Stone Speak A symposium on worship, arts and the prophetic,
here and across the pond...

Special Guest Clive Corfield

Thus says the LORD: “ Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? Isaiah 66:1

Clive has a passion for Jesus, the Kingdom of God and spiritual reality. The message he delivers is non-religious, often humorous but always challenging! There is a strong prophetic edge to Clive’s ministry and a zeal for the presence of God. His teaching, especially in the areas of spiritual warfare and healing, always seeks to be an expression of the Father’s deep love that declares and demonstrates freedom and wholeness. He delights in drawing people into intimacy with Jesus, imparting faith and encouraging believers to live victorious lives. Clive is ordained with the Elim Pentecostal Church. He is married to Karen and they have five children.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. Isaiah 51:6

We thought you might want to know about an exciting event coming this month. The King and the Kingdom Conference is being held in Cincinnati, Ohio! This is a fantastic opportunity for you to hear from the Lord, experience God's presence in worship and receive ministry. Check out the following brochure for details. I hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Rebecca Holihan

Why are we so enamored with a royal wedding?
I woke this morning to an AP Breaking news, Prince William and Princess Kate exchanged vows and are declared man and wife. The next message I got was about the exchanging of a kiss on the balcony of Buckingham palace. Why do we think that's breaking news or even note worthy? I also heard that 2 billion people (that’s a third of the world!) watched the wedding. And we’ve heard the news of how exclusive the guest list was, the who’s who invited to this royal wedding. What incredible hype. What makes us so intrigued with royal wedding?
Maybe because at the first royal wedding God was the father of the bride and the best man. He was there to give Eve to Adam. He gave us the institution of marriage, the wonderful institution that tells His love story. Maybe we are intrigued with royal wedding because Christ calls us His bride and He is the bridegroom. That's how Paul describes us, that we are robed in his righteousness, beautiful and radiant like a breath-taking wedding dress.
 Maybe because at the end of the Bible, at the end of this age, there will be a royal wedding feast celebrating our relationship with Christ. It won’t be the who’s who the world will put together. It will be for all those who by God’s grace, acknowledge Jesus as their King, those He has espoused to be His bride. That's the ultimate royal wedding we should long for!
So maybe the reason we are intrigued by a royal wedding is that we have royalty in us because we are made in His image. He gave us the first royal wedding and He promises to give us the most awesome royal wedding feast. Will you be there?

I was flying once to a National Gardening Conference held in Arizona. We made a quick flight change in Las Vegas...I was thankful it was quick. We walked through an airport filled with party lights and slot machines. Now, I have never played one of these, but I investigated how they work. A slot machine reel corresponds to a computerized or virtual reel with stops, which is what determines the chances of hitting a particular symbol combination, and consequently, the big jackpot. The size of the jackpot will depend on the number of combination variations on each reel.

The odds of all three jackpot images lining up on all three reels (with all three reels set up in the same manner) would be 32x32x32 = 1 in 32,768. Those are some amazing odds!

When I began to explore the prophetic words I have received about 2011, I realized there were many things lining up about the return to kingly rule. Actually, it was over-the-top as to the number of dots that were beginning to connect for this year. As I began to look at all the various combinations of words and signs I had to ask myself, “Is it possible that 2011 is the jackpot of heavenly alignments concerning the King of kings?”

Let’s look at 3 symbols occurring in this amazing year and how they line up...


1. Festival signs
The concept of appointed times in scripture and Jewish festivals are very connected. Both the phrase “appointed times” and “festivals” can be used interchangeably. They are used as landmarks of what God is doing prophetically. God has always displayed His glory at appointed times. As scripture says, Jesus came in the “fullness of time.” For many, this is clear reference to the festival season and a move of God.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for festivals, and for days, and years.
Genesis 1:14

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. Leviticus 23:1-2

You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty). Exodus 23:15

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son. Galatians 4:4

“The festivals allow us to actively prepare for something that can happen this year or the next! Therefore these appointments with God place us at the right place, at the right time, doing the right things. Festivals are symbolic of a ‘type’ of future event.” Gregg Killian

As we eat this (matza) bread and drink of the third cup (during the Passover royal banquet) we do announce the Master’s death until he comes (again). Corinthians 11:26

