“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” – Robin Hood, the Movie, 2010

Imprinted on Robin Hood’s newfound sword, the words haunted him to the core of his being. When asked by Little John and Will Scarlet what it meant, Robin Hood explained something akin to Winston Churchill and our American founding fathers, “It means never give up.” Rise, and rise again, until the docile lambs become conquering lions.

Being a lamb isn’t wrong! Being one of God’s lambs is mandatory. Yet, after character is built, it’s then time to grow into a formidable opponent in the hand of the Lord. Leif Hetland says that, “the lamb represents alignment and the lion represents assignment.” We align ourselves with Jesus in a “gentle and humble” way, then we are positioned to undo the works of the “devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Pet. 5:8). We undo the works of the devil by becoming greater lions—lions joined with the Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Jesus is the great “paradox.” John saw this in a vision, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne…” (Rev. 5:6). Get this: a lamb slain, yet standing. How can this be? Obviously, Jesus died and now the resurrection has brought Him life. He is now “the Lion…who has triumphed” (vs. 5).

Papa is doing something! He’s changing, awakening, shaking, and shifting the very fiber of our souls for the little lambs to become lions. The day of comfortable Christianity, arranged by man, is over. Papa wants to show you His comfort, His future, His love, His peace, His joy, and more! He has destiny written all over you and it is better than anything you can imagine! His love is more than we can think or ask!

To be a lion is to know who you are and what you are doing! Are you ready to join the lionhearted odyssey?

(Excerpt from Dwight’s upcoming book)

But just like any other relationship, we can’t be takers all the time. This two way street requires something from us if we want to find Him in a deeper place. The next step asks us to enter into His presence by ministering to Him until out of the very substance of who He is, He begins to pour out on us in return. As we come into His presence, He can’t help but be Himself. We minister to Him not out of necessity, not out of burden, but we do it out of helplessness. Because of what He’s done, because of who He is, we are helpless to do anything other than to bless Him, to minister to Him. It’s a beautiful transaction.

What does it look like to minister to God? Flip the question. What does it look like when God ministers to me? I am fulfilled, I am overjoyed, I am swept up in the essence of His heart. He speaks to me, He tells me the truth of who I am, He loves me, He dotes on me, He reminds me of all the great times we’ve had together. So those are the things that I want to give to Him as I minister to my Jesus.

This ‘new’ idea of how to meet Him is described perfectly in Psalm 100:

What happens when we stop looking to Him with expectant eyes–souls growling for more, our spirit tank sitting on empty– and start coming to Him with our lips ready to bless, key already in the ignition? We operate on faith knowing that His character is to come; Holy Spirit moves when we worship Him. We start out on faith and He bolsters us into His fullness. I mean, where else do I want to be than on the inside of His gates, hanging out in the inner courts? Better is one day, oh Lord, let me stay there!

I realized that for the past few years I have been wanting Him to just show up and make me feel better, get a little giddy in the Spirit, and then have a cool vision or word for someone. These are all great and needed things, but it puts Him in a box. It’s almost like walking up to an ATM, sticking my hand out and expecting money to just shoot into it. To stand in His presence and just beg, beg, beg for more of Him, for Him to just fall and come and, and, and…

That’s not enough anymore. We’re saying “I’m here for You and You alone God! Do whatever you want!” I want to know and experience more of Him. I want to be found as a landing pad for Holy Spirit. I want Him to come and rest on me as I rest in Him. And then I want to stay there, to dwell and rest in His shadow, under His wings. I don’t want to leave that place, ever. It’s not always easy but it’s always available.

Pray in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit intercede for you and pray until you are able to bless Him. Then bless Him. Then wait for Him to come. And when He comes sort of riding on the tails of our praises, ready to share the fullness of His Papa’s heart, it’s the sweetest most filling thing I have experienced yet.

 Elizabeth & Maribeth

Last week, Candy wrote about the “shift” that is coming to the church (see the previous blog post).  I say “amen” to the coming shift.  Yet, with the shift will also be a shaking. “’Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (Heb. 12:26-29) The Lord says the shaking will begin with the church, and it has. There has been a shaking of the foundations of Washington and New York. The gods on the hills of politics and finance have been rocked and have literally come to a stop! That we know!

I know this is the height of hurricane season and earthquakes happen, but could God be saying something?  He has spoken that way before–could He use these events again? To say that God never uses catastrophic events for His redemptive purposes, or to say it is not His nature, is to cast a blind eye to the Old Testament.  Likewise, to imply that God is the source of all disaster on earth is to discount the fall of man, the work of the enemy, and above all, “His lovingkindness abiding forever.” I cannot answer all these questions in one blog post, but His judgments we cannot know, nor His wisdom.  All I can testify to is that God’s ways aren’t that mysterious, they are good!  His intentions are always, always good!!! 

