Graham Cooke on Prophecy, Passivity and Church

I recently attended the Way of the Warrior Conference in Everett, Washington where Graham Cooke was speaking. I recorded the sessions and pulled out a few choice cuts in this video.

NOTE: Audio levels are low but sounds fine with earphones if you have them.

A Treasure Hunt, God Style

Most kids have fond memories of getting their list of goodies that they needed to gather from neighbors and friends during a good game of Treasure Hunt. Either individually or in groups of 2 or more, kids would go on treasure hunts for safety pins, baseball cards, newspapers, and a sundry list of goods to see who could collect them first.

But now, groups of spiritual Christians are pushing the envelope of their faith by praying for people to reach in their communities. During the exercise the Christian prays for a list of attributes to look for in person to target for ministry or just words of encouragement.

The typical list that someone might receive in prayer would read, a young man, wearing a blue shirt and baseball cap, with his arm in a sling. Once the list is made, the spiritual Christian takes off for the destination that they think God sent them to, seeking out people who match that description. Upon finding them, the Christians share their faith or share the list of things that they got in prayer with their targets in an attempt to minister, pray, heal or disciple them to the Lord.

My wife found this video that was made on one such excursion trip to Disneyland by a group of spiritual Christians. Give the Treasure Hunt video a watch and see for yourself how God’s creativity for reaching the lost knows no bounds.

Audio Tape Captures Blessing & Power of the Prophetic

I have often pondered why the Word speaks so glowingly of the prophetic and why it is consider the greatest of the spiritual gifts? At the same time, having been around the prophetic, I often wonder how anyone can believe it is dead today and not in the church anymore.

I want you to experience this word from God delivered by Graham Cooke. I believe it expresses the beauty and power of the prophetic. There is nothing like it and I believe this is why the Lord’s word encourages us to prophesy.

Listen to these words.
Hear why you are his beloved.
It is his nature to love you.
God’s love for us never changes. He loves you 100% of the time.
Are you ready to experience God’s love for you? Are ready to experience and receive the inheritance that he has for you?

I believe God arranged for you to find this website today and to hear the following audio. You have been selected, on purpose by God, to review this word, a word of blessing in your life.

This word is for you designed to show you his unchanging love.

Accept it and be blessed and hear what it’s like to be Loved by the Lord.

Church Reported to State for Gay Exorcism Video

If it sometimes feels to you like the separation between Church and State is merely made up of smoke and mirrors, then this will make your cringe all the more.  A church that conducted a gay exorcism which was caught on video is coming under fire in the State of Connecticut and the ministry that conducted the ceremony is being charged with “Murdering a teen’s soul.”

As you have read on my blog for a while now, the soul is not something that we want to be guiding our lives. In fact, we should kill the soul in our lives. The soul, which is made up by our mind, will and emotions, is not to be our guide in life, but should always be subject to the Spirit. If we become spiritually led, then no longer will people respond in anger or to peer pressure because the idea of hearing from God and obeying will soon replace it as our guiding principle.

If the ‘charges’ are found true, the consequences could have a chilling affect on churches everywhere. There is something alarming about what might come of this if any charges are filed against this ministry. Can you imagine the state telling churches what is an acceptable religious practice and what is not?

Of course everything is within reason, but charges that Manifested Glory Ministries who prayed over the teen who is featured in the video and shown “flopping violently” on the floor, even vomiting at one point, somehow bears some responsibility for negligence or was “abusive” even by the loosest of definitions, is totally absurd.

Noting that watching the video made her sad, a gay activist Robin McHaelen, executive director of the Manchester-Conn., True Colors, said she was horrified when she saw the video.

If this type of thing leads to more wide spread condemnation against the ministry or more broadly, practices in churches, it will only serve to confirm what is written in scripture in 1 Cor 2:14 which reads, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Regardless of where you fall in this matter, religious organizations should be concerned if this increases scrutiny into church practices. While one practice may appear sensational to one church, it might be normal to another. It could be a short slippery slope down the hill before all practices become the future ”interest” of the state.

“From the Nations of the Earth, God is Joining the Five-Fold Ministry to Become One Voice”

From The Elijah List by Jeremy Lopez

In the past 20 years, we have seen God restore the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, but we have not seen the power of the apostolic dimension released or the prophetic voice that can still the rains of Heaven from coming. Each one of the five-fold have been stretching their wings to find out where they fit into the local Church and the Church at large.

As we have seen the past couple of years, there has been an “emphasis” on each one. They have been trying to bring a definition to their character, position and level of authority within the local Church. But God is starting to bring from the nations of the earth the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to join forces together and become one voice. Unity is the Father’s cry for His leaders.  More

Fire Tunnel Video Counterfeit or Authentic Move of God?

I wrote about Fire Tunnels yesterday and have a follow up.

