As a young kid, I was fascinated with the Indians as we called them. They were noble, colourful and contained a mystery that I wished I had. I loved their connection and reverence for nature.

As with black slaves, they too were looked at as less than human by the European settlers. European sicknesses and diseases some say wiped out perhaps 75% of the aboriginal population. Treaties agreed upon in good faith were routinely broken by the white man. Much more than their land was taken. There was a dark plan to control and change their very essence.

The Black Hills of Dakota given to the Sioux Nation under a treaty was overtaken by a greedy gold rush. The government of the USA did nothing.

Most of us have heard of the Cherokee "Trail of Tears." This was a forced inhumane march to a very distant reservation. This took place after their own land was arbitrarily confiscated and given to white settlers. The forced march was impossible. It was strewn with the bodies of the old, the sick and children succumbing to the brutal winter and hunger.

The church was not innocent. The First Nation culture that lasted centuries was decimated by the "do-gooders" of the denominational churches. Children were taken from tribes and parents and placed in residential schools. Here they were stripped of the only life they knew. Names given by loving fathers and mothers had meaning and gave them pride. These names were substituted by empty European names.

The First Nations floundered through an alien existence. A noble proud race ended up sitting defeated in government compounds waiting for handouts from the white man.

The eagle is the most beautiful animal that came out of the mind of the Creator. An acquaintance of mine was in charge of the aviary at the Toronto Zoo. He placed this majestic bird on my arm. I have also seen eagles stuck in cages. Probably because they were wounded. It was incredibly sad. The smell was heartbreaking as they had to defecate where they lived. Their appearance was far from those who were free to do their acrobatics in the open sky. This reminded me of the plight of the First Nations after the Europeans crushed their unique identity. They depleted the ancestral hunting grounds defying the laws of respect towards nature. For sport and skins, the once 60 million buffalo were shot from trains and left to rot. Others hunted them to near extinction for the skins only and left the flesh to decay in the sun.

I had a job living in a group home for dangerous youth. Jimmy was a First Nation lad. I sat with him for many hours. I took him to the coffee shop to meet my friends. I could not help but love the teenager aware at all times that he could again snap and do tremendous harm. There was a difference between Jimmy and white offenders. There was a lost spiritual element. His mental impairment reminded me of the eagle in the cage.

The Europeans in the rush to take Indian land failed to understand that putting them on government reservations destroyed their inner soul. The soul of a people that was meant to fly free like the eagles in the sky.

I am not sure if I am offending some by this post. It is my heart and as I continue I hope you will understand.

As a Christian, I have grieved and also repented of our misguided ways towards the First Nations as well as much outright cruelty and disrespect.

YET!!

I have seen a Great Wonder emerge in spite of the injustice given to them.

EAGLES ARE RISING AGAIN!

Many First Nation people have been touched by God.

This is among the most beautiful things I have seen. Tribal chiefs in full regalia, covered with eagle feathers worshiping the Lord. The scriptures say "To them, He (God) gave them the power to become the Sons of God." This inner spiritual impartation radiates through these chiefs and their people with a very unique Glory. A Glory that carries an invitation to all humanity to a deep intimacy with our heavenly Father.

Did the white man bring Christ to the Indians?

I walked with an apostle being his prophetic man for a number of years. He was a tremendous man. He told me of a time when God sent him to an Indian tribe in the USA. When he got there the chief told him that the Great White Spirit told him the apostle was coming. It is my belief that long before the white man came, the Creator revealed Himself to many of the tribes of the Americas, Africa and all past cultures. The author of the Word of Himself, the Bible, is breaking into our theology showing us we know so little about wisdom Love and Greatness. Christ is called the Ancient Of Days. He did a lot a long time ago that we know little of.

My First Nation brothers and sisters, I as many others see your destiny. We will always be with you in the Beauty and Greatness of your Rising and that we will see each other in the One who calls Himself. "I AM"
First Nation Folk you will teach us how to fly in Spiritual Realms.

Teach us how to fly and the way of God's Eagles.

Your forgiveness of past injustice has placed you in a special place in God's Heart.
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You will set free many Christians locked in smelly cages to fly freely in open heavenly skies.

