Marching in the Tops of Balsam Trees:

"I was not born to be free.

I was born to adore and to obey."
C. S. Lewis

Marching in the Tops of Balsam Trees:

King David of Israel was known for his diverse skills as both a warrior and a writer of psalms. In his 40 years as ruler (see 2 Sam. 5:4), between approximately 1010 and 970 BC, he united the people of Israel, led them to victory in battle, conquered land and paved the way for his son, Solomon, to build the Holy Temple. Almost all knowledge of him is derived from the books of the Propets and Writings: I and II Samuel, I Kings and I Chronicles. He is described by the Word as a “Man after God’s own heart.”
"But now your kingdom shall not endure The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."
1 Samuel 13:14 NASB

David was devoted to praise and worship in the presence of the Lord.
One of David’s endearing attributes was that of seeking the Lord prior to his actions. In the following passage from Second Samuel we see David inquiring of the Lord as to whether or not he should go into battle against the Philistines.

22 “Now the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.
23When David inquired of the LORD, He said, "You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.
24"It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."
25Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.”
2 Samuel 5:22-25 NASB (my emphasis bold)

David’s life was characterized by experience after experience that prepared and tested him for service for God. He didn’t rise immediately to service as King following the anointing of Samuel… but he endured the process of allowing God to fire him in his life’s circumstances. Despite several opportunities he had, and the urging of his friends to take the life of king Saul, he refused to act against God’s anointed.
God imparts our destiny, long before we are ready to step into it. The impartation of God’s intent is always followed by the process of preparing us for such service, as God builds Christ-likeness in us. There is no easy alternative route that can sidestep the crucible of Gods testing fires. If we step out of the test, it will only be followed by a similar circumstance until God deems us ready for service. Critical in every step of this preparation is that we seek His presence and direction earnestly. There is no substituted for knowing the voice of the Lord.

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice,

and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them,

and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
"A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him,

because they do not know the voice of strangers."
John 10:3-5 NASB

When David inquires of God, the Lord first gives him a battle strategy:
"You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.”
One might think this is strange, if God is with you, why do you need a strategy of attack. Indeed God is still in the business of giving strategy to defeat the attacks of the enemy in our lives, the real question is are we listening and will we be obedient, (even when the strategy doesn’t seem to make sense). Why go by the way of the Balsam trees?

I’m not certain of this myself, but I would suggest that it has to do with the fact that it is believed that the resin of the Balsam tree was used to make the oil that was used to anoint the tabernacle, its instruments and the priests and kings of Israel. (See word study notes below under Balsam / Mulberry Trees)

This was symbolic of God’s anointing for victory over David, and a foreshadow of Christ’s anointing as both High Priest and King over the church today.
Going to the trees sounds strange enough, but God’s next instruction seems utterly bazaar:
"It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines." (my emphasis bold)

Well I’ve heard the sound of wind through the trees, but I’ve never heard of “marching tree sounds!” Sometimes God’s word just seems to defy our ability to comprehend it. Nevertheless, God’s word is always accurate and effective. The issue at hand is will we wait on what He has said, and follow in obedience. Then again, does it make sense to march around a city for seven days, ignoring the taunting of the enemy from its fortifications?

I believe that the sound of marching in the tree-tops is akin to the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which brings the authority and power of God into our every situations.
Notice too, that the instructions require our quick and uncompromising obedience:
"It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines." (my emphasis bold)

David had learned well the lessons in his life that obedience without hesitation was essential if one was to survive the attacks of the enemy:
"Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him"
(my emphasis bold).

The intimate presence of the Lord is an essential part of a victorious Christian walk. Following the voice of the Lord, which is revealed in His presence is a critical issue in defeating the enemy of our souls.

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For more on walking in intimacy with the Lord:
“Seven things God Loves Part 1” Presence Led People
fredsthoughtfortheday.blogspot.com

Secrets of the Secret Place
Bob Sorge, Oasis House

Word Study of Key words:

Philistines - Hebrew: [those who dwell in villages]
Based on archaeological evidence, one can see that the Philistines were an advanced culture, which had technological, military, and artistic superiority to their Israelite neighbors. However, the Bible depicts the Philistines in a manner that is quite different. Instead of presenting the Philistines as a cultured civilization, the Bible chooses to concentrate on the conflict between the two civilizations, as both tried to expand from their original territories. As a result, the Bible condemns the Philistines for their deeds and depicts the Philistines as a culture that is powerful, but barbaric.

valley of Rephaim – Hebrew [giants] From H7495 in the sense of invigorating; a giant: - giant,
Valley of Rephaim (Hebrew: עמק רפאים‎, Emeq Rephaim)- (Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16). A valley descending southwest from Jerusalem to the Valley of Elah below, it is an ancient route from the coastal plain to the Judean Hills, probably named after the legendary race of giants. Having obtained divine direction, David led his army against the Philistines, and gained a complete victory over them. The scene of this victory was afterwards called Baal-perazim (Heb. the Lord who breaks out).
A second time, however, the Philistines rallied their forces in this valley (2 Samuel 5:22). Again warned by a divine saying, David led his army to Gibeon, and attacked the Philistines from the south, inflicting on them another severe defeat, and chasing them with great slaughter to Gezer (q.v.). There David kept in check these enemies of Israel.

Balsam Trees or Mulberry Trees: baw-kaw' (weeping tree)
The same as H1056; the weeping tree (some gum distilling tree, perhaps the balsam): - mulberry tree.
The name may, in Hebrew, have been applied to some species of Acacia . The idea of "weeping" implied in the root, both in Hebrew and Arabic, may be explained by the exudation of gum. "The sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees" has been explained to refer to the quivering of the leaves of poplars, but there is not much to support this view. The translation "mulberry trees" is, however, even more improbable, as this tree, though very plentiful today, had not been introduced into Palestine in Old Testament times.
In March 1988, Vendyl Jones and his team of Bnei Noah volunteers found a clay juglet about five inches in height in a cave in Qumran, just west of the northern end of the Yam HaMelach (Dead Sea). The juglet contained a reddish oil. It is believed to be the only surviving sample of the balsam oil that was prescribed in the Torah for anointing the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its vessels, as well as the Cohanim-Priests and Kings of Israel. The oil, when found, had a honey-like consistency.

Geba – Hebrew (a hill; cup)
H4482; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of,
by (reason of), from (among)
Geba, considered the most important northern city of the kingdom of Judah as reflected in the phrase, "from Geba to Beersheba" (2 Kgs 23:8), was located seven miles north of Jerusalem and three miles northeast of Gibeah.
The city was an important outpost, positioned at the edge of the frontier country between Judah and Israel. There were constant skirmishes as each of these kingdoms sought to control this region and establish a more secure border.

Gazer – Hebrew (gheh'-zer) something cut off; a portion: - part, piece, a dividing, sentence.
The same as H1506; Gezer, a place in Palestine: - Gazer, Gezer.
A city of great military importance in ancient times. The natural features and the position of Tell Jezer abundantly explain the extreme importance of Gezar in ancient times. The buried remains crown a narrow hill, running from Northwest to Southeast, about 1,700 ft. long by 300 to 500 ft. broad. The approach is steep on every side.

