Paul stated in Ephesians 4 the evidence of our spiritual maturity is the ability to speak the truth in love. The ability to speak the truth without the restricting fear of censure and punishment is what freedom looks like. Those who attempt to silence the dissent of...
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Prophetic Horizons
Aligning people with their God-Defined identity.
CLOSED LOOP THINKING
There is something called Closed Loop Thinking. It is a mental process we go through that requires closure. A closed loop is created by the assumption that we have a complete understanding of a concept or a reality. We use the information available at the moment to...
RUN SILENT – RUN DEEP
This morning in a moment of frustration, the Lord said, “Go silent - go deep.” Immediately, I knew what He meant. His word brought to mind a submarine going deep and silent to remain undetected by the enemy. In military parlance the phrase is "Run silent - run deep."...
“Life Bloom” by Garris Elkins
We all like flowers bloom and unfold. From bud to blossom, new to full, from young to old. The summit of a life cycle no one knows the height, the apex of life's arc from fullness to withered petal. But life is, from beginning to end, from tender shoot to brittle...
“A Soul in Drought” by Garris Elkins
To the despair in this dry place - listenListen to the approaching soundof a rising tide of answered prayerMounting upon a wave of his presencebreaking down upon this soul in droughtupon the despair in this dry place.
“Confused and Confirmed” by Garris Elkins
On Tuesday mornings I gather with other believers in the sanctuary at Living Waters Church to pray. Like we do each week, we put on some worship music and spend an hour together in God's presence. There is something powerful and spiritually fulfilling about being in...
“A Transferable Pentecost” by Garris Elkins
Pentecost in its purest form is transferable across all models of ministry, Pentecostalism is not. Pentecost is what God did on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecostalism is a narrow human interpretation of the moving of God's Spirit. The “isms” of ministry have distanced...
“Come Out Of The Clutter” by Garris Elkins
A very strong and clear word came to me recently, “During this season stay away from over-scripted, over-studied and over-choreographed personal lives and corporate church gatherings. God is up to something new and our planning can be the very clutter that dulls our...
“The Spiritual Farm” by Garris Elkins
For the last several weeks I have been going through a deep pressing of my soul. God is wanting to get to the foundation of who I am and that will always stir a life. Discovery is never a comfortable process. This morning I read the following verses from Mark, chapter...
“Critics and Crisis” by Garris Elkins
It seems that in each season of breakthrough two things show up - critics and crisis. At our best we will never be able to please all the people all the time. It can be a rude awakening for some to realize that not all people agree with them. The critics, for the most...
“Defeating Despair” by Garris Elkins
Recently, I read an article from Central Oregon about the unusually high number of suicides within the business community over the financial losses and subsequent despair that has occurred in this economic downturn. As I meet with pastors and leaders I am finding that...
“Roof Duty” by Garris Elkins
This morning, after I spent some time with God, I fired up my computer to check my email and stroll through my social-networking sites. As I read down through my Twitter home page I noticed something CNN had posted about some soon- coming remarks from President Barack...
“The Purpose of the Power – To Declare the Wonder and Favor of God” by Garris Elkins
I have preached Acts 2 so many times that I thought I fully understood what took place that day. The disciples came to the Day of Pentecost already indwelled by the Spirit because Jesus had breathed His Spirit into them in John 20. These same water-baptized and...
“Mean People Suck!” by Garris Elkins
Jan and I were recently in Northern California for a meeting. The next day, after the meeting was over, we departed for the drive home. As I navigated the city streets I saw a homeless person across the lanes of traffic on the sidewalk. This person was pushing a...
“50 Days of Pentecost – 2010” by Garris Elkins
(I posted these "50 Days of Pentecost" on my Facebook wall for the 50 days between Easter and the Day of Pentecost in 2010 as a reminder of the powerful spiritual DNA that the Foursquare Church carries. Each entry was taken from the book, "This is That", written by...