The Gap
The emphasis is that of allowing the Spirit of God to bring us to the place called ‘surrender’, which is the end of ‘self’. When this place is arrived at, the life of selfishness and individuality will come to an end, causing instead corporate life and identity to become our focus. There is no longer a time for ‘me’, ‘myself’ or ‘I’, but instead there is just an ‘us’ and a corporate ‘we’. Death to singularity signals the end of soulish-living and soulish-thinking.
The promise of seeing clearer, hearing quicker and sharper and hands being used for things they have never done before.
The days ahead of us are fantastic, it was the best of times it was the worst of times.
A tale of 2 cities.
I spoke to someone this week and asked them to describe 2010; the reply was it has been a good year, a bad year and an indifferent year. Depending where you find yourself all of those comments are true. The expectation of what lies ahead is huge, bringing with it new challenges and opportunities. The issue is will we be found in our position - when called upon. When it’s your time, it’s your turn.
The opportunity to impact the market place and community, creating a hub of life and resource that will cause the world to stop and take notice. Not just being in the community but the heart that beats in it.
Iphone app, business directory. – blog linking The Dream Centre into the heart of community life.
Purchasing of the land behind the church.
Community impact and partnerships that as yet have still to be revealed.
2011 should not have us anxious in any way but bubbling with faith and expectation.
Legacy and all the avenues that opens for us.
We are being given permission to change the very core dynamics of where we live. We are stepping into a new season, crossing over into a new place, will we be the people who say they are too big for us, or we can take it?
Internally you are making a choice now, be like Mary let it be unto me as you have said.
As we find ourselves accurately positioned get ready to be amazed with what God is about to do, through you and I. Breaking away from me to the corporate we.
Rank and file
To move forward in the days ahead we need to understand some principles of God's government, that as good English people we hate to mention in polite society.
1 Samuel 22
David at Adullam and Mizpah
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers' and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
Some back-story,
David a man called of God, sees elements of success without coming into his full position at this time.
The youngest of 8 brothers, sent out to look after the sheep. He hones several key skills.
(Honour and Accountability) They won’t be taken on my shift and the power of worship.
(Fought the lion and the bear) A training ground for dealing with injustice in the days to come.
Prov 28: 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.
Goliath – David’s journey from wilderness to palace to wilderness back to the palace. David learns in all these situations that relationship is the currency of the kingdom.
When David stands before Goliath he stands with five stones, key to later attributes of the man.
Driven out by Saul’s insecurity - jealousy and an element of madness. Yet does not allow his own spirit to become contaminated with bitterness, the need to be proven innocent, right or the need to justify his actions.
David finds himself surrounded by those in Distress, Debt and the Discontented.
Discontented: Wanting something more or different, Restless – Unhappy.
Distress: Great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.
A state of uncertainty.
Debt: The fear of slavery for you and your family.
People with soul displacement, they are the downtrodden, weak, under-achievers, and as such are many of us. Yet even with this quality of person David is able to create an environment where the nature and not just attitudes of people are changed forever.
The people who surrounded David learn to capture the very spirit of the man, they learn to adopt a nature not just mimic or copy a patterned life.
David was able to take the disenchanted and turn them into a tight fighting unit full of integrity, honour and trust. He was able to produce a generation of giant slayers. Trained, Empowered, Equipped, Loyal to the man and to each other.
They learnt to trust the God of the man, and the man of God. Shall we go up? New spiritual timing, we don’t have to replicate blunders of the past.
Mirror that with:
1Sam 13: 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
What a sad state of affairs that in the time of battle the skills and tools can only be found with the leader.
Great leaders are: Great followers | Great Servants | Team Players | and not concerned who gets the credit when something goes well.
Back to the five stones: Why take 5? He had no intention of missing; apart from Goliath there were another four giants that could be found amongst the Philistines.
2 Sam 21:15-22
Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.
These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
A position of strength
Transformation, seeing Pastor Tony moving into a new level of strength, stands with an assurance, confidence and clarity.
How easy it is not to be intimidated, but to look at the outworking of gift and then sit on your hands.
