Graham Cooke is a rare treasure in the church today. He is a prophetically gifted teacher. I've heard him speak a couple of times and am always struck by his humility and insight. Here is a word that he gave at Dayspring Church last November.
A Time of Times
By Graham Cooke
Given at DaySpring Church
21/11/10
[NOTE from the editor. This is an extract taken from a much longer address given by Graham Cooke. It was transcribed by Inkeri Dabson and sent to me. I have removed the general introduction and large portions that related specifically to DaySpring Church and her leadership. I have placed ellipsis (...) where that cut and paste has taken place]
I am fascinated right now by the spiritual atmosphere in Australia and by the spirit and the sense of promise over the nation. Last time I was here I said, the water level’s rising, and I feel that, constantly, every day that I’ve been here. That sense of imminence, that sense of breakthrough, that sense that Heaven is gathering in one place for something. And what I see over Australia is that I see a wall of water coming towards Australia. I would say it’s a spiritual tsunami, one that will go from the east to the west, from the west to the east, from north to south and south to north, and I really believe and a part of the feature of this tsunami , this wall of water, I believe it’s going to flood the country. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if, in every state and province, the water level in the natural doesn’t rise and the drought quits across the whole country, cos I believe that the Lord is going to make us all wet. I know Australian men don’t like being wet but, tough!
I really feel there is an outpouring coming and one of the features of it, I think, I believe is that we’re seeing the war starting to happen against what God is doing against the religious spirit that’s captured this country. Some of that probably came from the mother country, whoever that is these days, but I think there’s a violence being done against the religious spirit in our midst. A religious spirit is pretty much always angry about something. It’s negative, it’s angry, it’s judgemental, ‘cos a religious spirit can never understand love, grace, mercy or kindness. So it never features in those things. It always moves out of a place of negativity, judgement, harshness, hardness, anger, bitterness, resentment. So we’re going to see a violence done to that spirit which I think will be fun.
We’re going to see a lot of ministries repenting because they’ll have a change of heart, they’ll come under a wall of water and, I believe, God will give them a fresh encounter of His goodness and His kindness and His mercy. I see a time of refreshing that is going to precede it. What I feel I’m doing right now is I feel a little like John the Baptist saying, Prepare the way of the Lord. I see two moves happening. I see a move starting right now, it’s in the country right now, and it’s like a season of preparation to get ready for a move of God that is coming, ‘cos the move of God that’s coming is going to sweep across the country. And I would say that to take out your history of all your revivals and all your moves of this nation’s history, put them all together and what God does next will dwarf all of that. We’re seeing a move of God that will be talked about all around the world. We will see a move of God that will not only increase the value of this nation spiritually but materially. We’re seeing a move of God where all kinds of things will happen in the economy, in the spirituality of the nation, we’ll see things like crime drop, people getting out of poverty, we’ll see business increases, we’re going to see the Kingdom come and a move of God that will touch every part of culture and society in this country. We’re going to see a wall of water coming that will sweep all around the country. We’ll see a move of God that will attack that religious spirit in the church. It will overpower secular powers and overturn legislation to release the church into a stronger Kingdom dynamic in the very structure of our society.
It feels to me like the church is going to be given a place in the country. We’re going to see a breakthrough spirit in supernatural power. We’re going to see miracles happening in this country that we normally associate with other places. And people will come here because there are going to be breakthroughs against certain kinds of diseases and doctors and hospitals around the country and medical practices will be saying to people, the only hope for you is to go to Australia. Because there is in this place and that place there are miracles happening in this kind of disease and this kind of disorder. How about that? People coming to the end of the world, to be set free! That’s funny. And what I see is a move of God in key churches. I really believe that we’re in a move of God right now, preparing for the move of God. We’re in a season of preparation where the hand of God is upon us and I’m telling you, He really means business. I see a grace of God but I also see a terror of God coming upon us in the sense of, when God begins to move, in this season of preparation, there is an awe and a respect and a Godly fear going to rise up in our hearts and we’re going to stop the stuff.
...