There is an incredible hidden nobility that will emerge in today's stage of history that will be very significant in saving America from the destructive control of socialism and utter chaos. This vision was given to me in my last year of bible college in 1978. As a ministering team, we were sent to two black churches in Montreal. I was treated like gold. I also have a relationship with a predominantly black church in  Manchester England. The love between black and white was like a family with the same Father. This church in my heart is also my family. The young pastor from Uganda is one of these noble leaders. I saw the rise of three groups of people. The blacks, the first nations, and women. These three groups were seen as less human and defiled. We are paying the price of the mind-blowing injustice that goes back centuries.

Both the world and the church failed to see that all mankind were created equal. Being a white male looking back at my ancestry no one was pulled from their homes, locked in chains, and called subhuman. Why will the blacks arise? Is it by violence? More money? Political acknowledgment? No. This will not stop the systemic racism, and in many understandable ways the black anger.  Then what is it that changes hearts on all sides. It is FORGIVENESS. To ask to forgive the history of slavery is a BIG deal.

Blacks are rising who have done this monumental act that breaks the chains caused by this unimaginable historical injustice. There is an honour from the Father that is lifting these courageous saints of God to the place of authority our nations need. I know many of them. You are in very high esteem of our Lord and a great many in the church. Continue to lead us deeper into worship. Deeper revelation of the Love in Gods Word. Taking us into the HOLY OF HOLIES. As an older prophetic man you  have always been in my prayers. I am filled with elation and hope for this time. You are a living wonder of Gods Grace and Mercy.

I come to speak.                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Not from a physical place but from the clouds and the winds.
Though my physical form is weary, for a time I am not here.
I appear before man for purpose not gain.
To take gain would mean losing my hidden home.
To bring my being from realms unseen 
To again be cloaked in human flesh
Is a suffering worth enduring.
 
To see this world cloaked in pain.
The wars.
The deceptions.
The sickness.
The sadness.
At times it is too much to bear.
I go back to the cloud and the wind.
The place of clarity
The place of freshness.
The Author of this beauty has a heart for those below.
For Him
In Him
I will go.
 
Down through the pollution of hate and greed.
Clouds of darkness and children crying.
To the wars.
To the deceptions.
The sickness.
The sadness.
 
My breath is fresh from the Ethereal winds.
I bring heaven's experience to the dark.
To both the “haves" and the “have nots.”
To bring Heaven's healing breath.
The joy of unearthly love.
 
The Father of all has had enough.
An army is coming with lungs filled with life.
Speech that restores.
Hands that heal.
It’s those who ride the wind.
Bringing the storm to the cruel. 
They will blow their houses down.
 
When I get weary and overwhelmed He brings me back.
Heavens Heart Beat is Him.
It is in me.
It is for you.
In only a moment of time.
The time of eternity.
I am refreshed.
Greater than before.
I go again.
To you and you.

​Dan

The old testament law being able to convert the soul from darkness to permanent light has to make us think. As so often happens, the wisdom of God comes after we are perplexed, trying to understand what He is saying. His Word is a mystery. It is a doorway to the treasure room. This statement I am going to make will cause many to be bewildered. Well, it did with me. The heart enters the Kingdom before the mind. The condition of our inner life lets us through the door or keeps us out. Being allowed to pass through is very significant and shows us the Lord can and will have pleasure in us. It is only here we can see (understand) the Kingdom principles of life in this world, a life full of true peace and love for all of the earth inhabitants. How deep we go in God is directly related to our humility, the absence of pride. To lose our "center" opens us to receive His. The Lord's center is selfless; we see this at the Cross. He emptied Himself for us. Losing ourselves to abide in Him is the goal, and the Holy Spirit in ultimate wisdom takes us there in degrees. From Glory to Glory, we go deeper into Love and Security, ever-emerging to a more fabulous place in God's heart.

There is a most incredible "doorway" question that enables heaven to fill our hearts. The answer is to do with Old Testament law. The apostle Paul in Romans 7 teaches that the law shows me I am in darkness in my soul. My condition will not allow me to the freedom the law can bring by full obedience. We know this is where Jesus comes in. 

Jesus took my darkness. My inability to continually do what is right is beyond my desire. I end up doing wrong. I sin. Now, what is sin? It is separation from God. Being separated from God's Love is the reason I fail.