Praising God

“Come to the edge” He said. They said, “We are afraid.”
“Come to the edge” He said. They said, “We will fall.”
“Come to the edge” He said. They came…
He pushed them… and they flew!
Guillaume Apolliniare

Praising the Lord:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 NIV (my emphasis bold)

In all the course of history of the church there has never been a time when there has been more opportunities to praise the Lord. We have an abundance of knowledge about praise, resources and opportunity to raise the praises of our God, which is our reasonable service.

“Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.”
Psalm 33:1

Heaven is perpetually expressing the praises of our God. The praises of God are continually raised around the throne of God. The angels shout until the door posts shake, and the praise of heaven ushers in the glory of God

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted,

with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings:

with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called out to another and said,

"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out,

while the temple was filling with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"

Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:1-8 NASB

When we enter heaven we will enter into exuberant praise. We will be shouting the praises of our God. We have the opportunity to praise Him like that right now. We serve an emotional and passionate God – should we not express our appreciation to Him with equal passion?

Paul encourages believers to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto God.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Romans 12:1 NASB
He urges us to yield our members as instruments of righteousness.
“…and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Romans 6:13 NASB

As believers we must give ourselves wholly to worship and praise, and we must remember that God wants us to do so in spirit and truth. God seeks a whole hearted effort, those who will praise his name with reckless abandon. He wants us to give our entire spirit to Him.

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.”
Psalm 111:1 NASB
“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”
Psalm 138:1-2 NASB

There are many different manifestations of praise described in the Scriptures.
At least nine ways are described to encourage us to praise God:

1. With our Mouth –
God desires us to use our mouth to praise Him with our voice. In doing this we will make known the goodness of God. This may be through speaking, testimony or through song.

“These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.”
Psalm 42:4 NASB

“Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad,”
Psalm 66:8 NASB
“...so that with one accord you may with one voice

glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 15:6 NASB

2. Singing –
The Word of God teaches us that we are to come into His presence with singing. Singing is an expression of the focus of the inner man.
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.”
Psalm 100:4 NASB

"I will be glad and exult in You;I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

Psalm 9:2 NASB

3. Shouting –
It always amazes me how people will go to a sporting event or secular musical event and yell, scream and act like a fanatic – yet when they come into the presence of the King of Kings they think they have to sit piously without showing any emotion. The outcome of a football game has limited effect, but the effect of what God has done effects us for all eternity. The Word says that all those who trust in God will shout for joy.

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.”
Psalm 5:11 NKJ (my emphasis bold)

“Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”
Isaiah 12:6 NKJ

“So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD

with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.”
2 Samuel 6:15 NASB

4. Clapping –
It is God’s desire that we clap as a sign of honor and rejoicing.
The history of clapping is an interesting one. Clapping was a military expression which was used when triumphant soldiers returned home. They would march the captives and booty through the city for all the populace to witness. As they paraded through the city, the soldiers would beat their swords and spears rhythmically on their shields. The people lining the streets would clap their hands along with them as a sign of respect and appreciation for what they had done.
Our Lord and Savior has triumphed over death and evil, and freed us from the judgment of our sinful nature.
“He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin,

to set them all free.”
1 Timothy 2:4 NASB (my emphasis bold)
We can show our honor, appreciation and pleasure to the Lord by clapping our hands in His presence.

"Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy"
Psalm 98:8 NASB

"For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace;

The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,

And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12 NASB

5 Lifting Our Hands –

A natural response for a grateful believer is to raise their hands in the presence of the Lord.

“We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven;”
Lamentations 3:41 NASB

It is interesting that the lifting of the hands is also a sign of covenant relationship. We are a people who stand in covenant relationship with God. Lifting our hands before Him is a sign of our gratitude for His loving-kindness towards us.

"And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,"
Genesis 14:22 KJV (my emphasis bold)

“Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.”
Psalm 63:3-4 NASB

“Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands,

without wrath and dissension.”
1 Timothy 2:8 NASB

6 Standing –
When an honored guest comes into a room, people generally will stand as a sign of respect. Standing before the Lord is yet another way we can praise and honor Him.

“Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD,
which by night stand in the house of the LORD.”
Psalm 134:1 KJV (see also Psalm 135:1-2)

“They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD,
and likewise at evening,”
1 Chronicles 23:30 NASB

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,"
Jude 1:24 NASB

7 Bowing or Kneeling –
Kneeling or Bowing is a gesture of humility before God. When we fully recognize the magnificence of the One before whom we gather, it is not surprising that we should desire to bow or kneel before Him.

“Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.”
2 Chronicles 6:13 NASB

“Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”
Psalm 95:6 NASB

“And let all kings bow down before him, all nations serve him.”
Psalm 72:11 NASB

..."so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"
Philippians 2:10 NASB

8 Playing Musical Instruments -
The definition of the word Psalm is “an ode or song of praise accompanied by a harp or musical instrument. The use of musical instruments can lead us into the presence of the Lord, be and expression of praise in itself or can become a prophetic expression of the Lord. It is interesting to me that when the children of God went into battle, they often sent the choir and musicians out before them. I believe that music is an expression of spiritual warfare.

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;"

Ephesians 5:18-19

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:16

"Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.
1 Samuel 10:5 NASB

“I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,”
Psalm 144:9 NASB

“Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.”
Psalm 150:3 NASB

9 Dancing –
Dance is often neglected in churches because many people automatically think of carnal dance expressions found in the world. Most of the things that we find objectionable in the world are perverted expressions of Godly expressions. We could make the same argument against music as an expression of worship and praise, if we hold this low view. Because the enemy has exploited it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek it as an expression of worship in spirit and truth.

“Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.”
Psalm 149: 3 NASB

“Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.”
Psalm 150:4 NASB

“And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,
and David was wearing a linen ephod.”
2 Samuel 6:14 NASB


Every act of faith in praise and worship involves a sacrifice on the part of worshippers. The lifting of hands, clapping, singing, shouting, playing of instruments, bowing and kneeling, standing, shouting and dancing are all conscious acts of believers that are done on the basis of an understanding of the Word of God and a willingness to walk in obedience.

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Part 12 of 12 Graham Cook Voice of the Prophets 2009

“Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within it until the eventide. Inspire all my thoughts. Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my soul's most inward citadel, and order all my doings. Be with me in silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and the weariness of the evening. Give me grace at all times to rejoice in Thy mysterious companionship.”

John Baillie

Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

You will be in no doubt what-so-ever about who you are. He’ll show you, oh yes… and you will write it down. There will be a joy that rises up on the inside of you. You will be overtaken in that moment of knowing, you will be overtaken by joy. You will celebrate, right there, right then. Your identity in Christ is one of the chief sources of your worship. This is who He is, and this is who I am… You will rejoice right there in that moment.

