MY TESTIMONY

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FASTING, BUT NOT LIKE BEFORE

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THE SPIRIT BEHIND PROPHECY

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ISIL and the KINGDOM

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THE REVELATION OF ONENESS

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WHAT IS SCRIPTURE, AND AM I ABUSING IT?

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FEAR NOT

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IDENTITY

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RECEIVING APOSTLES PART II

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RECEIVING APOSTLES

Post by Kriston Couchey.

KINGDOM AGE SHIFT

The Spirit of God showed me that a great travesty in the Body of Christ is that many of his children have given their fealty and allegiance to institutions that have themselves become enemies of other people and institutions. In so doing His children have made themselves enemies of people that God is not enemies with.

Most confuse sentimentality and patriotism with godliness, but these in fact are an abomination to God when they cause Christ representatives on the earth to be at war with those God is not at war with.

Political parties and world governments are world systems that no believer has any business pledging fealty to or allegiance to if they truly want to preach the gospel of the kingdom. God does not condemn anyone who does so, He doesn't condemn anyone. But you limit yourself to the powerless Christianity that the western world now enjoys when you do so. This powerless way of life for most of the church has become the rule not the exception.

There is a great difference between loving loyalty to a people (men) and loyalty to an institution or system built by men. I will also add, another great travesty is when God's children make these institutions their enemy; they are God's enemies or His children's enemies, even if they choose to make God's children their enemies.

THE PURPOSE FOR MAN'S GOVERNMENTS
Man's government is given authority by God as a mandate from God to restrain evil by punishing wrongdoing. This is not the body of Christ's mandate nor is not compatible with the Mandate the children of God have been given.

God gives us the Men's government and leaders for another purpose as well, That as his children we might turn our hearts from hope and trust in the rule of law and( in the case of the USA) the written constitution to Him. The rule of law and written laws and rights are not the path of righteousness. They are boundaries for fallen men to protect them from fallen men. But you are of a holy and unfallen, and unshakable kingdom.

We are told to honor and not speak evil of our leaders. The leaders we have are showing forth by bringing to logical conclusion what government of men is and has the potential to be. These nations are not the kingdom, which is a state of being within the heart consisting of righteousness, Joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

Righteous behavior is based upon the Spirit's power and not upon obeying laws. We have made a nation in the USA where the logical conclusion of rule of law of representative government is that people if they so choose have a right to evil. The rule of law is that the majority makes the rules and the whole is affected. As a Christian, your hope is not in a constitution or rule of Law, but in Christ, who makes you holy by his power. This is a battle you will not win because you were never called to fight a battle to establish the rule of law, but to build Christ within people. That is why you have leaders appointed by God to show you that the rule of nations and fighting and frothing over them is a fruitless endeavor.

YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT
The culture of heaven is a culture of changed hearts, not changed temporal government. Changed hearts will change the way they govern. You want to change the culture you preach Jesus Christ, the only change that lasts.

Many are missing their full inheritance not because God is taking it from them, but because they choose a portion that is less then God's best. God honors His image in you enough to let you have what you want.

In His Love
Kriston Couchey

MANIFESTING HIM

I have become convinced that even though angelic and spiritual beings stand in the presence of God continually there are aspects of who He is that are only being revealed through Christ upon the earth, and in particular His sons who have become one with the very presence and essence of Christ; manifesting the manifold wisdom and character of God to the universe. 

I know from experience that being in His presence and experiencing and moving in His power does not mean that I understand or comprehend the heart of God in the midst of it. Men and women can move in great power and miracles and still have a wrong perception and portray inaccurately the nature and heart of God. We along with all of creation both animal and heavenly beings are in for a display of who God is as He is revealing the nature and character of Father Himself in Christ Jesus through you and I His sons.

My experience with angelic beings is mostly receiving rebuke and correction. One spoke to me in the night with a message from Father saying "stand with and before Me with confidence", while i understood the message was to have me put aside the feeling of guilt and shame, It took me years to understand the heart of God and WHY He said it to me.

