Three Levels of Increase

THREE LEVELS OF INCREASE

After God created the heavens and the earth the first commandment He gave us is to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” We were created for INCREASE yet so many of us get locked into lifestyles of mediocrity and maintenance. We were created to THRIVE yet so many of us spend all our energy merely trying to survive.

In ancient times, when people lived off the land, there were three primary ways in which a person could experience increase: REAPING, PLUNDER and INHERITANCE. These three forms of increase are very different from one another and each requires an entirely unique response.

REAPING is increase in proportion to our sacrifice and labor. Every seed planted is a seed we could have eaten the winter before but we chose to live on less to bless the future harvest. Jesus spoke of different degrees of harvest: “some thirty, some sixty, some hundred-fold.” Doubtless there are many factors that can affect the ratio of our harvest, and like sun and rain, most of them are outside of our direct control. Yet the quality of the seed, the preparation of the soil, the care for the crop and the timeliness of the harvest are all factors that are under our direct influence and can make the difference between mere survival and revival. As we “sow bountifully, we will also reap bountifully”.

The principle of “Sowing and Reaping” is the foundation of all increase and without it, it’s hard to imagine God blessing us in additional ways. We show up at work every day, we care for our families, we give our tithes and offerings consistently and we look to the Lord to prosper us little by little as we serve him day after day. The promise of God is that we “will reap in due time if we do not faint.” Yet in the world of increase there are other pathways that may get us to our destination a lot quicker.

PLUNDER is increase in proportion to our spiritual authority and victory. In the process of pursuing increase, it’s essential to remember that we have an enemy. The enemy’s goal for us is not necessarily deprivation but rather any calamity or temptation that will undermine our confidence in the Goodness of God. King David found himself in this exact situation after the Amalekites attacked his town and carried away his family. Rather than despair, David “encouraged himself in the Lord” and sought the Lord for guidance. God told him to pursue and he would recover everything he lost. After a great battle, David’s army walked away with a massive amount of plunder. (1 Sam. 30)

Most of us have been victimized by the enemy, in many ways, throughout our lives. The thief has come to kill, steal and destroy. The devourer, like a great swarm of locust has tried to rob us of increase. Yet Jesus has given us the keys of the Kingdom. He has given us authority to tread on all the power of the enemy and He promised to “rebuke the devourer” and “restore the years the locusts have eaten”, if we will come into agreement with who He is and who we are in Him. Although sowing and reaping is the foundation of increase, there are times when we must recognize and rebuke the work of the enemy and reclaim the plunder of stolen blessings. “The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent ones are taking it by force…”

INHERITANCE is increase in proportion to our identity and alignment. In a recent talk, Bill Johnson was contrasting these different levels of increase and made the point that reaping is the increase from our labors while inheritance is the increase based on the labors of another. We have been made co-heirs with Christ who is the Son of God, the heir of all things. In order to receive this inheritance, we must first embrace our new identity in Christ. We are sons and daughters. “He has sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father.’” As sons, we have come into alignment with Him, not on the basis of our righteous works but on the basis of His work on our behalf. All we must do is simply receive. Increase belongs to us, yet we receive it in proportion to our alignment with the Father.

Again, the foundational activity of all increase is reaping, yet the foundational attitude of all increase is inheritance. “We have obtained an inheritance… according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will. He has given us the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance…” When this attitude is at the heart of our identity and alignment with the Father, we are able to enter into His rest and walk in the rich blessings of Kingdom increase in all we do.

We were created for increase and we were given tools to access increase in this life. The secret of ongoing increase is to know which tool to use in which season. We need to know when to fight, when to plow and when to simply receive, yet we need to simultaneously realize that each activity reflects an aspect of the heart of God and an each is part of a healthy identity in Christ. As we embrace our threefold identity as Sowers, Warriors, and Sons, we can fully expect God to bring the increase through reaping, plunder and inheritance.

MOVING FROM THE FLOOD TO FLOW - PART II

A couple of weeks ago, a young woman shared with me an open vision she had received about our church and the multi-church ministry of Golden Gate Outpouring. In part of the vision she "saw" our front door with two large angels standing on either side with a seal above the door that said, "no longer servants but friends" and a large crowd gathered as one of the angels blew a shofar. Out of the door of our church building, three rivers were flowing, toward the east, west and north. When she asked the Lord about three rivers, a voice spoke to here that it is one river per year.

