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Topic: Pioneering in ’09 - Part 2: For Leaders - Marc A. Dupont
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Ron McGatlin
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Posted: 01/29/2009 at 11:56am
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Pioneering in '09 - Part 2: For Leaders
By Marc A. Dupont
Over four years ago we released a prophetic word the Lord gave me regarding the necessity of a fresh valuing of wholeness and holiness among leaders in the contemporary church. (See the Hole in the Wall word) At that time the Lord was warning leaders who secretly practiced sin that if they did not choose to get right with Him that the hidden things would be revealed to the world. If we were to make a list of the well known and some not so well known leaders in the Body of Christ who have had hidden things exposed over the last 4 years it would be a long list, indeed. The pain, doubt, and heartache that have come to their congregations, ministries, and families has been extensive. Just in one week alone, towards the end of our N. American summer, 4 different leaders, from 3 different continents, experienced hidden sin made public to various degrees.
Over the last 3 months I have sensed the Lord saying that 09 is a time for pioneering new visions, strategies, and Holy Spirit endeavors. In the face of everything being shaken that can be shaken, including the worlds economies, the Lord is saying He is giving us fresh initiatives to invest in. Hopefully, this article entitled Pioneering in 09 will be up on our web site soon. (www.marcdupontministries.org)
The last few weeks, however, I have been experiencing a tremendous sense of urgency for leaders today to know the seriousness of both Gods intentions for the new season AND the importance of walking in His ways. King David, one of the greatest of Israels Kings shepherded Israel not only by the skill of his hands, but in the integrity of his heart!
Just as the Israelites did, indeed, face giants, impenetrable armed fortresses, and fierce enemies with chariots, so are those who respond to the leading of God going to go into some fierce battles of faith this year. I do not say to be either ominous or fear mongering. Quite the contrary- I believe the Lord wants us to be recaptured by a sense of adventure in the faith department. But, I do believe the Lord is giving a real warning that if due to either hidden sin, and/or a lack of maturity in our hearts we will not be able to stand against the warfare thats coming. Jeremiah stated, If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12.5)
I wish I could state this with more prophetic clarity, or specifics, but.. God is both calling His leaders into fresh initiatives in extending the Kingdom AND He will allow the enemy to attempt to intimidate and/or cause problems in order to derail us from obeying the Lord. Sin is satans legal territory. If there is any wiggle room in our lives which give him access to manipulate us- he will take advantage of it. Jesus stated the ruler of the world is coming, (but) he has nothing in Me. (John 14.30b)
Some of the warfare will be preemptive strikes even as the Israelites on occasion experienced in the Promised Land. And while God is always serious about the increase of His kingdom, I believe the next 3 years are an appointed time of serious breakthroughs of the gospel in the western world nations.
It will not be enough that we have made it thus far. As with Isaiah receiving his calling, anointing, and commissioning before the Presence of the Lord so God will be calling us to truly know the fear of the Lord in our lives. Jesus, Himself, according to Isaiah would delight in the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11.3) - wanting to please the Father in all aspects of His heart, mind, and actions.
There will be giants that God will call us to battle by faith in the face of impossibilities. What that means is God is willing that we be surrounded by impossibilities in order for us to be forced into trusting Him for the miraculous of heaven to come more regularly on earth as it is in heaven. There will absolutely be no substitutes for Romans 10.17. We will be forced to operate out of the faith of God, that comes about by hearing the directions of God. There will be a sharp distinction between those who serve Him as sons, (Romans 8.14) as opposed to those who do not know the difference between good ideas and God ideas.
Without wanting to get into any methodology here, I have listed 5 basic, but absolutely vital, characteristics leaders must embrace in order to take the new lands for God.
1) Leaders must know their authority, but must also know how to exercise that authority in humility not pride, or arrogance. God is against the proud, but gives a greater grace to the humble. Basically, that humility is simply realizing what they have achieved and can achieve is always due to the grace of God. A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven!
2) Leaders must emulate Christ Jesus who, while being the only begotten Son of God, came to serve rather than being served.
3) Leaders must begin to operate as fathers, as opposed to mere teachers. A teacher is only interested in correcting. A father wants to train and encourage his sons and daughters to successfully enter into their destinies.
The highly hyped and in many ways un Christ like CEO model which some church leaders have bought into smacks of this worlds hierarchies, as opposed to the servant/leader model of Jesus. The callus insistence of many CEOs today of receiving obscene bonuses in a time of economic chaos is indicative of the inherent problems of hierarchal type structures (wine skins, Biblically speaking).
