This Season Will Be The Most Productive And Powerful You’ve Ever Witnessed
I heard Him whisper…
“The season has changed, you have heard it before, but I declare to you: The seasons of time have changed. Eternity is now flooding into time. I am calling you into the ‘no time’ zone, the realm of eternity within you. This season will be the most productive and powerful you’ve ever witnessed, for I am hastening My word to bring it to pass. Long dormant promises will now spring to life as I bring you through the most rapid changes of your life.
Finances not a Limitation
“Finances will never hold you back, for I am the God who provides all that is needed and who supplies all that you lack. Never be held back by what you call ‘lack,’ or ‘need,’ for I call it ‘Miracles of Trust.’ As you trust Me, I will open doors of blessing and miraculous supply that you have never even considered. Remain faithful to Me, and I will show you My faithful and miraculous supply. My harvest of the nations will not be limited to the financial structures of men. There will be no limit of resources to see My harvest reached and to see My Bride made radiant.
Passivity to Passion
“This season of change will move you from passivity to passion. The fire of My love will motivate you to make sacrifices of time and treasure that you have never entered into before. Did I not ask Abraham for his dearest? For then I promised the anointing of taking cities and possessing the gates of your enemies. Great sacrifices will yield great prophetic promises. When I move upon your heart to yield to Me, to go where I send you, to do what I call you to do – even at great personal cost – you will see Me as the Great Provider and the Great Promise Keeper.
Changes will Demand: “Trust in God”
“The changes that are upon you will demand that you trust. For in the stretching of faith, you will find Me as never before. Leap for joy, and in that leap of faith, you will find My supernatural presence as never before. Faith leaps for joy! Get ready for the Kingdom of JOY to come even as dark shadows linger in your circumstances. Faith rejoices and will subdue doubts and fears. Watch new miracles flow through the seasons of JOY that I bring to you.
“Be ever ready to open your mouth and share your living faith with those who are near you. I will open hearts – do not I hold the key to unlock the hearts of men? Speak forth your praises, give your bold and courageous testimony, and watch me melt the hearts of men and women before you. A great harvest is now here. Not someday, but now – this day! Tell them TODAY you can come and be with Me in paradise!
Family
“This season of change will be most noticed in your family. I have committed My Spirit and My power to work on behalf of My people among their families. You will see many miracles – MANY MIRACLES – of restoration, healing of relationships, and joy returned to millions of homes across the land. I have blessed marriage and have never lifted that blessing that I first gave to Adam and Eve. The blessing of marriage will be one of the great lights that shine from the Church in this season of change. I have heard your many cries for your family to be healed and restored. I WILL SHOW YOU MY FATHER’S HEART as I restore, heal, renew, and gather My children with tenderness and respect once again. As I have forgiven YOU now you must forgive; and the veil will be torn as you speak the words, ‘I forgive you.’
Daybreakers and Dawnmakers
“The season of change that you have anticipated has now come. It will be your love for ME that will see you through. Disruptive revelation that brings the shocking truth to the media, to the government, to My Church – this disruptive revelation that overturns the tables of religious profit will bring the righteous ways of My 70 servants that I sent out, taking nothing with them. New mission strategies will come to you in dreams and through prayers. Great understanding of My mysteries will come to those who sit with Me on My blood sprinkled Love-Seat. The old order is quickly passing away and the new breed is arising, and they will be known as Daybreakers and Dawnmakers. They belong to Me, and to ME alone. As My fiery servants they will accelerate the changes I am bringing to the earth and will bring My Bride back into the ways of holiness and passionate love.
Declaration
“Have I not called you to love with all your heart and all your passion? This is the day of ALL, not part. You will see ALL My love and ALL My power at the disposal of those who have sought My face with ALL their hearts. The season of change has come; you have heard it before, but now I declare it: You will never be the same again, for I have placed My hands upon you, My Church and My Bride!”
Timothy, you are God’s man, so run from all these errors. Instead, chase after true holiness, justice, faithfulness, love, hope and tender humility. There is a battle raging, so fight with faith for the winner’s prize! Lay your hands upon eternal life. for this is your calling – celebrating in faith before the multitude of witnesses!
So now, I instruct you before the God of Resurrection Life and before Jesus, the Anointed One, who demonstrated a beautiful testimony even before Pontius Pilate, that you follow this commission faithfully with a clear conscience and without blemish until the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
1 Timothy 6:11-14 The Passion Translation
Brian Simmons
Apostolic Resource Center (ARC) & Stairway Ministries
Email: brian@passiontranslation.com
Website: stairwayministries.org
Brian and Candice Simmons have been described as true pioneers in ministry. As a spiritual father and mother, their teaching and spiritual gifts have opened doors in many nations to take the message of authentic awakening and revival to many. For the last 40 years they have labored together to present Christ in His fullness wherever God sends them. After a dramatic conversion to Christ in 1971, Brian answered the call of God to leave everything behind and become a missionary to the tribes. Taking his wife and three children to the jungle of Central America, they pioneered Church plants for many years with the Kuna people group. While serving as missionaries, they planted churches and established leadership for the new Believers.
Brian serves as U.S. Director of H.I.M. which oversees nearly 20,000 churches worldwide. Known as dynamic and anointed speakers, they now travel the nations releasing this message of end time awakening. Brian is the author of numerous books that reveal depths of insight that the Holy Spirit has released for the last days. His best-selling book, The Journey of the Bride, has been translated into Korean and French. He is also is committed to finishing the translation of the entire Bible into a new dynamic-equivalent version called, The Passion Translation. Brian and Candice have been married for 42 years and have three children and six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Their passion is to be loving examples of a spiritual father and mother to this generation.
As a follow-on to the statewide 7NOW and 40 Days unity initiatives, the Impact CT 2014 conference will be held March 28-29th in Berlin, CT. This conference is for CT by CT and is made up of a multitude of participating Connecticut churches and ministries. The intention is to learn from and encourage one another. Here are a few words from Rick McKinniss, host of the event:
I’m so excited to host this celebration of Kingdom advance in Connecticut!
Over the past year, we have witnessed unprecedented expressions of unity in the Body of Christ in Connecticut. Now it is time for a Body united in spirit to unite in action! It takes the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole state.
Impact Connecticut 2014 will feature practical and inspiring best-case practices and testimonies of what God is doing here in our state. Impact Connecticut 2014 will fuel vision and help forge working partnerships to see the Kingdom impact all 169 towns and cities of Connecticut.
It’s time for the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole state!
Finally, I have received revelation for our 40-Day Prayer Focus. This will begin on Monday and will be called “The Fight of Faith: Opening the Portal of Provision, Revelation and Your Destiny for the Future.”
When I was teaching on the power of ascension at the Wednesday Kingdom Force Institute Worship Training, the Lord spoke to me from Genesis 22 and Genesis 28.
In Genesis 22, Abraham ascended in worship to Mount Moriah. Because of his obedience of worship and giving (his only son, Isaac), God opened a portal and came down in that place. He revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh, the One who will cause you“to see your provision.” God then gave a new piece of revelation to Abraham. He showed him that his seed would possess the gates of the enemy.
Later, when Isaac was old, he had to release the blessing of the future. Instead of blessing the firstborn, Esau, the will of God was to bless Jacob, the younger. This resulted in jealousy arising from Esau, and him threatening to kill Jacob. When fleeing from Beersheba up to Haran, Jacob stopped on his journey and fell asleep. This was on Mount Moriah. The portal that had been opened with his grandfather, Abraham, was still open. Angels ascended and descended to bring him covenant revelation for the future. This initiated the evening sacrifice and prayer watch.
Beginning on Monday evening (February 10) and continuing for 40 days, we will be leaving the Prayer Tower open from 6 – 9 PM. We encourage those of you in the Metroplex to come and pray and worship. If God says something to you, we want you to feel free to release that revelation. At times the Prayer Tower will be filled with worship, and at other times it may just be a CD playing. For you on the web who are connected here, I suggest you tune into these times via live webcast and have your daily prayer focus at some point between 6-9 PM (CST). Those of you in other nations are welcome to join us during 6-9 PM our time or between 6-9 PM local time. Wherever you are, we want this portal at the Global Spheres Center to be opened to you, as well, so you can gain strategies to:
Break you out of the wilderness.
See you new door of hope.
See your provision.
Gain divine revelation.
Go over the wall that has blocked you in other seasons.
Find your honey in the land.
Access angelic hosts that are bringing you revelation and protection for the future.
These are key areas to focus on over these 40 days for breakthrough.
THE FOUR WATCHES The transition of day to night begins before sunset and lasts till after sunset. The change of night to day begins before sunrise and continues until after sunrise. The watches extended from 6 PM to 6 AM (Mt. 14:25; Mark 13:35). Acts 12:4 speaks of four parties of four Roman soldiers (quaternions), each of whom had to keep guard during one watch of the night. May the Lord use this to make you a good soldier in His army.