Part 12 of 12

An anointing will come upon you, and it will rise up within you. A confidence, a zeal, will come upon you. It will rise up within you and then you can begin to walk that process with absolute confidence. That same Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that we talked about just earlier, will come upon you. You will walk with God happily. You will walk in freedom, towards freedom. You will know all the things that are freely given to you, by God, are for the task that He has set before you. There will be a joy set before you as you walk that road; the joy of obedience, the joy of confidence, it’s the joy of saying “Yes Lord.” “Yes Lord.” “Yes Lord.” “Yes Lord.” You will have it, you will know it, you will experience it, you will love it! The Father says to you, “I take responsibility for overwhelming you, with how I see you.” “I take responsibility to do that.” “I will do it because of my affection towards you, and because I have put you into Christ… where everything in Him is ….yep!” A-men.
Oh, yea… so be it. So Father I ask you to speak, bless, approach, overwhelm, all these wonderful people; and those who are listening and watching. If you couldn’t be here, you are so included… right where you are that same Spirit is going to come upon you. God is gonna… hunt you down… for the purpose of blessing, and overwhelming you and overpowering you! The same God who pursued you for salvation, will pursue you with your inheritance and identity. The same Holy Spirit, He’s on your trail! In Jesus name. A-Men.

End Part 12 of 12
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If you would like a CD or DVD of this presentation they are available through

Global Awakening Ministry

in Camp Hill Pennsylvania.

http://www.globalawakening.com/

Voice of the Prophets conference 2009
4/16/09 Thursday Morning - Graham Cooke

Part 11 of 12 Graham Cooke Voice of the Prophets 2009

“The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations: it is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His was with us.”
Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest page 207

Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

You come under the weight of favor and glory and presence that God is seeking to bring into your life. As you walk in your persona that’s what happens… You start to walk onward and upward. You start to come under a weight of presence, that has been allocated to your persona.

Part 11 of 12

O.K…. assume the position.
(edit fkj: meaning to receive an impartation from God)

Father in the name of Jesus I want to thank you for how you see every one of us that’s in this room that’s standing. I want to thank you that you have already spoken into our lives. You have already shown us, declared to us our persona. We haven’t picked it up, the fullness of it. maybe a measure of it. Lord right now I ask, in the name of Jesus for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation to come upon everyone standing, anybody who is listening or watching who couldn’t be here today you are included in the name of Jesus. I declare that a Spirit of wisdom and revelation shall follow you, shall persist with you, shall come upon you, shall rise up within you until you are bathed in the Word of God, until you are baptized in the Spirit, until the proceeding word takes hold of you… and you become it. And I declare in the name of Jesus, an end, an end to all your inherent negativity. I declare that you will have a mindset that says ‘No excuses, no excuses, no excuses, no excuses… and I declare in the name of Jesus, that you shall have a militancy in your Spirit… that your persona shall make you militant against your own negativity. You will rise up and you will throw it out! You will cast it out… you will work it out… you will get rid of it because it is not helpful, not useful only harmful. The Lord will establish your personality in line with your persona so that you will become another man, and another woman. You will grow up in all things in Christ. I declare this in the name of Jesus: I declare a quickening Spirit to be upon you in the name of Jesus. I declare in this house a season of divine acceleration… in the name of Jesus. I declare in this place that there shall be a minimum of five years growth in twelve months. That you shall run and not walk. I declare favor upon you… favor upon favor upon favor… and vengeance , that you would get pay-back on the enemy for all the negativity that he has put upon you. I declare a vengeance on you that you shall rise up, that you will respond fully and completely to all that God is and all that He wants to be in your life. You shall run and not walk… and you shall be strong and not faint. You shall put on this identity and you shall develop all the resources that come with it. You shall rise up in that place, and you shall say this is who I am. You shall speak in line with who you are… you will think in line with who you are… you will act in line with that persona. That quickening Spirit will accelerate your growth and development for Jesus sake. That you would make up for lost time. As you pursue, you will get to release that same quickening upon other people so you will be an accelerant where you are. Finally, I charge you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, celebrate your persona! Celebrate it!
Listen beloved, you cannot negate that which you celebrate over. When you celebrate your identity in prayer, in conversation with your friends, in your attitude toward life, in your approach to the enemy, in your approach to worship… when you celebrate your identity, you cannot negate it. You are now acting in line with it. A-men… well you can take a seat…
All those people who have never had a prophesy, or a dream, or a vision, or an encounter or a word from Scripture; and you don’t know what your persona is, I want you to stand. I want you to stand… O.K., I’m just going to wait because not enough people are standing…. Should I do my nails? O.K. just a couple of more, I’m waiting for a couple of more… It’s good to wait… huh? There we go, just one more… where are you… There we go, O.K.
Cool, well have you got a treat in store… hey, a little nervous… This is brilliant, right now the Holy Spirit is jumping around like Oooo Oooo! He’s been wanting to get His hands on you for a while eah. Listen, the Holy Spirit loves you so much! He is so excited about this next phase of your life. So excited. The people around you… why don’t you just lean forward and lay hands on them… Yeah… yeah… the Holy Spirit is so excited… He loves these moments. You knows the thing that fascinates the Holy Spirit? He’s totally fascinated with the promises of the Father. He loves taking that promise and making it real. You know privately, He thinks He has the best job in the Godhead… He does, because He gets to talk about Jesus whom He adores. He loves to take promises and make them real to us. He loves to get prophetic imput into our hearts… He loves it, He loves it, He loves it…
You guys have a treat in store… so assume the position… This is a great moment for you because God’s going to go first. You don’t have to do anything, just receive. It will happen today, tomorrow the next day, or every day. God takes the responsibility for declaring to you how He sees you. You’re just going to make yourself available. Make yourself joyfully available.
In the name of Jesus I declare to you, you will hear the voice of God. You’ll hear it through Scripture, you’ll hear it through prophesy, you’ll hear it through dreams and visions, through circumstances, and some of you will hear the voice of God audibly. You will hear the voice of God, and He declare to you how he sees you and how you are known in heaven. It shall be thoroughly, absolutely, completely unmistakable. You will know, that you will know that you will know that you will know. You will be in no doubt what-so-ever about who you are. He’ll show you, oh yes… and you will write it down. There will be a joy that rises up on the inside of you. You will be overtaken in that moment of knowing, you will be overtaken by joy. You will celebrate, right there, right then. Your identity in Christ is one of the chief sources of your worship. This is who He is, and this is who I am… You will rejoice right there in that moment.

End Part 11 of 12

Part 10 of 12 Graham Cooke Voice of the Prophets 2009

“Only one thing validates a message or a messenger:
the whole counsel of the word of God.”

Kay Arthur



Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

If you’re going to say yes to your persona, you have to say no to the negative side of your personality. You have to know that your person is going to happily wage war on your negativity… for your good. And now you have to choose a side eah?

