Tuesday, September 20, 2011

BSSM-Week 1

This past week has been...full of revelation, insight, information, reading, sermons, information, incredible worship, friends, information and devotions. And more information! I can't contain it all in my head-let alone in my heart, various journals and on this blog. Here's some of the great revelation and teaching we have received at Bethel and BSSM so far in the past week:
Sunday September 11: Bill Johnson taught from Matthew 16
The Demand for a Sign
 1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. 
  • They had an inborn capacity to discern the times, but they shut down the spiritual aspect. The wicked look for a sign (something to entertain them, rather than to reveal God to His people). Jesus's identity is one of redeemer and reconciler, and he did miracles before and after this verse. 
  • We are to seek what God wants to reveal to us-not as entertainment, but as a way to see God's heart. 
  • Jesus isn't rebuking the need for miracles, but rather their simple addition of Jesus to their life-rather than re-orienting their life towards Jesus. They fit him in where it was convenient for them. We don't seek signs, we seek the sign-giver. 
  • Jesus is the exact representation of His Father's nature --> every miracle is a revelation of the Father's heart and nature. It is never a miracle for a miracle's sake-it's an invitation to a deeper relationship with God. 
  • A miracle is the manifestation of His heart. Our Christ-like character is shaped through obedience to Him. Power in God doesn't exist only to help us overcome sin-Jesus has already done that. 

BSSM Day 1, Tuesday September 13:
  •  Tying into Bill's message on Sunday-The miracle is to be the lens with which you view your next problem. A miracle reveals God's character and says what He's like. It's a dependable source that says God's desire is for healing, restoration and freedom-in the next problem/circumstance as well as the last. 

BSSM Day 2, Wednesday September 14:
Kris Vallotton
  • Word of Knowledge-currently true and measurable
  • Prophecy-a foretelling and forth telling 
The importance of identity in Christ-
  • A man raised in internal slavery cannot free people from external slavery.
  • When you don't love who God has made you you tend to push others away that place a value on you.
  • You become what you think the most important person in your life thinks you are...You'll become what God thinks of you.
  • Oftentimes we try to get by performance what we already received by grace and faith.
Condemnation: you lied, you're a liar. Your bad behavior determines your identity
Conviction: from the Holy Spirit, you're acting below your nature and below what God has called you to be, so stop.


BSSM Day 3, Thursday September 15:
Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson

The importance of our royal identity as sons and daughter of the King-as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
It's an insult to the artist if we trash the painting-God was the artist, Jesus the model and you are the painting.
  • When you pray to God and not with God, you can miss what he is doing and miss his heart.
  • God wants us to experience the joy of giving away his presence.
  • God lights the fire on the altar of sacrifice but the priests keep adding to the fire. 
  • A lot of stuff gets blamed on the sovereignty of God...
  • Most of what you need in life will be brought to you. Most of what you want you'll have to reach for. What are you willing to sacrifice for/reach for to know and see his will be done?
  • Mark 6:52-51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
  • Why do you reason that you have no bread-after he's already provided for in that way?
  • Hardness-we lose focus of the resources of Heaven and abandon what we have access to.
  • When we honor someone, it allows us to function under their authority
  • Power and authority-two complimentary realms that allow us to be used
  • Power-a wave, to catch and cooperate and be used with the Spirit
  • Authority-based on our faith in who God is and what He says about us.
  • The Father cannot be fully revealed/shown without the power to destroy the works of the devil. God is capable AND has the heart to show it.
BSSM Day 4, Friday September 16:
Bill Johnson

  • God knows when to delay an answer-it gains interest. When it finally comes, it'll be greater than when you first asked because God has done an invaluable work in you so that you may receive a greater answer. 
  • If you hunger for a realm of breakthrough (i.e. every broken bone you prayed for God would heal), God wanted it first. God is still more moved for others than we are.
  • The person who can't ever rejoice over a healed headache can't be trusted with an empty wheelchair.
  • Are we trustworthy stewards of the acorn, though we pray for an oak tree. The Kingdom sees the potential. What we see in the natural is just a seed compared to the spiritual. 
  • Enduring prayer makes us more ready to receive the answer.
  • Many people tolerate loss and call it discipline from God. God doesn't give the thief permission to steal. The devil's not God's employee. 

Wow...Week one of BSSM has been...full. These are just the most main points of each day. Every bullet I compiled also came with a story, testimony, scripture, illustration etc to make the point hit to our hearts.

Sunday morning: Bethel Church

I felt like God said to me, You will glean from the mothers and fathers here who have seen God move throughout the nations. There are valuable, golden lessons to be learned through the testimonies of those who have gone before you. Write them down as a pillar of hope and as a radical display of God's goodness.


Bill Johnson:

  • Israel focused on the acts of God, Moses sought his ways and his nature. When we rejoice only over what God's done, then when he doesn't do what we want him to do, we'll question his goodness.
  • God will is never judged by mans response to His will, or our ability to carry it out.
  • Gifts are free, maturity is expensive. Maturity creates a platform for the weightiness of his glory. 

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