I know that in the natural and the political world the issue of sovereignty is right there in the background for us in Australia, and that’s a cool thing, but the issue over the Australian church is the same one. It’s the issue of sovereignty, it’s the issue of who really has the power in this nation? We’re going to see a rise in warfare because we’re going to see a rise in the sovereignty, the supremacy and the majesty of the Lord Jesus. Everywhere we look, God is going to commit us to a fight that we can win. And this season of preparation is to get us ready for that time.
...
There’s a wall of water coming and we’re moving into a space in the Spirit that God has set aside for us. The water level is rising all across Australia and we’re learning a new buoyancy in the Spirit, we’re learning the joy, we’re learning about the joy, the pleasure and the desire of God. We’re learning about the passions of God for us. There’s an acceleration amongst us, an increase of momentum. God is redeeming time. It’s time for us to move quickly. It’s not a place for us to be splashing about in the shallows. It’s time for us to go out into a deeper place. There’s an increase in majesty around us. There are storms coming, too, into this nation. There are storms in the Spirit where we are going to take on the enemy in key high places and we’re going to win through. Because we have a war to fight in this country and it’s time we stood up and fought it. This season of preparation is so important because we get to defeat the enemy with joy and laughter. We get to hear the sound of Jesus laughing on the battlefield. We get to understand that there is a quickening spirit that’s going to allow us to break through on the left and right. The issue in the body of Christ is going to be the Lordship of Jesus. And the issue in our culture and society is going to be the sovereignty of God. Those two things are going together.
...
There’s a power and a majesty rising up in the body of Christ, and Australia’s going to see the Bride standing in the midst of your own culture. And you’re going to see the power of the Bride of Christ in these days. You’re going to see what a woman in love really can do. Yeah? We’re going to see the power of that in the earth. There’s going to be a place in worship where Heaven will touch down. There is a Levitical anointing being released across the nation. Heaven is going to hear the sound of the Bride to be worshipping. It’s the sound of victory, it’s the sound of power, the sound of anointing, it’s the sound in Australia. And the sound of Australia is going to be heard around the world. And it is time within Australia’s borders, it is time for the voice of Australia to rise up. It is time for Australian ministries and Australian leaders to stand up, to rise up, and occupy a place in the Spirit. We’re not going to need imports. I’m even hoping that you’ll let me in the country so I can serve coffee at your conferences or something. The sound of Australia is rising up. This is our time. There are moments in history where God touches down in places and everything changes. We’re going to see one of those moments in history. It’s going to be a defining point for the contemporary Australian church to rise up, occupy a place in the Spirit. But you understand something. To whom much is given, much is going to be expected.
...
I believe the Lord is saying to Australia these days, to the Australian church, the country that you’re in I am going to give it to you. I’m giving it to the body of Christ. Actually, I believe He’s saying I’m giving it to the Bride of Christ that’s emerging. This is a bridal issue. God is giving it to the Bride of Christ that wherever worship flows in this nation, wherever worship goes to a whole new level you’re going to see outbreaks of the Kingdom. We’re going to see a restoration of a Levitical anointing across this nation. And churches, communities that value worship, are going to see expressions of the Kingdom coming down, touching down that are going to be extraordinary. But make no mistake – if you haven’t made any growth in worship in the last couple of years you need to get your skates on. You need to do something in worship in the next twelve months that you’ve never done before. This is not a time for hanging out at the back, it’s not a time for reading the Bible when worship is going. It’s not a time for standing there, looking at your watch or your hands in your pockets. This is a time for engagement ‘cos that’s what happens when the Bride of Christ emerges. It’s about engagement. It’s about betrothal. It’s about coming into a place of worship and adoration and rejoicing and thanksgiving that you’ve never been in before. So, I’m calling every man, woman and child in this place. It’s time to get in a deeper flow of worship personally. It’s a time to worship God from the heart. This is not a place of engagement in worship in your head. This is a time for action. It is a time when you actually open your mouth and real words come out. We don’t just think about worshipping God, our body, our mouth, everything in our heart is fully engaged in worship. So there is a challenge from Heaven right now upon every one of us and the challenge is about engagement. So love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, your body, your mind and all your strength.
Article
No comments:
Post a Comment