Sadhu Sundar Singh

DEVOTIONAL HABITS OF SADHU SUNDAR SINGH

The circumstances of the life of a wandering evangelist
do not admit of absolutely regular habits. At times
the Sadhu will have almost whole days of solitary communion
with his Lord and Master. On occasion he has
spent the whole night praying. At other times he has
to be content with two hours of devotion in the early
morning, in England often from five to seven. When he
can find time he extends these two hours to three or four
hours. Whenever he is compelled by circumstances to
omit or unduly curtail his morning meditation he feels
a certain restlessness and unhappiness throughout the
day. 

He starts the day by reading a chapter of the Bible,
at first rapidly, but making a mental note of those verses
which seem particularly rich and suggestive. Then he
returns to these verses and lingers over them as long as
he feels that he is having fruitful thoughts on them.
Then he spends about fifteen or more minutes in collecting
his thoughts in preparation for prayer. Then, as he
puts it, the Holy Spirit Himself teaches him what to
pray for, both in regard to himself and in regard to
others. For prayer he has no one posture. He prays
sitting, kneeling, sometimes walking. As a Sikh he used
to prostrate himself in prayer, but now he does not fol-
low this practice. 

"In praying do you generally use words?" we asked. 

"No, the language of prayer is a language without
words. When God speaks to the soul we have an immediate
apprehension of His meaning, somewhat like what
occasionally happens in conversation when you know
what the other man is going to say before he says it. So
when we have a quiet time God speaks to the soul. His
thoughts are put directly into our minds without words,
and very often they are thoughts which are not expressible
in words; yet in one minute we may learn in this
way what we could not learn otherwise in thirty years.
Hence in private prayer I do not use words, but in large
gatherings it is necessary to do so." 

He lays great stress on the necessity for stillness and
waiting on God. "God is quiet, He does not make a
noise; therefore to understand Him we must be quiet."
"In the hurry and rush of life God is silent ; we have t6
sit at Christ's feet if we would feel His blessing, and
then Heaven will be in our heart." "Before Pentecost
the Apostles had to wait ten days." "To receive great
blessing from the Holy Spirit there must be great preparation." 

"Philosophers have found that they can think better
when they are quiet. How much more then must this
be true of the deeper spiritual things ! But those who
have had no experience think the desire for quiet is
merely laziness. " 

"When praying do you picture to yourself the figure
of Christ?" we asked. "I always did so at first," he
said, "I don't do it so frequently now. His figure
comes up now and then. It is like the image of Christ
which I always see in my' Ecstasy. Often, and increasing
with the lapse of time, I feel the presence of Christ
without seeing Him, either with my physical eyes, as in
the case of the vision before my conversion, or with my
spiritual eyes, as in the case of my ecstatic experiences.
As you become like Christ you feel His presence more.
When we are in a hot country and a cold wind blows, it
refreshes us very much. So is the presence of Christ to
me in the midst of work." 

THE BEGINNER'S WAY 

Thinking that not a few of those who have met the
Sadhu or heard him preach would value some practical
advice from such a man on the cultivation of the devotional
life, we put to him the question: "What advice
about prayer and meditation would you give to a beginner?" 

"I should tell him to read a chapter, say of St. John,
and to note the striking texts ; then to try and find the
inner meaning of these texts. This will teach him how
to concentrate." 

"In the earlier stages of my Christian experience I
used generally to select one or more texts from the New
Testament about the love of God, and fix attention on
them. Such concentration produces the same result as
the focusing of a magnifying glass on a piece of cloth.
When we concentrate on spiritual things by fixing our
thoughts and hearts towards the Sun of Righteousness,
light and heat from that Sun will fall on all the rubbish
of life and burn it. Everything against the will of God
will thus be destroyed. 

"At different times I have asked converts to Christianity
what it was that led them to Christ. Some have
quoted, 'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest'; others, verses from St.
Paul. Different texts appeal to different people. So it
is better to read a whole chapter and to pick out the text
that appeals to one. 

"But the same method will not suit all men."

"Scientists often spend years, sometimes a whole lifetime,
in making an important scientific discovery. Then
how can we expect to discover spiritual beauties by
spending only five minutes every day in quiet and
prayer? Some people become tired at the end of ten
minutes or half an hour of prayer. What would they
do when they have to spend Eternity in the presence of
God? "We must begin the habit here and become used
to being with God.

ECSTASY AND VISION
ESOTERIC CHARACTER 

To the Sadhu, as has been already indicated, the great
source of illumination, solace and physical refreshment
is the recurrent state of Ecstasy in which he feels himself
caught up to what he believes to be the place alluded
to by St. Paul as "the third heaven" (II Cor. xii. 2). 

"I never try to go into Ecstasy; nor do I advise other
people to try. It is a gift to be accepted, but it should
not be sought; if given, it is a pearl of great price.
During the fourteen years of my life as a sadhu there
have been many times when, suffering from hunger,
thirst or persecution, I might have been tempted to give
it up but for the gift of these times of Ecstasy, but these
I would not give up for the whole world."

"In Heaven I see not with bodily
but with spiritual eyes, and I was told that these spiritual
eyes are the same as those which all men will use
after permanently leaving the body." 

To all the Visions there is a constant background. It
reflects, indeed it is the convincing proof if further
proof were needed of the wholly Christocentric character
of the Sadhu 's Mysticism. 

"Christ on His throne is always in the center, a figure
ineffable and indescribable. The face as I see it in
Ecstasy, with my spiritual eyes, is very much the same
as I saw it at my conversion with my bodily eyes. He
has scars with blood flowing from them. The scars are
not ugly but glowing and beautiful. He has a beard on 
His face. The long hair of His head is like gold, like
glowing light. His face is like the sun, but its light
does not dazzle me. It is a sweet face, always smiling
a loving glorious smile. Christ is not terrifying at all."

What God Thinks About Me

What God Thinks About Me:

• You are God’s “David”, His lover, His friend.
• You are King Jesus’ Bride
• You are a Son of Thunder
• You are a faithful servant before the King who proclaims, “Long Live the King!”
• You are one of the King’s chosen worshippers to worship Him in His Throneroom.
• You are a Donkey for King Jesus, carrying King Jesus to everyone to love and heal them.
• You are from the Tribe of Benjamin, His beloved placed between His shoulders.
• You are a Priest created for service to Lord, He has made you spotless, pure, and true.
• You are His, and He is yours.
• “You have a great future ahead of you.”- Kris Vallotton
• He will “Grant” you whatever you ask, so your name was not by mistake.
• Grant I see that God has made you intelligent and that you are a man of the Word.
• You are called to be a teacher of the Word, you are called to be a man of the word.
• People look at you as a leader.
• When you speak there is an authority on what you share from the word of God.
• You are a lover of truth
• The Lord has called you as a forerunner.
• John the Baptist type of Forerunner-That is a radical edge to your heart, your life.
• You don’t want “status quo” more than just sitting in a pew.
• The Lord loves that, and He loves your [radical] heart.
• There is an inner-city skater-crowd ministry the Lord is really going to use with.
• The Lord is downloading a message to you for that group.
• You will be one that proclaims it,
• You will be one that preaches,
• You will be one that declares it to one on one.
• You are a man who sees the gold [the people and in them].
• You have a real sensitivity to one on one relationships.
• You have a real pastoral heart in regards for healing [You know the one who is hurting]
• You have a real Barnabus spirit about you, an encouraging spirit.
• The Lord is going to use you powerfully to pull people out of darkness
• You will pull them into the light and give them encouragement and strength.
• You are a mighty man of faith.
• You have a real tenacity about you Grant. A total bull-dog tenacity
• You value hearts, you see how tender that is before the Lord.
• God has created you for fascination.
• He wants to fascinate your mind.
• He wants to show you His beauty and His leadership over your life.
• He has given you have the keys to praise Him.
• The Lord says you will be one like John.
• That will lay your head on His breast.
• Because you will do that you will hear his Heartbeat.
• And as you hear that heartbeat you will release it to your generation.
• I have such an awesome plan for you!
• You are a warrior of Love [they are the most lethal breed in the earth.]
• God’s going to send you into the nations for those who have had no father.

