The
church is in the midst of change. Some of the keys words circulating in the
body of Christ are transition and
shifting and being properly positioned. The shifting
taking place is for a transition to take place in our emphasis, the way we
build, our goals and focus. To put it simply, it’s all about
Him. God is removing the veils that
eclipse our view of Him that we may behold Him with an unveiled face. The
focus is changing from us to Him.
This shift is
necessary in order to be properly positioned in Christ to become carriers
of His glory. To be properly
positioned we must function in our ordained destiny as God has set each one
in the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:18). We must also hear from the Lord more
clearly and strategically and respond appropriately in order to be properly
positioned for the coming outpouring and harvest.
As we
draw closer to the Lord, many hearts are going to be transformed simply by
the revelation of His purpose for their lives, ministry and the region. We
are posed on the banks of
Jordan
ready to cross over into our Destiny, which is Jesus
Christ. A tremendous shifting is taking place where the focus is shifted
entirely upon the Lord and His purpose. The results of this will be an
awakening and repositioning that will cause the people of God to come into
the unity of the Spirit – His Spirit. As we come under the mantle of
Christ and function together under the reign of His Kingdom, the Lord will
be in our midst in a mighty way.
The Call to Fellowship
There
is a call for a deeper fellowship with the Lord and with one another that
will establish the right foundation for a fresh move of God. It is the
Lord’s passion that we develop a profound relationship and friendship
with the Father and His Son. This echoes through the words of the apostle
John who declares,
“That which we have seen and heard
we declare unto you, that you may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we
write unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:3-4)
The
apostle John is inviting us to know the fellowship of the Father and His
Son. The Lord loves for us to commune with His heart that we may know Him,
His wisdom, understanding and His love.
The results of intimacy with the Father and His Son is a fresh infilling
of His presence in our lives that releases the knowledge of Him in our
midst. The apostle Paul declares,
“Now thanks be
to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes known the swell
fragrance of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a
sweet fragrance of Christ, in them that are saved, and to them that
perish.” (2 Cor. 2:14-15).
It is
the overflow of our fellowship with the Father and His Son that releases
the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Christ in our midst. It is here in
His manifest presence that we have fellowship with the Father and with one
another.
This may
be as simple as fellowshipping in the presence of His love, peace and joy
to that of Kingdom power and demonstration. God wants to participate with
us and for us to participate with Him as a part of our daily lives.
King
David tells us that in His presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)
The result of being in the presence of the Lord is joy- His joy. There is a
fullness of joy that comes when we partake of the Lord’s presence
together in fellowship. The reason is because it brings joy to our Lord
when we partake of His presence together. Whether it is in our home, in a
restaurant, at work or at play, we can enter into the joy of the Lord
through fellowship. Jesus is a real person. This is the invitation the
apostle John gives to us “that your
joy may be full.” It is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.
In
summary, now is the time for heaven to be revealed in our midst. It is here
in the fellowship with the Father and His Son that we experience His love,
power, wisdom and understanding together
as one in Him. This reality
of this is evident by His peace, love and joy that reigns in our
midst. We are about to come into the
fullness of joy that comes from the fellowship of the Spirit as we have
never known that will release in our midst the joy of the Lord. This will bring much needed strength to
the body of Christ for it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.
Forming Holy Alliances
Christians everywhere are forming holy alliances. A holy alliance is
a divine connection ordained by God for a specific purpose. There is a net
working of His people by the Lord to create a bond in the region with those
who are willing to come together under the mantle of Christ to release the
Kingdom
of God.
Holy
alliances are being formed by major leaders as well as across the board to
create a strong bond of fellowship based on relationship.
The
Lord will strengthen these bonds as we walk in love and focus on the simple
joy of fellowship. Be aware of new alliances God is creating for your life.
The Lord is establishing the proper foundations that consist of trust, love
and understanding that He can build upon. These are the ingredients of a
healthy solid relationship that we are to establish with God and with one
another. For many, this of course will entail going through a healing
process. Grace is being poured out for this as well.
