subscribe to this Newsletter   Kings, Katrina and the Cyrus Affect Wow - We’ve been blessed this week to see a nation pulling together in response to a hurricane. God is indeed flooding that area with His Spirit. What I found thrilling was the response of Kings. We’ve seen heroic acts come from every type of King… military, entertainment, media, government, business, etc. What’s even more amazing is that the pull of God’s Spirit is so strong that even people outside the faith are getting in the act. Movie stars that are normally poor role models are lining right up behind the will of God and saying what God would say. It’s an amazing phenomena! I’m going to call it the Cyrus Affect because Cyrus was a King greatly used by God that wasn’t really much of a believer. "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. Isa 45:1-7 The Cyrus affect - In this passage God is putting many of the Abrahamic blessings from Gen 12:2-3 on Cyrus who, according to Isaiah, doesn’t acknowledge God. Cyrus is something akin to a great leader, a King, yet apparently an agnostic. The same thing is happening this week. People with Kingly anointings in many different fields have responded to the Spirit of God. I’m encouraged – because it’s a picture of how God will ultimately sweep many into the Kingdom as time goes on. To see this, I’ve had to do a 180 on four theological perceptions I used to hold dear. Let’s discuss them. Faulty Perception #1. Churches Should Rally – I used to believe that everything God does should happen through the local church. I saw the Church and the Kingdom of God as the same thing. Please read Part 1 of Releasing Kings for fuller explanation. I now see the church as God’s vehicle to equip the saints for the work of the ministry to expand the Kingdom outside the church. Kings are the people equipped and sent out from local congregations to take back enemy territory. That’s what we see with Katrina. Many great people were equipped by a local pastor in a small congregation. Those Kings are tapping into that original equipping to demonstrate leadership, generosity, compassion and many other Christ-like qualities. Imagine for moment if we relied on the church to respond to Katrina. If you think the red tape in FEMA is bad, you should try being a pastor and getting a new initiative through your board – in a matter of hours. Some have called for churches to unite and respond collectively. That’s even more unlikely simply because God isn’t doing that. Now please understand this, “many congregations have opened their homes and gone to refugee sites and ministered great blessing to people in need.” We celebrate the heart of churches that do that and pastors that have instilled outreach into God's people. My point is that God is not using Local churches to spearhead the response to Katrina. He is using Kings that were equipped in local churches… and the pull is so strong that he’s also using Cyrus’s that have never darkened the door of a local church. Faulty Perception #2. Wealth will be Transferred to the Church - The church is not financially equipped to deal with anything close to Katrina. I used to believe God would bring in great financial increase to local churches so we could fund the great commission. Now I realize two things. The wealth is being transferred to Kings; a point we make in Releasing Kings. Now I also realize that many people called to be Kings (Cyrus's) are also going to be transferred into the Kingdom along with their wealth. We are in the process of making room for them in our hearts. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Col 1:13 KJV   Faulty Perception #3. People are bad, especially those apart from Christ - One movie star rented a boat and rescued a few people on his own. The media reported the motor died, he fell in the water and several other things went wrong. Now this is person that is a long way from Biblical position on most issues. When he was asked if government officials were partly to blame for the slow response he said, "now is not the time to cast blame; it's time to help the flood victims." Now in my heart I was expecting something venomous to to come out of his mouth against the government, the president and the nation in general. I believe he spoke the mind of Christ. I was amazed and had to repent for my own sentiment toward this Cyrus. He used his fame to humbly go to Louisiana, help where he could, and support what others were doing. He glorified God in doing so. A couple of weeks ago we summarized the really good news that goes with the Gospel of the Kingdom. if you missed it, it's worth reading. Read Harold's book "Precious in His Sight" as well. Faulty Perception #4. Our Nation is Godless, We're the righteous remnant - Occasionally I get my eyes off the Lord and focus on the growth of evil instead of the growth of the Kingdom. I'm writing this on a Sunday and nearly every secular TV report has a reference to God in it. Even the pre-game show was given to football players interviewing flood victims, blessing them in the name of Jesus, and asking them to "keep the faith." They were thanking God for a nation where people love God and are willing to reach out to one another. There is no shortage of good people. There is no shortage of good nations. The United States us just one nation under God with a divine call to respond to the Holy Spirit. Her people are saying, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." In the end we'll be blessed to see great multitudes that can't be numbered, choose Jesus, as the Glory of God fills the whole earth. Kings are going to fulfill the great commission. Jesus will be exalted above every name. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  Rev 7:9-10 KJV Bottom Line - God is blessing, changing, resurrecting, moving... it's fun to get caught up in the wind of His Spirit and see His finger print on His nations and His people.   Samaritan’s Purse (Franklin Graham) http://www.samaritanspurse.org/ 1-800-567-8183 International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) http://www.ides.org 765-947-5100 The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/USNSAHome.htm 1-800-Sal-Army American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org  1-800-Help Now Operation Blessing International http://www.operationblessing.org  1-800-730-2537 America's Second Harvest http://www.secondharvest.org  1-800-771-2303    Blessings, John & Harold www.releasing-kings.com     PS: If you enjoyed this article you might also like "How You Can Break off Poverty and Embrace Prosperity." The full story is in our book Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace. I also recommend two books by Harold entitled "Developing a Prosperous Soul" Volumes 1 How to Overcome a Poverty Mindset and 2 How to Move Into God's Blessing. Several friends have made helpful recommendations for book and tape series that I found enlightening. Visit We Recommend on our web and check out "Things I've Read Lately." PS: Send us your feedback! We get lots of interesting emails at "You Wrote Back" http://www.releasing-kings.com/you-wrote-back.html      _____________________________________________________________________ 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@3-cities.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