Viewing the Shift

By Ron McGatlin

The goal of the ministry of the church.

The primary goal is not a bigger group, more activities or better services, it is not even benevolent acts, nor greater prosperity, and not even more and better evangelism, neither is it healing or emotional healing and deliverance. All of these and more are the results of the goal of the "ekklesia" (assembly of called out ones). The goal is Christ formed by the Holy Spirit in a people becoming His character and His nature in the world producing the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the humble and not a work of man's prideful efforts. The Holy Spirit brings the life of Christ within replacing our dead self-life. It is Christ being formed within by the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The major fruit of the Spirit flowing from the Christ within is love. Unconditional love flowing from a pure heart leads to all the other fruits of the Spirit including joy, peace and faith to name a few. (Galatians 5:22:KJV)

The love of Christ flowing from a pure heart is the most powerful world changing force. Fear, pride, lust, greed, envy, and every evil work can be overpowered by love from a pure hearted ekklesia touching and changing our household and those who abide within then spilling out to the world.

Paul spoke clearly the goal of ministry to Timothy.

1 Timothy 1:5 NIV: The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The Church is moving to embrace the goal expressed in the early church.

For a number of years the prophets have proclaimed a coming paradigm shift and the return of functioning apostles to help lead toward the new landscape. Many in the past have also added that they had no clear picture of what the new landscape of church would look like.

Now that the shift is in process and the new landscape is coming into view many are extremely surprised and even astonished. Some doubt that it is God doing the shifting. In reality we are all in a state of transition and are at different places in the journey of transition. And some have not yet taken the first step toward following this movement of the cloud and pillar of fire.

Some key words of this season are: intimacy with God, Father's love, "Christ in you", Holy Spirit saturation, soaking, God's manifest presence, transformation, reformation, church without walls and more. Relationship is a major concept of the shift - first intimate relationship with God and then with one another. The love and gifts flowing through relationship are becoming the primary structure replacing institutional structure.

Without brokenness leading to real repentance and real humility it is impossible to relate to God intimately. Intimacy with God is primary. Without intimately relating with God through the Holy Spirit it is not possible to see what is shifting and how it will look. To begin to view some light on the shift it is absolutely necessary to get in close contact with the Holy Spirit and get out of the mind set that our particular flavor of religious system or structure is the final destination. The Spirit must reveal to us that our "system" is NOT the church. We do not go to the church nor join the church. We are added to the church and we are the church. The church is the "ekklesia" (assembly of called out ones). Most every Bible teacher has taught about the priesthood of the believer but it has not really been fully practiced in the past. The "clergy/laity" system made it impossible for the full reality of the priesthood of the believer to come forth.

The church is NOT passing away - the systems are passing away.

In the confusion of the transition some think that anarchy and rebellion are coming against the church and attempting to throw off the leadership of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher. If there are any such people out there I personally have not come into contact with them and they are definitely wrong. Let me assure you that the new paradigm will bring forth many times more gifted leaders than we ever had in the passing systems. The Holy Spirit will have freedom to bring forth multitudes of gifted men and women who have in the passing systems been relegated to pew sitting, or limited jobs within the system.

In recent decades many have become discouraged and have left religious systems in search of more reality of God. Often these pilgrims have spent years in a wilderness type experiences. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before joining with others to fulfill his purposes. Moses spent 40 years in the desert before joining with others and moving toward the fulfillment of His life ministry. Paul also endured a wilderness season. Many scattered wilderness dwellers who had left the old are beginning to re connect and find their place in the ekklesia. For the most part they never wanted to leave God but had to leave the life limiting traditional clergy/laity structure. It is not the way of God to remain isolated from the rest of the body forever though the wilderness experience may have served a purpose and seasons of separation alone with God are often significantly used of God.

We are now coming to understand the difference between leadership and headship.

