"Without a clear ending you can’t have a new beginning."
Lance Wallnau at Encourager Church in Houston, Texas
LANCE WALLNAU On Transition & The Church
Lance made us sit closer together.
The physical closeness has a psychological and spiritual impact.
What is God doing when He isn’t doing what you thought He would do?
We have a whole book full of info. (The Bible)
But He says to Peter you don’t know what I’m doing now but you’ll understand later. [John 13:7]
Just because you can’t figure it out doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.
There are times when you don’t know.
Americans love to figure everything out.
When God is silent…
It means the next thing He’s about to say is important.
If you’re in a running conversation then you’re in the vein with God.
But if He doesn’t speak for 400 years you can be sure what He says next is important.
God sometimes does things we don’t understand.
There’s a sense that revival-excitement isn’t our current season.
Dutch Sheets told Lance the Intercessory prayer movement is in another cycle – fatigue.
Chuck Pierce said when the prayer movement started changing God told him to just disengage.
So he focused on a different ministry.
The whole body of Christ is going thru a transition.
Transition happens in phases.
“Intellectual Sanhedrin” is what Lance calls it when we try to censor ourselves in ministry so as not to offend others.
Transition definition.
It’s when one chapter is closed so you can’t go back; but the next door hasn’t opened yet so you can’t go forward yet.
Transition is the space in between.
2 things are necessary.
Clear endings.
Without a clear ending you can’t have a new beginning.
The children of Israel had to leave Egypt in order to get to the Promised Land.
Egypt – a clear ending.
In between Egypt and the Promised Land was the wilderness.
Every great thing of God comes out of a wilderness.
John the Baptist came out of the wilderness.
There’s nothing in the wilderness to support your old season.
Prophetically you’re allowed to see the new beginning.
You can have a sonogram and see what gender the baby is while you’re still carrying it.
In the wilderness you’re getting rid of the old baggage.
Some get stuck because they are stuck in revival mode.
In the wilderness everything incompatible with the Promised Land comes up.
Too much baggage and you’ll get stuck in the transformation tunnel.
Why do you think it’s mainly young people that start revivals?
They have less baggage.
Lance pastored for 20 years in Rhode Island.
He understands church life.
The church’s ultimate form is to be a change agent, but the church must change.
In transition, it’s like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
Nature itself gives us the most fascinating illustration of transformation.
Lance wants to focus on the phase in the middle.
The caterpillar dissolves into goo.
All the caterpillar characteristics disappear.
In the wilderness you don’t feel like yourself; because you’re changing.
Chrysalis
The cells that make up the new beginning (butterfly) start to communicate with each other.
Cells are in duplicate.
Imaginal cells vibrate and connect.
When it finds another cell with the same frequency they connect.
You see the future; you see what God wants to do.
Then you find a resonance between what God spoke to you and what someone else is speaking.
That’s 2 imaginal cells meeting.
When Mary comes into the presence of Elizabeth the child inside her vibrates.
John the Baptist existed to talk to the Messiah so he vibrated.
Lance tries not to get into strife.
Strife pulls you out of the frequency of the image God is forming and puts you on a lower frequency.
Cells are beginning to regroup (that’s what’s happening in The Church now).
Often when ministries talk about alignment they’re talking about who you give your money to.
You don’t choose alignments based on where the payoff is for you; you choose alignments based on assignments.
That’s where integrity is.
Somebody wanted to pay Lance $1000/hr but he wasn’t Lance’s assignment.
The Lord is looking for imaginal cells He can have a conversation with.
What are we here for?
The majority of The Church doesn’t know.
Most pastors don’t know.
We are here to give Jesus His inheritance.
What was He given for his inheritance?
Clarity is power.
Jesus was given the nations for His inheritance.
Souls are important; but it says go and make disciples of nations.
God is crazy about nations.
Every time God wanted to encourage somebody in the Old Testament He told them they would have nations.
When God wants to lift you out of depression He starts talking to you about nations.
Quick Christian definition of transition: I’m going thru hell but I think God is in it.
Psalm 2
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break[a] them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break[a] them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
[Acts 4:25]
1st conversation God with His Son coming out of the grave.
Ask and I’ll give you the nations. [Psalm 2:8]
The inheritance is more than souls; it’s souls and nations.
The nations are your inheritance; the ends of the earth are your possession.
Influencers are kings.
There will be goat nations and sheep nations.
That’s what’s coming out the cocoon.
Why is Lance here talking to us?
Why did he leave 2500 people to come talk to us?
Because we’re a part of what God is doing with people.
He’s preparing us to become a manifestation of the kingdom of God.
If you want God interested in you then give Him what He wants.
The wilderness is a great place for a transition.
It’s a place the Holy Spirit takes you – not the devil.
You meet the devil there so you think he sent you there – nope.
Why is the tempting happening?
To bring up what’s in you.
God is into authenticity.
Think about a fish tank; it’s clear & pristine when undisturbed.
Everything looks clear in your life until shaking comes to your fish tank.
All the sediment and fish poo comes up.
Jesus did it in 40 days.
The Jews took 40 years.
It’s just a matter of perspective.
Look at all the prophecies that have been on your life.
Lance had so much prophecy that he thought he couldn’t leave Rhode Island.
There’s a season to the words that are on your life.
Lance wouldn’t leave Rhode Island.
But he felt like he was supposed to move on.
His gifting wasn’t ideally suited for pastoring but for something else.
