In Your Face

THE NEW BREED CHURCH

By Richard Perinchief

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Bible.

The New Breed Church In Your Face 2nd Printing, 3000 In Print ISBN 1-879993-18-X Copyright (c) 1993 by Richard Perinchief P O Box 1377 Ocala, Florida 32678

Published by Embassy Publishing P O Box 3500 Laguna Hills, CA 92654 Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part without expressed written consent of Embassy Publishing Company.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements.................................................................5 Forward.....................................................................................7 Introduction..............................................................................9

1 Reality Check................................................................15 2 Is There a Savior in the House?..................................21 3 Honey, I Shrunk the Church!.....................................31 4 Very Few Good Men...................................................41 5 A Break Through People.............................................53 6 It's a Decent Proposal..................................................65 7 Lethal Weapons of Light.............................................71 8 God Wants to Put His Feet Up...................................77 9 Shaping Our Future.....................................................85 10 Get A Life!!..................................................................93

Acknowledgements
This book is dedicated to my wonderful family who laughed with me, cried with me, encouraged me, and lived with me through all the years of preparation and ministry. To Gail, my beautiful wife, partner and best friend; to Ricky and Kristen, God's best gifts in children; to my parents, Burt and Hazel Perinchief; my in-laws, Bob and June Patrick; and my sister, Ruthann. I would also like to acknowledge those without whom this book would not have been possible: The leaders, staff and people of Spirit Life Christian Center, Ocala and Orlando, Florida. Bonnie Hays, who worked long and hard on this book, and her husband, Chris, my trusted co-laborer in Christ. The men who helped shape who I am in the Lord today: Dr. Jimmy Young, Benny Hinn, and Roberts Liardon. Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord who has always been there like He promised. I love you all, Richard

Forward
I was pleased and honored when Richard asked me to write the foreword for his first book, which I am sure is the first of many to come. I have known Richard and Gail for nearly 5 years and consider them to be among my closest friends. We have traveled and ministered together around the world. During these years, I have seen the growth and maturity of this progressive young pastor and in the works he and his wife have birthed. I was with them when they launched their first church in May, 1990, in Ocala and earlier this year when they birthed their Orlando church. This dynamic couple has helped me in several of my Invasion conferences and their ministry has always been strong and purposeful. I know this book has not been written out of theory, but from very real, personal experience. Richard and Gail have never been afraid to "go against the flow" of tradition and have eagerly answered the call of God to establish strong local churches. By training up and sending out a new breed of Christians, they will shake the nations for the Kingdom of God. I wholeheartedly recommend "The New Breed Church, In Your Face" for your reading and application. I believe it will prove to be a valuable tool to the Body of Christ. In His Service, Roberts Liardon President & Founder Roberts Liardon Ministries, Inc.

Introduction
Change is something that makes people feel uncomfortable, but it is necessary to bring forth progress. Today the Body of Christ is in a time of great transition. Everywhere you turn it is evident that God is on the move. Right now there is a new breed of Christian rising in the earth. Every generation has it uniqueness, but the modern day believer has faced a drug revolution, a sexual revolution, and now an "anything goes" revolution. We have been disappointed by our leaders at times and distracted by countless other things vying for our attention. Ours is a generation that won't be satisfied with hype, we want reality. We've seen all the sitcom's quick solutions to catastrophic problems, the music videos; three and a half minutes for visual fluff and gore, along with video games saving princesses in an hour of fast thrills moving through many "worlds." But on the other side, when the over stimulation of our brains is done and the power is off, we know plastic when we see it. The cry of our hearts is still there; the cry for fulfillment, for something solid to live for. As in the 1960's, we still "can't get no satisfaction." We desperately want something to believe in. Thank God He is alive and real and understands every generation right where it is! The heart of Jesus is turned to the people of the earth to reach out and set our feet upon the Rock!

In Your Face

Reformation Is Coming!
Revival is rolling like a wave throughout the world, unleashing the true power of God. The Holy Spirit, the mighty third person of the Trinity, is going after this new generation with renewed determination. The sighs and cries of the earth are being heard by the Living God and the greatest rescue in the history of mankind is underway. Time is too short for business as usual. The objective is twofold: first, to awaken the apathetic church (or raise them from the dead); second, to equip and send forth anointed people to win the millions of lost individuals by overthrowing and displacing the powers of darkness that resist us.

In fact, this move of God will go beyond revival into the greatest harvest of souls that world has ever known. I believe it will even go beyond the harvest to another Reformation, a turning right side up of that which sin turned upside down. Romans 8:19 says "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." All of creation is waiting for "the lid to be taken off of God's children. The appearing of the manifestation of the Body of Christ into their God given position and authority is what the world needs, even though they don't know it. We have a higher calling than just political activity. We're called to divine activity, Holy Spirit led living that influences the lives of others. When we're a glorious church, revealing the glory of 10

Introduction

Jesus, the Lord will show us to the world. We'll be in the face of society.
"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18, 19.

Jesus said we, the Church, would be entrusted with His authority to sit in the gates (seats of spiritual governmental power) of each geographical territory, dictating what is or is not permitted. What we could not accomplish through carrying protest signs alone, we can through strategic prayer and intercession, if we receive the love and compassion of our Heavenly Father for the world.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

God's love was and is so strong that it provokes Him to action. The word "church" in the Greek is "ekklesia." It literally means "ones called out to be a point from which action proceeds." The church isn't a building with a steeple or a religious organization, but a group of people who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord, King, Commander, and Friend. The new breed church, rising out of obscurity, is coming out of the walls of traditional patterns to invade every area of our society with God's love. 11

In Your Face

This book is a challenge to get on board, to cry out for liberty again in America, and in the nations of the earth through Jesus Christ. It is a "trumpet with a certain sound" to raise up a last days' generation who know their God, their destiny of victory, and their authority; to come out of religious rituals and say to the world, "WE'RE IN YOUR FACE!" Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He rode into the city (Luke 19:41-44), heartbroken that they did not know the time of their visitation. I believe He weeps today for the church, as well as the nations of the earth, that we might be prepared for His presence to empower us for one final surge of world evangelism. Our destiny is to train and release every available vessel into the harvest, activated into divine service. You must realize that God saved you not only for heaven but to make a difference here on the earth. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13), and that if we lose our flavor we are good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Haven't we been trampled on long enough? Unbelievers are ready to see us practice what we preach. Keep getting spicier, Christians! Show the world the unique call, purpose, and purity of this new breed. Let Jesus be exalted and accurately presented in your lifestyle. Destroy sin before it destroys you! Be wise concerning the time, seize your opportunities to share your faith, and prepare 12

Introduction

yourself for taking back territory in Jesus' Name! As this dispensation draws to a close, we must position ourselves to change the world. Are We Having Fun Yet? Like great reformers before us, we have to prepare to endure to the end. Martin Luther could not be stopped by anything hell had to offer. He was determined to break the "dark ages" with the light of the revelation that "the just shall live by faith." We, too, will fulfill our destiny. The new breed church wants the real thing, not pretend signs and wonders. We thirst for God in His manifested glory. We cry out for our generation to be saved. We hate the devil and his effects on our culture. We won't back down from our high calling in Christ Jesus. Our fight is one of faith and courage. We won't be pushed around by the powers of darkness. We're challenging them in every city and territory of the globe. We love the souls of men and women enough to say to the world, WE'RE IN YOUR FACE, GET USED TO IT!

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Reality Check

Stepping off the platform that hot, Florida, Sunday morning, I felt like Superman. The anointed presence of God had been so powerful in our service that day. At times like that, preachers tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and into a type of "high." I floated out of the sanctuary and into my office to sit and enjoy the afterglow, praising Jesus all the way. The world seemed to be engulfed in the flames of revival, and I felt I was on the top of it all. Then it happened. Out of the comer of my eye I saw the head usher's report: number in attendance152. It was as if someone had stuck a pin in my helium balloon, I began "coming down." Lower and lower I went until discouragement and doubt dropped a black curtain over my soul. "That can't be right!" I said aloud, "It looked and felt more like 225 people to me." The rest of the afternoon I doubted, pouted, and spouted off to God, "Why God? I thought you said you would bring more people." Attendance had fluctuated constantly in the 14 months since my wife Gail and I had "left it all" to pioneer Spirit Life Christian Center in Ocala. Our faith in God's promises to us hadn't wavered to this point, but the enemy pressed in his assault against my mind.

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Prayer was difficult, but I launched my own offensive against the devil, seeking the Lord for clarity and understanding. Stretched out in my closet praising God and waiting for His presence to at least bring me comfort. Finally I heard that still small voice say, "Son, I never told you to count." The words stunned me as I replied, "But everybody counts." Suddenly I realized we had had an incredible service that day. It was the number of people that got me down. Then Jesus quickened to my spirit, "What difference does it make if you know how many show up; when there are many you are filled with soulish ambition, when there are few you get discouraged. Besides, I know exactly how many." He took me to I Chronicles 21:1 & 7 which says, "Now Satan moved up against Israel and moved David to number Israel...and God was displeased with this thing."

Liberty rose up in my being and God released me at that moment from ambition, depression, and fear. New vision opened as I saw the ministry with different eyes. My priorities changed that day as the Lord radically rearranged my thinking. But what about the status quo in the Body of Christ?