Bill Johnson – The Life of Faith, Barriers, and Gateways Notes

Bill Johnson – The Life of Faith, Barriers and Gateways 5/23/08

“You know, He is so extremely good. God is so extremely good. And the Lord is bringing a transformation, I believe it’s worldwide that has to start in individual lives, it has to start in individual’s process of faith, where things change because of our understanding of His goodness. People have trembled in His presence before, because of His terrifying presence. Not terrifying in the sense that He is evil, I mean terrifying in the sense that He is extreme. He is power, everything is glory, everything about Him is just extreme. And people have trembled at His terrifying presence before but I don’t know if there has ever been a generation that has trembled in the fear of God because of His goodness.

But I believe we are coming into an hour when the Lord is going to overwhelm His people with understanding about His goodness.

Moses saw God on several occasions. He had some encounters lasting up to 40 days. But there was only one time that his face actually radiated with the presence and glory. And it was after the Lord revealed to him His goodness. He said “I want to see Your glory” and He said he hid him in the cleft of the rock and then it says He let all of His goodness pass before his eyes, that was the time. And I believe that in the same way the Lord is going to change the face of the church through a revelation of His goodness. The goodness of the Lord. It is a cornerstone of our theology. He is not mysteriously good in the sense that He occasionally He sneaks in evil just because He has plans to adverse it’s effect.

He is absolutely good. Jesus Christ is perfect theology.

Anything that you think you know about God that you can’t find in the person of Jesus, you have reason to question. It’s theologically immoral to use an Old Testament passage to trump and overtake a clear revelation of the Father through Jesus Christ. Everything before Jesus was “types and shadows.” When Jesus showed up He said, “If you seen me, you have seen the Father.” He is the exact representation of the Father’s nature. Then He said, “It’s better than I go, and I’m going to give you another helper,” the word another means exactly the same. The same as the Father so is the Son, and so is the Spirit.

What the Lord is wanting to release into the earth is a clear revelation of who He is. He’s only been seen in part and often times it’s distorted. Often times it’s perverted. Often times it has been contaminated with. And tampered with us in Human opinion and the soil of our own hands gets on to that what we project to the world that is supposed to represent God.

How many know, Jesus didn’t go through all He went through so we could do church.

He did what He did because He expects a revolution. He anticipates and expects a revolution. How many of you know that He doesn’t led us into praying for something that He is not ready to answer and fulfill. So when He directs us in prayer for the nations, it’s because He actually intends on nations being converted. He doesn’t ask, “Can a nation be saved in a day?” merely to entertain our fantasies or to put off into the millennium things that are too hard to believe for today.

It is irresponsible to take the great promises of scripture and put them off into a period of time for which we have no responsibility of. It’s way too easy to look through scripture and find something extraordinary and say “Oh that’s for the millennium.” But it doesn’t say that. What it says, “That the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.” What it says, “He will pour out his spirit on ALL flesh.” What it says, is that “the Kingdom of God is being preached and EVERYONE is pressing into it.” What it says is that “He is restoring ruined cities.” That is what it says. There wasn’t a time slot mentioned. It’s just a promise. Revealing God’s heart is potential, the potential of His affect in the earth. And He is just looking for someone to adopt a promise and hover over it in prayer and find out just maybe it might unfold in my lifetime.

Sometimes when I write letters I sign, “possessed by promise.” Possessed by promises. Because He is looking for people to get possessed by promise. People who become captured with what is possible. I love coming here, it’s a place where faith is easy. It’s a place where the presence is highly valued. It’s just not work to be here. I don’t mind being places where I have to work, but I love being here where I can jump into the flow with people who just love God. I expect something to happen. I expect King Jesus to be glorified. I expect His works to take place. I expect His people to be strengthened and encouraged. I expect there to be impact on the world among us. I expect culture to be formed and shaped in that which creates momentum for every move of God. Is a culture that will sustain a movement. Those are the things I look for and I’m hungry for. I’m hungry for a breakthrough here with you. There isn’t any room for lack in the equation. He already took care of everything on the cross, there wasn’t anything He left out. He already dealt with it all. So because of all that I think we should have a pretty good time. I think we should have just a real good time

Did you know Jesus didn’t come to show us what God can do. God is omnipresent, He can be everywhere at once. He came to show us what one man could do who was rightly related with God. He already told us in His word, He says “The son of man can do nothing of himself.” and I looked it up; that word nothing actually means nothing. He had no capacity, no capability to perform miracles in and of Himself. Because He had so restricted Himself. He had so set aside divinity, His God-ness (He is eternally God, He is not a created being). He so set that aside and learned how to live as a man, in a right relationship with the Father. He was demonstrating what could be possible for anyone who had no sin, and was completely empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit. You see if He did everything He did as God I’m still impressed but I’m not compelled to follow; I’m compelled to applaud. But when I find out that He did it as a man with the same restrictions that I have, and then He provides the blood to cleanse me from sin and the Spirit given to me without measure, I am completely dissatisfied with where I am at. Jesus really intended to raise up people that looked just like Him. Different giftings, different expressions, different personalities, all that stuff, but people who could make impact on the world around them.

Jesus gave us guidelines. He gave us guidelines like, “Grieve not the Spirit.” Because it’s all about your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Everything is about that relationship, that connection to the person of the Holy Spirit. That 3^rd person of the trinity that raised Jesus from the dead, the very Spirit of resurrection. Jesus assigned Him to live in you when your faith was put into practice. The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you, and He wants out. He is in us as river to affect the world around us. And He taught us in scripture and Jesus modeled this for us and showed us how to do this kind of a life, and He told us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” The scriptures tell us, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. We grieve Him when we do things that are wrong. We have wrong agendas. Grieving is a purity issue, it has to do with sin: it has to do with attitudes, agendas, thoughts, ideas, habits, actions. If I lose my temper I grieve Him, or if I have self-will and wrong agendas, I grieve Him. Grieving is all about the purity issue. But the other side of the same coin is “quench not the Holy Spirit.” Quench means to stop the flow. If you have a garden house and the water is on and you want to take the hose from one side of the yard to the other and you don’t want to sprinkle water over everything; you just bend the hose in half, you just crimp it tight the hose. That crimping the hose is a picture of quenching the Spirit. Think about this with me, in 3 ½ years of ministry Jesus did more works than if they were recorded in full detail the scriptures says that the earth couldn’t handle their record. That is the 3 ½ year ministry of one person who is in a right relationship with God not quenching the Holy Spirit. Three and a half years of the Holy Spirit not quenched. I really do believe that before this is over there will not be another person like that, but there will be a generation like that. If it’s not in my lifetime, it will be in my kids, if it’s not in my kid’s it will be in my grandkid’s lifetime. But the whole point is that we are sowing into THAT generation, creating a momentum that cannot be stopped. The gospel is not an inferior message, it is not a political power. We do our best in serving. I think it happens when you serve well is you get promoted and you eventually rule. But when you remember to rule like servants and learn to serve like kings, there we represent Him well.

Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” The Law and the Prophets were until John, what is the implication? The implication is that they were until John (the Law and the Prophets) The implication is that they are not any more. The Law and the Prophets serve us well in that 1. they lead us to know we are sinners. 2. Pointed to Jesus, Lead us to Jesus. 3. Portrays the coming Kingdom, glimpses and pictures given to us about the Kingdom of God. It is written for our instruction, it is a rich benefit. But it is not to take us under Old Testament mantles to get us new testament results. Now I don’t know anyone (believers) who are trying to get us back sacrifice animals for forgiveness of sin. But I know of many people trying to take us under the mantles of Old Testament prophets that are focused in performance instead of transformation by the Spirit of God. Jesus makes a profound statement here; The Law and the Prophets were until John, the implication is that they are not any more. And it was replaced by what? “The Gospel of the Kingdom now being preached”. And catch the phrase. “EVERYONE is forcing his way into it (the Kingdom). Is it possible that the nature of message determines the size of the harvest.

If Jesus were going to preach most of the sermons that were preached all over America last weekend, if he would have preached those messages He would not have been crucified. Gospel of the Kingdom is a message that requires extraordinary courage. How about getting a message that requires so much courage on our part that God is drawn into a situation to say Amen to the very words that were spoken. (Mark 16:17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. The preaching is not just in pulpits. Everyone of us are preachers we proclaim, we profess, we confess through life, that’s just who we are. But the right words with courage attracts God into a situation to confirm the word with miracles, signs, and wonders. One of the greatest responsibilities we have is to carry the nature of God into society. They need to know how good He is. The insurance company blames natural disasters like hurricanes and floods on God. They are called the acts of God. Where do you think they got their theology? How many storms did Jesus bless? How many times was He in a life-threatening storm did He say, “Go over to that city, wipe them out, it will teach them to pray then they will become more like me.” When many times did Jesus use a calamity to bring about a righteous end, NONE.

Jesus Christ is perfect theology. Every idea, everything He did He got from the Father so there’s not a divided house. It’s not Jesus the merciful one, and the Father the angry one. Most people that preach and believe that God is an angry father do so in equal proportion to their inability to demonstrate His power. In attempt to compensate with what’s missing. It is much easier for a preacher to blame you for not having faith and preach harshly to you. To know truth is different than living truth. See what the Lord requires of us, is you can read a book, get information, spout it off and you’ll inspire people but you won’t transform people. There’s no power for transformation because the truth wasn’t processed through your own experience. But when truth becomes flesh in you, then when you talk you are giving away who you have become and you are giving away bread that has become part of your own life which makes it possible that gives the participants to experience transforming power because they received truth that has became flesh. It’s easy to blame people when you minister to them and things don’t happen. I don’t want to pretend that things like “little faith or no faith” don’t matter because they do. Jesus addressed them over and over again. But did you ever notice that he still provided the miracles for those people. There were the heroes that say ‘just say the word’ and Jesus was stunned by the faith of those who just wanted to touch his clothing. There were a few others who said ‘if you are willing’ which isn’t great faith but at least he knows where to go. But the worst level of faith was “if you are able”, barely on the faith scale. Jesus says if You are able, all things are possible for those who believe. He still healed him. He healed his son to give him access to the greater faith. We have a responsibility in private to touch God and then take THAT out, and give it away. You don’t find Jesus praying for the sick, ever, there is no record of it. I’m not saying he didn’t. I’m just saying that there’s no record of it. It’s because He prayed all night “before the meeting started.” It says “when He MET the leper, or the blind man.” He was ready. The disciples tried to bring deliverance to a child and they couldn’t, one record of a mess up. And Jesus said this kind only comes out with praying and fasting. Then He didn’t pray or fast, He just got the kid free. That’s because we think of praying and fasting for a specific breakthrough, Jesus was already praying and fasting in a lifestyle.

The gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

There is a difference between the gospel of salvation and the gospel of the Kingdom. The gospel of salvation is apart of the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of salvation is focused on getting people to heaven, But the gospel of the Kingdom is focused on bring heaven down to earth. One is my destiny, one is my assignment. I cannot afford to confuse my destiny with my assignment. I’m going to heaven, my responsibility is to bring heaven. The gospel of the kingdom makes that reality present. Jesus said my words to you are spirit and they are made life. My words become spirit, Jesus said. Jesus is the word of God made flesh, and now when He talks, His words become spirit. That’s why there was an atmospheric shift over every crowd he talked to because when He talked the Spirit of God was released over the crowd. When the Spirit of God is released over people it changes their reasoning. People who had no hunger for God suddenly become hungry for God by God’s touch. Why? When the Spirit of God comes and clears the air of all wrong influences over people they have a chance for a clear shot at truth. That is why it is vital to learn the presence of the Spirit of God. Learn to recognize what He is saying and doing, because when you say what He is doing and say what He is saying, your words become spirit and life. Spirit changed the atmosphere in the room. John is the one who started, the kingdom of God is at hand. The Law and the Prophets had an appetite for everyone that wasn’t the savior that would never be able to go out forever. Except for one thing. Jesus stepped into that to be the perfect satisfaction and cried out It Is Finished. He satisfied the requirements of the Law and the Prophets, there is a new message that when you speak it, it becomes manifested. What you speak out determines the reality that the people around you will enjoy.

People just go around shopping not with a great amount of faith, they were just shopping. And they run into people and just talk with them and tell them stories of God’s goodness, suddenly what becomes available to them is options they did not have 5 minutes ago. We cannot replace the need for the proclamation, confession of the word for people. God is drawn to courageous words of declarations and proclamations of testimonies He will show up. The dominion of God is within reach, If it matters to you, it Matter to Him. You can say that with confidence to people in public. Someone had the courage to say something and to give them options of what they saw God do. He is the desire of the nations, they have already been wired to want Him. They have been desired to crave and want Him, They have been created that all fulfillment in life comes with intimacy with God. We are just people, We need to take that message in word form and declare it, then be ready to serve, be ready to pray, sometimes it’s a miracle, sometimes it’s encouragement, sometimes it’s an embrace. The point is that this time it is different than last time, than it’s ever been. Jesus expects us to know the richness of the Kingdom of God is the different situations. “Kingdom is now, but not yet” I used to like that phrase, but now people only use that phrase to tell me what I can’t have. Or they want to set a boundary that is not in scripture. Jesus had no problem speaking about time and eternity in the same breath. It’s closer than you think. I don’t take any warnings or listen to anyone if I see they are satisfied with lack. They want me to be like them so they can be comfortable with where they are. I’m not going to lower the scripture to the standard of my living. I don’t want to be affirmed with where I’m at. I’m not going to create a doctrine that explains why not everyone gets healed when I pray for them, I’m just going to keep going for it. Show me in Jesus’ life, What about Lazarus he didn’t pray for him when he was sick? Okay, so He raised the dead. – So you don’t have to pray for a sick person when you promise to raise him from the dead! Go out and do this.

