SRC Roundtable Notes, Spring 2012

June 15, 2012 Leadership meeting – focus: Spirit Wars Manuscript DJ: Welcome to the first square table event. Purpose: to assemble as a body. As pastors and leaders we want to equip others. The best way to do this is to hang out and share what we are sensing. Our heart beat is to help everyone feel connected – we are a body with one heart and one mind. Romans 12: A Living Sacrifice 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d] Gifts of Grace 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,[e] and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Marks of the True Christian 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[g] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[h] Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. DJ: Agenda overview Jeremiah 23: The Lord gives warning to the shepherd that scatters. Jeremiah 23 (ESV) The Righteous Branch 23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. Margareta: Vision of the seeds. I saw soil on a field that was being plowed – it was black soil. I saw seeds coming to the surface that was actually live that were embedded. Other seeds in the plowing process were deeper in the soil. Seeds that are truths need to come deeper in our life. I am starting to meditate and chew on the work of things that go deeper in life so that when storms come we are not being tossed to and fro. Sandi: Over five or six weeks ago, a change began in the prayer room. There was an increase of the presence of the Lord. It feels like a sense of being pulled up and being matured. God is requiring a maturing of us. He is widening the tent pegs – expanding our hearts. Last week – we prayed for repentance and a spirit of conviction. The Word says it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. We began to cry out for the scattered, the lost and prodigals. There is a Constant awareness of the voice of the Lord. Song “The Voice of the Lord is over the many waters,” is important to me.” Personal level: Paul Keith prophesied over me the words: “proclamation and declaration.” The Lord is moving us into a mature place of a proclamation and declaration – the Voice of the Lord that is over the many waters. Walter: Ever since I’ve had the open vision of the three wells bitterness, darkness to light, here -- I continue to hear people talk about these wells. The things we have said or agreed with have limited us -- God is challenging us – He opened a freshening in this house. He is removing bitterness, removing darkness. God is doing a freewill offering – a basket coming to us. It is unique to see so many of us gathered here. I feel like He wants to drop down into the middle of the room. He is wrapping around us, embracing us, releasing a hope to us that we can begin to do the things He has commissioned us to do. We are at war but he has given us the tools of war; He has sent us. DJ: Theme – a maturing that God is doing this year. Kris made fun of “another level greater devil” but there is some truth to that, right? The Lord spoke to me about that at the beginning of 2012 – I could see God’s perspective of them. I kept getting that the Lord is raising up priests – God is raising up priests here. Greg: Going back to the prayer room [Sandi]. He talked about thunder – when God spoke some thought it was thunder, some thought it was an angel, some heard the voice of the Father. There is a call to higher spiritual discernment – the Father is talking. When things happen in the spirit world we are not really sure but God want to bring clarity. Discernment is really needed – for us to look to the Lord on a personal and corporate level. Warfare going on but who is captive who is prisoner? There is consecration and inspiration followed by a demonstration. We set a side [consecrate], we focus on the Lord [inspiration] and then press in [demonstration.] DJ: Greg, What is consecration? Greg: We live our consecration. Everyone’s consecration is different. As leader we are called to a higher responsibility. Yours is not mine. Mine is not yours. There are things I feel the Lord has challenged me on – not sinful things but distractions. Being challenged – we go through seasons. Lord is challenging me to walk in a higher consecration. We all have a metrons we walk in – spheres of authority. God is challenging us not in a religious way or legalistic way. I will believe God for more. Keith: Share a vision from this morning of the sound that will gather the scattered. On Sunday nights we are seeing an increased level of the presence of the Lord. What is that? I believe it is unity. Those coming on Sunday have one purpose: to receive a touch God. At the Sunday morning service, many people come who are scattered. Sandi was talking about evidence of maturity is ‘unity’ – that oneness of spirit that God want us to come into. Beginning of 2011 we, the pastors and elders, felt we would need to guard unity. The greatest destroyer of unity is offense. Maturity leads to unity and with unity the key is to get