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

THE PRODIGAL CITY - PART IV: A TALE OF TWO SONS

The story of the Prodigal Son captivates us so powerfully because of the interwoven themes of righteousness, sin, redemption and restoration, the same themes that have empowered art, literature, music and movies throughout the ages. The musical notes of sin and redemption are etched deeply on the human soul and resonate powerfully whenever these chords are played. It could be said that this theme is the “melody” of humanity.

We are often so captivated by these themes that we forget that there was another son in the story. In fact, Jesus’ purpose in presenting this parable had more to do with the second son than with the prodigal. The second son is a picture of the religious establishment of the day, called the Pharisees. They were the conservative evangelicals of their time, who knew the Book but sadly, had forgotten the Author of the Book. Their experience of the Father was driven by duty rather than delight and they gradually devolved into resentful religious ritualists who forgot why they were serving the Father in the first place. The older brother in our story, had lost sight of the Father’s love and became resentful and burnt out in his sacrificial service. When the younger son returned, he was filled with anger because of the Father’s mercy and grace.

RESENTMENT OR RESIGNATION?
If San Francisco is a Prodigal City then the Church has been cast in the role of the resentful older brother. Throughout the years, I have encountered the animosity of the Body of Christ toward our city in a myriad of ways. I have received scores of prophetic curses over this “God forsaken” region, warning us to flee from the wrath of God, saying things like, “If God doesn’t destroy San Francisco, He will have to apologize to Sodom.” Yet, how many have fasted, prayed and wept for the return of this prodigal city?

Some believers, on the other hand, not wishing to appear “religious” have adopted a posture of “resignation” rather than “resentment”. Unfortunately, when people resign themselves to a sub-standard status quo, they always abdicate their responsibility to make a difference in the world. Resignation leads to apathy and self-centeredness. Survival becomes the highest goal of life and we find ourselves just as lost as the Prodigal Son.

This parable is really the story of two sons and three fathers. The first father is the one perceived by the Younger son. The second father was the one perceived by the older son. The REAL FATHER is the one that is revealed in his mercy for the sinful son and his gracious love for the dutiful son. God wants to heal the Church of RESENTMENT on the one hand and RESIGNATION on the other and bring us into a season of REVIVAL. In order for this to happen we “older sons” must align ourselves fully with the Father’s heart and assume the Father’s role in pursuing the prodigals and welcoming them back into the Father’s House.

THE PRODIGAL CITY - PART III: REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION

Although I have never experienced a major period of backsliding as a Christian, I have drifted in smaller ways from the Lord at times and have had to turn to Him in repentance for redemption and restoration. I know what it’s like to come to my senses and realize that the place I’ve ended up is not the place for which I was created. I know what it’s like to arise and begin a journey back toward Father’s house and the Father’s heart. I also know what it’s like to have experience the Father’s embrace in the swirling awareness of my unworthiness. I know what it’s like to feel his love begin to melt the hard places of my heart as he reminds me of my identity and destiny again.

In this third part of the story of the Prodigal Son, we find a turning heart restored to a burning heart of humility, repentance and redemption. The son rises up and returns to the Father, all the while rehearsing the words of repentance, “I am not worthy to be called your son but just receive me as one of your servants and it will be enough for me”. But as we know, Father will have none of that. His love, His hope, His longing eyes cast daily upon the horizon looking for the rising silhouette of his son, would never permit his son to return as a mere servant. After the Father receives him with loving affection, He calls for the Royal Robe of Identity, the Sacred Ring of Authority and the Sovereign Shoes of Destiny and places them upon His son.

God is a Redeemer, and His purpose for our Prodigal City is nothing less than full redemption and restoration of Identity, Authority and Destiny. As we look at these three dimensions of restoration, we need to remember that our city is really a city of many little cities: communities, ethnic groups, sub-cultures who live side by side in what we call San Francisco. It’s also important to remember that each of these sub-cities is composed of thousands of individuals for whom Jesus died. Redemption and restoration is both corporate as well as individual. It must happen simultaneously on all levels for true revival transformation to occur.

