Posted on

Encountering God, Prophecy, & Awakening with Aaron Peterson – SOZO EP0008

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

the-seer-anointing-aaron-petersonEnjoy this interview/convo I have with Aaron Peterson about prophecy and the current Awakening that is exploding in this world. People are waking up to who Jesus really is and our brilliant new identity in him!

Aaron is the author of The Seer Anointing and one of the pastors at Elevation Church in Green Bay, WI. The Seer Anointing is an amazing book and Aaron and I plan to do another interview just about this book in the near future. (Which you can now listen to here!)

ELEVATION Church Green Bay

Elevation Church WI

Location of Elevation Church: 2605 S Oneida St Green Bay, WI 54304

Elevation Church WI Map

What is Prophecy?

As Aaron says, “Prophecy isn’t all the hooky spooky, heebie jeebie stuff you might be thinking. It’s a relationship with God that’s more than a monologue.” Prophecy is first about realizing that you already hear God better than you think. How do we then honor His voice better? How do we tune into his voice and enjoy this relationship with God like never before? Prophecy is about hearing the loving heartbeat and thoughts that God has for you and for others. It’s all about encountering and truly knowing God as a dear friend.

“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” – 1 Corinthians 14:2 

“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” NASB
“For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” NLT – Revelation 19:10

I am really excited about what God is doing in his family in this Great Awakening we are in! Elevation Church Green Bay seems to be a hotspot for this Awakening.

Other Questions I ask Aaron:

Why are you a Christ follower?

What does Jesus mean to you?

What is one of your most wonderful encounters with Jesus you have had? (Aaron shares a really deep encounter he had with Jesus and his grandfather.)

Dealing with harassment from the enemy and SPIRITUAL WARFARE!

Is what we often call stress or anxiety actually an attack from the enemy?

How would you define sin and how does this interfere in our relationship or fellowship with God?

What is our identity in Christ.

Remaining Humble

What about confessing our faults to each other as a way of being humble? The Bible even says that Elijah was a man just like us. How do we stay small in our own eyes instead of getting an entitled mentality? How do we remain a humble servant like Jesus modeled?

Do you believe that no one is more special or important than another?

But instead of taking anyone else down a notch, doesn’t this mean that we honor one another?

Creating a culture of honor.

THE GREAT AWAKENING!

Are we in one now? Or at the beginnings of one?

From glory to ever-increasing glory in this relationship with God!

Let’s talk about the heresy of Cessationism.

“Jesus died on the cross to give us a great inheritance as the children of God.”  – Aaron

What is that inheritance? How do we partner with and align ourselves with Holy Spirit to make sure people are getting the full inheritance that he died to give us?

Encountering God

How important is it to encounter God for ourselves?

Many have linked these real encounters with God with the word mystic… do you think that is a fair assessment or use of the word?

mys·tic
ˈmistik/
noun

1. 1.
a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.

The Greek word mysterion was used by Paul a great deal about our understanding of Christ. It seems it was one of his favorite words.

Our Mystic Journey with Christ

“If the things going on in the church aren’t going to freak people out, what are we doing?  What are we gathering for? To encounter God? Are you willing to accept the risks with that? Are you Okay with the consequences of a real encounter with God?” – Aaron

SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS 2018

When and Where is this happening?

Why do you call it this?

Who is this conference for?

Do you have to be a prophet to come?

What does prophecy mean?

 

I think there are many who fear that people might be using “prophecy” in a way that is harmful, to perhaps manipulate others, as an ego trip of the prophet himself, or giving words that conflict with the revealed word of God.

What do you say to those who say that the role of prophet is not for today? That we have the complete finished Word of God so there is no need for prophets?

Finally, we talk about experiencing the Joy of the Lord – one of the three pillars of the essence Kingdom of God – “…Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

So what about Holy Laughter? (btw, here is my blog I reference in the convo with Aaron: https://daniellovett.com/2015/08/03/conversion-of-charles-finney/)

P.S. I had previously interviewed Ryan Kibbe, the senior pastor of Elevation Church WI. Listen to that HERE!

Posted on

Seeing in the Spirit Realm, with Doug Overmyer – SOZO EP0004

eyeofgodnebula

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What does it mean to be a Seer? How does being a Seer relate to the gift of Prophecy or Word of Knowledge? How do we use the Seer gift to love and serve others and advance God’s Kingdom of Love?