There is one head of the ekklesia. There are no people to stand as head over the ekklesia or to represent the head to the mature believers. The head is Christ Jesus flowing through the Holy Spirit and living in all his people.

Then you ask, what is leadership?

Leadership implies being in front of a moving group that is following. It simply means those further down the road. They are all on the same road. The mature lead the immature until they are matured and then they lead other immature in turn. Spiritual maturity is being able to clearly hear God and then being able to fully obey. If we are childish and yet have a self-life - if we are plagued by unhealed inner wounds and inner needs that drive us, we will not clearly hear God and will lack the ability to fully obey or carry out the instruction or direction from God.

Another word for mature is elder. Now, we need to lose our understanding of an elder from the passing system of church offices. We also need to lose our understanding of apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastor and teachers as church system offices. Elders lead by example training and assisting the immature. They shepherd and oversee. They allow the maturing disciples to watch them and their lives. Then the elders release the maturing disciples to do the work while they watch. Then they leave them doing the work and relate to the mature ones no longer as sons or daughters but as grown brothers and sisters who are themselves now mature or elder.

The servant gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher are already in the people while they were yet immature but cannot flow out to others until they are mature (elder). Therefore elders may be by their gifting apostles, prophets, evangelist, shepherds or teachers. The practical reality of the masses flowing and exercising their spiritual gifts greatly multiplies the leadership of the ekklesia. This greatly increases the discipleship and evangelism of the Body.

All this takes place in a multitude of generic family style groups and public gatherings where Christ in the people by the Holy Spirit connects with the manifest presence of Christ from the throne by the Holy Spirit and the true Head is joined to the Body.

This living Body of believers released to function as priests and kings will provide millions more leaders to lead the immature in multitudes of local groups and to flow from group to group bringing the gifts God has given them.

The Holy Spirit will guide everyone who can hear and obey.

Those who cannot yet hear and obey will be led and trained by elders who are matured through much affliction, humbled and purified by the love of God experience, to the point that they can clearly hear and obey. This is God's original design to bring forth the Body and Bride of Christ into the world. Christ being formed in many bodies networked together by the Holy Spirit as the one Body of Christ. It is Christ in you that is the hope of glory and the method for the kingdom of God to function on earth as it is in heaven.

Be careful not to be misled.

It can be easy to be mislead by the fierce reactions of those who are not yet understanding the shift and are fearful of the loss of the systems that have served us for so long. Also do not be mislead by those who would attempt to hijack the developing movement with a repackaging of the passing system practices with new labels.

The shift is not all about how or where groups come together. You can have the old system traditional church in a house or at work and simply continue the traditions of men in a different venue. Or you can have a Christ led first century style assembly in a house or a red brick building. The move is about Christ truly becoming the head in a practical real way and not just in word only.

Consider the timing.

This shift is a work of God through the Holy Spirit and is occurring over a period of time. This will NOT all happen today or tomorrow. It may be years or it may be hundreds of years before this transition season is over. It would be a huge mistake to get into the flesh and try to bring about by human effort what God is doing. It would be equally problematic to try to run ahead of the work the Holy Spirit is doing. Feeding from the tree of knowledge of good and of evil led us into the perversions of the past. Partaking from the tree of life of intimate relationship with God to clearly hear Him and fully obey His direction will cause us to walk precisely in His will and timing. For today and the near future it is certain that the presentation of church will have many and varied transitional models that God will use as much as he can.

Many factors will affect the transition including world political conditions. In increasing parts of the world, the true church is underground because of governmental and religious extreme persecution. While in other places freedom and favor for the church may be increasing.

The Early Church (Ekklesia) Model

In the early church the gifted but humble apostolic servant leaders lived among the people and taught them publicly and from house to house. They ate together with gladness and simplicity of heart. A multiplicity of elders (spiritually mature leaders) cared for the city church that met in houses and gathered publicly daily on occasions.