“The Biblical festivals are rehearsals, set by God. We rehearse certain events in time in order to be prepared for, and prophesy about, future events.” G. Killian

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a festival, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow (prophecy) of things to come; but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17

The 2011 festival season began with an unusual occurrence that holds many prophetic and cosmic implications. It is the feast that falls on the Biblical calendar month of Adar and is known as Purim. The holiday of Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jews from Haman, an advisor to the king, through the leadership of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai. Purim is called the Feast of Lots because the villain of the story, Haman, cast the "pur" (the lot) against the Jews yet failed to destroy them. Unlike other Jewish festivals, Purim is the one festival that has no requirements for fasting or mourning because it is the festival of joy.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:9-11

“All festivals will one day cease, but the days of Purim will never cease. Since Purim contains within it the major themes and influences of all the other festivals, the influence of Purim is a concentrated culmination of them all.” G. Killian

And these days of Purim shall never pass from among the Jews nor shall their commemoration ever cease from among their seed. Esther 9:28

What is especially unusual about this year’s festival is that it falls on a leap year. That means there are two Purims in one month! The first Purim, known as “Little Katan”, is an important marker for us. This special and unique sign tells us that the smaller symbol is a reflection of the bigger one that follows. Both are similar and of great value, but the one is a type of the other. Little Katan literally means,” little king.” It is the same word Samuel used when he anointed David. Jesus was from David’s line. In essence, David was a reflection or type of the one to come as we read in scripture:

And David was the smallest (katan): and the three eldest followed Saul. 1Samuel 17:14

The term small (katan) with regard to Purim Katan, has an amazing association to “this small one will be great,” (alluding to Purim Katan and King David) with the true and complete Redemption in the one to come, which is Christ the King.

“Purim Katan is the only time we have a minor festival preceding the actual festival. This suggests that there is something special about a leap year, which demands a Purim Katan. Since Purim Katan is a time to prepare for Purim, we learn that Purim is an extremely important festival.” From The Watchman

2. Earth Signs
The Hebrew word, "sign", is defined in Strong's as “a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, mark, miracle, or token.” As a sign connects to an appointed time, we begin to see the prophetic significance of the moment. Earth signs are expressed in a variety of ways that portray a deeper picture in the heavenly realm. As spoken of in prophetic circles, “What is true in the natural is true in the supernatural” or “as above, so below.” When we observe the shaking of the earth’s plates and the shifting of poles we can begin to understand how metaphorically they apply to the heavens and how literally things are transitioning in the spirit. We can look at collapsing governments, currencies and the talk of a new world order and know that a new day is dawning for us in history that will reestablish earthly kingdoms and draw us closer to the kingdom of God. Earth signs then are shadows or facsimiles of the unseen realm of the spirit and draw us into thinking that is above our understanding.

...Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. Hebrews 8:5

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. Hebrews 10:1

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:6-7

“Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Hebrews 12:27

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. Isaiah 51:6

We see these earth signs all around us, but as we talk about connecting the dots, millions will see the most prevalent place these types of signs can be observed this month. As we approach a royal wedding on April 29, 2011, there is symbolic application of a type of rule that is about to shift. Kingly rule is on the horizon, and so many things are pointing to the return of the king. Prophetically, this is a time marker of huge impact. Christ’s return will play out in the shadows of earthly rule.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

3.Celestial Signs
At the end of last year and the beginning of 2011, there have been several astronomical signs. The Israelites followed a strict understanding of the lunar calendar as it applied to feasts and heavenly signs. Throughout scripture there are many references of watching and waiting for prophetic events as they relate to the moon.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. Joel 2:31

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:25-26

There have been three moon signs that have led up to the appointed time of Purim. The first was in December of 2010. It was a complete, blood-red moon, lunar eclipse that fell on the winter solstice. The unusual circumstances of this alignment has not happened since1638, and it was only the second time in history since the time of Christ over 2,000 years ago.