The First Watch: The Evening Watch (6 PM – 9 PM)
During the Evening Watch, we regroup. Most of us have worked all day and would love to just to “chill out” during this time. We like eating with our family, perhaps reading a book or watching a TV program – any way we can escape from the day’s activity. However, this is a time that we need to “still” ourselves from the world. Psalm 46 is a wonderful passage that says, “Be still and know that I am God.” In other words, there must be a time before we attempt to sleep when we quiet our heart. The evening watch is the time for meditation and angelic visitation bringing restoration from a hard day.
Try to find at least 30 minutes where you can meditate before going to bed. Then out of your meditation, find 30 minutes of prayer time to release your anxieties to the Lord. Power nap and dream.
Genesis 24:63 says, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening. He lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.” In his place of meditation, he saw his future. When he lifted his eyes, there was Eliezer bringing Rebekah back to be his bride. This actually created the extension of the covenant of Abraham in the earth. When we meditate, we get focused on God’s covenant plan. Joshua 1 says to “meditate day and night on the words of His mouth” and you will be assured of success. I like to call the evening watch my time of focus so I can start my day with a mentality of success. I have had many anxieties in my past. The Lord has used the evening watch to purge me of the anxieties that would keep me from advancing into His perfect plan. This is the watch that Jesus also pulled aside into, to find His place of quietness. Try to do this before you go to bed each day.
Jacob then saw the Lord restore the power of the evening by visiting him in his fleeing season from Esau. This protected the covenant destiny that God had for the bloodline!
Beginning on Monday evening at 6 PM, I would suggest you begin praying one of these focal points each day. We will send out additional prayer points in the next few weeks that will take us beyond the first 21 days and through the full 40 days. We will be sending these prayer points out in various emails, as well as posting them daily on FaceBook and Twitter.
Day 1: Read Matthew 14:15-23 “When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.’ . And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” (NKJV) Pull away and find a place to seek the Lord. Ask the Lord to remove all distractions from you.
Day 2: Read Genesis 8, especially verse 11: “Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.” (NKJV) Ask the Lord to show you the changing of the season in your life.
Day 3: Read Genesis 24. This chapter is very important. The evening watch is when Rebekah meets Eliezer. The evening watch is also when Isaac and Rebekah meet.
Day 4:Read Genesis 22, 28! Jacob flees from Esau after receiving the blessing from Isaac. This was God’s desire and destiny for the bloodline. He stops on his fleeing path and visitation occurs. He finds himself at the same portal created by Abraham in Genesis 22. On Mt. Moriah, angels ascended and descended, bringing revelation for the future. Provisional revelation is released.
Day 5: Read Genesis 30, especially verse 16: “When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, ‘You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.’ And he lay with her that night.” (NKJV) Ask God for strategies of multiplication.
Day 6: Read Exodus 12, especially verse 6: “And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (KJV) Ask the Lord to give you your Passover strategies and help you break free from any bondage that has held you in the past.
Day 7: Read 1 Samuel 14, especially verse 24: “And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.” (NKJV) It was customary to break fasts in the evening. Ask the Lord to refresh you from the wars of the day.
Day 8: Read 1 Samuel 17, especially verse 16: “And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning andevening.” (NKJV) Stop and get quiet. Declare every word the enemy has been using to convince you of failure will be overturned.
Day 9: Read 1 Samuel 30, especially verse 17: “Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.”(NKJV) Declare that you will recover all.
Day 10: Read 1 Kings 17, especially verse 6: “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.” (NKJV) Ask God to bring you the supply that you need in the midst of any transition you are going through.
Day 11: Read 1 Kings 18. Ask the Lord to let you hear the prophetic words that He is speaking over you today. Meditate upon the words that He has spoken over you.
Day 12: Read Ezra 3 and Ezra 9, especially verse 5: “At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.” (NKJV) Ask God to show you your small window and opportunity for reviving. When you awaken tomorrow morning, declare you will enter in.
Day 13: Read Esther 2, especially verse 14: “In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.” (NKJV) When you meditate in the evening, ask God for His plan to prepare you for the future. Esther went through a time of preparation.
Day 14: Read Psalm 59, especially verse 6. Ask the Lord to silence all the enemies of your day.
Day 15: Read Daniel 8 – 9. Ask the Lord to visit you in the evening watch. This is a time that perhaps you will see angels.
Day 16: Read Zechariah 14, especially verse 7: “It shall be one day which is known to the LORD – neither day nor night. But atevening time it shall happen that it will be light.” (NKJV) As you seek the Lord ask Him to reorder His light around you.
Day 17: Read Matthew 16, especially verse 2: “He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.”” (NKJV) Ask the Lord to give you a clear interpretation of the day ahead.
Day 18: Read Mark 14. Ask the Lord to anoint you to watch. Read Psalm 90. Be refreshed and expect miracles
Day 19: Read Luke 24. Take communion during this time and ask the Lord to bring you into a new place of seeing Him.
Day 20: Read John 20. Expect the Lord to reveal Himself to you in unusual ways.
Day 21: Read Acts 28. Ask the Lord for a new dimension of power and strength.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
The NEXT 14 Days! The Fight of Faith!
03-03-2014
Dear Faith-Filled Friends:
This is a time to remove the covering that Satan has used to hide blessings. Ezekiel 28:14 says, “You were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing wings…” WHEN HE FELL, HE KEPT COVERING OVER RESOURCES AND BLESSINGS THAT ARE IN THE EARTH. God is saying, “The covering that was over certain things — whether it’s land, resources or favor that the enemy’s been trying to overshadow and cover — is being ripped off and ripped open. When the angelic hosts come in, all of a sudden they re-align My people, and cause My people to get in a new formation.”
Start noticing the movement around you. Once God starts setting us in a new order, then you are able to see where the breach is that the enemy has broken down or opened up. Therefore, you are not just going to war constantly against everything, and you’re not rambling with revelation. Rather, you are seeing the breaches for which you need to ask, “Lord, what is that? And how do I step in it?” Once you see the breaches, that is when the new assignments from God come.
The Lord says, “If you’ll step in this and stand until that breach is rebuilt, then I will open up and I will remove what the enemy was doing to stop you from progressing. My people will now enter a new fight of faith. They must be ordered, they must be moving, and they must understand where glory is absent and where breaches have formed. But the fight of faith for the next season now has been released, and I have a people who are gifted. I have a people willing to submit. I have a people that already have provision that is ready to be unlocked. I have a people that cannot and will not be stopped!
“The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is now creating a formation that has a sound that will cause the enemy to go into confusion. The first breach was in My Garden, and because you were willing to stand in the coldness that that breach had caused from last season, I now am producing blessings in your midst.
“Now the next breach is linked with the provision that needs to be unlocked. Therefore, all God-robbing spirits will be broken. The next breach is linked with the lack of fruitfulness of the last season. I will prune away that which has created cancer and infirmity in My body, and new fruit will come up. You have now been commissioned into the next fight for faith, and I have an army that will triumph.”
We decree that you will find your place in the movement. Thank you for being part of a new formation!
A New, Open Door! Renewing Your Shield of Faith!
When we read about the shield of faith in Ephesians 6, the shield referenced is “thuria”. Here are some excerpts from Restoring Your Shield of Faith to help you in the YEAR OF THE DOOR! We have placed this book on special for $5 since it is almost a must for everyone. These next two weeks, the Lord wants to build to your shield so that you triumph!
Revelation is a book that provides deep insight into the nature and tactics of the enemy. In the book of Revelation the apostle John had a supernatural visitation during an extreme time of persecution. In the midst of this persecution, he began to see that the Lord God omnipotent reigns! He seemed to agree with Paul that those who would follow the Lord in their daily life would enter into and be involved in continuing spiritual conflict.
As the Lord visited John, He gave him a message concerning the seven key churches of that region. This message also reveals to us God’s heart concerning the Church today.
We then find John sharing with us in Revelation 4:1 the following: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’” The shield of faith is closely related to the concept of a door—the Greek name being thureos, from thura, a square shield that can also be seen as a door. A door is an opening for entering or leaving a house, tent or room. The door is used symbolically in the Bible in many ways. We find the Valley of Achor, a place of trouble (see Josh. 7:26), is later promised as “a door of hope” (Hos. 2:15). It will become a reason for God’s people to trust Him again. Our trouble can be turned into an entry point into a new place of victory.
Jesus called Himself “the door” (John 10:7,9). Faith in Him is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. God gave to the Gentiles “the door of faith” (Acts 14:27), or an opportunity to know Him as Lord. Jesus stands at the door and knocks (see Rev. 3:20). He calls all people to Himself, but He will not enter without permission. We need to give the Lord permission to take us through new, opportune doors and allow Him to come in and give us the power to go through these doors. Let us open the door of our heart so that we can go through our new door of opportunity.
Paul constantly sought new doors of service! These were open doors for him to go through so that he could minister in the name of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians 16:9 reads, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
There are many doors of opportunity ahead for each one of us. However, the adversaries behind those doors will overtake us unless our door of faith is in place.