The Practice of the Presence of God Notes

To Be Aware of God’s Presence All Day: (Talking)

- We must recognize God as being intimately present within us.

-Form the habit of continually talking with Him throughout the day.

-A little effort will be needed to form the habit of continuously conversing with God, telling Him everything that is happening in throughout your day.

- Then we may speak directly to Him every time:

-We need to ask for help.

-To know His will in moments of uncertainty

-To do whatever He wants us to do in a way that pleases Him.

-We should offer our work to Him before we begin.

-We should thank Him afterward for the privilege of having done it for His sake.

- Let your heartfelt goal to think nothing but God. If you allow time to pass by without thinking of Him, do not grow upset by this. Just confess your weakness to God, and return to Him with all the more confidence and joy after finding yourself unhappy apart from God’s presence.

-After some careful practice, God’s love will refresh you.

- It is important to remember that the most important part is renouncing whatever does not lead to God which = us to become involved in a continuous conversation with Him in a simple and unhindered manner.

-Before doing a “good deed” always consult God, “Lord, I will never be able to do this if you don’t help me.” You will immediately be given more than enough strength.

-When you sin confess it to God straight up, “I can do nothing better without you. Please keep me from falling and correct my mistakes.” After that, you will not feel guilty about the sin. You will be able to peacefully resume your regular activity of love and adoration.

- If you didn’t/don’t sin, Thank God for it; because only God’s grace could keep you from it.

-Speak very simply and frankly to God: Ask God for help in things you need help with.

- Thinking usually spoils everything and evil usually begins with our thoughts. We should reject any thoughts that distract us from serving the Lord or undermining our salvation.

- The exalted position of God is very important for easily able doing all your actions for the love of God. When someone surrenders themselves entirely to God, God protects them from being deceived.

-Let faith rule your life.

-Give all of ourselves in Temporal and Spiritual affairs to God’s hands and will. (pain/pleasure?)

-Be faithful in dry seasons: take advantage of these seasons to practice your determination and surrender to Him.

-When we are willing to accept God’s help and guard our souls according to His desires, We may commune with Him whenever we like.

-Be always guided by love: God is much better than any of the simple gifts He gives us; rather than desiring the gifts, desire and look to learn more about the Giver.

- Our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves.

- The most effective way you can have for communicating with God is to simply do your ordinary work.

- It is a serious mistake to think of our prayer time as being different from any other.

- Our actions should unite us with God when we are involved in our daily activities, just as our prayers unites us with Him in our quiet devotions.

Activating Your Seer Gift Notes

11-3-2008

How to Activate your Spiritual Senses:

Activating your Spiritual Senses

1. Open up the Door: Revelation 3:20 (His door is always open, we need to open ours) Intimacy is the key to the door. To know him, spirit of revelation/wisdom in him.
2. Make yourself available: Trust
3. Create a Faith Grid: “It’s Okay” by sharing experiences, not a loony toon.
4. Where is the Kingdom? What is the Kingdom? (The invisible realm around you).Matthew 6:10 – pray to bring God’s realm down here on earth as it is in heaven.
5. Learn to exercise your imagination: psalms 4:4 Meditate in your heart and think about the Lord. Be still (the ant running around and God is trying with a magnified glass to hit you with his glory) soaking, listening prayer, overcome the busyness of our minds.
6. Heavenly Minded: Colossians 3:1-2, 2 Corinthians 4:18
7. Waiting: 2 Peter 1:19 (Romans 8:11)
8. Sowing: Acts 10: A giving heart, Honor the prophet in the name of the Prophet

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise [habit] to distinguish good from evil.

We have 5 spiritual senses: We See, we hear, we taste, we touch, We smell

Think of yourself as heavenly, 2 worlds heavenly and earthly.

We need to be familiar with our 5 spiritual senses as we are with our natural senses and have the eyes of our heart opened to see in the invisible kingdom realm.

Biggest way God speaks to Todd is through visions in the imagination: Most of the voice and common realm that God speaks is in the realm of visions, dreams – the realm of the seer, open heavens, God opening our eyes of our heart to see in the spirit. Eyes of your understanding-heart-imagination.

Voice especially comes in the realm of seeing, most often in the mind, the same realm of Holy Ghost sanctified imaginations. Pay attention and discern what goes on in your imagination realm – pay attention to the impact, the amount of presence of God.

3 objectives for this lesson:

1. Discover your spiritual eye

2. Remove hindrances to the function of your spiritual senses

3. See in the spirit realm.

Open heaven, gates, open doors, open windows of heaven when God inhabits the praises of His people (Think of heaven of accessing through doors and windows, when heaven opens revelation is poured out).

Ezekiel 1:1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Open Heavens = visions, revelation, word of the Lord

Geographical locations where people had encounters can trigger grace to enter in similar encounters when you enter those locations!

9 keys to developing a habit to see in the spirit:

1. Open up the Door with intimacy with the Father – Revelation 3:20 Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.

Invitation into experiencing Jesus in the spirit realm/prophetic encounters (Ephesians 1:17,18 experiences into the knowledge of HIM) We have the choice to open up the door. We are the ones that has to learn how to open the door, we need to hear his voice, open up the door of our heart for prophetic experiences.

Revelation 4:1 After these things, I looked; and there before me was a door standing open in heaven; and the voice like a trumpet which I had heard speaking with me before said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.”

Could the door mentioned in Rev. 3:20 be connected to Rev. 4:1 – did John ever exit the spirit realm – this is connected to us opening up the door. We have to learn how to open our door, His door is already wide open, always open. 2 corinthians 3:16 says that we have a veil over our hearts, but intimacy is the key to the door and the veils removed. If you are seeking encounters just for the sake of encounters forget it. Only do it for revelation of Him, intimacy (in-to-me-see).

2.Overcome the fear – through Trust

Abba Father, daddy daddy. If my son asks for bread, I’m not going to give him a stone. If I ask my dad for an encounter to know Him, we need to trust He will keep us beyond deception. For the Father loves the son and shows him all things. Who gets to see what the Father is doing-Sons! We make ourselves available to the Fathers love, and God does the rest to open heavens and give us prophetic encounters.

3. We need to create a faith grid – sharing testimonies to build a platform expanding how its okay to have these encounters. The moment you become okay with the gift – it can lift you into acceleration.