Success or Secularism?
Pressure has settled in on many pastors and leaders in the Body of Christ to have bigger buildings, larger crowds, greater popularity, and more money 16

Reality Check

so that their ministries will appear successful. Churches and ministries are now judging their success the same way corporate America does, seeking acceptance by the world's standards and forgetting our mandate is to become more like Jesus. The church has looked at herself through the eyes of the world, rather than the eyes of Jesus. However, God's way of judging success is not the same as man's. His ways are different than ours.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord." Isaiah 55:8

Manger to Majesty
Even Jesus Himself did not meet the requirements for a successful ministry if judged by today's standards. Born in a stable, He had humble beginnings. Throughout His life, the people sought to make Him king, yet He would not allow Himself to be promoted by men. The Lord waited for the timing of the Father, choosing to go to the cross in the ultimate expression of humility. Even to the end of His earthly ministry, after speaking to multitudes, there were only 120 faithful followers to carry out His command. We must learn from the Lord what true success is. The way up with God is down. Jesus said,
"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted," Matthew 23:11,12.

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We must start with the manger to get to the majesty.

Seed of Promise
The church of the living God must change her focus. Too many of today's Christians believe that size and status automatically indicate God's approval. What we have failed to realize is that sometimes God will bless the work of the flesh. Ishmael is a prime example. Galatians 4 tells us that Isaac was the "child of promise," but Ishmael was "born according to the flesh." God had promised Abraham and Sarah an heir, but instead of waiting for God's Word to come to pass they took matters into their own hands, resulting in Ishmael. It seemed like a good idea to give Hagar to Abraham, but not every good idea is God's idea! God is a God of His Word what He has promised, He will do, His way, and in His timing. Ishmael was man's idea, done man's way, in man's timing. We have seen the Body of Christ go after Ishmael time and time again, instead of waiting on the promise of God. Madison Avenue marketing techniques seem like a good idea because they produce, but if it's not God's idea, it's the flesh. Although Ishmael was not the child of promise, God still blessed him because of His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 21:12-20). But the seed of promise was the one through whom all the nations of the earth 18

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would be blessed!

Blessed vs. Endorsed

In the 90's, it is vital that we discern between the "seed of promise" and the "seed of the flesh." Oh, a work may appear blessed outwardly and in fact, God may be blessing it. But the dividing line is narrow, the times are fierce, and the call is great in these last days. No longer can we settle for good ideas in the Body of Christ! We must turn from that which is simply blessed by God to that which is endorsed by God. In America when we endorse a check, we are verifying that "yes, this is me and I approve of this transaction." It is a legal transfer of ownership. In the Body of Christ, we need God's signature, His endorsement on our lives. We need His full backing and proof of ownership, not just His blessing. The church has forgotten this and instead has become endorsed by herself. Ministers have sought backing from other ministers, rather than God. The intensity of the hour is growing minute by minute. The outward signs of blessing will no longer meet the mark! The new generation wants what's real. We won't be satisfied with hype or anything less than Jesus. Growth is important but God's heart is to raise up strength and commitment, not just size. Priorities are being restructured in this day as leaders realize the urgency of the hour. 19

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Is There a Savior in the House?

One of the saddest scriptures in the whole Bible is in Judges 16:20 where Samson wakes up to find his hair cut off, representing his consecration to the Lord. He ignorantly proclaims, "I will go out as before, and shake myself free!" The sad part is that Samson, "did not know the Lord had departed from him. Many churches and Christians today are shaking and quaking as before, they're still using old programs that worked five years ago, but don't realize God's presence has left. If we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (and we are), is Jesus still actively within us or are we only relying on old methods and programs of "shaking free" that have worked in the past? Is Jesus inhabiting your temple?

Let Me Entertain You...NOT!

The book of Psalms talks about a generation who, "seeks God's face" and does not follow after things made by man (see Psalms 24:1-6). There is a generation, a new breed of Christian; in the earth today, whose hearts yearn for God, His presence, and His power. They are dissatisfied with religious entertainment and are angered at hypocrisy. They want more than just a buzz on Sunday morning to get them through the week.

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Their desire is to see more in the Body of Christ, than programs of men designed to give us all a religious experience. Their heart's desire is for the presence of the Living God. God doesn't want to just give us all a thrill and a chill, He wants a people in whom He may reside and fellowship. All we've wanted is a manifestation, a tingle from God as He temporarily visits us. Some people would rather pay a cheaper price for a manifestation than give everything to become a continual dwelling place for God. It is much easier on the flesh to just have an experience now and then. It will cost you your life to carry God's presence, but that is what this generation desires. Break the Old Mold Religiosity, the sin of the Pharisees in Jesus' day, is nothing new in the earth. Yet Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:5 that this will also be a characteristic of the last days. Religious devils deceive us into thinking a little bit of God is enough, a form of godliness that keeps us in bondage to traditions of men but has no real power to change our lives. But God has put within this generation a hatred for programs and methods that leave out God's presence. We won't be satisfied with anything but all of God. That is what scares hell's forces! Religious devils and people filled with religious 22

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devils, don't like to hear about becoming God's dwelling place. We see this in Acts 7 where Stephen is brought before the religious council. In verses 48 and 49 he challenges their traditions and speaks of becoming a dwelling place for God. "Howbeit, the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: What house will you build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?" They gnashed their teeth and stopped their ears just as religious devils do today. Christians who want to hold on to their traditions won't like this kind of preaching. They only want to hear that their own programs are good enough. They want the benefits of Christianity without paying the price required by God. There is a cost to becoming a dwelling place for God. We must press in to Him, allowing Him to change us from the inside out.

Trembling For the Lord

Let us look at the scripture in Isaiah 66:1 & 2, quoted by Stephen:
"Thus says the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things my hand has made, and all those things exist, says the Lord. But on this one will I look, on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word."

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God says He will dwell in the person who is "poor and of a contrite spirit." These speak of humility, total dependence on God. Religious people want to impress God (and others) with their good works. But the new breed knows they are nothing without Him. God looks to those who are humble before Him. Remember, the Bible calls Moses the most humble man who ever lived, and God spoke with him face to face. God also looks to those who "tremble at His Word." The fear of the Lord has been missing from the Body of Christ, which is why in this move of God we are seeing Him reveal Himself not only as a Lamb but as a Lion, and a mighty conquering King. But fear is not the only reason we should tremble at God's Word. By God's grace, my wife and I have developed great intimacy over the nearly fourteen years of our marriage. When I'm out of town, even for just a few days, I call her often. When I first hear her voice on the phone, I still tremble. Not because I'm afraid of her, but because I am excited to hear her voice. My heart beats a little faster because of my love for her. This generation fears God and has such a love for Him that we tremble at His Word. We are excited just to hear His voice. If God spoke today, would you hear Him? And if you did hear Him, would you tremble because of your love for Him? Or would you just 24

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continue about your daily business, telling Him to come back later? God is looking for a people to inhabit, a people who love Him more than life itself.

Keys to Becoming God's Dwelling Place

1) Hear His Voice:
"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you will hear His voice..." Hebrews 3:7

You must hear God's voice for yourself. Some people believe God stopped talking when the last verse of the Bible was written. But I have news for youGod is speaking to His people today. And we don't have to go through a priest, prophet or pastor. God desires to speak directly to His people, if we will have ears to hear. He says, if you will hear His voice. We must desire to hear Him. Some people only want to hear religious talk to tickle their ears and appease their consciences, but if we truly desire to become God's dwelling place, we must hear Him, no matter what He has to say. 2) Keep Your Heart Soft:
"Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness..." Hebrews 3:8

Second, we must keep our hearts open and soft in order to become a resting place for God. The Bible refers to our hearts as "soil." In order to bring forth life, it must be soft. Rocks and roots of offenses, 25

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bitterness and unforgiveness must be continually pulled out. Buried hurts will only keep your heart hard. Allow God to dig in His hoe and pull out all the stony places. It may hurt, but when He is done, all that will remain is soft, fresh soil ready for planting. We must open our hearts totally to God, holding nothing back. 3) Know His Ways:
"Therefore I was angry with that generation, and they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest." Hebrews 3:10, 11

God gets angry when we only know His acts. The Bible declares that Moses knew God's ways. The children of Israel only knew God's acts and they died in the wilderness. We must know God and who He is, not just what He can do. This whole world lives at a frantic pace and the church of the 90's is no exception. We must be a people moving forward and taking action. The rest God promises us in these scriptures is not absence of activity. It is not a spiritual vacation or a Christian coffee break! It is a place of motion in which your momentum comes from the Spirit of God. Several years ago, a young lady came to pick up her sister from church. As I greeted her, I could smell alcohol on her breath and it became obvious that she was blitzed. As my wife and I both sensed an urgency 26

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in our spirits to minister to her, she fell backwards onto the floor and demons began to manifest. She began to slither across the carpet like a snake on her back in a way that wasn't humanly possible. After an hour or more of fervent prayer, this young woman was totally free and completely sober! It was a glorious deliverance. She plugged right into church and began to grow in the Lord. Over time she got very involved with the young adults group and even became part of the leadership team. Suddenly her calling and destiny came into focus, but with it the reality of the pressure of ministry life. For months there was something not quite right, but we couldn't pinpoint it. Then she self-destructed. It was agonizing to find that she had been big on socializing at the church, but not with the Lord. It became obvious to many that she knew about God, which seemed to satisfy her, but had no intimacy with Jesus. At last report, she had gone totally back into the world, claiming the Christian life was "too hard." The Bible tells us we must always be on the alert. We must stand guard, fight the enemy, and be instant in and out of season. There is no time for retreat in this army! But God says our strength, our action is not by human might or power but it is by His Spirit. God's grace is a spiritual force that gives us the ability to accomplish mighty things in His Name. Let us not 27

