RHEMA IN THE KINGDOM: GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAINS—ALL SEVEN OF THEM
As the Son of God, Jesus is an example for us; as the Son of Man, Jesus is an example of us.
—JOSHUA CHURCHYARD2
The Three Kings and Their Kingdoms
Jesus schooled Peter about salvation, the church, and the kingdom, and the former fisherman knew he was saved to build the church by advancing the kingdom of God. He was set to go. He was mature, he had revelation, and he knew where the keys were and what the keys did. He was large and in charge. He learned binding and loosing. He was ready to go…or was he?
Did you know that Jesus taught about three kingdoms in Matthew 16:17-19? Verse 17 makes us aware of God’s kingdom when Jesus says that “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” That is God’s kingdom. Then in verse 18, we are made aware of the gates of hades or satan’s kingdom—Jesus came to destroy the works of the evil one (see 1 John 3:8). Finally, verse 19 reveals the last kingdom: “And I will give you the keys…and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” That kingdom is the kingdom of man working under the direction of God.
If we continue to read Matthew’s narrative, however, we see these three kingdoms clash in Matthew 16:21-23. Jesus gave Peter information and revelation, but Peter needed to experience his first lesson in transformation. The word was going to have to become flesh in Peter:
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:21-26)
Jesus told Peter that He was going to the cross; He told Peter what service in the church and the kingdom was all about—denying yourself for God’s sake and the sake of others. This was not what Peter was expecting. Peter tried to do kingdom ministry on Jesus before he had been equipped for ministry in the church. He tried to “bind” Jesus from going to the cross; he tried to “loose” Jesus to another destiny. He tried to “loose” a cross-less form of Christianity on Jesus. After all, Peter had just taken a class in binding and loosing.
But Jesus knew the voice that was behind Peter’s voice. He heard this voice before in the wilderness. What did Jesus do? He bound what had been already bound in Heaven. He said to Peter, “Get behind Me, satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” That had to be tough on Peter. He still needed some training in ministry before he got into the big stuff in the kingdom.
This is quite an account of the three kingdoms clashing. God’s kingdom was in Jesus, satan’s kingdom was speaking through a man who needed to do some training and maturing, and man’s kingdom was revealed in Peter who still wanted life done his way. Peter was well-intentioned but deceived.
Introducing “His Majesty, the Baby”
How was Jesus going to train Peter’s hands for battle? Matthew 16:24 enlightens us. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” God takes us from the cradle to the cross to the crown. Church is a type of wilderness where we take up the cross. Jesus built His church by taking up the cross; in fact, He set captives free by taking up the cross. Jesus died to Himself in taking up the cross. Similarly, Peter had to learn obedience by taking up his cross so he could follow Jesus into the kingdom.
Church moves us beyond the baby or flesh stage to the maturity stage. It’s where we become more Christlike. Church is where we learn to live by every RHEMA that proceeds from the mouth of God. It’s where we learn whose voice we are hearing. Think of it. Peter had receptors that allowed satan to talk through him just as, moments earlier, God had talked to and through Peter. When Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” God was talking to humankind and through humankind. That is what we call binding and loosing, on earth as it is in Heaven. That’s why we are to listen to God, and that’s why we need church. There is a bit of Saul (before he became Paul) in us all. Church is where we start the journey from Saul to the apostle Paul. And the first thing we should learn in church is to hear first, speak second. Otherwise, we will be like Peter and speak first and hear second.
Peter went to the school of experience with Jesus and the Father to learn about speaking first and hearing second. Jesus recognized satan speaking through Peter (ouch!). Then the Father showed up at the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:5 and told the inner group of three (which included Peter), “Hear Him!” They were to hear first and speak second. That was a sign of maturity that comes from being in church. Church is valuable because it moves us beyond the carnal nature of “His Majesty, the Baby,” to a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ, equipped and ready to fulfill God’s purposes in our own generation.
Rhema Expands God’s Kingdom
In accordance with our analogy of Egypt, wilderness, and Canaan, we are now looking at how RHEMA works in Canaan. We have moved from members to ministers. The guiding verse for RHEMA in the kingdom is Matthew 16:19: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Our definition of kingdom in a geographic sense is any entity or any mountain of culture that is operating contrary to the will of God. In a spiritual sense, a kingdom is any area of culture that is occupied by humanism or any other -ism that is contrary to the knowledge of God. There are areas and spiritual high places that are not under God’s jurisdiction.