Let us lift up our shield, or door, of faith. We do not need to be afraid to go through the opening and into the new places to which the Lord would lead us. Even though many adversaries will be on our path in days ahead, our shield of faith will quench all of their fiery darts. Jeremiah 46:3 (NIV) is encouraging: “Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle!” Let us go forth with confidence, with our shield lifted high, and our victory will be assured.
Roman Shields That Protect
As Paul saw the kind of attack Satan unleashed against God’s people, he perceived that the spiritual warfare of Christians is analogous to the physical warfare of the Roman army. In ancient warfare it was common for armies to use a storm of arrows to terrify their enemies. If we were soldiers and thousands of flaming arrows began to strike all around us, the number one thing in our mind would be, “I’ve got to get out of here!” Sometimes that is how we feel when Satan attacks us.
The Roman army had a piece of armor that provided a solid defense against this kind of attack. In many cases it was the secret weapon that brought the army victory. This piece of armor was the battle shield.
This shield was not like the round metal discs we often see in movies. The Roman battle shield was a large rectangular defense of metal that covered the entire length of a man’s body. Roman soldiers would line up shoulder to shoulder with their shields held in front of them and move across the battlefield like an armored tank. When the apostle Paul thought about our struggle against Satan, he realized that God has given us a shield like that. It is a shield of faith.
When Paul described our shield, he used the word for the Roman battle shield. The word is thureos, and it means a door-shaped shield (the Greek word for door is thura). The thureos was a large rectangular shield about five feet high and three feet wide. It was also called a castle shield. In other words, it was a portable fortress. I found it interesting to study how this shield was made. The thureos was very large; therefore, if it had been made of solid wood or metal, it would have been difficult to carry. To construct a thureos the Romans began with a wooden framework. Over that framework they fastened seven layers of tough leather from the skin of a bull or a calf, until the shield was four or five inches thick, and then nailed them securely in place. As the soldiers got ready to go into battle, they dipped the shield in a nearby river to saturate it with water so it would not only stop an arrow, but it would also quench the fire.
Our Shield Who Is Named Jesus
As I studied the Roman shield, God began to give me a revelation. Just think about how this shield was constructed. The skin of a bull or calf was stretched out over a wooden frame. In the Old Testament, the animal required for a sin offering was a bull or a calf. The skin of the bull or calf is a symbol of a sacrifice for sin. A single layer of leather was not sufficient for the Roman shield to be effective. The shield maker built up seven layers of animal skin to provide the necessary protection. Seven is the number of perfection. This provides a picture of a perfect sacrifice. The perfect sacrifice was stretched out and nailed to a wooden framework. Its purpose was to take upon itself all of the arrows intended for the soldier.
Look at what this shield represents. God has provided a perfect sacrifice for sin through His Son, Jesus. This perfect sacrifice was stretched out and nailed to a wooden cross. His purpose was to receive upon Himself all the afflictions Satan intended for us! God wants us to know that He has given us a shield and His name is Jesus! Jesus came to be our shield. He came to take upon Himself every arrow that Satan intended for us.
Day 22: Release all guilt from the past. Jesus took our guilt. God caused the guilt of us all to fall on His Son (see Isa. 53:6). Jesus took our guilt so that we can have His righteousness.
Day 23: Command the spirit of infirmity to leave your bloodline. He took our infirmities. He bore our sicknesses and our weaknesses upon Himself so that we can be healed (see Isa. 53:4-5).
Day 24:Break ties with poverty! He took our poverty.“Though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich”(2 Cor. 8:9, NIV). Jesus took our poverty so that we can have His abundance.
Day 25: Declare every word curse attached to your blood and held there by familiar spirits to leave! He took our curse. He became a curse for us, so that the blessing of Abraham would come on the Gentiles by faith (see Gal. 3:13-14). Jesus took the curse so that we can have the blessing.
Day 26: Read Genesis 3. Notice that the enemy has a voice to bring deception into our life. Ask God to show you any deception or lie the enemy has brought into your life.
Day 27: Read John 8, especially verse 44. Notice the devil is the father of lies and can only work with any resource that we give him. Cut ties with anything in your soulish nature that is holding you captive.
Day 28: Read 1 John 2-3. Ask the Lord to fill you with His love so that you can break any sin strategy in your life and destroy the devil’s work.
Day 29: Read Luke 4. Notice how Jesus resisted the voice of the enemy. Ask the Lord to fill you with the Sprit in the midst of your wilderness so you can resist and receive new power.
Day 30: Read 1 Sam 30. Trust the Lord to connect you with those who can pursue and overtake your enemy. Break discouragement; develop a strategy of pursuit and recover all.
Day 31: Read Ezra 8. Stop and let the Lord show you the enemy that is on the road ahead of you.
Day 32: Read Nehemiah 2. Let God develop the plan to rebuild that which is broken down in your life.
Day 33: Read Matthew 12. Thank the Lord for the cross. Declare that the passion of the cross arise in you.
Day 34: Read Ezekiel 28. Let God reveal to you the supernatural qualities that the enemy possesses.
Day 35: Read Isaiah 14. Continue to allow revelation to come into you on Lucifer’s hidden characteristics.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
The Final 5 Days!
A Desperate Time to Awaken to the Reality of Change!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Dear Friend and Watchman:
Sunday’s Purim Celebration Service was just amazing. The worship, videos and revelation propelled us towards our door of opportunity. Like Esther, we have a choice as to how we respond to the Lord’s call to celebrate at this time. If you were not able to join us, I would encourage you to watch the webcast replay this week. Declare that the enemy’s decree will be confounded and you will rise up in victory!
We are completing our 40-Day Evening Watch this week. The following 5-Day Prayer Focus will assist you in understanding:
-the desperateness of the time that we are living in,
-the intensity of the time to produce change in our lives and the atmospheres that surround us,
-the economic shift that needs to occur in this season,
-and the disciplined, unwavering, single minded need for God’s children to stand in this hour.
This focus integrates Purim, Passover, and Jesus’ unwavering determination to release redemption in this hour. All three of these events were and are taking place during this time frame. We are in a key season like we have not known in the history of the generations that are presently in the earth. The nations are at a divine crisis point.
5-Day Prayer Focus: A Desperate Time to Awaken to the Reality of Change!
For the next several weeks this prayer focus is key for us. Even though it is a 5-Day Prayer Focus to complete our 40-Day Evening Watch, there is enough revelation here for you to use repeatedly. Use this over the 21 Days preceding Passover. At that time, I will send out another focus to help all of us participate in cleansing our homes of spiritual darkness.
Since we just finished Purim, let’s begin by understanding its significance. Overall, this 5-day focus is more devotional than most, including study suggestions to help you develop for such a time as this. This prayer focus is also more confrontational than usual because of this time frame. You may choose to read through each day’s focus in the morning and then go back and seek the Lord with the scriptures at noon and at night.
(Day 1) A Time to Embrace Change, but not to be Tossed to and Fro by the Wind! The clear message of Purim is that anyone who plots to destroy the Jewish (Kingdom) people will always fail. History is full of examples of this truth. Pharaoh plotted the destruction of the Jewish people in Egypt, but the Egyptian army was drowned in the Red Sea. This is celebrated during the Feast of Passover. Haman’s attempt to kill all Jews failed, which is celebrated at Purim. Antiochus Epiphanes tried to wipe out the Jewish people. His failure is celebrated every year during Hanukah. Hitler tried to blot out the Jewish race. Both he and his “Third Reich” were destroyed. Instead of annihilation, the state of Israel was born! We must understand that God’s covenant land will never be destroyed. By watching closely the world events that are centered around Israel, we can better understand God’s sovereign plan.
-Read Psalm 121
-Read Exodus 2-6
-Read Esther 1-4
-Memorize Ephesians 4:2-16 (Review your positions and connections in the Body)
(Day 2) A Time to Pass Over and Go Through into FREEDOM!
Purim falls approximately one month before the beginning of Passover. The Biblical Feast of Purim (Esther 9:18-28) is celebrated in the final month of the Hebrew calendar. I believe this is a significant timing so we “end” a season in victory and are “freed” to cross over into our future. Nisan, the first of months, begins at sunset on April 14. This leads us into our Passover season (Leviticus 23:4-8). Passover was the time of crossing out and over into FREEDOM! The dates of this Feast are very significant. Passover commemorates the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn of the Egyptians died and the Israelites were spared. Passover is linked with the power of the blood smeared on their door posts (Ex. 12:11, 21, 27, 43, 48). Passover was also called the feast of unleavened bread (Ex. 23:15; Deut. 16:16) because only unleavened bread was eaten during the seven days immediately following Passover (Ex. 12:15-20; 13:6-8; Deut. 16:3-8). Unleavened bread reflected the fact that the people had no time to put leaven in their bread before their hasty departure from Egypt. The observances of Passover are found in Joshua 5:10-12 (the plains of Jericho near Gilgal), 2 Chronicles 30:1, 3, 13, 15 (during the reign of Hezekiah), and 2 Kings 23:21-23 (Josiah’s unique Passover).