In my last blast, I compared the history of Golden Gate Outpouring to a river that began with a flood but is now reduced to a flow. God is STILL moving in a powerful way among us but compared to the initial few months, when the waters were flooding over the banks, GGO can seem a bit tame in comparison. Yet, I would propose to you that this is not a time to draw back, but rather to press forward into stewarding the season we are in.

I believe we are tending the first of many waves of the Holy Spirit that will bring a Great Awakening to the San Francisco Bay Area that will eventually touch the nations. God is calling Revivalists from around the region to STEWARD this Outpouring until he brings His promises to pass. We have recently moved from a mighty FLOOD to a strong FLOW but we are convinced that another flood is soon to follow. The question I would ask is, "Will we be ready?".

We are in the perfect season to steward the river and prepare to take maximum advantage of the next flood. This is the time to build the levees and construct the dams that will channel God's blessing to water the harvest and generate the power. BUT WE NEED YOU! Floods are exciting and will always draw a crowd, but the season in between the floods is when your help is most needed.

If you are an unquenchable REVIVALIST, and are looking for a ministry that will harness your passion and vision for revival, please join us as we continue to host the flow of God's presence in anticipation of the next flood. We are praying for 300 passionate revivalists and 30 revival leaders to help us press in to the purposes of God for our region. If you hear the Lord calling, please contact Sean Scheper at goldengateoutpouring@gmail.com

MOVING FROM THE FLOOD TO THE FLOW

In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River recently exceeded it’s banks by almost forty feet and if not for the sand bag levees and thousands of volunteer man-hours there would have been one of the biggest floods in recorded history. Thankfully floods are a seasonal phenomenon after which the river recedes to it’s normal flow.

Last summer, the Golden Gate Outpouring experienced a massive flood of the Holy Spirit and hundreds of believers gathered nightly for 73 nights, to channel the living waters of God to their personal lives and their “home” churches and ministries. Since the fall began, the river of God has been slowly receding but is still continuing to flow in a way that is stronger than any of us have experienced in over a decade. As we move from FLOOD to FLOW we must not stop pressing in. Flow times are essential for preparing for the next floods of the Spirit.

THE RIVER IS STILL FLOWING…

The Golden Gate Outpouring is still flowing in the presence of God Thursday through Sunday nights. Every night God is ministering healing, freedom, and salvation in an awesome Spirit-led atmosphere. Every night there is amazing prophetic ministry both publically and personally through words of knowledge and wisdom. God is continuing to equip his people to bring revival and a great awakening to our region.

In the first six chapters of Acts there were floods and flows as well. On the day of Pentecost, there was a major flood and the Church was born. In chapter four, after the healing of the man at the Gate Beautiful, another flood occurred and thousands more were added to the kingdom. In Acts 5:14 God moved powerfully through the apostles and everyone was healed. This added thousands more to the Kingdom.

In Acts 6:7 another flood brought a tremendous harvest and “the Word of God spread and the number of disciples MULTIPLIED”. Prior to this, in each flood, God merely “ADDED” to the church but after this flood, addition turned into multiplication. Two plus two is similar to two times two, but ten times ten is very different than ten plus ten. God wants to move us into a season of multiplication.

TO MULTIPLY THE HARVEST, WE MUST MULTIPLY THE HARVESTERS

The reason God was able to use this “Act 6 Flood” so powerfully is found in verses 1-6. In the midst of the growing pains of the early church, the apostles made a critical and wise decision to focus on prayer and release more ministry to other leaders within the Body. This released the possibility of a flood becoming a multiplied harvest. At Promised Land, we just commissioned Sean Scheper and Jake and Amber Winslow as Pastors in response to this principle. In a similar way, as you may have noticed, Sean is taking an increasing role in GGO leadership. But we can’t do it without YOU. The key to maximizing the floods and enjoying the flows is delegation. We are asking God for 300 revivalists to carry the ministry of GGO with us. We are also praying for 30 leaders who will serve on various nights to help host the presence of God in the heart of our region. Please pray about joining the GGO leadership team and talk to Sean Scheper about your interest. God wants to flood us again; let’s prepare ourselves to bring the multiplication that Jesus died to give.