The second sign was what is known as a lunar pedigree. Pedigree means, “the point in any orbit nearest to the body being orbited.” As a full moon, this “super moon” was not only 90% greater in appearance, but on March 19, 2011, the moon made its closest appearance to the earth in 18 years! Finally, a strange occurrence happened on March 17, 2011 that connects quite clearly to the festival of Purim. There was an occultation event with the moon. Occultation, according to Wikipedia, is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. Essentially, the moon eclipsed or occultated a star...but not just any star. Out of the constellation, Leo, there was a star that the moon passed between it and its observer, REGULUS (Alpha Leonis). This star appears in the heart of Leo and has a second name, the Latin name means "the little king,"(Katan) and is a reference to a kingly star going back to ancient times. Regulus outlines the head of the celestial Lion. The star is almost exactly on the ecliptic, the path of the Sun, and is regularly occulted, or covered over, by the moon according to astronomy journals.

Vibrational shifts affect all things on some level, which has been scientifically proven in the concept of a “butterfly effect: “the more the shift, the more the affect.” Consequently, when time markers align with an occultation, the shift is greater. The reason? This is an appointed time; it is more than a seasonal shift. It is the revealing of things aligning in the heavens. It is the combination of the time marker of the appointed time with the vibrational shift. It is the ebb and flow of the spirit and a prophetic combination that is a jackpot of revelation.

To everything there is a season, and time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

God is bringing about the sky signs that will correspond to the earth signs and appointed times according to His divine will because, "the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (Psalm 19:1).

When we look at these different signs, it is clear that there is a common thread, the coming of a king. It is also evident that these signs express that a smaller image represents and is associated with a larger image. The one is the reflection of the other. The macrocosm can be seen in the microcosm. These things bear witness to a major change on earth and in the heavens.

“Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”1 Corinthians 13:1

As we witness the many events, signs and symbols of this year, we can watch in amazement at the alignment that has already come. As the year unfolds, God will continue to reveal how the dots connect, how the coordinates of the signs align and how the heavens will declare His glory as the King of Glory establishes His throne.

“You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning.” King Henry VIII

She was said to be “the people’s princess”, a girl from Wales who captured the hearts of millions. In her passing, she enchanted us with a sense of Snow White mystery, being laid to rest on a private island of her family’s estate. For all her prestige and beauty, Diana captured the child- like wonder of princess stories and showed her true, royal posture in her unending charities to see the world become a
better place.

For many, the changing of the guards was marked by that tragic day in August when Diana lost her life in a car chase in Paris. The outpouring of support in flowers, cards, and weeping in the streets of London revealed to the establishment that a new sense of honor, royalty and government was in the air. It was a cameo in the life of “England’s Rose”.

Goodbye England’s Rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever will.

All across the world there are signs of the crossover season we are in. The shaking and shifting of governments, to the shaking of the earth, the changing of the guards has begun.
Yet, for one government, there will be no end...

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-8

There is a king returning. Over the centuries, this has been marked by legend and fantasy in story and film, but the Biblical reality is the government to come will be a kingdom government ruled by the Lion of Judah. All will bend a knee to the Lord Jesus Christ, “the light of the world”. The Lord
is revealing this in many forms as the acceleration of His return is displayed. As we prepare for the Lord’s coming, His desire is to reveal His majesty in this crossover season. With anticipation, we are to discover the imagery of this mystery of a “once and future king” as we watch the changing of the guards unfold.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:20-21

I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret
places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your
name, Am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3

The imageries the crossover for me have been numerous.
I realized the changing of the guards years ago during the

Queen’s Jubilee. It started with a dream...

In my dream, my son, Taylor, was wearing a proper, night’s cloak of robin’s egg blue. Taylor walked over to a stone and effortlessly removed a sword just like young King Arthur. He looked at me and smiled. Taylor has always represented Jesus in my dreams. I knew from the simple dream a king
was returning.

The next day, we took Taylor to visit St Paul’s Cathedral. Suddenly, I saw moving through a stream of visitors a man wearing the same cloak I saw in my dream! I began to move quickly to see who it was, but a buzzing group of officials closed in around him and hurried him into the cathedral. We waited patiently to see if we could get a glimpse of him when they reopened St Paul’s. We discovered later that the man in the cloak was the Duke of Kent who was being ushered in to a knighting ceremony. The pageantry took place in a small chapel where a painting of Christ hangs called Light of the World.