During New Testament times, large crowds gathered in Jerusalem to observe this annual celebration. Jesus was crucified during the Passover event. He and His disciples ate a Passover meal together on the eve of His death. During this meal Jesus said, “This is my body,” and “this cup is the new testament in my blood” (Luke 22:7, 19-20). The New Testament identifies Christ with the Passover sacrifice: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us”. The word denotes the lamb that was slain at the feast (Mark 14:12-14; 1 Cor. 5:7). The use of wine (Luke 22:17, 20), of sauce with the bitter herbs (John 13:26), and the service of praise were introduced. Passover was a type of the great deliverance wrought by the Messiah for all His people from the doom of death on account of sin, and from the bondage of sin itself, far worse than Egyptian bondage (1 Cor. 5:7; John 1:29; 19:32-36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Gal. 4:4, 5).
Get ready to cross over! I would encourage you to read the chapter on “The Blood War” inGod’s Unfolding Battle Plan.
(Day 3) A Time for Leadership to Awaken and Overcome at the Gate!
The day related to Purim was the date set by Haman by casting lots (pur) to murder all the Jews in the kingdom. Because of the alertness of Mordecai at the gates of the city, and the fasting and intercession of Queen Esther of Persia and the Jewish people, this day became a day of battle with great victory for the Jews, as their enemies were destroyed. In the time of Esther, we find that the enemy had entered the gates and was planning to overthrow the covenant blessings God had for this people. In the book of Esther, Mordecai had exposed the enemy’s plan and taken his authority at the gate. The Lord says in Matthew 16: 18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” This is not a time for hell to prevail at your gate. Esther and Mordecai worked together for deliverance! Haman, who used astrology and the casting of lots, was overthrown by God’s ordered timing.
I am praying for you to have favor at the gates (or doors) and be raised up for a time such as this. Biblically, a GATE is a place for contending, watching, making sacrifices in worship, doing business transactions, administering justice, and giving public addresses. The GATE is the object of a foe’s attack and therefore must be strengthened (Judges 5:8; Psalm 147:18). Now review your call to leadership and contending in days ahead.
Read Isaiah 1. Also read John 1, which will show you how the Lord called Peter. Read Matthew 16 to see Peter’s revelation and then his emotional resistance to change.
God is raising up new Mordecais and Esthers, to influence the world in days ahead. These individuals will do radical exploits in His name. Esther is a book that demonstrates how God’s authority at the gates legislates and causes to manifest the covenant destiny of His people. The gate of a city was where all business transactions and legal matters occurred. The city gate was also the place where entrance into the city was permitted, or forbidden. A Biblical gatekeeper was one who guarded access to a place. Mordecai was a good gatekeeper. He knew the enemy had a plot and plan. The enemy will attempt to set a decree against you. Mordecai overheard the plan, linked with Haman, to annihilate God’s covenant people. Mordecai also knew he needed a connection to prevent the enemy’s plan from prevailing. Esther was his connection, who had been positioned by God for “such a time as this.” Many of you are being positioned to see the plan of the enemy. Others of you are being positioned to be the connecting point to overthrow the enemy. I am praying that any plot of the enemy to try and stop the covenant blessings of your inheritance from coming forth in your life would be revealed. Find your divine connections and overthrow the enemy’s plan!
Trusting in God is one of the ways that you overthrow a curse. With Passover beginning at sunset on April 14, we think of Moses! One of the keys to Moses’ life was that he was ordained as a prophet from birth. Even though his insecurity would tell him he could not speak, God had ordained him as a prophet. His mother and father’s faith would eventually result in delivering all of Israel. This would also give Moses authority to split the sea for the escape of God’s people. He also would receive the Law that would set the commandments and boundaries for mankind. There are new boundaries for you to obtain this month. Let the prophetic gift arise in you. Let a new level of deliverance begin. He waited 40 years to be found and put in service. Do not be discouraged. The Lord knows where you are.
A Time of Spiritual Discipline and Preparation!
In our day, we are still in a time of battle and victory, a time of voluntary fasting. The fast of Esther (Esther 4:14-17) is still relative for us today, to enter into a new place of authority and gain favor. Men and women must work together in this hour, to defeat the enemy’s plan. The key to Mordecai’s life was his watchful eye at the gate on behalf of the King and God’s covenant people. The key to Esther was her positioning and preparation. The word prepare means to make or get ready, to put together, to produce a frame for a future building, to gird oneself for action. This is a time to remember that in the midst of hostility, we can be prepared for “such a time as this.” Through preparation and discipline, the favor of God can rest upon us. Esther went in to the king, gained favor and grace in his sight, and was exalted into the royal position of queen. In Possessing Your Inheritance, Rebecca Wagner Sytsema and I devote a chapter to discussing the spiritual disciplines necessary for us to develop in our lives: meditation, prayer, fasting, giving, warfare, worship, work, and rest. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 in each discipline.
What does this say to us? If we allow the anointing of God to rest upon us and allow the beauty of holiness to surround and transform us, we can gain great favor. If we remove the leaven from our lives, we will be ready to depart into a new place as the Lord leads.
-Read Psalm 92
-Read 1 John 1 and 2
A Time to See Your Hidden Blessings Manifest!
Esther is a non-Jewish name. Her original Jewish name was Hadassah, but her Jewish identity was a secret, and remained hidden. Esther became the bride of the king. The prophetic reference to the Church, as the bride of the King, but with Jewish roots, despite a Gentile appearance, is very interesting. Esther would not escape the fate of the Jews, just as the destiny of the Church is directly linked to the Jewish people (Israel). Hadassah (means Myrtle) is an evergreen tree with glossy leaves and white flowers. They were used for perfume and as seasoning for food. The myrtle tree had a religious significance for the Hebrews (Zechariah 1:8-11) and was a symbol of peace and joy. Ask the Lord to show you what is “hidden” that belongs to you. Ask Him to let you hear the blowing of the wind in the trees in a new way.
-Read Isaiah 52
-Read John 3
-Read Matthew 13.about uncovering the hidden treasure.
(Day 4) A Time of Confrontation and Overthrow of the Enemy’s Stranglehold!
This is time to overthrow decrees that have been set against God’s covenant people that would stop us from corporately advancing. Those anti-Semitic decrees hate God’s sovereign plan for the Jews, as well as Christians that have been grafted into that plan. Nations that profess Christianity must rise up now. Esther prayed and fasted three days prior to setting the wheels in motion to overthrow the enemy’s plan. She had faith to go into the King’s court, because she was fully prepared at the end of these three days of fasting. Fasting helps prepare you for what you must face for your victory ahead. Esther was at the right place, at the right time, and did the right thing. Therefore, she had victory over the enemy. Your faith can overthrow any decree the enemy has established against you. The enemy prepares a noose to tighten around God’s promised plan for your life. Faith breaks the power of that noose. Declare your Haman’s noose will begin to break.
The Lord is releasing new revelation on strategies to overthrow the enemy’s plan. There were two things I was quickened over. There are times when we cannot “win” by pressing to overturn/reverse an unrighteous decree. Whereas this is usually the norm (and what we press for in the laws of our nation), Esther gives one example where a bad and evil law was irrevocable (according to the laws of the Medes and Persians). So the strategy the Lord gave to her (through the pagan king) was to make another law which would stand against the first law, and enable deliverance and life to come to the Jews. In this “Purim Month” the Lord may be releasing similar strategies whereby we can counteract and overcome evil edicts and laws in our society and nation.
Securing victory and overthrowing our enemies can often involve several stages of war. Whereas Esther and Mordecai successfully warred to secure a decree that would allow the Jews to protect themselves, this was only another step in their deliverance. It’s quite possible the Jews could have survived the day that their enemies hoped to overpower them, solely based on the new level of fear their enemies had for the Jewish people. However, if they had not gone on the offensive and destroyed their enemies, as their decree allowed them to, they would not have secured lasting protection. In that case, in due time, under new leadership (like the Hebrews in Egypt with a new pharaoh), the Jews could have been oppressed and targeted for destruction once again. We must not be content to settle for preserving victories and the issuing of righteous decrees. Rather, we must fully war to the end of our battles to see complete deliverance and victory enforced, and the opposite of the enemy’s plans occur.
This is a season to speak faith and ask for new revelation! Ask the Lord to anoint your speech and open your eyes to the revelation He is releasing at this time.
Face Your AMALEKITE and Break the Power of his Noose!
In Esther 3:1, the evil Haman is described as being a descendant of the Amalekite king, Agag (1 Sam. 15:8). Therefore, besides the Book of Esther, another passage from the Tanach (Hebrew Bible) is read at Purim, Exodus 17:8-16. This is the account of Joshua’s defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim as Hur and Aaron held up the exhausted arms of Moses. When Moses’ hands, gripping the “Rod of God,” became heavy, the warriors in the field began to lose the battle. Verse 12 says that with Aaron and Hur’s support, Moses’ hands remained steady until the coming down of the sun. In the Hebrew, the word “steady” is “emuna” – “and his hands were faithful until the coming of the sun.” After the battle, Moses built an altar and named it, YHVH-Nissi: the LORD is my Banner. The word “banner” can also be translated “miracle.” STUDY THIS AND DECREE MIRACLES ARE BEGINNING TO COME INTO YOUR ATMOSPHERE. The spirit empowering Amalek is at the back of all anti-Semitism. Exodus 17:16 states that “The LORD has sworn, the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Deuteronomy 25:19 commands that His people are to join in with Him in the battle until the memory of Amalek is blotted out – that Israel must not forget!
Deuteronomy 25:17-18 further describes the tactics of the Amalekites: “They met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary” (emphases ours). So Amalek does not only seek to take occasion from the tiredness and exhaustion of leaders, but he also lurks behind to pick off those inexperienced foot soldiers who are “faint and weary” and lagging behind. To remedy this, Israel developed a “rear guard” (see Numbers 10:25 and other places). The Hebrew for “rear guard” is “me’aseph”– its root is the same as that for the verb “to gather.” In ancient armies, old, experienced soldiers would be placed at the rear, not only to guard from enemies attacking from behind, but also to “gather” the loose ends, the stragglers – and to keep them pressing forward. The word “Amalekite” means “to toil or work under hard labor”. This is a time for you to break out of legalistic, hard labor. The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe of formidable people that first attacked the Israelites after the Exodus at Rephidim. Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12), inhabited the desolate wasteland of the northeast Sinai Peninsula and the Negev. They were the first to attack Israel after the Exodus (Num. 24:20). This is where the Lord revealed Himself as Jehovah Nissi. He declared that we would war with Amalek from generation to generation. The antichrist spirit today is linked into this Amalekite spirit. Israel won the initial battle (Ex. 17:8-16) and because of their atrocities, God commanded Saul to exterminate the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:2-3). Saul disobeyed, and the Amalekites were not defeated completely until late in the eighth century B.C. (1 Chron. 4:43). Haman the Agagite(Es. 3:1-10; 8:3-5) is thought by the Jews to be Amalek’s descendant, from whence sprung Haman’s hatred toward their race.
Prepare yourself and watch your Haman hung on his own gallows. Break all compromise. Watch your enemy overplay his hand and you will end up victorious! Cross over and watch your new doors open!
Memorize Isaiah 26:4, Isaiah 28:6
Declare over your nation that the Amalekite structure will be revealed and overthrown.
(Day 5) Pray the Prayer of Confrontation!
To confront someone or something means to face them in hostility or defiance, or to come with opposition. Unlike the prayer of travail, which brings forth new birth, the prayer of confrontation directly addresses a structure that has been set in place in opposition to God’s will. This type of prayer not only outwits the devil, but also humiliates him and his forces in the process. God allows us to enter into this type of encounter to show His power over the territorial spirit(s) to which a particular group of people has been in bondage. As the LORD displays that His power is greater than that of a given demonic structure, that structure begins to crumble and those who were held captive are then free to follow Christ.
A wonderful biblical model for this type of prayer was Moses’ confrontation with Pharaoh. As Moses declared God’s will to Pharaoh in the earthly realm, he was also confronting in the spiritual realm the gods of Egypt – false deities (territorial spirits) – linked with the oppression and captivity of God’s covenant people. Through the plagues and destruction unleashed upon the nation of Egypt as a result of Moses’ confrontation, God’s plan was fulfilled, the power of oppression was broken, and His people were released. In The Future War of the Church, Rebecca Wagner Sytsema and I examine how each demonstration of God’s power through Moses was actually a power encounter with a specific Egyptian god.
-The Rod Becomes a Serpent (Exod. 7:8-12): Confrontation with serpent gods
-The Nile Turns to Blood (Exod. 7:14-25): Confrontation with the Nile gods
-The Plague of Frogs (Exod. 8:1-15): Confrontation with the frog god
-The Plague of Lice (Exod. 8:16-19): Confrontation with the earth god
-The Plague of Flies (Exod. 8:20-24): Confrontation with the god of toiletry
-The Cattle Die (Exod. 9:1-7): Confrontation with the Egyptian cow goddess
-The Plague of Boils (Exod. 9:8-12): Confrontation with the god of learning and medicine
-The Plague of Hail and Fire (Exod. 9:12-35): Confrontation with the original sky god
-The Plague of Locusts (Exod. 10:12-15): Confrontation with the god of the air, atmosphere & dry winds
-The Plague of Darkness (Exod. 10:21-23): Confrontation with the sun god
-The Slaying of the First Born (Exod. 12:29-33)
The tenth and most devastating plague was directed against a family of three deities. The first was Isis, the most important of all Egyptian goddesses, who assumed all the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess at some point in Egyptian history. Her primary functions were motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick and the working of magic spells and charms. The second deity was Osiris, the god of the dead and the ruler, protector and judge of the deceased. The third deity was the son of Isis and Osiris, Horus the Child, a suckling child represented as a young boy sucking his finger. This final plague so overwhelmed the Pharaoh and so thoroughly defeated the gods of Egypt that the Israelites were finally set free. (Excerpted from The Future War of the Church)
God’s power has not diminished in the years since Moses! Power encounters through the prayer of confrontation that see people groups released from demonic structures are going to become more and more common, as we enter the future war of the Church. We need to enter into an expectant mind-set that believes God will display His power greatly over the earth, and over demonic structures, in order to see great throngs loosed from Satan’s grip. And from that mind-set we must pray with unwavering faith prayers of confrontation according to His will.
This is a season to move into POWER CONFRONTATIONS! Allow Holy Spirit to direct your prayers in a new way.
Charles D. “Chuck” Pierce serves as President of Global Spheres, Inc. (GSI) in Corinth, Texas. This is an apostolic, prophetic ministry that is being used to gather and mobilize the worshipping Triumphant Reserve throughout the world. GSI facilitates other ministries as well, and participates in regional and national gatherings to develop new Kingdom paradigms. Peter and Doris Wagner complete the leadership team of this new wineskin. Chuck also serves as President of Glory of Zion International Ministries, a ministry that aligns Jew and Gentile. He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting which helps direct nations, cities, churches and individuals in understanding the times and seasons in which we live.
Chuck has a degree in Business from Texas A&M, Master’s work in Cognitive Systems from the University of North Texas, and a D. Min. from the Wagner Leadership Institute.
Chuck, his wife Pam and six children and nine grandchildren.
While in a time of praise, Bob saw an apple tree in full bloom. As he prayed for understanding the Lord revealed to him that many people have been in the bud. They have been waiting on promises that go back many, many years. Now the Lord is saying that before the apple tree blooms this spring, their buds shall bloom. Although some of them are ancient promises they will bloom in the spring before the apple tree does and they will begin producing the fruit of righteousness.
Peacemakers Bloom
In the fruit of the spirit prophecy, the apple represents peace. Therefore, this means that a lot of peacemakers shall bloom or come into their divine calling by this spring and they will bring forth the fruit that God has called them to bear. So get ready for the peacemakers to come forth with the fruit of God and reveal the Son of Peace to the world.
The peacemakers that are coming forth in this next season are those who can make peace between the human soul and the Father. As they reveal the Father’s love to the human soul, it will bring stability to the body in every way. Through the administration of these peacemakers, first and foremost, they will bring man’s soul into the place where it can enter into the peace of God. And this peace is beyond all human understanding. They will also enter into the love of God, which will create the fruit that He wants produced in the body now. This is literally the beginning of the fruit that’s needed for harvest.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
Peace beyond understanding is what God is offering us. Unfortunately much of the body has seen the Father from a wrong perspective. They see Him as the cruel master and judge instead of being the God of love and justice. Ninety-five percent of the body of Christ thinks the Father is the judge that is squashing them all the time. They accuse the Father of bringing calamity and traumatic situations where in fact it is Satan. The Father simply removes His hand where He is no longer welcome. But now we will begin to see Him as He really is; LOVE and love beyond any expectation of love. When we have peace with the Father then the bloom will begin to turn into fruit. And this fruit will begin to come forth this year yielding more next year and even more the following year.
Armory of God’s LOVE
The Lord has opened His armory,And has brought out the weapons of His indignation;For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans. (Jer 50:25)
God is arming the body of Christ with weapons of His divine love that the enemy has no defense against. We’ll begin to see the army of God come together in unity, a common union, to where the enemy will have to leave entire cities. This army is getting ready to take entire cities and eventually entire states. In certain places in the world, they’ll take entire nations.
This is the year the army of God comes together with angels beyond number and weapons that cannot be defeated by the enemy. Angels are here now preparing the body for the harvest and there will be a mighty victory. This year, even the blooming of the trees is something that Satan can’t stop from happening.