Part 10 of 12

And you get to choose…. what’s it gonna be?! You can’t hold on to that negativity if God has shown you something else about yourself. That’s illegal behavior. The process is designed to help you keep choosing. Now when you know that that’s what process is all about, you can run down that road towards God. You can run, you don’t have to walk. You can run into your future. You can run into your identity. You can run into your destiny. When you come into the fullness of your persona then your inheritance is attached to it. Anybody can get their needs met… that’s the baby end of faith. Getting your needs met is for kids. I have a four month old granddaughter Annabelle, she gets her needs met. Right now she doesn’t do anything, she’s just a noise at one end and a smell at the other! She doesn’t do anything, she just lies there and gurgles… she doesn’t do a thing… she’s not read a book, she can’t hold anything, can’t even talk… gets all her needs met! Getting your needs met is the baby end of faith. Inheritance is for sons, not children. We are on this path, from Abba to Father… two different designations.
Abba means Daddy, it’s a childlike response. To Father, and listen it isn’t as though you stop being a child in order to be a son. It’s a paradox – we are both together. A paradox is two apparently conflicting ideas contained in the same truth. See, ‘you have to die to live’… you get it? You have to be last to be first, give to receive… All my mentors, the foundation to their brilliant relationship with God was that they lived in a child-like simplicity… but they were also men and women of strength and power and substance in heaven. You need both.
Process is how we work out our relationship with God. Process is how we become what God has said we can become.
When Jesus asked the question “Who do you say I am?” He was looking to see if they perceived His persona. In that moment Simon speaks it out, “You’re the Christ the Son of the living God!” And Jesus grinned at him and said, ‘Yeah, and you’re no longer Simon, you’re Peter”… and he tells him his persona in front of all his friends. ‘You’re Peter, and you’ll have keys to bind and loose… and you will interact with heaven… and the revelation you perceive will now be the bedrock of the churches experience… and hell will be defeated by it.’
Edit fkj -
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.
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
"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."
Matthew 16:17-19
That’s his persona! Back at you Pete! You’re not Si anymore you’re Pete! This is who you are… Straight back at him. Elevated status, legal authority, permission to overcome… all attached to your persona. So let’s finish by doing two things.
All of you who know that God has already revealed your persona… you’ve got prophetic words, you’ve got Scriptures, you’ve had dreams, you’ve had visions, you’ve had encounters… I want you to stand. Yeah… look around eah… There are so many people in this place who all ready have received in one way or another your identity, your destiny, your persona… the image that has been specifically designed for you in heaven… I want you to wear it beloved, because you can’t claim ignorance any more. That’s the good news… and there ain’t no bad news…
Right now you need to understand, that your persona is waging war on your inherent negativity, using the circumstances of your life…using the people that God has put around you. Now you are to go forth from this place, and you are to practice your persona. Get your prophetic words out, or whatever they are… and start to look at what they say. Start to pull out the descriptive phrases and sentences and so on… of how God is describing you. Then you need to buy a journal, because you’ll need to start writing thing down. Because that persona, is the entry place into understanding about yourself. I want to pray for you that you will have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and in the knowledge of yourself. But now you need to sit down, you need to give yourself to thinking this through. Who am I? What am I? Where am I right now on this journey? Who am I in Christ? What am I called to? Where am I on this journey of dealing with my negativity? It is important for you to be honest, because you are dealing with the Holy Spirit who is a genius at dealing with honesty. So you may as well come clean. Then you need to start having conversations with the Holy Spirit. You need to start looking at your day, at your circumstances in the light of your persona. What freedoms have you got, what permissions, what is the Lord saying to you? The things you were unable to hear in your negativity, you will be able to hear in your persona, because it is elevated status… so the Lord is going to give you a picture of your circumstances from a higher place. Then you need to choose to start interacting with those circumstances. You need to choose to step into that place, and adopt that role, and adopt that persona. The more you do that the faster you are going to move in the Spirit. You are going to find that you are going to get victories, where before you have only ever known defeats. You’re going to find that you are getting into a new mindset, a fresh perspective, and you wont have to look for faith, it’s going to be there.
It’s pretty hard not to have faith, when you know what your identity is… faith is attracted to your identity… power is attracted to you… influence, inheritance is attracted to you. You don’t have to go looking for those things, they come to who you are… that’s the whole point of being a son of God! Jesus never went looking for resources. As He walked, resources came to Him. People came to Him. He’d say to the guys, ‘You know in the next town we come to your going to find a donkey, just bring it it’s mine… go fishing and you’ll find my tax money. Resources came to Him and He always knew where to find them. One thin you don’t do is pray over your inheritance, you receive it. You receive it along the way. It’s a part of who you are. It’s a conversation with God that you have. You come under the weight of favor and glory and presence that God is seeking to bring into your life. As you walk in your persona that’s what happens… You start to walk onward and upward. You start to come under a weight of presence, that has been allocated to your persona.

End part 10 of 12

Part 9 of 12 Graham Cooke Voice of the Prophets 2009

“We want, in fact, not so much a father in heaven
as a grandfather in heaven:
a senile benevolence who, as they say,
‘liked to see young people enjoying themselves’
and whose plan for the universe was simply
that it might be truly said at the end of each day,
‘A good time was had by all.’" (Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis


Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

One of my best friends Bobby Mumford years ago called me up and said, “Graham, you’ll never guess what the Lord said to me this morning…” I said, “You’re totally right about that.” And he said – the Lord to me, “Bobby, you and I are incompatible and I don’t change.”

Part 9 of 12

Which is about the nicest way that you could ever say to somebody “It’s time for an upgrade.”
Your persona has been given to you in order for you to be delivered from fear, and from inadequacy, and insecurity, and pessimism, and unworthiness, and being overly self-conscious.
Your persona has been given to you as a part of your deliverance. When you take that persona on, your persona becomes the means for other people to find their freedom… yeah?
Your persona carries with it the faith that you require the creativity that you need and the power you need to succeed in the appointed tasks that God has given to you. You’re learning how to step into that place and abide. Listen, you never have to use any power to enter into anything with God. It is always given as a gift. You need to do nothing to get into that place… you have to do everything to stay there. Everything is given… when God allocates your persona it’s your permission to come right in. What you are learning is how to abide. It doesn’t take any energy to get into what God… He put us into Christ. He didn’t consult you before hand. “Hey, would you mind if I did this?” “I’m thinking about putting you into Jesus so that all of His favor and blessing would automatically come to you… is that O.K. with you?” He didn’t ask your permission. He put you into Christ, you’re in! Why don’t you just nudge your neighbor and say “Dude, you’re in!” What you’re learning is how to stay in. You’re learning how to stay in, how to abide… you’re learning how to dwell, you’re learning how to remain, and you’re learning about the momentum that abiding gives you. When God shows you your persona He’s just saying, “Your in.” “This is yours, you’re in.” Some of us had our persona shown to us a long time ago… you know, fortunately for you, you know God has an understanding about calendar events that makes Him think that a thousand years can look like one day. So if He prophesied over you twenty years ago, that’s about twenty-eight minutes, He still remembers it. It’s still fresh, it’s still current… Don’t you love Him?! Who He is, what He’s like! And, this is the kicker right, He tells you your persona and then the Holy Spirit is your come-along-side-helper and tutor and best friend to help you become established in that.
And He is a flat out genius at that kind of stuff. He told me to tell you that. “Tell them I’m a genius, because most of them live like they don’t know it.”
He is the total genius at doing life. By the way, the Holy Spirit is the most enthusiastic person you will ever meet in the whole of your life. He is like this world-class athlete, He’s always up on his toes, He’s always bouncing… He’s like Tigger to the power of a million. He’s rude with health, He has a great sense of humor… He has a lot of material to work with, He has a great sense of humor… and it’s really, really difficult to upset Him. Most of you will probably never manage it. It’s hard… it can be done, but it’s flippin hard. He’s so enthusiastic, so excited about everything… and everything is doable! “You want to do that? Yea I’ll do that!” “I can do that, that’s my specialty!” If you talk with Him long enough you realize everything is His specialty. “You want Me to do that? Yea, I can do that!... Yea, I’ll help you with that… that’s My specialty!” “What, you need help with thinking?.... I’m great at thinking!... I’ll help you think.” “You need to believe something… I’m brilliant at believing!” “Hey listen, confidentially, the Father is the believer, Jesus is a believer, you’re in Him, you’ve got no trouble believing!” “I’m a believer as well, all three of us believe, and we are all right with you.” “What is your problem?” “We all believe, it’s great”… “I’ll teach you how to trust, I’m really good at getting people to trust.” “Oh, and I’m really good at opening peoples eyes, I have this whole deal about enlightenment!” “I can show you stuff… it’s part of My job!” “I’ll even show you things to come in your own life so you can get ready for them.” “This will be great, I’m a great coach, I’m fabulous at praying… I can teach you how to speak in tongues…”
I love those moments when the Holy Spirit shows up and says “Graham!... let’s speak in tongues!” O.K! Because He’s so enthusiastic about everything! He’s excited… always excited. And, everything… “That’s doable!” “I can do that!”
Hey, listen, I want to show you something about yourself. [responding to a smattering of applause (edit fkj)] Hey come on, this isn’t a golf tournament, no golf claps!.... He’s an absolute genius at life! He doesn’t do conferences, He doesn’t do meetings, He does life! He does life, and He’s brilliant at it. He’s a flat out genius…. at everything. Totally adores Jesus! I mean totally! And completely… adores the Lord Jesus Christ! Loves, to take the things of Jesus and show them. Loves it, loves it, loves it!
He totally gets who you are now… but, He totally knows who you are becoming!
And Jesus, whoever lives to make intercession for us [edit fkj Hebrews 7:25] …
What do intercessors do? They stand in the ___ [“gap” (audience response)]
Jesus stands in the gap between your present and your future, praying for your prophetic word. He’s the One saying to the Father… “But Poppa, You said…”
Praying for you that you’d get it… praying for you that you’d pass your tests. How many of us have had the same test, over and over again? The good news is, you know, God doesn’t fail you… He just gets you to take it again. And again… and again… and again. And again?! Until you pass! That’s what we call… what’s that word…. grace!
You know what, there’s grace right here today for you to be accelerated on your journey. You know beloved, hand-on-heart, a lot of us in this room will be honest enough to say… “ I’m behind the time of my own development.” “I need to speed up.” Well, God is redeeming time! How does He do that? He can put five years growth, into twelve months. He’ll teach you to say yes, faster. You do realize that when you say yes to God you have to say no to something else. If your yes to the Lord is not followed by no somewhere else then you will default to no. Your yes has to yes and your no has to be no. You have to have both; you can’t say yes to Jesus without saying no somewhere else.
If you’re going to say yes to your persona, you have to say no to the negative side of your personality. You have to know that your person is going to happily wage war on your negativity… for your good. And now you have to choose a side eah?