For thirty years, Jesus lived in His community. He was a carpenter. Every day He saw things that were not right around Him. He probably was tempted not to pay taxes to the cruel Roman domination. But He did. His body probably had natural ebbs and flows. He did not succumb to sexual desire, crooked business practice or disobedience to His parents. The Bible says in all ways we are tempted He also was but did not give in. It is most important to note Jesus did not pull His God card. He did not have a more significant edge from heaven than any of us. He made it by His faith. The same afforded to us, and we could not do it.

JESUS IS OUR HERO!!

Most know the story, Jesus died on the Cross for all humanity. The most excellent exchange in all the cosmos took place. He gave me His light for my darkness. He was the innocent one who took on my separation from God. 

I could go on forever in theological terms to reveal the heart of God, the Cross and our redemption to Joy and peace and, most of all, the Love of the heavenly Father.

I only wanted to put a foundation to bring my thought into the current plight of the world's condition. 
After Jesus paid my penalty, God raised Him to His place in heaven. Incredibly took us who received forgiveness with Him! It is difficult to understand, but all the provision is there for us to know we are in this world yet separate from it. Few seem to have had the experience that we are heavenly people. The church, for the most part, is assessed by much of society as being irrelevant. 

By faith, this is changing. A surrendered remnant coming out of all church groups are coming to the plate. This message is for them. We know we are in a spiritual war. Our weapons in this war must also be spiritual. Before becoming a believer in Jesus Christ, I was occultic and a spiritualist. I saw and walked with dark powers, spirits. From hidden realms to the naked eye, they appeared before me and talked with me. The source of evil driving this world comes from this hidden dimension. It is in this dimension the actual battle resides. Many of this remnant of believers is focusing the struggle on what they see on earth. The unseen realm remains with little challenge. We must ask the Lord for grace. It is better to be known as a soldier by the dark invisible dominions and high places of evil spiritual power than to be recognized by man. The war is in the heavens. The chaos on earth is the spillover. One only has to read in the book of Daniel chapter 10:13. It took two mighty angels, one being the warrior angel Michael 21 days to get through the invisible heaven blocked by the evil spirit named the Prince of Persia.

How do we bind the strong spirits ruling the demonic realms? Someone has already done this. One more powerful than the angels, God himself in His Son Jesus the Messiah.

Then why are these diabolical spirits still doing their destructive reign upon humanity? With Christ as our head, we exercise the warrant legally won by the Cross and arrest the principalities and powers and spirits of wickedness in high places. WE BRING THEM DOWN! 

Defeated and afraid of believers entirely given to God's Love by way of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the dark powers know when we are on the offence. We have the Holy Spirit and all the angels of God with us.

We must have the heart mentioned in Revelations 12:11. "They overcame him (the devil) by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." NIV

How is this done?

These are the steps that I have learned over the past 48 years—much of these years in warfare.

1. Make Jesus Lord of your life. Making Him Lord requires repentance and a desire for truth no matter what the cost. The greatest weapon here is transparency with God and all others.
2. Don't just go into battle because you see a cause. Be sent. Obedience to this step is more crucial than most realize. Jesus came, lived and died for us for one reason, and all else must spring from this. Sent to bring us to the Father's heart, His purpose was and always is for us to come into complete rest in the Fathers' heart. Before we are to heal the sick, save the world, and all the other commands, we are to do this. TO LOVE HIM AS OUR DAD!                                                                                                                                                    The Bible says all that Jesus had done for us was so our Dad in heaven can love us without darkness separating us. Be a father pleaser before a warrior. I have learned first to be with Him as a Son. I know He likes this. Then I will bring my prayer requests. I want Him to send me out when our relational time is over. If I do this, God comes to war with me! 
3. Be of one accord. Four Bible-believing churches on four corners, all saying Jesus is here but not relating to one another, is coming to an end. A new church is emerging for a new age—the remnant. For now, it seems homes or small halls have become the place of meetings. In these meetings, we learn to walk with each other. The remnant will be the leaders of a great move of God soon coming.
   
