In the midst of this, someone suggested that John look for an old message entitled "Dying to Live in Kansas City”. The message was given on New Year's Eve 1998, the year before night and day prayer began at IHOP-KC. Towards the end of the article Mike Sullivant sums up Paul Cains comments:
"If you came to Kansas City to live, then you are going to die. But if you came to die, then you're going to live. God is requiring every one of us as we come here, even with prophetic promises like Abraham had with Isaac, He is calling us to lay them on the altar and allow them to die because the seed that God gives us, prophetically, never looks like the plant when it grows up. The seed has to die. It changes form and many of us have agendas and expectations that we come with and God is calling us to lay them, once again, on the altar. He is enforcing Genesis 22. He is enforcing this principle.
Paul said that we are going to lose our life and I wrote this down as I heard him say that, "You are going to lose your life one way or another. Will you lose you life well?" That is the question; will we lose our life well? Will we do it nobly? Will it have to be forced on us or will we just voluntarily lay our lives down? We need courage in order to do that. We need spiritual courage and that's one of the ministries that we can give to one another in the body. We can encourage one another. We can put courage into one another to lay down our life. We can model it and speak about it and challenge one another in the Holy Spirit. There is going to be a very, very practical outworking of this dying to self."
This is a good word for us right now. How does one lose their life well? It's not easy. It's a painful process. We’re feeling the pain of being stuck in circumstances but with a mindset of living this life to store up treasures in heaven. This life is but a vapor – it’s not our final destination.
We’re also very aware that the enemy does not want us to walk in our calling. We have been under a full blown assault for way too long but have not stood against it. We've lain down and let the enemy fill our thoughts with negativity and lies causing us to feel inadequate, unequipped, and quite frankly, like complete failures. Enough of that!
For now we’re keeping our gaze upward and not focusing on our circumstances. God is sovereign, He is faithful to His promises and we love His leadership – even when we, in our humanity, don’t completely understand it. We’re entering into a new season. It’s a good one full of life!
"If you came to Kansas City to live, then you are going to die. But if you came to die, then you're going to live. God is requiring every one of us as we come here, even with prophetic promises like Abraham had with Isaac, He is calling us to lay them on the altar and allow them to die because the seed that God gives us, prophetically, never looks like the plant when it grows up. The seed has to die. It changes form and many of us have agendas and expectations that we come with and God is calling us to lay them, once again, on the altar. He is enforcing Genesis 22. He is enforcing this principle.
Paul said that we are going to lose our life and I wrote this down as I heard him say that, "You are going to lose your life one way or another. Will you lose you life well?" That is the question; will we lose our life well? Will we do it nobly? Will it have to be forced on us or will we just voluntarily lay our lives down? We need courage in order to do that. We need spiritual courage and that's one of the ministries that we can give to one another in the body. We can encourage one another. We can put courage into one another to lay down our life. We can model it and speak about it and challenge one another in the Holy Spirit. There is going to be a very, very practical outworking of this dying to self."
This is a good word for us right now. How does one lose their life well? It's not easy. It's a painful process. We’re feeling the pain of being stuck in circumstances but with a mindset of living this life to store up treasures in heaven. This life is but a vapor – it’s not our final destination.
We’re also very aware that the enemy does not want us to walk in our calling. We have been under a full blown assault for way too long but have not stood against it. We've lain down and let the enemy fill our thoughts with negativity and lies causing us to feel inadequate, unequipped, and quite frankly, like complete failures. Enough of that!
For now we’re keeping our gaze upward and not focusing on our circumstances. God is sovereign, He is faithful to His promises and we love His leadership – even when we, in our humanity, don’t completely understand it. We’re entering into a new season. It’s a good one full of life!
2 comments:
You GO, Guys! Preach it, sista! GOD is Faithful and as I've been praying for you, I sensed that was the reason for all the warfare. You guys have a powerful calling! You have been given all authority to kick the devil's butt! Woo HOO! Live out of God's rest and His love for you and don't listen to the garbage satan tries to destroy you with... those thoughts - they aren't yours! They ARE NOT YOURS and you DON"T need to take them in and nurture them! Kick out anything that doesn't agree with God's love... Take on God's thoughts, His passion for you and His Rest and live out of that!
He LIKES you! He REALLY LIkes you!!!
Love you, guys! We'll keep prayin'!
j
This post is just what I needed to read. It seems that we are in the same place you were when you wrote this. Now seeing what the Lord has laid out for your family after all is beautiful. Sad I will not have the chance to get to know you and your family better, but blessed to see Him using you and working things on your behave.
I will be praying that all you need is received in the time needed. And I would love your prayers for our family as we seek His desires and direction for our hearts.
Grace and Life!
Audrey Purtle
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