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back down but let us push ahead with the rest and peace of God in our hearts! 4) Have Faith:
"Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Hebrews 3:12

God calls it evil when we don't believe Him. We must have faith. Faith is not some magical, mystical feelingit is simply believing what God says, trusting Him and doing what He tells you to do. James says that faith without works is dead. Real faith will cause you to take action for God. It is time for the Body of Christ to stop reacting to their circumstances. Fear reacts and tries to understand why. Fear hesitates and wants to figure everything out. Faith acts and simply flows with God. Faith moves forward when everyone else backs down. We must have faith. Bold faith that takes action will attract God's presence to you. When Gail and I left Orlando in 1990 to start Spirit Life Christian Center in Ocala, the business of the move kept us firmly focused on our vision. As we drove behind the truck loaded with our furniture to finalize the move, we both looked at each other and said, "What did we just do?" We had left all of our security, salary, benefits, prestige, and reputation to move into something totally unknown. 28

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Smith Wigglesworth once said, "Fear knocked, faith answered and nobody was there." That day fear indeed came calling, but the peace and presence of God settled onto our hearts and faith arose. That decision turned out to be one of the hardest, but most rewarding of our lives. Anything involving faith requires stepping out of some sort of "boat" and walking toward Jesus on the water. 5) Cease From Fleshly Works:
"For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from His." Hebrews 4:10

Many people have had to perform all their lives to gain approval from parents or spouse and they've carried this striving over into their walk with God. Either consciously or unconsciously they feel they must work in order to please Him. But did you know that God is already impressed with you? He doesn't count how many people you've witnessed to, how often you read your Bible, or how much you pray (all of these being good things). He loves youHe just wants us to relax and know Him, to love Him with all our hearts. God's Word tells us that we must cease trying to work things out for ourselves. Most mistakes are made when you have a "Plan B" in mind. You say, "God, either you come through with the money I need by this Friday, or it must be your will for me to take out a loan." Not realizing that as long as you have a 29

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plan to do things in your own strength, God will let you do it. It must be God's way or no way! 6) Labor to Enter In:
"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:11

The word "rest" used here is the same word used in Genesis 2 for Sabbath rest. In the Hebrew it means, "a complete envelopment which thus implies permeation." We must press into God's presence to a place where His Spirit completely fills us like water fills a sponge. It requires labor to find that place, not fleshly striving, but a seeking to know God and have Him totally fill your life. We cannot compartmentalize God, giving Him an hour or two everydayHe wants your whole life. We must allow Him to completely saturate every part of our lives, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a constant communion with Him while living an exciting, natural, normal life. The heartbeat of this generation is to press on past the religious hype and entertainment, to a place where God's presence is. Let us begin to seek His face and allow Him to build us into a temple in which He can dwell.

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Honey, I Shrunk the Church!

We are all supposed to grow into our full size, it is a natural part of life on earth. Yet, as a pastor I know that it is very easy to adopt the world's criteria for success by counting the numbers of people in my congregation each week as an indication of how well I'm doing as a minister. One of the first things people ask me when they find out I'm a pastor is "How big is your congregation?" We often unknowingly judge the success of a ministry by how many people they can pack into the sanctuary! Traveling ministers similarly compare mailing list size. But let me tell you, ministers especially, fulfilling your calling as a church has little to do with size. In the Old Testament, Moses set captains over companies of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. God didn't like some better than others, each had a purpose to fulfill. We are not in competing with our own destinies! Jesus said wherever two or three are gathered in His name, He would be there in the midst of them. I would rather have a church of a few hundred where He is, than a mega church without Him. Jesus looks for maturity and depth of spirit in His Body, not just numbers.

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Pastor Gideon's Mega Church

Let me show you a couple of examples of a part of church growth I believe we will be seeing in the 90's.

The first example is found in the Old Testament. Most of you probably know the story found in Judges, chapter 7. Gideon was a young man when God called him to be a leader of His people. God told Gideon, "I'm going to make you a bold warrior." In today's terminology, God gave Gideon a local church called to be on the "cutting edge," defeating the enemy and winning many battles. "Pastor" Gideon's church was an instant success. He had 32,000 members, a mega church! Pastor Gideon was celebrating, he could win many battles with a congregation this size. One day in the midst of all Pastor Gideon's celebrating, God came to him and said, "There are too many people in this church." Pastor Gideon was shocked! "But God," he said, "don't you bless with great numbers? What have I done wrong?" But God was firm. He said to Pastor Gideon, "Tell the fearful and unbelieving to go home." So the next Sunday, Pastor Gideon stepped up to the pulpit and said, "All you who are fearful of battle, there's the door. God says go home!" Well, people started getting up all over the place. There was quite a stir and when all was said and done 22,000 people 32

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had left. Can you imagine the talk among those leaving? "Did you hear Pastor Gideon? Just who does he think he is, telling us to go home. We were going to leave this church anyway!" They were probably very offended. Pastor Gideon had obeyed God and he lost 22,000 members from his congregation with just one sermon. He still had 10,000 though. He could feel pretty secure about such a large ministry. Pastor Gideon went back to his prayer closet, consoling himself by the fact that he still had 10,000 members. Things weren't so bad, even if he did have 22,000 people mad at him! God comes to Pastor Gideon and says, "This church is still too big. If you win now, you'll get all the glory instead of me. I want you to take your people to the water and I'll test them there." The next Sunday, Pastor Gideon makes an announcement that everyone is invited down to the water hole for a big church picnic. The people got excited and all 10,000 showed up. Pastor Gideon tells them, "Everyone go down and get a drink." As the people drink, some stick their face in the water. God tells Pastor Gideon, "I can't use them." But 300 of them used their hands and lapped the water from their hand, keeping their eyes ahead. Those are the ones God could use, those who stayed alert and did not lose their vision. When we are refreshed by the Holy 33

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Spirit through worship, we cannot lose sight of the task God has called us to. The purpose of God's refreshment is to enable us to continue pursuing His high call without becoming weary. God gives us grace to do something, not to sit back and fall asleep. We must remain alert and aggressive! God chose the 300 who lapped and the rest were sent home. By now the town was up in arms. Phones were ringing off their hooks with gossiping Christians calling their "prayer chains." "Did you hear about Pastor Gideon?" They were probably saying, "We need to lift him up in prayer, he's lost his mind! He just kicked 31,700 people out of his church. I thought they were called to be a strong warring church. How will they win now??" Pastor Gideon had lost 31,700 members from his congregation because God told him to speak a hard word. But the best news of all is that number do not matter to God! He used the 300 who remained to defeat the Midianites and God got all the glory! Isn't true success measured in the victory that is produced?

Another Hard Saying

Let me show you another example: this one is from the New Testament, John chapter 6. Here we see one of Jesus' meetings. Picture this, multitudes were gathered on the hills to hear Him.

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His parables were so captivating and exciting, that at one meeting the people stayed for three days without food. Now that was a powerful ministry! Once again, just like Gideon, the Word of the Lord comes forth anointed and hard. Jesus says in verses 54 and 55:
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."

I can hear the murmur of the crowd as this Word is preached. The people are shocked and upset! They didn't come to hear this kind of preaching. Even Jesus' disciples are appalled at His teaching. "This is a hard saying, who can understand it?" they say. But Jesus was not moved, He did not back down. In verse 66, it states that many of His disciples walked with Him no more. What was happening to Jesus' ministry? Didn't He know that this type of preaching would drive the crowds away?

God Pleasers
Welcome to church growth in the 90's! When the Word comes forth in the decade, it will be powerful and strong. It will be bold, making an impact not only in the natural, but in the heavenlies as well. The Word may sound harsh, but we must listen with the ears of the Spirit and realize that it is making impact in the heavenly realm. When the people got offended and 35

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left, Jesus did not run after them. He did not apologize for the Word of the Lord, or try to explain. In fact, he turned to His closest followers, the twelve apostles and asked them, "Do you also want to go away?" This is the test of leadership in the 90's. Will we as ministers in the Body of Christ be men pleasers in order to build our numbers and appear successful by worldly standards? Will we back off the Word of the Lord when people start to leave our churches due to offenses? The Lord spoke to me recently concerning this issue. He showed me that local churches are local Bodies of Jesus that can be likened to human bodies in some ways. Just like our bodies must rid themselves of waste, so there will be a consistent purging in our churches in the 90's. Spiritual constipation is unhealthy. Leaders, you cannot hold people back just to maintain numbers. If they are offended, we must love them and try to make it right, but if they won't receive it, let them go. Satan tried to eliminate Peter from the early church. Jesus told Peter, "Satan desires to sift you. But I'm praying for you that you will stand strong in your time of testing." Peter stood strong even after his failure and wrote something powerful in 1 Peter 5:10:
"But the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a little

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Honey, I Shrunk the Church! while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you."

When trials come and the Word of the Lord comes forth and tests you, depth and maturity are produced. Peter went on to become a pillar of the church after he had been tested.