Acts 2:46: So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

Acts 20:17-20: From Miletus he (Paul) sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, "serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; "how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

Pursue Love, It Never Fails,

Ron McGatlin

David Yonngi Cho, on Canada

Editor's note: This is a collection of three prophetic words about Canada, and it focuses around western Canada, part of the "Pacific Northwest" (or "Cascadia") region:

I Oct. 1975 in Kelowna, BC This is an excerpt from Dr. Yonngi Cho’s prophecy delivered October 1975 at Evangel Temple

“ When I came to Canada, the Holy Spirit spoke in my heart, ‘Son, you have come to the place which I chose. This country is the country I chose to fill the gap.’ Being Canadian is now a welcome hallmark throughout the whole world... You have the welcome open door like the Philadelphia church in Revelation, you have the finances, well-trained personnel, and a good church. God calls you to rise up to meet the challenge before Christ comes.

A clear-cut clarion trumpet sound is coming to Canada. Rise up, Canada! Meet the challenge. God wants your young men and young women to rise up and give their lives as sacrifices. God needs your money, your businesses, your homes, your lives to be dedicated to Him... God is depending on you... I know that you will do it. I know that you are well able to do it.”

“I can personally remember this. I was is in my first year of Bible School in Vancouver at the time and can still remember everyone talking about it.” Pastor John Wassell, Revival Canada

II 1984 in Sackville, Nova Scotia: At a 1984 church growth seminar in Sackville, Nova Scotia, Dr. Yonngi Cho reiterated the earlier prophecy, adding to it:

“Five years ago I visited Canada and travelled from Montreal to Vancouver by car. I was preaching from town to town, and while I was speaking, I felt somewhat depressed. The Canadian Church seemed so small. But wherever I went, the Holy Spirit spoke in my heart that God was going to raise up tremendous churches in Canada and that Canada would be used as a missionary sending country, and that Canada would open the way for Jesus Christ to return to this earth.

I was afraid to confess that but when I was praying, the Spirit of the Lord would impress my heart to say it. I was afraid because I already thought that America was far greater than Canada. If ever God would use any country, He should use America instead of Canada because America is a country with greater resources and more population.”

III On October 31, 1995, Paul Yonggi Cho gave this message at Evangel Temple, Kelowna, BC.

And this is now my prophecy in my heart about Canada. After the debacle of Vietnam, American influence is receding so fast in the third world; there is a big gap open and their world is not so ready to listen to America anymore. They can’t trust their word. So American missionary work is suffering a death blow, and they are one by one packing up and leaving. And who is going to fill up that wide open gap till Christ comes?

I expected Great Britain to take up that thing, but they are a sinking small island now; they can’t even solve their own problems. And also when I went to Scandinavia to hold meetings: Communism, idealistic communism, just sweeps whole strata of society and can’t take problem of world. I was discouraged.

I said, “Father, who is going to come and fill this gap?” And when I came to Canada, the Holy Spirit spoke in my heart, “Son, you have come to the place where I chose. This country is the country I chose to fill up the gap.”

Collected by Ralph Beamish. Originally posted here.

See also here.

Standing Your Ground.

[Editor's Note: This post is decidedly not intended to tell you what to do in response to prophecies like those from our previous post. Nor is it intended to take the place of you hearing God's instructions for yourself. This is a competent prophetic word, but unlike others, this word comes out of the Northwest, from a community that is deeply committed to the Northwest and to God's purposes in this region. Read carefully, and judge for yourself. (1 Corinthians 14:29) ]

I know there are good intended people suggesting that we need to consider moving out of certain regions and cities that are in danger of being torn to pieces via earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or other possible disasters. Of course, ultimately, everyone needs to get the mind of the Lord for their own lives. However, I want to share with you a few reasons as to why I think it would make matters worse, not better, if you were to leave an area just because of the possibility of a threatening event.

