Predestination & Prayer

2 Kings 20:14-19 – The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

God had just told King Hezekiah that he would die from an illness, earlier in this chapter, but when Hezekiah prayed, God used his prayer to change the outcome of his life. He added 15 more years to his life. (2 Kings 20:1-7)

After just going through that–watching God change what He had decreed, based on a single prayer–why didn’t Hezekiah pray for God to save them from Babylon too? His one prayer could’ve saved all of Israel.

Our prayers, or lack of prayers, can change the outcomes of nations. We should be praying for the coming generations, even in times of peace; and especially when the coming generations are reaping what we’ve sown.

#Pray #PrayForParis

God doesn’t change, nor does He think like us. He doesn’t change His mind, as if He can learn of some better way to do things. He has a plan that has been in place since the beginning of time. His plan includes your prayers. Your prayer is a tool in the hand of God. When you pray, His will comes on earth as was planned in heaven before the dawn of creation. Don’t water down the power of prayer. Every prayer is important, and every prayer changes the course of history.

The Single Narrative

---

The Bible, which means the book, is a single narrative that points to one person. 66 books written over the span of human history, and they all stay consistent; Christ, the Word of God, who never changes.

Judging Satan

If Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future:

You will judge Satan and determine his fate. You will have the honor of dashing him to pieces.

– Rev. 2:26-28 – To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ —just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star.

– Is. 14:12-16 – How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate:

You will get to ponder his fate and determine what should be done to him. He has a brief moment of trickery, but we have an eternal reign with Christ.

– Rev. 3:21 – To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

The Kingdom of God – 7 Mountains

The Seven Mind Molders of Culture
The Seven Mountains

– Rev. 17:9,14 – This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules… They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.

1)Arts/Entertainment, 2)Government, 3)Media/News, 4)Education, 5)Religion, 6)Business, 7)Family

These 7 mountains make up the kingdom of God, but unfortunately the church has not claimed the kingdom yet. God is ruler of everything in heaven, and its our job to help lift Him up as king on earth. We need to disperse from our fortress on the religion mountain, and go take the others.

---

As a whole, the church isn’t affecting cultural transformation like Jesus did. Why?

Jesus called us to make disciples of nations, but instead we are trying to make disciples of individuals. Our influence is severely limited through this method. If we, instead, went into the systems of the nations, we could win souls more abundantly. Jesus said, ‘follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ Jesus didn’t teach Peter to fish with a rod, but with a net. Peter brought in fish by the boat load. As long as we continue our current method, with a rod with a one fish capacity, we will not be able to claim the Kingdom that Christ gave to us.

So, how do we operate in the full extent of the Kingdom? How do we make disciples of nations?

---

– 1 Sam. 9:16 – Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines

– 1 Sam. 10:1,5 – Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?… Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is

Saul was told to go to the mountain of God to save God’s people from the Philistines on the mountain. Why were Philistines on God’s mountain? That’s what we should be asking ourselves. Christ came to preach the coming of The Kingdom; He made us kings, told us to go out and proclaim the kingdom, but we aren’t! There are Philistine giants on the mountain of God. They are ruling the mountain of Arts, Family, Religion, Government, Education, Media, & Business. These mountains are rightfully ours for the taking, but we have to go into ALL the world and claim these realms. Where the church used to go into territories, we now need to go into systems. At the moment we are stuck in the system of religion, and allowing Philistines to rule all the others…

You are the royal priesthood. We go before God’s presence for the world. We invite them in to see His face.

– Matt. 10:7 – And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

– Rev. 5:10 – And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth

– 1 Peter 2:9 – you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation

We are God’s children and He gives us His authority to reign on the earth. We are royals, with His power, to go forth and claim the mountains of His kingdom. He gave us dominion. He gave us the gifts, abilities, wisdom of His Spirit (who is God Himself) to do so.