Minstrels in blue cloaks assemble
Poets of the Holy Grail
Abbey bells ring over London
As tales of Troubadours avail

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns
All of their kingly crowns
In March squires to the order of Saint Michael and Saint
George to the Fanfare of the knighthood
Drawing arms and lifting swords

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns

All of their kingly crowns

July at St. Paul’s Cathedral
Golden celebration days
I dreamt my son drew from a stone
The sword that brought King Arthur praise

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns
All of their kingly crowns
Rebecca Holihan

The excitement of what the Lord was doing led me on a quest to discover many mysteries in the days ahead. I studied, researched and “spied out the land” to not miss the coming king. I had a clear word that this would be as much in the natural as the supernatural, so I became watchful like Simeon.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Luke 2:25

I let all the imagery, symbology, stories and tales build in me a kingdom mindset. Every thread that weaved into the concept of kingdom became infused within my spirit. Through journaling, I created a mapping of the coming days. I began to see patterns as well as an acceleration of the coming king. It was astonishing to see how these things were being drawn so close to me even though I was living
on the other side of the pond. I was being captivated by the picture the Lord was creating and keen on any manner in which He would use me to establish His design. As a way to express my own creativity, I began to build royal gardens, write poetry and music to express the intimacy I felt about His kingdom.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

The sun is setting on the Heartland
It rises on Cathedral skies
And I’m no longer that cowgirl in the sand
And only God could answer why

A thousand years of prayer has brought me here
Centuries of people crying out in God’s ear
Now I’m flying ‘cross the ocean with my mustard seed and fears
A thousand years of prayer has brought me here
A thousand years of prayer has brought me here.
Rebecca Holihan

It is hard to look at the imagery surrounding the royal family without being focused on heraldry. It is a bit of a strange word in the West, but basically it is the art that signifies and identifies a person or group. The first Coats of Arms were used by Christians during the Crusades, but heraldry dates
back as far as the tribes of Israel. I saw the similarities between English heraldry and Biblical mantles. Mantles were worn as a sign of authority.

Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 2 Kings 2:8

Similar to heraldry, a mantle could be passed on to others revealing the significance and mystery of God’s favor on an individual. In the realm of kings and queens, this is seen as the mark of a sovereign put in place by God alone.

Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:11-14

In many ways, we have not seen ourselves as “kingdom people” or “royal priesthoods” because of our inability to grasp the concepts of royal imagery and symbols. If we understood that there are mantles to be picked up, and heraldry to be handed over to us, if we would assume the persona and the role God has ordained for us we would live like royalty. This is our birthright. Royal inheritance is God’s good gift and is birthed in us like children from the Lord. We have authority we have not utilized and inheritance unclaimed.

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. Psalm 127:3-5

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. Isaiah 60:10-12

I have set my heart on pilgrimage, similar to those over the centuries looking for treasure and spices. My desire is to usher in the king and raise the age-old foundations in order to participate in the changing of the guards. Like the Lady of the Lake in poet’s tales, I want to see the King restored to
His rightful place and His government to be established.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5

And near him stood the Lady of the Lake,
Who knows a subtler magic than his own--
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.
She gave the King his huge cross-hilted sword,
Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist
Of incense curled about her, and her face
Wellnigh was hidden in the minster gloom;
But there was heard among the holy hymns
A voice as of the waters, for she dwells
Down in a deep; calm, whatsoever storms
May shake the world, and when the surface rolls,
Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord.
'There likewise I beheld Excalibur
Before him at his crowning borne, the sword
That rose from out the bosom of the lake,
And Arthur rowed across and took it--rich
With jewels, elfin Urim, on the hilt,
Bewildering heart and eye--the blade so bright
That men are blinded by it--on one side,
Graven in the oldest tongue of all this world... Tennyson

The Princess who stole the hearts of millions has left a living legacy. The heraldry of Diana lives on in her son William, the future king of England. This year marks an amazing witness of the changing of the guards. Amidst our dreams, passion and pilgrimage we can be enamored with the crossover into
kingdom government as we watch in anticipation for the coming of the King of Kings.