End part 9 of 12

Evil Bows Before Good

“God will stand aloof from His people

while they cherish “low views.”
John Gregory Mantle

Beyond Humiliation The Way of the Cross (p12)


Evil Will Bow Before Good:

“Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.”
Proverbs 10:23 NASB

David and his band of discontents, had been roaming the mountains and wilderness of Israel in perpetual danger from the pursuit of King Saul and his army. They were outlaws in their own land. Most everyone knew the story, and many were all too willing to turn David and his band over to the king, seeking his favor. Spies were all through the land sending messages to the king, of David sightings! Once more, supplies were tight; they were living off the land and the good will of people who dared at their own peril to defy the orders of Saul.
Despite the hardships David never took advantage of the people of the land. He never resorted to stealing a lamb or goat to feed his hungry followers.

Shortly after Samuel’s death, David found himself in the Desert of Maon [Heb. place of sin]. Nabal and his wife Abigail lived there near Carmel [Heb. harvest; full of ears of corn] Nabal was a very wealthy man, described in the word of having a thousand goats and three thousand sheep.
David and his men spent a good deal of time hiding in this region from king Saul. All the while they were there they respected the flocks of Nabal (when they could have easily taken a few sheep or goats for their needs.) David knowing that it was shearing time sent a group of his men to Nabal’s shepherds asking for their favor in providing some food for his men. Nabal, having received the message from his own men, sent this hard reply:

But Nabal answered David's servants and said,

"Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?"
1 Samuel 25:10-11 NASB

David hearing the reply was angered and vowed to go to Carmel and kill Nabal and all the males in his camp! He ordered four hundred his men to take up their swords and they set out for Carmel.
Fortunately, one of Nabal’s servants told his wife Abigail what had happened. She realized that insults of this kind were an invitation to danger in their culture.
I often wonder how Abigail would up with such a wicked man as her husband… so much for arranged marriages of old.
Abigail’s response was quite the opposite of Nabal’s.
“Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. She said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.”
1 Samuel 25:18-19 NASB

Abigail went to David with her tribute and humbled herself before him. She showed him honor and asked him to forgive her husband’s evil and foolish heart.
Nabal literally means “fool or senseless.”
"Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. "Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my lord.
"Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days.
"Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
"And when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel,
this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself. When the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant."
1 Samuel 25:25, 27-31 NASB

David was moved by her wisdom and generosity, and he realized that he has acted in haste and anger, having never even inquired of the Lord.

“Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.”
1 Samuel 25:32-33 NASB

David and his men returned to their refuge, and Abigail returned home to her husband who was drunk from throwing a lavish party for himself. The next morning, Abigail relayed to Nabal all she had done. He had a heart attack on the spot. Ten days later he was dead! Hardness of heart toward the needs of others has its consequences!

When David heard the news he gave thanks to God:

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head… "

David was so thankful to Abigail and impressed with her humility, wisdom and righteous walk before the Lord… so much so that he sent her a proposal of marriage.

“…Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
1 Samuel 25:39 NASB

“The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.”
Proverbs 14:19 NASB

30fkj

Part 8 of 12 Graham Greene Voice of the Prophets 2009

“Do you think the King of kings and Lord of Lords
is going to come into a place where He
is not given due honor and reverence?
Do you think the Master of all creation
is going to speak when His Word
is not respected enough to be listened to attentively?
You’re deceived if you do!”

Leviticus 10:3
“By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy;
and before all the people I must be glorified.”
John Bevere The Fear of the Lord Page 4


Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

The Lord keeps coming along and challenging you about your persona so you get glimpses of it. But you don’t realize that every time gives you a glimpse of it, He’s saying to you “It’s the process!”