4. Be open. Elijah was sent meat via crows. These birds were called unclean in the old testament. Some times things that you thought were wrong may have been right. Believers will emerge from all backgrounds. Doctrines of others you rejected may have some truth to glean. There is a way coming from heaven to bring the gays, transgender and the others to the Lord. Be open.   Sometimes truth can come to you as a negative at first, and then it proves itself to be right.
5. Monitor your body. We are to strive for one thing, and that is to "Enter Rest." When we enter God's rest, the Bible says we cease from labour emanating from our energies and not by the Holy Spirit. Is your body anxious or nervous? If so, pull back and rework your relationship with your Father. He will reset you. I have gone out and left Him at home and paid the price.
6. Desire to become a spiritual father or mother above other gifts and callings. Pastors and leaders must, in this new age time, be fathers and mothers first to the body of believers. If a leader is not a spiritual parent first, this only means they do not know God as a Father themselves. They will, instead of leading the sheep, drive them. I believe this ministry will not survive in this new area. 
7. Husband and wife must be in love! The "Bathsheba of many ministers may not be a woman, but the very ministry itself." In my view, this is a subtle form of an illicit affair.

Well, this has been very hard to put together. I have felt oppression from the beginning to the end. We are in dark times with this virus and corruption emanating from virtually everywhere. It is our time as the church in this world to bring truth, light, and love. 
​
Will we touch the world with our Father's heart imparted to us by resting in Him and loving him, or will we be driven by causation? If it is the latter, we only will end up with empty religion given to the world.

THEM HE GAVE THEM THE POWER TO BE THE 
SONS OF GOD.

​I am reminded of Moses telling Aaron to put a brass serpent on the end of a pole. The poisonous snakes were biting the people. Moses said, "look at the brass serpent, do not look down." We are in this place. Our help comes from above not below. The wisdom of God is clear and clean. It preserves us and protects us.
 
This situation of COVID 19 is just a warning shot over the bow of the ship called God's church. It is to wake us up. As a result, we can wake up to two things, the wisdom of God or just the situation on hand. This is what Hebrews talks about. The double-edged sword that separates the bone from the marrow as so with the soul from the spirit. This overlooked scripture must be the key element incorporated by all to see the turn of the kingdoms of the earth to Christ. Bear with me as I attempt to teach on this.
​
11 Chronicles 7:13-14

​
Let's look at this. Who did this? It was God. He allowed this to take place. It was not the Liberals or Democrats. Things happen like this when people are separated from God. Esp. and mainly the church. It is consequences; consequences are judgement to good or to bad.  We are seeing the bad but it is also good. It is wake-up time. The question is in our wake up, do we end up in a zeal without wisdom or do we connect with God and walk in His revelation. This question is crucial. One way will end in defeat and mudding the waters, the other will be a clear victory.
​

There cannot be true prayer without humility. Many are called but not all are humble. ​
​

Seeking Gods face must come before asking of His hand to be involved in the conditions of mankind in trouble. Seeking God's face is not as easy as it may sound. It requires our own retrospect. The Holy Spirit knows us. Our power to change things hinges on how much we see or understand our Fathers heart, His face. ​
​

To say we have not been wicked shows we are the problem. If we acknowledge our separations from God, we will have a marvellous result ​.
​

​
​It is not a Republican or Democrat thing. It is a "US" thing.

There is an incredible disclosure in the USA. Evil is being uncovered. There are many now looking up at the brass serpent. Doing the 2 Chronicles proposition from God and I believe we are seeing some results. We must keep this up. I personally am doing more prayer. Talking with God and Loving Him. I have more power in my proclamations and I know I am changing the spiritual atmosphere over the things I pray. Prayer, communication with God. Loving Him for who He is and not just for things we see must be done. Loving and honouring humility and seeing others more important than ourselves is some of the greatest keys to divine power over demonic control. These characteristics are what we put the armour of Ephesians 6 on. Without this character, we are hollow behind the armour and the enemy knows this. God may allow more problems to come before a significant army will rise to rule the nations in integrity and mercy.

​Beautiful, innocent, incredible in Love.
 
Your beauty, your innocence became corrupt.
 
 Filled with my darkened heart.
 
No longer innocent you took on my self-serving evil nature.
 
You gave up your light.
 
My black heart you took.
 
You stood   once in eternal Glory and majesty.
 
All things were made good by you.
 
I spoiled it, not you my King.
 