On one hand, it certainly seems like the responsible thing to do is to take your family and run for your lives. However, just the sound of that casts a negative light on trusting in God, especially if you are living there because the Lord directed you there to begin with. I know this does not mean he cannot change his mind and have you move somewhere else for whatever reason. Yet, fear should never be the driving force behind our decision-making. Fear is like a cancer, once you give in, it keeps spreading from one area to the next.

Relocation certainly requires careful consideration. However, it requires more consideration than buying a car or house. The region you reside in carries with it the power of kingdom occupation. Whatever the measure of kingdom glory living in you, great or small, is also living in your city or state. It might not seem that way from a personal perspective, but looking at it from the perspective of multiplication it can have a profound impact, even if you are a traveling ministry or financial entrepreneur. Think about it. When you are home, you are praying, meditating on the word of God. You are listening to his voice; letting his thoughts occupy yours. Hopefully this describes you. Thus, your place of residence is housing the glory of the Lord. This is unquestionably no small thing. This kingdom authority stays with us regardless of our geographic position in the earth. Even when we are temporarily absent from our natural dwelling, there is still a degree of spiritual influence that is left behind.

During a time of great famine, not just in Egypt, but also across the world, God led Joseph into the house of Pharaoh. There he interpreted the dream of Pharaoh concerning the future, thereby gaining access to all that Pharaoh possessed. Joseph prepared the people for the future by helping them to store up for a famine that was to come. I think one of the most important things to note here was that God needed Joseph to settle down in that territory in order to carry out His plans for the people. Greater yet, through the occupation of Joseph God was able to pave a way for the nation of Israel to come and settle in the richness of that land. (Genesis Chapter 47)

It is important to understand that your place of dwelling has the potential to become a refuge for those in need. Regardless of any impending danger, the promise of Abraham’s seed has carried over to you and me. When famine came into the Land in Isaac’s day, Isaac received the blessings of God, which was based on the faithfulness of Abraham.

Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath, which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." (Genesis 26:2-5)

Wow! The promise of God was given to Isaac through Abraham. Due to the conditions around him, Isaac was making plans to dwell in Egypt, but God said, “Live in the land I tell you to live in and the blessings of Abraham will be upon you.” What am I trying to say? The blessings of God is wherever He leads you, it is wherever you dwell. Regardless of any potential danger, the life of the Spirit in you and through you is dependent upon your obedience to the word of the Lord for you.

Now let’s get down to the heart of this message, “It’s time to stand your ground.” I believe the impending strategy of the enemy in this nation, and in certain parts of the world, is to get the people of God to exit the regions and states that God has sent them to dwell in. Why? Because, if the enemy can persuade the dwellers of God to leave a city or state, he has just increased his chances to carry out his evil intentions in that particular territory. I hope you can see just how huge this strategy really is. You are the sustaining power in the earth. You are the ones that are keeping the platelets from shifting in your land. The glory of God working through you is the refuge of any geographic area in the earth. You are the portals in your city that enable the angels of God to carry out the will of the Lord.

Can you hear this? You are not where you are at today by mistake. You are where you are at by divine appointment. Many years ago you moved to your city knowing God said, “Go.” Now, negative circumstances are trying to convince you otherwise. You know the voice of the Lord. I believe you heard Him rightly. Do not let the enemy turn your heart away simply because things are not going the way you hoped they would. Do not let him move you because of fear. Yes, I am speaking to those who have been gripped by fear. You have looked out across the world and said, “I don’t want to die like that. I don’t want my children to suffer an earthquake, flood, or volcanic eruption.” Of course you don’t. Who does? Nevertheless, remember, “God is our refuge, He is our fortress.”

Come on now. A spirit of survival is brooding over the earth right now. People are building survival shelters. Storing up food and water. They are being driven by fear, not wisdom. Do I think it is wise to store up food and water? Yes. I think it is always a good thing to prepare for any unexpected emergency. However, I have watched some of the Christian channels lately. They are profiting on your fears. I have seen this spirit at work in previous years, right before the year 2000. It is just as ugly and gross now as it was then.