In a legal sense, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof ” (Psalm 24:1 KJV). God owns the earth—He has the title deed to that domain. But trespassers are possessing the domain or territory that God owns, much like the Canaanites before the Israelites took possession of Canaan. Binding and loosing is God giving power and authority to His seven-mountain representatives to be process-servers who serve legal notice and dispossess the wisdom-based trespassers. Then marketplace ministers repossess the land and bring it back under God’s jurisdiction. Binding is the trespassing notice and loosing is giving it back to its legal owner.
As a marketplace minister, our primary job is to bring light into the darkness that has invaded the marketplace. Look around at your sphere of influence or your mountain in culture—whether it is the mountain of government, business, education, media, arts and entertainment, or family, it’s dark there. The only place that is halfway lit is the religion mountain.
Didn’t God say, “Let there be light,” and light was everywhere? God created light because God is light (see 1 John 1:5). He makes all things into His own image. Light could be because light is! The Light of the World created light so it could be on earth as it is in Heaven. God speaks RHEMA to Christians in the marketplace, then those in the marketplace speak RHEMA in and to their areas of influence. That’s being light in the darkness. RHEMA and LOGOS in the kingdom are what take ground and then hold the ground that was taken. Don’t think that a group of committed Christians can’t do much in their businesses or neighborhoods.
Seven Mountains That Need to Be Transfigured
Six days after Matthew introduces us to the kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 16:19, we see Jesus on top of a mountain in Matthew 17:1-8 with three of His disciples. Here Jesus is taking His A-team to a high mountain where He is transfigured right in front of their eyes. His face shines like the sun, and His garments become as white as light. In other words, Jesus is at the top of the mountain and giving out light. The Light of the World is illuminating the mountaintop. If I were to pick from the seven mountains of society, I would say it is the religion mountain, since Moses and Elijah show up.
Immediately, Peter sees this as a chance to be spiritual. His heart is in the right place. He has a good idea but it’s not a God idea. How do I know that? As Peter speaks from his heart (which he’d done with Jesus a few verses earlier), God shows up in a bright cloud and interrupts him. A voice comes out of the cloud saying something different than the first time God said it—and this “something” changes everything: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; hear Him!” The first time God made this declaration in Matthew 3:17, God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” But notice this time God adds: “Hear Him!” Don’t listen to any other voices, but hear Him! Why? Because He hears God.
That’s enough for Peter, James, and John. There is no more talk. There are no more good ideas. They hit the deck. If they’d had a church at this point, it could be called Horizontal Christian Fellowship. Jesus then comes along and says, “Don’t be afraid.” And when they open their eyes, they see only Jesus. I realize this stretches the main meaning of this section of scripture, but we can glean important principles from this account for transforming a runaway culture.
There are seven mountains of culture that need to be transformed back into conformity with the image of Christ. After all, the earth and all its fullness are the Lord’s. It all belongs to God. These cultural mountains will underachieve if they listen to any other voice but God’s. That is what is happening in today’s world. Runaway mountains need to be transfigured and reconfigured back into their original, normal, created design. Here are some keys for marketplace ministers.
First, we need marketplace ministers with Christian thinking who listen to Jesus at the top of each cultural mountain. The mountain didn’t transfigure Jesus; rather, Jesus was transfigured first and then the mountain was filled with light. Light is needed at the top of the mountain so the mountain can be transfigured. The anointing always flows downward (see Psalm 133:2). Transfigured people in high positions transfigure mountains; transformed leaders positioned in high places transform mountains. People who have the light, shine. Just ask Moses and Elijah. Go light up the top of your mountain!
Second, “hear Him.” It’s one thing to get to the gates of the seven mountains of society, but it’s another thing to have something to say when you get there. There are many Christian business owners and even Christian corporations who are at the top of their mountain, but they don’t have too much to say at the top, and so they remain silent. Or they just sound like everyone else. Where’s the wisdom? Where’s the light? Where’s the word of wisdom? Where’s the word of knowledge? Where’s the solution to the problem like Joseph, Nehemiah, or Daniel had? You have the keys, so go tell it and use it on the mountains.
Share the RHEMA that God has given you with those on your mountain. Adapt a lifestyle of hearing first and speaking second. God is saying to us, “I am using Jesus to talk to you.” In the same way, God will be using you to speak to your spheres of influence. Don’t be like Peter at this point in his life—having a great heart, but not so great at thinking things through. He didn’t learn the lesson from Jesus in Matthew 16:22-23, so God came down to repeat the lesson in Matthew 17:5. I’m not trying to be like Peter, but the truth is that many of us are just like him. The lesson to Peter and to us is, “Hear Him!”