Mankind is many rivers
That only want to run.
Holy tragedy and loss make the many One.
Mankind is a holy, crowned
Mother and her Son.
For worship, for mourning:
God is here, is gone.
Love is broken on the Cross.
The flower on the gun.
6 September 1997
Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate

Curt McAdams has been a part of the Dayton Vineyard since 1996 and currently helps lead vineyardMEN, the men’s ministry.  He and his beautiful wife, Phyllis, live on five acres of woods north of Waynesville, Ohio.

Curt’s interest in photography began through writing a food blog called Livefire (livefireonline.com).  Curt discovered that photography helped meet the need for a creative outlet and that inspiration doesn’t have to be far from home.  In fact, about half of the photos displayed are from within a mile of Curt and Phyllis’s home including their own yard.

Curt’s photography has been used by restaurants and food personalities in Dayton, Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Toronto, and Curt has been honored to have been able to contribute photographs of Vineyard events for church use.

She had visions from God with instructions that she was to recover her homeland from the English. She was martyred at the age of nineteen for leading the French army into battle against the British, and was responsible for the coronation of the “Dauphin”, the prince who would be king, Charles the VII. The title “Dauphin” literally means “dolphin” and is the French equivalent of Prince of Wales, a title relating to the heir of the throne. Joan of Arc is considered a heroine of France.
As a young girl of thirteen, Joan began to hear the voice of the Lord. She had rarely heard His voice without seeing bright light. According to historian, Robert Lacey, “After hearing her,” recalled one eyewitness, “the would-be king appeared radiant.” Joan led the Dauphin’s army into battle with skill and clarity about her mission.
As stated in the book Great Tales from English History, “The fascination of Joan’s story is that a teenage girl should have persuaded ever-widening circles of people to agree with her that the King of Heaven had chosen her to bring reparation to the kingdom.”

We read such stories, legends and tales of heroes and heroines with an almost distant gleam of thrill and excitement. Stories like this and those of giant slayers are only the reality of today’s movies, right? But what if you were called to change history or to advance history? What if you were like Moses, called to deliver a people from slavery after 400 years of crying out to the Lord? Such tales seem more and more uncommon today. In fact, there seems to be few true history makers in our modern era that create that air of adventure and passion as those of the past. What would it take to be a history maker? When hearing God’s voice, what has he called you to do that is bigger than your image of yourself, bigger than your imagination?

In this season of the crossover, we must first realize that we have come into a new age, an age like no other. We are living in a time of history in the making. We have entered a new epoch--which means this is the dawn of a new appointed time. As God’s people, we have a role to play in the advancing of this historic moment. The changing of the guard implies that a fresh anointing has come, a new move of the prophetic is on the horizon and an increase of God’s government is about to be revealed. With this window of opportunity in 2011, we must each ask ourselves how will we respond to the unfolding of events this year and what will it take to crossover into the new realm of the season we are in? Consider the following:
•    You are not a spectator
Many of us have come through a time of preparation and testing as we have waited on the promise God has for us. This past season has been like those who wandered in the wilderness awaiting entry into the promise land. Now that the promise has come, we can still be a bit bewildered about what to do and how to make the crossover into the new. We are on new ground with new circumstances. There is no spiritual map that has led us to this point. If we stand and do nothing, we are mere spectators. At one time in Joshua’s journey he saw God part the waters, but in this new place, the waters didn’t part until the people of God made the move to crossover.

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. Joshua 3:14-17

It is a brand new day, and like Joshua, the situations and circumstances of life have changed. With the promise at hand, it requires us to no longer wait but to respond. This is a year of action and stepping into the waters as we experience God’s new plan.
•    You have to have a story
I love a good story. I am always excited to hear something amazing about expeditions, daring feats and tales that are handed down as epic events in history. When I was young, I would read these stories imagining myself as the character who slayed the giant, won the battle, or got the prince. As we grow older and time passes, imagination like that seems to be in vain. Yet, the Bible is clear that we need to believe He has so much more for us.
However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” -the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

At times, it is hard to fathom that we are Bible characters, but the story didn’t stop after the book was written. We have a role and a responsibility to step into the pages of history. This role is more profound then any time in history.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 11:39-12; 1-3

As you crossover into the new, there is an expectation that you will begin to walk out the promise. It will require you to come out of the wilderness of the past and to see things with fresh eyes. It will mean laying down old traditions and embracing change. With the shift in thinking, there will be new expectations. As was told to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, ”You are not in Kansas anymore.”

