After mobilizing or gathering people, it is crucial that training begin right away. The quality of that training will be the main factor that determines the force that they become. For this to be accomplished, we must also keep in mind that teaching and training are not the same thing. Quality teaching is also important, but it accomplishes little more than puffing people up with knowledge unless it is combined with training. Training calls for the actual experience of applying what is taught.

Last week, in discussing how the Lord refers to Himself as "the Lord of armies" more than ten times as much as all of His other titles, He obviously considers this aspect of His leadership as primary to His purpose. We will see this aspect becoming primary in the church in the times to come, but we must always keep in mind that the Lord's ways are higher than our ways, and His military demeanor, in many ways, will be different from the world's ways.

As we are still discussing the important subject of church government, which will also become a pattern for the coming kingdom government, the first principle in establishing and maintaining true spiritual authority is keeping the Lord as the Head of the church. Even the most perfectly biblical form of church government can be used to supplant His headship if we do not keep this main thing the main thing.

Last week we began a more in-depth look at Galatians 5:18-21,starting with the first work of the flesh that is listed there, “immorality.” This week we will look at the next two, which are “impurity” and “sensuality.” Impurity is the lustful gratification of our own flesh through such things as pornography, fantasizing, masturbation, etc. Sensuality is the tendency to try to be sexually attractive to someone other than our spouse, causing us to, in the very least, become stumbling blocks to others.

         Most of the signs that the Lord and the early church apostles said would mark the end of this age have either come to pass or are unfolding now. However, two of the most important signs appear to be very far from being accomplished: the grafting back in of the “natural branches,” the Jewish people, and the church coming into her fullness as a bride without spot or wrinkle.

          The Great Commission will be fulfilled. This commission is to make disciples of nations, not just individuals. To do this, we must understand the times.

Statement for 2001
On December 3, 2001, twenty-eight Christian leaders with national and international ministries gathered for three days to seek the Lord for clarity and direction concerning the critical issues of our times. This is a statement of the consensus of this meeting that was drafted by Rick Joyner.

Part: I

On the Authority Of Governments

          We have been discussing sin and the carnal nature from which disciples are getting free. However, we cannot get free by our own strength from these things. It takes our will to want to get free in order to please the Lord and be delivered from what is bringing so much death upon the world. However, we need God’s grace and His power to live free of these things.

     Last week we addressed how there is no substitute for maturity and experience in Christ. This week we will begin to identify some of the ways that the Lord speaks to us. In the coming weeks, we will go deeper into understanding all of these, while keeping in mind that we are not seeking the understanding of a science, a formula for knowing His voice, but rather a relationship to God by which we come to know His voice. As discussed, there are basically only two ways that we know others—by their face and by their voice.

          As I shared briefly last week, in 1987 I was shown the nations that were then under the yoke of communism would enjoy increasing liberty, and the nations that had known freedom and democracy would be brought into increasing bondage. I was shown this and many other things that I recorded in my book, The Harvest, which have taken place or are now unfolding. Virtually all of the nations that were then under communism have been experiencing increasing liberty, even if it has been coming in fits and starts.