A church that is top down led – that is not permission giving; that does not allow the people to dream or encounter God fully for themselves – can never produce a warrior. In truth, people who want more of God are going to leave these inferior houses to seek the Lord and his greatness.
A church that has no concept of or experience in the kingdom is not fighting on the right battlefield. The church is the place of intimate devotion to the King. A place of fellowship, encouragement, dreaming and development. People are equipped and prepared for a life of destiny. They are released to discover their inheritance, to live in favor, and to move out in abundance – not poverty.
People who are developed specifically to serve another man’s ministry can never rise to a place of sonship within that organization. They will only ever be servants to someone’s anointing. This type of discipleship arises out of a task oriented, functional paradigm of Christianity that actually can disengage people from their own dreams and disinherit them from God’s desire for their life. I’ve lost count of the times when prophecy has been spoken to an individual in this type of environment, and it has resulted in them being fired from their position because apparently, they now no longer fit the requirements of the leadership.
In a relational paradigm like the kingdom, our challenge is to produce sons and fathers who are like the Godhead in personality, character, and anointing. God gives dreams and sends prophets to confirm his desires. Leaders, who are also fathers, are intensely interested and involved in the identity, inheritance, and destiny of the people that the Lord has committed to their charge. Otherwise, we are merely using people.
This is fertile soil that produces warriors and champions for the whole of society not just the world of the church.
A powerful corporate transformation occurs when the leaders give permission for the people to dream. The roof lifts off the church and an anointing comes down that begins to transform people’s lives.
Our journey as a congregation then becomes to rediscover and come under a relational paradigm of friendship, love, and meaningful relationship in line with the father, son, and Holy Spirit. We want their level of loving interaction, involvement, culture of honor, and teamwork!
Out of that desire we begin the process of reshaping the church, and our journey begins to change to reflect the growing passion for intimate friendships with God and one another. Our mindsets, culture, and ways of operating begin to adjust accordingly. We begin to make decisions that define our identity as we see it being adjusted by the Spirit. We see beyond the world of the church and its ministry and discover the wider anointing and deeper power of the kingdom.
The result of these decisions and that specific permission has been the release of a kingdom presence that has pushed us more into the supernatural realm. Healings, miracles, supernatural gifts, and personal encounters with God are increasing.
Assignment look at the Godhead. What type of relationship exists between the father, son and Holy Spirit? How can you duplicate that in the relationships around you? What conversations can begin; what decisions can be made that enable us to shift from a functional paradigm to a relational one?
Commission – looking at your current leaders and other key people in the church, develop an action plan for the present/future that includes kingdom conversations – paradigm shift towards relational Christianity – the importance of training, equipping, empowering, and releasing people to fulfill their God-given identity.