Vision of God’s Armory
In a vision Bob was shown the armory of God that is now open and the Father is releasing weapons of warfare that has never been available to man before. In this vision there were weapons put into my hands that terrorized me to even touch them. There’s nothing in the entire world that can withstand what the Father is bringing out of His armory. Some of the first things He will deal with are in Jeremiah 51. In fact the first thing He’ll deal with is the church that’s been withstanding Him.
Jeremiah 51:20-25 You [Cyrus of Persia, soon to conquer Babylon] are My battle-ax or maul and weapon of war–for with you I break nations in pieces, with you I destroy kingdoms,
21 With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider, with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer,
22 With you I break in pieces man and woman, with you I break in pieces old man and youth, with you I break in pieces young man and maiden,
23 With you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock, with you I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen, and with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.
24 And I will [completely] repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil that they have done in Zion–before your very eyes [I will do it], says the Lord.
25 Behold, I am against you, says the Lord, O destroying mountain [which is burning out, you who will be as barren and desolate as an extinct volcano], you who [would] destroy the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand over and against you and roll you down from the [burnt] crags and will make you a burnt-out mountain [of combustive fires]. (Jer. 50:20-25)
Ministry of the Peacemakers
What He’s doing right now in the church is uniting whosoever will with one another. Because these weapons that’s being released cannot be handled by one person. It will take teams to handle them and usually teams consist of about twelve people. These teams will be united with one purpose in mind and when they go to war they will make decrees and declarations according to the heart of the Father. These decrees will be established according to the will of the Father. (Job 22:28)
You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.
This is what I see; the blooming of the apple tree will be our blooming in the spirit and worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth. It’s our human soul making peace by the knowledge of the Truth. It’s bringing the soul in submission to the spirit and allowing the spirit man to be in control of our conscience (actions, deeds and thoughts). Then the body will understand the Father’s divine nature; love. He loves you! Scripture plainly shows that God loves us; it’s His nature because He is LOVE. (1 John 4:8) The peacemakers’ entire nature will be characterized by His love and love will be the fruit they bear.
Now come the peacemakers and they make peace with God and with man. They show the Father’s nature, LOVE! The love of the Father is all authority to His sons and daughters. I don’t know how fast the fruit is going to mature after they bloom. But I do know that by the middle of May the blooms will be over and the fruit will begin. And from what I see, this fall will be awesome.
Bob and Bonnie Jones: Bob Jones is known as a contemporary prophet with a great love for the Lord Jesus and His truth. His prophecies have spanned over four decades as the Lord has enabled him to foretell earthquakes, tidal waves, comets, and weather patterns. Like Daniel who functioned at an incredible level, Bob has often told leaders their dreams and experiences, as well as the interpretation. After his death experience in 1975, God sent him back to minister to Church leadership and reach the multitudes with His love, truth and equipping the saints with understanding of the spiritual gifts. God promised Bob that he would see the beginning of one billion souls coming into the Kingdom in one great wave of the end time harvest. Bonnie has a great love for the Lord, the Word and the Cross of Jesus. She loves children and enjoys blessing them with a gift of joy, truth, love and encouragement. Bonnie moves in a seer prophetic gifting as well as healing and miracles. Her passion is to see women set free from the fear of man and step into their gifts and calling. She is a great advocate of women stepping forth into their rightful place beside their husband.
I believe there is a generation of leaders arising who have been so shaken in their own lives that they will shake the world. Their eyes will no more be on the people, or on perception, for the fear of man has been put to death. It is a generation of leaders, young and old, female and male, shaped and scarred – who are now beginning to realize their grace for this time.
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31
In Acts 4:29-34 we read of a room that was shaken, so that those within it could be sent. Shaking precedes sending. New, and renewed, shaken leaders are arising to join the Lord in a new way. Jesus knows a way to lead us through such narrow paths, and the shaken process we have endured will empower us to thrive there with Him, where the world is waiting for those who will show them Jesus through the love-filled scars of how God intimately met them in their own journey.
We must be leaders not focused on what we are doing, but so focused on what the Father is doing that we change the world’s perception of Who He is. We have been shaken with purpose, so we will be Jesus to the world.
These are leaders who are shaken from the governing of human perception and results oriented security, whose vision is fixed instead upon the Presence of heavenly reality. They are leaders who unite the most differing opinions not just because of their ability or negotiations, but because of their undying focus upon their First Love. They do not lead people together in their doctrine or opinions; they lead people directly to the Lord where all can be found together united by the beats of His heart for His people.
The world needs to taste of the grace that has been poured into our shaken places. God’s grace is the definition of perfection in this world, so being shaken makes you fertile soil for Jesus to be revealed. These will not just be listened to for their leadership but will be followed because of the First Love whom they won’t compromise in following. He is their Vision! They will teach the world a new way – and show us the contagious life of First Love leadership.
To Those Who Have Been Shaken:
To not be moved by the world, we have to be shaken from past mindsets of the world. New requires a process, where the promises we often wait for are mined like diamonds. When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River, it was only his generation that he led. The previous generation died in the wilderness. They would not let themselves be shaken from their old vision or past mindsets to join the Lord in a new way.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… 1 Peter 1:13
My question is this: What if two generations had crossed over instead of one? What if two generations had taken possession of their Promised Land? What if it wasn’t just the new, but also the renewed? What if two generations had taken this new ground, been fruitful, and multiplied? Imagine how much more life would have been born of the Lord!
It’s not just about the “new,” but like Jesus, it’s about the new that comes to fulfill the old. Jesus did not come to destroy the old law but to fulfill it! The old was made new, which set the stage for widespread multiplication.
We so often talk of all Job lost and everything that he went through, and I can’t imagine what it must have been like. But to me, the key to Job is found here:
Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning… Job 42:12
To those who have been shaken, consider Job who experienced a latter part of his life that was more blessed than the first, he truly experienced a “latter rain” (Joel 2). We can focus on the loss the shaking has caused or, we can see it as a precursor for even greater grace revealed.
Rise Up With Expectation
I hear a call to rise up with expectation, not away from our wilderness but because of it. In God’s upside down Kingdom, the wilderness of shaking is actually chosen fertile ground for next season’s multiplication! Similar to what Peter said above, gird up the loins and old ways of your mind, and believe in the grace that is being brought to you.
Are you one of these shaken leaders God has called upon – now unmoved on the inside so you can transform culture on the outside? That is what our wilderness season’s offer, for us to demand a profit from our trials that we can spend on the world. Let them become a wilderness of oneness, pressed to the heart of God and like a butterfly from a cocoon ready to launch out into the new. The world may have brought shaking upon you, but God will use that shaking to reveal Himself through you to the world!
To those who have been shaken during this past season of life, I want to honor you. You have been chosen. I believe the latter part of your lives will be more blessed than the former. You have been in a wilderness of oneness and prepared for launch. You will not only see what you lost restored, you will see it restored abundantly, and a new kind of multiplication will spring forth. Profit from the wilderness process with even greater focus on your First Love and step forward into the river Jordan.
Your shaking has made you a new breed of leader who has abandoned the pressures of perception and expectation to live out a culture of leadership that Jesus Himself has set the course. The world around you is not just waiting for a new, great ministry; they are waiting for Christ in you, the hope of glory!
You are part of a new breed of leaders who will not be moved by pressure, but who will move many others by your unearthly passion and enduring love. The grace you receive into these wilderness places will be the grace the world tastes from your life, so rejoice! Your past season may have felt like a wilderness, but to God, it’s now a harvest field of promises that He wants to reveal through you to the world.
But imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises… Hebrews 6:12
I can only imagine what would have happened had two generations crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land, but I believe we are about to find out. Shaken leaders arise!
Joey LeTourneau, his wife Destiny, and their four daughters live near Denver, Colorado. They travel extensively, empowering the Body of Christ to draw near to their First Love and live out the life-giving testimony of Jesus to the world around them. They desire to see the Father’s heart fully revealed to the world, and through such see a multiplication of life so abundant the whole world will know the true nature of our Father! Joey has authored two books, Revolutionary Freedom, and his new release, The Life Giver.
I am very excited to announce to you a major initiative to advance the Kingdom in our corner of the vineyard called Connecticut.
Beginning September 4 through October 14, we have planned 40+ unity gatherings for worship and prayer on 40 consecutive days at 40+ different locations all across the state! The main reason I am writing you is to invite you and your congregation to get in on the party!!
First, some background. Many of you had a part in the 7 Nights of Worship we sponsored a year ago over seven different months across the state. They were great! Each meeting was well-attended; both by worshipers and by the presence of the Lord. At the conclusion of that initiative a prophetic challenge came forth to do 40 consecutive days of worship in the upcoming season. That word was tested by over 100 Connecticut pastors and leaders on three separate occasions. Each time the confirmation was strong–“Let’s go for this!”