4. Where is the kingdom? What is the kingdom? (the invisible kingdom around you) Matthew 6:9,10 “Your kingdom come” “Welcome my world, the atmosphere how it is in heaven to be like it is in your life right now” 1.It’s not like heaven here on earth currently 2.Jesus wants us to pray for it to come to make it that way! What do you expect to see when you are literally in heaven? Would it be normal see to encounter the throne as John saw it, would it be normal to speak with the saints in the cloud, would it be normal to behold the glory, would it be normal to see the angels and living creatures? No sorrow, no sickness, no disease. God’s will is that it would be on the earth right now as it is in heaven, synchronize heaven with earth. We are sitting with Christ in heavenly places, what if someone experiences heavenly view from heaven to earth. COME BOLDLY before the throne of grace (FREE ACCESS). Learning to live out of your spiritual eye appositionally, the kingdom is within you, you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, the Throne/tabernacle of God is within your heart seated with Christ in heavenly places. Heavenly places are right here. Come more consciences of the kingdom within you and around you at all times!

5. Learn to exercise your imagination – its okay to dream and okay to remember, and be still: Psalms 63:6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; Psalms 4:4 Meditate in your heart and think about the Lord.

The only thing that keeps you from heaven right now is: Earth Tent; Your mind, Your body, Your theology lol. Learn today through waiting on the Lord, listening prayer, we can overcome the busyness of the mind and access heaven revelation. What kind of faith do you expect to see, I expect to see and hear every day.

6. Be heavenly minded: (Colossians 3:1) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

(Colossians 3:2) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Permission to seek the realm of which God speaks, not just healing, favor, etc. Basically saying seek things in heavenly places (cuz where Jesus sits) The bible is encouraging you to dream and think about what Heaven is like, what do the angels look like, what does the throne look like,? 2 corinthians 4:16 – day by day we are renewed, we do not look at the things that scene but the unseen (eternal).

Permission to look at the 3^rd heaven encounters, meditate on them to develop an imagination-language for you to give you grace for God to take you into your own encounters! Developing your seer language with past encounters in the bible! God wants us to exercise (habit) heavenly minded by looking and listening to other encounters, get some language, get some grid – it may be that through their door you enter into an encounter and same grace the prophet had when the verse was written. You can’t get from glory to glory without having from glory the starting point. Remembering encounters open doors to step into new realms moving from glory to glory. The testimonies of the Lord stand as an inheritance forever!

7. Waiting – 2 Peter 2:19 (Romans 8:11) 1 Samuel 3 – learn how to listen for the voice of God in his presence in stillness and quietness.

Developing Your Seer Gift (Disc 1)

How to develop, how to see in the invisible realm, how to see and cultivate out of habit your spiritual senses in the spirit realm. Reason of use-habit. Developing your seer Gift.

2 Kings 6:17

(2 Kings 6:17) Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Those who are for us are more than those who are against us. The invisible realm was available even though he had never seen it before! The Kingdom of heaven is the invisible realm around you, everywhere you go there is world around you, the kingdom of God is at hand even though you didn’t see it before! Becoming more aware of the invisible realm, that we would see just like Elisha saw in the realm of 2 kings 6:17

1. Learn and understand the different prophetic functions of the seer and prophet
2. Remove the veils that blind our spiritual eyes
3. Learn how to cultivate a seer lifestyle out of intimacy with Jesus

Where is your spiritual eye? Ephesians 1:18 (in Greek “eyes of your heart” translates into mind will and intellect or imagination.) Most prophetic encounters and experiences begin in the imagination – there are places for realm of being taken up and sucked up body vibrations – but some of his most profound encounters/revelation have been in the place of his imagination. 3^rd heaven is a place not an experience profound experiences revelation in that place that God calls our imagination

– trust what you see when God moves on your imagination in prayer. What kind of impact is God having on your spirit/imagination.

When he initiates a scene – being in tune with the mind of Christ.

Difference is function in how you receive the revelation you give (both are prophets but different prophetic functions):

Seer Prophet – he can show us our way that we should go. Speaks from experience from dreams visions encounters angels – tends to see

Nabi Prophet – flowing thoughts tends to receive the words but not too visual with open visions, prophecies from what he knows and what he feels to know.

Called to the office of the prophet – God will give you a level of influence, platform to the nations, authority.

Uncapping prophetic wells, Uncapping the Seer Gift: to Take off the hoods of religion and tradition and “caution” of men

Remove the veil so purpose will come (black hood syndrome)-

(Isaiah 29:9) Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind (by only seeing what you want to see)! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!

(Isaiah 29:10) For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).

Choosing your prophetic feel good words, sometimes we only hear what we want to hear:

Isaiah 30:9-10 For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; (10) who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions,

10 reasons for the spirit of revelation and wisdom (Ephesians 1:17-19, 3:8-10, 16

1. To know Him

2. To know the Call of God

3. To know your inheritance

4. To know the exceeding greatness of His Power

5. To declare the manifold wisdom of God to powers and principalities

6. To be strengthened with might

7. The revelation of the Love of Christ (height, length, width, and depth)

8. To be filled with all the fullness of God

9. To have the Revelation of Christ in You

10. Cause its sweet with Jesus

6 reasons that hinder our ability to hear the voice of God and see in the invisible realm:

1. Mark 8:16)perceive and understanding is connected with remembering what God does (eyes to see but do not see, you can’t understand unless you see)

2. Mark 4:19) The cares of this world choke the gifting

3. HeBrews 3:7) Continuing to resist to the convictions of the Holy Spirit (harden heart)

4. HeBrews 3:10) Going astray in our heart (without intimacy with God)

5. HeBrews 3:12) Sin, unbelief,

6. HeBrews 5:11) Dull of Hearing because of not practicing Hebrews 5:14

Developing a habit of waiting 1-3 hours on God to listen.

Keys to developing the Seer Anointing:

John 3 – born again to see the kingdom of God now on the earth, 6 which is born of the Spirit is spirit. I am Spirit: I’m not a human being with a spirit trying to get my spirit stronger, the moment I was born again I became spirit first, I live now from heaven to earth; Not on earth trying to get to heaven. Temporarily I have an earthly tent as a pilgrim, an alien but I am spirit. Seeing the kingdom – what is the kingdom of God? – The invisible realm around you, the realm of “as it is in heaven on earth.” What is it like in heaven right now, what do you expect to see in heaven? Angels, seraphim, creatures, glory, no sorrows! Seeing the kingdom is now when born again, entering is later but you can see now! John 3:13 John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

– He made that statement on earth, how can you be in heaven while on earth. This is about hearing heavenly things. What we (the Godhead) see we want to share with you! Let me show you things that have no earthly parallel, there isn’t even language, anything in the natural for the kind of revelation that I want to give to you according to my perspective! 1. Its not like how it is in heaven on earth now 2. It can be and He wants it to be. It’s at hand, the invisible realm around you – just because you’ve never seen it doesn’t mean its not there!

John 5:17 John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Heaven is our model for earth, synchronizing heaven and earth is working with God! Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Earth needs to look like heaven looks like right now. The invisible realm around you. The kingdom of God (atmosphere of heave) would come to the earth as the will of God was being done on the earth. God can only entrust you with His kingdom to the level of your obedience. Bring Heaven.