4) Leaders must hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God in our lives. The writer of Hebrews said that apart from sanctification no one would see the Lord! Jesus stated that it would be the pure of heart that would see God. I am not speaking of sinless perfection, but rather of daily realizing dependence on the empowering of the Word and the Spirit to walk in a way pleasing to God. (An added bonus is this will help facilitate a relationship based relationship with God instead of a task based relationship)
Any ongoing practicing of sin in the heart, mind, or body will prevent us from really running this race before us. A revelation of the holiness of the Holy Spirit is not an option, but rather an absolute prerequisite for these years ahead.
Leaders today must learn to embrace life-giving relationships with peers. It will not be lone pastors, prophets, evangelists, or apostles who will prevail. Rather it will be prophetic and apostolic teams and congregations that will take the land. It is only out of a genuine Christ like regard of considering each other as important as self that we can know that place of commanded blessing in our communities.
Faith to enter in to the battle is vitally important but, in and of itself, not enough. Because of just one mans sin- Achan, having taken and hidden things under the ban, Israel was unable to stand against their enemy. Righteousness of heart, mind, and body is the freedom we can choose to walk in. It is a prerequisite to picking up our weapons of warfare. Otherwise, according to Hebrews 12.1, we will end up feebly trying to attack the Goliaths.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6.33)
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 01/29/2009 at 2:16pm
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Ron McGatlin
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Posted: 01/30/2009 at 7:26am
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This word has a vital exhortation to pure and holy hearts that produce righteous living. No one can walk in the Spirit in intimate relationship with the Lord with impurity in their heart. One may be a church leader and a respectable Christian but cannot be intimately comuning with God and walking in His love, power and wisdom with dirty hands and an impure heart.
Marc wrote:
Quote:
Leaders must hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God in our lives. The writer of Hebrews said that apart from sanctification no one would see the Lord! Jesus stated that it would be the pure of heart that would see God.
Any ongoing practicing of sin in the heart, mind, or body will prevent us from really running this race before us. A revelation of the holiness of the Holy Spirit is not an option, but rather an absolute prerequisite for these years ahead.
Faith to enter in to the battle is vitally important but, in and of itself, not enough. Because of just one mans sin- Achan, having taken and hidden things under the ban, Israel was unable to stand against their enemy. Righteousness of heart, mind, and body is the freedom we can choose to walk in. It is a prerequisite to picking up our weapons of warfare. Otherwise, according to Hebrews 12.1, we will end up feebly trying to attack the Goliaths.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6.33) |
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Ron
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 01/30/2009 at 7:29am
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Ron McGatlin
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Posted: 02/13/2009 at 9:08am
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Pioneering in 09'
By Marc A Dupont
When God allows us to be hemmed in by impossibilities, He is merely setting the stage for us to experience the miraculous!
Jesus warned that the last days would be typified by wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, and famines. (Matthew 24.6 & 7). While it is hard to absolutely state we are in the “last” last days, the years of 2008 & 2009 certainly are experiencing the very things Jesus spoke of. In a parallel prophecy, Haggai predicted everything that could be shaken would be shaken! (Hag.2.6 & 7). As with Jesus’ prophesy, Haggai’s is in many way being fulfilled, as well. Everything from the global economies and politics to the weather patterns have been shaken over the last few years. Historic cold and snow in places like S. America and S. Africa, the western world economies being shaken (complete with the island nation of Iceland basically bankrupt) and as 2009 began- fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza. As if that were not enought there is the fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, the heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, and the genocide, which has taken, place in Darfur, and a severe cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe!
There is a very different side of the coin regarding these prophecies, however. On the one side are the disasters- natural, economic, war and the threat of war. The mitigating factor, herein, is fear. The fear factor of these disasters is exponentially multiplied far beyond the mere sum of the events. Completely contrary to naturally minded thinking regarding the state of the world, however, is what God has spoken and is speaking! Haggai encouraged us to not be afraid- due to the fact that God’s Spirit is abiding in our midst. Jesus Himself stated that when all of these things were to happen to not be afraid, nor to let our hearts grow cold- dulled through fear and unbelief.
Jesus’ words of encouragement were that in this time of great difficulty the gospel would be preached to all peoples. Haggai’s encouragement was that in the midst of the shaking, the glory of God would fill the house- both in a supernatural and natural ways. Haggai chapter 2, verses 7-8 read: “‘I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts.”
For those who truly know God, the glory of His presence far exceeds the glory of gold or any other treasure of this world. At the same time, silver and gold (money) is a vital tool given by God to facilitate the work of the Kingdom. The wise men brought gold as a gift to Jesus when He was born! I believe that Joseph and Mary saved the bulk of that gold and it financed some of the ministry Jesus and His disciples did later on. These prophecies of God’s favor and provision being with us during dark and difficult times bring me to what I believe God is saying regarding this New Year.