Third, transfigure your mountain as a team. Don’t try to do the job alone. Form a microchurch; get a group of people together on your mountain who are motivated, who hear from God, and who have something to say, see, and share. On top of His mountain, Jesus was with a benevolent leader who listened to God most of the time. Jesus was also with a prophet who heard from God. Each listened to God, each had encounters with light, and each spoke what God spoke. Each of them dealt with high-level leaders in society, and each of them transfigured and reconfigured his area of influence. Each had a measure of grace, but together they moved from a measure of grace to grace without measure. Unity brings the anointing and the anointing breaks the yoke.
Fourth, if they can’t see us, then they won’t be us. We must incarnate. The Word should become flesh on top of the mountains. We need to live God’s life, have real solutions to real problems, have favor with God and with others, and go tell it on the mountains. Don’t worry about the results, for your job is to deliver the message in word and deed. Illuminate mountains! Illuminate nations! Let your imagination create illuminated nations.
And last, try not to build a monument to yourself like Peter wanted to do. The flesh wants to do that. Don’t look at what you can do; look at what God can do. Just look at Jesus, listen to Jesus, and allow God’s RHEMA to transfigure you. Then what you say will be what God wanted to say through you. That’s how God transfigures mountains.
Transfiguring Your Mountain Through Illumination
The first claim we made in this book is that God speaks. God speaking and the creation of light by the Holy Spirit is called illumination. In First Corinthians 2:10-16, God speaks to the Spirit, and then He speaks through the Spirit to us. When we have ears to hear His voice, we get illumination. We speak that illumination “not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts and spiritual words” to people in the world. In that way, God says through us, “Let there be light” in the darkness, and there is light. Eyes can’t see without light. Real sight comes from real light, and that only comes from hearing an utterance from God. Hearing comes before seeing. Sight needs light. No light, no sight. Illumination comes from hearing God.
Here is the process: when God wants to create something, He simply speaks what He is thinking. The Holy Spirit hears what God speaks, and then the Holy Spirit says it to our spirit and mind. If we have ears to hear, then we will hear what the Spirit is saying. We combine our spiritual thoughts with spiritual words, which don’t come from us but come from God. The Word speaks to you a word before you speak a word.
God says to the Spirit, “Let there be light” (or what God wants done and said), then the Holy Spirit says to our spirit, “Let there be light” (or what God wants done or said). If we are listening, we say, “Let there be light” (or what God wants done or said). Where did that word (RHEMA) come from? We are hearing an utterance that provides illumination, clarity, or direction. That’s what Jesus meant in the Lord’s Prayer when He said, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” RHEMA is a vehicle of God for “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!” I call this process illumination, revelation, transformation, and then perspiration.
How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance (Psalm 89:15).
Those who hear the joyful sound of the Lord shall walk in the light of His countenance as well as in the light of the Lord. That’s illumination, clarity, and direction as we hear first and speak second.
Go Tell It on the Mountains
To those of you working in the marketplace, raising children, retired, or anywhere outside the church walls, it’s time to bring the light into the darkness. In order to be effective, however, you need an ear to hear prophetic insights given by the heavenly “insighter” that will occasionally make you seem like an inciter to a stubborn crowd. The time is now to understand, embrace, and utilize the prophetic ministry of Jesus. It’s an awareness issue. It’s time for marketplace ministers to discover RHEMA, uncover RHEMA, and recover RHEMA so they can change the other six cultural mountains.
Put yourself in a position to succeed by hearing wisdom from God. The best way to do that is to say to the Lord, “Lord, what do You want to say about this business problem, this relationship problem, this financial decision, this promotion opportunity, this possible expansion, this marketing strategy that’s not producing?” It’s time to say, “Lord, what do You want to do today? What contacts should I make? Whom should I hire? Whom should I fire? What word of wisdom would turn this conflict into a win-win rather than a win-lose?” Worldly wisdom is Clark Kent, but godly illumination is Superman. As Christians who serve God in the marketplace, we have the advantage.
You give God a face and voice within your community. You are filled so you can be spilled. You are a carrier and a courier. You bring the gift of prophetic insight—the voice of God—into a space that needs it. You bring in strategy that is beyond the realm of human reasoning. You bring in a word of wisdom from God. You bring in Christian core values that carry within them the power to create wealth and societal lift. You are an example and a model of wisdom in action, creating influence. You fill the spaces with the glory of the Lord. You bring a servant-leader approach to leadership. You bring unlimited possibilities that would not be options without you. You have a resource that is beyond human education and logic. You have that capacity, and you hopefully have that competency.