Fire Tunnels are where prayer teams form two lines facing each other ready to pray for, lay hands on for impartation, and to bless the people who walk through it. Moving quickly, the goal is move people through as others speak healing and blessings upon them in a rather quick fashion.

I found some video on a Fire Tunnels that I thought I should share. The Fire Tunnel videos feature people moving through the Fire Tunnel being prayed for and in various stages of euphoric expression. Drunk with the Holy Spirit? Blessed with an outpouring of joy? Watch this video first and then decide:

I sometimes wonder if we all have a bit of a religious spirit. Some of us have more than others.  When I watch the video above, something goes on inside me leaving me wondering what others might be thinking of Fire Tunnels. What must you be thinking?  Are you thinking, “never in my church, no sir!” or something like “I can’t wait to organize a Fire Tunnel at my church.”  There were experiences that occurred in Toronto, Pensacola and Brownsville in the last 15 years that had the church questioning itself. Moves of God or counterfeit revival? Experiential or Holy Spirit?

I ask these things not for my own opinion but to get you thinking. I personally believe this is God. In fact, when I watch these videos, I get goose bumps. We need to get the church to the place where we are experiencing God and not just learning about Him. That needs to be the norm and not the exception. I don’t want visitations with God. I want cohabitation with Him. Don’t you? Honestly, are hymnals and Sunday services by dry speakers all there is? God must be board of of His mind with some churches. Moreover, when was the last time we weren’t talking AT our kids and were instead showing them how to experience God in Kid’s Church? We never show kids how to experience God. All we do is talk, talk, talk and try to keep them entertained for an hour. Kids rarely even get good worship. And then we wonder why the church produces nothing but religious people when we reach adulthood.

Let’s now watch the second Fire Tunnel video. It is from a much closer perspective and if the first one bothered you, this will really offend your religious spirit. You can see many expressions of the experience. Again, when watching it, what do you feel? What do you think? God or experience?

 

I picked these two videos because they are from two different perspectives. Both seem to capture a few different expressions that are going on in the Fire Tunnel.

If we are going to honest with ourselves, then we have to be consistent. If you have a standard of perfection, be warned. This might offend you. I think it VERY IMPORTANT to not throw the baby out with the bath water in all instances. Not all experiences are all bad and we should be mature enough to take the good with the bad. You don’t throw your kids out on the street when they fail you, do you? Why then do that with your experiences of God? If something isn’t God, deal with it, use it, teach from it – show other how to use discernment for it. It’s a great opportunity.  There may be some very good things about what was happening at the time and we should be bring ALL things to God and keep what is good.  If our standard is perfection, leave the church now! You will never have it. I mean, honestly, why do we feel that it’s all or nothing with the prophetic but with teachers and pastors, we can handle a misstatement or fleshy moment every week. I don’t see people crying out for us to cast out all Teachers or Pastors, do you?

So let’s all agree to be consistent. We believe in the Holy Spirit. We pray to the Holy Spirit. Let’s now learn to walk with the Holy Spirit.  If you’re not ready for Fire Tunnels in your church, ministry or group, ask yourself why? Is it going to be business as usual? Are we ever going to ask ourselves if this is all there is with our church experiences?

Fire Tunnel becomes short, swift walk with the Spirit

I attended a meeting yesterday led by my good friend and mentor, Janice Seney, who spoke during our meeting about their seminar this weekend. During the evening session they did something I had never heard of which is called a Fire Tunnel. The Fire Tunnel is idea they got from Bethel Church in Redding, CA.

A Fire Tunnel occurs sometimes at the end of a meeting. Leaders and prayer teams form two lines facing each other ready to pray for, lay hands on for impartation, and to bless the people who walk through it. The idea is move people through fairly swiftly, so you don’t want one person bunching up the line with a long ministry session while the others stand by watching.  The goal is move people through as others speak healing and blessings upon them in a rather quick fashion.

Korean ministry team conducts a Fire Tunnel, taking turns laying hands and anointing "Tunnel walkers" with oil bringing healing and breakthrough to those who walked.

Bill Johnson, Sr. Pastor at Bethel wrote on his church’s website recently:

The first man to walk through was healed in his back and one woman who had suffered from swelling in her mid-section reported that she was healed after walking through. Then twelve people got saved and half were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Towards the end of the meeting, a young boy was brought up who had a large tumor on his stomach. It kept diminishing in size and finally after continuous prayer, it disappeared! The boy said, “I was in a lot of pain to ride the bus to church, but now there’s no pain!” A woman with an enlarged heart had been suffering from migraines and pain in her body. When she was prayed for, she was hit with the power of the Holy Spirit and started to shake. Then her migraine disappeared and she said, “I feel like He’s given me a smaller heart!”

It’s amazing to me what the creativity of God’s people will bring to a typical meeting from which outwardly springs blessings and healing changing lives forever. 

I have never been to one of these Fire Tunnels, but I will be sure to participate in one as soon as I have the opportunity. It clearly is not religious and if the idea bothers you on the inside, ask God why? It’s only a different format of what many of us believe already – which is God answers prayers. So why not this way? 