Birth Defective Disciples

Too many churches have tried to please people and have wound up with shallow Christians. In the 80's, Christianity in America was characterized by selfishness. Many looked to what God could do for them rather than looking at who He is. We forgot that the greatest reward of Christianity is not prosperity or tongues, it's Jesus Himself! We produced a whole generation of "birth defective" disciples who through no fault of their own were taught to value what Jesus could do for them, forgetting that victory is in Jesus Himself. In the 90's, promotion and success in the church will be different. God does look for growth in His Body, but He is calling us to go deeper, in order to go higher. He is looking for stability and maturity. Bigger does not necessarily mean better. We cannot allow a spirit of the world to destroy the fruit of God's Word in our lives and ministries.

Ask Goliath if David Made an Impression

One of the greatest mistakes a pastor can make is 37

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to compete with other works for more numbers. Jesus said that He would build His church, He didn't tell you to do it. And the church that He builds will succeed, the gates of hell will not prevail against it! That is a strong, powerful church, no matter what the size. The word for the 90's is not numbers, it's IMPACT! David only needed one small stone to make impact on Goliath's head. The Lord will use an obedient remnant to crush the enemy, it doesn't take many. Growth in our lives, in our churches and ministries will bring success in the 90's, not just outward growth, but inward growth that goes deeper in God and causes change for His Kingdom. Then scores of people will come to the Lord and His church, but not when it is to satisfy the desires of our flesh. God has given many leaders a very competitive nature. He has placed in you a desire for bigger and better so that we will seize our times of strength and go after our cities, states and nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once our motives are purified, I believe the church will grow through different times and seasons. The purging God does should not become our excuse for giving up the fight. Just lock in on the vision God gave you, and train the people to go after the unchurched as well as misplaced Christians. If people are going to be born again, it will take trained 38

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spiritual midwives to birth them through intercession and travail. Go after people and watch Jesus build His church through you!

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4
4

Very Few Good Men

Many churches in this hour are joining together in an effort to become one. God does desire for His Body to be unified. In fact, Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). True unity in the Body of Christ will be built on love for Jesus and for each other, not on doctrine. We must lay down our "pet doctrines" and focus on what we agree on. We must be careful, however, of counterfeits. We must join together as one, but not at the price of compromise. Real love is not the soulish love so many have tried to propagate. In the past our agape has been sloppy! We've allowed sin into our churches without dealing with it, yet wounded our own true brothers and sisters with our prideful attitudes. The love coming to the church of the 90's will be considered radical by many. This love will cause you to lay down your life for your brother. True divine relationships will begin to stick together no matter what the cost. It is also tough love that will confront sin and bring forth church discipline when necessary. The new generation is different. Just as we saw false prophets and false teachers in the past, in the 90's we will see false brethren sent to destroy the work of God. These people have all the right

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words, the right actions, and seem to fit in with the church crowd. The Bible warns us, however, to know no man after the flesh but after the spirit (2 Corinthians 5:16). We must walk in greater discernment in these last days, measuring fruit and not just the words in the lives of those with whom we have relationship. Nothing can take you down faster than having the wrong people around you, we must know people by the spirit.

In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of the signs of the end times. In verse ten He says that many in the last days will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. We have already seen betrayal of brother against brother in the Body of Christ. Some of you may even have gone through it yourselves. Psalm 55:12, 13 says:
"For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has magnified himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man of my equal, my companion and my acquaintance."

How do we deal with these false brethren? Do we welcome them with wide-opened arms because we think we should love everyone? What would real love do?

Forgiveness, Love and Church Discipline

Forgiveness is a must in the Body of Christ. Jesus commands us to forgive our brother seventy times 42

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seven. Any unforgiveness held in your heart will undoubtedly result in bitterness, even if you are the one who has been wronged. Jesus in you will enable you to forgive someone for what seems an unforgivable circumstance so that you can remain free from all bondage. Yet in the church we have often confused forgiveness with restoration and reconciliation. The devil and some people have tried to lay on us a false sense of guilt, if we do not receive everyone who professes to be a brother in the Lord. Yet God's Word says that His temple (which we are) will have no communion with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). A believer is not just one who confesses Christ with his or her mouth, even devils will do that. A believer is one who confesses that Jesus is Lord by his or her lifestyle! We must measure the fruit, not just the word of their mouths. I'm not advocating suspicion, just true discernment.

Traitors
The Bible says that in the last days there will be traitors in our midst (2 Tim 3:4). Treason is the sin committed by satan, it is willful betrayal of trust, disloyalty, or a violation of allegiance. What is our response to be when we encounter these people in our churches in these last days? The Word of God is very clear, let's look at a few scriptures. 43

In Your Face "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them." Romans 16:17 "But we command you, brethren, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us...And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed." 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14 "But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him: for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." 2 John 10, 11

God is explicit, we as His temple are not to be joined together with these false brethren, even if they say the "right" things and act the "right" way. They have rotten fruit and secret pet sins they will not bring to light. Don't be fooled by outward appearances! Real love is strong and will confront sin. It will forgive and love, but will withdraw in order that the person may repent. Do not let others make you feel guilty for not reconciling in these circumstances. You must forgive so that bitterness 44

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will not take root in your heart and hold you in bondage. But God does not command reconciliation.

Divine Relationships
It would seem easier, especially for those who have been betrayed by false brethren, to simply stay to themselves and not build relationships in the Body of Christ. We are emotional beings who want to run from any chances of being hurt. However, we cannot walk in fear. God is seeking to build us, His Body, together as a habitation for Him in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19). Jesus is our foundation, but we are the living stones that will make up the walls of this temple. The Lord is calling us to build a strong wall. We cannot make it to our high call alone, we need relationships. There is a remnant in the Body of Christ that He is raising up to be built together as His dwelling place. In this hour, God is calling forth divine relationships to be formed between individuals, families, churches, and ministries. These relationships will bear much fruit for His Kingdom and must be guarded. These are relationships born in the Spirit and they must remain there! They are not of the soul or of the flesh. They are called forth by God to accomplish His purposes in the earth in the last days. Satan will recognize these relationships and will attempt to destroy them. True divine relationships 45

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take work, but will survive every attack if we recognize them. We have met some incredible people around the world with whom there has been a special link-up. On one of our several Trinidad and Tobago trips, we were hosted by Dr. Noel and June Woodroffe, pastors of the Elijah Centre. We were only introduced briefly a few months earlier at a conference in the panhandle of Florida. However, as were spent time together, it was as though we were on the same wavelength. It was so encouraging to fellowship with others with a similar calling and vision, hearing the same things from the Holy Spirit. Likewise, God has given us other such friends in New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and other nations worldwide. I would like to share with you several characteristics of divine relationships. Use these guidelines to measure your own relationships.

Characteristics of Divine Relationships

1) Divine Relationships Revolve Around Jesus:
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:12

This much quoted scripture is an accurate description of true relationships we must see in the Body of Christ. When you look at the context of this verse, however, you see that Jesus is not only talking of building relationships between each other, He is 46

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also speaking of friendship with Him. He says that we are no longer servants, we are His friends. Abraham was called the friend of God in the Old Testament. That is our highest call in our walk with the Lord, to become so intimate with Him that He calls us friend. We must first build relationship with Him, then with each other. Our foundation in divine relationships is Christ, He is the Master Builder who will fit us together as living stones in His temple. 2) Divine Relationships Will Make You Sharper:
"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

A true divine relationship will provoke and push you to become sharper in the Lord. The friction sometimes felt between friends will produce fruit and will make the relationship stronger if guarded. We must watch that the chemistry produces "dynamite" for Jesus and not a "bomb!" People may come in and seek to cause division in a divine relationship by turning the friction into a negative rather than a positive. I've had friends that stirred me toward the things of God, when we prayed together, it produced powerful results; but the enemy fought our connection at every turn. Fight for those who sharpen your countenance. 3) Divine Relationships Produce Liberty:
"Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17

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A relationship focused on Jesus will bring liberty to your life. Any relationship causing you to feel intimidated or where there is manipulation and control is not a divine relationship. We are called to freedom in Jesus! True spirituality will make you relatable, not in the ozone. Right friends will be normal, natural, and downright fun. New breed people pray hard and play hard. God's people in ministry can't just spend all their time living off their gift and anointing. Gail and I even had to shanghai some friends a few years ago to get them to go the park for a picnic, barbecue, and basketball with the kids. Ministry can dominate your life worse than some other careers because it is for the Lord. But He has created spirit, soul, and body. We need to hold to our strength of spirit, while learning to rest our bodies and souls. We make sure we take several short trips per year as a family; to the beach, Disney World, or just an afternoon at the movies. Legalism can cause real resentment in kids. They already pay such a price at times. Where the Holy Spirit is in charge, there is liberty. Godly friends will encourage clean living and produce freedom to be real. 4) Divine Relationships Will Edify You:
"Many entreat the favor of the nobility, and every man is

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Very Few Good Men a friend to one who gives gifts." Proverbs 19:6

A divine relationship will give, not just take. We are to give encouragement and exhortation, building one another up in the Lord, not tearing down. Yes, there are times to root out the weeds and the flesh, but God also tells us to build and plant (Jeremiah 1:10). Divine relationships should bring out the best in those involved. 5) Divine Relationships Bring Comfort:
"Nevertheless, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us, by the coming of Titus..." 2 Corinthians 7:6

In addition to building one another up, we are also called to hold one another up. A divine relationship will bring comfort in times of distress. Galatians 6:2 says to bear one another's burdens. Times of conflict will come in this life, Paul had plenty! Yet in these times he was comforted by the divine relationships he had built. The value of a true friend is also seen in Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 which says:
"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion..."