It took me time to understand that God was not demanding of me to get rid of my baggage to stand in His presence, He was inviting me to become one with His so that He could remove my baggage. I am convinced there are saints and angels in heaven that are coming to the same understanding of God's tremendous grace as we have revealed to us the true nature of God and come to more fully comprehend things as He does.

I don't believe the angel delivering the message to me fully understood WHY Father wanted me in all of my guilt shame to stand before Him confidently. But i think he does now, because i have had revealed to me the grace of God that is not holding sin against me, nor has He ever. It takes the people of God having the revealing the Love God has in Christ toward us in all of it's height, breath, and depth in order that all of creation in both heaven and earth may comprehend it fully as well.

Not only now has He given me the WHY behind this correction, But He has taken away ALL fear and doubt to stand before him and IN him and Him IN Me. The true revelation is the perfect Love God has for all creation. THAT is what He is revealing to us and through us to the universe and all of it's inhabitants. It is Perfect Love that has cast out all fear to proclaim that I am one Spirit with God, joined to Him, not by my choice, but by His choice. We are called to live fearless and free at ONE with Him; in confidence.

Kriston Couchey

MANAGING YOUR IDENTITY

Kriston Couchey

SON OF GOD SON OF MAN
Jesus was the ultimate identity manager. He was a Jewish male, but identified himself in various ways and didn't disagree with others who also identified Him as being a Rabbi, Prophet, Son of David, Messiah, and Son of God. But, for much of his earthly ministry Jesus identified Himself simply as the "son of man."

The scholar Reza Aslan makes observations about Jesus' claims of his identity that I have encapsulated in the following paragraph that resonate with me.  The term "son of man" had never been used by anyone in recorded history as a title of identity until Jesus did so.  The term "son of God" or "son of the gods" was a term commonly used to refer to the kings of nations in Jesus's day. Even the Jews used the term "Son of God" to refer to David and the kings that followed him, not as an equation to deity, but to establish the king's inherited right to rule the nation. Jesus was recognized by some as being the Son of God, but He told them to keep it quiet. It was not until his last journey to Jerusalem that Jesus publicly accepted the title "Son of God". For to do so was to claim the right of ruler-ship and commit the crime of sedition against Rome which was punishable by crucifixion.

The Jews said to Pilate: "He made Himself out to be the Son of God."  But, when Pilate tried to release Jesus They said: “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”  Jesus carefully managed his identity for the sake of fulfilling redemption's plan; Jesus used the term " son of man" for a couple of reasons: 

#1 He was identifying himself with men to reach them with God's Love.
#2 His time had not yet come to be crucified. 

I AM WHO I AM
The apostle Paul wrote of identity in Christ:"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." 

He also went on to say:"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law)... ...I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."Paul even used his identity as a Roman citizen at one point to get out of a sticky situation. While Paul identifies himself with different groups to further the gospel, unwisely using or embracing identities can also hinder the gospel as much as it can advance it.

MANAGING OUR IDENTITY

The only identity that mattered about Jesus was that He was the son of God, the Christ, and the king of God's kingdom. Paul's only identity that mattered was that He was a son of God, in Christ, and a citizen of the kingdom. Your only identity that matters is being a son of God, in Christ, and a citizen of the kingdom.

No other identities according to Paul exist in Christ. The is NO Jew, Greek, American, Russian, Israeli, Democrat, republican, conservative, liberal, or any other designation that matters in Christ. This calls for wisdom on the part of everyone who has been joined to the Lord in how they manage their identities.

I have been identified with many Christian "identifying" and "defining" movements from the past; apostolic, prophetic, charismatic, evangelical, organic, institutional, home-church, grace preaching, etc.  The term Christianity is also an identifier that is involved in dividing or unifying people. I could probably put together a good sermon from what I have learned from each of these, yet my main identity is not these. I will use these past identities to preach about our son-ship, unity in Christ , and our citizenship in the kingdom to reach these various groups, but I will never use these as a means of division. 

