LIVING ON THE EDGE

That is really what it is all about – Living on the Prophetic Edge. That means living in the Spirit – being led by the Spirit. Romans 8: 14 says “For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.”

The Bible also tells us to live by the spirit and when we do, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Living on the edge – I am talking about the Prophetic edge, the apostolic, the breaker anointing, taking it to the limit, living, ruling, and reigning in the fullness of the spirit. Knowing the power and authority that has been given to us and taking it to the edge to the limit – for the Kingdom to extend and advance the Kingdom. When we come to the edge of ourselves, we come to the only place where man can meet his God – a place called faith. It’s living by faith. Our justification is nothing but by faith. The just shall live by faith. Not leaning on our own understanding but leaning on the Lord. Living according to His word and living by the Spirit.

Kingdom is a governmental term; we need to know that we are not governed by the powers of this world or by the natural principles established in the mind of man, that our authority comes from a higher power and a higher authority than anything that is in this world. When they asked Jesus, He told them that his Kingdom and authority was not of this world. When His disciples asked Him about prayer in Matthew 5 (what we commonly know as the Lord’s prayer), He said to pray: Let thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

What He is looking for, is for heaven to touch earth, is to extend the King’s dominion. It’s for you and me to be ambassadors for Christ. Myles Munroe says that the Holy Spirit is the governor of God’s Kingdom on earth. He is extending His Kingdom, and you and I are his prophetic agents – His voice on earth, his hands. His heart was to only do what He saw the father do, only say what He heard the father say. He didn’t hear in the natural alone. He didn’t speak in the natural alive. He could only hear the Father by the power of the Spirit.

We need to stop bowing our knee to man and bow to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. To be led by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, that is the purposes of the church…I am talking about the church … I am not talking about your fellowship, your denomination…We are the church.

But in the New Testament in the Book of Acts, there were three primary fellowships or churches that were discussed. There was the church of Jerusalem, the church of Ephesus, and the church at Antioch. The church of Jerusalem was scattered by the Lord except for the apostles, who remained in Jerusalem. I believe he sent the rest out. I believe he chose to leave the apostles in Jerusalem to sit in council. You know if He would have wanted to send them out, who knows, maybe they
would have wanted to circumcise everyone, and turn them all into Jews, with their religious and legalistic attitude. It could have possibly hindered the development of the church. We need to make sure that we are not doing that today. Because we are neither Jew nor Greek, free nor bond – it is about us being one new man in Christ, letting go of those things that are behind, and reaching towards the goal – the high call of Christ Jesus.

Our God is a God of individuality, not a cookie-cutter. God does not want all of us to look alike, dress alike, talk alike but he anoints people/saints just like you and me. He’s looking for no name, no face, no agenda but his. If you are a catholic minister you must wear a collar or robe, and if you are a Baptist, Pentecostal or protestant you can’t. worship. I don’t care if you’re doing laps around the building or sitting solemnly in your pew it seems that we have this constant urge for conformity. If we go to a casual church, everyone must wear jeans or shorts, or you are not free. What happened to freedom and expression? I am what I am. Do I have to worship just like you or work just like you or am I legitimately free to be me.

Worship is a posture of the heart. Freedom does not have to do with prison walls, but rather those that we erect through conformity, religion, and legalism. If you have been set free by the son, then you are free indeed.

Sometimes we go to a church that is casual and everyone is in jeans, and if you dressed any other way, you feel condemned of man, that maybe you are religious, but the one who is religious is the one who conforms for the sake of conformity, rather than being let by the Spirit of joy in your heart.

How about the church of Ephesus – I believe that’s the emerging church. The book of Ephesians describes a church in this season – coming out of spiritual warfare, the five-fold church, intimacy, revelation, wisdom, and understanding. Revelation chapter 2 – 4 is about spiritual authority and about church government and leadership and structure.

The church at Antioch, the first place where we were called by this name…Christians, little Christs…that‘s the whole work of the spirit is to make us more like Jesus. It was His heart for us and His prophetic word that we would do greater works than He did in John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father.” But this church in Antioch was a multi- ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-gifted gathering…the prophets and the teachers – Lucius and Niger, Saul/Paul the Jew, the Pharisees of Pharisees, Barnabus the businessman and the great encourager. They sent them out on their apostolic missionary calling. If we are going to be an apostolic church, we have to be a sending church.