Note from Steve Shultz, Publisher, THE ELIJAH LIST. . .
Here is an excerpt from this article by Pastor Mike McClung:
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"Many churches, of late, are "depopulating." Although many people
have left churches over the wrong reasons and in offense with
unresolved relationship issues, many people are leaving churches
now with a sense of calling, seeking the specific place that the
Lord is calling them to be a covenant member and functioning part.
We should not get discouraged because some are leaving, because
the Lord will bring the right people to our congregations that
will help us fulfill the Lord's calling for us."
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This is something the Lord has been "stewing" for several weeks.
I hope it challenges and encourages. --- Pastor Mike McClung
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It's Time for Repositioning, Refocus & Realignment
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For several weeks the Lord has been intimating that a new wind of the
Spirit will begin to blow. I believe that new wind of the Spirit is
being released now.
One of our fellowship members and worship team leaders had a vision two
weeks ago that set the stage for what I believe is beginning to take
place. During an extended time or worship and intercession, this
individual saw angels flying kites with a new and very strong wind of
the Spirit beginning to blow. The individual said she saw the
expressions on the angels' faces and they were gleeful.
For three weeks the Lord has been giving me one word per week that
would
describe the transitional season we are about to enter as the Body of
Christ. Those words are repositioning, refocusing and realignment.
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Repositioning
--------------
The Lord is in the process of repositioning His Body. For years, at
least in the Western world, the Body of Christ has been out of order.
We have looked at church as a smorgasbord where we pick and choose our
favorites, and not sought the Lord on where He wants us to be. 1 Cor.
12:18 states, "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in
the
body just as He pleased."
After pastoring for a number of years, I have seen just the opposite.
Christians have chosen their local church affiliation based on
programs,
personalities, music, etc. that met with their personal preferences.
Although the Lord takes these things into mind when He calls us to be
part of a local Body, these are not His greatest qualifying factors in
placing us as functioning members of the Body of Christ. He places us
where He will get the greatest glory and where we can fulfill our
destinies in Him.
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--------------
Pastor McClung:, "Many People are leaving churches now with a sense of
calling. . ."
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--------------
Many churches, of late, are "depopulating." Although many people have
left churches over the wrong reasons and in offense with unresolved
relationship issues, many people are leaving churches now with a sense
of calling, seeking the specific place that the Lord is calling them to
be a covenant member and functioning part. We should not get
discouraged because some are leaving, because the Lord will bring the
right people to our congregations that will help us fulfill the Lord's
calling for us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------
"STRIFE AND TENSIONS . . . BECAUSE SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE NOT IN THEIR
RIGHT PLACES"
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--------------
This will also benefit those He is bringing as their giftings and
callings were designed to be used in the proper place, and they have
been out of their proper place. This is one of the reasons there has
been a lot of frustration, strife and tension in local
fellowships.because the individual members are not in their right
places.
If some of my pancreas cells decide one day they want to leave their
place and go fellowship with my liver, that is called cancer, and
although the pancreas cells might enjoy it for awhile, both the
pancreas
and liver begin to feel the toxic effects before long. The liver and
pancreas must cohabitate, fellowship and cooperate together, but in
their proper places.
The individual will also begin to function at their highest level, and
find great joy in doing what the Lord designed them for. They will
also
begin to experience a greater level of intimacy with the Lord because
they have found the place of the greatest proximity to the Lord's
manifest presence for their lives and families.
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Refocusing
-----------
While my wife, Kelly and I spent a few days on vacation at the end of
October, I was sensing a great transition coming to me personally and
the Body of Christ in general.
For several days I kept hearing the word "refocus."
To refocus does not mean that you have taken your eyes off of where
they
are supposed to be, but distractions, weariness or any number of things
can get things out of focus in our lives. As one of our intercessors
pointed out, "If something is out of focus, you may not even recognize
what you're looking at."
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Powerful ministry that has left its first love?
------------------------------------------------
The Lord told the Ephesian church in Revelation 2 that "you have left
your first love." They had a great and powerful ministry, but the Lord
had been relegated to somewhere other than first place. The word
"left"
means "to forsake or neglect."
There is coming a re-emphasis to the Body of Christ to "first ministry"
in the church. This means giving the Lord central place in everything
and putting the highest priority on intimacy and worship in our
services
and relationships.
A second question we must ponder as we refocus is, what is our core
mission individually and corporately? Each individual life, fellowship
and community has a specific focus and calling that needs to be pursued
over any other thing in our lives.
We are in a transitional time the Lord is bringing us to, to allow Him
to not only reposition us, but to refocus ourselves on loving Him first
and supremely, and then refocusing on the specific calling and destiny
He has called us to, and remove every hindering influence that blocks
our vision of Him and His purposes. We are about to enter the next
commissioning period of the Holy Spirit and we don't want to try to
slow
down, stop and change tracks past the point that we can.
To refocus can mean to come to repentance as the word repentance
literally means "change of mind," or my perception of this: "change
what
your focus is on."
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Realignment
------------
In Rev. 2:1-7, the Lord not only calls them to refocus, but to realign,
which is the practical outworking of the repositioning and refocusing.
He tells them to "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent
and do the first works." (Rev. 2:5).
