The video is here.
“Signs are best meant to follow – not lead. If we are led by the Spirit our “next step” direction will most likely come in the form of a repeated desire, idea or concern that calls us to some form of action. I am alarmed by the number of people who are hesitant to act simply because they “are not sure” it is something God wants them to do. Did you know Paul was accustomed to taking action and letting the Spirit of God direct and redirect his steps? Everyone I know who is living a great adventure seems to have a bias toward action – as opposed to hesitation.” Lance Wallnau
Giving our hearts permission to dream and initiate is a challenge; it’s the transition from obedient servant to a co-laboring friend. Free enterprise in the spiritual realm was thought to be presumptuous and rebellious. When we don’t volunteer our creativity, initiative, and resourcefulness before God, we can only be a sheep… never a friend, never one who rules and reigns with Him. Never one who gratefully grasps His grandeur and love in worship. He’s the King of kings and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It is in our DNA to be like our Father. The desires in our hearts are written there by God from the well of His own heart for the Kingdom.
When we align with our own hearts and our Father’s heart, we move into our calling and naturally become connected, passionate, fruitful… happy with who we are. We admire “connected” people and often wonder, “Why can’t I be more like them?” Those people are a sign! We can be like them!
Transparent – nothing to hide, not pretending, functioning in my unique identity
Authentic – OK to be myself, not hidden, double-minded
Loving, intuitive, prophetic – I can help others find what’s in their hearts
Courageous – I know my personal calling and contend for it, rain or shine
The miraculous – When I connect with my own heart and destiny and walk toward it practically, it’s amazing how God confirms that direction with divine appointments with like-minded people, prophetic encounters and opportunities to pray blessing on others… especially healing. We walk in an entirely new dimension of confidence and authority knowing that God values our initiative and loves it when we volunteer to be co-laborers with Him. He confirms the words we say and the things we do with signs and wonders. Gifts are not the goal, any more than a signpost is our destination. They confirm a direction we have chosen. They are added to those who put the Kingdom first.
And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Mark 16:20 KJV
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. Acts 14:3 NIV
This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Heb 2:3-4 NIV
There are over 30 examples of Jesus or the disciples ministering to people in the gospels and Acts. Every interaction is accompanied by one or more spiritual gifts which put a miraculous stamp on the encounter. Why? People aren’t changed by information; our hearts are moved by demonstration and transformed by experience. The language of the heart is an experience.
In Trials – We would be remiss not to address tribulations, persecutions and the rejections that go with Kingdom. Other people don’t necessarily share our calling or heart’s desires… we still have to pursue the destiny written in our hearts. The enemy’s highest priority is to attack the most vital ingredient of our relationship with God… our heart. That’s why we have to guard our hearts and the desires our Father wrote there. It’s important.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Prov 4:23 NIV
…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:17-19 NIV
When things go wrong, we can wisely reassess, redirect and make mid-course corrections. But we cannot retreat into some form of grace or identity recovery that separates us from what we do. That form of spiritual justification for doing nothing can lead to deception and poverty. Who we are in Christ is always expressed by what we do. They cannot be separated. Our hearts are fully connected when our relationship with God, our vocation and the desires of our heart all have the same theme.
It is possible for new believers to separate themselves from grace by offering up religious dead works. It’s also possible for believers to be presumptuous and go down a wrong path. The answer is simply going down the right path. Fellowship with the Father is always connected with knowing “his business” and moving with Him. We “have our being” and possess our identity when we move in alignment with our own hearts and our Father’s heart.
So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:16-17
…though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:27-28 NIV
In Delay – Most people are not “fully” connected with their heart and fruitful in their destiny until their 50’s. God’s call on our lives takes a life time to achieve. Discerning the next steps is a lifelong process, made much easier when we simply follow the theme in our own hearts. Life is an adventure that is best enjoyed when we simply follow our hearts and do the stuff. Signs will follow.
God is not waiting for a move of God. He’s waiting for a move of His people. It’s the difference between revival and reformation.