There
is also the breaking away of unhealthy soul ties that are
hindrances to your vision, destiny and purpose. This separation
process can be painful especially concerning those you love. We must seek to love and honor one
another, even with those who are not called to be with us, or that you must
let go because they are a liability that drains you of your time and
energy. Satan knows that a house
divided will not stand, so we must protect the unity of the spirit in our
midst. God dwells in the midst of unity,
not division.
It
takes a great deal of wisdom to distinguish the immature and well meaning
Christian from the rebellious and indifferent. We must walk in love with
mercy granting the grace for each person to grow in Christ. When we invite
people to participate in our ministry we also invite them to participate in
our vision. We only want those who
labor with us to build the Kingdom
of God
as we are called. This of course means releasing individual
gifting and vision with the grace for personal growth. This is where wisdom
is needed as it is the tendency for ministries that equip and train people
to do the work of the ministry, to see them released in their gifting even
if they are not perfect or yet mature. However, we are admonished by Paul to
“Mark them which cause division
and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid
them” (Ro. 16:17).
As hard
as it is to deal with at times, there is a pruning process taking place by
the Lord in the body of Christ. However, our response to this is important
if we want God’s grace in our lives. To quote Francis Frangipane;
There is no greater opportunity to become
Christ like than in the midst of pain and injustice, when Satan is raging
with evil, God is planning to turn it to good. If we maintain our integrity
in the battle, if we let love rise to its purest expression, we will touch
the heart of God. Such is the path to God’s power.
It is
beneficial to our spiritual health, growth and maturity to form only the
holy alliances that the Lord is connecting you with for fruitful
ministry. There is a divine destiny
being implemented by the Lord that requires each Christian to be properly
positioned in Christ and with one another.
Your most solid ties should be with those you trust with your very
life who will maintain your reputation, integrity and vision. Just as it
was with Christ disciples, in the days ahead, being a disciple of Christ
may require you to lay down your life for God and for one another.
The Way
We Build and Bear Fruit
The
pathway for more fruit, anointing and power of Christ to be released in
your life is intimacy with God. Many are hearing the Lord calling you to
"Come Away with Him." This is our main calling and mission in
life - to love the Lord and abide in His presence. It is here in His
presence where the light of His counsel, wisdom and understanding will
guide you into His heart, which is where the real change takes place - in
our hearts. God is releasing His
heart to His people that will impart a fresh revelation with a new
perspective in the way we build the church and in the way we do the work of
the ministry.
This
will come as a result of our intimacy with God. The prayer of Jesus was “For thy will be done, thy kingdom
come, on earth as it is in heaven.” The focus will shift from
building our ministry and organization, to that of His kingdom for His
glory. The way we build, our focus and priorities are all being
"adjusted" by the Lord. The results will be greater authority;
anointing and gifting that will bear eternal fruit.
It is
a natural tendency to lean upon familiar patterns and methods to build up
and maintain a ministry or organization, rather than total dependency upon the
Holy Spirit. Making these changes are not always
easy. Like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon, it can be a struggle to
come out of the familiar to something new, but once you are set free, the
flight on the wings of the Spirit are exhilarating. We are in the midst of
change so that we can soar and be sustained by the wind of the Holy Spirit.
Like
all buildings, there has to be a solid foundation to build upon. As I
mentioned earlier, fellowship with the Father and His Son and with one
another is the foundation the Lord is laying for the structure. This is
because the mortar of the foundation must be strong enough to support the
height of the building. A strong foundation will have the right mixture of
humility, truth, trust and love. The bond of the mortar is love.
The
stronger the love we have for the Lord the greater the bond we establish
with the Lord and with one another. We are admonished by the apostle Paul
to know the love of Christ which surpasses all understanding. Being rooted
and grounded in the love of Christ is the foundation that enables us to
come into the fullness of God.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to
comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and
height, (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that
you might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:17-19).
Seek to
develop trusting relationships this year based on a covenant relationship
of love, such as David had with Jonathan. This will greatly strengthen your
foundation in Christ, who is the very cornerstone. In doing so, God will begin to build upon
the foundation “for a habitation
of God through the Spirit.” (Eph.:2:22)
Coming under His Mantle
We
are so thankful for the unity of the Spirit in our midst. The barometer
test of unity is the degree of His peace, love and joy that reigns in our
midst. From the board of directors to the divine connections we have
in the Northeast, there is a greater strength developing as we walk
together in the unity of the Spirit.