The word came to us earlier this year; if I’m delayed continue in my ways. Speaking from a personal point of view – I know when Tony is agitated, frustrated or biting at the bit. And then when you see that person launch into what they are carrying it is so easy not to bring what we have; feeling like the gap between Tony and us is too great.
The giant Ishbi-Benob (the one who takes away breath) came against David and he almost died, Abishai came to his aid.
The aid of the man - The best of men are at best men.
Times of strength and times of need – The error of one-man ministry. Jesus even sent out the disciples in twos. You watch my back and I yours. If Abishai had just been taking care of his own business David would have been taken out.
You are not strong every day. Challenge to the men, do we ever consider travelling with Pastor Tony, not for glory, fame an offering but to watch his back and help take care of him?
This dogs got teeth… and it will bite.
How easy it could be to get in trouble: Naivety will kill you.
Police
Follow me – KL
KK Ladies
With every new level comes a new devil – the enemy looks for an opportune time, when it will have the most collateral damage.
The power of succession
David and Samuel
1Sam 2:21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
1Sam 19:22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
Samuel grew up in the presence, David once he had fled the presence of Saul, found himself with Samuel. The nature of Samuel never to mistreat the people, to carry the word with integrity, he learnt to hear the Lord and deliver the word without pollution or prejudice, brought the word to Eli even as a boy.
David learnt to capture the spirit of his father, David learnt governance, how to change environments, how to capture the heart of God. He discovered the greatest thing you can ever lose in life is the presence and intimacy of the Holy Spirit. It was this nature change that allowed the distressed etc to come to a new place.
Legacy is and has been set in place:
As David drew near to his men, he set up divisions and the story tells of David’s mighty men;
David had his men, the mighty men and the 3.
Each held a different rank, position, yet stood with loyalty, wholeness and a common purpose.
As we transition, it’s your day to rise.
The power to speak and see the word of the Lord become alive, Elijah spoke it will not rain by the power of my words. Exploits will be done; I don’t think we can even imagine what God will do with a group of people who are surrendered to Him. Part of your inheritance, revelation clarity. Every person will see personal and corporate victories in their life. They are not the time to keep quiet but to be marked down and given room for celebration. Saul has slayed his 1,000s David his 10,000s. Don't get caught in the amount or the size but that you saw breakthrough and the faithfulness of God in action.
Why see, hear, and handle more, for what benefit, charismatic fun days are over – spiritual masturbation has to stop. We are being trained and empowered to be a tight knit-fighting unit who hear declare and move.
We all have our giants to face.
Whichever way you stack it, you will have to stand up to what seems bigger and stronger than you. We all have personal battles to fight.
2 Sam 23: 21 Benaiah fought a huge Egyptian in a pit on a snowy day, The Egyptian always wants to keep you a slave, take you back.
The adding of strength.
1 Chon 12: 16 – 21 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.”
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”) When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.
What can derail the corporate we?
Insecurity: The security of a strong emotional core - The error of I have just come for God is over, talk is cheap we align ourselves with the man of God and the purposes of the house.
New warriors and commanders are on the way, 50s 100s 1,000s. When they do will I keep rank? Would I still give 100% if I were replaced?
Ambition: It has no father, an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment: It is a monster that is hard to control – The Hulk always comes with an element of destruction along the way.
Familiarity: Breeds contempt – 1 Tim 5:17 Double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. Both parties Pastor Tony and Carol.
Fear: Prepare to meet the Gittieites only came yesterday, new skill, strength do we celebrate or try to isolate undermine or just sit and sulk.
We enter a new season;
Strength - Security
Trust: Even though they were trained solders and experienced fighters they learned to trust the strategy for battle. Shall we go up as before? David enquired of the Lord. It is nothing to do with a majority vote. So easy to murmur and second-guess, learn the lesson from the Israelites with Moses.
Don't miss the day of your visitation, while we debate and clarify, waiting to be convinced and convince.
Trust the God of the man and the man of God.
The word of the Lord, and the backing of heaven.
I have never felt so safe, aligned or excited to face tomorrow as I do now.
Phil Clark
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