Part 8 of 12

It’s the process that will establish the persona…. The persona is real, what you’re learning is how to stand in it. It’s there, it’s fully fledged. The persona doesn’t come to you bit by bit as you get it, it comes fully concentrated. He drops it on you and what you are learning is how it works… how it fits. You’re learning, I can’t have that and have this… so I’m choosing this and rejecting that. He starts to get to work on areas of your life that are in conflict with how He sees you. The Holy Spirit loves that. It’s like, “O.K., Let’s get to work on this bit next!” So he gets to work on that and your persona gets to blossom a little more. You start to see something more, and you carry on with that and He says… “Now let’s get to grips with your victim thinking.” “I’ll turn you into a warrior in your own head.”
And He starts to work with that and you begin to work, and you develop the mind of Christ. You learn how to think in the Spirit of your mind, how to be renewed in the Spirit of your thinking. Brilliant you’ve got a warriors mind set…. Cool, don’t need that one, I’ve got this one! What’s next?! You should be excited about process! You know, if God is changing us from glory to glory, then it follows that all change is glorious. That went down like a rat sandwich. [Edit fkj – (referring to the lack of response to the statement)] Man alive… I think on my next rat sandwich I’ll have mustard. You want me to say it again in English?... O.K. Here it is… You ready? You already know it! You already know it.
God has come to establish your persona. God comes with a gift… God has a view of you right now, and He’s already spoken out what he sees. He’s already told you who you are. Now you have to enjoy the process. It’s the process that makes you rich. You are learning too, that there is no such thing as a bad day, and no such thing as a good day. There are only days of grace. Some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening, and some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But there are no days for grumbling and complaining. Grumbling and complaining is the worship language of hell. That’s why Israel fell in the wilderness. They could have rejoiced, but they chose to grumble and complain. Grumbling and complaining is the worship language of hell. That’s all you ever hear when you go there. They’re all insane, they’re all grumbling and complaining. There are no fruits of the Spirit in hell. There’s no love, no kindness, no mercy…. there’s hate, anger, bitterness, rejection, grumbling, complaining. That’s why we have to watch what comes out of our mouth. If you’re a whiner and a complainer, you’re going to find it hard to be a worshipper. Somebody breath ea?... When God show you your persona, He’s inviting you to a fast track. You’ve got something to work towards. He’s already told you what the outcome is… that means you’re going to survive the process.
I was prophesying over a guy in Kansas City, and as I’m prophesying over him he’s getting more and more annoyed. Eventually like steam is coming out of his ears he’s so annoyed. Eventually even in my Englishness I detected that he wasn’t much pleased. So I said, “Your not a really happy bunny right now are you?” And he went, “No I’m blank, blank, blank not!” I went “Dude, we’re in church no cussing.” He looked at me and he was really spitting mad. He said, “I’ve got leukemia, I’ve got four months to live… I came here to get a word about my condition in my life…and you’re telling me that I’m going off to Africa, and doing this and doing that! I went looking at him… and I started smiling. He went, “Don’t you flippin’ smile at me you false prophet!” And he called me a few other things which were really interesting. I’ve never been called those thing in church before. Not at least to my face anyway. So I said, “O.K. Let’s just step back for a minute, time out. The doctor gave you a word of death, four months… I just told you what you’ll be doing in ten year time in Africa… I can see where that would be difficult. That’s like a tough choice dude, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes right now. Four months, ten years… Geesh, what a choice you have to make! Excuse me (Edit fkj: making a gesture as picking something up off the floor) is this a piece of your brain? Did something fall out?... You’re getting mad at me? I’d go home and smack the doctor! You’re getting mad at me?” And he goes, “Oh!...
Oh… yeah … huh… well ummm humm – take your point… umm… I’ll be off then.” Take the family brain cells, someone in your family might need them. A few years later I’m doing a conference in another city and a guy comes bouncing up to me and says, “Do you remember me?” And I said… “No.” Well it’s really hard ea?... remembering everybody. He said, “I was the guy with leukemia in Kansas City!” I said, “Dude, your not dead then.” He said, “No, no I’m not…” “Good,” I said, “cause I hate talking to ghosts.” He said, “Well I just want you to know that I didn’t like that conversation I had with you in Kansas City.”…. I wasn’t a great fan of it myself. He said, “I went home and I asked the Lord a question… so why didn’t You say anything about my leukemia?” I don’t know what the dates were so I’ll just pick one, say it was ’92 when I gave him the Word… here he is in ’92 and I’m prophesying about the next ten years. He’s asking the Lord, “Why didn’t you say anything about my leukemia?” Then it dawned on him one day that he was in ’92 the Lord was is in 2002 prophesying about what He sees him doing, and he realized that God didn’t say anything about leukemia because he didn’t have it (in 2002).
This is what the Lord means, when the Bible says “the Lord sent His Word and healed him,” that’s what He’s talking about.
So here he is in ’92 thinking “We’ll if he didn’t say anything about my leukemia to me then I’m not saying anything about it to Him. He enrolled in a twelve month Missions Training School. Four and a half months later he wakes up in the morning and realizes that he is two weeks past his ‘sell by date.’ Don’t you love the Lord ea?
Listen, we are learning the ways of God… He already understands our ways… We’re learning His ways! Wisdom is knowing how God thinks, knowing how He perceives, and knowing how He likes to do things. When we understand the ways of God it’s not that difficult to walk with Him. ‘Cause the one thing you know is, He ain’t going to change.
One of my best friends Bobby Mumford years ago called me up and said, “Graham, you’ll never guess what the Lord said to me this morning…” I said, “You’re totally right about that.” And he said – the Lord to me, “Bobby, you and I are incompatible and I don’t change.”

End part 8 of 12

In the Valley

"The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the grey morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin."

Frederick Brotherton ( F. B. ) Meyer

In the Valley

Psalm 23

"The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
Psalm 23:1-6 NASB (my emphasis bold)

I think Psalm 23 is one of the most misused portions of Scripture.
It is a Psalm of life, not of death, -

and yet is probably the most frequently used Psalms at funeral services for believers.
The fourth verse of the Psalm “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” is often referred to as a “dark valley.”
It says "the valley of the shadow of death."

There are no shadows in dark places.

If you shut yourself in a closet and allow no light to sneak in under the door

you will find this to be true.
The fact that there is a shadow demonstrates that there is light in the valley.

All that death can do is try to throw a shadow over the place.

Shadows never hurt anyone.

When you are walking in the shadows of life’s circumstances

remember the source of the light in the valley is the Lord Himself.

He is there walking with you to bring you back in the fullness of His radiance.

We have nothing to fear in the valley of the shadow of death.

Let's walk together in the light!

"but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light,

we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

1 John 1:7 NASB

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Part 7 of 12 Graham Cooke Voice of the Prophets 2009

One who faces his own failures,
is steadily advancing on the pilgrim's way. William Temple

Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.

If you get a prophetic word that you are going to be a warrior and currently you’re a wimp… then your process is going to be about moving from wimp to warrior.

Part 7 of 12

What’s the difference between a wimp and a warrior? Well it might just be courage…the development of courage. What if all your circumstances then are about developing courage? So then, the Holy Spirit is going to be encouraging you… what’s the enemy going to be doing?..discouraging you. So now the issue becomes courage. After the prophecy always comes the process. And the process is designed to make you fit the design that God has agreed over your life.
There was a point in the relationship between God and Moses, when Moses wasn’t getting it. The negative side of his personality was so strong it was actually fighting and warring against his persona. There are a number of people in here, you have been fighting that battle the last few years. There comes a point where you have to see something about yourself. If you don’t see it, you can’t get it you can’t become it. And so we have Exodus 7:1.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh,”