IDENTITIES THAT DIVIDE
I am a United States Citizen by birth. This identity automatically sets me at odds with people whose own identities are at odds with the United States. The best path to breaking down that barrier is to embrace an identity as a Kingdom citizen that is not perceived to be an enemy of those whose identities set them at odds with the United States government and its people.  I am very careful to not emphasis this identity in situations where it will hinder the gospel and it propagation.

In the same way as a national identity can hinder the gospel, there are voluntary identities I can NEVER take on in Christ because they immediately disqualify me from ministering Christ to those opposed to them. The Spirit has spoken to my heart clearly that is it pertains to parties such as conservative or liberal, or nationalist movements that demonize or attack others. If we are persecuted for political persuasion it is no glory to God. If my being a conservative keeps a liberal from listening to the gospel I share I will not be one, and vice versa. That is why I take care to not get involved in fruitless political wrangling.

CHRIST YOUR IDENTITY
In the end, Christ is our identity and His kingdom and advancement of it is the measure of whether and how an identity should be used to advantage his kingdom. If taking one on causes offense that would keep one from embracing life in Christ it is nothing and needs to be kept in its proper place.     

In Him and his Love

Kriston Couchey

AS HE IS SO ARE WE

THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD

Kriston Couchey

Before the founding of creation the Ever Living One had the full knowledge of the fall of man and the depths of bondage and depravity to which he would sink. Yet, this was not an obstacle to Him. At no time had He rejected or turned away from mankind. It was not God that hid from Adam in the Garden, it was Adam who hid from the light of God’s presence. Scripture declares it was we who were “…formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds…”

It is we who became enemies in our minds toward Him as we became bound by sin and the carnal nature. We alienated ourselves from his boundless love and light as man turned to darkness to hide. The shadows of sin, sickness and death were cast upon creation as mankind opened the door for spirits of wickedness to reign over the creation that God created for His pleasure. Yet God never turned away from or rejected mankind. Before the foundation of the world He made provision through the slain lamb for man’s redemption from sin and reconciliation to Himself.

Because of man’s sin, the boundless Love and Light of God had become a source of fear to men rather than a refuge. Like the Israelites at the fiery mountain where God descended to meet with them, mankind ran in fear because their hearts and minds were darkened. Men no longer understood and perceived the true heart of God toward them. Man began to create gods from his own imagination in his own image. These gods demanded blood to appease offense and required offerings to accept and bless men. Religion had begun. Yet God never had ANY desire for sacrifice or offerings from men to appease for wrongdoing or to gain acceptance.

King David writes in Psalm 40 5-6 You had no desire for offerings of beasts or fruits of the earth; ears you made for me: for burned offerings and sin offerings you made no request.

Sacrifices and offerings God never needed or wanted, nor does He require them. David saw past the ritual and regulation that could never substitute for a heart of humility before God.

He writes in Psalm 51: 16-17  You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

If God did not want or need sacrifice to forgive sin or accept men, then what was the purpose of the cross?

THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THE CROSS

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-

The purpose of God in sending Christ to the cross was not to change His heart toward men from one of unforgiveness and offense to acceptance though blood sacrifice. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting or holding our sins against us.

The cross was for the sake of revealing the heart of love God always had toward us. His body was broken for YOU to bring you healing and deliverance from death. His blood was shed for YOU to cleanse and set you apart for Him. The cross was the place where God in Christ defeated and overcame sin, sickness, death, the devil, and all his works. He redeemed us with the precious blood of Jesus from the empty way of life we once lived.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Through the cross we have died with Him, and by His resurrection life we now we are alive in Him by His Spirit. The old has passed and the new has come. You no longer live, but Christ now lives in you. The death of Christ was not a demand for blood that God had to appease Himself, it was the demonstration of His Love, Mercy, and Goodness that men may be released from the power of darkness into His Glorious light.