2008 was for many a transition year. It was a season of metaphorically crossing over “Jordans” into the “Broad Place” of His long awaited promise(s). (See the article entitled “the Beauty of the Burnt Stones” on our website) One of the key differences between the younger generation who crossed over the Jordan compared with the previous generation who did not was faith that God would be with them to face the giants, the iron chariots, and the fierce enemies within the Promised Land. God is calling the contemporary church to not focus on the stock markets, the unemployment, the wars, and rumors of war. Rather we are to focus on the economy, provision, power, wisdom, and revelation of God’s Kingdom which knows no lack whatsoever. When one invests in the Kingdom of God, one’s stock is always at a premium.
The number “eight” Biblically speaking is symbolic of new beginnings. “Nine” is symbolic of fruitfulness and completion. The number “3” according to Bible numerology is symbolic of perfection and completeness. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit that comprise the trinity of God Himself. Time is comprised of the past, the present, and the future. Matter consists of mineral, vegetable, and animal. Nine is the number three squared! And speaking of fruit- there are the nine “flavors” of the “fruit of the Spirit” according to Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 & 23. As well, there are the nine gifts of the Spirit, which comprise the “Charisma” supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. And speaking of the Charisma gifts these are actually comprised of three groups of three gifts- the three power gifts, the three revelatory gifts, and the three discernment gifts which when added up, again, equal three squared! For more than just a few reasons “nine” can be equivocated with great fruit, Biblically speaking!
If last year was a year for getting “out of the gate”, this year is symbolic of pioneering new Holy Spirit inspired endeavors for taking the land. Our eyes must not be focused on the impossibilities of the world and its fallen systems, but rather the eyes of our hearts must be focused on the God with whom all things are possible. This is a year to behold the Lord of the Hosts who is standing outside the contemporary Jericho’s- the seemingly impenetrable armed fortresses the enemy holds which God is calling us to bring change to. When God allows us to be hemmed in by impossibilities, He is merely setting the stage for us to experience the miraculous.
I believe God is going to be releasing supernatural Kingdom vision, strategies, wisdom, people, provision, and power for fresh initiatives in seeing lives saved, healed, and delivered from the deception and entanglements of the devil. I believe this is a year for gearing up according to the supernatural provision of heaven and then stepping out in the faith of God, which only comes about by hearing God (Romans 14.17).
One point I would like to stress is simply that we don’t need any new heroes! We simply need a bigger revelation of the majesty, power, and compassion of Christ Jesus. When it came time for the miraculous, the first generation out of Egypt all focused on Moses, the great man of God. With all the people watching he stretched forth his staff – his anointing, and the waters parted. We are now called to be an emerging “Joshua people”. When Joshua led the people and they came to the flooded Jordan rather then have them focus on the great-anointed leaders- Joshua and Caleb, God had the priests themselves step into the impossible. While keeping their eyes were focused on the Arc- His presence, they were to step into the very wet water. It was then, when the feet of the priests touched the waters, and not before, that the miraculous came into play. God wants everyday Christians to look past the impossibilities and see the potential of God, then step right into the flood of the impossible. As we do so by the leading of the Holy Spirit the miraculous will take place, but not before our feet step into the seemingly impossible.
According to Revelation 5.10 we are both a Kingdom and Priesthood to our God. We are all to be led by the Spirit into the miraculous as the mature sons of God (Romans 8.4 & 15). The time for cult of personality within the camp of God’s people is over. God is calling each of us to behold both the Lamb of God AND the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! It is only out of a bigger revelation of God that we can more fully understand in our hearts who we are called to be- the mature Christ like sons of God, led by the Spirit as our Lord Jesus was! As God said to the Hebrews who were about to cross the flood waters- keep your eyes on My presence for you will be going a way you have never gone before and I will then do wonders in our midst!
According to the Oxford American Dictionary the word “pioneer” means “a person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.” Just as the Hebrews who crossed the Jordan river began to explore, conquer, and settle new lands promised them by the Lord, many Christians, churches, and leaders will, I believe explore, conquer, and settle new areas of ministry. While it is true that there is nothing new under the sun, it is also true that God has more for those who love Him than we can even imagine. I believe this will be a great year of breakthrough in new areas of ministry as well as great fruitfulness for many.
Additionally, 2009 will be a year noted for the miraculous on many fronts. It will be a year when many begin to move from glory to glory, rather than mere critical insight to critical insight. It is no longer a time to try to mimic someone else in order to generate their experiences in God. It is a time to set the eyes of our hearts on the God of our Lord Jesus and the Father of all glory. In so doing the promise of Ephesians 1.17-19 will kick into gear. We will experience first hand the hope of the calling we have in Christ, the experience of His surpassing power towards us who believe, and to have a sense of our true inheritance- His glory in our lives.
