January Continued – In late January Bill Johnson spoke to us about learning to recognize the Holy Spirit. We need to know what to do and when and knowing Him makes all the difference. We must talk and touch people out of the Spirit of God.  When there was a problem, Jesus, would always take people back to the heart issue. It was usually the root.   Bill spoke about learning from his father not to get too upset about people that preach something a bit different than we do.  That Paul mentioned that we always need to celebrate that Christ is being preached even if the intent is not heart felt.  We need to let the seed of the Gospel have its effect.  

Mark Brookes spoke to the students about living a life of integrity and purity.  God is calling us to have a greater anointing of power which requires more of God but also greater purity in our lives.  God is calling all of us to be more priestly in everything we do.  Grace requires more of our lives than logic.  He urged us to endure cause there is a great reward at the end.  The greatest treasure on the planet are the souls of unsaved men and women.  

We had teaching from Mary Walker who instructed on Words of Knowledge – how they show up and what to do with them.  We need to hear God for this.   It is out of rest that we actually hear Him the best. We need to have grace for ourselves as we will get it wrong.  We are taught here that we have to make sure that what we are giving is costing us a sacrifice (RISK).  Jesus loves hunger and He loves RISK.

Bible teaching has been intense for the whole year.  We have been going thru many books of the bible and learning to tear each word apart and how to interpret the bible. Our instructors are very knowledgeable and they amaze me at how they make such a dry topic fun!!

Danny Silk spoke to the us on the Culture of Honor at Bethel.  It is one of the main reasons that this school/church is in revival.  I have never served in a church where the leadership does not lead with some form of control and rules and regulations.  Bethel believes it is the leaders job to pull out the gold in everyone, to respect and draw out people’s gifting’s and to see that they grow and mature in those giftings and release them out to ministry.  He spoke about leaders fearing sin so much that they put in all kinds of controls.  He finds it funny that any leader would expect to have people and not have sin?  Its like having cows that don’t poop!  We become a slave to someone’s rules if we don’t know how to handle freedom.   Jesus didn’t manipulate anyone in the bible.  He came to serve and set people free – not see them live in bondage.  Fear wants control – actually, fear and love are mortal enemies.  Love offers choice and freedom.  Life under the law requires us to live protecting our relationship with the law.  Life in the Spirit requires us to learn to live free, protecting our relationship with the Spirit.  Law of Sin/Death is now triumphed by the Law of Liberty and Freedom – unfortunately, most of the churches didn’t get the memo!!  There is no love required when our relationships are built on rules.  Prioritizing the rules creates Religion = prioritizing our relationships cultivates Love.  Rules need to be subordinate to Love – how much more powerful is your love than a broken rule?  

Danny spoke on Confession vs Repentance.  Basically, confession allows me to feel better about punishment.  Most churches don’t know what to do with repentance – they are always looking for the punishment first.  You take a time out on the bench for up to a year and sometimes longer.  Too many people have been hurt this way and many have never returned to a church.  We must learn to remove the need to punish when we are around sin, love is much more powerful.  Discipline can be much tougher than punishment. 

Bill Johnson spoke to us about money 101!!  He told us that he lives by three principles

1) Tigh – Anything Jesus taught was meant to be carried over in the New Testament. It is a must to give to God what is His.  

2) Missions – If you can’t go then help send!!  He told us that it is not right for a Christian not to have a heart for the Nations.  He cautioned us to never abandon people in the Ministry field.  

3) Carrying for the poor – Jesus spoke about this so often. He really hit Dayna and I in the nose.  He told us that to not give to the poor because you think they may misuse the money is in itself a misuse of the money.  We do not know what is in there hearts and with our giving it may eternally change someone’s heart.  

Fire always falls on sacrifices.   

January 2012 - Well the New Year has arrived and we are now into the second half of the school year. We had a wonderful time in Ventura with Janey, Sharley and our new son in law Zeb at Christmas.  It was one our very best times at Christmas.  The weather was beautiful and we did lots of travelling up and down the coast getting an opportunity to see some beautiful areas.  It was sad to see Sharley go home but we were so excited to see what God is doing in her life.  She really is a very wonderful, sweet and beautiful young lady with huge ministry ahead.

We returned to Redding for another week off but attended the Prophetic Intercessor training.  Very few first year students are accepted into this as it is a very important and highly regarded ministry at Bethel.  Dayna received an invitation to join due to her prophetic gifting that God is really beginning to unfold.  This will be a huge step for her in the prophetic/prayer ministry. 