John 5:19 Therefore, Yeshua said this to them: “Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he (the son)sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too.

How did Jesus see what the Father do? How can you be in heaven on earth? God can only entrust to you His kingdom to the extent you hear and obey.

The whole point of seeing/hearing is to be obedient to His well and synchronizing heaven and earth. -John 5:30 I can’t do a thing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is right; because I don’t seek my own desire, but the desire of the one who sent me.

What heaven looks like eternally and bringing glimpses of it on here –

Where does Christ sit? In heavenly places? Where are heavenly places? Heaven has places/realms. Heavenly places is literally where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, blessed heavenly inheritances in heavenly places. That means I can only access heavenly places when I’m in the spirit. Call forth those that be not, (its not that they are not, they just are not in your realm at that instant in the natural, but they are in the invisible) so you bring it from heaven to earth. Activate the spiritual blessings in heavenly places when you are in the spirit. Christ dwells within you! Could it be that Christ lives in you with you carrying Heavenly Places! A whole new way of thinking.

So How much can you see? John 5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed.

Faith and expectation that you as a son who the Father loves will show him ALL THINGS! Simply model on earth according to the council blueprint I see in heaven that the Father shows me!

PAPA YAHWAY WANTS TO SHOW YOU DETAILS AND SHOW YOU ALL THINGS, JUST BELIEVE AND ASK HIM!

How much do you expect to see? Friendly council of God – inward secrets of the Lord.

Wisdom to rightly explain the revelation you receive!

Anointing of Hebrews 4:12 (William Branum) For the Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Anointing of revelation to discern peoples thoughts and hearts… Jesus knew motives.

If you don’t have a language you can’t begin to communicate – b/c right now the level you are operating in now you have no grid for the secrets of My world I want to share with you!

Wait on the Lord – Position yourself in faith –See what happens!

Seer Reality of the Supernatural Prayers

Lord, I thank you for what you have revealed to me, little ole’ me! God continue to enlighten my 5 spiritual senses and send revelation glory light of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus into the eyes of my heart, imagination that I may synchronize the blueprints you show me and I experience with you in heavenly places with earth! Please continue to encourage me to sharpen my 5 senses awareness of your invisible kingdom that is at hand and within me to grow my intimate relationship with you to see and hear what you, my Abba Father is doing! In Jesus’ Name

Reality of the Supernatural Prayers

Holy Spirit I ask for you to impart to me the supernatural anointing of eyes and wings- eyes to see what you are doing and the wings to go into the heavenly realm with you. Lord, please open up my eyes to the realm of angels, trances, visions and dreams! I ask that you would remove every thought and belief that hinders me from seeing into the heavenlies. Let the supernatural realm become totally natural for me. Thank You Lord that You created me for signs and wonders! The lost don’t need mediums, wizards or spirits of the dead- they need the living God! Let me be a supernatural testimony to the world. Make me be a vessel, a channel for signs and wonders in heaven and on the earth. You promised to pour out your Spirit on all flesh – here I am Lord; pour your Spirit out on me. I desire to walk in the reality of the ministry of Jesus on a daily basis – seeing into the heavenlies; healing every sickness and disease; casting out demons as well as preaching and teaching your word. Let me only want to do those things that I see the Father do. Lord, please fill me with the spirit of wisdom and revelation that my life would be a living testimony of the reality of the supernatural realm. AMEN.

“Lord, give me that spirit of wisdom; grant me that spirit of revelation so that I will be captured by Jesus Christ. Anoint the eyes of my heart, Lord, remove the spiritual scales over them. Release shafts of revelation light into them, that I might know the hope of Your calling, that I might know the glorious inheritance that lives inside of me, and that I might know the surpassing greatness of Your power that works in me.”

“Father, I ask you, in the name of Jesus, to begin to release Your transferable supernatural anointing for those asking right now for more of the supernatural realm. I release it now in Jesus’ name! I pray that today they will walk into a greater level of the reality of the supernatural – dreams, trances, prophecy, and visions. I pray for an open heaven and an increased ability to hear Your voice. I also ask that the Holy Spirit will descend on their life and release scrolls containing their commissions and destiny in the spirit. Now, God, I ask You to pour out Your power and grace, that those agreeing with this prayer will receive an open heaven and be led by you into the spiritual realm.”

“Father, activate me in the supernatural. Open my spiritual senses; let me see into the true, lasting realm, the realm You live in. Help me to keep my eyes on the supernatural and not be distracted by the temptations of this world that are corrupt and fading away. I want this anointing transferred onto my life. I want to walk in my heavenly inheritance now. I don’t want to wait until I die to see Your lovely face. I believe that you are no respecter of persons and if You performed miracles and sent angels and transported people in times past, You also want to do that with me for the purpose of knowing You better, loving You more, and serving the lost with a loving heart. Make me useful for Your kingdom. I pray that the gifts of the Spirit and the seven Spirits of God would fill and abide with me. Give me a greater release of miracles, prophecy, signs and wonders. Holy Spirit, I receive – come now. I put my faith out for an increase in the supernatural. Thank You Lord. I ask in Jesus’ name.”

Through the Mediator of the New Covenant Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice and the High Priest of the bliss that is already here –I want to See, Taste, Touch, Hear, Feel, and Smell the Kingdom and the spirit realm which is available to me now.

And how do we touch the realm that we live in? You touch it with your natural senses that God gave you. We can also touch the spiritual realm with our spiritual senses.

there are geographical locations in the spirit too. So, in this life, it’s ok for me to say, “Holy Spirit, come, and let me touch with my spiritual senses, now, what is in heaven.”

Praying for People in the Public

Praying for People in the Public

Core Values:

(Values that determine the way we move and the way we operate while going out to the community.)

1. Love – People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. (Are you praying for people because you love them or are you praying for them to just see another miracle and have another story to feel better about yourself). You need to have the motivation of love: “I’m going to love this person regardless of their social status, I’m going to love this person regardless of what they look like, and I’m going to love this person regardless of what is going on in their life.” Motivation is to love them.

2. Honor – People are not projects, people are people. Every person deserves to be honored regardless of whatever of their social status or what they are going through. We need to value people, every time we approach a person we might have to approach them differently, but always with honor.

3. Joy – We serve a God who is in a good mood. We serve a good God. No one wants to come to a Christian under depression. Some core values I learned over time from experiencing God’s presence through manifestation of joy and drinking new wine is joy. No one wants to “come be a Christian and be depressed like me.” Move in God’s joy and release the presence of God.  Joy of the Lord is a core value.

4. Presence – The presence of God. Learning to recognize the presence of God, learning to recognize Holy Spirit’s presence. The Holy Spirit is a person who wants to partner with us so we can release supernatural ministry. We recognize the presence of God by turning our heart’s affection before the Lord. Take just a minute to turn your heart to the Lord and say Holy Spirit, I welcome your presence, I want to recognize your presence right now. Turn to the Lord before you go out and say, “Holy Spirit I recognize your presence right now in a greater realm.” Learning to recognize Holy Spirit’s presence and have a relationship with Him out in the community. You are learning the many ways of how He speaks to you also. Holy Spirit can speak through “highlighting” – when a person or objects “sticks out” to your attention, it could glow as well.

