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Most of us think of our Father God as resting since creation and our challenge is to find our identity in the finished work of the cross so that life flows toward us in a miraculous way without exerting a lot of “self” effort. I want to suggest it’s flawed theology… that our Father is working right now and, like Jesus, we can too.
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:17 NIV
Playing a role in the Kingdom has an amazing feature. We find the presence of God in our mountain and in our work. The spiritual backdrop is that we abide in Him with prayer, fasting, listening to His voice, waiting for the stirring of the waters, flowing with His spirit, and co-laboring with whatever the Father is doing. I’m suggesting that’s flawed as well. In the Kingdom, we will not find God in His fullness without wisely working, taking initiative and bearing fruit in our mountain. The great commission is “go” not sit, soak, bathe, bask, fast, abide, let go and let God. We labor to enter into His rest and find intimacy by working. Rest is a sense of working and hearing “well done” after we finish our job. Idleness leads to poverty and work leads to blessing. It’s a theme in Proverbs. In the Kingdom, our work feeds our hearts and ministers to others. Work is energizing, refreshing and fruitful when we find our mountain.
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Prov 14:23 NIV
My food… is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:32-35 NIV
Having a plan – The most basic question is, “Can a spirit-filled believer have a plan and goals?” If we subscribe to the “any-minute guidance theory” of obedience, we won’t be able to write down any goals. It’s sounds like this, “Living for and listening to the Father’s direction in the moment.” If that’s the way God relates to us then it would be presumptuous for us have desires, plans and goals of our own and we would naturally zero out our personal initiative. We all start by laying our dead works and carnal ambitions at the foot of the cross and trading them for hearing God’s voice. Kingdom is different, it adds doing to our hearing. Hearing the Father’s voice is just where we begin. We lay our life down at salvation and pick it up again in the Kingdom, along with our dreams, goals, ambition, zeal and enthusiam.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:17-18 NIV
An Extraordinary spirit – There is a place of seeking God and staying in His presence, but it doesn’t necessarily result in guidance for the details. We replenish a spirit of wisdom that gives us confidence to make decisions and progress with an extraordinary spirit. Once we get into our own mountain, God doesn’t spell out all the details. We have to make decisions that flow out of wise strategies, manage risk and recover from failures… ask any businessman, artist, writer, doctor, educator, investor or politician.
Daniel did pray and seek God. But he also carried wisdom himself and had practical answers to real life problems, “the explanation of enigmas and solving difficult problems.” Daniels answers were fruit that resulted in promotion, prosperity and progress. He was working!
“There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. 12 “This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel. Dan 5:11-12 NASU
Being strong and courageous – The any-minute guidance folks will not move until God tells them what to do… and in general, they wait. Those who are naturally entrepreneurial and fruitful have given themselves permission to move toward a future they can envision. Paul called it the race set before him and Jesus called it the joy set before Him (Heb 12:1-3). They had a plan and worked toward it. They didn’t wait!
In a very real sense our Father follows us and works with us. We play above our heads and see results beyond our own abilities. He loves initiative and creativity in people who have a willingness to work on their hopes and dreams. He doesn’t fall off his throne when we make mistakes. He multiplies “our work,” and blesses everything “we put our hand to.” He gives us the desires of “our heart.” Wisdom is simply knowing that’s how the Kingdom works… by us working. We’re not helping God, He’s helping us… work. He no longer calls us servants, we are ruling and reigning with Him operating out of the desires of our own heart – that happen to match His.
The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Gen 39:2-4 NIV
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. Deut 28:12-13 NIV
but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Dan 11:32 NASU
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:20 NIV
As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 6:1-2 NIV
Where is God? – in the Kingdom, we find the presence and power and person of God when we get in our mountain and get to work. It’s really simple! That’s where we find ourselves too… our passion, our anointing, our purpose, our fruit, our authority and our personality.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 NIV
The spirit of wisdom is always building. Wisdom has a purpose with some plans and goals (in writing). Wisdom is intentional about creating wealth and bearing fruit. Wisdom goes to work every morning and boldly asks for whatever is needed… and makes it happen in the natural and in the spiritual with whatever persistence is required to get the job done. We carry both revelation and wisdom. We are not just messengers; we are examples of our own message. Wisdom is shown by her work and her fruit. Kingdom is far more than preaching a message; it’s doing the works, living the message and bearing the fruit.
The biggest imbalance in the prophetic movement is believing that if I hear the voice of God and share it with someone else, that my job is done. It’s just shallow head knowledge until I experience a truth operating in my own life that bears fruit. The truth of God’s word is something we live, not just share. The world is hungry for workers, integrity and fruit; and weary of preaching, pretending and promises. For them, faith without work and results really is dead… and finally, for me too!
If you enjoyed this article, you will also like Stewards of Glory.
Suggestions:
Podcast #5 with Tyler McCart
Podcast #3 and #4 Micro-church– The most recent interviews with Shae Bynes
Podcast #1 and Podcast #2 – fun interviews with Steve Reiter and John Ramstead
Books – Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny
Heart Plan in Europe – HeartPlan.eu
The Dutch 7 Mountain Web site – http://mymountainmovement.com/
Building Kingdom Companies via Larry Nault http://www.buildingakingdomcompany.com/
Releasing Kings is available in French
“Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”
ISBN: 978-90-78643-08-1
Releasing Kings is available in Dutch
“Moderne Koningen”
ISBN: 978-90-75226-71-3
