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?

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’

Donation Request – HVAC units for motel rooms

Donation Request: HVAC units.

Need 8 of those units that go in motel rooms for Dr. Negiel Bigpond, down at Morning Star Evangelistic Center for the instructors quarters being built there for the native American training center. They are remodeling a 2400sf classroom into 8 motel rooms for instructors that come in for their SWAT training from all across America. Framing, electrical, and plumbing is done, there is a team coming from back East to insulate and sheet rock end of this month, working through the first week of November. Contact Dr. Negiel Bigpond​ directly, or call 918 366 6735.

Welcome to the Grand Illusion – A Prophetic Prayer Strategy to Take America Back!

Welcome to the Grand Illusion!

This is an introduction to my new book:-
Reminds me of an old rock and roll song, by the group Styx: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcGP0nXPQ70

When you have an elected President that openly supports abortion, same-sex marriage, Islam, and who comes against Israel, there are clearly spiritual forces in operation here in the United States, operating against the minds of the American people. We see decisions being made in Washington, that are clearly against the Word of God, and the Media drawing our attention to this or that scandal.

In a magicians act, the trick is in the illusion. Our attention is always drawn to the trick, never to what the other hand is doing…

It is time to reveal what the puppeteer who is really pulling the strings is doing, for as he is revealed, when can accurately confront and dispatch him, with the mighty weapons of spiritual warfare, and again see this land of the free, home of the brave become the place of freedom, liberty, and justice for all that we all long for!

The Bible says of Satan, that he is a mind blinding spirit:

2Co 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.

In order for the majority of people to vote for a leader, that is acting directly against the Word of God, there must be spiritual blindness operating.

So, I began to ask God what was causing this blindness, because I really love Jesus, and the Bible is the Word of God, forever established in the heavens.

Psalm 119:89

[ ל  Lamed ] For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

If God is on the throne, according to Rom 13, the governments are in His hand, then how can this happen?

Well, there is no such thing as a spiritual vacuum.

As many of you know, I spent eight weeks in prayer and fasting, every waking moment, over the second term reelection of President Obama.

Many of you have heard it before, but it bears repeating. As many of you know, I and a business partner, owned and operated Grace Interior Trim, a high-end carpentry company providing trim and millwork for eight years, to build some really neat projects here around Tulsa, and throughout Oklahoma. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Interior-Trim-LLC/244907400682

Previous to that, I had given ten years of my life in preparation for the work of the ministry, that brought me here to Tulsa, to attend Rhema Bible training center from 1997-1999. Met my beautiful wife there, and I graduated on a Friday, was married on a Monday, then after a brief honeymoon hiking the Grand Canyon, we headed back to Canada, to pioneer Door of Faith church, where we served for five years, putting what we had learned into action. Although we saw a lot of miracles and healings, the church never really took off.

Well, broke, battered, and bruised, we returned here to Tulsa, with a cool word, and a dream, that we were going to minister in the US, and we were to go to Tulsa.

So, I obeyed, with a 2-1/2 year old, and a pregnant wife, and here we are…all these years later.

Yet, I God had to do some major remodel on me, before I was ready for this season, and He has used the rough and tumble of contracting to grow me up and make a man out of me.

Got so involved in the business, I completely forgot about the call….

Hooked up at Victory Christian Center, and after the hardship of the mission field, felt like we were in Christian Disneyland. For one who loves Jesus, is looking for a place to make an eternal impact with their life, Victory (Victory.com) has it going on.

Let me give my standard disclaimer about Victory:

1. Get in a connect group and set down roots and get to know some people cause you are going to need them.

2. Get a passport. Don’t be fooled, the heart of Victory is missions.

With over 1500 Bible schools with 32,000 students enrolled in around 100 countries, there is a screaming cry being heard daily in heaven, crying out for skilled laborers.

And those nice padded pews in the sanctuary, are like a jet fighter pilots eject seat. When God thinks you are ready, you are going…usually that is far before we think we are ready….

Preaching on the Radio, in Kigali, Rwanda

Well, I was planning a trip to Nigeria, Kenya and Israel, and God wrecked my plans and told me that He had need of my here, in the United States..