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE...

T’was the night before Pentecost and all through God’s House
All the people were praying, they were all crying out.
Expectancy hung in the heavenly air,
With assurance God’s Power soon would be there.

Have you ever asked yourself what the saints were thinking the night before Pentecost? They had just been through a major roller coaster ride with Jesus betrayed, beaten crucified and buried. Then on the third day rumors began to circulate that he was ALIVE. He then appeared over forty days to hundreds of people and then He ascended to heaven after telling them to wait in Jerusalem for Power.

They had no timeline and no specifics of how this would look. As far as they knew they could be waiting in Jerusalem for 10 days or 10 months. All they had was a PROMISE and that promise was enough.

Yet, I sometimes wonder, what would have happened if they had stopped praying on the night before Pentecost?

Golden Gate Outpouring began over fourteen weeks ago with a PROMISE. God spoke to me that if we would dedicate ourselves to seeking His Face and hosting His presence, that He would pour out His Spirit in our city and our region and give birth to a Revival Movement that would impact the nations. Throughout this time of waiting we have experienced a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit than I have seen in over thirty years of ministry in San Francisco. We have been joined by over a thousand different people and hundreds have experienced a sense of personal revival. We have witnessed scores of healings and deliverances. We have had many people give their lives to Jesus in our meetings and on the streets.

We are so grateful for all these wonderful blessings, yet the full promise remains unfulfilled. So we continue to wait in San Francisco for power and the FULLfillment of God’s promise to us. We encourage you to continue to stand with us for this outcome.

Consider making a commitment to come ONE NIGHT A WEEK for the next few months. We could use more participation on Thursday and Saturday nights. Let’s go for it!

PUZZLES AND PIECES: CELEBRATING KINGDOM DIVERSITY

One of my favorite holiday pastimes is doing jigsaw puzzles with my family. Every year, we average a half-dozen 1000 piece puzzles depicting everything from nature scenes to fantasy illustrations. Very few things are as rewarding to us than to fit the last few pieces into their places and see the full picture.

This reminds me of our journey over these last 12 weeks of outpouring. For over 80 nights now, we’ve been laying down different kinds of pieces into a massive puzzle. Some of these pieces have been put in place by everyone who’s been a part of GGO as the Holy Spirit leads us. Other pieces have been brought in by guest ministries from around the Body of Christ.

It’s a lot like a jigsaw puzzle. No one piece shows the whole picture. In fact, some pieces don’t look like they belong in the puzzle at all. Some seem to be the wrong shape or the wrong color, while others seem so fuzzy, you’d think they belonged in a different picture entirely. It’s only after they’re all fit together that you can see the unique contribution they made to the overall piece.

Some people have asked me why we’ve invited such a wide variety of guests from around the Body. We’ve had intercessors come such as Lou Engle and Cindy Jacobs, theologians like Jim Garlow, evangelistic strategists like Ed Silvoso and Chris Overstreet from Bethel Church. We’ve also enjoyed a wide range of prophetic ministers like Georgian Banov, Jill Austin and the Firestorm Teams. In fact, we’ve been blessed by over a dozen leaders with different backgrounds and emphases as they’ve joined us for the Golden Gate Outpouring. I don’t necessarily agree 100% with their theologies or methodologies, but I do agree fully with the Jesus they’re seeking to serve. More than this, I believe that each one of them has a piece of the GGO puzzle and when the final pieces are laid, the picture of Jesus will be complete.

As a holiday puzzle-doer, I would be remiss to allow my initial impression of any one piece to cause me to reject it entirely. In the same way, I encourage everyone involved with GGO to celebrate the diversity of the Kingdom of God. If you aren’t sure about the ideas or practices of any one minister, don’t let it bug you too much. Eat the meat and spit out the bones. Embrace each piece of the puzzle, even if you’re not quite sure how it fits. God has promised us that He’s building a Revival Movement that will shake our region and bless the nations. Let’s continue to work together until each piece has found its place in the puzzle so the picture of Jesus can be fully revealed in the Bay Area.