Verse 12 of that same chapter tells us that a threefold cord is not quickly broken. A divine relationship centered around Jesus will bring strength, encouragement, and comfort to our lives. 49

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6) Divine Relationships Produce Risky People:

"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life." Romans 16:3, 4

Faith in the 90's is spelled RISK!! There is no faith without some risk being involved. Those who have totally committed their lives to the Lord know that life with Jesus is an ADVENTURE, not always a well charted course. Divine relationships sometimes require stepping out on a limb for each other to see God's purposes established. There is an element of the unknown when we step into new realms in the Spirit. God is calling us to be willing to go forward with this kind of zeal in the relationships He builds between us. 7) Divine Relationships Stand In Tough Times:
"A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

There used to be a sense of loyalty in our nation; loyalty to God, to our word, to our flag, to our family, and to our friends. Now we have seen that type of commitment almost totally dissolved. Worldly friendships, even marriages, are not based on faithfulness but on convenience. When the going gets tough in a relationship, people want to jump out. Job had those types of relationships. When he went through times of testing, we see his friends turn on him. Job 19:19 says: 50

Very Few Good Men "All my close friends abhor me, and those whom I love have turned against me."

Difficult times show who will and who will not give up on you. We need to see loyalty come back to our nation today, and it should begin in the Body of Christ. Even after his friends turned on him, God called for Job to pray for them. If you're hurting and feel like everyone has left you, begin to pray for them and bless them. The Bible says that you will reap, for our God is a God of relationship.

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5

A Break Through People

There is a determination in the hearts of the 90's generation to press in and advance on the gates of hell. We have something inside of us that absolutely will not allow us to stop and camp out. No matter how great yesterday's glory was; we must continually make progress. We must be established in present truth (2 Peter 1:12), stay current in Jesus, and hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying today. We live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The advancing church of the 90's is an aggressive one. There is no time to look back, we must go forward. Yes, there is opposition to the advancing church of the 90's, but it is not to be feared. The gates of hell shall not prevail against God's mighty army. We will encounter hindrances, distractions, and obstacles as we move forward, but these will only serve to purify and strengthen the last days' generation.

Hindrances
"Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I Paul, time and again, but satan hindered us." 1 Thessalonians 2:18 To hinder means to slow down or obstruct the progress of. Satan will attack us with hindrances

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designed to keep us off God's timetable. God promises to redeem our time, satan desires to steal it. We must follow the Holy Spirit's timing in our lives and ministries. There are seasons when you will grow one year spiritually in one physical month. There are also those who have already been anointed by God for a specific purpose, yet their time has not come. David was anointed king while still a shepherd boy, yet he did not go out the next day and take the kingdom. He was on God's timetable. David still had purposes and responsibilities to fulfill before taking his rightful place as King of Israel. Even when you are anointed for a specific task in God's Kingdom, you must be faithful where you are until it is the right time to walk in that place. David was a man of responsibility. He did not leave his sheep just because God called him to be king. He took care of them and stayed on God's timetable for fulfillment of his destiny. Satan's hindrances are designed to make us miss our timings, but with God on our side, the devil loses every time! Let's look at David and see how the devil tried to hinder his ministry in three different areas. 1) Persecution From Family Members: Persecution from within your own family, or church family, will often try to hinder you from fulfilling your calling. When you've made the decision to sell out to Jesus, your enthusiasm can become a 54

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threat to others' comfort zones. In 1 Samuel 17, we see David coming to his brothers on the battlefield. They're in God's army, they've found their place of comfort when David shows up with fire in his heart to see God's people set free. In verse 28, their anger towards David show up in the form of false accusations.
"...Eliab's anger was aroused against David and he said, Why did you dome down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."

In today's words, we might hear such things as, "You think you're so much more spiritual than us. Why don't you just calm down? You're too wild! And why are you always at that church anyway? Do you live there?" Religious spirits will try to hold back the move of God by accusing those who are absolutely sold out to Jesus of wildfire or fanaticism. Those who have found their comfort zones in Christianity may not make mistakes, but they also don't make any progress! The devil has succeeded in hindering them from fulfilling the destiny God has for their lives. They have become like corpses, so neat and perfect, yet so dead! God has called us to become as little children; we might fall down, make mistakes and get a little messy, but we'll be full of life. If we do not allow devils to 55

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steal our liveliness, zeal, and enthusiasm, we will stay on God's timetable for fulfilling His plan in the earth. 2) Persecution From Insecure Leadership: As believers grab on to what God wants to do in this hour, the next area hindrances may appear is in the form of persecution from those who were leaders in former moves of God. Our God is continually revealing new areas of His personality and character. Those who want to live in the past will persecute those who will be used by God to bring forth the new. We must respect and honor the leadership from past moves, but not allow any accusations they may bring keep us from God's timetable. We see an example of this type of hindrance in the interaction between David and Saul. David came to the battlefield with zeal to go forward for His God, while Saul was sitting still doing nothing and allowing the enemy to keep God's people in bondage. Yet David did not accuse Saul. He respected him and presented himself to Saul as a servant (1 Samuel 17:32). Even when Saul charged David with immaturity and inability, David's confidence did not waiver. He knew God would bring forth victory just as he had seen in the past. Your times of trials and testing are important! If David had not been tested with the lion and the bear in the wilderness, he may have backed down at this point. But because he had seen God 56

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come through for him in the past, he could answer Saul confidently, assured of victory even against the giant! David knew God would use him to defeat Goliath, yet he continued to honor Saul as king.

Where Are the Fathers?

Part of this new breed mindset is apostolic fathering. Paul, the great apostle, continually referred to his spiritual offspring as "my little children." His heart expressed to sons like Timothy proved that his desire was for them to go further, preach stronger, and accomplish more than he even could. That's a father! Too many leaders in the Body of Christ, like Saul, recognize the calling in those coming up; but rather than nurture and encourage, they exploit and squash the gift. Time is too short for jealousy. Leaders are responsible to counsel the next generation of ministers, even restrain to bring accuracy in timing, but never to crush or enslave their "children." In the apostolic restoration currently underway, spiritual reproduction for the purpose of multiplication of ministry will be a high priority. 3) Persecution From Principalities And Powers: The third area of hindrance will be persecution from the spirits of darkness. David was not slowed down by accusations from his family nor from Saul. He then had to face Goliath. 57

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As you move forward on God's timetable, principalities and powers will hate you because of your militancy and boldness. They will try to curse you as Goliath cursed David (1 Samuel 17:43). We see David's response was one of confidence in God. He did not come in his own name, he came in the Name of the Lord of Hosts. David did not come to defend himself. He came on the offensive, to see the people of God set free from their bondage. Just as David had laid down his life for his sheep by facing the lion and the bear, he now laid his life down for God's sheep by facing Goliath. He had a heart for God's people because God has a heart for His people. We can face the powers of darkness with confidence if we come in the Name of Jesus, with a heart to see His people live in freedom. God will allow hindrances into your life to purify your motives. Hindrances will come as you move on with God, but don't let them stop you. God has everything you need to enable you to fulfill your calling, go forward!

Distractions
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth..." Colossians 3:2

In this hour, we must keep our minds set, we must be distraction proof. Distractions are tricks of the devil to get your focus on something else. They are 58

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designed by hell to take your attention away from fulfilling your purpose in God. If the enemy cannot hinder you, he will try to change your focus and get your eyes off Jesus.

Betrayal and Deception

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." Matthew 24:10, 11

Betrayal and deception are two areas of distraction we see come against those who are pursuing their high calling in God. Every person moving into an area of church leadership will have the opportunity to sell out their leader. The devil will be sure of that. Those who fail this test fall to distraction and will stop their progression in fulfilling God's plan for their lives. Jesus said when we see this betrayal, many will also be deceived. We must endure to the end (Matthew 24:13), keeping our eyes on Jesus Himself and not submitting to the accuser of the brethren. Recovery for both betrayed and betrayer will take time, counsel, deep repentance, forgiveness, and healing of your soul. God is well able!

Stay on Your Cross!

"And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Matthew 24:39, 40

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This is a powerful scripture as we see the devil trying to distract Jesus from fulfilling His purpose of going to the cross. For us, the cross is our submitted life, walking in obedience to God is key to seeing His plan come to pass. The devil will use others to try to persuade you to come down from your cross, just as he did with Jesus. If he can convince us to work out God's plan in our own power, he has succeeded in distracting us. We can only reach our maximum potential in God through His strength and ability. We must resist temptation to try to prove our calling through self effort. This is a trap of the enemy to thwart God's purposes and decrease the impact He could have made through your life. Jesus called us to endurance, this race is not a sprint but a marathon. It may seem at times that there is no progression, yet if we stay on our cross, we are safe and we will fulfill our destinies in Christ Jesus!

Obstacles
Hindrances and distractions will seem insignificant when you encounter the next area of oppositionOBSTACLES. Hindrances are designs to slow you down and keep you off God's timetable, distractions are sent to take your focus from Jesus and keep you from fulfilling God's purpose, but obstacles are set up to absolutely stop you from going any further in God. 60

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God's Word says that many are called, but few are chosen. Obstacles can either be your excuse to quit or a divine opportunity to see the glory of God. They are walls designed to make you give up, but when you do make it through them there comes great promotion to your life. Only faith can see the removal of these walls.

