Contrasting an orphan spirit from a spirit of sonship

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Ever since Adam and Eve were alienated from God the Father in the Garden of Eden, an orphan spirit has permeated the earth causing untold damage! (By “orphan” I am referring to a sense of abandonment, loneliness, alienation, and isolation.) Almost immediately after the fall in Eden, the fruit of this orphan spirit resulted in jealousy culminating in Cain murdering his brother Abel because God the Father didn’t receive his offering. To make matters worse in contemporary society with the breakup of the nuclear family large amounts of people are not only alienated from God but are brought up without the loving care and security of their biological fathers.

Abuses and Blessings of the Contemporary Apostolic Movement

As a person who has been part of the Apostolic Movement since 1989 I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. That being said, I believe all of the five-fold ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 have always been present throughout church history (leaders were functioning these ways, whether they used these titles or not). Consequently, I have known many leaders who legitimately functioned in apostolic leadership and I have known many who have used the title without apostolic fruit and legitimacy.

Ten Signs You Have A Religious Spirit

In this article I am using the term “religion” to refer to man-made effort that utilizes works to please God. It is very easy to mistake being religious for having a relationship with God. All religions in the world are based on religion which is a man-made attempt to reach God. However, Christianity is supposed to involve having a genuine relationship with God (2 Corinthians 13:14). Unfortunately, it is very easy to unwittingly replace this precious relationship with a religious spirit (meaning a lifestyle or attitude), which is the default position of sinful human nature. The purpose of this article is to help people become self-aware, not to condemn or judge them. Hence, if you use this to judge others you yourself are guilty of one of the following signs.

The consequences of living an unthankful life

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Ten Signs of Leadership Burnout

This November my wife and I will have reached 36 years in full-time church ministry. In our day, we have seen many a leader lose their zeal for God and fall away from the work of the Lord. Often it is due to the fact they did not take the adequate time needed to seek the Lord on a daily basis for self-renewal. Other reasons include not having a balanced life that incorporated things that advanced their physical and emotional health (instead of just focusing on their work and ministry).

Seven Ways to Develop a Prophetic Culture in Your Church

A prophetic culture is an exciting and much needed element for a cutting edge local church. By “prophetic culture” I am referring to having a sense of anticipation among the attendees that God is going to manifest His presence and speak directly to His people, either through the preached Word of God and/or through the worship experience. By prophetic culture I am not merely referring to a plethora of prophetic words being released during church services. When a church has a true prophetic culture, there is a deep connection to God during congregational gatherings that result in believers getting transformed and consecrating themselves to the call of God. When there are many prophetic words but no personal transformation, folks are mainly prophesying out of their own souls and not representing God’s heart. There are several things needed to bring this kind of atmosphere into a local church.

The 10 seasons of a Local Church

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8 Signs a Mega Church has Minor Influence

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How to Prosper in a Time of Scarcity

When this article was first drafted, a prominent newspaper in the United Kingdom, The Independent, had as their top headline that the United States is in a Depression.

While it is true that America may face economic challenges, Christians can learn to tap into principles based on the economics of the Kingdom of God, instead of the standards of the world economy.

Finding The Balance Between "Being and Doing"

In our culture we have a proclivity to elevate “doing over being”, to focus more on causes then on Christ; which means that the greatest threat we have as Christians (as defined by Paul in Galatians and Romans when we try to have salvation by works) to our growth in Christ by process is that we live in a future oriented culture that relates time largely to efficiency and productivity. We are more inclined then ever to use time to accomplish results then to enhance relationships.

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