WHY WE FIGHT

Many of you have heard of a television series called the “Band Of Brothers”, about courageous men of the 101st Airborne Division who has experienced tremendous victories and extreme challenges while fighting the Nazi forces during World War II. In one of the later episodes entitled, “Why We Fight”, a group of soldiers on patrol discovered the first Nazi Concentration Camp ever viewed by the Allied Forces. The Nazi’s had retreated and left hundreds of prisoners caged without food and supplies. The US Army was horrified by the death and devastation of this camp. It was this revelation of the evil of the enemy and the suffering of the captives that they remembered why they were fighting.

In the same sense, after 73 days of pressing into revival in the San Francisco Bay Area, it could be easy for us lose perspective and forget why we are doing this. Yet all it takes is Kingdom eyes to see beyond the façade of our city to remember why we fight. There are hundreds of thousands of people who are wasting away in this spiritual concentration camp called San Francisco. The liberation has begun and the enemy forces are in retreat, but unless we come and break the chains and bring the bread of life, these captives will perish without hope.

This last Saturday, three members of our outreach team received three specific pictures of a woman in the nearby Safeway, in a purple shirt with dark hair. When they went to the back isle of the store, they found her just as the Lord had directed. After sharing the gospel with her, she received the Lord and told them that she had prayed that very morning for a breakthrough or she would be forced to take her own life. The next day, she joined us at church and was touched deeply by the Holy Spirit.

We are so grateful for all the healings, deliverances and salvations that we have been enjoying throughout the Golden Gate Outpouring. But we know there’s more. As long as one captive remains bound by sin; as long as one person remains ill, as long as one person is tormented and oppressed, we must fight. Jesus is the great liberator and we are his liberation army, anointed by God to set the captives free. Let’s continue to seek Him for the sake of those who are still bound.

FIRESTORM WEEKEND

Greetings! We continue to rejoice in the wonderful things that God is doing at the Golden Gate Outpouring.

Last Tuesday, we hosted Paul and Sue Manwarring, who gave an awesome message on the Power of Hope. This week we experienced more healings and blessings as we continue to worship, pray and press into revival for the SF Bay Area.

When we began the Outpouring I originally heard that we were supposed to go for 21 nights coinciding with the days of Daniels famous fast (Daniel 10) . After sharing this vision with our team the group counsel was to do 10 days to begin with and then to extend if we felt God's leading. After a few days of gathering it was obvious that God was indeed leading us to continue.

Daniel sought the Lord for 21 days with a specific agenda: When was God going to restore His people to the Promised Land. At the end of the "obedience" of 21 days, an angel appeared and declared that God heard Daniel's prayer the day he began. God sent the angel immediately but the angel was hindered through warfare with the Prince of Persia. Finally, after 21 days, the angel broke through and the word was delivered. The passage implies that Daniel's obedience was instrumental in the angelic breakthrough that he enjoyed.

In the same way, we have been meeting nightly for over 70 days to fulfill our part of a larger purpose. We don't see everything that is happening in the heavenlies but that's not really our concern. We know that as we fulfill our end, that God will fulfill His Promise of sending revival to our city and our region.

Now that summer is over, we are adjusting our schedule to a four-day Outpouring week in order to allow for other important things to take place in the off nights and to empower us to redouble our focus for the four nights of Ministry. WE ARE NOT BACKING DOWN, in fact we are intensifying our cry for God to pour out His Spirit upon us to transform the city for Jesus. We encourage you to join our transformation team.

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED - FACILITY TROUBLE

As a result of the Golden Gate Outpouring meetings, there has been a growing complaint about the sound volume of our meetings from our neighbors. The massage therapy school that rents the lower portion of the building moved in without providing necessary sound insulation that did not seem to be needed before the Outpouring began. Now, despite our best efforts to keep the volume down in our meetings, our neighbors have become increasingly frustrated and have finally threatened to withhold rent until this problem is resolved. In our desire to be a good neighbor and a good witness, we have offered to pay for a major portion of the construction that will insulate them from the crazy worshippers upstairs. This treatment is estimated to be around $30,000, including carpeting and sound absorbing treatment in our upper unit. We must accomplish this immediately in order to resolve this problem. Would you please pray with us for this urgent need? If you feel led to contribute, you can donate on www.plfsf.com and designate the gift to "Facility Improvement".