So, we began the actual planning. In one month’s time, the calendar was laid out with all 40 dates covered–some with multiple gatherings. You can see the calendar and other important details on the new website: www.impactconnecticut.com
Also on that site you will find a brief video that casts the vision for the 40 Days initiative. But allow me to summarize here. There are three primary purposes for this undertaking:
First is to offer the Lord an extravagant expression of worship. That is always appropriate, of course. We hope to continue to build an altar of praise from which the Lord can express his gracious, saving Kingdom rule in our state.
The second purpose is repentance and prayer. By repentance we don’t mean listing out a long catalog of all our sins (though that is not a bad thing to do). But rather we mean a turning and crying out for the Lord’s Kingdom to come into the midst of our present great needs as a state and society wandering far from God.
And thirdly, these gatherings continue to express the unity we seek to foster in the Body of Christ in Connecticut. We believe it is time for a unity of heart to take us into expressions of united outreach and ministry in our cities, towns and regions of the state.
So, how can you get involved?
You can check out the calendar. If there is a gathering near you, we encourage you to contact the host site and offer to co-sponsor that meeting. You can bring your people and your passion to this statewide party. If there is no meeting already planned in your town or area, you might want to host one. We can add new gatherings to this initiative. All you need to do is contact our project manager for the 40 Days, Joellen Putnam (joellen@wellspring.net), and she can help you get signed up and ready to go with promotional materials. This deal is not proprietary, we just want to fill the state with the Lord’s presence and see his Kingdom advance.
Thanks again for your faithfulness and partnership in this great work.
And He said to them all, “If any man will [willingly choose to] come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
Each of us who desires to personally know and serve the Lord must first make this life-changing decision to “take up our cross.” When we willingly do this, our present relationship to the Lord, and also our eternal position in the ages to come, will be greatly affected.
If we accept this challenge (“If anyone will come after Me”), the taking up of our cross must become a practical, daily reality in our lives. Many do not realize, or take seriously, the tremendous value of all that our Lord will make available to us as a result of the “willing” submission of our lives to His Lordship.
Come, My beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee My loves. Song of Solomon 7:11-12
The Word of God tells us that our salvation is through faith, and is a gift of God.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Once we have received this “gift” of eternal life through the Blood of Jesus and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, we will begin to face choices that affect our rate of spiritual growth, as well as our position in the eternal ages before us. Therefore, we must recognize that there are spiritual laws which apply to our spiritual development.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19
The “if” indicates there are “conditions” that must be met before we will be enabled to partake of the spiritual nourishment which is promised. To be “willing and obedient” is to become “one” with our Lord in both thought and action. This means that we must set the direction of our will away from disobedience and toward being obedient – our will merged into His will. Only to the extent that we have died to our “self-life” can our lives reflect His life.
The “good of the land” that we are to partake of results from this identity with Jesus. He will then be able to invite us to enter with Him into an active personal relationship: “Come, My beloved…let us get up early to the vineyards.” Here, in union with Jesus, we will receive spiritual understanding and strength that will enable us to fully follow Him and expand spiritually.
The Lord is much more interested in our coming into a “quality” relationship with Him than we are, but He is a perfect gentleman and will not force either Himself, or His desire, upon us. Thus, He begins each of these promises with a conditional “if.”
The Lord has placed within us not only the capacity for obedience, but also the potential to rebel. We may shake our fist against Him, if we so choose. Therefore, when we submit ourselves in joyful obedience to Him, in anticipation of all that will follow, we are not responding as puppets, but rather, out of a willing desire and love for Him.
The Power of Choice
We have within us this “power of choice.”
For example, at times, we may not feel like worshipping the Lord. But during these times, as we set the poise of our will toward the Lord, and give to Him our sacrifice of praise, our worship is especially appreciated by the Lord. Usually it is after an act of obedience such as this that the Lord will pour out His grace upon us, and an overflow of blessing will emerge.
This can be applied to any aspect of our lives where obedience is required by the Lord. Yet, if we look only toward being blessed, or the reward, we will miss something. We must press on, for it is in the sufferings of the “refiner’s fire” that the pure gold, His Divine nature, is brought forth in our lives.
The Lord has shown us how this is to be accomplished: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” If we truly desire to follow the Lord, then we must actively resist our flesh by denying all carnal desires, and take up our own cross in obedience to His Word.
What Is This Cross, And How Do We Take It Up?
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary [cross] the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:17
There is an ongoing warfare, a struggle between our natural desires and His spiritual desire for us. Thus, there are two contrary wills at war with each other – “I will” and “Thy will.” When the “Thy will” (His purpose for us) is contrary to and crosses out the “I will” (our own wants), our cross is formed. (To better picture this, draw a horizontal line, showing “I Will.” Then draw a vertical line through it, showing “His Will.” There is a visual rendering of the Cross.)
As we die to our own self-will, and then submit to and come into alignment with His will for us, we are indeed taking up our cross, thereby becoming one with Him (because our life is merged into His life, only the vertical member of the cross is left, we have become one with Him).
We are to overcome all self-centered feelings, such as spiritual indifference, laziness, self-will, and rebellion, and then apply these to the Cross, that we might prosper in the outworking of His will for us. We then become an upright, fruit-bearing branch on the tree of life, as a reflection or extension of His life and purpose. We are doing as He would do.
The Apostle Paul cried from the depths of his being:
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12
Notice that Paul said, “That I might apprehend.” He understood that he had a choice to make. We too have a responsibility to apply the Cross to the very root of our self-lives – our hungers, fears, and our reactions – that we might better follow Him.
…The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12
There is a spiritual battle to be won in entering the Kingdom realm. Those who truly love the Lord and who desire to be rightly related to Him in His Kingdom will press through every hindrance or obstacle.
The most important time for us in all of eternity is “right now.” We are making choices and decisions today that will affect our eternal position and reward. Eternal life is not future; we have that now as part of our redemption. “Where” we will be is a settled fact. “What” we will be in eternity will be the result of the accumulated choices and decisions that we are making now, in our daily life experiences.
Growing In the Outworking of Our Willing Obedience To Him
Our “new creation life” is as a “seed” that has been deposited within us, which is being formulated and developed into completeness. When eventually it is released into the “soil” of eternity, it will unfold, revealing the full manifestation of what it had become during our present life experience.
Any seed, when planted, grows to express its particular nature. We need not add anything to it, but simply expose it to the right elements. Then, it will develop into the fullness of what it is. The extent to which we spiritually develop in the “here and now” will become our “measured state” (30, 60, or 100-fold) for all eternity.
Our present life (our spiritual development) primarily involves the formulation of this seed through the outworking of our willing obedience to Him (overcoming) in taking up our cross daily. Then, when we find ourselves in the “atmosphere of eternity,” the life that had been developed within this “seed” will be released into its full expression, in His eternal presence and purpose.
The promise of the Lord is “to him that overcomes.” As we overcome through our willing obedience to the Lord (taking up our cross), He will bring into our life experience this “good land,” providing the atmosphere to fertilize and water the soil of our obedience. This will prepare us for the coming harvest, in which that which we have become will be lifted up from the earth into His higher purpose.
We must allow this process to find its full outworking in our lives. Then, when we stand before Him in that day, He will look upon each one of us and give us a new name, according to what He sees.
To him who is overcoming, I will give him to eat from the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, that no one knew except him who is receiving [it]. Revelation 2:17 Young’s Literal Translation
As we look back over our lives, the price that we paid will be as nothing, as we will be satisfied and fulfilled as we enter into our eternal relationship of communion and fellowship with Jesus.
Wade Taylor graduated to Heaven on February 29, 2012. He served others as a teacher and spiritual father for over 50 years. He was respected and loved by many for his quality of spirit and walk with his Lord. He was an anointed author, bringing forth deep truths of the Spirit with a clarity and simplicity that drew the reader up into a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
70 straight hours of prayer and worship live at IHOP Kansas City interceding for the world to be transformed in Christ: 7 challenges. 7 mountains. 7 regions.
The Transform World movement was catalyzed when 120 Christian leaders met in Seoul Korea 2003. The first global gathering was Transform World Indonesia 2005, which culminated with 112,000 crying out to Jesus in the national stadium (Indonesia largest Muslim population in the world). It has since spread around the globe, embracing the transforming revival and awakening active in Latin America, Asia and Africa (more have come to Christ in past 20 years than rest of history) with the further hope and expectation of transformation reaching the Western world.
It is becoming evident that a spiritual awakening is our only lasting hope for the future of our nation. America once was given great favor by God and although our history has not been perfect, the essence of our law was founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic. We had at least a measure of respect for the Word of God and an understanding of His ways of dealing with those who had gone before us. Yet over the years, we began to ignore the warnings of God and embarked on a journey led by our own senses and our own reasoning. We find a similar situation in the book of Acts: “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul…And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete” (Acts 27:9–11, 13).
