Copyright 2010
(This post is specifically addressing those who schedule events and activities outside of prayer and for selfish, fleshly, ungodly goals and outcomes. It is in no way addressing those whose events and activities are birth in prayer and are Holy Spirit inspired.)
“Deception! Deception! Deception!” rang loudly in my spirit this morning. Father began to speak to me about event-focused ministry — the kind of activities going on in the body that are used to draw men with the hope that the Lord is going to show up because a believer planned it. It is the type of ministry in which a believer centers their entire ministry around “events” instead of being that day-to-day witness of the gospel — wherever they may be.
This type of activity and behavior among God’s people is changing and shifting the focus of ministry from that very personal and intimate place that Jesus met believers during His walk on earth to the “show-success-performance-driven-mindset” of the world. It is causing a whole generation of believers to abandon the very foundation of what true ministry is about according to Isaiah 61 and to wait for the Lord to move in the midst of an event — in anticipation concerning how Father might move.
It’s as if some have forgotten their roots of just living the life, and walking in their true Kingdom authority which enables a person to walk out and live in miracles, signs and wonders in their every day life — not just at events before men. Our Father doesn’t need a stage full of celebrities and idols to speak a word to His people! He doesn’t need the antics and the fan-fare of a people who are still chasing concerts for high-highs and fun in the name of the Lord.
All our Father needs is our BELIEF! Did not miracles take place in Jesus life and the lives of his apostles on the streets as they walked about? In homes with only one, maybe two witnesses? Father said this plainly to me, his prophet, today: “I am destroying the practices and doctrines of men in this season! I am causing their work to be as the dust!”
Luke 16:15 CJB says, “He said to them, You people make yourselves look righteous to others, but God knows your hearts; what people regard highly is an abomination before God!”
Personally, I really had to do a self examination with that scripture. I made a list before the Lord of things that I regarded highly. Really, I did this… and I was so open and honest with the Father, and very disgusted with myself at the end. I laid before him in my prayer time and prayed, “I want to regard what you regard as high Father. Change my heart. Help me understand your ways…”
Father is saying to us today that HE IS REMOVING every ounce of the idolatry and infiltration of the world system OUT OF HIS SANCTUARY — your heart. He is pulling HIS PEOPLE — those set apart for Him — back into a place of consecration and holiness where NOTHING, and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING takes place in and through their lives outside of His counsel and order. All he is expecting us to do is surrender to His will…
He is moving us out of the “thought process” of waiting on an EVENT for Him to move and back into the mindset of the Apostles of old where they expected Him to move every minute of every day in their lives. He is refocusing the minds of His people back on THE KINGDOM which declares, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!”
Mark 16:17-18 CJB says, “And these signs will accompany those who do trust: in my name they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues, 18 not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them.”
People of God! We must move in our Kingdom Authority at all times! We must expect Father to show up in EVERY instance whether we are attending a conference or not. Whether two or more are gathered or 5,000! We must stop this “thought process” of THROWING EVENTS TOGETHER and thinking that Father is going to bless them and show up because WE ARE HOSTING IT!
I go to open mics hosted by “Christians.” When I ask them why they are hosting them, the answer I usually get is this: “We want a place for people to come out and share their gifts.” Is something wrong with this? No, but I tell you the Lord wants to do so much more than THIS through you. When we host events birth through prayer or by Holy Spirit then we are actually meeting an ASSIGNMENT FROM GOD that has been released into the earth realm.
Everything that Father does has a purpose rooted in reconciliation. This singular point will never, ever change.
Sadly, the event focused believer misses this entirely … as their events are about gathering numbers, showing off, having a lot of fanfare, and living up to this standard of excellence that is measured by “outer appearances” not the heart. Excellence is not having a tight program and putting on something that is extravagant, and draws celebrities in the midst! This is the WORLD’S definition of excellence. Excellence before God is measured by a people who hungers and thirsts for the manifestation of Father’s presence — their SPIRIT is excellent before Him.
David could have placed the Arc of the Covenant in an extravagant temple — but instead, he chose a place in the middle of desert and pitched it under a tent! He wasn’t concerned about the outer appearance, but about the manifestation of God’s presence! He wanted the ANOINTING — the yoke destroying, and burden lifting power of God to flow through the people.
Truly, the Kingdom of Heaven is within you! Instead of waiting for an event for the Spirit to be made known, Father wants us to look like the foundation of the church that was built on the original Apostles and Prophets. He wants us to be like Peter whom Jesus declared, “On THIS ROCK, I will build my church.” We must be so in touch with the heart of the Father that we desire that our VERY SHADOW brings healing.
This “event-focused” mentality is such a detriment to the body for many reasons; but the one reason I believe Father wants us to remember here is this: “The event-focused believer will place all their hope and belief in a move of God coming through a man at an event INSTEAD of the expectation of a move of God solely through their belief in Jesus Christ.”
In other words, we just need to BELIEVE he can do it. We must have that believing kind of Faith — and walk in expectation of the impossible before Him. Again, this is not a post bashing events — but one that calls into question the constant surge of events that we are beginning to see rise among us. It is a call to awareness and awakening — that we can be a people to discern the difference between a move of God, and just another event.
As long as the adversary can pull us away from our kingly, day-by-day nature in the earth we will never fully walk in all that has been entrusted to us. We will never take our eyes off men or the antics of men. We will be enslaved to the trickery of the fall.
But when the trumpet does sound, and Father calls a gathering of His people — and HE HAS & WILL CONTINUE TO — we must come expecting an even greater outpouring of his presence because his children have gathered their BELIEF together.
Father is saying to us today that we must step out of this place of deception. We must realize that every gathering, is not his gathering. We do not serve and an event-based God with event-based moves. Many of these events just cloud believers of their true purpose. Instead of hitting the streets, being an example in their communities, and workplaces… people are now starting ministries with just one-event after another… never tapping into or even EXPERIENCING the power of their calling…
Our Father’s moving is constant, eternal… and we have access to it every minute of every day as we exist in Him. Break the veil… and embrace your destiny in Him…
Father, I pray in the name of Jesus, that this message is received by your people in the Spirit of which you have intended.