Joseph
Joseph was a man who knew about obstacles. The account of Joseph's life begins in Genesis 37. He was the second to the last child of Jacob and was his father's favorite. His brothers already hated him when Joseph made his first mistake. Joseph dreamed a dream, and his problem began when he told his brothers. Our generation must have vision, we must see things with the eyes of God, but don't share your vision until the right time. When you dare to dream a dream, there will be those who will want to throw you in a pit, just as Joseph's brothers did to him. Joseph went from the pit to being sold into slavery. We see in Genesis 39 that he was willing to be a servant and God promoted him. Wherever there is determination, focus on a vision and faith in God, obstacles will be overcome. Joseph became an overseer in the house of Potiphar and was entrusted with much. Then came his next mistake. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph. Joseph 61

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continually refused even as she bombarded him day after day (verse 10). The problem came when he went into the house when no one else was there. Do not go into a potentially compromising situation when there's no one else around! No matter how spiritual you feel you are, do not think you can handle the situation by yourself. Joseph could have saved himself much grief had he not been alone during this particular circumstance. Although he did not compromise, circumstances were made to look as if he did and the devil succeeded in bringing another wall to the fulfillment of Joseph's dream. Joseph was thrown into prison. So Joseph dreamed a dream and went from a pit, to slavery, to being head of the house, to prison. While in prison, he interprets two dreams for servants of Pharaoh, one of whom promises to remember Joseph when he is returned to Pharaoh's house, yet he forgot. Though discouragement undoubtedly tried to set in, Joseph remained faithful to God. His faith did not fail. He remembered the dream and kept the vision alive in his heart. What he did not know was that all these obstacles designed to cut him off were actually keeping him on God's perfect timetable. The day finally came when Joseph was remembered and was called upon to interpret Pharaoh's dream. We see in Genesis 41:40 that 62

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Pharaoh made Joseph second in command, even having authority over Potiphar, the one who had placed him in prison!

Joseph Generation
Now we see the timing of God in the life of Joseph. Famine came upon the land and God gave Joseph a plan, a strategy for feeding the people during those years. Even his own family who had betrayed him came to Joseph for food. When we as servants of God have a vision, a destiny to fulfill, we may encounter obstacles tempting us to give up. Let our faith remain strong and let us not lose sight of His purposes. God says there shall come another type of famine on the earth, a famine of hearing the Words of the Lord (Amos 8:11,12). Even now, God is preparing a Joseph Generation to be keepers of the silos, to be filled when all others are empty, to bring forth God's Word to those who are dying of hunger and thirst. Yes, there will come obstacles, distractions, and hindrances. Yet strong faith in God, focus on Jesus, zeal, and a heart for His people will see conquering of all opposition, bringing fulfillment of His purposes to our lives. Determine in your heart to hear what God's Spirit is saying NOW and go forward at His command, no matter what circumstances dictates. This is a mighty generation that will not be stopped! 63

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6

It's a Decent Proposal

We find in 1 Peter 2:9 that every generation is a chosen generation by the Lord. Each has a specific call and purpose in the overall plan of God. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). God's Word says that whoever is saved is also called with a holy calling which is based on God's own purpose that He chose before time began. Isn't it comforting to know that you are not a cosmic coincidence of a monkey's nephew? Jesus gave you a destiny and a vision before the world was created. You might not know it yet, but you have been appointed to accomplish something specific in God's overall plan. It's a life of adventure! This doesn't mean everyone has to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, but all are called to proclaim the gospel into every area of influence God has entrusted them. I can remember as a rebellious teenager, sitting with my grandfather, Reverend K. R. Perinchief, out on our back porch. As we sat and talked I asked him how he knew he was supposed to be a minister. He described his conversion to Christ and the gentle "knowing" of his

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call. As I sat there, an unsaved young man, I felt that same call deep inside. That conversation turned out to be one of the last close times I had with my "Pop Pop" before he went to Heaven.

It was another three or four years of running from that call, before I would actually surrender my life to the Lord in 1980. Three more years passed quickly before I received and announced to my whole family that I, too, was called into the full time service of the Lord. There is nothing on earth that compares with knowing that the Living, Almighty Creator of the universe has some specific blue prints for your existence. What confidence that brings as you step out in faith responding to the Holy Spirit's every instruction. You can't fail if you just obey. The whole world is looking for the meaning of life. Jesus is that meaning. The new breed Christian has a vision of fulfilling the eternal purpose to which the Lord has appointed and anointed them.

Not a Time for Excuses

Some of the greatest leaders of the Bible wasted time arguing with God about their calling. Moses, having lost his early arrogance from the days of Egyptian nobility, responded to God's call to be a deliverer by saying "Who am I?" (Exodus 3:11, 12). Similarly today's group of called ones seem to be 66

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lacking strong identity, along with the earth's majority of people. If we are to follow God's leading we must grasp three crucial factors in determining identity. 1) We Must Know Who God Is:
."..but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits." Daniel 11:32b

That was Moses' next question, "Who should I say sent me?" Jehovah answered, "I Am who I Am." God is all that you need Him to be. He is Savior, Lord, Healer, Deliverer, Friend, Provider, the one who fights for you! Moses continued his excuse in Exodus 4:1-17, but to no avail. Relationship and intimacy with the Lord gives you the strength to do exploits. 2) We Must Know Who We Are: God called Gideon "a mighty man of valor" in Judges 6:12, just as he was hiding his goods from the enemy. He didn't sound very mighty, but when God says something about you, who are you to argue? The Lord said to Gideon as He did to Moses and as He does to us, "I will be with you." Jeremiah's objection was "...I cannot speak, for I am a youth," Jeremiah 1:6, 7. God had just told him that He had formed him, known him, sanctified him, and ordained him to be a prophet to the nations. 67

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Do you realize that while you were inside your mother's belly, God was at work putting all the pieces of equipment together so that you could be you? There is no time to argue with God. Know who God is, know who you are in Him, and obey the call. I tell people with special callings they can surrender the easy way or the hard way, those are your only two choices. Say yes now, or it may be a three day stay at the fabulously undesirable "Whale Belly Motel." Jonah chose the latter but eventually went to Nineveh as directed. 3) We Must Know Who Our Enemy Is: Ephesians 6:12 makes it plain that our enemy is not people, it is spirits of darkness organized by satan, formerly known as Lucifer. Isaiah 14:12 describes the devil's pride as he boastfully states his five "I wills." But the next few verses say that one day we will see him for what he really is, a counterfeiter who sends false projections of his authority and ability. Those who see him will consider him, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?" When we see the enemy for the liar that he really is, we will be embarrassed at how much we allowed him to get away with.
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents

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It's a Decent Proposal and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19

The church has been given Jesus' authority over all the ability of the devil. We must use what we've been given to unmask him and humiliate him as we lift the Name of Jesus Christ on the earth. Please remember the devil has not been sent to earth for a summer vacation. He was sentenced to the earth as his punishment for pride, jealousy, and insurrection. He was not sent by God to torment the church, but cast to the ground to be stomped on by the church (Romans 16:19).
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

The enemy has a legal right only to devour darkness. Any area of unconfessed sin allows darkness to exist in you and opens the door for the devil. Be filled with the light of God's Word, confess your sins to God, and receive the authority to close out any retaliation of satan. He is still a snake who slithers through the darkness.
"Thy pomp is brought down to the grave and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee." Isaiah 14:11

The Word of God prophesies the destiny of the devil; worms over and under him makes him a worm sandwich in my way of thinking. When the enemy 69

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tries to rob you of your destiny, remind him of his. Know God, be confident in who you are in Christ Jesus, and don't be ignorant of the devil's devices. This generation has been held back far too long from seeing the plan of Living God who loves you and has a plan for you. How many of the aborted babies were ordained and set apart while still in the womb like Jeremiah? Legalized infanticide (nearly 30,000,000 since 1973 in America alone), like in the days of Moses and Jesus, has put the governments of this day in the extermination business. What is it that the devil perceives about the young generation that the church has been too groggy to notice? Let's go after the young and the young-at-heart with a new sense of the urgency of the hour. God wants to send you to the nations of the earth with this message. He's looking for those who will make themselves available. Go after your destiny!

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Lethal Weapons of Light

"You are my battle ax and weapons of war: for with you I will break the nation in pieces with you I will destroy kingdoms. Jeremiah 51:20

We don't just have weapons of warfare in this hour, we are weapons of warfare in God's hands. Although I don't suggest you tell your mother-in-law that the Word says she is a battle ax! Now is a strategic time to live in the Lord's overall plan for the world. He intends to use His children to make a huge IMPACT on the earth in the next few years.

Flavor of the Month

Some have suggested that spiritual warfare was a fad or brief trend in the Body of Christ the last several years. I don't believe that the move of God we are a part of is a "warfare move," but that warfare is a tool of the Lord for this time, to bring about the authority of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a lost and dying world. Certainly there were those who grasped spiritual warfare only for the roar and excitement that it produced. We're currently seeing those in this category move on to the latest Christian "flavor of the month."