These are just some of the issues we cover in this “eye-opening” talk… Oh yea, and we talk about angels and demons and spiritual warfare and have many fun and epic stories.

Seer_gift_Purpose

Visit Doug Overmyer’s website: https://seerssee.com/

Isn’t it interesting to think about how we as humans are all spirits having a temporary physical experience? Some of us can “see” better with our spirit eyes and so are meant to be the eyes of the body of Christ. Check this following Scripture out!

One Body with Many Parts

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,e some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”” (1 Corinthians 12:12-21 NLT)

This just made so much sense to me! I’m sure most of us have a good relationship with our own eyes, right? I mean we don’t go around stabbing our eyes or ignoring or belittling  them. We use them and depend on them. We cherish and protect them.

Since the Seer is an eye in Christ’s body, it would be foolish for the rest of the body to persecute or belittle (or medicate and institutionalize) their own eye, right? It is also foolish to be jealous of them. Be who God created you to be! God has put each part just where he wants it!

More Scriptures we mention in our talk:

“Then, after doing all those things,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.”
-Dreams and Visions (Joel 2:28)

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked him, “We are not blind too, are we?”  Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:39-41

Let’s honor our eyes and learn how to use all our gifts the way God intended.

A Prayer For You!

I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. (Ephesians 1:17-19)

Posted on

The Forgotten Way of Yeshua, with Bill Vanderbush – SOZO EP0003

The_Forgotten_Way_Dekker

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SOZO Talk Radio EPISODE 0003

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure Rediscovering The Forgotten Way of Yeshua

In this podcast we are talking with Bill Vanderbush who cowrote with Ted Dekker on their Magnum Opus, The Forgotten Way. (Bill is responsible for the Meditations in the book and the Study Guide.) This book is very significant to the Awakening that is (and has been) coming to the body of Christ!

The_Forgotten_Way_Dekker

I started to notice a change in Ted Dekkers Novels when Outlaw came out. “Wow, this is different. What happened to Ted?”

It seemed a shift had occurred in Ted’s life and I told my wife at the time, “Ted Dekker is going to be a critical player in the next Great Awakening”.

The following novels, the Outlaw series, encouraged me even more. And then A.D. 30 and his follow up book A.D. 33

Finally I had the opportunity to meet Bill Vanderbush at a conference and picked up a copy of The Forgotten Way. We hit it off right away, went out for coffee, and had some great conversations.

bill vanderbush

He taught on how to listen to Holy Spirit and “prophecy” – to reveal Jesus by strengthening, comforting and encouraging others as we speak the same thoughts God has for someone.

You want to see something fun?

My wife Catherine and I went to the 2017 Kingdom Culture Conference in Green Bay. After teaching about prophecy most of the sessions, and especially on the last day, the speaker Bill Vanderbush decided to put it into practice by calling some people up front to “prophecy”. My wife Catherine was one of the first to share that night. Then our good friends Kyle and Emily prophecy over Bill!

Here is the whole definitely-worth-your-time talk with Catherine sharing at about an hour in (link to where she starts):

“Earnestly pursue love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you might prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 Berean Literal Bible

What Is Prophecy?

REVEALING THE HEART OF JESUS!

Well, Paul explains just a verse or so later:

“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV

Prophecy then is a divinely inspired word of revelation (which literally means unveiling – WOW! – that’s the very word Catherine received in her prophecy!) straight from the heart of Jesus that “strengthens, encourages and comforts”.

Would you be surprised if I told you that Prophecy has little to do with “telling the future” or “the end times” or giving a “thus saith the Lord”? (I would highly recommend not trying the last one. It is bad practice for New Covenant saints).

Revelation 19:10 actually tells us that Prophecy is to “reveal or unveil Jesus”, to speak what he is saying. It is giving a clear witness of Jesus. Listen to this:

“Worship God, because what Jesus is saying is the spirit of prophecy!” Revelation 19:10 ISV

Here are some other ways the verse is translated:

  • “…the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” NLT
  • “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” NASB
  • “For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” NIV

Bill Vanderbush tells a story about how he once told a meeting, “You all have Jesus THE Prophet living in you. That makes you all prophets.” The empowered people of God he then brought up from the crowd to minister amazed him with the heart of the Father revelations they brought by the Spirit.

So, how can we learn to hone and use this spiritual gift? Well, desiring it seems a great place to start!

“Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives–especially the ability to prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT

Here is where you can pick up The Forgotten Way on Amazon: