Can you drink the cup…?

This morning, I turned on Facebook, and read a quote from my friend, and native pastor, Kennie Blacksmith, that got me to thinking.

Am I prepared to have great success, and not get credit for it?

In a previous note, I spoke about how Jesus died to the idol of reputation.

Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

How He was so committed to the will of the Father, that He obeyed unto death.

This was played out in Jerusalem, when He entered in what historians call, the triumphal entry, where the whole city came out to see him, crying ‘Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord’, people laying clothing and palm branches before Him, as He entered as a conquering king would.

Yet, only days later, that same crowd is crying ‘Crucify, crucify!’.

As a leader, we must accurately hear and obey the voice of our Father, no matter what the crowds are saying or doing. Seems the people least like this world, have the greatest power to affect it for good.

I read a great book by Tony Dungy, called ‘The Mentor Leader’, where he talks about how greatly effective leadership doesn’t need the limelight on them to validate their success. I’ll pick it up on p 26

“Sure, if your business, your team, or your family does well, people will take notice – and they will notice who the leader is. And you may be accorded some of the credit you feel you deserve. But if you do it right-if you really mentor others-more often than not, people will notice what a remarkably talented team, staff, or child you have, rather than what a great coach, employer, or parent you are. They will all assume that anyone could win with your team or family, and they’ll say things like, “Just look at how well they work together. If I had selfless people like that, I could meet my quarterly goals as well.”

I saw this very thing happen with Chuck Noll and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Noll was an extraordinary leader, and catalyst of a team that won four Super Bowls in six years, but he was never voted Coach of the Year. Instead, people always pointed to the number of Hall of Fame-caliber players the Steelers had. But that is just the way Coach Noll wanted it-never having anyone guess that he might have been responsible for developing that talent.

If you do it right, as a mentor leader, you may make it all but impossible for other people to give you credit.

For years, I have attended Victory Christian Center, here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the years, as I have been developing as a leader, I look back, and see how at many, many crucial ‘valleys of decision’ in my life, my pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, would magically appear in my world, and in his soft spoken way, say, “Hey Chris, what’s going on?”

Sometimes I would tell him my struggles or crisis of decisions, as a business owner committed to integrity of conduct in every area, in a fallen world, where sometimes it appeared that if there had been a forgiveness meter on my heart, it had been hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer, by the treachery and betrayals of others. Yet, forgive I have, and pain has been a wonderful instructor, as has been Billy Joe, who, by the Holy Spirit, has spoken pearls of wisdom into my life at times when I either did not know what to do, or felt like quitting.

Another man like him in my life has been Kenneth E Hagin, the pioneer and head of Rhema Bible Training Center. As one of our Instructors, he, in humility, was able to impart incredible spiritual truth, and the team of instructors and leaders around him, in the final years of his life, are still some of the most incredibly gifted ministers I have ever seen in the earth.

The inscription on the Bible that Kenneth E. Hagin and Miss Oretha gave Karen and I for a wedding gift.

This morning, I read a quote by my native pastor, Kennie Blacksmith, that bears witness to these thoughts:

Can you drink the cup…?

 

I acknowledge ruin is a gift.

For when you accept this, ruin will open the road to your restoration.

Restoration will lead to your transformation.

Your transformation will lead to your freedom and release from a negative past!

In acknowledging your own inability to forgive, ask the Lord to help you. In so doing, in your weakness you will become strong!

“You will indeed drink the cup!”

So, it is my time to take my place among them…As I step out again into the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus, I see footsteps before me, made by shoes that I honestly do not feel big enough to fit into yet, yet the path is clear, and follow I will, unto death if necessary….

How about you? Are there any incredible examples of leadership that you have had impact your life?

Let’s Pray:

‘Father God, help me to die to the idol of reputation, and to walk forward in your high calling, obeying you, and spending my life empowering, training, equipping, and encouraging others, to excellence, never seeking my own glory, but always seeking to glorify You Lord Jesus, Amen’

Is Native American Spirituality Biblical – as Evidenced by the Vision Quest?

This is a grad research paper that will be published in an academic journal shortly, complete with footnotes and Bibliography. I had completed research on not only the vision quest, but also the pipe ceremony and good morning prayer, but this made the length of paper too long for the research assignment. For those of you looking for something deeper out of me, here it is:

Is Native American Spirituality Biblical as evidenced by the Vision Quest?

 

 

Introduction

Since 1995, the author has been attending various native events, and developing relationship with tribal elders and native spiritual leaders to discover a totally different culture, traditions, languages, and worship than he had currently understood in mainline evangelical Christianity. It is also the firm conviction of the author that the Bible[1] is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, through which all spiritually must be judged. It has been his experience that the Creator has speaking to natives directly through Creation and conscience for hundreds of years before the gospel and the Bible has been introduced to North America. Over the centuries, distinct and often beautiful ways have developed in the tribal cultures and methods of worship practiced, and this paper will look at three of these, seeking to analyze them in light of the Scriptures.