The
apostle Paul tells us in Eph. 4:3 that we are to “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.” As we all know strife, contention and dissention are
forces released by the adversary through well meaning Christians that is
destructive to the body of Christ. As the Church comes into unity under the
mantle of Christ, it will open the portal for an outpouring from heaven.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity! (2) It is like the precious
ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aarons beard:
that went down to the skirts of His garments; (3) As the dew of Hermon and
as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord
commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
There
is presently a shifting by the Lord to re position His people in His
Kingdom that will empower them to fulfill their ordained destiny and
purpose. This shifting is in preparation for the coming harvest and
outpouring. To come into the unity of the faith requires that the sons and
daughters of God be placed on the same path as the Lord. It is here that we
will all come into the knowledge of the Lord where true unity takes place.
(Eph. 4:13) This is not a compromise but an awakening to the Lord’s
heart in regards to His purpose to accommodate something much greater
– the release of His power and anointing under the mantle of Christ
and His Kingdom.
We can
only be in unity with one another to the degree that we are in unity with
the Lord. As we are one with Him
we become one in Him having the
same thoughts and motives as the Lord. It is from this position in Christ that we can be used by
the Lord for “Thy will be one
on earth as it is in heaven.” All of heaven is in complete unity
with the King and His purposes and so must we be if we are going to see His
Kingdom establish on earth with power and demonstration.
The
Merger
A new
term surfacing to describe Christians coming under the mantle of Christ is
“merger.” I confess that I don’t particularly like this
term as it implies being absorbed into one entity. God is not placing
ministries under one umbrella in the name of unity. Although we are to
become one in Christ, the Lord created us for diversity that releases the
anointing with creativity. The Webster dictionary gives one definition to
merge as “to combine, to come together in unity in the interest of
doing something greater.” We are being called to come together as one
for a greater purpose – the glory of God.
When
the apostle Paul speaks of the body of Christ, he is not using a metaphor
that we can relate to, but speaking literally for Christ is a person. We
are literally spiritual members of His body called to function together
under the headship of Christ. Like
the army of God spoken of in Ezekiel, we are called to come together in our
place “bone to bone” to function in our destiny with Christ as
our head. As we do, we will become the living
army of God. This I believe is closer to the heart of God in regards to
the definition of merger.
As an
example of this, at our last Destiny conference, four ministries came
together as one from the Northeast to release the people into their destiny
and purpose. Each leader of the represented ministry had a part in the
conference that flowed together with the others that created a heavenly
atmosphere because of the unity of the Spirit. The result of this regional
gathering was the presence of the Lord and anointing that rested throughout
the conference as a cloud by day and a fire by night.
These
ministries flowed together under the mantle of Christ as one with a release
of creativity in power. The presence of the Lord was a well of water that
brought new life. What impressed me
was the strength of His presence that was there long before the conference
even began. I received an email from a friend in Massachusetts
that the Lord was looking forward to this conference with
anticipation. The Lord was there early to meet His people. I love it when
the Lord greets us with His wonderful abiding presence. This is but a
foretaste of that which is to come.
Because
of the unity that takes place under the mantle of Christ, the will of God
will be implemented much more quickly and with greater effectiveness in
Kingdom power and demonstration. Those who have the vision for this will
desire this to the degree that they will be willing to lay down their
ministries for the
Kingdom
of God
. For many, this will mean a change in
direction in regards to their goals and focus. It will be this as the
merger takes place that will accommodate the coming move of God.
A
Regional Focus
God is
establishing Holy Alliances for a regional purpose, which is to release the
Kingdom of God
in
the region through a people who are one with Him. Mantles and gifting will combine
that will greatly increase the authority of the Lord. Again, this is not a compromise or
absorption under the umbrella of one organization. The Lord loves diversity
not conformity. We must all know our vision, destiny and purpose and
function accordingly. We must also know the appointed times. Each of the 12
tribes of Israel
had a different name that reflected their destiny and
purposes. They also lived in different geographical areas. There were
appointed times when they came together as one nation for worship, special
celebrations, as well as during times of war. Like Israel
there will be times when we are called by the Lord to
come together as one nation under His mantle to do exploits, for fellowship
and even for warfare.