One final point: I believe there are gong to emerge many Josephs and Daniels in places of great importance. Some may be in the realm of government while some may be in areas of great economic importance. They will be Spirit filled men and women of integrity who have the ears of the kings of this world. And like the Joseph and Daniel of old they will be used by God to impart wisdom from above in great times of need!
“behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome… And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 5.5 & 6
Marc A. Dupont
Mantle of Praise Ministries
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Beverly Miller
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Posted: 02/16/2009 at 1:30pm
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Thanks for posting Ron~This is really excellant !
Much meat here!
In Christ,
Beverly Miller
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Julie Gilbert
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Posted: 02/16/2009 at 2:09pm
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While we think in terms of leadership being those in an official position of authority WITHIN the organized church or organization.
I hear the Lord speaking that this word is for those who ARE His Church, whether part of the organized system of church or the organism of church. Therefore, whether you are officially in a position of leadership, you are still a leader.... be it a leader in the marketplace, or secular group or organization or elsewhere. Each one of us is a leader even if we are just one step ahead of another.
It is my sensing that the time for speaking to the leadership of the organized system of church is about over ... the time for action is upon us NOW ... there is no more time for 'talk' and 'discuss' apart from IMMEDIATE ACTION to CHANGE!! We can fall upon the Rock and be broken NOW or have the Rock fall upon us and crush us to powder a bit later... choice is ours, always!
It is time for action! It is time for separation! It is time to 'come out and be ye holy'! It is time to put away childish ways and grow up!
It is time to pray and ask God for a personal hatred of all sin. And it is a time to pray and ask God for HIS love to be shed abroad in our heart by Christ Jesus. Love will temper law and legalism and the temptation to impose law and bind others to leaglism.
God has *winked* at our sin long enough. It is cancer that has spread through the Body and God is fixing to 'cut it out' and 'strip it away' .... RADICALLY I sense.
Perhaps the reason we are not seeing more healings and miracles occurring is because there is tolerated sin, which is like cancer, in our lives, whether we are officially leadership or unofficially leadership: each one of us is still a leader!
We must be led by Holy Spirit in dealing with sin in our own hearts but the best start for that is by asking God to cause us to hate sin like He does. From that point, God may begin to shine his light and convict us of what is sin in our lives, for the purpose of eradication.
The time for change is upon us NOW and no one shall escape!
__________________
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing
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Ron McGatlin
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Posted: 02/28/2009 at 7:50pm
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Julie wrote:
Quote:
| It is my sensing that the time for speaking to the leadership of the organized system of church is about over ... the time for action is upon us NOW ... there is no more time for 'talk' and 'discuss' apart from IMMEDIATE ACTION to CHANGE!! We can fall upon the Rock and be broken NOW or have the Rock fall upon us and crush us to powder a bit later... choice is ours, always! | | |
Amen!
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 02/28/2009 at 7:50pm
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Julie Gilbert
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Posted: 02/28/2009 at 10:30pm
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You know.. each one of us are 'leaders' responsible for leading someone in the Body of Christ... why on earth people have to clamor for an 'official' position out in front of and in view of people is just beyond me! Jesus never was never interested in being 'seen' of any man and did every thing in his power to avoid recognition and being seen or known of any man ...
why is it that we humans have to be so about being 'seen' and 'known' by man? The pastor of my last official church I attended stood up and told the people that were that this: "God told me that I would be known in Canada before I would ever be known in America" ... my inner response (besides running for the hills) was ... and why do you need to be known and seen by any man?
I personally have NO interest in having who I am or the gifts or anointing that God is allowing to flow out of me to be 'known' or 'seen' of man... I am not interested in having a 'ministry' where my name is out there... or where any other human would seek me out or follow me, even as I follow Christ. ALL that I want is for Jesus to flow through me and be as STEALTH and COVERT as is possible.... let the Anointed One flow and accomplish the Father's business through me but allow me please, to get out of there before any one can look around and say.. it was her!
If that is a wrong heart, oh well... last I heard satan's downfall was from PRIDE and becoming lifted up in his heart thinking that HE was more than God the Creator... I want NONE of that garbage!! The purpose of the 'NAMELESS and FACELESS' generation is for this reason... none of us have any business being 'seen or known' by man.... let who we are DECREASE and who Jesus is INCREASE and let things be done so that only GOD alone can be praised!
off soapbox.... lol
__________________
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing
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