Redemption is always Papa’s heart. He always has our best interest in mind! He is good in bringing forth His kingdom! His Kingdom is full of peace, rest, love, kindness, salvation, riches, wealth, power, and blessing!  Man, being independent, always clamors for these attributes by human means, but only God can give these crowns that will last forever. So, the Lord is shaking out man’s gods and bringing us to the point of saying “yes” to Him.

Could it be that God can use this event for His glory?

Could it be that God is up to something bigger than we can figure out?

Could it be that He is releasing more of His Kingdom to a people who are crying out for more?

His Kingdom is power and freedom from the “stuff” of this world. His plan of restoration includes bringing a people, who are called by His name, to humble themselves and He will come and heal our land and forgive us. (II Chron. 7:14)

I’m not sure who, or what, pushed the button for these two events to happen simultaneously to the two greatest power centers on the face of the earth, but I do say, “get ready!”  I do know that the “Day of the Lord is coming!” He is releasing a new generation of people who will be humbled, equipped, full of love and compassion, to bring in a great harvest. This Elijah Generation –sons and daughters–are to be the forerunner for Christ’s return. HE IS COMING! Today, He is calling our name to come into a Kingdom that is described in the Bible. He is releasing His “glory”–SHEKINAH is the Hebrew name (granted, coined from other Scriptural Hebrew words). Simply put, He is up to something big and we are included. It all depends on Him to release His glory and it all depends on His church to disperse it to the rest of the earth.

 Wake Up!  Shift, Shake, Shekinah!   “And we with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (II Cor. 3:18)

Dwight

Not a discontent.

Not a hopelessness.

Not a disappointment.

But

a

restlessness.

Not totally comfortable, but totally ok.

This type of restlessness pushes and presses me into a new surge of faith, a deep stirring for the next “whatever” with God.*

It’s been a sense of a SHIFT coming.

Shift:  to move from one place, position, direction, etc., to another

Do you wonder what God is up to?  I do.

Dwight and I recently heard Bill and Beni Johnson speak in Charlotte.  Beni spoke of a coming shift.  Another “awakening” by God on the earth.  Last weekend, we heard Bob Jones speak of a coming “wave” of God.  Revivals, renewals, waves, shifts…words that reveal outpourings of God’s love for all people. God coming to earth, again and again, answering the cries of His people, touching the world with His constant pursuit.

Where does the shift begin?  In me.  In you. 

We continue to move out the stuff of the earth that distracts us from the treasures of heaven.

Pray for the SHIFT to begin in you, to prepare the earth for the Kingdom of Heaven which is at hand!

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  Matthew 11:9

Beni was given a bumper sticker.  It’s a little edgy for me (and was for her), but I sort of like it–take the profane and make it holy:

                         Shift Happens

Amen–so be it.  Come, Lord!

–candy

*A  John 5:19 kind of “whatever.”  Doing only what we see the Father do!

Oh, and by the way–check out our website for some powerful “shifting” opportunities for you this week here at Lifegate!  (Scroll to the top of the blog and click on the link!)

Last night, I saw the edited TV version of “Blood Diamond,” reminding me of the civil wars and plundering that Sierra Leone endured through in recent years.  Last April, a team of six traveled with me through the country to places like Makeni.   We saw and met “amputees” and heard the reason for the maiming.  The movie made it a little more graphic.  This war-torn area is ripe for the gospel.

In a couple of weeks, Candy and I (along with Jared and Kate) will be traveling to Sierra Leone.   We don’t go there to see the sights—there are none— really.  We don’t go there to visit a rich climate (last April I lost 15 pounds due to lack of water, etc.).  We don’t go there to build a building.  They can do that themselves much cheaper and actually prefer to give jobs to local workers.  We simply go over there to equip and strengthen the churches.

Last year, we had a three-day Pastor’s Conference and then traveled for about another week, going from village to village.  We planted seeds into the lives of others so that they could, in turn, build His Kingdom.  During the conference, we taught and imparted the Father’s Heart on “Hearing God”, “Inner Healing”, and “How to reach Muslims”.  We’ve been told stories of how those pastors went to their churches, teaching the Father’s Heart truths, resulting in immediate responses and transformation!  Many of you know that the road to inner healing is paved with forgiveness.  Do you think anyone in a war-torn area such as Sierra Leone might need to forgive?  Isn’t this a set up for Jesus, the author of healing, to come and be accepted?  Can’t you see the possible transformation of the whole country?