For many historic reasons, many native traditions, worship and ceremony are sacred, secret rituals that are not always open to the public. Coupled with this is the difficulty in obtaining native academic resources – in certain cases it is only in this century that certain tribes received a written language, so many of these practices and their meanings have been transferred through oral tradition with little or no written documentation available for research. To add to this, are the general misunderstandings between many denominational missionaries and theologians, that view natives a ‘pagans and savages’ fit only to be destroyed. The doctrine of ‘Manifest Destiny’[2] was taught in the churches, and the general thinking of the US federal government is summed up in the words of general Sheridan, a well known Indian fighter: ‘The only good Indian is a dead Indian’. [3] During the period of 1860-1900, every treaty ever signed between the US government and an Indian tribe was systematically broken, and Indians were either killed in battle, or hunted for scalps, or rounded up and herded like cattle unto barren unwanted lands called reservations. Yet, were the theologians of the day right? Were natives barbarians and savages as a whole, or were their ways simply different than Western thought, their worship practices unique and beautiful expressions of God’s grace, every bit as authentic and accepted by God as our white man’s ways? While there are myriad cultural worship practices involving the drum, the dance, regalia, and ceremony, it is the purpose of this paper to investigate one of these, and compare it to the Word of God, which is the final rule of faith and conduct for all mankind.

 
The Vision Quest

 

Dr. Salamone states that: “The vision quest is a ritual usually performed by young Native American men and women to search for a guardian spirit.  Adults in search of power, guidance, or direction in life often repeat the ritual.  The person on a vision quest seeks communication with the spirit world in a series of solitary purifications, offerings, prayers, and fasting during several days and nights at a sacred place. “[4]

As research has been performed, it is discovered that a vision quest is a common practice among many tribes. While the search for a governing vision or spirit guide can be done through not only vision quest, but also in combination with the sun-dance, sweat lodge, pipe ceremony.

It appears that this solemn observance is best analyzed by investigating its two main categories:

1. The vision quest is performed to deliberately solicit the spirit realm for a spirit guide that will guide the seeker for the rest of their life.
2. The vision quest is performed to seek the Creator, the Great Spirit for a ‘governing vision’ that will reveal direction and purpose to the seeker for the rest of their life.

In either case, this practice is a serious event, in some cases, the greatest event of a person’s life:“Said the Winnebago father to his boy at the age of puberty: My son, you should try to be of some benefit to your fellow men.  There is only one way in which this can be done and that is to fast.  If you thirst yourself to death, the spirits who are in control of wars will bless you…..If you do not obtain a spirit to strengthen you, you will amount to nothing in the estimation of your fellow men.^” Again, this thought of the solemnity and seriousness of a vision quest is amplified:

 

“Such help was to be had only through strenuous effort, which might mean fasting, thirsting, purification or even self-mutilation and torture.  The result would be a trance or a vivid dream in which the visionary made contact with his future guardian spirit and perhaps even received some visible token to prove the fact….The Algonkians began this process in childhood.  Around the Great Lakes each family sent its son out alone, “hounded them” says Dr. Benedict, to get spirit help as a modern family might urge a good report card.”[5]

 

Since the first book ever translated into a native language here in the United States, was the Bible, translated by a missionary named John Elliot[6], the question addressed: “Is the vision quest Biblical?” is directly relevant in the practice of the vision quest by the Algonquin people. Biblically, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus performed 40 day fasts[7], very similar to the concept of a Native American vision quest. There is perhaps one key difference in their preparation, as compared to that of a typical Native American: all three of these Biblical characters were Jewish, Israelites who had been raised or given directly the word of God. In the case of the Algonquin people, this may well have been the case also, as we research the life and ministry of missionary John Eliot, and his translation of the Bible in 1663. Perhaps Algonquin’s read of the 40 day fast of Jesus, and immediately identified this with their practice of the vision quest and sought God through extended times of prayer and fasting.

In these accounts though, we see a mixture of authentic visions from God, mixed with pagan self mutilation, and the seeking of ‘a guardian spirit’ or a ‘spirit guide’. Clearly God has given some spectacular authentic visions that will by documented later in this paper, but what invokes question is the solicitation of a spirit guide or guardian spirit. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit give us the ability to accurately discern whether a supernatural spirit is human, angelic, demonic or divine.

Clearly, God gives believers angelic help, and guardian angels are Scripturally described beings that we comfort our children with as we tuck them into bed at night.[8], the question that remains then, is could a native on a vision quest receive an angel or guardian angel as a spirit guide? Clearly angels are dispatched to comfort, protect, fight for us, protect us, and occasionally bring us messages from the throne of God, but they are never to be worshipped, or in the author’s mind, sought for guidance. Colossians 2:18 says the following: “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

The concept of spirit guides opens the door to demonic deception, and is expressly forbidden by God. These ‘spirit guides’ are demons, called familiar spirits in the Scripture, and expressly forbidden by God’s word: Leviticus 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. God is a jealous God and will have no other gods before him.[9] The problem with humanities relationship with God and each other throughout history has been the deceptive power of devils. From the garden of Eden until today Satan has been blinding the minds of humanity, and no matter how well intentioned, the list of false prophets and the countless bloodshed their supernatural revelations have caused historically is atrocious. Whether Mohamed’s supposed revelation that produced the Quran, and Islam with all its horrors, or the supposed Christians that wrote the damnable doctrine of ‘Manifest Destiny’ that resulted in so much slaughter of natives, we see behind it all, an evil mastermind: 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. He is the master of deception: 2 Corinthians 4:4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Jesus described him: John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

Over the centuries he has done the same thing repeatedly, deceive people to oppress them, and ultimately steal their freedom, life, and every good thing God would give them. So then, I see great caution needed in the practice of a vision quest, simply because God is not the only spirit at work in the earth.

We are called to test the spirits[10]  So for those who know both the Spirit and Word of God, as we wade into the native world filled with visions, dreams, and prophetic words resulting from supernatural voices, I believe we need to discern each particular revelation primarily in light of the Scriptures, but also in light of the fruit they produce[11]. So, in order to determine if a particular vision, dream or word is of God, one must look at each one scripturally, prayerfully, and in light of the fruit it produces in the lives of those it addresses. Having expressed this word of caution, let us look at a couple of famous visions or native prophecies, and then look at them through the eyes of Scripture.

The Law of Peace –
In the year 1050, a medicine man known as Dekanawida, or ‘the Great Peacemaker’ went on a vision quest, and was given ‘The Great Law of Peace’, of what was to become the Iroquois Confederacy. Five tribes had formed the Iroquois confederacy, in the year 1050, and governed this land we call America, according to ‘The Great Law of Peace’, until almost 1800. This ‘Great Law of peace” was passed down through the generations recorded on Wampum belts, carefully given to each generation, as the governing documents or constitution of the confederacy. This constitution was recited, and explained to the framers of the US Constitution. “During the Albany congress of July 1754, Benjamin Franklin said of the Iroquois confederacy: “It would be a strange thing.. if six nations of ignorant savages should be capable of forming such a union, and yet it has subsisted for ages and appears indissolvable, and yet like a union should be impractical for 10 or a dozen English colonies.”[12]:

As research was performed investigating the overall similarities between the Great Law of Peace and the Constitution, and whether these documents are Biblical, one might consider the phrase: ‘consent of the governed’ coined by one of the framers of the US Constitution, John Locke. In looking at the ‘by their fruits’ test, we see both documents produced peace and freedom to their adherents when implemented. This alone might suffice as sufficient proof of the divine origins of both documents, but there is another interesting similarity. In the Old Testament, we are given the example of Israel being governed by both the law of God, and by the leaders they chose: Deuteronomy 1: ¹³ Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. So we see a nation governed by both the Word of God, and leaders that they chose, and then presented before God for His approval. Clearly, in the Great Law of Peace, the people consented to be ruled by its precepts, and chose leaders from among themselves, and sought God’s blessing upon those leaders. Clearly then, the Great Law of Peace is Biblical.

.

 

The Crazy Horse – Seven Generation Prophecy.[13] Crazy Horse had a vision he shared with Sitting Bull during a pipe ceremony just days before he was murdered. He said:

 

“Upon suffering beyond suffering, the red nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for the sick world. A world filed with broken promises, selfishness and separations: A world longing for light again. I see a time of seven generations, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again. In that day, those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come, to those of my people to ask for wisdom. I salute the light within their eyes where the whole universe dwells, for when you are at the center within you and I am at that place within me, we are as one.” [14]

Many Christian native leaders believe this prophecy was indeed given by God, the phrase ‘I salute the light within their eyes where the whole universe dwells’ referring to ‘Christ in us, the hope of glory.’[15] “I see a time of seven generations,[16] when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again.” “He died in 1877. If we use 18 years as the number to represent one generation, we can conclude that Crazy Horse named the year 2003 as the year that people would gather. We all know what happened that year. With the help of Crazy Horse’s prophecy, maybe more people will realize that is the year the “last war” began.”[17]
This prophecy is widely believed among natives, and is believed to being fulfilled on national news. The last free native chief was Sitting Bull.  He was killed by tribal police on Dec 15^th, 1890 by what appears to be an assassin, on Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. Presently, there is a protest there attended by over 150 native tribes, against the unlawful crossing of the Dakota pipeline across their treaty lands. They believe that this is the fulfillment of the seven generation prophecy, where red men will again arise, and together with us, will heal the land. May it be so: 2 Chronicles 7:14 ¹⁴ if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

It has been discovered that many natives have great understanding of Romans 8: ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,²¹ because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  They intuitively, by the Holy Spirit, feel the groaning of the creation, and in most cases, have wisdom from God as to how to practically heal the land itself.

In Jay Swallow’s book, he tells of how a prophet of the Cheyenne people named Sweet Medicine went on a vision quest and received God’s governmental design for the Cheyenne tribe.[18] Since the Kingdom of God is ‘righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost[19]’clearly this vision was of God, for it brought peace and order to the tribe that exists to this day. Note if you will, the similarities between the reception by natives of ‘the Great Law of Peace’ and the Cheyenne vision given to their medicine man. In both cases, the revelation brought order and peace from conflict and amplifies the thoughts of Rom 13: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:⁴ for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. It appears that God brought His kingdom rule here, in peace, by implementing His governmental order among the people.

This author performed a fast very similar to a vision quest that resulted in the book: “Welcome to the Grand Illusion – a Prophetic Prayer Strategy to Take America Back.’ In it, clear revelation is given on how God would use the church to reach Native Americans, and to bring a great move of the Holy Spirit to the US.[20]

Conclusion

While God speaks through general revelation through conscience and creation, Jesus Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth. What is needed for eternal life is special revelation, the revelation that leads to salvation and eternal life. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; John 14:6 ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Clearly God speaks through native ceremony. What He has spoken has great consequence both in understanding His workings throughout history, but also critically in what must happen in this day of US history.  It is also clear that what has come forth supernaturally is not all from the Holy Spirit, but has the imaginations, interpretations, and applications of people attached, and in some cases, clearly demonic deception has occurred. Yet, many, many natives are coming to Jesus, in their regalia, in dance, in ceremony, with their language and culture. We the church, must dig deep into the word of God and prayer, to accurately discern and understand, how best to receive them and walk with them in the kingdom, in love, honor, respect, as full equals to all the graces and blessings of this life, as leaders and ministers of the gospel, we must somehow disciple and equip them in their gifts and particular callings. This takes much study of both their culture, but more importantly, the depths of the Word that can be written on the fleshly tablets of their heart, for truly the culture of the kingdom of God, supersedes any culture here on the earth. It is the conclusion of this paper that there are many keys of knowledge hidden within native tribes by God Himself, keys that can release untapped heavenly resources to actually, practically heal this land we call the United States of America.

[1] All Bible references from  King James Version and God, King James Bible (Kjv) (publication place: Latus ePublishing, 2014),

[2] Anders Stephanson, ”Manifest Destiny: American Expansionism and the Empire of Right”, New York: Hill and Wang, (1995)

[3] Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: an Indian History of the American West, 4th ed. (New York: Picador, 2010), 1

 

[4]           Frank A Salamone, “ Encyclopedia Of Religious Rites, Rituals, And Festivals”, (n.p.: New York : Routledge, 2004)

 

[5]           Ruth Underhill, 1965. “Red man’s religion; beliefs and practices of the Indians north of Mexico”,( n.p.: Chicago, University of Chicago Press [1965], 1965), 97.

[6] http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3518689

[7] Examples of 40 Day Fasts: Ex 34:28,Deut 9:9,18,1Kings 19:8,Matt 4:1-2

[8] Angels: Matt 18:10,Ps 91:11,Ps 103:20,Heb 1:14,Ps 34:7

[9] Ex 20:5, 34:14,Deut 4:14

[10] 1John 4:1-4 For a more complete teaching on how to do this please read the authors blog: https://chrisaomministries.com/2014/11/10/test-the-spirits-love-truth/

[11] Matt 7:20

[12] It is not the purpose of this paper to academically research the full contribution of the Iroquois Confederacy to the formation of the US Constitution, rather to research if ‘The Great Law of Peace’ is Biblical. For further research the researcher may consider:

Bruce E. Johansen, “Forgotten Founders, Benjamin Franklin, the Iroquois and the Rationale for the American Revolution”, Harvard Common Press (November 15, 1982)
Donald A. Grinde Jr, “Exemplar of Liberty, Native America and the Evolution of Democracy”, (American Indian Studies Center, UCLA , January 1, 1991)

For a comparison between the Constitution and the Great Law of Peace:

Gregory Schaaf, “The Birth of Frontier Democracy from an Eagle’s Eye View: The Great Law of Peace to The Constitution of the United States of America.” Hearing statement given before the Select Committee on Indian Affairs United States Senate (One Hundredth Congress, First Session on S. Con Res. 76). (Washington, DC. 2 December 1987)

The contribution of this was formally recognized by Congress in 1988: http://www.senate.gov/reference/resource/pdf/hconres331.pdf

[13]             Vinson Brown, Voices of Earth and Sky; 1974, Harrisburg, PA
http://www.rexresearch.com/usa/usaproph.htm#us10
[14] – James Medicine Tree,http://www.heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.6.PIPE.JimMedicineTree.htm
[15] Col 1:27

[16] Deut 4:20

[17] http://ancientprophecyrevealed.blogspot.com/2007/12/crazy-horse-not-so-crazy.html

[18]             Jay Swallow, “Roaming Buffalo A Life of Ministry to the Nations”, Tulsa, OK, Perfect Circle Publishing, 2014. 184

[19] Rom 14:17,Rom 13:1-5

[20]          Walsh, Mr. Christopher Bernard. 2015. Welcome to the Grand illusion: A Prophetic Prayer Strategy to Take America Back! Lrg ed. Charleston, NC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

 

The Supernatural Blessing of Rain..

As most of you know, we have spent many years walking among native americans, learning much about the movings and workings of God in North America, from a people close to Him and nature.

Many times, in times of drought, we would witness prayer for rain, and it would rain, watering the earth, and causing life to again come forth.

We know how God caused a drought to come upon Israel and then Elijah prayed and rain came, in abundance.

Rain in Scripture, generally symbolizes God’s blessing upon the earth:

Deuteronomy 28:12

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.

Psalm 147:8

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

There are many instances of God sending rain, throughout Jewish history. Here is an account given in my seminary reading from Dr. Young’s ‘Jesus the Jewish Theologian’, that I find edifying and comforting, the story of the Jewish rabbi known to be heard by God, and answered in rain: He is known as Choni the Circle Maker. Here is his story, from the Jewish legend:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/448345/jewish/Choni-the-Circle-Maker.htm

Is it any wonder then, that many native american tribes identify strongly with Israel, recognizing clearly that the Jesus we worship as Christians is Jewish, that His homeland is Israel, the land that He loves.