– Zech. 14:9 – And the Lord will be king over all the earth

– 1 Cor. 10:26 – The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it

– Rev. 4:10 – They lay their crowns before the throne and say:“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Everything here belongs to our God, and He has made us kings. We are to take these 7 mountains and occupy them, giving God our crowns, our power, and allowing Him to lead what is rightfully His. We can only do this by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. As long as we reject the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have no power to take the kingdom. A King puts forth the power to claim His own kingdom. The Spirit of God lives in every believer, but we have to yield to the power of it to see God move on the earth.

– Luke 19:12-13 (MSG&KJV) – There was once a man descended from a royal housewent to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. But first he called ten servants together, gave them each a sum of money, and instructed them, ‘Occupy until I return.’

Jesus went to heaven to receive the kingdom. He left us in charge and told us to occupy the mountains until His return.

---

Christians haven’t left the ‘Religion’ mountain to go into all the world, and so Christians haven’t affected the world. Homosexuality, however, has successfully transcended in America because it took all 7 mountains. They put the right characters on tv, and in the arts to entertain us. Government leaders have now tailored their speeches around the topic to gain votes. They saturated the other mountains so heavily, that even some Christians, on the religion mountain, are succumbing to the gay agenda. Same sex advocates have discipled a nation in the same 20 years that Christians were seeking revival. They succeeded because they didn’t aim only at the church. We haven’t succeeded, but even Islam has discipled 7+ nations in the past 50 years. Muslims and Buddhist are modeling nations based on religion. America thankfully has separation of church and state, but we still need to do our part to help our nation. The church will never see revival unless they leave the church…

Many of us are not called to stay in the mountain of religion. Yes, believe in Christ and don’t ‘leave’ your church, but go into all the world! Jesus gave you gifts and talents to use to bring glory to Him. Your gifts are meant for all people, not just the church. It’s the sick that need a doctor, right?

Let’s look at David. He believed in God, but we also saw him in the:
– business mountain – managing sheep
– arts mountain – playing the harp for a king
– business mountain – as he took on Goliath
– media mountain – as his fame spread, and people glorified his expertise
– government mountain – as he became king
– arts mountain – using the arts to advance on the mountain of education

David was successful, because he understood the kingdom of God. He climbed the religion mountain, but he didn’t camp out there; he took God to the other mountains. If we want to be successful, we should learn from him. We need to figure out our purpose, and which mountain God has called us to. We need to climb to the top of that mountain and proclaim him. We can trust Him to get us to the top.

---

Marketing to the target audience (the unbeliever):
1. Nations instead of souls (souls come with nations)
2. Now instead of eternity
3. Natural (secular) instead of the spiritual
4. Teaching (covertly) instead of preaching (overtly)

This is the gospel of the kingdom as opposed to the gospel of only salvation. If you want to penetrate world systems, don’t advertise prematurely what your agenda is, because you have enough challenges without waving a red flag that makes people twice as upset with you about where you’re going. You need to establish preeminence in your field and then you can unveil your theology.

Well, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel’! Yes, but it is also written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ — the things God has prepared for those who love him (1Cor.2:9).’ 

1. God had a plan first. He prepared. No one saw, heard, or had the idea of it. He later revealed these things to those who fell in love with Him.

2. ‘Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. (Matt.7:6)’ No wise person reveals the depth of themselves to their enemies. If the enemy attacks your victories, they will definitely mock your failures. We are meant to reveal ourselves to those who we are in relationships with. It’s good to have friends in all walks of life. We don’t have to talk, strictly, only to Christians. Jesus talked to sinners, and to those that accepted Him, He shared with them who He was and taught them His ways.

3. Esther didn’t reveal herself too soon. She was not ashamed, but she had a goal. She did not reveal her goal to her enemy. She revealed the thing at the moment that it would help the most people, and she revealed to the one who loved her (her husband, King Xerxes).

4. Duck Dynasty, the tv show, said they weren’t going to get religious on the show until they had a big following. They understand this principle. Love is most important–Love is God. After someone loves you, they begin to respect you. It is inside of respectful relationships that we start to unveil who we are.

5. Daniel didn’t ask Nebuchadnezzar to be circumcised or worship the jewish God. Daniel simply followed God, and Nebuchadnezzar followed suite. Neb pushed his nation to learn about this God, after Daniels God had proven himself true. Neb said, ‘There is no other god who can rescue like this! (Dan.3:29)’ 

6. Joseph was at the top of the family mountain, but he fell. His experience on the mountain of religion, and education, brought him up in the business & government mountains. Joseph helped Pharaoh first, then Pharaoh wanted to know more about his family. Because Joseph had spread out over all the mountains, when the family mountain fell, he was able to concentrate his efforts on the other mountains with God given success. Likewise, we don’t invest in just one thing, but many things, in case one fails. God never fails, but sometimes the church(religion) does.

Joseph was a prime example that: When you have established your credibility, people will start coming to you for wisdom. We don’t have to put a giant christian label on everything. We need to be strategic about how we can get to the unbeliever. A dog can be a loving creature, but once its stuck in a barbed wire fence it will be fierocous. You cannot approach a wounded animal head on or it will attack. The better option is to come up from behind it and gently break it free from the death trap. Our goal is to bring life, but they don’t yet trust us, so we need to be strategic about this interaction.

Joseph was doing dream interpretation, for scenario planning in an economic forecast, for a government. He wasn’t in the church interpreting peoples dreams. Get out of the church and go into all the world to use your gifts, which are given to you so you can walk in your God ordained destiny.

---

Covert: not openly acknowledged or displayed
Overt: done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden

Many successful Bible people were on a covert operation. We need people in the music and arts who don’t slap a christian label on everything. We need them to use the arts to teach biblical principles covertly; and show people who God is once they start digging in to see who the musician/artist truly are. We reveal more about ourselves as people grow into a more intimate position.

– Mal. 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

We should be brainstorming together as a community of believers. We should be funding covert operations, for the unbeliever, with tithes. To get the increase, we have to invest in those who are not already in the church.

---

For more on the 7 mountains, listen to Dr. Lance Wallnau’s powerful teaching

Here are some covert musicians:
Firework, by Katy Perry (turned down by the Christian music industry)
Re-Bel, by Head (former lead singer of Korn turned Christian)
Bring Me To Life, by Evanescence 

Prayer: Lord, some have taken the mountains and fallen away. Don’t let them give up on you; bring Katy Perry back. Cause people who already sit on the mountain to see your power and turn to you; raise up more people like Head. Raise up Daniels, Josephs, and Esthers in government to take the kingdom. Raise up people willing to take the truth into news and media. Raise up journalist to seek out truth and fight to make it public. Give them the money needed to take truth to the nations. Cause the sinners wealth to pass to the godly. Release the gifts of the Spirit and bring words of wisdom (1Cor.12), words of knowledge, and strategic business plans to them. Give us wisdom beyond ourselves through the Spirit, the very mind of God. The same mind that created the universe lives inside of us. Activate new solutions, ideas, creativity, entertainment that brings you glory and shows all the world who you are. Position creatives in the movie industry to reach specific groups. Raise up people with a strategy to infiltrate the porn industry, bars, and gangs. Help Alabama come up with solutions to take down anger, immorality, and murder. Thank you for local farmer markets and grocery stores returning to natural, unadulterated foods. Cause more companies like TOMS to find creative solutions to help those in need. Make these companies the head and not the tail. Convert these mega companies who exploit. Cause justice and righteousness to rise. Cause people to get sick of the condition of their relationships and turn back to you and your ways. Set the family mountain in order again. Open the eyes of Christians to help us see the true you and tear down anything in the church that opposes you. Cause the body to rise up and take its rightful place again.

Go into all the Bars (World)

Give a drunk person 10 minutes and you’ll know more about his life than anyone else.

Jesus wasn’t scared to go anywhere. He said go into all the world to proclaim the gospel.

I met one of my best friends at a bar. Through our interactions he gave his life to Christ. Be intentional with your actions and words. You don’t have to go to the bar with the intention to drink. You can go with the intention to minister.

