subscribe to this Newsletter Back From the Future Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Prov 4:23 Your heart is a wellspring - One of the great keys to spiritual health is the condition of our heart. We usually think of that statement in the context of sin, but I want you to think of it in terms of the location of your heart. Many of us have projected our hearts into the future and we have some verses to justify it. The result is that we're excited about what God is going to do in the future, but we're passive in the present. There are three distinct theological camps regarding this issue. See which one you're in. Camp #1 - The future is bleak, The rapture is our hope. This camp has great faith for Jesus' return but often views itself as a holy but persecuted remnant in terms of the present. They believe the enemy is in possession of many secular institutions and the antichrist is behind the scenes manipulating events for evil. The newspapers are usually full of material to support this view. Camp #1 hearts are projected all the way up to heaven and they are not available to build the Kingdom now because everything in the present will be destroyed by future wars, famines, earthquakes, or by the Lord himself. In this camp my heart is positioned for hope in the rapture and I keep it in neutral - "waiting" for the savior. This camp tends to avoid entanglement with the marketplace. Here's a verse I might use to distance myself from all the present carnality. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ... Phil 3:19-20   Camp #2 - It's bad now but revival is coming. This has largely been a position of the prophetic movement. Revivals, historically, and more recently in places like Toronto and Brownsville, remind us of God's ability to break out in power. So, we build our expectations around God's miraculous intervention and position our hearts to anticipate a revival in the future. Here's a verse I might use to point to God's future revival. Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hos 6:1-2 Camp #3 - The Kingdom is upon you. In this camp we see the kingdom of God already established and we see our job to expand it to fill the earth. It's not easy because the enemy does hold some territory, but it's our job to take it back. We also have lot's of very clear promises that we'll succeed. So we have this "we're winning" mentality and our hearts are positioned in the present to make a difference. Please hear this, "We don't have to discount a coming revival or rapture; those are just not the primary focus of our hearts - we're no longer 'waiting'." We're no longer prophetic "doomsayers." The Kingdom of God is present on earth now. Those that can see it can expand it. My heart is positioned in the present to make a difference today. I'm back from the future; excited, empowered, and optimistic about the present. These are some of the verses I might use to point to the Kingdom of God. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Matt 12:28  KJV The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.  Luke 16:16 NASU No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Rom 8:37 NIV The Wellspring starts to flow - I get my heart back from the future and realize that I can do all things God has put in my heart through Christ now (Phil 4:13). Instead of waiting on God for the next big thing, I can actually become more Christ-like and start making some things happen now in my own world. My heart is released to do it's job... to create, to take initiative, to be bold and entrepreneurial, and to bear fruit. I look for opportunities knowing they exist. My expectation is to be blessed by God so I'm positioned to bless the nations. Walk with me - I was raised in a sleepy little Methodist church in a small town in Montana. As a child growing up, it gave me a foundation and an awareness of God and I liked some of the songs (hymns). The Holy Spirit brought one back to mind this week. "In the Garden" was written in 1913 by Charles Austin Miles. In that hymn is a phrase I can still hear plainly, "He walks with me and he talks with me." God is raising up Kings that relate to him in a slightly different way. I'm not "waiting for" Him to do something big. I'm not just "waiting on" Him as an obedient servant afraid of personal initiative. We're being elevated to "walk with him" and "talk with Him." It's not a small change... it's more like a revolution in terms of your prayer life, your heart's wellspring, and the fruit that will result. It's the level of relationship your heart was designed for. It's the level of relationship the heart of God longs for. Please don't wait. Doors are open for you to walk with the Lord instead of behind Him and experience new levels of prosperity and ministry. It's exciting. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Ex 33:11 NIV I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:15-17   What is God's next move? We should ask that question and understand the times and seasons. But, God is asking a different question, "What's your next move?" Start the conversation. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."  1 Kings 3:5 NIV Mt 7:7-8, Matt 20:21, Mk 10:36, Mk 11:24, Lu 18:41, Jn 14:13-14, Jn 15:16, Jn 16:23-24, James 1:5-6, 1Jn 5:14-15 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10 NIV   Life is an adventure. People are a blessing. God is amazing. We're winning.   Love, John & Harold     (are dancing - Join us) New Book - Our goal in Releasing Kings was to articulate a theological basis for Marketplace ministry such that people naturally mature toward being more entrepreneurial and more generous. Harold has continued that theme in a new book that I really enjoyed. This book is a brief explanation of Resurrection-based Christianity entitled Jesus Came Out of the Tomb, So Can You. It also appears on our Recommendations Page. There are four other books that tie closely to the chapters in Part 2 of Releasing Kings that are all worth while. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.  Isa 62:4-5 www.releasing-kings.com Conferences - The Last trip to the Netherlands was a real eye-opener! I greatly underestimated the value of our book, the impact of the message on individual lives, and the value of live conferences. I witnessed the power of God being unleashed in the hearts of men and women by simply explaining the theology and experience behind releasing their heart's desire to expand the Kingdom. Seeing the lights come up in the hearts of God's people feels like sponsoring a jailbreak. One of my goals is to equip others to help us share the message in conference formats before we get overwhelmed with the momentum of what God is about to do. If your church or organization is ready, we can help you start a fire... a big one! Send us your feedback! johnsue@clearwire.com We get blessed by your emails at "You Wrote Back"  Past newsletters are now Indexed to Chapters in Releasing Kings!      _____________________________________________________________________ Interested in your own WEB? We've posted information on the software we use to create this web site. If you survive the learning curve without losing your sanctification (mine is barely intact), it really is easy to use and the cost is $299 a year - much less expensive than hiring someone. The primary benefit is the ease of making your own changes. Additional info is at: http://www.releasing-kings.com/releasing-websites.html     Progress - Kingly Bio's are Up We've completed the first round of interviews with Kings.  These are real people that have been blessed by God in the Market Place and have hearts for ministry.  Check it out at http://www.releasing-kings.com/Interviewing-Kings.html.  If you have a success story, we'd like to post it by giving you a web page on our site.     Progress - A Teacher's Guide We've completed the first version of a study guide that targets those teaching the material in Releasing Kings.  It includes a page of notes on each chapter, all the graphics suitable to make overheads, and a PDF file of the book with the key points highlighted that includes marginal notes, comments, and questions.  This material is available for purchase on the teacher's guide page of the web. johnsue@clearwire.com 509-308-6873     Friends Tell Friends God has given us a great tool to communicate a message that sets people free in an amazing, contagious, life-changing way.  If you haven't read it - get it.  If you have read it - give it.  http://www.releasing-kings.com/Ordernow.html   We've gotten a ton of positive feedback on the newsletter too... get it, give it.  Reloading Seniors was powerful.  Pass the link on. http://www.releasing-kings.com/Newsletter.html   PS: don't forget to look at the free reports - show your pastor the article on marketplace ministry from the pastor's perspective.  You can simply email him this link or print a copy to give him. http://releasing-kings.com/pastors-perspective.html     ____________________________________________________________________ You can get your copy of Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace at 1-800-308-5837 (or) http://www.releasing-kings.com/Ordernow.html