In Him

Kriston Couchey

THE FIRST WORD

Kriston Couchey

THE EVER LIVING ONE – BOUNDLESS LOVE AND LIGHT

How can mere words describe the glory and transcendence of the Ever Living One? He has no boundaries and there is nothing and no one else that exists apart from Him. He is I AM. There is no space outside of Him, no universe that contains Him. We who are limited by time and space have no words to adequately express the nature and substance of the One that founded creation with its boundaries of time and space within the depths of His own being. For time and space and all that exists are the garden of delights He has made within Himself that He may taste the fruit of communion with the living multitudes that eternally emanate from the birthing chamber of His heart. He is Pure boundless Love, Pure boundless Light.     

To use terms that describe the Ever Living One as being  “Him” and as having a “heart” fall short of the truth; as if one with closed eyes senses that night has turned to day because absolute darkness has been replaced with a dark red glow seen upon the inside of shut eye lids.  So it is with our perceptions of this Ever Living One.

The Ever Living One sees the confines of time and space from beginning to end as if one would gaze upon a painting; viewing one edge of the canvas to the other simultaneously. We could use the term “before creation” to describe His precreation existence, but to speak of “before creation” and even use the term “precreation” implies His existence and activities are subject to creation’s time and space limitations; when in reality He is the creator and master of time and space.  I will use the term “outside of time” as is necessary when referring to the eternal activities of The Ever Living One; and yet this term will also fall short as creation is  “contained ” within the One whose activities appear to take place “outside” of it.

THE FIRST WORD OF CREATION

Creation was fully known in the thoughts of the Ever Living One apart from its formation. The equations of His creative thoughts were motivated by the passion of His heart to commune with those of like nature and substance. It was the creative power of His voice that caused the frequencies of matter to be formed in the womb of His eternal existence. The four pillars of creation within His being originate from the passion of His heart, the thoughts of His mind, the resonant power of His voice and the fertile ground of His womb where creation is formed within Him.

As His thoughts surveyed creation He knew that deception would darken His creation and those formed in His image would hide in the shadow of deception that would inhabit time and space. Knowing full well that what was formed of Him in His image could not be unmade, He made provision before or “outside” of the foundation of creation. He would bring light to all the places of darkness shadowing creation; especially the shadow of death.

And so He spoke the first word of creation. And the word proceeded forth from Him and became flesh. And the Word He spoke contained and was the fullness of the Ever Living One with boundless Love and Light. That Love and Light appeared at the junction of two ages in a shadowed world of His creation.  That Word was the Son and the sum of the Ever Living One; and the Son expressed that first word suspended upon a tree between two thieves. As He spoke that word all of creation quaked as the frequencies of the eternal voice declared “IT IS FINISHED!” And so that first word declared to creation that the removal of darkness was complete, accomplished, fulfilled; as the lamb was slain before the foundation of creation.

The light had come into the middle of created time and space and had planted a seed that would grow to envelope all of creation in the fullness of time; yet outside creation all was complete, accomplished, fulfilled, and finished. All was complete “before” creation had even begun.  

THE WORD A SEED

Outside of creation darkness was once for all defeated, yet all creation groaned to see the completion of that which was already finished outside of creation. The First Word became the seed whose origin was from outside of creation, in this seed the fullness of the Love and Light of the Ever Living One was complete, accomplished, finished.

Before and outside of creation the thoughts of the Ever Living One turned to another junction of ages. The completion finished from outside creation was now revealed in time and space as many sons containing the boundless Love and Light of the Ever Living One shone Love and Light into the darkness and the shadows of deception. Love and Light completely filled creation and there was nowhere for darkness and shadow to hide. The sons of the Ever Living One brought completion upon the earth as it existed outside of creation. 

And outside of creation the first Word spoke “Let there Be…” And creation began…

In Him

Kriston Couchey