Those of you who prophesy, should be there prophesying. Call those people up. Encourage them, and call out their destiny. Its a great practice ground. If you are too scared to talk directly with them, then write the prophecy as a poem and hand it to them. Everyone loves entertainment and compliments. It doesn’t have to say ‘thus says the Lord’ and be spoken in king James.

Take another Christian with you for accountability, and find a different missionfield if alcohol is an addiction you struggle with. But to those who are not tempted, or out of control, go into all the bars (world) to proclaim the gospel. The Bible said Jesus drank and celebrated, but He never sinned. He would’ve been there winning souls too.

Matt. 11:18-19 – For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

– Mark 16:15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

– Eph. 5:15-18 – Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit

– 1 Cor. 12:7 – Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good

– 1 Cor. 14:1,3 – Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy… the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort 

There are enough people called to the mission field of the church body. We need people going out to the world and taking the Kingdom of God. He will rule the whole earth. Let’s make Him king.

Midday as a Single Person

I am single (unmarried & not dating), but God is my husband. I was just fully settled when a light breeze closed the car door for me; slowly, and gently, but with just enough force to shut it. God is such a gentleman; the breathe, or wind, of His spirit is with us all day, and for this I say:

He is my husband;
 I am His bride.
He is my beloved,
 and I am His prize.
I am His love,
 and He is my heart.
Catch for me the foxes
 that spoil the vineyard;
 I want you to have the full harvest of my heart.
He is my gift: 
 lovely, kind, and gentle;
 He is the definition of the same love that He kindles.
When people ask me why I am single, 
 I shall say:'Have you met my husband?'
My husband is like no other;
 He is above them all.
He is strong! 
 He is mighty!
 He is my protector and song!
He supplies riches and glory to me.
 He brings home new wine
 and great joy to release.
He is patient;
 His anger never lasts more than a second.
He is altogether handsome.
 He's the full package;
 He's splendid!
He is holy set apart unto me.
 His eyes blaze with fire;
 A passion for me. 
He says His name is jealousy;
 He says He just can't get enough. 
He counts the strands of my hair;
 He numbers every tear.
He watches me as I go and as I come. 
 He can't take His eyes off me; 
 no, not even one. 
He says I'm His glorious bride, 
 without spot or blemish. 
 He sees me naked and says 'She is mine'.
His every thought is of me;
 We were destined to be together. 
He never leaves my side; 
 No matter how hard the weather. 
His promise is true, 
 He has never broken a single one. 
He is fully devoted,
 He is God's son. 
Of all His riches, 
 and all the nations who need something – 
 He puts them on hold when I speak His name. 
He loves to hear my voice;
 He says I am his most valuable jewel –
His crown and His glory. 
 His love is a very deep pool. 
No matter how busy my days get, 
 how stressed I am, he won't crack a whip.
He always takes the time to listen about my day; 
 He never puts His work or Himself above the things that I say.
He is always there to comfort and encourage;
 He gives me fresh hope, for He is my courage.
Good luck finding anyone better; 
 He is above all the rest. 
His name is Jesus; 
 Trust me – HE is the best.
He knows my every thought,
 before I have spoken a word.
He finishes my sentences
 before they are heard.
He knows me altogether;
 inside and out. 
Together we laugh at the days to come. 
 He is my anchor; We are wholly united – 
 There may be a storm, but we have no bout. 
'Home is where the heart is' 
 and my heart is in Him.
His spirit lives in me;
 In our connection there is only glee. 
 Our union is glorious beyond glorious you see. 
He pours his love out on me, 
 each and every, day and night. 
My body is His vessel; 
 I'm set apart in His sight. 
He is the prince turned king; 
 I worship Him alone.
 He calls me princess, and makes me the queen.
He calls me up as a ruler, like He; 
 He says, 'I'll give her the nations, so she 
 can judge and have power like me.'
He is my happily ever after. 
 And He's kind to every child;
 He trains, instructs, and rears. 
He guides the obedient child;
 giving them wisdom beyond their years. 
He allows the rebellious to experience 
 the consequences of their own decisions. 
Yet He goes after them with love;
 not a day should they spend in doubt.  
When they return to their senses, 
 He'll brings them out –
He'll take their punishment on himself. 
 He takes them in, restore them, never putting them on the shelf.
He takes on their consequences, 
 and forgives their sin;
 He delights when they listen and return to Him. 
He gives wonderful inheritance to every child:
 Both boy and girl are showered with gifts wild. 
They both enjoy the riches of his kingdom; 
 they have access to all the storehouses of wealth.
There is nothing that they ask
 that he wouldn't give to help;
 In Him they find all they desire. 
His name is I AM, 
 which means He's everything I need –
And today that is a husband; 
 someone to love and cherish me. 
He answers my requests so well 
 I doubt I'll ever look for another; 
God loves me so well, 
 I have no need for any other. 
In His arms is all I need;
 those same arms hold on tight to me.
Night and day, He is there for all who listen; 
 When they ask, they will see Him quicken. 
At a moments notice, everything is within grasp; 
 All you can dream, and more than you could ask. 
He never leaves; 
 no, He won't ignore. 
He doesn't fail to put the cherry on the cake;
 Hot fudge, nuts, & toppings galore. 
The most beautiful dessert 
 you could ever hope to explore! 
He is my love; 
 I'll call him names:
Like Rapha, Shammah, 
 & Nissi who reigns;
But also my prince, 
 my hero, 
 my husband, and such;
He is my God 
 and He is too much!