 You received all that I did in selfish desire.
 
Owning my sin, my pain and sorrow.
 
It was me and not you that fell. I was rightly condemned.
 
You were willing to be wrongly accused for me. 
 
There was not a drop of my iniquities left in the cup.
 
You drank all my corruption.
 
Giving up your own crown for a band of dead thorns.
 
In Your heart was me.
 
Broken and overwhelmed, degraded and spat upon.
 
You did not run, it should have been my penalty.
 
When all was done and your Glory restored. 
 
You come again saying.
 
Will you dance with Me.

​What a strange name to give a ministry.  Maverick conjures up images of the old western TV series called Maverick staring a tall, handsome card shark played by James Garner. It was an evening staple in tv watching for several seasons. For a Christian to integrate this name seems more like sacrilege bringing forth some derogatory thoughts and responses. I too thought this way.  

Many years ago I was ministering at a church in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.  After a meeting, Mary Jane, the pastor, said, the Lord calls you a maverick.  We had a great relationship.  I love her like a sister and related wonderfully with her congregation.  I concluded there must be a meaning to the word maverick I was not aware of.

Did you know that a maverick is a term used to describe an unbranded animal?  I remember when the wranglers on tv westerns would chase down wild horses attempting to snare them at full gallop.  The goal was to get enough rope around the neck in an attempt to subdue the free ranged mustangs.  We all felt sad for this incredible animal as cowboys attempted to break it by this ruthless manner. These men did not know that there was a better way where a horse can be tamed without beating the free spirit out of it.

The next step was the most demeaning of all.  The branding. At the side of the breaking in pen was a fire pit with a branding iron.  A long iron rod with a brand on the end.  No longer was this animal a free agent of the prairies and foothills of the mountains.  A cowhand would lift the red-hot brand and plunge it into the horse's thigh.  This once majestic prince of the plains was now owned. If someone stole the horse with a brand on it, it could be traced back to the owner.  A horse thief usually was hung.

In this process of capture and branding what happened to the inner nature of this four legged marvel?  They were torn from the herd which was their family.  Their most reliable protector was the stallion.  In a church setting, it is the leadership.  If they are stymied by identifying with a church brand, the church will be left unprotected, and more significant revelations of God would be hindered. Predators such as wolves in sheep's clothing are wise to the brands of man.  The fierceness that crushes evil powers looking for a chance to usurp control of a church is found in its freedom.  True freedom is the Lord himself. In our journey towards Him we cannot stop until we are entirely in The Kingdom of God, God Himself.

The majestic, formidable presence of the horse has in cruel fashion been stripped away and replaced with counterfeit religious identification.  The independent, enigmatic presence of one of the most glorious free-spirited animals in the world has had this glory removed and replaced with earthly ownership.  The once "Pride God" has been supplanted with a man-made brand scalded into the horse's rump.  For instance, the brand could have "CR" representing "Chappells Ranch" or something like "R" burned into the horse's right front hip for USA Calvary Rifles.  For the Christian leader this mark is made in his soul. This is then transferred to the leader's people leaving them distant to the heart of the Father.  When religious branding takes place, the church is now owned by an earthly identification based on God's external acts and not on Him as "I AM".  He gives us our ID, not the other way around.  

Are you getting the analogy here?  We are all branded by political parties, the marketing of goods and the adherence to philosophies concerning the social engineering of society.  This list goes on forever.  The most disheartening of all is church brands.

Let me explain by using an experience I had in a northern Ontario city.  I was a speaker at some meetings held by a friend's church.  At the end of one of the sessions two young ladies made their way towards me.  They liked my message and I knew they were comfortable with me.  I'm very touched by folks that show kindness no matter their background.  One said she was a lesbian and the other was not sure if she was or not.  I think they recognized that I had no judgement concerning their sexual orientation but there was a connection in our hearts.  In my sincere and loving demeanour they felt welcomed and ventured a step further.  What they asked of me was far outside my comfort zone.  "Will you come with us to a gay dance tonight?"  They came to see me, so how could I turn them down?   My fear inside was saying no. Then, almost without permission, my lips said yes. I knew this would be a life-changing experience. I was grateful when my friend, who pastored with her husband, came with me.  