But he was tied to all the prophecies.
Lance was a bit out of balance.
He loved the prophetic flow.
Someone said the Word of the Lord for you is burn your prophecies.
There’s such a thing as fruit in its season.
If you don’t do it in the right season then you have to let it go.
The next thing can’t be done if you’re trying to fulfill something that’s out of season.
The septic tank in Lance’s house backed up.
All his prophecies were down there, blurred and destroyed.
God was trying to tell him to let go of all unfulfilled expectations.
That thing that is still in your heart can be fulfilled in a new way in a new season.
The Lord wants to talk to us about nations now.
Every time God reveals Himself He’s showing you something He wants to have manifest.
The overarching word of the Lord for your life doesn’t change.
When you get an update of who Jesus is something happens.
When you get an updated awareness of who Jesus is He gives you an updated awareness of who you are.
Jesus is the Lord of nations.
Not just the savior of souls.
Or the healer of bodies.
What if God wants to open up doors to the energy nations here in Houston?
This church is called to be more than a happy little place for people to come, but an apostolic center.
You’re going to have rulers and leaders.
Houston is like Athens, or Rome or Ephesus – it is a key city.
You can contend for more than being a good witness.
You can be an apostolic center that draws nations to Christ.
Joseph, Esther, Daniel, were advisors to secular people/nations.
Heidi Baker is influencing the nation of Mozambique.
Lance believes 2015 is a year in which shaking is going to happen to move us thru this tunnel.
Who is Jesus for you this year that He’s never been before for you in your life?
What is the Lord saying to you in the updated highways?
Who are you going to be this year that you’ve never been before?
How many would like to accelerate their pathway out of the wilderness into the Promised Land?
2 parts of transition: transition and change
Change happens in a moment.
Transition is a process.
The moment the Israelites crossed out of Egypt there was change.
Moses my servant is dead.
It took a while to get used to Moses not being there.
As the grieving process takes place you release expectations of future that can no longer be and face reality.
We don’t know how to value the moment we have.
Time is priceless and precious.
You want to absorb every moment you have .
The picture you’re in now, 10 years from now it’ll be “when I was younger”.
This is the youngest you’ll ever be.
Now that Lance’s children are older he can’t go back and be with them more.
But that grieving gives him an appropriate sense of priority.
You’re still on planet earth because God has a purpose for you to fulfill.
Get focused on what the Father has for you to do and get busy doing it.
Lance is interested in helping people who are serious about manifesting what God is doing.
Lance is on staff on 10,000 member church in Dallas.
He believes in being part of the church.
Even there he has an awareness that what the church is doing now is insufficient.
Lance doesn’t trust anyone who “knows what to do” unless they’re really doing it.
Abraham went forth looking for a city whose builder was God.
Spirit led leaders for the next move of God will be able to tell people FOLLOW ME I DON’T KNOW WHERE I’M GOING.
The leadership for the future has more questions than answers.
The Church of the future is asking different questions.
How can we impact the culture of this city?
That’s a different mission statement from most churches.
Most churches are looking for nickels and noses-
Putting people in the pews and getting paid.
Lance used to wear people out.
He was doing church for himself, not the people coming thru the doors.
Lance says maybe we should have one service for the church and one for the community.
Success is measured by size and budget and staff too often.
That’s not it.
Success is measured by fulfillment of God’s will.
Houston is on the news like no other city in America.
When Lance first moved to Texas from Rhode Island (very liberal) his kids said it’s like they give you an induction to the history of Texas.
Initiation…
Texas is an unusual state.
Every state has a covenant with God
Some have been renewed.
What if the shaking comes to the earth and it affects different regions differently?
Based on geography and covenants…
The process of transformation is individual.
Individual salvation Greek word is anthropis.
Then we go to the house.
You shall be saved; you and your house.
Families originally made money thru family business.
Your house and you are lumped together in one salvation.
Next the pillars, institutions that shape governments.
Education, politics, art, business, etc.
You have to go INTO all the world.
There is corruption right down the street from the megachurches.
The church is growing bigger and bigger but the environment around it isn’t being affected.
It’s like a truce; you don’t bother us and we won’t bother you.
The devil doesn’t want you leaving the church (and going into the world).
Cities – where we get policies, metropolitan.
The apostle Paul, Corinth, etc.
Why did he target those cities?
They were the Houston’s of their nations.
It wasn’t haphazard.
It was part of an apostolic strategy.
What are the institutions God has called you as a church to take hold of?
Lance believes the family is one.
This place is designed for technology and energy.
So you have young couples coming in.
The church hits the family mountain, education mountain…
The mayor’s whole fight is against pastors.
Perfect; the devil told us where the fight is.
Your work is your ministry.
You should be a celebrity in your ministry.
Business Mountain.
Family, Church, Business.
We’ll be an underground covert network of undercover sheep.
The church in America is coming out.
One day Lance’s wife said I’m pregnant – change.
Change happens in an instant.
Transition is wrapping your head and your heart around the changes.
Disclaimer: This is not a transcript but my personal notes which I share to bless others. These notes are not endorsed by Encourager Church nor Lance Wallnau.
To learn more about Lance Wallnau and purchase his products visit http://lancewallnau.com/
To purchase a copy of this message contact Encourager Church at http://www.encouragerchurch.org/
Thank you for posting your notes. They were truly a blessing for me and my husband to read.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Susan. Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback.
DeleteYou're welcome Susan. Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback.
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