He’s not inviting Mo to become the fourth member of the Trinity. What He’s saying is, ‘When you walk into that throne room… (now Moses knows because he’s been there… it’s not going to be a private audience… there’s going to be hundreds if not thousands of people there). Everyone’s going to be listening!
Pharaoh is going to want to establish his authority before everyone who comes before him. So you cannot go in to this throne room at a level below where Pharaoh is. Not only that, but you can’t go into this throne room and demand what you’re going to demand by being on the same level as Pharaoh. You have to go into this throne room at a level higher than Pharaoh has ever attained.
Don’t forget that in Egyptian law, Pharaoh is the son of Ra… he is elevated to god-like status… he has a divinity. So you have to go in at a higher level than his divinity. “I will make you as God to Pharaoh.” What the Lord is saying is, Listen Mo, by the time we are finished… the only way that Pharaoh will be able to understand what just happened to him is – ‘why he (Moses) must be some kind of God in human form.’ And the Lord’s really happy about that ea? It’s not like Moses is ever going to be that much competition for Him. The Father’s really secure in His own identity. “I will make you as God to Pharaoh…. and Aaron shall be your prophet.” This is what passes for fun in heaven ea? We can do this, I’ll put you into a really high place in the Spirit for the purpose of dealing with Pharaoh. I’ll create an identity just for that encounter with the enemy. I’ll make you as God to Pharaoh; I won’t make you as God to Israel… I’ll make you as God to Pharaoh. It’s a specific… a temporary identity for the purpose of overcoming. The Lord doesn’t listen to a word that Moses said about why I can’t do this.
Your persona is your permission to step outside the confines of your personality into the fullness of God. What if fullness and abundance is only linked to your true identity? You know lots of intercessors have not really stepped into their truest identity. They are still praying like a widow, when they could be praying like a bride. They are still begging God, asking God to do things, instead of proclaiming that He has. They’re not understanding their bridal identity in intercession…they are still praying like a widow hunting for scraps.
When you see your identity, you can see the resources that are attached to it. If you don’t see it, you can’t develop it. As we learn to put on Christ we are also learning to live in our persona regarding His call. When God speaks your persona, He begins to deal with you that way whether you appreciate it or not. That’s why so many of us right now are realizing this is the reason I am having conflict within myself the last few years. How many of you know that God has already spoken to you your persona? You’ve had prophetic words, you’ve had Scriptures, you’ve had dreams, you’ve had encounters. How many of you are realizing that all of my life’s circumstances… Oh my God, they were supposed to help establish that? How many of you have held on to the negative things about yourself? Come on show me… I’m holding my hand up too, I’ve been there. All your life’s circumstances… it’s the process that makes you rich, not the impartation. It’s the process that makes you rich… God will never divorce Himself from the process. You can have all the impartation you want, and process is attached to every single one of them. It seems to me that God works in both those ways, you’re either in process for a while… at the end of that process God gives you an impartation. He either gives you an impartation at the end or He gives you one at the beginning, but either way, impartation and process are intimately connected. So if you have an impartation at the start then process is going to open up, because that impartation now has to be established. If God takes you into process, and walks you through that process and you get to the end of it, He wants you to have an impartation at the end of it so something is firmly established in who you are. Impartation and process will always go together. Impartation without process is like believing in magic, and God doesn’t do magic.
Most people want impartation because they believe something incredible will happen to me and I’ll get changed in such a way that I won’t have to work out my salvation. [Ed. fkj Philippians 2:12 NASB “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”]

Forget that! That ain’t never gonna happen. It’s the process that makes you rich… listen God is relational… if He were not relational than impartation would be a functional thing – we’ll just do the stuff and it would be magic. We’d all be worshipping Gandolph. God wants to build a relationship with you, that means He wants to hold your hand through all the circumstances of your life. He wants to show you who He is. He wants to have a conversation. He wants to show you things; it’s the process that makes you rich.
He wants to give you a new mindset and new perspective and new language. He wants align you with that persona. Right now for many of us who are realizing ‘God has already shown me my persona,’ you’re realizing that you’ve taken sides against it. In many ways by carrying on with the negativity, the ‘I’m no good’ and everything else… you are aligning yourself with the part of yourself that you don’t like and don’t want. The Lord keeps coming along and challenging you about your persona so you get glimpses of it. But you don’t realize that every time gives you a glimpse of it, He’s saying to you “It’s the process!”

End part 7

The Cup of Christ's Covenant

“Those who are devoted to taking up their crosses

and following Christ wherever He leads find more pleasure

than any worldly benefit could ever provide.”
Paul Cain - “Dying to Live”

“This cup is the new covenant (ratified and established) in my blood”
1 Corinthians 11:25 Amplified Bible

If we truly experienced the fullness of our inheritance in the New Covenant we would be spiritual giants. We would walk in the power and authority of Christ lead alone by the Spirit of God and the Word. There would be no doubt in our minds about following fully with reckless abandon as Disciples of Christ.

"…yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Romans 4:20-21 NASB

When God made his covenant with Abraham he left all in pursuit of Him. Abraham’s covenant pails in comparison to the one, which we enjoy today, this side of the Cross. This inferior covenant took a wanderer and turned him into the father of many nations, a man of unquestioning faith.
Abraham understood the full meaning of a blood covenant – one which is much diluted in the Church today. He knew that entering into a blood covenant with someone meant that you were totally giving yourself away to him and he to you. At the forming of blood covenants the parties exchanged weapons as a sign that they would fight to the death for one another. They exchanged coats as a sign of one another’s authority being conferred on each other. In a covenant exchange, all that you were and all that you possessed, or ever would possess, became the equal property of your covenant partner. Covenant partners walked through the slain covenant animals as a sign of their faithfulness even unto death.
When God made His covenant with Abraham he received everything that God had in a promise that could never be broken. The covenant said to Abraham that God’s promise could be trusted and relied upon. Abraham walked in that truth and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

If we want to walk in the same kind of faith as Abraham we must press into the covenant we have in Christ Jesus. Intimacy with the Lord is the only way to grow in faith and righteousness. We must ask the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, to show us the way of supernatural faith. Lead us Holy Spirit to understand what “This cup is the new covenant (ratified and established) in my blood.”
This understanding will transform us and the world we live in.
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Mourning Dove

"We often think of great faith as something that happens spontaneously so that we can be used for a miracle or healing. However, the greatest faith of all, and the most effective, is to live day by day trusting Him. It is trusting Him so much that we look at every problem as an opportunity to see His work in our life. It is not worrying, but rather trusting and abiding in the peace of God that will crush anything that Satan tries to do to us. If the Lord created the world out of chaos, He can easily deal with any problem that we have."

Rick Joyner

For the past few days I have found a great deal of pleasure watching two nesting birds in my backyard. Pinched between two security lights in a secluded spot is a Robin’s nest, with three newly hatched chicks; who each stretch their necks with mouths distended wide as they await their parents return to feed them.
Just a few yards away in a window flowerbox on my storage shed there is a Mourning Dove’s nest with two eggs in it. Much to the delight of my grandchildren, and my own as well the Dove’s nest is only a few feet off the ground. The Dove sitting on her eggs is has a strong maternal instinct, so we are able to walk slowly up to the nest and she steadfastly stays to protect her unborn chicks.
The time will soon come when the chicks of both nests will mature and the mothers will be stirring their nests so their chicks to take flight from the perceived safety of their nests.

“…like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young,

that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.
The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.
He made him ride on the heights of the land

and fed him with the fruit of the fields.