 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.  The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan. Joshua 5:10-12

•    Live out your assignment
In order to fulfill your destiny, you must complete the assignment you were promised. This takes a lot of focus and faith to believe that God is using you for something much bigger than you have ever considered. He wants you to be a history maker. When we think less of ourselves than the image God has for us, the tendency is to doubt the promise and work it out ourselves.

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
Genesis 17:17-22

You are a Bible character called to do great things. As you crossover into the promise that God has spoken over your life, walk in boldness with the belief that God is about to make history, and He is going to use you to fulfill it. You, too, will have a story to share that will go down in history and bring glory to God.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you… Luke 1:1-3

History Maker

Is it true today that when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and queens will shake
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you

Is it true today that when people pray
We'll see dead men rise
And the blind set free
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you

I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into your arms, into your arms again
Into your arms, into your arms again

Well it's true today that when people stand
With the fire of God, and the truth in hand
We'll see miracles, we'll see angels sing
We'll see broken hearts making history
Yes it's true and I believe it
We're living for you

he first 9 Vision & Destiny Insights and accompanying prayer:
Every single human being has been created by God to know Him, love Him, and be loved by Him. In God’s extensive and extravagant love are His unique plans for each of us.  When we come to be cognizant of those plans we are experiencing His calling on our lives. When we begin to move into those plans we begin to experience destiny.
The following 9 insights and prayer are intended to be simple, yet powerfully effective, to help each of us journey towards the fulfillment God has for us. Please feel free at any point to pray the prayer. And feel free to pray your own personal version of it often. It is built around several of God’s great promises. As we communicate with Father God, we don’t use scripture as incantations but we do constantly use it as our platform, grid, and wisdom to know (and pray) God’s kind intentions for each of us.
1.    Vision & Destiny Insight #1: One of the greatest lies satan uses to hold people back is “as it has been, so it will be”. This lie can get ingrained into one’s thought patterns to the point where one’s identity and future is always determined by the past disappointments & failures. God has more for those who love Him than can even be imagined. (1 Cor. 2.9)
2.    Vision & Destiny Insight #2: God not only sees you in Christ, He sees you and calls you according to the calling (destiny) He has for you. In John 1 Jesus acknowledged Peter’s current name of Simon, (“reed like” and “shifting sands”). Jesus then said you shall be called “Peter” which means a rock. (Christ like, as Jesus is The Rock). God knows our current issues but always sees us according to His finished work!
3.    Vision & Destiny Insight #2, con’t. God sees you according to His calling(s) on your life. His vision of you, as you move towards His vision, makes room for the mistakes He knows you will make on the journey. Abraham & Peter made mistakes in not fully trusting God between the times they were called and the times of fulfillment. God’s vision for you is situated between His all knowing & His mercy/grace.
4.    Vision & Destiny Insight #3: God’s great plans for your life were established in His sovereign will before even one of your days began. (Psalm 139.16 & Jer. 1.5) Despite what seems like random & even bad circumstances in life He is working past & through all of that to bring you to a banqueting table- even if you are surrounded by enemies. Your job, like Enoch, is simply to walk with God! (Genesis 5.22)
5.    Vision & Destiny Insight #4: Your destiny in God is unique. God is never a paint-by-numbers artist. While He is always the same in whom He is, He rarely does the same thing, the same way twice. His destiny for you is as unique as your fingerprints, vocal chords, and eyes. The spirit of religion, which is fear based, breeds conformity. God, the creator of creativity, releases uniqueness out of love!
6.    Vision & Destiny Insight #5: Walking out your God given destiny is intended to be unique. Due to the mix of your primary motivational gift (Rom.12.6-8), your God given passions, and gifts (natural & supernatural) the odds are there is no one else exactly like you! And that is due to God fearfully & wonderfully creating YOU. Religiosity demands you blend in. God desires you to compliment the whole by you being you!
7.    Vision & Destiny Insight #6: For clarity’s sake, it could be said there is a difference between destiny & calling. Destiny is God’s will for your life. Calling is the recognition that you have experienced the leading/voice of God’s Spirit calling you into His primary will for you in life. The former is already given. The latter you need to experience and respond to. The first is true of every one, the second is only realized by those in Christ!
8.    Vision & Destiny Insight #7: Along the journey (of destiny) God will, from time to time, do miracles in your life. Because God purposely causes His destiny for you to be unreachable without His amazing grace He will, from time to time, allow you to be surrounded by impossibilities. He is merely setting you up for miracles as you learn to place dependence on Him, which in turn releases His miraculous grace
9.    Vision & Destiny Insight #8: As you grow (mature) in Christ you will find God’s destiny goals for you are not merely the ones He initiates. As you delight in Him (adapt your ways & goals to His) He expects you to have faith that He desires to bless your desires. (Psalm 37.3-7) Maturity involves trust, commitment (prayer & obedience), and last, but not least, resting in the truth that He desires to prosper you soul!
10. Vision & Destiny Insight #9: Keys to determining God’s goals for your life: 1) There will be accompanying faith, despite the challenges. 2) You will experience God’s peace. 3) It will call for miracles on God’s part for fulfillment. 4) There will be mature Christians who will help confirm it as time goes on. 5) It will provoke a growing passion within you. 6) You will feel over your head! 7) THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION!!!
Praying into your destiny (don’t forget to personalize it):
Father God, Father of all glory, and the God of my Lord Jesus, (Eph. 1.17) I trust you and thank you today for the amazing promises you have made me. Thank you for fearfully and wonderfully creating me in your image. (Psalm 139.13 & 14)). I ask that as you teach me of yourself and your ways you will lead me and guide me by your Holy Spirit (John 16.13)) into the fullness of your kind intentions for myself and my family. Thank you that your intentions are to give me a hope and a future not plans for destruction. (Jeremiah 29.11) And thank you for the ultimate gift of Jesus- that by His life and love and sacrifice on the cross I can know and live an abundant Holy Spirit filled life. (John 10.10) Thank you that these plans are filled with your amazing creativity. They completely exceed all that I can think, hear, or see. (1 Cor. 2.9) Thank you for your great grace for me to live life as Your Son (or daughter). (1 John 3.1) Thank you Father that as I enter into the destiny you have created for me I can reflect Jesus and your love to all I meet.
In the powerful Name of Jesus,
Amen.

