“There’s Gotta Be More”
Dr. Kluane Spake
Spake@mindspring.com
www.kluane.org

I don’t know … this feeling increases within me daily.  Once again, I press into the atmosphere of the heavenlies to touch the wind of His presence. “My God,” I cried out again only yesterday, “There really has to be something more.”

And daily, “more” is understood.

Everywhere I travel, there are many pastors and successful churches who have tired of the old system and rhetoric of the past and have come to the place of absolute desperation – they must hear an activated NOW Word from God! They need something more. Many believers that I know are giving up on “church.” There are those disillusioned pastors who left their flocks and are “out there” waiting and looking – they were some of the best. All over, gifted musicians are without fellowship, disenfranchised prophets weep, and broken ones all who have nothing left but to hope in God and search for “something more.”

These are the ones who refuse to be limited by the existing stereotypes. By the thousands, believers leave the traditional modalities and are stranded out there with nothing but longing for a new day. This band of desperate seekers has dared to reevaluate their Faith. They are ambassadors (presbeuo = elders) of the word (logos = the sum of all that God has to say) of reconciliation (the restoration and exchange of God’s favor, 2 Cor. 5:19-21). These are those who will settle for nothing less that a total reconciliation with Truth. They have abandoned all the birth-based hierarchies and abolished all branding and labeling.

For awhile, we were mesmerized by narrow and rigid archaic dogma, not realizing that it created negative mega-patterns that affected us all. This amnesia caused us to continue trying to be people pleasers and play the game. We were lulled by the many legalistic customs that were added on as necessary accoutrements to our salvation. No doubt about it, we were temporarily thrilled by new emotional heights. But, now we realize that placing our trust in customs and ritual activities negates the power of Christ’s redemption. Finally, “the tyranny of ritualistic expectation” has run its course.

Now, in spite of our past diversions, comes the answer. What keeps us all going is that we occasionally glance into that what is to come – a bold new church arising.

Out of the chrysalis of past robotic conditioning, comes the BREAK THROUGH. God’s image finally begins to emerge. Divine unrest is literally giving birth to Good News! From out of the womb of the morning we begin to SEE “something more.” Within a people, the Holy Spirit reveals things that are to come (Jn. 16:13) – “something more.” Divine pressure reveals the extrusion of a God-kind of people with character and image. These are those who won’t tolerate the control and manipulation of the past. They are those who are awake and knocking on the door of the traditional church, pleading “Wake up! Wake up.”

Remember, all ten were virgins (believers) waiting (Luke) … some had oil and some did not. But THEY WERE ALL SLEEPING. The point of the story for me is that the watchman was found ready. Notice -- some don’t sleep. Their job is to wake up the sleeping church to accurately proclaim the coming of Christ INTO His church for a new day.

Behold, God really is doing a “new thing.” Do you not perceive it and know that it’s true? And will you heed it (Is. 43:19)? Until there are proper phrases to describe this growing “new thing,” think of it this way: We may not have all the maps of this new order, but we do have a Compass. We’ve located our North Star and are fixed upon His Name. With increasing light, we’re moving with precision toward our destiny. And, even before the right terminology emerges, we can begin to see strong and accurate Apostolic patterns for restructuring begin to materialize.

What happened to me last month in the Bahamas seems to be somewhat of an allegorical picture of what is to come. Please read and consider this account.

“That Sunday was clear and hot – not a cloud in the sky. The windows of the church were open to let the beauty of the Bahamas inside. I was there to preach that day… as they began to sing, “And You are great, You do miracles so great…” Soon a gentle breeze began to blow across the banners in front of the open window. The one that said “Elohim,” began to gently move as the Lord breathed through His name.

As the worshiped increased, the wind began to toss through another banner that said, “Worship in the House.” Soon, the unexpected blustery weather whipped upon this banner. My attention was riveted as it flapped around and was literally blown off the wall hanger and onto the floor. One of the church elders rushed over, caught it, and began to fold it up and put it away.

I explained what was happening and someone grabbed the banner and began to run. Suddenly, the church became totally released in excitement. No more three fast songs and two slow ones. No one had to cheerlead to make it happen. No hype. As I preached, the wind blew my hair every which way and horizontal rain soaked my dress as it beat in through the open windows. That wonderful wind drove against the banners on the other side of the room -- and all the names of God began to flutter. The refreshing breath of God caused us to leave the ritual of our normal services and find that reality of God’s ever revealing presence.”

To me, this is a picture of how the Spirit is presently blowing everything off our traditional walls (the strongholds in our minds). Banners represent the “STANDARD” by which we live. What falls to the floor is what we thought was beautiful -- our old expectations, the old way of doing things, our old ways of understanding. Old paradigms will fall to the floor no longer recognized while fresh understanding raises up in total release and victory.

Right now, the Spirit of God blows afresh through His Name: There’s greater meaning to Our Ever Revealing God of Covenant, Our Banner, Righteousness, Healer, Peace Giver, Provider, Victor, Shepherd, etc. This visible nature of God must be imaged in His people and actually manifested in our midst.

Remember, this had been a clear day and this was not a normal wind. Wind is the power of God and the breath of life (Isa. 11:15, Jn. 3:5-8, 20:22; Eph. 4:14; Jude 12; Eze. 37:9). We think we understand, but we don’t. Like it or not, this wind of change is blowing into the church and many are getting nervous. They want to close the windows and hold onto the old order and how the church has always been. They sternly say, “This isn’t God.” But, in spite of their resistance, what happens? The Lord just blows the whole thing off the wall.

Eventhough the Scripture is infallible; our theology is not necessarily perfect. We must be willing to pull down the strongholds of past philosophies, theologies, and convictions that undermine the power of redemptive truth. The Lord blows our ideas of worship off the wall of our preconceived mindsets. The wind drives against our habitual expectations and causes new ideas to become activated in our hearts. Violently, He blows against our favorite doctrines, even against “our ministry,” and livelihood.

A friend of mine wrote commenting that it was a horizontal rain, not vertical, (rain from unexpected locations and directions). We know that rain is symbolic of renewal and a fresh outpouring of the Word and Spirit (Dt. 32:1-2, Joel 2:23-32; Jas. 5:7). This new rain defies the natural laws of nature and pours in sideways.

Notice also that the rain came through the open windows (places of divine opening; windows of readiness and opportunity). The blessings of heaven come to earth in order to soak our garments. Garments represent all outward attitudes and external appearances. Garment are the symbol of who we are and how we present ourselves (Ps. 73:6, 104:2, 109:19; Isa. 64:6; Jer. 43:12; Mal. 2:16; Zec. 13:4; Da. 7:9; Mk 10:50; 16:5; Jude 23; Rev. 1;13). This latter rain will soak our attitudes and drench them with Living Water.

Allegorically, this event portrays a church that is standing up and moving forward with new ease – and loving the battering warmth of fresh rain. The wind my hair symbolizes the messing up of the way we want to look and the release of His glory, (Jdg. 16:17,22; Isa. 3:24; Jer. 7:29; 1 Co. 11:14,15; Jn. 11:2; Lk. 7:38, hair being glory, covering, anointing, maturity, sanctification, and separation unto God).

All the banners fluttering speaks of a restoration that will go beyond denominations, across all of God's house. The result is TOTAL RELEASE. God moves where He has become the center and focus of our affection.

Beloved, we must keep our heart tender and forgive. Keep on believing in the goodness of God and His intense love for the church that He died to release. Expect to see the consequential miraculous activity of the early church. The wind is blowing because there is “something more.”