Do not allow yourself to be seduced into a survivor’s mentality. You are an overcomer. You are more than a conquer. This means you are not here to just get by, or just get the victory; you are here to possess the land with the heart and mind of God. I stated in my latest video, “Transposing Circumstances” Lord send me to Japan! Did I mean it! Absolutely. Why? Because the spirit of David is in me. It’s the same spirit that is in this younger generation. I want to run into the middle of crisis, not away from it. I carry the solution of heaven in me. So do you. You have the courage of Joshua. You can take a few and overcome enormous odds.

April 14, 2011, Michael Danforth, Mountain Top International



Rick Joyner: Prophetic Significance of the Japan Earthquake

There has been a lot of conversation about the prophetic significance of the Japan earthquake, and questions of what does that signal, both for the US and for the Northwest. One of the clearest voices on that topic is Rick Joyner, and he's produced several Prophetic Bulletins on the topic.

Here are Rick's Prophetic Bulletins, gathered in one place for your review.

A couple of comments:

First, we reject the concept of the earthquake, or the other events surrounding that earthquake, representing judgement. This is not God's judgement on Japan. Nor would it be any of our business, really, if God were speaking to Japan through these events. That would be Japan's business.

Second, the Word says, "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." We present these bulletins in that spirit: please weigh carefully what is said. Please do not shortcut this step.

Third, please use this information first and foremost to pray for Japan, and second to pray for the Northwest. We are not looking for sensationalism: we're looking for prayer! Serious, focused, Spirit-directed prayer.

Finally, it is our intent to add more to this specific page. As Rick and Morningstar release more of these bulletins, we will add them here, if they seem prophetically relevant. You may want to bookmark this webpage.

EDIT: For one group's response to these prophecies, see: https://nwp.link/OpposingSpiritOfFear). 













This page contains several video links. If you're receiving this by mail, you will need to click on the title ("Rick Joyner: Prophetic Significance of the Japan Earthquake") to open the original webpage, and view the videos there.

If you would like to receive the Northwest Prophetic weekly updates, there is a link in the right hand column of every page where you can subscribe. Note that you will need to confirm twice: once in a popup on the page, a second time replying to the confirmation email that is sent to you.

The Point of No Return

MONUMENTAL SHIFTS
Monumental shifts have been occurring within me and with others who are seeking the kingdom of God first. Everything Holy Spirit has revealed as to His purpose and plan for this new season is coming forth as He said. The old order has passed and His new order has come. His is not an order as men have considered order, but the order of the the Kingdom of God, the order of the sons of God being revealed. We are witnessing the culmination of things that all creation has groaned for. Holy Spirit has spoken a clear testimony as to what He is doing. He has spoken very clearly in a regional gatherings [including in the Northwest -ed]. It has been made clear we have reached a point of no return. A new day is here, we can never go back. I would like to share some things that came forth from those gathering that are "markers" of season we have entered.

1# MOSES IS DEAD Moses is dead and Joshua (Jesus Christ) is now leading the way into the promised land. Moses represents hierarchal leadership structure in which people have become dependent upon man to lead them and hear God for them. No more do men depend upon other men's wisdom and anointing to carry them forward. The Word Himself is taking us into the land of promise. His leadership is seen in communion and relationship with brothers and sisters, not a top down leadership from the past. He speaks to us through others as we come into divine relationship with them; but it is He who speaks to each one individually and leads them by means of the inward witness of Holy Spirit.

#2 THE ARK HAS MOVED The wanderings of the wilderness have ended. The Ark and the Glory are moving across the Jordan river and there is no grace for those who would stay on the other side. His blessing is where He is, and He has moved on from the ways and structures of the past that have at one time carried the Ark of His presence. The understandings and operations of the previous age are superseded by the fulfillment of the promise and WILL NOT proceed into this NEW DAY of the Lord. Organizations, leaders, and followers that are unwilling to move will be left without grace if they will not move with the Spirit. Father will still give way for those that repent, but the Ark is in the river Jordan and will be leaving the dry river bed. Men must respond and follow or they will be left on the other side.