There I was crammed in the back seat of a car filled with young gay people off to a gay dance!  The night air was frigid.  Everything was accentuated by the cold.  I could hear and feel my heart pounding in my chest as the crisp snow crunched under my shoes as we walked up the stairs to this Christian forbidden zone.  It was God who met me at the door.  No, it was not a physical meeting, but I heard Him loud and clear.  As my foot crossed the threshold, I was met with an angry, violent strum on a guitar. Everyone there knew a Christian would never dare be within a hundred miles of this secret gathering of like minded alternative living people.  What was belted out by this woman with the grey brush cut and Larry King suspenders was directed to the church's history of being unkind and insensitive to the inner struggle of the gay existence. The angry strum on the guitar gave way to a pregnant pause, then at the top of her lungs thundered these penetrating and convicting words, "The church calls us an abomination unto the Lord".

I have taken great displeasure with the self-righteous attitudes condemning gays.  The poisoned, nasty, derogatory proclamations have significantly hindered the trust needed to reach them with the Love of God.  Mercy has been lost to piety.  Our branding of them has only pushed them further from the God we profess as being loving.  Am I endorsing this alternative lifestyle? The truth of God in me says I cannot.  Equally I disagree with the many churches that have pigeonholed these people in an unkind manner.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  Have we forgotten mercy?

The girls led me to a table on the far side of the hall.  There I hoped I would be invisible.  No such luck.  One of the young ladies took me softly by the arm up to the front.  Now, the church never taught me much about dancing with a lively group of happy gays.  There I was surrounded by flashers, men dressed in feathers and all kinds of flowing colourful garments.  I was attempting to dance amid men looking like women and women looking like men.

They danced around my stumbling footwork like young antelopes.  The Lord continued to reveal His Heart to me.  His emotions to these folks was undoubtedly not the same as we would find in many religious gatherings.  I felt an overwhelming love for those who were called aberrations by the churches and much of society. How could we not understand the Love of God who came to our darkness to save us and yet would not be here at this dance. Our degrading attitudes have kept us separated from God's work in these beautiful people.

I began to see that a good number were simply lost in their souls.  I now understand more than ever that Love of God resides in strange alternative societal universes.  When we comprehend His heart and power to set us free from prejudice and branding, we will enter into a new and beautiful life.

There is a soul and world changing reality found in Jesus.  It changes all hearts who ask. God is not leading the church to rest in its journey toward Him in a church brand.  What God has in store for us is an existence far above church membership and even sexuality. In the experience of this new age coming to the church many will surrender everything for it including searching gay hearts.  All of us must give up what we see as precious for the supremacy of being a Son of God.  This far exceeds human imagination as well as sexual identity.  Our futile attempt to be genuinely righteous and loving will be exchanged by Grace, the gift of God that supplants all self-effort.

If you are overcoming the addiction that has plagued you and ruined your life, you must fill that void with something more excellent.  The most incredible transcendent experience is emerging from the ages in heaven.  This will supplant many religious and ethical brands.  Many of us are as sincere as we know how to be.  I came to a shocking realization many years ago that to this day govern my leading teachings and even prophetic utterances.  And that is that I can be absolutely sincere but be sincerely wrong.  To enter where God is taking us, all things must be on the table before Him.  I was being sorted out by God.  If you are still with me and have not as yet called this message bunk, He is doing it in you now.

I sat down beside the young man who had sat next to me in the car.  With some reluctance I asked him why he comes to these dances.  "Because I don't feel judged" was his response.  This environment was his home. The words, the church says we are an abomination unto the Lord, has stayed with me since this time.  I had been told that many of these people dancing in front of me had come from church backgrounds.

Across from me sat a group of older women.  They looked like lifeless statues. I got the feeling that they felt like groundbreakers in gay history.  The ones who lived secretly in the closet always fearing they would be found out.  Living memorials rejected by society and the church from a time before the church became irrelevant to society.  Rejection had a big hand to bring them to look so stone faced.  The churches brand, not Love, has been a part of bringing them to this state.  How much have we the church added to their rejection?

The Lord continued to teach me, changing my perspectives forever.  The presence of the Lord was at a gay dance and went home with each of them. Almost in an audible voice, the Lord said to me that He wants to send His people to places like this but cannot.  "The churches will bring their culture and a lack of love and wisdom."  He was talking about churches locked in their individual brands living in a comfort zone impeding their journey.