IDENTITY: The reason I am still in San Francisco after growing up here and returning for over thirty years of ministry is because I believe God is longing for the return of this Prodigal City and the restoration of it’s full identity, authority and destiny. Our city’s identity is reflective of the name sake of our city. Saint Francis, despite some doctrinal error, was the original Jesus Freak. He abandoned wealth and position to serve the Lord and build His broken down Church. He gathered young people to himself and mobilized them to travel around their region, preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and caring for the poor. His ministry was characterized by Mercy. Although it has been misunderstood and misapplied, mercy remains the redemptive gift of our city, imbedded deeply in the fabric of our city.

AUTHORITY: San Francisco’s authority is found in the authors design: An amazing natural harbor that provides refuge for the journey but also provides a place of export and influence to the rest of the world. Our city has remained in the top ten cities that people want to visit and live in throughout the world. What happens in our city often sets the trend for other key cities. Although the leadership we provide to the rest of the world has often been negative in a Kingdom sense, no one can deny the scope of our cities authority on a global scale.

DESTINY: San Francisco has a Kingdom Destiny which is found in the primary point of impact we have had on global culture. Our city is a People Movement Incubator. Many major movements that have swept the earth have begun in our city. The UN, labor movements, civil rights, the student movement, the Beatnik, Hippie and New Age movements, and many more have found a launching pad in our city before impacting the rest of the world. We believe this “anointing” is from God even if it has been used at times to promote ungodly things. We believe the Destiny of San Francisco is to launch a New Jesus Movement that will shake the earth with one of the biggest harvests of souls in history.

Let’s pray that our city and region, turns back to the Father to receive the Repentance, Redemption, and Restoration. Pray that the Father’s love will touch the most unloved and unlovely and restore the identity, authority and destiny of a generation. Merry Christmas!

THE PRODIGAL CITY - PART II: ORPHANHOOD TO OPENNESS

In my first installment of The Prodigal City, we looked at the journey TO orphanhood by the Prodigal Son and how similar it is to the history of our city and so many of those who live here. We are a city of orphans, who have been alienated from the Father's love and are trying every way possible to substitute for the lack of connection with God. As we continue to explore the story of the Prodigal, my hope is that we will discover the keys of restoration and adoption for this orphaned generation of San Francisco.

The Prodigal Son was raised in the lap of luxury in the Father's house but failed to perceive the privilege that he had been born into. Instead, he became resentful and restless and demanded his inheritance, essentially telling his Father, "I wish you were dead." When we perceive our lives through the eyes of pain and deprivation, we eventually give place to blame. This "victim cycle" often gives birth to a series choices that only reinforce the victimization, pain, blame and shame. In this state, the isolation and alienation of the prodigal can become almost incurable.

In the second stage of the Prodigal story, the Son had spent all his inheritance on pleasures and parties and found himself homeless and hopeless, feeding the swine for a few morsels of slop. He was almost at this incurable moment when something strange happened. The scripture tells us that "he came to himself" and he began to remember the blessings of his Father's House. In this moment of clarity his spirit began to open to the possibility that he had misperceived and misjudged his Dad. He began to process his pain without blame and soon found himself yearning again for the Father's embrace. In response, he arose and began long journey back to the Father's house and was eventually greeting by the One who had been watching and waiting for His son's return.

San Francisco is a Prodigal City filled with people who have endured much pain. Broken homes, absent fathers, dead religion, and a thousand other problems have conspired to create an orphaned generation that have flocked to our city in hope of pleasure, promotion and anonymous acceptance. The cycle of pain, blame and shame that began somewhere in the past has become a self-indulgent pattern of self-destructive behavior crying out for the love of the Father.

I believe this story is a strategy for prayer and partnership for the restoration of our city. Let's enter into the Father's heart and the Father's role as we welcome the Prodigals back to the Father's house.

THE PRODIGAL CITY - PART I

A few weeks ago, I was praying with a small group of pastors for our city when we received a strategic download from the Holy Spirit concerning the Father's Heart toward our city and the Orphan Wound that plagues so many who live here. As we prayed and shared our hearts we were struck with three clear points of understanding. First, Father loves our city and knows every single person by name. Second, the majority of the people of our city are alienated from the Heavenly Father's love due to rejection, abandonment and neglect of our natural fathers and mothers. Third, a significant key to bringing revival and transformation to our city is for God's leaders to assume responsibility to represent God's Father Heart and become spiritual "fathers and mothers" to the spiritual orphans, who live and work in the various spheres of our city.