This means realigning ourselves with the Lord and His purposes to be
ready for this next phase in His plan to unfold His kingdom through the
Church, fulfill His promises to Israel and the nations, and prepare the
earth for His return. If we do not refocus and put the practical steps
of realigning in intimacy with Him and pursuing His purposes for us, we
will find it harder in the months and years to come to adjust.
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Momentum is a great thing-- when we're on the right track
----------------------------------------------------------
A train must make preparation to adjust at a distance away from the
turning point. Momentum is a great thing when we're on the right track
but can be devastating if we're missing the timing and cues for change.
There was a natural prophetic fulfillment of this as our fellowship met
for intercessory prayer later the same evening the Lord spoke these
words. Two of our intercessors took their automobiles to get wheel
alignments this same day, and both wound up paying much larger bills
because they had to have tires replaced and other work done. In one
case, a simple $30 or $40 procedure ended up costing over $400!
Periodically setting our lives and ministries before the Lord for
examination and realignment would be lest costlier than letting things
go for extended periods without examination.
It's time to let the Lord speak to us to realign!
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IT MEANS TO PUT EMPHASIS ON THE ORIGINAL CALLINGS AND PURPOSES
--------------------------------------------------------------
The practical part of realigning is simple, as the Lord makes
everything
simple. It means to put emphasis on the original callings and purposes
of God in our lives, ministries and businesses. "Do the first works."
This means loving Him and making ministry to Him the priority and
committing ourselves to do what we have been called to do with no
encumbrances on us.
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FOR SOME, A WITHDRAWAL FROM ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO
DO WITH THEIR GIFTINGS AND CALLINGS
-------------------------------------------------------------
This will mean, for some, a withdrawal from activities that have
nothing
to do with their giftings and callings. I believe the Body of Christ,
just like the medical profession, will become highly specialized in the
next few years.
Although every local fellowship has the mandate to preach the gospel
and
make disciples, many churches have tried to become everything to
everyone, stretching themselves to the point of physical, spiritual and
financial exhaustion.
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THE LORD HAS GIVEN EACH LOCAL CONGREGATION A SPECIFIC FUNCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ministering to the Lord, caring for the sheep and reaching out to the
lost should be a part of each congregation, but the Lord has given each
local congregation a specific function within the sphere of the general
calling of God. There are churches that have strong prophetic mantles
on them that could utilize these giftings and mantles to fulfill the
great commission in their own unique way.
They could rent kiosk space in the local mall and have a place in the
midst of marketplace life for "Free Prayer" and dream interpretation.
Where some churches are more evangelistic in calling and may go
door-to-door or some other Spirit-inspired method, others could be
doing
it a little different in keeping with their focus and calling.
Other churches who may have a burden and focus for worship could
release
worship teams to go into their community and bring "worship evangelism"
right into the heart of the enemy's strongholds.
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"WE HAVE REACHED A LINE OF DEMARCATION IN THE SPIRIT"
-----------------------------------------------------
"The apostle Paul understood this principle when he stated, "Brethren,
I
do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do." (Phil
3:13). I personally believe we have reached a great line of
demarcation
in the Spirit. If we will heed what the Holy Spirit is saying, we will
get ourselves aligned with Him in intimacy and His purposes. The fire
of His presence is on the horizon and a great harvest of souls will be
coming shortly.
We must be ready!
============================================
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HEY ELIJAH LIST READERS!! A REMINDER!!! We had extended the "MOST
POPULAR" GRAHAM COOKE TAPE OFFER thru November 5 (today/tonight) --
Graham Cooke's tape, "God is the Kindest Person I've Ever Met!!" (If
you
get this on Wednesday, just Go for it and order this tape!)
The Tape is so awesome, I just wanted to extend it a few days longer.
PLEEESE, if you haven't yet, get Graham's tape, "God is the Kindest
Person I've Ever Met!"
Here's what someone JUST emailed me about this tape by Graham Cooke and
also the one by John Sheasby that comes at the same time:
************************************************************
"We were so blessed by the last two messages we received.
One on, "God is the Kindest Person that I Know."
The other on The New Covenant.
Wow! my husband and I thought after the first message that the other
one couldn't be as good-- but it was!! We just
wanted to say, Thank You ! --- Sonjia"
***************************************************************
to order both these tapes, JUST GO TO::
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Or leave the order on our message machine: 1-541-917-0484 or
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==============================
Hey, Elijah List readers, be SURE to (yes PLEASE get them) the tapes
as
this is the last email on them, the tape by Graham Cooke, "God is the
Kindest Person I've ever Met" and John Sheasby's tape, "The Ministry of
the New Covenant" can be obtained at:
http://theelijahlist.safeshopper.com/409/cat409.htm?881 (Both Graham
and John Sheasby are two people who I have come to know who finally
"got
it." Finally, two (of many out there) who are grasping the grace and
mercies of God! Wow.
Please forward this article to others who will be encouraged. Yes, you
may post it on your own lists and on your own websites. Please keep the
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hard copies of some Elijah List postings. Please make copies of the
tape
for those in prison too, ok? They will be SO encouraged! -- Steve
Shultz www.elijahlist.com
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