---

Worship: Let Me Love You More, by Misty Edwards

This poem is based on biblical principles. Here are the verses behind the words: Is.54:4-God is your husband; Sos.2:16-He is mine & I am His; Is.62:3-You are His crown jewel; Sos.2:15-I am His vineyard; Acts1:4-gift of the Spirit; John 4:24-God is Spirit; 1Cor.6:19-I am the temple of the Spirit; Sos.5:9-10-He is above all others & is handsome; Ps.18:2-God is strong and my protector; Job32:19-He fills me with new wine; Ps.30:5-anger lasts but a moment; Rev.19:12-His eyes blaze like fire; Ex.34:14-His name is jealous; Matt.10:30-counts my hair; Ps.56:8-catches my tears in a bottle; Ps.32:8-His eyes watch me; Eph.5:27-I am His bride without spot or blemish; 1Cor.14:25-I am naked before Him; Ps. 139:17-18-His every thought is of me; Eph.1:5-I was destined to be with Him; Deut.31:6-He will never leave me; 2Cor.1:20-He fulfills every promise; Matt.7:7-He listens to and gives me what I need; 1Cor.14:3-He comforts, encourages, and strengthens me; Ps.139:1-4-He finishes my sentences and watches me go and come; Heb.6:19-He is my anchor in the storm; Rom.5:5-He pours His love on us; 2Cor.4:7-I am a vessel for Him; Eph.1:22-Jesus is prince and king; Rev.2:26-He sets me over nations to rule with Him; Rev.20:6-We will rule with Him; James1:5-He gives wisdom; Luke15-He loves when the rebellious return home (prodigal son); Is.53:5-He took on the consequences of our bad decisions; 1John1:9-He forgives us who ask him to; Rom.8:17-we inherit the riches of God’s kingdom; Deut.28:12-we have access to the storehouse of heaven; 1John3:22-we receive everything we ask for; Sos.2:6-His arm is around me; Eph.3:20-He gives me more than I could ask or imagine; Ps.9:12-He won’t ignore us; Sos.5:16-He is altogether lovely.

– Rev. 19:6-8 – “Thanks to our God. For the Lord our God is King. He is the All-powerful One. Let us be full of joy and be glad. Let us honor Him, for the time has come for the wedding supper of the Lamb. His bride has made herself ready. She was given clean, white, fine linen clothes to wear. The fine linen is the right living of God’s people.”

– Is. 54:5 – For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name

– 1 Cor. 7:28-35,38 –  But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord… So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

If you enjoyed this post please +follow lovedisciple