Well, on to the revelation….

I had two radical life changing encounters with heaven.

The first, was in the parking lot of our office and shop, behind the airport here in Jenks, Oklahoma. It was a Friday night, and everyone had gone, and I pulled in planning on scheduling everything for Monday, as usual. I was tired, so I asked the Lord, how long this excruciating schedule would go on in my life, and what about the ministry I trained for?

Suddenly, the windshield of my truck disappeared, and heaven opened, and I found myself in the glory of God. This was in 2009 after my pastor Billy Joe Daugherty had gone home, and I saw Jesus, Oral Roberts, Kenneth E Hagin, Billy Joe, and several others all looking at me, and the Word of the Lord came to me, telling me it was my time to take my place among them, and fulfill my heavenly calling. To leave carpentry, just like Jesus did, and follow Him, fully…

Took about a year to disentangle, but I did it.

Then, fast forward to Oct 2012, and the second term relection of President Obama. I had burden to pray for this country, that it was critical!

Ezekiel 22:30
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

So, I set my face towards heaven, to pray. I did not know how to pray, so I prayed in other tongues, on purpose, from the time I got up, until the time I went to bed, all day.

Seems I am not alone in this, read a great book by a man named Dave Roberson –

Tossed and turned all night, awoke early, and did it again, the next day, all day.

We had no money, I had no job, and the utilities got disconnected in our house.

My wife and children looked at me like I was insane, but I could only pray. So, they packed up, and went to visit friends of ours in Missouri, for what we all thought would be a couple of days.

They were there five weeks.

For a total of eight weeks, I prayed in tongues, eating my pot of whatever on the back yard barbecue, filling up a couple of five gallon pails of water to cook, take a bucket bath, water our dogs, and flush the toilet….

And I prayed…

Every waking moment, I prayed, read the Bible, and wrote down what the Lord began to show me…

Prophetic Keys to unlock the United States to the move of the Holy Spirit, we all seek, for the solution to America will surely come from the church house, not the White House.

In Ezekial 28, we see the prince of Tyre, and king of Tyre. The prince being the earthly ruler, a man – the king, in this case, being Lucifer himself. I believe that he has set up rulership of the earth, wherever he can, through his hierarchy of demons, that work by ruling the minds and thoughts of people.

I believe that this is what satan showed to Jesus, when he tempted him in Matt 4:

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

He saw, the actual rule and reign of demonic forces, operating and ruling over the affairs of men.

As I struggled to understand this verse, I saw a picture in minds eye, of an evil puppeteer, superimposed upon a map of the United States of America.

As I prayed, I saw this was a Demon Prince ruling through secret societies, fueled by three main root systems, that allow him access to American soil:

These three root systems are:

Abortion, Racism, and Plight of The North American Indian.

The Founders of this country heard God in framing our constitution, with the First Amendment granting us freedom of speech, and the second, the right to bear arms.

One of the verses our founding fathers used in the formation of this nation is:

Isaiah 33:22Authorized (King James)

²² For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Notice here the last four words of this verse: HE WILL SAVE US!

Jesus is not judging America, as some have preached, our ill-conceived policies, historically, have allowed actual demonic forces, legal right in this land.

It is our job to correct these policies, and the fruit of them, through victorious prayer.

There is surely a brutal war currently being fought in the heavenlies for the destiny of this nation, that we are required to win, spiritually, in prayer and authority, and this battle must be fought with spiritual weapons, because bullets will not touch ancient demonic principalities…

It is us, the church of the living God who are called to exercise His authority in the earth.

Ephesians 2:6Authorized (King James)

⁶ and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

The nature of God is love. The nature of satan is hate, and he comes to kill, steal, and destroy….

We, warriors of love, are called to this battlefield of victory, or again, demons will glory in rivers of bloodshed across this land…

The First Amendment is greater than the second! It is time for us to pray, and speak His Word in authority, and He will honor our voice with signs following!

The good news, God has shown me clearly what is going on, and has given me a clear battle strategy to mobilize targeted intercession, that will prevail on behalf of this land….

2 Samuel 11
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle,

This is the topic of the book…Saints, it is time to rise up again to battle, it is time for war….