March 14, 2005
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Kings - In a season of prayer and fasting
In the last couple of newsletters we shared a prophetic call to prayer. You're email responses are so instructive that I created a special web page, "You Wrote Back" to share them. Thanks - feel free to email us.
When in Drought
There is a huge transition in the Body of Christ right now. Kings in the marketplace are on the cusp of breakthrough on one hand and in the fire of spiritual warfare on the other. As I thought about the pursuing dreams and the feelings that go with “hope deferred,” the Lord led me to Psalm 13. Guess what? Others have felt the same things… namely David. Listen to his description:
The first feeling that comes when dreams are deferred is the sense of being abandoned by God (really has nothing to do with reality – but it does feel like abandonment). The reality of warfare is that our dreams and the will of God don’t come easily. Its more like the travail of labor. We have to fight to get Heaven on earth.
Droughts bring doubts. All kinds of thoughts come at us like fiery darts. We doubt the call, the provision, the provider, ourselves. We experience the "sorrow" of loss and failure. It really does feel like the enemy is winning while we keep taking losses. We worry about becoming spiritual and financial casualties.
Our prayer gets to the place of pointing out to God that we may not make it he doesn’t intervene. It “feels” like the enemy will gain a victory at our expense. Instead of being the hero in our life's movie, we have the sense of sliding into mediocrity... our destiny slowly slipping away.
So what’s a cowboy to do? – swimming, swirling, drowning, doubting, fighting, quitting…? In a word – Worship! David did three things that represent a positive response to the mood of spiritual warfare.
The first thing is to pull the plug on feeling like you’ve been abandoned by God. You’re on the front lines; its not supposed to feel “cushy” there. God has never and will never leave us or forsake us (Deut 31:6, 8, Josh 1:5, Heb 13:5). You may not control the duration, but you can control your response. Trust Him! Trust is posturing yourself to see the breakthrough when it does come. Trust postures your heart to conceive of new solutions, new angles, and new ways to combat the enemy in prayer and practice.
Rejoice! Not just because you are saved; Salvation (yeshuw ah) refers to your impending “deliverance, aid, victory, and prosperity.” Go back to your dream and stir it up again. Put yourself back in the emotion of your heart’s desire. That’s the plan of God and the salvation he has in mind.
You didn’t get this far without experiencing the goodness of God. That’s justification for a party anytime. As you sing and worship and rehearse the goodness of God’s favor on your past, His presence will roll over you like waves of refreshing. Bask in it. Stay in the throne room until you're refreshed by Him. Let your heart learn to live in celebration of God's favor over your life. The experience of the presence of God is the answer to the feelings that go with warfare. He didn’t leave us after all!
Blessings,
John & Harold
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Conference in Holland March 28 - April 5
Harold has made ministry trips to the Netherlands for the last few years. When Releasing Kings came out they wanted to translate the book into their native Dutch language. So It's natural that this trip have a Marketplace Ministry theme. One of the seminars has a Dutch web site at www.modernekoningen.nl. Please Keep this trip in prayer. We're expecting God to do great things on the international scene... Sue and Linda are both going as well.
Here's the tentative schedule. March 30th 19.30 hrs. meeting in Anna Palona Church
April 2nd Releasing Kings / Marketplace WHOLE day SEMINAR in Almere
April 3rd. Ministering in Churches Morning: Pinkstergemeente Almere with Pastor Ton Verdam Afternoon: Rafael-gemeenschap with Pastor F. Obdam
April 4th. Marketplace Seminar BELGIUM
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. 509-308-6873
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) |