You may have heard about how we got to meet and pray over the President of Sierra Leone, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Minister of Construction.  They came to us in the village we were visiting.  FAVOR!  We saw eight fishermen come to Christ.  We baptized another twelve in the ocean.  A minister of youth of a village came to Christ.  The stories go on and on!  Literally!

The four of us will be in Sierra Leone from Nov. 29-Dec.15.  Please pray for us.

If you’re interested in supporting our team, you can go to our website:  www.LifegateInternational.com

For His Kingdom, for His Glory,

Dwight

Conferences have been a hot bed for healings to occur.  I’ve seen so many healed by words of knowledge of gifted healers from the front.  My son has been one of those recipients.  He was healed from “Epstein Barr Syndrome” when he was 13 years old, and no one ever laid hands on them.  There have been an insurmountable of both told and untold stories of God’s grace and love extended towards the masses in this way.

My concern is how to equip disciples to do the “stuff?” I affectionately borrow that term from the late John Wimber, referring to the exploits and miracles of Jesus.  He said that we would lay hands on people and they would be healed.  So, how do you do that?  Furthermore, how do you teach others to do that?  Is it just a hit or miss type thing?  Do you just guess that this is the right time and I am the right person to administer healing for the person that I am now praying?  How do I know if it’s God’s will?

I assure you that it is God’s will.  Some people have a problem with that statement with the fear of “heightened eschatology” or “triumphism.”  Some people want to share there theology of “redemption through suffering.”  Many times this is merely a result from their lack of breakthrough or justification for their malady.  Some will exclaim that there is a “name it and claim it” charismatic afoot.  I say it is God’s will because He loves us and when heaven and earth comes together, miracles happen.  The perfection of heaven comes down from heaven and dwells among us.  Jesus wants us to be whole.

And if you have a problem with the statement, “It is God’s will for you to be healed,”  then think about the people around you when you are praying as a group for someone to be healed.  People are at all levels of faith.  Their faith level may be at 25%, someone else may be at 50%.  However, there are one or two in the room that just had a rotten day.  They are really beaten up.  They, may be at –(minus)50% or God forbid, may be at a negative 100%.  These are all arbitrary numbers I know, but you can see what I’m talking about.  So, now you understand when sometimes, Jesus would clear out a room before He could do healing and at least in one instance, “He could not do any miracles because of their lack of faith”.  So, according with whom is in the room with you, you may be fighting an uphill battle just to squeak out a little faith.

So, how do you handle this?  Honor!  You don’t run the Father’s sons and daughters off so you can do your thing.  But, you ask:  “Father, What Do You Want  To Do Here?”  You want to catch Papa’s order.  You are catching the “Kingdom Initiative” for this particular situation.  You may need to clear the room.  You may need to pray and fast.  You may spit in some dirt and apply thick mud on the eyes.  Whatever, it takes the guess work out of the equation.  Granted, sometimes we don’t have the time and we just pray.  Sometimes, you already have a mandate and you already know what to do.  Sometimes, He is so thick in the room, that anything you ask or do, it is already done for you in heaven.  But when you have a chance to ask Papa, “what you are doing here?”, so that it’s aligned with what Jesus would do, (He only did what He saw His heavenly Father doing), then ask Him.  So, hearing and seeing what the Father is doing, takes the guess work out of the equation.

I believe this is transferable and teachable.  That’s why we teach that you have to hear God on everything.  We teach people how to hear God.  Therefore, it takes the guess work out of life when you know what God is saying. Moreover, when you are praying for someone for healing.

Take the guess work out.

I’m kinda like Paul on that three legged Kingdom stool: FAITH, LOVE, HOPE. Faith without love is legalism (I’ve been there). Love without faith is inaction (I’ve been there too. Didn’t get a blame thing done). Hope pushes us to the other two. And they’re so integrated with one another.

I mention this today to show you the significance of what you do.  Your accumulative prayers are powerful.  We have to go to the root.  Sometimes, before we ask Jesus to come into the house, we have to “sweep it clean”.  Now, if you want a neat little religious time with Jesus, then deliverance isn’t relevant.  But if you want lasting freedom, so the candidate won’t continually come back for more and more counseling and whatever, then you have to kick devil butt.  At least, Jesus did it that way.

It’s war.  I’m in the battle.  I didn’t look for it.  I just got tired of getting kicked around.  I tried religion.  I tried passivism.  I tried exclusivism and coccooning.  etc.  Jesus is our strong tower.  He is our captain.  Lord Sabbaoth is His Name.  He is the Lord of Hosts.  We go to battle to win.

Blessings.  Thanks.