October 20, 2011

Grace in Motion

Who among us isn't hoping for, striving toward, and praying through a Breakthrough in one form or another? There is always something beyond where we are now and often it seems that there is something (whether real or perceived) that stands in the way. The keys have been given to us for breakthrough and much of what was handed to us I believe lies in the revelation that Victory is (already) ours... the price has been paid, the battle won, and the Authority transferred over to us to enforce!

I've been pondering on the reality that we live - right now - in two realms; that we have access to (and authority in) the spiritual realm as much as in the natural realm. They are not two worlds - but two realms - intermingling, active on this earth. While spending some time in worship, I had a vision that really impacted me this week.

I saw myself dancing...and at first I thought I was just seeing vivid colors but I realized that I was dancing under water. Gravity was not really holding me back and I could flow and jump, twist, leap and spin without any hindrances. It was so beautiful, graceful, and peaceful. Then I saw myself back up on the waters surface, floating... I appeared to be 'stranded' in the middle of an ocean and in the natural - it seemed dangerous and hopeless. However, if I would just dive own deeper - things looked totally different. It's like the surface of the water is all that separates 2 worlds - the natural (where fear rules and reigns) or the spiritual (where peace and grace embrace you.) From the perspective of the natural - RISK looks like opportunity for failing, but from the perspective of the spiritual, RISK is grace in motion.

The other thing that stood out to me is the surface is SO thin... it's such a small barrier that separates! There is a way to break through that is smooth, and graceful, and calm, or you can dive in, crashing the surface where you feel pain and create a disturbance. Both ways get you below the surface, into a different world - but one is more powerful and it depends on your perspective on which one you think that is! It made me think of watching the Olympic diving competition. So much focus is on form and technique - yet a lot of the score is dependent on the SPLASH created (or lack thereof) when they dive through the surface! The smaller the splash - the better the dive! We can learn from this!

I loved seeing the dive and taking risk... seeing the dance, if you will, below the surface as Grace in motion. I am becoming more and more aware that these 'two realms' that we abide in are so thinly separated... my goal is to go out and make a splash... but bigger (it turns out) is not necessarily better!

Dive in... join the dance!
~Karrilee~

October 12, 2011

John Mark Pool: A Season to Ascend!

Wow - this is such a great word!!! I am off to Abide with Him and worship in Spirit and Truth in my own secret place for a bit!
Enjoy!
~Karrilee~

October 5, 2011

Heaven Invading Earth, and SOARing to new heights

OK - I am sort of cheating... it has been quite some time since I have blogged here. I am 'cheating' in that I had to write a book report or book review for the school I am now attending and instead of writing a new post - I thought I would just copy and paste for an update. But you know me... I always have plenty of words and I wanted to write a little something first!

For a few years now, my spirit has been bent towards Redding, CA. I fell in love with a movement happening there at Bethel church and saturated myself in books, CDs, teachings, and worship coming out of that place. I had the opportunity to go there for a conference a few years ago and left a part of my heart there! They have a Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry there and I would SO love to go. However, it was really just not an option. Finances, ties here to our city, jobs, kids, etc - all reasons that kept us here. So when we found out that God was bringing BSSM to us since we could not go to it - we knew right away we would be there no matter what. The Lord opened doors and both myself and my hubby applied and are now attending a satellite school to BSSM called SOAR. We are SO excited and honored to be among the first year students digging in and emersing ourselves in a movement that pushes us beyond our comfort zones and opens up opportunity left and right to release the Kingdom.

This brings me to the 'copy and paste' portion of this post! Our first 'book report' is due today... so I just thought I would share it here... if you have not yet read this book, "When Heaven Invades Earth" by Bill Johnson - RUN out and get it! It will challenge and inspire you to play your part is releasing Heaven...

Enjoy!
~Karrilee~

______________________

When I was first handed the reading list for SOAR, I browsed it over and quickly found that I had already read through (at least once) over half of the books. However “When Heaven Invades Earth” was a book I kept meaning to read, but hadn’t got to yet. I recall back in 2004, ministering often online through a “The Passion of the Christ” live chat room that was set up in order to minister to and talk with people who had just ‘experienced’ the movie. I was active in that chat room for many months, befriending many new or not yet believers. One of them was slowly coming out of a fog and had gotten a hold of this book by Bill Johnson. At that point, I hadn’t heard of him but she kept saying that his book was saying the same things that I was telling her - and he was actually seeing this stuff happen first hand. I knew I had to check into this man. The rest, as they say, is history! So to read this book now, after years of reading other things written by Bill and the staff at Bethel – to read a bit of the beginning and see and know now that these things are STILL going on is such a blessing.

I have been submerged in the Bethel culture through books, visiting, watching online, and listening to various worship and teaching CDs/DVDs for some time now. The one truth that really hit home in reading this book is that it is not enough to have faith. I have the faith. But we must take RISK and put our faith into action to actually release the Kingdom of God into our city. Bill says, “My faith is not just an abiding faith; it is active. It is aggressive by nature. It has focus and purpose. Faith grabs hold of the reality of the Kingdom and forcefully and violently brings it into a collision with this natural one. An inferior kingdom cannot stand.” pg 51 (Johnson, 2003) The Kingdom of God is near. As near as we will allow it to fill us and flow out of us!

With his humility, hunger, passion, love, and experience (via testimonies), Pastor Bill shouts out ‘take risk!’ There is freedom in failing, in knowing that no one will have 100% success rate in the laying on of hands and seeing healing and other miracles take place. However, we will be 100% successful if we never try - zero for zero! Now is the time to step up and step out; to submit to His leading and hear His heart for the people around us – in our homes, our churches, our parks and coffee shops, grocery stores and malls. Hear Him crying out for them… Be bold. Offer prayer. Offer hope. Create an atmosphere in which He is invited in and released to bring about His will.

I love his emphasis on being Presence-minded. I love his heart for worship and his willingness to wait on God until He speaks. You can see him do this while giving a sermon and you can even ‘hear’ him do it in his writing. I love the Scripture and teaching he unwraps in this book. This man is in love and in line with the Word of God and he is confident in Christ and all that He has purchased for us in His death and Resurrection. I appreciate the back stories and testimonies; they make him ‘real’ – like one of us! I think at the heart of this book is the reality that we simply MUST know who we are in Christ. And once we know that… we simply MUST release Him wherever we go. The responsibility, honor, and privilege is ours and ours alone!

Now is the time to press through our own insecurities and hesitation, our own fears and self-preservation tendencies! Now is the time for the Church to arise and shine! This is the season for pouring out… for stretching beyond ourselves and our own comfort zones! It is our high calling to live as heirs with Christ, and to pray in agreement with Jesus, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10 NKJV) This book equips and inspires us to go out and do just that!

To order this book from Amazon - click HERE and join the movement!

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