subscribe to this Newsletter What's Your Next Move The Question from God - I really enjoy meeting Kings and hearing their story. John Laney is a developer in a very prophetic package. He's working in our city so I have lunch with him quite often. Last week, as we were eating, he looked across the table and said, "John, what's your next move?" Normally I'm full of plans and ideas to walk through doors the Lord is opening. But as I listened to my own answer I was convicted by how "lame" it sounded. Here's what I said: The Answer - I've have two categories of goals. One is to be a King. I want to personally experience prosperity and generosity (or ministry) at a much greater level. Knowing the theory and implementing it are two different things. We've made investments that have started to materialize in a small way and we're "waiting" on God for them to increase greatly. In the mean time, I'm working away as an engineer - same as the last 30 years and I've started a couple of network marketing ventures. My second goal is to communicate the message in Releasing Kings to help others find a personal release in their destiny. I love to turn the lights on for people that haven't really found the adventure of their ministry calling. We do this through the book, this weekly email newsletter, training materials on our web site, and conferences as far away as the Netherlands. I get a steady stream if inquiries and we have several pending invitations coming up... but, again, I'm "waiting" on God for some those things to materialize. Waiting on God - Now as I listened to my answer to John's question (What's your next move), it dawned on me that the answers I gave for the two areas closest to my heart centered around waiting for God to do something. As I verbalized my "waiting theology" John sat politely eating his lunch and said nothing - while the Holy Spirit began to "eat my lunch." Here's what I heard the Lord say: "John, you're not waiting on me, I'm waiting on you. I have already opened doors. It's time for you to walk through them. I'm waiting on your initiative. What is your next move?" Adjusting My Approach to God - Right now God is maturing Kings from being servants that follow Him to friends that share His vision and ministry. As a servant, my theology was to avoid presumption and to stay in perfect alignment with the leading of the Holy Spirit. My worship songs, preaching, and life lined up around that approach to God - "Following." Now the Lord is saying, "Walk with me, not behind me." Not everyone is ready for that level of relationship. That's OK because I believe we mature spiritually by being good servants that learn to to follow well first. What many that are called to be Kings are finding is that "serving" eventually runs it's course and dries up. God begins to relate to us as friends, Kings, and co-laborers, and He starts waiting for us to show some leadership. Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Gen 5:22-24 NIV Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Gen 6:9  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 15:15-16  NIV And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus  Eph 2:6  NIV The Transition - I want to share the emotions of making this transition from waiting on God to walking with Him. When you get near the end of your "servant" mentality several things happen. Yearning for more - First you will starting yearning for something more than serving in an another man's vision... along with the yearning you'll be sorting through feelings of guilt for doing or thinking what you used to call rebellious (it's really condemnation). God is activating your heart's desires - something servants don't allow. Making Decisions - Next, you won't get guidance on everything you pray about. The Lord is trying to teach you to make decisions on your own that line up with His will instead of making them all for you. Who's waiting on who - Lastly, you'll view it all as a wilderness test and wait for God's rescue - which doesn't come. You're waiting on promises which feel delayed and at some level you may start nursing a little grudge that God isn't responding to your prayer; that His answer seems too late; that his presence is to distant. If you try to remain a faithful servant your little grudge is likely to turn into a mountain-sized pile of resentment. Your first wobbly steps as a King - Most of us can identify with the transition. Many are now walking with God in some brand new ways and finding the adventure that was supposed to be part of their destiny all along. Here's what they are experiencing and doing. Write down the next steps - In your quiet time prayerfully ask the Lord to walk with you into your "next steps" and start writing them down. No more condemnation. It's not about you. It's about expanding the Kingdom. If you feel unworthy, get over it. God wants to bless the nations and He's stuck blessing His people and granting their heart's desire to get the job done (actually it's His plan to work through us and he loves it- forgive my sarcasm). So be blessed - It's God will for you. You just have to figure out how; not whether. Pray with authority - Prophetically declare your next steps with authority and begin to act with the expectation of success. God wants to make your name great! You won't let him if your stuck in false humility at "servant." God loves you - Before you can go to step 4 you have to past this test. God wants to bless you because He loves you. He's so abundant, so generous, and such a great Father that he just enjoys blessing His kids. Some things he'll do for you have no other purpose than to express His love. Don't deflect that love and blessing. Learn to bask in it. Be thankful for it and enjoy it. Ministry - Make the connection between your blessing and your ministry. God is blessing you in order to bless others. My goal is prosperity at a level where I can give 90% and live on 10%. I (and many others) are sponsoring the next reformation where Kings call forth their dreams, change the world, and have fun doing it. At this level, He will speak with you face to face. "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. 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 NIV With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold:Num 12:8  KJV   Bottom line - Being entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative really reflects the nature of God. You were created in His image and destined to walk with him. Make the transition and see what treasures are already in Heaven with your name on them. You've been authorized to bring them to earth. "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  NASU "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."  Matt 18:18-20  NASU    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. 4 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. 5 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! Newsletters associated with chapter 12 relate to this week's theme    _____________________________________________________________________ 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