I think my being a Christian spy was being uncovered.  I had the sense I was going to be subjected to a test.  A small crowd was gathering around me as a young man was introduced.  He wore a formal satin blue dress, bright red lipstick, long dangling earrings and to top it off, a floating set of falsies that he continued to adjust. All eyes were on me.  Before I could figure out what to do and fall short in this test, the incredible presence of God filled me in an unfamiliar way. I stood and extended my hand. As he softly slid his hand in mine I said, "it is a pleasure to meet you".  The whole experience was surreal. I felt like God was with me shaking his hand.  This was the value God saw in this man.

This whole thing about culture confused me.  Isn't the world made up of cultures?  Maybe God's concept of culture is different than my learned definition. I asked the Lord if much life is instituted by customs and the church being no exception, then what is your brand God?  I suddenly felt like Moses in front of the burning bush when God said, "take off your shoes you are on holy ground". The profoundness of His next words was for Moses as well as today's church.  His answer was the most powerful word I had ever heard.  "I have no culture. I AM".  I was left speechless, on the ground removed from thought or response.  How can the created define God as the creator?  Only in the I AM can the church be one.  Moses wanted a
brand that the Egyptian slave could relate to.  Moses' request was refused.  

In this day we too are denied. We can be like the disciples at the mount of transfiguration. Moses and Elijah, long dead in the physical realm was brought up from paradise to talk things over with Jesus.  We are given the strong impression Peter's impetuous idea of building three temples for them did not impress God.

Peter was cut short of unveiling the totality of his proposal.  God basically said, this is my son, boys.  Your job is not to build a monument to these three but to listen to Jesus.  To make sure they heard Him a cloud wrapped around them and they fell on their faces full of fear.

The clarity of this truth must be ever present with us. We are to listen to what Jesus is saying and live what He tells us.  This is the road to peace and joy.  The three disciples were overwhelmed by what they saw. The experience of Peter, James and John shows the futility of our imaginations trying to replicate what is heavenly by an earthly vision.

This is what I am calling a brand.  Have we built monuments upon what God has done rather than embracing the ever-changing experience of living in Him?

The early church, simply known as "the way" emerged as the Roman Catholics. The Lutheran church left the Catholic church over doctrine and using Luther's name another denomination came into existence.  They branded themselves as the Lutheran Church.  The Baptist church branded its name after the scriptures supporting the sacrament of baptizing.  The Pentecostal, the Independent, etc. have all branded themselves with a particular experience or doctrine with God to define them.

I have been told that after Luther separated from the Roman Catholics to this current date, there are around 35,000 protestant churches and sects.  Most disagree with only 5% of doctrine, and none of these doctrines is critical to one's salvation.  It boils down to "my brand is better or more complete than your brand".  We have created distinctive cultures that keep us separated from other branded cultures. We failed to realize we set ourselves as, unknowingly for the most part, elites to those who had, in our opinion, a lesser experience. Also, when God does something that is outside our brand, we are more likely to reject it and be critical. Our brands have caused divisions and confusion, amongst ourselves and in the world we so passionately long to touch. By our preoccupation of relating our walk on our branding we cut ourselves off from the ever unfolding revelation of the Love and ongoing adventure with our Father.

I am not saying give up on your denomination or group names.  It may be too late for that but do not let anything define you but the touch of the Father.  "I AM" is where we find who we are. We must understand the enigma of this.  Jesus said that one must become as a child to enter the kingdom of God. This statement embodies a number of truths.  The reality is a child is given identification by his father, not the other way around. All of us in some way can fall into relating more to a brand than to God.  As leaders we must break free from a mixture of gold and clay. Gold is purified by fire.  Stand still in its flames and do not run.  Then, and only then can we walk together as true Sons and Daughters of God and lead our people further into the Truth.  All of creation is waiting for us to emerge in His Glory.

     The world is made to respond to a Maverick.  Not a brand.

               Dare to be a Maverick

                     An unbranded Son/Daughter of God


This is a transcript of the soon to be Maverick Prophetic TV Ministries
Pray for us and be part of the Maverick team.