This is the first of several articles designed to equip us to pray and position ourselves to father our city.

As we consider spiritual father and motherhood, there is perhaps no better place to start than Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son. In this parable, the father was a wealthy landowner with two sons and many servants. One son was dedicated and dutiful, religiously obeying the father's will but secretly resenting his life. The younger son was restless and demanded his share of the inheritance. He took his portion and went far away from the father to indulge himself in pleasure and prodigal pursuits.

San Francisco is a Prodigal City. We have been raised in the lap of luxury and blessed in so many ways. We are a low point along the beautiful coast of California where the rivers release their fresh waters into an extraordinary bay with a Golden Gate that welcomes the world. Our natural harbor has been a haven and refuge for wayfarers for over two hundred years demonstrating in the natural realm a spiritual gift of welcome that continues to characterize our city. We are blessed with wonderful natural resources like water, forests and farmland, not to mention the silver and gold that marbled, "them-there hills".

San Francisco also has many of the qualities of its namesake Saint Francis, who rejected the hypocrisy of religion (although not perfectly) and began a people movement that brought justice to the poor, mercy to the downtrodden and truth to hungry hearts. Our region seems to generate world-changing, people movements such as the Beatniks, Hippies, New Agers, and more recently the Homosexual movement. We have been blessed in so many ways, it's impossible to count but instead of giving thanks to the Father for letting us share His wealth, we have become proud, self-centered and demanding. We have taken our inheritance and rejected our Father and squandered our blessings in prodigal pursuits.

Yet, just like the Prodigal Son, we have soon discovered that there is no true satisfaction or fulfillment in serving and pleasuring ourselves. We were created by the Father with a great identity and a powerful destiny. We will never be truly happy until we discover and fulfill the reason for which we were created. Let's pray that the people of our city, like the prodigal son in the story would come to their senses and recognize the foolishness of their self-inflicted orphanhood and return to the Father's house and heart.

THE GGO 300!!!

When Gideon was challenged by the Angel of the Lord to come out from behind the winepress and lead a revolutionary movement, he was initially filled with doubt and insecurity. How could God use someone as weak and fearful as Gideon? It just didn't make sense. But the Angel wasn't looking at the outward man but on the hidden potential within him. He called Gideon a mighty man of valor and commanded him to go in the strength of the Lord and overthrow the enemy.
After testing the Lord a few times, Gideon sent out a call for help, and was joined by over 30,000 warriors who were committed to joining the movement to overthrow the Midianites. But, what seemed like a major success to Gideon was actually displeasing to the Lord. God wanted to defeat the enemy in a way that would maximize the Glory of the Lord, so he reduced the troops to a miniscule 300 warriors. Yet, at the same time God was reducing the troops, He was also building a mighty man of valor who rallied his tiny army to bring about one of the greatest victories in the history of Israel.

Golden Gate Outpouring has been privileged to host the presence and power of God for over a hundred nights, with great signs and wonders, healings and deliverance. We have been so blessed by the participation of a couple of thousand revivalists from dozens of churches around our region who have joined with us to bring about a revolutionary movement in the Church of the Bay Area. Yet, as GodTV has packed up its cameras and the guest speakers have moved on, we have experienced a thinning of the troops. We have gone hundreds of people a night to an average of 50 per night and yet God keeps showing up in a powerful way.

As I was praying this week about this process, the Lord reminded me of the story of Gideon. God had given him a promise of deliverance and God fulfilled His promise in a mighty way. God can save by many or by few. While I was reflecting on this, I felt like the Lord told me He wants to raise up a GGO 300, who will bring about the revival the Lord has promised our region.

We are looking for 300 revivalists who will commit to carry this revolutionary movement forward to victory. Are you one of the 300?

We are asking God to raise up 75 people who will commit to coming one night per week to host God's presence in anticipation of a great outpouring of revival in our region. 75 people times 4 nights a week would give us 300 revivalists. We encourage every person who has attended GGO to prayerfully consider making this commitment and sending us an email to let us know what is your primary night of choice. Also, let us know if you are interested in serving on the ministry team for that night. We will provide all the training and mentoring needed for you to grow in your spiritual gifts and bring blessing to the lives of others. Join the GGO 300!

If you can commit to one night, e-mail us with the day or days at: goldengateoutpouring@gmail.com

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.

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.