January 17, 2010
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Fundamentals
- The difference between servant and King
is like a structure with a foundation that starts with our heart’s
desire. When
things go against us in life it’s wise to reassess that foundation. We
all “labor
to enter into rest.” The sweet spot in life is when building the
Kingdom is
fun; our heart and God’s heart are both on the same path. We feel
the favor
of God, the wind is in our sails, divine appointments flow toward us,
ministry
happens, people are blessed, and finances grow in abundance. In short,
life is
a lot of fun. What if
it’s not fun? Kings engage in big dreams, take big
risks, and engage the enemy in big battles. It’s not too surprising to
experience
seasons when things are not “peachy.” Kings are typically blessed with
a level
of tenacity that gets them through challenges. That perseverance can be
good
and bad; good if the foundation is in order and bad if the Lord is
really
knocking on our door to make an adjustment. Sometimes we try to wear
optimism
when it’s just a cleverly disguised form of denial; an excuse to
maintain the
status quo when change is needed. All of us are currently at a
self-imposed station
in life
that is exactly where our attitudes and actions have led us! If we want
a
different result in the future then it’s time to tweak the foundation
or we
just end up with more of the same… for years at a time. Laying that foundation, or checking up on it once in awhile, goes through a discreet series of steps that you and I can "manage" to make sure our Kingly foundation is on the Rock. This progression is the birth process for a level of creativity that will lead us into managing our destiny instead of “hoping and praying” things will go well... and whining when they don't. #1 Heart’s
Desire – The Kingdom lifestyle begins when we give
ourselves permission to pursue our heart’s desire. Self discipline is
good
but you cannot make sacrifice a lifestyle – that’s religious bondage.
You have to enjoy
what you do and have fun at it. Jesus endured the ultimate sacrifice
but his
motive was the joy set before Him (Heb 12:2). It was one lousy day
followed by
a party for the rest of eternity! May
he give you the desire
of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 We will shout for joy
when you
are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May
the
Lord grant all your requests. Ps 20:4-5 You
have granted him the
desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah You welcomed
him with rich blessings and placed
a crown of pure gold on his head. Ps 21:2-3 Delight
yourself in the
Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4 Here’s
the first foundation stone for life in the
Kingdom; Go shopping for the will of God inside the desires of your
heart! Give yourself permission to get totally excited when
you find those desires. Run after them with all of your heart.
Fervent prayer that avails much is rooted in strong
personal desires. Do you have any? Strong feelings are the seed bed for
the nest step - imagination. #2
Imagination (the eyes of your heart) – The second step
is dreaming about how you want to see your heart’s desire manifest. You
have to
see your dream in your heart and mind. Paul prays that the “eyes of
your heart
may be enlightened.” We “picture” in our mind the desire of our heart.
Without
that “vision” of how we want the future to go, we are prone to perish
(Pro
29:18). Take the time to meditate, daydream, imagine… it’s key to
creativity
and an integral part of how faith works. What do you want your future
to look like? I keep asking
that the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit
of
wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also
that the
eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the
hope to
which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance… Eph
1:17-18 NIV
#3 Affirmation – Learn to put your dream into words and in a journal or prayer diary. We devoted an entire newsletter to this step in Use Your Words that is well worth reading. Confessing the desire of our heart is a huge reinforcement to our faith and an important step in the creative process. We believe, therefore we speak. Affirmations are self-talk. Praise is God-talk for giving and granting our personal desires; a natural expression of our words that is very powerful. A
good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the
evil
treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of
the heart
his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 KJV It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak 2 Cor 4:13 NIV Caution: make sure your words have roots in the foundation of your heart’s desire and in the heart of God's desire. Affirmation is the 3rd step – not the first. Godly desires conceive to expand the Kingdom just as lustful desires conceive to produce evil (James 1:14-15). It is possible to use words and imagination to build a tower of Babel and have God working against you – that’s when it feels like life isn’t flowing in your direction.
#4
Proclamation – Hearing our own words express our heart’s
desire resonates in our spirit with what God is doing. When it dawns on
our
hearts that those desires really are rooted in God’s will, a whole new
level
of boldness and authority comes into our lives. We don’t just confess
those
desires, we speak things into existence creatively the way God does.
Notice the
power of words in the verses below. Proclaiming, releasing, and binding
with
the spoken word are the keys to this Kingdom lifestyle. It’s like
getting the
keys to dad’s car! …the
God who gives life to
the dead and calls things that are
not as though they were. Rom 4:17 He
got up and rebuked the
wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
"Where
is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they
asked
one another, "Who is this? He
commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
Luke
8:24-25 NIV "Have
faith in
God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if
anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the
sea,'
and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will
happen, it
will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in
prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24
NIV "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matt 16:19-20 NASU #5
Creation (work) – Many believers think God is going
to perform miracles for them. He does, but we have to realize that
“signs
follow” our initiative. The final step in this process is action;
sometimes
referred to as work. However, for Kings this process of working to
create something feels
more
like recreation than work because it’s all about manifesting the
desires of our
heart! It's what we naturally want to do and enjoy doing. Get it? It’s
fun!!! Work and wages are for servants; creation and recreation and
profits are
for Kings. The joy of the Lord really is our strength. God delights in
this
final step of bringing things into reality with us because He knows the
connection with joy. In that day
you will no
longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you
whatever
you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my
name.
Ask and you will receive, and your joy
will be complete. John
16:23-24 NIV In the Greek, ask means "to require" or "a demand for something due" and is also translated as “desire.” Aiteite is the same word used in James 4:2, “You do not have, because you do not ask (require of) God.” Jesus paid the price for life more abundantly. Your inheritance is due to arrive the minute you step out because Jesus already paid for it. Possess your land. It will please your Father and you will have fun doing it. Too often “asking” stops at a beggar's request and becomes “faith without works.” The balance is asking plus initiative and work… get out there and do it. I
will give you every
place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the
great river, the Euphrates — all the Hittite country — to the Great Sea
on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days
of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never
leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be
strong and courageous... Josh
1:3-6 NIV
Let these five steps lead you through a Business Plan.
Desire to Destiny is available now at our store along with reviews. Not sure what your dream is? This book will help you pull the curtain back on your future. Newsletter - If your newsletter comes incomplete (filtered), you can always catch the latest version in our archive along with 200 others. 1700+ people from around the world get Kingly encouragement from our weekly newsletter. Invite a friend to subscribe - they will be blessed. How to Start a Small Group - Kings are increasingly getting involved in Bible study or mentoring groups to facilitate their "Release." Here are some helpful suggestions www.Releasing-Kings.com/Starting-a-Group.html. We've also updated our Vision Brochure with graphics to show how to become a King and how you can help Release Kings. Lastly we've created a guideline to help you take your dream to the next level by considering the elements of a business plan. See Write Your Business Plan. French Translation - Releasing Kings is now available in French thanks to the efforts of Cees Bakker and Support Ministries in the Netherlands. In France, copies can be obtained from Editions Menor or Librairie Chretienne CLC. The Title in French is “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”. Cees is also the guy who made the Dutch translation possible - available through his website. He can be contacted for Releasing Kings conferences in France and throughout Europe. Facebook - I'm posting more information on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/john.garfield1
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