Yesterday, as Franklin Graham opened in prayer at President Donald Trumps inauguration, as President Trump took the platform, a gentle rain began to fall:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8CHxAoIcl4

I believe God has had mercy on the nation of America again, that as we again bless Israel, stop abortion and corruption, and do what is right before God, He will again bless this country.

God has had mercy upon America again!

Now, we must recognize this great love towards us, and respond to heaven…

The change begins with me and you.

What can I do to make America great again?

What can you do?

What are areas of corruption that I have allowing in my life, my family?

What, today, will I do to eliminate these, to rise up to be the person of honor God has created me to be?

Jesus Lit A Match

For a year or so, Victory Christian Center held all night prayer meetings two times per month.

I attended these, seeking God Himself with everything in me.

During that time, I had a recurring dream that I didn’t understand.

It was a hot Oklahoma summer, before the time intercessors here had prayed in the rain and broken the drought.

In my dream, on a hot day, I saw a bush, totally withered, with the leaves still on it, all dry.

Jesus walked up to this bush, and in His hand He held a box of wooden matches.

He smiled really big, and lit a match and extended it towards the dead bush.

Then I would wake up smiling, not knowing what this was all about.

I had this dream repeatedly over a period of months, until finally, one night when I awoke I said: “Jesus? Why do I keep having this dream? Are You trying to speak to me?”

I thought about these verses from the life of Moses:

Ex 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Ex 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Immediately Holy Spirit spoke to me:

“America is in trouble. I have been preparing many of my servants in the business world for many decades, that I will now anoint and set apart as deliverers to this nation. I am lighting bushes on fire in their lives, to see if they will turn aside and seek me…”

Most of you know the rest of the story in my life, how I became one of those leaders – how I left the two companies we owned, and went out into the desert to learn the ways of native americans, and how God would desire to use them to unlock a great move of Holy Spirit across this land….

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/the-first-nations-mandate/

Pray for Standing Rock Today

Please pray for Standing Rock.

Was on a conference call with clergy there on Thursday night, and it brought me to tears.

Here is what is happening.

As police violence against the protesters has escalated, so has the size of the protest encampment. Last week, it went from 3000 to 10,000 people camped out in the snow there.

Two things happened.

1. The Sioux chief asked and invited clergy to join him and the tribe in a day of prayer this Sunday.( http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=43698ec5e3e616001752ea0f7&id=a60ad72a42&e=1ba061514e)  Presently 1000 or so clergy have either committed to attend or lead their congregations in prayer that day for protestors.

2. A retired veteran, a major from the marine corps, asked for veterans to deploy to Standing Rock, without weapons, to stand with the protestors against the police and DAPL paid security officers and state troopers. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/11/30/veterans-give-protesters-break-standing-rock/94698198/) It was thought that perhaps 1000 vets would come, but as of yesterday 2883 have committed to go, and deploy on Monday Dec 5th. It is when I heard of thier agenda, that I broke and wept. In ceremony, and formation they are going to present themselves before Sioux chief Looking Horse and national native elders (as you know, there are now 300 tribes formally standing with Standing Rock at present), and kneel before them and formally ask forgiveness for military and US government atrocities against natives. They will they form into rank, and march across the bridge separating the camp and the razor wire erected by Dakota pipeline and their riot police, and confront (hopefully peacefully) the military and riot police there. As you may well know, the police have continually protected the pipeline construction, to allow it to get to where it is now, on the banks of the Missiouri river, the source of clean drinking water for 18 million people. Clearly, despite the Army Corps of Engineers stop work order to DAPL, requesting a re-route around tribal lands, DAPL has continued right on, in bold defiance of this order. Clearly they are taking advantage of the transition in the Presidency, trusting that Obama will not issue an executive order to stop construction, and hoping to be complete before Trump assumes office in January.

I am asking for very specific and targeted prayer this weekend:

1. We bind the spirit of anarchy. We break every yoke of oppression off of native peoples, that they be free to come to know Jesus, and experience true freedom, liberty in the Holy Spirit, and justice as God Himself undertakes for them to vindicate them in light of past atrocities and broken treaties.

2. The kingdom is RIGHTEOUSNESS, peace and joy, in the Holy Spirit. I loose and enforce God’s kingdom over Standing Rock AND DAPL. I command all deception, oppression, racism, and lies to move, in the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. I pray God pour out His Spirit there in power and that natives, police, military, DAPL, and the corrupt government officials involved all come to true repentance, and find the mercy, forgiveness, and peace of Jesus. That God would grant everyone involved a love for the truth, and destroy pride, bitterness, offense, and would give people supernatural grace to forgive, heal and reconcile.

4. The God give this government courage and wisdom to provide protection and a solution to violated treaties and mistreatment of natives historically, and that they would hear natives and put in place policies, programs, scholarships, and funding that will provide pathways of peace, understanding and prosperity to natives.

