This is a body that honors risk.
And risk costs. There’s a price.
But you are so willing to pay the price.
Want to honor you guys, for that risk.

……………………..

Acts 4:23

Boldness.
This is what the apostles desired.

It was the boldness of Jesus that got Him crucified.
And it was the boldness of the apostles that got them persecuted.
And yet here they are, asking for more boldness!

God redeems the very thing that wrought the persecution in the first place.

Any ‘kickback’ that the devil might bring to our spiritual activity, there’s redemptive quality that the Lord brings to it.

We cannot hold back our activities for fear of the devils attack.

God is searching the earth for hearts that are His.

What’s going on in heaven?
Plans. Strategies, blueprints, destinies.

There are as many plans as there are people.
And He’s just looking for hearts.
Hearts that will volunteer for the things that He has planned.

1 kings 22:1-17

One thing that really strikes me about this passage of scripture, this vision is that God is so humble and so secure in who He us, that He asks for input. He opens Himself to advice, suggestions.

Some commentators have said that it’s ridiculous that God would ask for input. But if you look it up, it says, “I saw the Lord..” The prophet saw it! This was not a story, a parable, an illustration. It was a vision! He saw it!

It’s the same word for “saw” that was used in Genesis: “The Lord made it and saw that it was good.”

I believe it was a literal vision.

And I believe that it expressed the heart of God…That God has plans in His heart. Plans that He wants to invite us to be a part of. Invite us to give our input, our suggestion. Because He’s a God of relationship. This is His desire for humanity.

Isaiah 6

When His glory filled the temple, the place shook. Just as in Acts, when the apostles were filled with boldness.

And the Lord asks two questions…
“Who will I send?”
“Who will go?”

Sometimes a person might be sent, but it doesn’t mean that he will go.

The second question is more important… Who will actually go??

Let’s imagine what it looks like when the glory of the Lord fills this place. And when boldness shakes us!

We have the opportunity to walk in Heaven’s design.
And as we do, we bring heaven\s design to the earth!

2 Cor 4:18

He is humble.
He has limited himself in regard to our cooperation.

We must allow the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to heal our minds concerning our image of God and who He is.

And part of walking in a healed mindset in regards to who He is is the understanding of His humility in His desire to cooperate with us!

Our mindsets regarding the nature of God must be healed! We have to become clear minded about who God is.
And until we do, we are empowering that evil spirit that keeps men double- minded and bi-polar.

A God that wills earthquakes to take lives does not line up with the Father that we read about in scripture.

God is humble. And secure. And He’s not afraid to ask us to cooperate in the fulfillment of His plan for the earth.

Spoken By Phil Ellis