When you engage your sphere of influence (your mountain), be like Jesus and look for people who will follow you as you follow Jesus, and then make disciples where you are. The best this world can get is you being you with God all over you. Your roots are in church, but your fruits are in the community. If you’re in marketing, then you’re not merely marketing; you’re manifesting. If you’re in management, then you’re not merely managing; you’re manifesting. Whatever your mountain, you’re manifesting. You are making God known outside the church walls. Your career is your ministry and your ministry is your career. You have in your hands what God has in His heart. Let there be light! Let there be a spiritual fountain on top of each mountain!
Consider the seven mountains, or spheres of influence, in society. The problem is not the mountain of government; rather, the problem is that we don’t have enough Christians with Christian thinking and values in government. The problem is not the mountain of business; rather, the problem is that we don’t have enough Christians with Christian thinking and values in business. The problem is not the mountain of education; the problem is that we don’t have enough Christians with Christian thinking and values in education. The problem is not the mountains of media, arts and entertainment, or family per se; rather, the problem is that we don’t have enough Christians with Christian thinking and values with the power to influence these mountains.
Kingdom people have always had illumination, but they are not always in a place to use the illumination. Just like Daniel, Joseph, Esther, and Nehemiah were fountains at the top of their mountains, so some of us can and will be too. Culture is transformed from the top down, not the bottom up. We need to be people of influence in places of influence, wherever God has assigned us. Let the Word give you God-inspired, God-breathed, God-empowered RHEMA before you speak a word. The times we are living in require it.
Let There Be Kingdom Light—Outside the Church Walls
At the beginning of this chapter, I quote Joshua Churchyard of Church of the Way in Benoni, South Africa, near Johannesburg. Here is what he says: “As the Son of God, Jesus is an example for us. As the Son of Man, Jesus is an example of us.” That is a profound statement. Jesus the Son of Man was showing us the potential we have, and as Son of Man He was an example of Adam before the fall. Adam walked and talked with God. He experienced God’s presence. He experienced Heaven on earth. But as an example of us, Jesus limited Himself to doing only what the Father told Him to do. He could have called legions of angels to help Him, but He didn’t. Why not? It was because He wanted to show us what it means to be a child of God, a Christian. The word Christian means “a little Christ.” Little Christs take orders from headquarters. That is the life we were meant to live.
Looking at the ministry of Jesus, we see what He did to show us what we could do if we heard first and spoke second. He wanted us to see what humanity experienced in the garden before the fall. He was an example of us, if we, like Him, hear first and speak second. Watch what He did. As Christians, we could do every one of the examples seen below—at least, the potential is certainly there. God is raising up Christians who are ready to do “greater works” atop the seven mountains that need to be transfigured. Jesus serves as an example for us and maybe even of us in the marketplace or our sphere of influence. As the example of us, He took on the form of the Son of Man. He limited Himself to being dependent on God. How would you like to run your business that way?
He “Forthtold” the Past with the Woman at the Well
[Jesus said,] “For you have five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.”…The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet” (John 4:18-19).
The woman at the well heard the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus! Where did Jesus get that revelation? The Father told Him. Just like God in Genesis, Jesus said, “Woman, let there be light,” and there was light. Jesus called her out of darkness and into His marvelous light. He spoke to her what God told Him to speak. She heard an utterance from God spoken to her concerning her past and present life that provided illumination, clarity, and direction. His insight illuminated her foresight.
Jesus Discerned Churches
To the angel at the church of Sardis write…“I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain…” (Revelation 3:1-2).
Why did Jesus say this to this church? It was because God told Him to say it. Do you see this? The world would have said to the church of Sardis, “Wow, this church is alive—look at all the ministries, observe all the people, look what the Lord has done!” But the church was in gross darkness. God said, “Jesus, let there be light,” and there was light and truth.
He Foretold Coming Events
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (Acts 1:5).
Jesus foretold and He also “forthtold.” How could He know what was going to happen in the future? It was because the Father told Him. Let there be light and there was light. Jesus spoke an utterance from God to Peter so he would be ready for what was going to happen. That communication was for illumination.
He Looks Beyond What Is Evident
[Jesus said to those standing by,] “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”… And Jesus said [to her], “Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:7,11).
A woman was caught in adultery, and the religious right was going to stone the lady. Jesus’s response to them opened the eyes of their hearts. Their motives were exposed. Where did Jesus get the wisdom for what He said to the religious leaders? God spoke to Him. Jesus heard first and spoke second. He heard the Father. The wisdom confounded the religious group. They had nowhere to go but out of there. Jesus was, in effect, reliving God’s account of creation: let there be light and there was light.
He Revealed Coming Events to Prepare Us
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs (Matthew 24:7-8).