5. Power – The gospel of the kingdom of heaven is not mere talk or babbling, it is power. We owe the world a power encounter, not just talk. We need people to demonstrate the Kingdom of God. It’s not just for a couple “superstars”, it’s for everyone, every believer – even children have the same Holy Ghost as everyone else.
Power and Authority:
Luke 9:1-2 “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

O. – What is the difference between moving in power and in authority in ministry?

A. -Power is almost like riding the wave on a surfboard, authority is like creating the wave and then you being to ride that wave. Power is when you feel the presence of God, the anointing to minister, or you have received dreams and visions, angelic encounters showing you to minister or hearing God’s voice to go pray for someone. Authority is praying for people based on your position before God through Christ without any supernatural leading to begin to pray, but out of compassion for the person.

Q. – What happens when you don’t feel that power/presence and you notice someone who needs healing?

A. -Step into authority. A lot of times we are waiting to hear God tell us to go pray for someone but it doesn’t always happen that way. Recognize needs, respond to the needs with compassion. The realm of authority is the position that God gives you to move in. God doesn’t just want to use us when we feel His presence and power, but He wants us to step out which costs us that wall of fear “what will people think of me?” and step out into authority to heal people even when we don’t “feel like it.”
There is a battle between fear and faith when fear becomes real at times. But when we hang out with Jesus and spend time abiding with the Holy Spirit, we start to minister like Jesus, we become like Him.

Dreaming with God (Sanctified imagination):
John 3:2-6 [This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.]

Start realizing:

I am a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body. This body is a shell, an earthly shell that the Kingdom of God comes through. I am a spirit who was created to go into dreams and visions, created to have encounters with God.
Dream with God and see yourself ministering and dream about moving out. Why not go big and dream big about God doing awesome things through your life? God wants to use everyone to display the raw power of God. Be liberated in your heart to believe that everything that God wants to do through your life is possible and that He wants to manifest His plans through your life.

• Find a quiet place to be alone with God.
• Welcome Holy Spirit and ask Him to come.
• Pray in the spirit take time recognize His presence and love on Jesus.
• With your imagination, see yourself praying for the sick and seeing them healed.
• Imagine the process of praying for them and asking God to heal them and leading them to the Lord.
• Your measure of faith will begin to increase as you stretch your imagination and believe God can do what you imagine.

God wants to expand our measure of faith when we step out.  If you want your measure of faith to increase, you need to step out. Faith spells risk. When you dream with God, you end up pulling those opportunities in your life. Set yourself up to dream with God. All things are possible for those who believe in God.

Keys (not formulas) for praying for people in the street/community:

- You see a person with a need (crutches, wheelchairs, in pain, ect)

Example- You see a man with limp and he is in pain: At this point you don’t have a word of knowledge, you are moving in authority right now, YOU just see a need. You feel compassion, you feel God’s love.

Here is the wrong way to approach Him: “Dude, I just saw all these miracles in this meeting, can I pray for you, can I pray for you bro, Just let me pray for you right now? Don’t you believe that God can heal you? If you only believed.”

Better approach (Love primary motivation):

1. [Ask God how do I approach this person? You don't talk to an old lady the same way a young man]
2. Approach them and ask what happened: – Excuse me sir, I just noticed you had a limp, what happened sir? [They answer ]
3. Ask them how long has it been since they were well-  [they  answer]
4. Ask them if you could pray for them (this is about honoring the person and building trust)- If you don’t mind could I pray for you
   1. Some times they will think you mean pray for them later on, but ask them if you could pray right at the moment [do you want to pray right now?] Can I pray right now for you? [sure].
5. Ask them if you could lay hands on the area of the body and pray a simple prayer: knowing while you pray that the Kingdom of God is inside of you and abiding in God’s presence, trusting in the presence of God and releasing it from you.
   1. You would say, “Thank you for your presence, right now I command this (pain area) to be completely healed in Jesus’ name. Take all the pain out right now, 100% healing in Jesus’ name.”
   2. Then tell the person to test it out and ask them on a scale 1-10 how much better.
   3. If still pain, push the envelope and say “God is moving, God is doing stuff, is it okay if I pray for you again and see you fully healed.” Repeat as necessary: Pain has left but not all of it, is it okay if I lay my hand on that area again and pray for you. “Father I thank you for what you are doing, I ask for 100% healing right now, I command all of this to leave him right now in Jesus’ name.” [I feel warmth but it still feels pain] If you have time, I have time, God is still moving, is it alright if I pray for you again. “100% healing in Jesus’ name, Lord I release your presence for 100% healing in Jesus’ name.” [Pain is gone]
   4. If they don’t know Jesus, ask them, “”It’s awesome that you are healed, do you know who just healed you.” Then you can bless them if they know Jesus and/or lead them in a Sinner’s Prayer of Sozo: Jesus be my savior, be my healer, and be my deliverer.

What if they don’t get healed? – (Do not be disappointed)
Have this attitude: “Lord I don’t understand but I know you are good, I got to see greater breakthroughs, I have to see your power moving in my life, I’m going for this thing and not giving up.”

You must understand that God is doing things in the spirit whether you realize it now or later.

There is a difference in healing and miracles. Miracles are instant healings and healing is miracles over time.

Holy Spirit: He’s good at that!

(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion [koinonia] of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14 AMP) The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).

communion by intimate participation

The essential meaning of the koinonia embraces concepts conveyed in the English terms community, communion, joint participation, sharing and intimacy.

Koinonia is a complex, rich, and thoroughly fascinating Greek approach to building community or teamwork.

fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse

1. the share which one has in anything, participation
2. intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
   1. the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
3. a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship

9 areas of Koinonia with the Holy Spirit:
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the sharing of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the unity of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the close association of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the partnership of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the intimate bond of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the reality of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
(2 Corinthians 13:14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the intimacy of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

(2 Corinthians 13:14) The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).

Shasta High Football Healings

Friday October 17, 2008

Tonight in Redding was the big RIVERBOWL high school football rival game between Shasta High and Enterprise so there were hundreds of people there! A team of four of us from the school went to go see what God wanted to do there! We were walking around the crowds of people (mostly high school kids) and found a girl with crutches who was with her boyfriend. We approached her and asked her what happened and if we could pray for her. She had an infection in her foot and she had pain when she put pressure on her foot. We prayed for her (she was pretty embarrassed too lol but her friends were so cool about it and wanted her healed too) She felt a little pain leave but we ended up running into her 3 or 4 times (even amidst the hundreds and hundreds of people) and prophesied over her boyfriend and prayed for her later; she had a little pain reduce but we told her best friend to keep praying for her to be fully healed.