God Keeps On Doing It!!! God TV, Engle, Bolz, Goodell and Georgian Banov. s most of you are aware this has been an overwhelming season at Golden Gate Outpouring. Two weeks ago we were pinching ourselves as God TV landed in the City and began to set up to televise a special 12-hour Solemn Assembly led by Lou Engle and the Justice House of Prayer in conjunction with GGO. Over 600 people came to this historic event and we were joined by intercessors from 214 nations around the world as we prayed for God's Kingdom to come in our City and in the State of California. You can still watch parts of it if you login to GodTV's website.

Last weekend, we enjoyed the ministry of Gary Goodell, the leader of Third Day Churches who brought a team of leaders from San Diego who came to fan the flames of Revival while Pastor Michael was away at THE CALL in Washington DC. Gary is an amazing speaker and there was a high level of prophetic ministry that blessed those who attended.

This week we were blessed to have Georgian Banov, from Global Celebration for a few nights of supernatural partying. Georgian has a unique ability to bring people into the joy of the Lord through worship, teaching, and powerful personal ministry. Thanks Georgian!!!

SOLEMN ASSEMBLY REPORT

Last weekend was one power-packed weekend! For those of you who were unable to make it, Justice House of Prayer (JHOP) San Francisco's Consecrate the State California partnered with Lou Engle (International House of Prayer) and the Golden Gate Outpouring in twelve hours of powerful worship and intercession for California and San Francisco.

Through GodTV's broadcast, 480 million people from 214 nations were able to join with us in declaring God's good intentions and destiny for the region and cry out for mercy in light of the sin birthed and practiced here. Highlights include Beni Johnson's release of the Bay Area Church into a lifestyle of signs and wonders; Missy Huff's (JHOP) brilliant overview of the Bible's perspective on abortion; corporate prophecy over the coming freedom of San Francisco; and the personal testimony of a post-abortive mom calling for an army of post-abortive parents to lead in the fight for the lives of unborn babies.

There was a corporate sense of freedom and unity in worship as we laid our lives before Jesus and cried out for His heart regarding the leadership going out from California into the world. A major spiritual shift took place, driving God's purity deeper into the heart of San Francisco and uniting the Church worldwide in intercession for the region. For the first time in history, the name of Jesus was lifted up and proclaimed to the world from San Francisco!

The momentum was carried into Saturday and Sunday as Shawn Bolz, a prophetic voice in the Church and into the creative arts and media, spoke at the Outpouring. He offered an honest, fresh, and often times funny perspective on identity, what love in the Church can and will look like, following Jesus boldly, and pursuing long-buried dreams. He left us with a challenge to rest in our true identities as sons and daughters of God, stepping into the dreams the Lord placed in us in an abandoned dependence on Him.

TESTING AND GRADUATION

The Golden Gate Outpouring just turned 40. During these forty nights of glory we have experienced a wonderful move of the Holy Spirit. Every night God has met us in worship, celebration, rejoicing and intimate communion. Every night we have ministered to those who are sick in body and soul and have witnessed the power of God in physical and emotional healing. Every night, God is meeting with His children and speaking to them about their true identities and their full inheritance. GOD IS SO GOOD.

Forty is the number of testing. Moses led Israel through the wilderness for forty years while God was at work to raise up a generation that would be worthy of the Promised Land. God led them through the Red Sea and around a vast wilderness with a cloud by day and fire by night. He provided fresh manna for His people and water from a rock.

Jesus, after His baptism was led into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting. He faced 3 temptations by the enemy and overcame them all. He chose to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He chose to align himself with God’s ways rather than to presume upon the Lord. He chose to receive His Kingdom in God’s timing rather than to bow down to the wicked one. After the enemy fled, angels came and ministered to Him.

Night after night, God has been meeting with us and measuring our hearts cry. He is searching the earth to find those who’s hearts are fully His so he can show Himself strong on their behalf. I believe he has found a people like this and you are part of it. Some have only come once in forty days, others have been here almost every night. We believe that God has tested us as a community of revivalists and is pleased with our offering. We believe that we are about to graduate into a whole new level of anointing.

We encourage you to continue to press in with us throughout the summer as we seek the Lord and see His wonders. God is moving in the Bay Area – Lets move with Him.