#3 LEAVING THE CAVE OF OBSCURITY Like David, we have left the isolation of our caves in the wilderness to find connection with others Father has hidden away for this hour. He is connecting His body; and the bones and flesh are coming together to form the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ upon the earth. Christ Jesus is being known upon the earth in His people as they manifest on earth His very nature and authority as seen in Christ. Christ is emerging upon the earth as His people embrace death to the old life and partake of resurrection life that empowers, aligns, and connects them with others they are destined to be ONE with.

#5 SEPARATION OF ISMAEL AND ISAAC
There has come a clear distinction of what is birthed of flesh and what is birthed of the Spirit. There is separation of those who operate by the arm of the flesh and those who walk by the Spirit. The son of the slave-women shall have no inheritance with the son of the free-woman. Father is not tolerating selfish ambition in his house in this new day. There is no more tolerance for pleasing and placating man's flesh for the sake of peace. The flesh wars against the Spirit and is a tool of the enemy to hinder the work of God. The time has come for His sons to be about their Father's business and not tolerate the distraction of those who have and promote man's agenda. It is time to cut loose those that are distracting us from the purposes of God with their own ambitions and agendas.

#5 ISAAC IS ON THE ALTAR God did not ask Abraham to sacrifice Ismael, He asked for Isaac. Isaac is the promise, the vision, the future, the destiny. Everything we have "perceived" to be our vision and destiny is required to be laid down. We have not been this way before and our preconceptions from the previous age only limit us. It is a matter of faith that He can and will resurrect Isaac as He sees fit and fulfill the promise. Father has brought us to the place of surrendering the vision of our destinies and purpose into His hands that we might receive a clarified and pure vision and understanding of the days we have entered.

#6 FROM TEACHERS TO WITNESSES A teacher dispenses knowledge, A witness makes disciples. The Pharisees taught knowledge and understanding, but Jesus came made disciples that were witnesses to what they had seen and heard. We are now witnesses to what we see and hear Father doing. And WE are what Father is saying and doing. We are witnesses (testimonies) of the Power and Presence of God that changes men into His very likeness as sons. The kingdom is not in simply words but power, and power is the portion of sons who are His witnesses/testimonies.

#7 ONE WITH GOD As a bride is united with her groom so we are coming into union with our God. We have moved on from Man working for God (Outer Court), to man working with God (Holy Place), to ONLY GOD working(Holy of Holies). The operation of the past has been a mixture of men doing work for God and doing work with God. This new day is characterized by God Himself doing the work. NO FLESH SHALL GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. We are coming from the place of seeing "Christ in me" to simply seeing "Christ", as He establishes His kingdom in "UNITY"(ONENESS) with His sons. It is no longer us, but "Christ" in us. We are not seeking Him "out there" anymore, but resting in our UNION/ONENESS in Him within. In this place it is HIM that people see, and HIM that is manifest to the world. This is the day of Tabernacles, or the indwelling of God in His temple (people).

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Just as Jesus came bringing a new day, so today is the day we are stepping into the fullness of His purposes that changes everything. There is no going back to yesterdays anointing. There is no going back to the church age. The kingdom age is HERE. The Day of the Lord is at hand. Our vision and destiny are laid at the feet of the king and He is giving us clarified vision as to His purposes and destiny within us. He is bringing heaven to earth, and the reality of heaven is now colliding with the earth in a way that changes everything for eternity. This place of heaven on earth has been birthed within His people, but it will grow to fully manifest Christ in His body unto all creation. There is no going back, only joyous expectation.

But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.


Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/
kcouchey04@earthlink.net

Kriston is not from the Northwest; he is a friend and a voice in, to, and among the Northwest.