Heroes | Article by Trevor Baker

A hero is someone who lays down their life for another’s good. Jesus laid down His life, every single day during His journey on earth, and did good and healed the sick. Just as Jesus drew the crowds in His day, even today we will see stadiums filled with people - but not just to observe the wonder of one man bringing in harvest and operating in signs, wonders and miracles, but to celebrate the harvest each one of us is bringing in! To offer praise for the every day occurrences of the miracles in peoples’ lives and the mountains overcome as we live supernaturally natural lifestyles.

Not all of us have platforms to speak to crowds, but your platform is the place of influence God has given you, over those who come under the affect of your life and the sound of your voice.  As we meet together we have testimony of what God has done in our lives;  then we realise that what He has done for us, He can do for others. Revelation 19 tells us that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.  If we take hold of this truth, then the message moves from only being preached at the front, the church, to reaching a whole new arena - your world, through you, at your work, your college, your school, one person at a time.

If you have received prophetic words over your lives, through others, or as you have heard God’s voice speaking to you, you will want to see those prophecies turn into reality.  How do you move from prophetic decree to practical reality?  How do you chart a clear path with God? The prophetic has to speak of what is possible, what is credible and and what is relevant.  In order for the prophetic promise to become reality, you have to take action.

So, what have you done with the last word that God gave you, or are you just waiting for the next one? If you don’t do anything with it, it’s just another word which falls fruitless to the ground.  You need to bathe prophetic promises in prayer, but there comes a time when you must see them birthed into reality.  There are steps for you to take, work for you to do! Don’t expect your promises to just happen, as if you were sitting at the phone waiting for it to ring!

Firstly, we must receive each word in faith. 1 Timothy 4 v 16 explains that you must give yourself wholly to the promises that God has given to you; be diligent so that your progress can be seen.  

In the early 90s I was invited to visit India for the very first time to speak at a Bible School in Agra, and I was the third choice. Two people had turned it down already before I was asked. You can imagine that they would have had a different approach, and more than likely a different outcome, but I responded to the invitation, I received it in faith as confirmation of a call of God on my life for India already, and I took the decisive action to go!

When we first planted the Church in Dudley, at the Grace Centre in 1998, the property perfectly accommodated our needs as a facility for the ministry. Then as we grew, we received a word from Bobby Conner that the place was too small for us. So we had to take action that was focussed, intentional and diligent, in order to follow the word through.  As you are diligent, God brings outcomes across your path in your search for fulfilling His promise.

When we were purchasing the ARC, our second church building, we told the vendor that we wanted to move forward with the opportunity of taking what God had entrusted to us to a new international stage. The previous use for what is now the ARC, was a furniture factory with world-wide outlets, and we wanted to build on any residue of that increase and influence.

Giving daily attention to the prophetic promise is essential, so that diminishing interest towards God’s purposes doesn’t set in and overtake the passion you once had concerning the word that burned as a promise within you.  Impetus and momentum are vital to the outworking of the vision; and these factors are developed as you focus and give yourselves wholly to the Lord and His purposes. Thus you will personally bring about a change on this earth, bringing the Kingdom of God here into your world, your sphere of influence, through you!  As you give yourself wholly to God’s purpose for you, others will observe the progress you are making and witness the truth that the favour of God on you is increasing.

In 1 Timothy 4 v 14 Paul exhorts Timothy, “Don’t neglect the gift given you by the laying on of hands....”.  We receive the word by faith, and together with works motivated through that faith, we see the prophetic word come about.  

Secondly, we need self discipline.  In 2 Timothy 1 v 6, Paul tells Timothy exactly this.  Stir up, fan into flame the prophetic word given to you. 

Let me strongly encourage you to record, track and work through the things God has ordained for you.  You don’t only need the desire to do God’s will, but the discipline too. The more you put off disciplining yourself, the more desire diminishes.  As you move towards His purposes, He empowers you.  He has given you the Spirit of power, love and self discipline to fulfill His purposes, as verse 7 of the same chapter clearly states.

If you don’t pursue what God wants you to do, someone else will get God’s purposes done for Him, even though the outworking and expression of it will look different from how you would have fulfilled it.

Thirdly, war with the prophetic promise allowing it to motivate and propel you forward. Don’t be deviated and look for another goal. 2 Timothy 1 v 3 reminds us to keep on going.  If you feel you have unreachable goals it will deter you and stop you even trying; you will become demotivated if you don’t know how to achieve the goals God is moving you towards.  Inferiority and guilt may set in. External circumstances can be obstacles to you achieving His purpose for you, and a blocked goal can produce resentment. You may think other people or circumstances are preventing you carrying out what God has asked; but obstacles are to be jumped over and heart issues dealt with on the journey.  Don’t get jealous if others progress more than you. Start warring for financial breakthrough, for any obstacle to be removed. You need to sow and reap, financially and practically  in order to make something happen for someone else.  The time will come when God makes it happen for you! Walk in alignment with the Kingdom way of doing things; take faith risks and be obedient to all God tells you.

Act in faith, as it’s faith that pleases God.  Break through in faith!  Even if the biggest obstacle for you is the financial one, persist until you break through.  Honour the blessing, the break through, and the grace you see in others, in order to attract those same things into your own life.

Don’t baulk at restraints; restrictions can be God-sent to bring us right into His purposes.  For instance, don’t judge the leader who gives you counsel which may seem to stop you or  limit you in some areas, but honour the grace they are ministering to you from.  Embrace the restraints God puts upon you. Good pastoral accountability helps you to move into the purposes of God with more grace.

Fear of failure can prevent you from attempting to move forward into the promise.  Everyone has to face fear, but you don’t have to allow it to overcome you.  A £million project has its challenges; nightly meetings are stretching in every way as you wonder if God will show up with miracles! Don’t stop too short or quit too soon, whatever the challenge set before you. Break free of past failures and step into the new way God is opening up before you.

Realise that there are promises God has spoken over you that are for this season!  Take hold of God and step forward: stick your head out and press on.  Ask for divine favour, to confirm the preparation on what you have started.  Remember, you are warring against principalities, not against people.  The breakthrough is awaiting those who will strike the ground one more time.

Finally, guard what has been entrusted to your care.  See 1 Timothy 6 v 20, 21.  Don’t allow the enemy to snatch away one word that has been spoken over your life. Ask God to move you into your new season, your new promises.  Make sure you wear the mantles of anointing for this season that should continue to be worn from the last season.  But you may need to part with some things, some ways, some attachments, even though others will be carried over to reappear in your present.  However, you will not be the same in the new season as in the old season.  After Jesus’ resurrection, people did not recognise the One who was in their past, appearing in their present.  New entrustments may change the way you look, the way you speak, the way you are. 

Guard the entrustment by comparing the words, the prophecies, the promises you have received.  Every word you receive from an external source, from another person, will always serve to confirm what you are already starting to hear from God for yourself.  Don’t be manipulated by a prophetic word, if it does not bear witness to the Spirit of God within you.  Wisely use the spirit of discernment that is upon you. At the same time, don’t promote yourself into the prophetic word, or move into it prematurely.  Allow those around you to safeguard you, as together you see God turning what was a word in the secret place, being fulfilled in the public arena. In this way, you will have the joy of knowing that God is bringing the promise, the prophetic word, and the unique purpose He has for your life into fulness and maturity. You’ll be assured that at the right time and in the right place, God has fulfilled His promises for you.

Trevor Baker carries a Spirit of Revival. Through his preaching and prophetic gifting he equips men and women to fulfill their destiny and calling in God, so that through signs and wonders we may gather in the harvest from the nations of the world.
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