He nourished him with honey from the rock,

and with oil from the flinty crag,”
Deuteronomy 32: 11-13 NIV

There are times when we go through seasons of difficulty and change when we find it difficult to understand why God would allow such distress in our lives. Often those closest to us fail to understand what we are feeling and it is easy to develop a sense that we have been abandoned, by God, family and friends.
Suffering is part of the grown process of the normal Christian life, and God will at times allow it so that we will be stirred from the comfort of our own spiritual nest into a season on a higher plane or a fresh move of His Spirit. To be certain God will allow this, and it is for our benefit even when we don’t see it. Just as certain as the changes God will allow is the fact that He will be there to catch us, support us, make us ready, and embrace us in a life of reckless abandon to His will for our lives.
God is calling all His children out of the safe warm snuggly nest. We may look over the edge of the nest any wonder, “If I jump where will I land?”

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old gained approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared
by the word of God, so that what is seen
was not made out of things which are visible”
Hebrews 11:1-3 NASB

If God is urging us to jump He will be there with open arms to catch us, should we fall. If He is asking us to jump out of the nest, it is more likely that He knows that we are ready to fly!

"The steps of the righteous man/ woman are ordered by the Lord."
Psalm 37:23 .

30fkj

Part 6 of 12 Graham Cooke Voice of the Prophets 2009

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows,
but only empties today of its strength.
C. H. Spurgeon

Graham Cooke
Voice of the Prophets
4-16-09 Christ Community Church Camp Hill

Notes fkj

When you talk to Graham Cooke, you can sense he’s been hanging out with God. He’s at the same time down-to-earth and full of spiritual wisdom on everything from prayer to spiritual warfare to prophecy to intimacy with God. Cooke is well known for his prophetic training programs and has a passion to build prototype churches that can reach our postmodern society. God also uses him to help transition churches into higher levels of vision and ministry.
The following are my notes from a sermon by Graham Cook which was presented at Christ Community Church’s ‘Voice of the Prophets convention’ on April 16, 2009. I believe Graham is a very humorous man of God with a poignant message for the church today.


Then the Holy Spirit gets you moving forward… and you learn how to contend, and you learn how to press in… and you learn how to keep moving… and as you keep moving forward, so you get bigger and the enemy gets smaller.
Eventually he bows the knee to you, and you stand on him and you get into the next level and where the whole wonderful process begins all over again.


Part 6 of 12

It’s called Life in the Spirit and it’s gigantic and wonderful. It’s your adoptive role, we are learning how to put on Christ. As He is so are we; we’re learning what that whole new nature is all about. When God begins to show you your persona you become invested with a legal authority over the enemy. You get permission to overcome every obstacle that comes against you. You establish the right to rule and bring peace. Your persona and your personality are two sides of the same coin. When your persona is made known to you now your learning what you need to become and how you need to act. All your life’s circumstances are to establish the persona that God has set for you. When God show up in our life and calls us to a specific task He’s introducing us to our persona as He defines it. That gives you an elevated status on earth. David became king, Abraham became the father of many nations, Moses became a deliverer, Joseph became Prime Minister, Deborah became a prophet, Esther became queen, Mary became the mother of Immanuel. God loves your true identity, He loves to tell you who you are; that’s why we have prophecy. When He introduces you to your true self, He then begins to relate to you in that way from that moment on. The difficulty is we meet His calling in our personality. The first thing that happens is, God prophesizes something over you about your persona and all the negativity in you rises up to meet it. That’s what persona does, it acts against your negativity. Immediately you’ll have a reaction. Let me prove it in Judges chapter six. Here’s Gideon hiding away in a winepress making bread, like you do when you’re depressed. He’s goy lots of issues. The Lord comes up and says to him, “The Lord is with you O valiant warrior.” He’s beginning to tell him his persona. What’s the first thing that rises up… his negativity.

“Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
[Edit fkj (Judges 6:13)]

Whoa, that’s a ton of negativity right there! The interesting thing is God totally ignores it, and just carries on as though Gideon never spoke.

“The LORD looked at him and said, ‘Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?’" [Edit fkj (Judges 6:14)]


Again he comes back and more negativity comes out.

“He said to Him, ‘O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.’"
[Edit fkj (Judges 6:15)]


And again the Lord totally ignores what he said… because it’s irreverent.
The Lord is saying to you, ‘Excuse me dude, dudette, I’m speaking now and I’m telling you who you are and who you can become.

Then the Lord said, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."

You’re a valiant warrior, you have strength, you’re a deliverer, you will succeed in this battle against Midian, I’ll be with you, you will defeat Midian as one man… that’s your persona, you’re a warrior, you’re a deliverer, I am with you, you’re a man of strength… go for it!
This whole conversation is in two parts; there’s that initial conversation when all his negativity rises up and then there’s his eventual response… verses 17 through 21… when he comprehends that the Lord is talking to him about favor. He’s having his “Ah Ha” moment.
So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me.
He goes in and cooks a meal… this is a really interesting thing to me, he doesn’t have some stuff pre-prepared in the fridge. He has to go and he has to kill something – he has to gut it, he’s got to skin it, he has to slice and dice it, and all the time he’s looking out the window thinking ‘I He still in the yard?’ The Lord is waiting out in the backyard while he’s cooking the meal. So we are talking about several hours here. What’s he doing all that time? He’s thinking about the Lord, ‘Oh my this is a visitation.’ He’s telling me who I am. He brings it all out and lays it there as an offering … and the Lord just touches it with His staff and… poof! It’s gone and the Lord is gone… it’s just take-out.

"Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return."
Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.
The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.
Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
[Edit fkj (Judges 6:17-21 NASB)]

It’s just take-out, the Lord goes back to His throne room… ‘I’ve got some chicken here… want some?’ ‘I’ve been down to Gideon’s place for chicken, anyone want chicken?.. any angels want chicken?’ Extraordinary way to get take-out.

Your persona develops the positive side of your personality, but it will make war with your negativity. Because, you don’t need it, you don’t want it, and neither do all your friends… nor your wife, nor your husband, nor your kids. They don’t want your negativity either. When the Lord shows you your persona, the first thing that rises up are all the reasons that you can’t do this. ‘I’m no good, I’m not strong enough, I’m not good enough’… all that kind of stuff. Your persona is designed… the first thing it will do is work on you. Before it can work out in the world it has to first work on you. You make war on your own negativity, until it is eradicated and your personality and your persona are compatible. We loose that victim mindset, we loose those fears, ‘I can’t do this, I’m no good,’ we loose that low self-esteem, all that nonsense. It is called growing up into all things in Christ.
We take on board the persona that God has given us.
Your persona is going to cause a conflict in your life. But it is only going to be conflicted with all the things you don’t like about your life anyway. All the areas where you have all this learned behavior, that actually isn’t of any use to you at all in the kingdom.
Moses faced a similar internal battle, when God called him to deliver Israel.
“Who am I that I should go?” [Edit: fkj Exodus 3:11] All the Lord says is, “Certainly I will be with you.” [Edit: fkj Exodus 3:12] What if they won’t believe me?... Well I will give you all these signs… But I’m not eloquent… I’m slow of speech and slow of tongue… I’ll be with your mouth and I’ll teach you what to say… In other words, God will give you all the training and equipping and releasing and empowering that you need for your persona to become active and effective. He does all of that through your life’s circumstances. Once God has outlined your persona, from that point on, everything in your life is about developing that persona. If you get a prophetic word that you are going to be a warrior and currently you’re a wimp… then your process is going to be about moving from wimp to warrior.

End Part 6