over offenses. Not to be hung up on something offensive. For the sake of unity, we do not allow offenses and we move forward. I am not saying we white wash but rather we will not get our nose out of joint because we are offended. We are willing to set aside own personal agenda[s]. What is best to SRC and the people who attend here? That is what God is putting on our hearts. We do – we will refuse to allow a wedge to get in between us so we can move into what God is calling us to. GWEN:  I got that same word – it is exactly what I got – there was going to come a spirit of offense. I did not want to give that word but thank you Keith for giving that. I got John 17. DJ: AMEN! DJ prayed for protection and for us to be on the offense against things that attack our unity. When does temptation become sin? How does this empower you to be an overcomer? Sara: I have not read the book so this is just my opinion: We all have things we struggle with – that is what makes us who we are. It is sin when we go forth in the temptation. Thoughts in your head can be sinful nature – especially if you have sinful thoughts regularly. Your mind is a powerful part in your head. Cheryl: When you entertain the thought -- that is when you start sinning. When you start thinking about it you have entered into sin. DJ: Anyone here thinking they want to sin? Paul: I have heard this analogy: If a bird landed on your head you would immediately shoo it off – not let it stay… We would get it off quickly.  God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can endure but He will provide the escape.  1 Corinthians 10:13 English Standard Version (ESV) 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Greg: All three answers in line with Kris’ answer: When you agree with a thought and do not resist it, you sin. Whatsoever is not of faith is a sin. Margareta: How does this empower you to be an overcomer? Graham Cooke said: We must take our thoughts captive. We must say: No! This is what I am thinking … in a practical way. Wanda: For me sin this: – if the thought comes and if my desire begins to go after that thought – it is sin. When ‘foreign’ thoughts come – I reject them – and say they are not coming from me but from the enemy. John: For me, it is unction – a demonic unction that comes with a forcefulness that propels you [me] into this thinking. I have experienced that. I really enjoyed the book because it gives a good explanation of what is going on and where is this coming from. Jonathan: Book written sweetly – confronting serious issues – it is wonderful. This statement is key: bringing freedom to us [it ran right out of my head.] Rebekah: – there is an enemy that is coming to us. It is about understanding the war we are at – clear gently definition of --- not sure about what Rebekah said here – difficult to follow. Jonathan: I remembered. I think that something that comes out of the blue will not trip you up unless you are living it, unless there is already a siege. Exposing that war – how have you slowly gotten there? All these things bring separation between you and the Lord – entertaining things that are not true. You begin to become calloused. After a while you lose ability to understand what is actually true. DJ: Like the in the book and the pastor beating himself up because of all these temptations even though he did not give in to the temptations. I sat under this kind of teaching: you are a sinner saved by grace – but you are also a worm. This approach was validating a sinful nature. I appreciated the message out of Bethel: In the early days Greg debated with me. He said “You are righteous.” I said, “No I am a sinner.” This was liberating for me: Romans 6:14 Sin has no dominion over me because I am not under the law, I am under grace. I am a new me – sin has no dominion over me because I am not under the law, I am under grace. Bernie: We’ve been in churches under the law – it is a constant struggle to know you are the ‘Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.’ More I know that it is easier to overcome sin. ???? It is a struggle to know my righteousness. Sandi: I was encouraged by reading this. I saw this as an identity theft. We can make it complicated or simple. Our identity is being stolen with these thoughts. When we agree with the thoughts, we empower the thoughts. We have to choose to say or think something. When I read that I felt this is about ‘Who we are in Christ.’ We are in Christ – we are not those thoughts. If we few agree with these thoughts and say, “Yes I am,” there is an identity theft. Paul: I was reading about identity here when you mentioned that – regarding Jacob in Gen 32: 28 – God renamed him the Prince of God, Israel. If he would have kept going back to Jacob he would have been going back to his old identity – this is in harmony with what is being said. Walter: Greg offering and made a powerful statement about this. ???? lost some of this. In RTF when we read their identity over them it is very favorable. Kris mentioned: necromancy: When we begin to talk to the ‘old guy who is dead’ – we are not that old person we are not that defected person, that sick person. When we practice bringing that dead person back, in we are practicing the occult. We are discovering who we are. It needs to be declared by us as leaders about who they – the people – are in Christ. We need to be ‘fresh with the word of the Lord’ when we are speaking to them. DJ: None are beyond temptation. Even though we are a new creation – we are not beyond it. “Lead us not into temptation…” What rules of engagement spoke to you and why? (See chapter 3) Jonathan: We all have tasks – something we have to do. Getting too focused on our ‘job’ shovel in one hand, sword in the other one – stand in the gap stand in the middle. You are not by yourself, not so focused on what is going on that you cannot see what is going on to you or to others – family, etc. Debbie: What I liked was the five points he gave. The enemy attacks our personhood and our ability to get done what he wants us to do. He make I am just a “housewife, bus driver” God called Nehemiah – just a cup bearer – yet God called him to his mission very inspiring to me. Sharon: War is a family affair. We should not battle it alone. He talked about it being a family affair – everybody is involved. When Woody was sick – I made sure people prayed. People said, “You did not have faith – yes I did – I had faith when others prayed. When we have a problem we may not see the end of it but others can. Bernie: When you are in the midst of somethingit is hard to keep your eyes of God. Nehemiah remembered the Lord in the battle. We must look at the Lord and not the battle. When you are alone it is hard to do that. Need your buddies around you. Think of people in the church -- this is what you are looking out all the time. Keith: What hinders us – the culture of the strong was championed. You had to be strong. If there was death you could not cry – strength was praised, weakness was shameful. If you showed emotion – you hoped you can get it back together. Kris’ son was supported by family when he was in sin. DNA of SRC – this is a safe place to be ‘who you are’ – to deal with your stuff. We will not climb all over you. We can come together and work together and be family together. Pray we lift that up and continue to welcome people who are in sin who need others to support them in their sin or problems. Wanda: I was in churches where leaders can’t show weakness – that makes it an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. There is a division between lay leaders and leaders – it is not a family. ???? When we are reborn, the gates and wall of our souls have not be restored. We continue to need that. John: I liked the story of the haunted house. I have had a haunted house and did not know it. Do you have an old nature or not? This sealed it with a stamp like I have never seen it before. This sealed it for me. Gave me a big dream I have never had before. I was able to see Familiar spirits that had come – maybe they had operated in my life before salvation and then they came back. I had this sealed for me in this analogy. Paul: I kept getting a re-occurring imagery. A conversation around table. Military situation: Enemy tries to break lines of communication and isolate people and then they get lost. Anarchy and chaos happened after lines of communication are broken. In Viet Nam they slept in their gas masks and did not take off their armor. They were always aware they were in battle because they were constantly wearing battle gear. We as Christian can get very comfortable with our armor off. If we are on the battle field we would have our armor on. In secular society -- the enemy is laughed at – joked about. Maybe some Christians do not believe there is an enemy. They believe the danger does not exit. It is easy to drop the lines of communication and start relaxing while you are in the battle field. Communication, armor, chain of command. Pastor Gail: knowing who you are in Christ. Identity. Fear is huge but knowing who we are helps with fear. Enemy loves to attack our personhood. Like setting a plan in place. ?? When do I engage? Sometimes I engaged too early sometimes I engaged too late. 3. How will the concepts of “captive” and “prisoner” influence the way you do ministry in the future? Page 142: DJ: How many of you had this speak to you? Rebekah: Always grateful when scriptures are used. Huge insight and wisdom –I have duality in my mind. It can be this or be that – talked about counseling – he would touch someone to discern spiritual or personality things. This changed my mindset completely. Sandi: When I read this I was challenged by this with a k-sera sera attitude. I did not ask the Lord for discernment. We get into a flow with what we do. Kris said this gift is available to every Christian. We have to get rid of the idea that we sit and watch each other and we say, “He is so gifted” and we eliminate ourselves. The gift of discernment is available to each of us. We need to ask the Lord