5. That this event remain peaceful. That is not spark a civil war on US soil.

6. That through all of this, that Jesus be revealed, the gospel preached,and that people become born-again, spirit-filled, and will accurately hear God’s voice individually, and will pursue God’s personally plan for each of their lives.

7. That God release alternate energy sources than oil to empower this nation, to set us free from the tyranny of the oil industry.

This is a very serious event….

Please alert intercessors.

Let’s Pray:

‘Father, we take our place in Your authority and command mountains of pride, offense, anarachy, oppression, deception, lies, hatred, and racism to move off this nation and everyone involved in the Standing Rock protest. By faith we stop the oppression and violence against natives, and police there. By faith we enforce Your kingdom there in righteousness, PEACE and joy in the Holy Spirit, trusting You Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our understanding, to give wisdom to all involved to do what is right in Your sight. Father, reveal Jesus love, and heal broken wounded hearts, and bring Your mercy, truth and true justice there against historic atrocities and broken covenants. Give our government courage, wisdom, and clarity to know how to act, and to act, immediately. Father, forgive us, your people for our pride, lack of compassion and understanding, and complacency in this, and have mercy upon us. Help us to see our wicked ways against you, and the environment, and to turn away from them, that our land actually be healed. Please Father, let this not result in bloodshed and civil war, but have mercy yet again on this nation I pray, knowing I am heard and answered, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus. Amen”

Heal our Land! – Natives Know How!

Heal our land!

Isa 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed

Recently I read:
Hosea 4:1 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land., 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

We see in these verses, the controversy, God, our Creator, the Great One, has with the people of the land.

These verses clearly show, that when people of a region or nation sin, that the land itself is defiled, that the earth, the creation, feels the weight of this sin, and that wildlife dies.

As I have walked with First Nations leaders over the past several decades, I have discovered a thing that until recently, I never heard put into words. I have been graciously invited, by Dr. Negiel Bigpond to participate in the monthly conference calls with the Native American Circle of Prayer. Each month, Dr. Negiel has a chief or spiritual leader share their hearts, on what God is showing them.

One month, we had the privilege of hearing chief Anne Richardson the Chief of the Rappahannock Tribe. She made a statement, that I hope I can correctly encapsulate here:

‘Our people have always been close to the land. It seems that we have and innate ability to see, to feel, to sense spiritually what is going on in the earth, and we often see, sense, and intuitively know things by the Holy Spirit, that are not readily apparent to peoples of other cultures.’

Her words are born out in Scripture:
Ro 8: 19 (AMP)For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].
20 For the creation (nature) was subjected to [i]frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope
21 That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
22 We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.

There is a groaning in the earth from the weight of sin, and we the church, from every tongue, tribe and nation, are what the earth is longing for, to heal it.

In First Nations tradition, there is a very famous prophecy, known as the Seven Generation prophecy, or the chief Crazy Horse prophecy. (http://ancientprophecyrevealed.blogspot.com/…/crazy-horse-n…)
For the record, I quote it here:

Crazy Horse had a vision he shared with sitting bull during a pipe ceremony just days before he was murdered. He said, “Upon suffering beyond suffering, the red nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for the sick world. A world filed with broken promises, selfishness and separations. A world longing for light again. I see a time of seven generations, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again. In that day, those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come, to those of my people to ask for wisdom. I salute the light within their eyes where the whole universe dwells, for when you are at the center within you and I am at the at place within me, we are as one.” – Crazy Horse from James Medicine Tree

I believe he accurately heard God, that the tree of life, is the cross of Jesus Christ. For a full teaching on this, read Rick Joyner (http://www.morningstarministries.org/…/there-were-two-trees…).

There is another prophecy, passed down through the generations, by the Cree people:

“When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”
― Cree Prophecy

In 1968, in Oklahoma City, I have been told that Billy Graham, spoke the following words:
‘The great move of the Holy Spirit that we all seek in the United States, will not come until First Nations leaders are correctly respected, honored, and embraced into the kingdom of God, in their particular places.’

This is in keeping with the very famous verse we all preach as we seek revival:
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Seems that because of sin, the land itself needs to be healed.

I am also finding, that what we don’t know, we don’t know.

We know to ask God’s forgiveness for sin, that the cross is the only solution for evil, and that the gospel is the power of God, unto salvation.

What we don’t know, is that when we alienate, one part of the Body of Christ, we all hurt.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

Read 1 Cor 12, we all need each other, and we all need to be in our place.

Re 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Clearly this includes Indian tribes, in their language, representing their nations.

Indian tribes must come to the throne of God, in their tongue, from their tribe, from their nation, in order for this verse to be fulfilled, and it will.

I believe that as they come, they will bring their gifts with them, and both the white man and Indian prophecies will be fulfilled.

Lu 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Re 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

There are ‘spiritual keys’ of knowledge, that will unlock blessings from heaven, and I believe we need what First Nations peoples bring to the table. They have a Holy Spirit inspired voice, that will come from the wind, the sky, the flight of the eagle in the air, and IT WILL LINE UP WITH THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD!

It will be outside of our traditions, our cultural interpretations of the Scripture, but it will be a spirit of truth, and it will be borne out in the written Word of God.