Our first Sunday back in Redding saw Bob Kilpatrick come to preach.  His message was simple but profound.  God is always here – there is no there or elsewhere!  God is an artist and is trying to make something good and beautiful out of us.  During the week we had a special session with Bill Johnson. Bill travels so much but really does miss the students and when he comes home he frequently schedules special sessions to meet with the students.  He is one of the most humble leaders I have ever met.  He always has time for any of the students.  He spoke to us about how he studies the bible. It was very interesting and how he links threads thru scripture.  He spoke about Jacob and Laban and equated it to today – what we see when we drink is what you reproduce!  Drink from the bible and you live a life in the presence of God.  He cautioned us that casual interest brings casual answers.  He cautioned us and told us that Leaders don’t need to know everything but they do need to have life in every area.  He also told us that hunger that leads to frustration is different than a hunger that leads to Faith. 

We were visited by Georgin and Winnie Banov.  It was a powerful day.  He and his wife have a church in Santa Cruz and they travel the world as missionaries.  I have never experienced a service like that.  This has been a year of first’s for both of us.  We have seen and been touched by so many of God’s current General’s.  It has made both of us angry that we have lived under the Spirit of Religion for so long and God had intended so much more for us.  It grieves us greatly that so many people live under this Spirit. 

Paul Manwaring spoke to us.  He leads Global Legacy here at Bethel.  Global Legacy looks after all the associated Churches around the world.  They also place any student after completing second year.  Paul is a brilliant man with a real passion for Christ.  He spoke to us about repentance in the opposite direction – actually turning to the glory of God as opposed to turning from something.  Who Jesus is to us is who He will be thru us.  What is beautiful to each of us?  What do I love? If you don’t love yourself – you can’t love your neighbour.  Bethel continues to teach and preach Son ship… its all about being filled with the presence of God and depositing that everyday where ever you go. 

Mark Brookes taught on the Spirit of Joy.  Joy is a feeling and when you don’t feel it you have to apply the truth.  Truth triumphs facts.  No man can take Joy from us – it came from the cross.  Joy is the antidote for trials and tough times.  It certainly gives us a different outlook on life.  Joy gives you the opportunity to diagnose life right.  When you don’t add joy to your trials it will always feel like judgement. 

Mid January, we had Randy Clark come for a Healing Conference.  We had Neil and Lucille Roy come and stay with us.  It was a wonderful time together and we love them.  They have such huge hearts for the Lord and for people and they are wonderful leaders.  Randy’s teaching was very biblical and very informative.  He has such a compassion for people.  We saw over 500 healings in three days.  He is extremely anointed and in the Office of Healer.  He did an impartation to the students and it was wonderful to be prayed over by him.  He prayed that the Holy Spirit would transfer his healing anointing to me and also he came back and prayed that I would be instrumental in bringing revival to Canada.  I had the privilege of being his security in the evening.  I watched him pray over a lady in a wheel chair.  She had atrophy of the legs and has not straightened them in years.  As he prayed over her I watched the colour come into her legs, her toes and feet.  She began to wiggle her toes, then her ankles and eventually she lifted her legs up and down stating to Randy that she can’t do that and hasn’t for years.  Randy laughed at her and showed her she actually was doing it herself.  She then eventually lifted one leg over the other.  After more prayer, he eventually straightened her legs.  It was amazing and it was an amazing opportunity to increase my faith and those around us that were watching.  We saw people healed of metal in there bodies, eyes, deaf ears hearing, shoulders being replaced, knees healed, backs and many more.  Many came forward with cancer – at one time Randy called out a number of people’s names – at the end of the evening a lady with cancer came forward and told him her name and that he had called it out.  Randy told her that she was having pain in three places in her body and pointed to them – she told him that she had three major tumours in the spots he pointed out.  Randy prayed over her and she went down and shook for a long time.  I am really interested to know how her next test will be??    After the conference we said goodbye to Neil and Lucille and wished them well on there trip and holiday to Palm Desert. 

Bill Johnson spoke to us about attracting the word/voice of the Lord.  Bill believes more than ever that the Lord is looking for the dream of his people while we are waiting for His next direction.  Sometimes we don’t ask cause disappointment is tough to walk thru.  He will give us what we ask for providing it’s what He told us to ask for (in His will).  God’s word is full of mystery because it ensures that we stay in the trust mode.  If we want revelation we need to remain child like.  A child’s heart attracts revelation as everything’s an adventure. He taught that most of what we need, will be given to us but most of what we want we will have to go after.  Bill cautioned us that what we know can keep us from knowing more if we let it get in the way.  The nature of wisdom is actually prophetic. You see beyond the obvious of a problem. He reminded us that we have been given the Holy Spirit in full measure.  All measurements are decided by each of us. There is a difference in what we have and what we have in our account.  We don’t get to do all that we want, but, we do get to do more that we are capable of (with the Holy Spirit).

Kris Vallotton spoke to the students about us as the Saints having Dominion, Glory and Sovereignty. He taught that we spend too much time trying to get things through performance, that which we already received thru creation and Jesus death of the cross.  

I will continue with January in the next post!