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The new breed received the revelation of engaging the enemy in warfare as a lifestyle, not a passing fancy. The intercessors and true warriors are rising into divine positions, pushing back the forces of hell on every side.

Fervent Prayer
The Bible says it is the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man that accomplishes much (James 5:16b). Fervency doesn't come by the volume of your voice, but the strength from your inner man. It comes out of your belly from where the rivers of living water flow.
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. "Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27

The Holy Spirit is our helper and partner in prayer. He prays through us in the perfect will of God. The best prayer is the one coming forth from the heart of God through you. These "unutterable groanings" are the praying in the Spirit that Ephesians 6:18 talks about. As an avid Presbyterian in 1986, the Holy Spirit kept dealing with my heart concerning His power. After much resistance, then digging into the wealth of God's Word for months, my wife and I both received 72

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the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was an undeniably supernatural experience that happened in the privacy of our own home. Contrary to what many charismatics later told us, we never got over it to this day! We loved the incredible power and passion for Jesus we received, but we didn't want "tongues." Many people are in that same position today. Don't be afraid of some spooky experience. Luke 11:13 says you can ask the Father for what's real, and He will give the reality of the Holy Spirit to you. A month later we were both speaking in tongues, once again the Lord empowering us privately in own home. This generation needs power more than ever. At the same time the New Age movement has tried to go after society with a lie, much of the church has retreated from the truth of God's power into being "user friendly."

Geriatric Park
We are not a bunch of old fossils or dinosaur Christians trying to reach people through ice age church services. We do need to be relevant to our society, but we're called to change the parts of our culture that have been influenced by principalities and powers, not conform to them. We must get outside of the walls of our church buildings and 73

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present Jesus in a way unsaved people can relate to, in a supernaturally natural way. Some user friendly advocates say we should have services where the gifts of the Spirit are not allowed to manifest. On the day of Pentecost, the 120 spoke in tongues and the sound of the Holy Spirit drew people to come and see what the noise was all about. Peter stands up and preaches Jesus to them and instead of saying, "Please stop this tongues business, the people think we're drunk," he says, "If you repent and get baptized into Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, you too can receive this same gift of the Holy Spirit!" Over 3000 souls were added to the church that day as they displayed God's powerful gifts. Tongues is foolishness to those without understanding, a stumbling block to those bound by religious spirits, but an incredible way to build your faith, your inner man, and release you into the fullness of God's might and dynamic ability. We can allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us in strong fervent prayer, to release the hand of God into the earth. God is sovereign, but He sovereignly chose to limit His own ability on earth to that which is prayed for. He gave this privilege of prayer to the church when Jesus said, "whatever you refuse to permit, I'll refuse to permit." (Matthew 16:19) According to Ezekiel 22:30-31, God looks for people to pray and make a wall and stand in the gap 74

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on behalf of their land. If He can't find anyone to pray, He is forced to pour out His anger. Instead of arguing over prayer methods, preferences, or styles, why don't we just pray and obey? Let's become God's instruments of weaponry upon the kingdoms of darkness.

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God Wants to Put His Feet Up

"But this Man, after He has offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool." Hebrews 10:12, 13 Jesus is ready right now to put His feet on the head of the enemy. He is waiting for His people, the church, to do their part through spiritual aggression and Christlikeness. Jesus already won the ultimate victory at the cross, but gave the responsibility of enforcement to the church. The Holy Spirit is looking for those who will fight and win in the realm of the spirit.

The Nature of God

If we are to be conformed to God's image, we've got to know Him. Although Jesus never changes, every move of His Spirit emphasizes a different side to His character. How those gathered in the upper room for Pentecost would have been shocked had they only prepared for the Holy Spirit to descend as a gently little dove. That day He came as a MIGHTY RUSHING WIND! He was bold, strong, and very noisy!

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Our God is truly a Warrior. Exodus 15:3 tells us "The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name." When Moses and the children of Israel faced the Red Sea on one side and Pharaoh's charging army on the other, the Lord spoke and said, "Tell the people to go forward" (Exodus 14:15). How can you go forward with the devil on your back and an ocean ahead? Moses knew the answer when he got to the other side and watched the water sweep over the wicked Egyptians. God did it! He fights like a warrior for His people. Isn't it comforting to know God will fight for you as you obey Him? Our God is a strong conqueror, and you were created in His image. Jesus didn't just walk around as some wimpy pacifist, as some would have you believe. He challenged people, demons, and people influenced by demons on a regular basis.

Life With a Purpose

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

Jesus knew His purpose, and we should likewise know ours. We have been given the authority to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, not just get blessed. We have a heritage and a destiny of destroying the works of darkness. If God's people do 78

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not take a stand for righteousness, who will? A recent public school class was asked what they would do to change the world. One bright pupil thoughtfully stated, "I would plant a tree." How deceived the world is to think that even changing the whole of the environment would somehow save the earth. The problem with the planet is sin that separates us from the blessing of God. What we need to plant are trees of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3), the anointed people of God willing to raise a standard.

Words Are Powerful

Apathy tries to choke out our desire to make a difference at all. On a missions trip a few months ago, I preached at a young church in a beach/retirement community. The pastor was tired and discouraged because very few were regularly attending. As I arose to speak the Spirit of God impressed me to attack the spirit of apathy ruling the territory. As I preached God's Word, the people began to respond little by little and seemed to be coming out of spiritual stupor. The problem with apathy is that its victims just don't care, even about being bound.

The Proclaiming Church

"...that I should preach...Christ to the intent that the manifold wisdom of God might be make known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places." Ephesians 3:8, 10

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We are all to be preachers of the gospel (Mark 16:15). The word "preach" literally means proclaim, and there is a certain power God sends forth in our proclamation. Ephesians 3 says that one purpose of proclaiming Christ is that it is an act of spiritual warfare. We are actually declaring the authority of Jesus to the principalities and powers in the heavens. The force of God is released into the atmosphere as we lift up His Word. Confession of the Word of faith is more than a prescriptions for health and prosperity. It is a public and private act of spiritual aggression. We make known God's eternal purpose and wisdom into the realm of earth.
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19

If we, the church, agree on earth and ask, God will manifest it. Our set agreement is on earth and that is our territory. We are all being trained to reign and schooled to rule. Let's agree and proclaim Jesus to our cities!

Air Traffic Control

God said to Daniel that the understanding of his book would be sealed until the end of time (Daniel 12:4, 9, 10). Daniel had an angelic visitation bringing him the 80

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answer to his prayer in the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia (Daniel 10:1-21). When the angel touches him (verse 12), he informs him that from the first day of his 21 day prayer marathon, the answer was on the way. The trouble was that the principality of Persia resisted him for the three weeks. Then he states that he wants Daniel to understand what life will be like for God's people in the last days. I suggest to you that there is traffic in the heavens where the devil's cronies run interference to the answers you request from God. It takes faith and perseverance to pull your prayers through to occurrences. As a last days' generation, the new breed church must learn how to build an atmosphere where the heavens are open, the devil is bound, and God's glory is free to manifest. Through our praise, prayer, and preaching we can get answers that have been hindered by the enemy.

Heaven Has Windows

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house, and prove me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10

God says that the open windows and outpouring of blessings are a result of our obedience and 81

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willingness to trust Him in our finances. Tithing to the local church is so basic, but still true. Generosity is a key to open the heavens and to the measure of the outpouring. Nearly every move of God, either biblical or historical, was preceded, accompanied, or followed by a fresh release of giving to the work of the Kingdom of God. Hezekiah brought about a mighty reformation in Israel during his reign. His father Ahaz had ruled wickedly before him, even being involved in pagan worship. When Hezekiah became king, he set his nation in divine order, restored the priesthood, sanctified the people, reinstituted praise and worship, and opened the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29). Immediately after tearing down the high places (altars for satanic rituals), he commanded that the support for the ministry be reestablished through tithes and offerings. The people responded so overwhelmingly, it took four months to take one offering. Abundance came to every area of his kingdom. If you want to produce open heavens over your life and family, then FIGHT! Get militant against the works of the devil. Proclaim the Name of Jesus, His powerful blood and declare His Word over your life NOW. Give aggressively into God's Kingdom where He directs you, and see the traffic in the heavens 82

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pushed back, and the prayers become occurrences in your land.

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord." Isaiah 54:17

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Shaping Our Future

"But Jesus said to him, No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 God is calling His Body to a place of kingdom fitness, a state of being in shape spiritually. Many believers have fallen due to lack of strength in their inner man. The world is tired of seeing great men and women of God rise up in power, then fall away so destructively. This generation needs something durable and long lasting.

Develop Your Inner Man

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to His riches in glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man..." Ephesians 3:14-16 God's Spirit is a mighty Spirit, His plan is for us to be built up in strength in our inner man in order to effectively carry His presence to a hurting world. When we're born again, we don't necessarily change physically, it's our spirit man that becomes new at the instant. Our spirit must be developed and grown up the

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same way as our natural bodies. Many people spend hours concerned about the way their natural bodies look, God is now calling us to take steps to develop our spiritual bodies.