Here are some more verses on the need for the land to be healed:

Ps 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Joe 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

Is 24: 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

Sounds like abortion, genocide, and atrocities, and sin, literally defile the land.

Yet, we are the sons and daughters of God for which all creation awaits!

Walking in faith, authority, anointing, humility, wisdom, and filled with the Holy Spirit now, we exercise redemptive rights, and release authority, through repentance and forgiveness.

Jesus gives an interesting commission here to disciples:
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

https://chrisaomministries.com/2016/07/04/do-we-as-believers-have-the-authority-to-forgive-sins/

My friend, mentor and adopted dad, Hank Hallas has a wonderful revelation of who we are in Christ, and as he goes to India, conducts a ceremony on lands owned by churches or church members. It goes like this:

He walks to each corner of the land, and prays: ‘Father, I ask that you would forgive every sin ever committed upon this land, all the way back to the time of Adam, and I declare they are forgiven, in Jesus name! I plead and apply the blood of Jesus here, and call this land into the kingdom of God, redeemed. I pronounce the blessing of Almighty God upon this land and owners home, and break any demonic activity present here, enforcing your kingdom Father, in righteousness (love), peace and joy, in you, mighty Holy Spirit.’

At each corner of the land he takes bread, juice (communion elements), and oil (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), and buries them at each corner, as a prophetic act that this property is blessed.

Remarkable testimonies have occurred. Households healed. Diseases stopped. Allergies end. Crops and animals supernaturally produce abundant harvests. Financial prosperity released. Nightmares stop, and people receiving restful sleep, peaceful dreams, and visions of Jesus and His kingdom. Areas where Hindus and Muslims been burning churches, buildings and properties supernaturally protected in the midst of violence and mayhem, supernaturally, by the power of God!

Bill Winston ministered here at Victory on something similar. Reportedly, a senior in his congregation was troubled by a group of drug dealers and gangsters that sold drugs on the sidewalk in front of her house. She sought the Lord, and her pastor (Bill), for what to do. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he felt impressed to tell her, to get a bottle of oil, and pour it out, a line down the middle of her street. She did, and pled the blood of Jesus over her property and street. Next morning, as usual, the gangsters and drug dealers showed up again, and immediately entered into a heated argument. They dispersed, and have never again returned to this woman’s house!

We lived in North Tulsa for eight years. I did this on our property, and we never had a break in, nor has there ever been violence or a problem at my home, though we lived in what is considered to be a rough neighborhood. You can have peace in your home, too!

Let’s Pray:
‘Father, I ask that you would forgive every sin that has ever been committed on my property, all that way back to the time of Adam. I plead and apply the blood of Jesus here, and I bless this property, and call it redeemed back into the kingdom of God, now, in the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. I declare the kingdom of God in force and in place here, in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name! Father, open my eyes to see other people in your kingdom that may not walk with You exactly the same as I do. May I hear Your voice in them, and receive them in their culture, language, and worship, seeking Your always for truth, at all costs. Please Father, open my heart to receive keys of knowledge from You, and them, that together, we might heal our lands. Amen’

Can you drink the cup…?

This morning, I turned on Facebook, and read a quote from my friend, and native pastor, that got me to thinking.

Am I prepared to have great success, and not get credit for it?

In a previous note, I spoke about how Jesus died to the idol of reputation.

Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

How He was so committed to the will of the Father, that He obeyed unto death.

This was played out in Jerusalem, when He entered in what historians call, the triumphal entry, where the whole city came out to see him, crying ‘Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord’, people laying clothing and palm branches before Him, as He entered as a conquering king would.

Yet, only days later, that same crowd is crying ‘Crucify, crucify!’.

As a leader, we must accurately hear and obey the voice of our Father, no matter what the crowds are saying or doing. Seems the people least like this world, have the greatest power to affect it for good.

I read a great book by Tony Dungy, called ‘The Mentor Leader’, where he talks about how greatly effective leadership doesn’t need the limelight on them to validate their success. I’ll pick it up on p 26

“Sure, if your business, your team, or your family does well, people will take notice – and they will notice who the leader is. And you may be accorded some of the credit you feel you deserve. But if you do it right-if you really mentor others-more often than not, people will notice what a remarkably talented team, staff, or child you have, rather than what a great coach, employer, or parent you are. They will all assume that anyone could win with your team or family, and they’ll say things like, “Just look at how well they work together. If I had selfless people like that, I could meet my quarterly goals as well.”

I saw this very thing happen with Chuck Noll and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Noll was an extraordinary leader, and catalyst of a team that won four Super Bowls in six years, but he was never voted Coach of the Year. Instead, people always pointed to the number of Hall of Fame-caliber players the Steelers had. But that is just the way Coach Noll wanted it-never having anyone guess that he might have been responsible for developing that talent.

If you do it right, as a mentor leader, you may make it all but impossible for other people to give you credit.

For years, I have attended Victory Christian Center, here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the years, as I have been developing as a leader, I look back, and see how at many, many crucial ‘valleys of decision’ in my life, my pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, would magically appear in my world, and in his soft spoken way, say, “Hey Chris, what’s going on?”

