To subscribe or add a friend click Here Kings and Adversity Finding an anointing for ministry in your job or business is a new frontier in our culture for a couple of reasons.  Most of us thought our ticket was punched if we were committed to going to church and being involved.  Life was simpler when the pastor / church was responsible for everything. The second reason is because our theology emphasized death more than the resurrection.  Let’s illustrate with a few verses.  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22  KJV In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted   2 Tim 3:12 Our theology left us with faith for trials to develop our character, but no way out of the wilderness do loop.  We trudge along our whole lives waiting for enough maturity to come to have a breakthrough in our spiritual walk.  Most believers emphasize the need for serving and humility and never get on top of their adversity… they believe they should be subservient to problems because God is perfecting their character. Have your cake and eat it too!  A balanced theology will have a place for maturing character and acknowledge problems, but it will also graduate you out of the wilderness as over comers.  Listen to these verses: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12:2-3 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:13 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; Rev 12:11 You will beat your adversity, your ministry will flourish, and you will prosper and bless others.  How?  For starters, just believing that that God is moving you toward abundance instead of more trials. Moving from faith for trials to faith for breakthrough. Realize the enemy sponsors most of trials, setbacks, and delays “and” that the resistance we face needs to be confronted in prayer. Delays – A few nights ago I had dream.  I was walking along a rural highway in a sleeping bag - making those little baby steps.  The road was remote and cars only occasionally passed.  A large semi went by and I got off to the side of the road to get out of the way; thinking about what little progress I was making… and woke up.  Of course when I began to awaken out of the dream I changed the ending (see "Kings Make Dreams Come True").  The next vehicle that stopped was a one ton Dodge diesel pickup driven by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  When the door opened it was filled with a white light… Jesus offered to let me drive! Feeling "Small" - You may be in a season of wanting your heart's desire and experiencing delays and setbacks.  As in the dream, others are speeding by while you take baby steps in your sleeping bag, feeling defeated.  It’s natural to feel like grasshoppers in the face of giants.  I think God puts us in that circumstance so we have to rely on his power and seek his face.  Spiritual warfare is a great motivator for intercessory prayer. Here’s the crux of the Kingly response.  God has an answer, there is a “way of escape” (1Cor 10:13) and a path for you to overcome.  Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life (Prov 13:12).  The heart of God is to grant your heart’s desire.  Your personal holiness happens when your desires and your Father’s desires are one and the same.  You’ll be using his authority to ask for your heart’s desire and to overcome the enemy. Answered prayer that fulfills your heart's desire really is a tree of life. A Strategy – Kings expand the Kingdom in spite of the resistance. Warfare is a regular part of their diet. They have giants stuck in their teeth - Kings are the real lions. As you draw closer to the Lord, the circumference of your land will go out.  Pray your way through each day. As concerns come up listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit and take authority over every source of resistance. Let prophetic intercession be your response to worry. When there doesn't seem to be any way depend on the Lord to show you how to make one. Break out of the prison of your adversity. Turn mediocrity to a movie where you're the star and all your dreams come true - that's the reality of God's plan for your life. I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.  Jer 29:10-14   Read More - Peter Wagner has a great summary (10 pages) on the topic of Spiritual Warfare that is worth taking a look at. We wrote this newsletter because 2005 is a year of breakthrough for Kings. Yet, January has felt more like "stuck in molasses" than the "land of milk and honey." God is adding authority in intercession to the Marketplace. Kings keep right on knocking.   Blessings, John & Harold   _____________________________________________________________________ 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. john@releasing-kings.com 509-308-6873   Friends Tell Friends Harold and I have both been hesitant to "market" this book... sounds self-serving.  Here's the "grassroots" reality.  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