Feature creep is the rapid expanding of features in a product such as Extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and so can result in over-complication, or "featuritis", rather than simple design.

There is a temptation to want the latest and the best in what we interact with.  There is a love of newness and improvements, but are these upgrades actually useful?  About six months ago I experienced the excitement of iWork '10 on my work computer.  Mostly because I needed to maintain compatibility with my coworkers, but having just finished taking in the keynote video I knew beyond a doubt that I was about to step into a new evolution of office software.  I clicked the Pages icon and experienced a welcome video of true awesomeness, teleporting me into a new era of word processing.  I closed the video once it was done and what did my eyes see?  Essentially the exact same thing that was there in iWork 09... and 08... and 07.  Each year there are these minor additions.  In the past four years, I think there is really only one new feature, dynamic outlines, that I actually use.  So I must sit and ask myself, was the resources I spent on this upgrade a sound, stewardly decision?  Or did I weaken my available resources by taking on something that was unneeded?

I consider the ramifications of these principals when we evaluate our churches.  It is easy to feel we constantly must offer more and more programs, new opportunities, new methods, and new ministries.  Is there a risk that churches can contract "featuritis?"  With a constant push for new things, will the older, established ministries and programs suffer?  With limited time, manpower and resources we must really evaluate what is the core of a church and ensure that anything new that is created will reinforce the vision and mission of the Kingdom.  Minor programs might come and go, but if those new things begin eating away and destroying the core, then these programs risk becoming parasites that blur what Christianity is all about.

This is not to say that a church cannot change, but rather when planning new endevors, a serious consideration must be made to what will this new idea take away from.  The average American church member will only participate in approximately 2 events a week.  With this in mind, if you are wanting to start something new, what will people stop going to in favor of it?  There may be some new people come on board, but it is highly likely that parts of the core that supported other aspects will reallocate themselves.  With this reallocation, has the kingdom become stronger through diversity?  Or has it become spread thin and frail?

What do you think? Is feature creeping in the church a serious threat?