISCERNING THE BODY
When the body has a severed part the blood does not flow and life leaves the severed part. We must clearly separate from that which is NOT HIM. But, we are expected to be ONE body corporately as we become ONE with Him individually. The weakness and sickliness that have come from not "discerning" His body is ceasing as He bring to an end the division and "cutting off" of the true members of his body. I Cor. 11:29-30 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
We cannot hope to truly discern in the flesh those that are of Him and those that are not. By the Spirit we know apart from doctrinal agreement and diversity of gifts and callings those that are in Him. I was given a prophetic word with this scripture: "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." I have personally been moved by Holy Spirit to spend my energies on behalf of those hungry for truth and meeting needs of those oppressed by religion. He is delivering me from the need to "point out" the failings of others and begin to build a bridge of common union in Christ with those who are in Him.

We have transitioned into a new day where operating gifts in isolation falls short of the glory that He wants to reveal to us and in us. There is love that is in the Spirit that those who are truly His must unite in that breaks down barriers and brings the healing flow. Let there be a healing flow from Him, and let it begin with me.

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

A Challenging Story

Friends, let me share a story with you as related to me by a Canadian friend who spends significant time in India. His last trip there was earlier this year during which time he met an Indian brother with a very challenging testimony. This brother, whose name is Randeep, was a nominal, Christian who identified himself as such simply because his parents were Christian and he was not a Muslim or Hindu.

However, his mother became an ardent follower of Jesus and felt to go to an area in Northern India near the border with Tibet. Her family felt she was crazy and refused to go with her so she went alone. Two years later Randeep and his Hindu wife decided to visit her. While Randeep was walking along a street he saw a Hindu priest trying to cast evil spirits out of a totally demonized woman who was writhing on the sidewalk. As he walked past, he heard a voice command him to pray for the woman and set her free. He kept walking arguing with the voice that he did not know what to say. Again the voice came commanding him to help the woman and said, "Do you not think I can manifest myself through anyone on this street should I choose to do so?"

He walked back and as he did so heard the priest telling the woman to bring certain offerings to the temple. Righteous anger rose up in him and he rebuked the priest for laying more burdens upon the woman and then laid his hands upon her to pray. To his amazement, for the first time in his life, he began to pray in tongues and the woman was set free.

The next morning he woke up to the noise of a crowd milling around outside the house. He became afraid that something had gone wrong with the woman and they were there to beat him up. So his mother went out to see what was going on. They asked her, "Does Jesus lives here?" "Yes He does.", was her reply. So they invited the crowd into the house and prayed for them all. That was the beginning of seven years of great grace and miracles.

Soon his mother was saying to Randeep that he needed to begin to teach the new followers but his question was what to teach them? Knowing it was Jesus who had spoken to him, he began to read the gospels to find out who Jesus was and what He did. Reading that Jesus had twelve disciples, he did the same and began to follow Jesus with them. Realizing that their state had twelve districts, after three years with his disciples, he sent them to start all over again in each of those twelve states. That was fifteen years ago and now this movement has baptized over 150,000 plus those baptized by other teams they have trained.

Once he had sent out his twelve disciples Randeep needed to start over again and seeking to obey Jesus in Luke 10 he moved to a new city and began to walk the streets. After three months of praying, walking, blessing the city and seeking a man of peace, a man came to him and said, "I have seen you walking by day after day. Why?" Randeep explained what he was doing and the man asked him to come into his home to pray for his sick wife. Jesus healed the woman and that home became the house of peace for the beginning of a new multiplication of the generations of Jesus Christ.

As my friend interviewed many to understand the dynamic of the movement, one phrase was repeated over and over. The phrase? "The Holy Spirit spoke, the Holy Spirit moved me, the Holy Spirit led me..." These believers had been connected to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. They had not been connected to a human leader, to a book, to a doctrine, to a system- they had been plunged deep into relationship with Jesus.

It is sad that one of the challenges this movement has to face is from western missionaries who have come to them and charge them with not planting "real" churches since they have no buildings, no bible schools and no paid, professional clergy. How can they be so blind? Jesus forgive them. How do these followers of Jesus respond to that charge? "We are simply following the example and words of Jesus. We are healing the sick, casting out the demons, raising the dead, baptizing those who believe, making disciples who do the same and forming communities of disciple who meet where ever life happens. Where is your fruit?"

We are challenged again about the simplicity of following Jesus

Jesus you capture our hearts again and again

www.harvest-now.org

Shared by Mark Acuna