We decided to walk over to the visitors side and we ran into a Shasta High JV football player (his name was Sonny) with his left arm in a sling. We went up to him, asked him what happened – football injury obviously but it was a messed up tendon around his rotators cup in his arm where it hurt really bad barely lifting his arm up at all. He said he was out for the season and was planning on having surgery. We asked him if he we could pray for him so he could play in the game next week! So we prayed for him and he could lift up his arm a little higher than he could before: his pain on a ten scale of 10 being a lot of pain and 0 being no pain a 6! We asked him if we could pray again so he could be fully healed. Prayed again and he told us he felt a “wind” go through his arm – HE FULLY LIFTED HIS ARM, FULLY HEALED! He took his arm out of the sling and we were like “Dude! You just got healed, Jesus just healed you!” and he didn’t really know what to do because he was kind of in shock! We told him, “why are you putting that back on you just got healed bro!” and he realized that he really was healed and thanked us, got our number and told us he would go to the doctor to get X-rays and call us how it went!

So we walked literally like 50 feet towards the visitors stand and we ran into another high school kid with his left arm in a sling from a biking accident (a torn rotator cup that hasn’t healed the past 3 months). We told him what happened like 2 minutes ago with Sonny and he was down for us to pray for him. After the first time, his pain on a ten scale went from like a 10 to a 7. So we prayed again and it stayed about the same but he said “It felt good when you guys laid hands on my shoulder while you were praying” – he tested it out and he gained some mobility and loss of pain. He thanked us and we blessed him and watched the rest of the close game (Shasta lost though!) It was a really fun night – the other team there with us healed a different football player’s fracture in his arm – he gained a significant amount of mobility and pain loss; also they prophesied over a high school girl who was near the football player (they had a real accurate word about her life) and then 8 other girls lined up and said “Do me! Do me! I want to hear too!” It was sooo much fun to spread the joy of Jesus around at a big entertaining close football game!

Union With God

Union with God

What is Mysticism?

“A spiritual discipline aiming at union with the divine through deep meditation or trance like contemplation. The experience of such communion as described by mystics. Any belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension….” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

The root of both words is mystery, which means to shut the eyes or mouth, something that is secret.

Our born again experience is our initiation into the mysteries of God. Jesus declares in John 3:3 that, “no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
In Matthew 16:16 Peter, after he was asked by Jesus “Who do you say I am?” declares “you are the Christ the Son of hte Living God.” and Jesus replies that he is blessed…forthis was not reveled by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
In 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 it states “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of god. We have not received the spirit of hte world bu the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
The mystery of God is christ” in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Colossians 2:3.

What is meditation?
The word meditation means to reflect or ponder deeply on scripture. There are many references to it in the bible for example Joshua 1:8 states, …. Psalm 1 the promise of blessedness comes to those whose delight is the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night.
The Jewish practice of meditation consisted of repeating scriptures verses, which produced a soft murmuring sound as they deeply reflected on God’s word. True Biblical meditation actively engages and focuses the mind while the occult and new age practice of meditation often mindlessly repeat mantras or a secret name continually until a trancelike or hypnotic state is self-induced.

What is a miracle?
A miracle is an event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature and so held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.
The American Heritage Dictionary of hte English Language

The mystics that we have chosen to study all believed and walked in the miraculous. they were the revivalists, reformers and miracles workers of their day.

What is the difference between meditation, contemplation/contemplative prayer, and soaking?
The term soaking began with the soverign move of God’s presence in Toronto, Canada. Because of the visitation of God, His manifest presence was so powerful that people would fall under the power of it before anyone even prayed for them! After praying for people, the prayer servants would continue praying and soak them in more of God’s presence. People came dry and thirsty and were refreshed and soaked in God’s presence just as a dried out sponge is soaked in water. Soaking has become a term for sitting or relaxing while worshiping or absorbing the presence of God that comes from the atmosphere brought while listening to the music. Most Christians concept and awareness of God’s presence is external to themselves. In John 7:37-38 Jesus declared. “If anyone is thristy, let him come to me and drink. Whoever belives in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

As belivers who have been indwelt by the promised Holy spirit we have hte privilege of continual access to His presence. Augustine said that he had lost much time in the beginning of his Christian experienced by trying to find the Lord outwardly rather than turning inwardly. Trul, we often fast, strive after, and pray for somethign that we already possess!
Mystics learned how to live in God’s presence internally and express the reality of that internal experience externally to the world.

Is God in everything?
God only comes to dwell with us when we give ourselves to Him and are born again. God loves everyone and is their Creator, but before we are saved we are dead in our trespasses and sin and separated from the life of God. Jesus died so that we could be reconciled to God! That is why the world so desperately needs to come to Christ and be saved. The New Age deception is that man is already divine within. The Bible states that God has placed eternity within the heart of man. The question is: Where will that eternity be spent, with our loving Heavenly Father or separated from Him forever?

If I was previously invovled in the New Age, Buddhism, or TM what practice should be avoided?
Avoid the practice of mindless repeating of a word or phrase. Unfortuantely some practices of Eastern Msticism crept into some of hte early desert fathers, and their teachings. Jesus warns not to be like the pagans with their vain and repetitious babbligns. Another pratice to avoid would be the harsh treatmentof hte body and extreme fasting. Also to be aoided are the new age pratgices of visualizatio and guided imagery. The whole focus of contemplative prayer is total abandonment to God. When we make thigns happen, we are hte ones in control.

Meditation and Contemplation
The goal of biblical meditation and contemplative prayer is for our soul to come into a practical experiencial union with God. Even though the Bible exhorts us to pray without ceasing, most Christians are only aware of God sporadically. The practice of meditation and contemplation enables us to refocus our soul (mind, will and emotions) and redirect our love back to God.

Meditation(thinking and Praying His Word)

1. Pick a Bible verse and read it slowly.
Begin by selecting a small portion of scripture. I will use Psalm 16 as an example. As you read the verse “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1 NIV) begin to reflect on what the words mean.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand it.
As you were reading verse 1, the world “refuge” may have seemed especially significant to you. The Holy Spirit will often highlight a word or phrase as we read.
3. Pray it Back to God
You might pray that God would be your refuge so that you would always feel safe in Him. Often He will bring fresh insight and reveal truth from His word, perhaps the need to come to Him in deeper trust.
4. Focus on God (be open to His Voice)
As you center your focus on the Lord, you will begin to be aware that you are in His presence. As we come to Him we know by faith that we are in His presence. Sometimes, God will communicate His presence in a picture that momentarily comes into our mind or in a feeling of love or peace. Be open to whatever He wants to say or do, but don’t try to make something happen. If your mind wonders, simply reread the verse and refocus on Him.

Contemplation/Contemplative Prayer
(Being quiet as you love and listen with your heart)

1. Use a Bible verse to help you focus on God
(Use the steps for meditating to focus your mind)

2. Slowly read the words until you are aware of being in His presence.

3. Pause and quiet yoru mind as you focus on God inside of you. “The kingdon of God is within you” (luke 17:21) God dwells inside your heart; find Him there.

4. Keep yoru mind quiet and your heart listening.
When we love someone, we are happy just to be with him. We don’t need an exchange of words to communicate with those we know and love deeply. “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10)

5. If your mind wanders, return to your scripture verse to help your mind and heart refocus on God
As we begin to practice contemplative prayer, we might just take a small pause in quietness as we meditate. We are so used to doing all the talking! Being still and listening positions our hearts to wait quietly in His presence.