Sometimes life is scary. Things go on in the nations—wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines and the like. If we aren’t prepared for this, then they could limit our effectiveness at a time when the world might need us the most. God wants us to be prepared. We aren’t slaves; we are sons, so we know what the Father is doing. We are family. We are His body. He prepares us beforehand. He speaks to us and He lets us know that despite the horrible circumstances going on around us, He has the big picture under control. He will speak to us so we are prepared to be able to speak to others. Let there be light and there was light, and the light was good.
He Was Sensitive and Discerned God’s Timing
So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune” (John 7:6).
Jesus knew that in God’s divine timetable, His trip to the cross was not yet at hand. How did He know that? Because the Father said it. Notice how Jesus heard first and then spoke second. Remember, as the Son of Man, Jesus lived by every RHEMA that proceeded out of the mouth of God. He learned to discern. You and I can do that too in the marketplace if we learn to hear first, speak second.
He Heard and Then Spoke Provision for God Intersections
And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’”(Luke 22:10-11)
How did Jesus know this? God spoke it first. Remember, as the Son of Man, Jesus needed to hear from God first and then speak second.
He Foretold Demonic Betrayals, Yet Went by God’s Timing
And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me” (Matthew 26:23).
How did Jesus know that Judas would betray Him? It was because God spoke to Him and there was light.
He Brought a Whole New View of the Ways of God
And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:2-3).
Jesus knew the exact reason for this man’s illness. Common logic at the time didn’t have a place for anything other than karma. Jesus, via hearing from the Father, brought a much larger view of God’s ways.
He Recognized God-Inspired Revelation
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16-17).
Jesus knew when the voice of God had spoken to someone. And you can too.
He Recognized Evil’s Voice in Others
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, satan! You are a stumbling block to me…” (Matthew 16:22-23).
Jesus knew other voices too. Why? It was because He was used to hearing God’s voice.
He Discerned Those Who Were Seeking God
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God…” (John 3:1-2).
Because God sees the heart, Jesus could see the heart of Nicodemus.
He Interceded with God’s Heart for a Disobedient Nation
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate (Matthew 23:37-38).
God assigned Jesus the ministry of intercession for us (see Hebrews 7:25). He heard God assign Him this ministry, and He faithfully did it.
He Foretold Peter’s Failure and Lifted Peter’s Future
Simon, Simon, behold, satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31-32).
We can be either accusers or intercessors. The devil is the accuser, but Jesus is the intercessor. He fulfills His ministry because He heard from God.
Listen to Him
Everything Jesus did was prophetic. This was so he could go and tell it and show it on the mountains of this world. How did Jesus do this? Listen to what God says in Matthew 17:5: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” Why are we to listen to Jesus? It is because He hears from God. He listens to God. Jesus hears first and speaks second. God is telling the three disciples, “Get the blueprint, Peter, James, and John—and all the other Christians who follow!” Illumination comes first, then communication. Inspiration, revelation, transformation, and then comes perspiration. Let the Word give you a word before you speak a word. Just like God and Jesus, you can say, “Let there be light,” wherever you go. While Jesus is in the world, He is the Light of the World, but after Jesus leaves the earth, we will be the light of the world, a city set on a hill. God is light (see 1 John 1:5), Jesus is light (see John 9:5), and Christ-followers are light too (see John 5:14). Jesus said: “He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world” (John 8:26), and “I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me” (John 8:28).
Upgrading Your Business or Career
God is more concerned about His kingdom coming and His will being done on earth than we are. We have the capacity within us to see this happen via the Holy Spirit. We need to increase our competency. Capacity is what God created you to have on the inside, while competency is what you can do to unleash your capacity. Capacity is Christ in you, but competency is you in Christ. Increase your competency by hearing what God is saying in the kingdom and on the mountains and you will unleash your capacity in influencing your mountain.3
Dancing on the Mountaintops to See His Kingdom Come
The following is a chart that Alan Platt of the Doxa Deo Church Network and his team designed to show how cultural transformation starts first with God, then goes through His people to all the cultural influencers in a nation, city, or community. We listen to Him as we ascend the seven mountains of society (Doxa Deo uses eight as seen in this chart) to shift their spiritual realities. We increase so we can inherit.
Until we reform, we only revisit. Someday is today and that someone is you. Climb every mountain—all seven of them. Then go tell it on the mountains! When Jesus shows up to transfigure the mountain, start dancing on the mountaintop to see His kingdom come. I hope you dance.
Notes
1. I heard Joseph Garlington say this is one of his sermons at a conference I was attending.
2. Used by permission of Joshua Churchyard.
3. For information on Ed Delph’s seminars, including one discussing competency and capacity, visit NationStrategy’s website at http://nationstrategy.com/nationstrategy-seminars/.