The
conception of regional ministries is hard for many to grasp. The reason is
because the historical practice for the church is to be a local nucleus for
the people to revolve their life around. Change can be very difficult as we
tend to find comfort in the familiar and in our traditions.
The
emphasis has always been to establish, build up and maintain the life of an
organization, a fellowship or ministry. Because of this, rivalry, jealousy
and territorialism prevail as a means of protection and self preservation.
It also requires human empowerment to keep the people moving, rather than a
movement sustained by the life and power of the Holy Spirit. Christ came to
reveal the Father and His love to the world in power and demonstration. His
message was simply the goods news of the gospel of the Kingdom – the
Kingdom
of God
. Those who have the vision to release the
Kingdom
of God
will be given the fire to flame the purposes of God for their
region.
Heavens
Resource Center
God is
about to release His heavenly resources through His people “For we have this treasure in
earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of
us” (2 Cor. 4:7). Within you and I is the Spirit of Christ, the
heart of the Father and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The church is the
people of God- His resource center “who
has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph.
1:3). Like the church, a resource center is not a building, denomination, or organization, but the
people of God. A resource center is the place where the people gather
together and the treasures within God’s people are released for the
benefit of His people and the Kingdom. For instance, the gift of prophecy,
Paul tells us, is for edification, exhortation and comfort to build up the
body of Christ. (1 Cor. 14:1-3) He also tells us in Eph. 4:16 that each
person is to minister as they are gifted and called to edify (build up) the
body of Christ in love. (Eph. 4:16,)
The
greatest resources that we have are the people of God. The church is about
to become a resource center where all of the power, gifting, and ministries
of Christ will be released through His people “Which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in
all.” (Eph. 1:23) In order to accommodate this, there will be an
increasing shift from organizational ministry to receive from the best
speakers, to that of equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry. The people of the early
church as noted in the book of Acts was a life giving resource center where
the gifts of healing, prophecy, miracles, signs and wonders took place in
their everyday lives. This often took place in the homes of believers where
they gathered for fellowship. Here the power of God was released in their
midst as well as in the temple and the marketplace.
And they continued daily with one accord
in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat
with gladness and singleness of heart. (47 Praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should
be saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
Again,
fellowship with the Father and His Son and with one another in love will be
the foundation for the release of the fullness of the Kingdom
of God
in our midst. Jesus,
being our perfect model, revealed the Kingdom
of God
everywhere that He went. He loved to fellowship and often
traveled ministering in the homes of the people as well as in marketplace.
Every where He went, Jesus did the works that He saw the Father doing
speaking the words that He heard the Father saying. In doing so, He
revealed the love of the Father by His works.
When
Christ healed the sick, raised the dead and cleansed the lepers, it was a
manifestation of the love of God and His Kingdom. We too are to do the
same. Jesus said that greater works will we do. Every where we go is to be
a revelation and manifestation of the King and His Kingdom in power and
demonstration. The church is called to be the resource center of God for
heaven to be revealed in our midst in power and demonstration.
The
Cleansing Continues
Part of this change
is the movement of the Holy Spirit that is taking place in our
hearts to anoint us with His divine nature. Before the
Lord can judge the world, judgment must first begin at the house of God.
This cleansing will continue in 2006 and it will come in progressive waves
to cleanse the church of her carnality. The Lord is coming for a bride that
is without spot or wrinkle. The good news is that along with the cleansing
is also a greater release of His glory. The glory of God is revealed in His
divine nature that becomes visible upon those who are transformed into His
likeness and image.
Before
Christ comes for His church, He will be revealed in His church. This I believe is coming in waves
until the time of the great Tsunami. If God was to pour out His Spirit all
at once, we would be washed away.
There will be a time when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
will cover the earth. But how do we get there from here? Through Christ!