Sometimes I would tell him my struggles or crisis of decisions, as a business owner committed to integrity of conduct in every area, in a fallen world, where sometimes it appeared that if there had been a forgiveness meter on my heart, it had been hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer, by the treachery and betrayals of others. Yet, forgive I have, and pain has been a wonderful instructor, as has been Billy Joe, who, by the Holy Spirit, has spoken pearls of wisdom into my life at times when I either did not know what to do, or felt like quitting.

Another man like him in my life has been Kenneth E Hagin, the pioneer and head of Rhema Bible Training Center. As one of our Instructors, he, in humility, was able to impart incredible spiritual truth, and the team of instructors and leaders around him, in the final years of his life, are still some of the most incredibly gifted ministers I have ever seen in the earth.

The inscription on the Bible that Kenneth E. Hagin and Miss Oretha gave Karen and I for a wedding gift.

This morning, I read a quote by my native pastor, Kennie Blacksmith, that bears witness to these thoughts:

Can you drink the cup…?

I acknowledge ruin is a gift.

For when you accept this, ruin will open the road to your restoration.

Restoration will lead to your transformation.

Your transformation will lead to your freedom and release from a negative past!

In acknowledging your own inability to forgive, ask the Lord to help you. In so doing, in your weakness you will become strong!

“You will indeed drink the cup!”

So, it is my time to take my place among them…As I step out again into the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus, I see footsteps before me, made by shoes that I honestly do not feel big enough to fit into yet, yet the path is clear, and follow I will, unto death if necessary….

How about you? Are there any incredible examples of leadership that you have had impact your life?

Let’s Pray:
‘Father God, help me to die to the idol of reputation, and to walk forward in your high calling, obeying you, and spending my life empowering, training, equipping, and encouraging others, to excellence, never seeking my own glory, but always seeking to glorify You Lord Jesus, Amen’

Sacred Council Fire

Sacred Fire….

Before the removal of the Cherokees (The trail of tears) there was heated debate in Congress. Senator Edward Everett of Massachusetts fought against the removal of the Cherokees, holding the house in session for two whole days, speaking on Cherokee affairs, sometimes with effective irony, On Feb 21st, 1831 he said:

‘Here, at the center of the nation, beneath the portals of the Capitol, let us solemnly auspicate the new era of violated promises, and tarnished faith. Let us kindle a grand council fire, not of treaties made and ratified, but of treaties annulled and broken. Let us send to our archives for the worthless parchments, and burn them in the face of day. There will be some yearnings of humanity as we perform this solemn act. They were negotiated for valuable considerations; we keep the considerations, and break the bond. One gave peace to our afflicted frontier, another protected our infant settlements; nearly all were at our earnest request. Many were negotiated under the instructions of Washington, of Adams, and of Jefferson-the fathers of our liberty. They are gone, and will not witness the spectacle; but our present Chief magistrate, as he lays them, one by one, on the fire, will see his own name subscribed to a goodly number of them. Sir, they ought to be destroyed as a warning to the Indians to make them no more compacts with us.’

John Ridge (Cherokee) and one of his colleagues sat in the gallery of the House and were deeply moved by Everett’s sonorous words reverberating through the chamber. ‘I happened to be a spectator of this debate,’ wrote the correspondent for The New York Observer. On the second day, towards the close of the long speech, he found it hard to “shield his heart” against the “subduing power” of Everett’s words. “Two of the Cherokees stood immediately behind me and over me. In the midst of Mr. Everett’s peroration, I thought I heard something like a drop of rain fall upon…my cloak, near my ear. I looked up, and the head of one of these Cherokees had fallen upon his hand, and he was endeavoring to conceal his tears.”
Excerpt from the book – The Cherokee Tragedy, – Thurmans Wilkins, p 220,221

The rest of this is history. President Andrew Jackson pressed the vote, overruled the Supreme Court decision upholding the Cherokee treaty rights to their lands against the state of Georgia, and the vote was carried against them, BY ONE VOTE. Sending the Cherokees upon the ‘trail of tears’ where 4600 died in transit, an eternal disgrace upon this nation.

I have more to say on this, how these very broken covenants between the US government and the various host peoples of this land we call the United States of America, are the main contributing factor to the problems we currently face as a nation. God Himself, has heard and seen the plight of the various Indian tribes that have been mistreated by this government, and treacherous white men. As a white man living here, I have wept, until I thought I could weep no more, in prayer before the throne of God, for the plight of the North American Indian. God has heard, and answered, and is moving to bring healing, conviction of sin, and cleansing of this land, as we humble ourselves before Him, in earnest, heartfelt prayer. He will visit the red nations of this land, with power, signs, wonders, and miracles, and as He does, there is a movement in this nation, that I see, and call: RED MAN RISING!’

Let’s pray:

‘Father God, Creator, Great One, The Grand Father of us all, we come to You, asking that You, Yourself heal our hearts, rebuild, recreate that which has been destroyed, shattered, by treacherous people, who know You not. Forgive them Creator, have mercy. Forgive us, and heal our hearts, and make us strong again, in the place where no man can see, the deepest part of us. We come to You, knowing we are heard and answered, for we come in Your name Lord Jesus, Yeshua, Amen’

For more understanding, please read:

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/the-first-nations-mandate/

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/racial-ethnic-and-womens-ministries/gender-and-racial-justice-ministries/doctrine-of-discovery/