Step 1: Exercise
"Exercise yourself rather to godliness..." 1 Timothy 4:7

The word used for exercise here literally means train. Just as an athlete practices for competition, God is calling His Body to train, to workout, to practice for the main eventthat day when satan is cast into the pit. In the 70's and 80's many Americans caught the fitness craze from watching the "Rocky" movies. We all got pumped up seeing Sylvester Stallone run the streets of Philadelphia and punch slabs of raw meat in a freezer. We wanted the "eye of the tiger" just like he had. God is pleased when His people set their eyes on spiritual goals and develop their inner man to become strong in Him. He wants us also to have the "eye of the tiger," a vision to go the distance and endure to the end (Matthew 24:13). When an athlete goes into training, he has only one purpose in mind, to become physically fit and ready to win. That athlete will shut himself away from worldly pleasures and will not be distracted from the goal of victory. Unfortunately, many Christians have sought 86

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shortcuts in building up their inner man. They have not wanted to pay the price, but Jesus commands us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). There is no quick fix if we want true spiritual authority and power. The Body of Christ at large has treated the anointing of God just as some athletes in the natural have taken steroids, wanting power without paying a price. In the past, believers have run from meeting to meeting, from preacher to preacher, from conference to conference, wanting hands laid on them to instantaneously receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, failing to understand that the Holy Spirit is mighty; and we must be strong in our inner man if we wish to carry His presence. To carry this last move of God, we must exercise and build up our spirit. There are no short cuts with God, spiritual steroids will kill you, just as steroids have killed many great athletes. Former L. A. Raider, Lyle Alzado, found out the hard way, suffering with cancer before his death due to steroids. Thank the Lord he received Jesus as his Savior and Lord before he passed away. Praying in tongues is one way to exercise the inner man. This pulls on heaven and stretches our faith to reach out to God. While praying, we must set our heart on things above, seeking Jesus. This is like warming up for the aerobic workout. Praising the Lord is also part of spiritual exercise, lifting up our 87

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hands, singing and dancing unto the Lord. Just as in physical workout, breathing is important. We must take time to be quiet, listen to the Lord, and fill up with His presence. This will bring refreshment to our spirit and soul. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that solid food is for those who are mature, those who have "exercised." The more you develop your inner man, the better quality food you can handle which brings us to another step Diet.

Step 2: Diet
When an athlete is in training, he eats more nutritious food: protein, fiber, and vitamins. He avoids what are called empty calories, sweets and junk food. If we really are in training as God's Word says we are, we too should seek to feed out spirit man plenty of good, wholesome food. Some Christians today are spiritual junk food junkies. They don't want to get involved in a local church or take time to pray and study God's Word for themselves, so they live off Christian TV, books, and magazines. These things in themselves are not necessarily bad; in fact, my wife and I were baptized in the Holy Spirit through watching Christian television. However, if this is all the food you partake of, you will become weak in your inner man. You may appear full as you spout off last night's message 88

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from Christian TV, but it's all fluff if you never seek God to get His message for your life. There are three types of food we can feed our spirit man. We must use discernment and wisdom in deciding what will have the most nutrition value as we seek to become strong in the inner man. One type of food is soul food. This is the music, preaching, articles, etc., that sound exciting to your soul but make no impact in the spirit. They have Christian words and jargon, but the motivation behind them is simply to sound good or perhaps to make a profit. We must seek food that stirs us and makes a difference in our inner man. Some Christians continue to live off devil's food. This is worldly music, television, and other forms of entertainment. It is wrong to try to live off this stuff spiritually. We cannot be legalistic; however, God will give you a proper balance in this area.
The last type of spiritual food is "angel food." This is nutritious manna and beneficial to our spirit man. It builds us up and makes us strong. It provokes us to reach out, to stretch, and believe God for supernatural results in natural circumstances. This is food from heaven. Elijah the prophet went in the strength of one angelic meal for forty days and forty nights (1 Kings 19:5-8). Now that's cooking!

Step 3: Discipline
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so

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great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1 Researchers tell us that if you do anything 21 days in a row, it becomes a habit. We must not be slack in daily prayer and study of God's Word, if we want our spirit man to be in shape. God will give you grace to establish these disciplines in your walk with Him. No amount of self effort can overcome weakness in our flesh, if we do not appropriate God's grace in these areas. This passage in Hebrews 12 goes on to talk about the discipline of the Lord. God says that He chastens those whom He loves, and that this chastening, although grievous at the time, results in righteousness (verses 511). If we are willing to receive discipline, the result will be an inner man that is stronger and established in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Eli
1 Samuel chapters 2-4 tell the story of Eli. He was a priest in the temple of the Lord, a position of honor and great responsibility. Yet Eli become slothful, grew unfit physically and spiritually and died without fulfilling God's purpose for his life. He was not spiritually fit. We see in 1 Samuel 2:28, 29, that Eli did not apply God's discipline to his life and had no authority over his sons, who were committing adultery at the door of the temple. Eli's spiritual ears had grown so dull that 90

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he did not recognize God's voice (1 Samuel 3), and his eyes had also become dim (1 Samuel 4). Eli died when he heard the news of the death of his sons; and in 1 Samuel 4:21, his daughter-in-law had a son which she named Ichabod, because "the glory of the Lord had departed." Failure to grow in spiritual fitness can force the glory of God to depart from your life, no matter what your position may be. God is calling His people to no longer rely on anointings of great men alone; but to be rooted and grounded in Him, to be established on the Rock of Jesus Christ, and endure by the strength of their inner man. God has a great destiny for His Body in this hour and He has a call on your life to go forth in power, accomplishing mighty things for heaven. Build yourself up in the things of God. His calling, plus spiritual fitness, results in victory and fulfillment of your destiny in Jesus Christ!

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Get A Life!!

The generation that now walks the earth could very well be the last one. It is such an exciting time to live. Every day the newspaper headlines speak of things that relate to Scripture. Events in Israel and Europe confirm the validity of Bible prophecy. The whole world is once again focusing on the small piece of real estate called Israel. Our God is bringing everything full circle. How long do we have; 20 years, 7 years or may be 3 1/2 years, one week, one day? No one knows the day or the hour, but we are responsible to know the time and season. Consider this: What if you knew for sure Jesus would rapture the church in three and a half years? What would that do to your priorities? What would you change about your lifestyle? The new breed Christians are into occupying; taking back the land by driving out illegal tenants. The Rapture is not our escape hatch, but a reward for a mission accomplished. Massive revival is on the horizon. The finest hour for the church is just ahead! "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the

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In Your Face people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 60:1-3

The darkness is getting darker, but the GLORY of the Lord is about to shine through the church. We have a sacred trust to recognize the hour of God's visitation that is upon us. Before Jesus comes for us, He will come to us in a final outpouring of His Spirit. Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He rode into the city (Luke 19:41-44), heartbroken that they didn't know the time of their visitation. I believe He weeps today for the church, as well as the nations of the earth, that we might be prepared for His presence to empower us for one final surge of world evangelism. Our destiny is to train and release every available vessel into the harvest, activated into divine service. You must realize that God saved you to do more than make heaven, but also to make a difference on the earth.

Operation: World a Salt

Jesus said we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and that if we lose our flavor we are good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Haven't we been trampled on long enough? Unbelievers are ready to see us practice what we preach. Keep getting spicier, Christians! Show the world the unique call, purpose, and purity of this new 94

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breed. Let Jesus be exalted and accurately presented through your lifestyle. Destroy sin before it destroys you! Be wise concerning the time, seize your opportunities to share your faith, and prepare yourself for taking back territory in Jesus' Name. As this dispensation draws to a close, we must position ourselves to change the world.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Like great reformers gone before us, we have to prepare to endure to the end. Martin Luther could not be stopped by anything hell had to offer. He was determined to break the dark ages with the light of the revelation that "the just shall live by faith." We, too, will fulfill our destiny. The new breed church wants the real thing, not pretend signs and wonders. We thirst for God in His manifested glory. We cry out for our generation to be saved. We hate the devil and his effects on our culture. We won't back down from our high calling in Christ Jesus. Our fight is one of faith and courage. We won't be pushed around by the powers of darkness. We're challenging them in every city and territory of the globe. We love the souls of men and women enough to say to the world, we're IN YOUR FACE, GET USED TO IT!!

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Additional copies of this book are available from your local bookstore or by contacting: Embassy Publishing P. O. Box 3500, Laguna Hills, CA 92654 Roberts Liardon Ministries International Offices: In England, Europe, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia P. O. Box 103 Knutsford Chesire WA169EL England In Asia Raffles City P. O. Box 1365 Singapore 9117 In New Zealand & Australia Lifeway Ministries P. O. Box 303 Warkworth, New Zealand In Russia P. O. Box 17 Moscow Russia 115405

NOTES

NOTES

ENDORSEMENTS:
"The message of challenge, conviction, and repentance Pastor Richard brings, stirs the hearts of congregations. The Spirit within Pastor Richard draws individuals to make a quality decision to live the victorious life we are destined to live." Russ and Barbara Plilar Seedtime and Harvest "Richard Perinchief is a leader for the cause of Christ today. I personally have been blessed by his anointed ministry." John L. Mason Insight International "In my opinion, Pastor Richard is a dynamic proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He not only imparts faith and spiritual strength through his preaching, but Pastor Richard is also able to make the truths of God come alive to those that hear him." Pastor Kong Hee City Harvest Church, Singapore "Richard Perinchief has ministered in New Zealand and Australia on a variety of occasions on my personal invitation. Richard is always well received, and ministers at a very high standard Spiritually, Ethically and Personally." Pastor John Morgan South City Christian Life Center, New Zealand