For we go from glory to glory as we behold Him. This often means
going through the trials that purge our soul as gold tried by fire. Trials and tribulations are part of the promotion
process that enables us to go from glory to glory. It is His divine nature worked in us that
empowers us to receive the anointing with Kingdom power and
authority.
In the year 2001 while on top of Cadillac Mountain (Acadia National Park
)
I watched the sun rise. I had a powerful revelation of the glory of God
rising upon
Maine.
As the
Sun peaked above the horizon, waves of His glory were released that not
only came upon me, but went through me. As the Sun rose higher in the sky
the waves increased in intensity and power. With each wave came an
increasing revelation of His glory but also a cleansing. The Son of God is
rising with healing in His wings and it is coming in waves. With each
subsequent wave there is not only a greater revelation of the glory of God
but a cleansing by His glory.
It is
the revelation of Christ as we behold Him that transforms us into His image
and likeness. We are now going from
glory to glory and it is a glorious process. It might hurt at times but it
hurts good. But we all, with open face beholding as
in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from
glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18)
A Great Shaking
It
is also becoming increasingly obvious that we are heading into some very
difficult times. Just twelve months ago the great South Asian Tsunami
roared along the Indian Ocean
striking the coastline of nine nations. Over 250, 000 people died and
millions more were left grieving and homeless. Nine and a half months later
another devastating quake struck in Pakistan
that was rocked by an 8.2 earthquake which killed
nearly 90,000 people. We also saw
major disturbances in the weather patterns with 26 Atlantic storms of which
thirteen became deadly hurricanes. The devastation to New Orleans and the coastal cities of Mississippi and
Alabama
was
beyond comprehension.
Early
last year in April, I felt the Lord was saying that the Northeast would
experience a major earthquake. Since then there has been two in New England that made the news. There are
many earthquakes that take place in New
England each year, but they are so small that most
people are not aware of them. On May 11th of 2005, a small
earthquake occurred near
Dover-Foxcroft Maine.
On September 25th, an
earthquake of 3.4 occurred near
Calais Maine.
On Nov 17th,
an earthquake of 2.5 occurred near Boston
that
made the papers stating that we are due for a massive earthquake that
strikes every one hundred years.
I
believe that there is a major earthquake that will take place in the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Seaboard,
possibly in the Northeast; that is going to make the news in a major way. I
only hear whispers at times so this is not real clear to me. I did heard
the Lord say that earthquakes are a natural sign of that which He is doing
in the spiritual – that of shaking. “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the
heaven” (He. 12:26)
There is
certainly a great shaking that is now taking place in the nations. For many
it is a wake up call. However, we need not fear. As we abide in Christ, we
abide in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
God’s judgments are about to come upon the earth and they are
coming in increasing waves. This is not the wrath of God, but His mercy so
that the world may believe and repent.
The Lord is going to use these calamites to draw multitudes to
Himself, so we should be aware that they will probably grow in severity and
in frequency. The harvest is now ripe and we need to be ready for the multitudes
that are going to come into the Kingdom.
Arise and
Shine
As the
darkness increases, so will the light and glory of God increase upon those
who answer the call to "Arise and shine.” Saints, stay close to
the Lord who is our reward and our glory! There are going to be
causalities in the days ahead but also great victories are coming to the
church. Like most battles, there will those who are wounded and
some may fall away due to hardened hearts. Jesus tells us that in the
last days this will take place because the love of many will wax cold. This
is not the time to be lukewarm. We
can and will however always find the victory in Christ as we abide in His
love, for we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. By following
Christ, who is the Captain of the Host, we shall never lose for He wins the
victory every time.
Walk in love and do all that you do
because of love. Love the Father and His Son and love one another in
the fellowship of the Spirit for God is love and we know that love never
fails (1 John 4:16) We are about to be joined in a greater
intimacy and fellowship with the Lord and with one another that will
release the joy of the Lord in our midst “For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in
the Holy Spirit" (Ro. 14:17)
As
we come together in the unity of the Spirit to walk together on the same
path under the mantle of the Lord and His Kingdom, we are going to see a
fresh move of God.
In His heart with love – Roy Roden