If you have had the experience of being in a Fire Tunnel, let me know. I’m anxious to learn more about them.

The Need for More Relationship in Church

I was meeting with a friend recently over some coffee at St. Arbucks, as someone once called it. It’s part of a concerted effort on my part to build more relationships in the church. God clued us into this idea some time ago that no matter what place we are in at church, building our sphere of influence one person at a time is something that we should always be doing. You see, there is a way to do church that has nothing to do with meetings or systems but has everything to do with relationship.

The idea that everything the Father does is relational struck me long ago but I had never really done anything about it. Let me repeat that, EVERYTHING the Father does is relational. It’s part of the paradigm he set up for the church. Notice how God operates out of a relational paradigm and the church operates out of a structural paradigm? Why do you think that is? In fact, the church does not function relationally nearly as much as it should.

The church needs to focus on really being relational. I am conviced that real change and real transformation will start with that.

Go find some people in your life to connect with. You don’t need to make more commitments than that. It might start slow. Go get coffee or lunch with an acquaintence to get to know each other better. Add another to your list a few weeks later and try to meet at least once per week. Before you know it, you will be connecting with 4 people per month. Learn what is happening in their lives. Take interest. Be there for support, advice or to pray for them. Also, be on the look out for what God is doing in their life so you get something out of it too. They may have more for you than you have for them. It’s not all about you and me…it’s about them too. Let’s hear what God is doing in the lives of others and start real change, one life at a time.

Being a Provocative Christian is filled with Peril

I want to remind everyone what I am doing with my blog. I used to be a talk show host and so I know that the last thing you want to do in that position is come down in the middle of an issue. However, when you state your opinion on a particular position, and state it openly, it stimulates others to respond. That is what I am doing here. So please, understand that I’m a passionate person and I think we need to strive for excellence in all we do. Therefore, if I think we’re doing less than we can, I speak up. As Graham Cooke so eloquently said once, the “Good” is always the enemy of the “Best”. I just want the best.
Having said that, I’m hardest on myself. I expect more from myself than I expect from anyone. So I write these thoughts for your consideration. Feel free to opine on things I write here. It won’t hurt my feelings if we disagree – I think that’s healthy. But it takes two pieces of iron for iron to sharpen iron, right? I hope I don’t hurt others’ feelings in the process. But I must say I feel as if there is so much ‘niceness’ in the church today, there is no real transparency, honesty and relationship. I think that’s why it feels like the church is sometimes the most passive-aggressive place known to man. I know we don’t mean that, but it often comes out that way.

Wallnau Video Stresses Experience over Anointing as Key to Success

A pastor recently shared a video with me titled, Create an Attitude of Success featuring Dr. Lance Wallnau, a Christian organizational therapist in the field of organizational and personal transformation, presenting his attitudes toward “success” in life and belief that it is largely driven by experience instead of gifting or anointing.

During the 3-minute video by Wallnau, we learn that his prescription for success centers around experience as the key that opens the door to succeed in any moment, no matter how chaotic. However, Wallnau fails to mention anointing for any work we do as a key ingredient or even a component for success.  

While it is possible that the format does a disservice to Wallnau’s topic in which he is not able to elaborate enough to get all his points across in 3 minutes, it should be duly noted that without more context, Wallnau’s teachings in sound bites come across as shallow and achievement-oriented and seem to be more likely inspired by Tony Robbins than by God.

The video, which was produced by Patricia King’s Extreme Prophetic ministry and includes statements by Wallnau saying we need to “Create an attitude of success regardless, [of what’s happening] and how to sustain it,” or “Research has been done on this…and successful people focus on different things than other people” and, “The more successful you are, the more capable you are of making distinctions.” It all sounds very worldly, doesn’t it?

Even though others might say that anointing for our work should be the first priority for anyone, I thought some of what he discussed was true. For instance, I feel there is no substitution for practicing the prophetic, because as Samuel demonstrated, not all of us are born with this gifting for hearing God. We have to work at it.  Only through experience can some of us walk fully into our gifting. But the key is, what is our gifting and then we should work to achieve it as a result of our calling, not a means to it.  For instance, it’s hard to argue with Wallnau when he says that if you’re in airplane, having a pilot with experience is the best thing you can get. But is that same thing true universally as it is presented. For instance, what about a church? I would personally take an anointed pastor over an experienced one any day, because with anointing, ALL things become possible if directed by God.  

Given that Wallnau consults with business and government leaders (in addition to ministries) in the field of organizational and personal transformation, I can understand how his message could sound not-so-super-spiritual at times. But for an audience of a ministry called, Extreme Prophetic, I would like to think we would get the “spiritualized” version of this message instead of the one that was delivered. Wallnau should not be holding back because the last thing the world needs is another success coach.

What do you think? Do you need experience to have success or the anointing for it?