for the increase. He wants to give it to us. He wants us to be effective. I was challenged because I could not remember the last time asked the Lord for discernment. I know I will increase because God is not going to say no to me or to you either. Mike. Enlightening to me: captive versus prisoner. If you are going to pray for something/someone without knowing what is causing their distress you cannot expect good results. Vivian: Difference between captive and prisoner this is Sozo language. Showing you who the person needs to forgive – helps you know which direction to go when praying. The prisoner is just believing a lie. Wanda: This goes in line with RTF ministry. It is something he pointed out with the one woman who found comfort in idea that she would be better off dead. They/we get comforted by a lie and do not recognize that a lie is keeping them/us captive. WOW we need to pray strongly for discernment. Greg:  In NC/RTF you can go into a room with all the tools but if you do not have the Holy Spirit, you will fail. We need to ask the Holy Spirit ‘what now? I have seen an RTF session over in 10 minutes because the Holy Spirit gave the word and the session was over. After a while you can have a lot of experience and rely on that – but you really need to rely on the Holy Spirit. Jonathan: Graham Cooke – coming into a healing room where sick people were gathered: looking to see who was in proclamation and who was on the wall. Who was getting the strategy and who was not. Get the strategy from the Lord even if we think we know what it is. When David came back and found all their families were kidnapped. I would have just reacted. David said ‘hold on let’s see what God wants to do. That is an amazing level of maturity. DJ: May 24 Paul Keith posted on face book; We are not asking the right questions. We can do ministry in and of ourselves or we can do things differently. I have been reading about this woman of God going into a service without anything to share – she would say what God wanted her to say. She was completely dependent on hearing the voice of God. We need to be asking God what should happen. God what do you want to say today, who do you want to touch today. I am feeling challenged. 4. What themes and values in this book do you feel are a core part of our DNA at SRC? What stirred up in your heart? What spoke to you? We as elders are putting everything through a set of values. Greg: Spirit Wars – one core value is being supernatural Gwen: Story of the grandfather at the end captured why the Lord led us to this church in the first place. Overcoming evil with love story of Kris going through life screwing up. GF loving him all the time – that is really one of the core values. DJ: Father’s love? Grandfathers’ love.  LOL. John: not allowing rules to rule over relationship. Jonathan: Father’s love, father’s kindness that draw us to DJ: Father’s Love, Father’s kindness, grace, love acceptance and forgiveness Margareta: I would call all of that ‘family.’ Don: But we all need each other as far as the body of Christ. Swollen big toe – had to walk big toes is very important. The Body of Christ and each person is a member of that body. Walter: restoration – about being restored. Another one is celebration of joy – rejoice in in the presence of the lord, happy, identification repentance – identify that there is something there. Keith shared this is a safe place. DJ: laughter, joyfulness Rebekah: Chapter 11 on the job training – safe place, people are empowered to live out their identity. DJ: empowerment, training, equipping – on the job training. Demonstration. Mary: Generational curses: Holy Spirit terrorist training center. Greg: Whole thing of equipping – get kids in Sunday school to hold together until adults – hoping they get together with God. Kids should be trained up in spiritual warfare. Moving in the gifts --- prophesying, spiritual gifts. How are we training our kids? DJ: How do we do that – draw a line down to family. Sharon:  I was alking to lady and she asked me to describe our church. We are in the father’s arms and we were holding your kids and they are leaning out. We are in the compass of grace and we are leaning out trying to do things. Child leaned back into the father’s embrace – people are learning to know what a father is because a lot of them are fatherless. Sara: This has nothing to do with the DNA of SRC but we are talking about training the children. Kailin says she sees angels. I ask her, “Do you see an angel?” I am now not just teaching but I am training the kids up. ???? DJ: Met with a new family. They said there kid was crying hysterically: child says Jesus is in my room and he is so beautiful and I can’t stop crying Presence of God – needs to be in there. Don: Saw a lot of angels in here. Asking the Lord what was going on. Like phili.1:6 Kept getting Philippians 1:6 Gail: Teaching who we are in Christ. This is part of our DNA. Bob Jones – said inspired teaching Also Paul: believes we should be scriptural. Keith talking: NO MORE AUDIO