Paul had warned the captain and crew from the onset that this journey would end in destruction, only to be ignored and relegated to the bottom of the ship. Similarly, we have disregarded the revealed knowledge of Almighty God and, casting off moral restraint, proceeded to set sail in our own direction. We turned to praise the gods of silver and gold, wood and stone—things originating from the minds of men. If that were not tragedy enough, the Church in large measure followed the course of society and became attached to the value system of this world. This has left us with theological perspectives focusing on prosperity and success that have tremendously weakened the testimony of Christ in our nation.
CASTING OUT THE TACKLING
“But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive”(Acts 27:14–15). Just like those on the ship with Paul, we arrogantly set our course against the ways of God and now we find ourselves in a storm, facing circumstances beyond our control. We are being driven by the wind with seemingly no direction and no moral compass.“Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship” (Acts 27:17–19).For years we have done our best to hold this country together. Now, out of desperation, we are beginning to cast overboard the tackling of the ship. The tackling represents certain standards that were once bedrock in this nation, such as the sacred right of unborn children in the womb to live. I am not a doctor, and I am not suggesting there may not be circumstances that need to be considered. But when we begin to murder our unborn children for the sake of convenience, we have crossed a line, which is terrifying at the least. Not only that, we have cast out the sanctity of marriage as defined by God from the beginning of time. God designed one man and one woman to be joined and to be fruitful in the earth. Yet now it seems that anything goes. It doesn’t matter if the Bible calls it evil; we are now calling it good.Very soon we might even have to deal with the throwing overboard of the right of free speech and self-government, all in favor of a new morality. In the ferocity of a storm, people are willing to do things that they would not do under normal circumstances. When they have already lost their spiritual moorings and fear begins to set in, they will throw almost anything overboard in favor of what is believed to be safety and security.This is precisely why the role of the Church is so pivotal at this juncture in history. We have before us a window of opportunity to be a guiding voice in the storm. It is a window that I feel will be open for only a short season, which is why we must be prepared now.
READY FOR THE CALL
Paul was ready when the call came to him. He had been in the bottom of the ship, praying in the midst of his own struggles and fighting through his own belly of hell. All along, Paul knew that he was being carried on this journey by the spiritual ignorance of those who refused to heed the Word of God.Imagine the taunting of the enemy that he had to fight. “This is hopeless, Paul! Your life is not going to amount to anything. How are you ever going to affect this journey or this generation? Do you really think that anyone on this ship will listen to you? Just go ahead and get bitter. Get vengeance on those who have caused this ignorant journey!” Yet, despite the hardship and the battles Paul faced in the belly of that ship, he chose to pray. Suddenly, in the midst of all the difficulty, a window opened. He was called to the deck of the ship, and the people were ready to listen.What would have happened if Paul had not been ready when the call came? What if he had been down there grumbling with the rest of the prisoners—if his whole focus had been on himself and his own security? If that had been so, Paul probably would have stood on the deck with no more hope or encouragement than anybody else around. He may have had some ideas, but he would not have had the mind or the word of God for those who desperately needed it. That is why it is so essential that you and I be in prayer now. We must get a word from God! He will speak if we are willing to listen and set aside our own ideas about what our future should be.Paul was willing to listen, and as a result, the Lord gave him this word of exhortation for those on the ship: “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me”(Acts 27:23–25, NKJV).
Although the lives of the 276 would be spared, notice that it was not an entirely pleasant word that God gave to Paul. God was essentially telling him, “You are going to go through the storm. You are going to remain in chains and be brought before Caesar, a man who thinks he is god. But you will stand before him and testify of the one true God in heaven and in earth.”
Paul embraced this call on his life, despite what it would cost him personally. He was intent on living to glorify Christ and reach the lost. This, of course, is where it gets hard. We all love to come into the Lord’s presence to receive something—perhaps peace, deliverance, direction, a word of encouragement. But what happens when the Lord says, “I want you to embrace My burden for a lost society and yield your body as a living sacrifice to My plan, even though it may cost you personally?”
It is a battle that we all have to go through, for not one of us wants to be inconvenienced. We do not particularly like the thought of following the journey of Paul—the hardship and the difficulty that often results from choosing to fully embrace Christ. However, I want to suggest to you that nothing else will make a difference in this generation. We have had seminars, radio shows, television programs, conferences—yet our society is going to hell in a handbasket. What we have presented to this country has not worked. In fact, it has sent this generation in an entirely adverse direction. It is time to put aside these things and return to prayer and to the embracing of the will of God for our lives.
A COMPELLING TESTIMONY
As he stood on the deck of that ship, Paul’s life was a compelling testimony of the keeping power of God. He clearly possessed an inner strength that was supernatural, and he was filled with the absolute joy of being fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. It must have provoked those traveling on that vessel with him to stand in amazement and wonder, “What makes this man so confident? He is in the same predicament we are, yet he seems to be so full of hope! Why does he see a future when we see destruction? What is inside this man that makes him different from us?”
Paul’s life moved those around him to consider the ways and the work of God. That is what the Church is supposed to be—a compelling testimony to this world. Jesus once used a parable to illustrate this idea: “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse” (Luke 14:16–18). Most historians relate this initial group of people to Israel—the Jewish people. We know from the Scriptures that they will respond eventually, but for a season they will refuse to come to the Lord at His invitation.
The master then said to the servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind” (Luke 14:21). This is thought to represent the three years of Jesus Christ’s public ministry on the earth. He focused on the lame, the poor, the maimed and the blind, inviting them into the house of God. In those days, such people would not have had access to the holy place. But through Jesus Christ, an entrance was made for all people to come into the presence of God.
“And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”(Luke 14:22–23). Most historians agree that this represents our present church age. That means that your life and mine should be a compelling testimony. We ought to present to this generation irrefutable evidence of the reality of Christ, alive within us.
This is exactly what happened in the second chapter of Acts. Ordinary people went into the presence of God and prayed in one accord, even though it was an unpopular time. Jesus had just been crucified, and the crowd outside was intent on killing all followers of Christ. The one hundred and twenty in that Upper Room would have known the dangers of identifying themselves as His disciples. Nevertheless, they chose to pray and obey as God began to unfold to them a plan for each of their lives—not their plan, His plan. And so they came out of that Upper Room just as Paul had come out of the belly of that ship—completely gripped by God. Their lives, their hearts, and their speech were all undeniable evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit to transcend the natural borders of their humanity. They stood in the midst of that society, boldly declaring that there is a God who did die, who did rise from the dead and who does inhabit His people. As a result, at least three thousand in that anti-Christ crowd stood in amazement and asked, “What must we do to have that kind of relationship with God?”
Note that a casual Christianity will not elicit this kind of response, as has been made evident in our generation. We have tried putting coffeemakers in the back of our churches. We have done surveys, built bowling alleys and swimming pools, and held parties and potlucks, assuming that this would bring people into the kingdom of God. But in reality, it is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit alone who draws people! Oh, the foolishness of this church age!
Do we have the courage to examine ourselves in this hour; to admit that our ways may not be God’s ways; that our plans might not be God’s plans? Do we have the courage, as Daniel did, to open the window, face Jerusalem, and pray in humility (see Daniel 6:10)? “Lord, we have done a disservice to Your testimony in the earth. We have not brought about deliverance, because we have dealt casually with the holy things of God. We have failed to come into Your presence and seek Your will, to walk in the holiness that You require of Your people.”
GET THE VICTORY NOW
Despite our foolishness as a church age, the window to Jerusalem is still open, just as it was in Daniel’s day. The window to God’s power, provision, and mercy is still open if He can find a people who are willing to get on their knees and say, “Lord, whatever it costs, I am asking You to use my life for Your glory. Help me to walk righteously, for I know that You do not answer the prayers of people who regard iniquity in their heart. Help me to turn from sin and to do what is right. Help me to stand in the marketplace, not as a coward, but as a believer filled with your Holy Spirit, standing and making an open declaration of what is right and what is true. Help me to walk in the supernatural, that I might be a guiding voice in the storm.”
God is calling His Church everywhere to go back to prayer; to have a willingness to stand no matter what may come. And here is where it starts: Get the victory now!
Paul got his victory before he appeared on that deck, for he had been at the bottom of the ship, praying. He had found victory—not from his situation, but rather in his situation. His situation did not necessarily change, but his heart, his mind and his perspective did. Remember that when he was brought up on deck, he was still a captive. He was still in chains, still being led on the journey to stand before Caesar. Nevertheless, he stood in absolute victory!
Likewise, you must get the victory now. Get the victory over whatever sin is captivating you; get the victory over a divided heart. Get the victory now so that you will have the courage to go all the way with God, with a single focus on glorifying Christ and saving the lost. Be prepared to hear from God, and be willing to yield to His plan for your life. As you do so, the Lord will be faithful to provide you with all that you need to finish the journey in a manner that will bring glory to Him alone. He will give you hope when those around you are in despair, and He will cause you to become a guiding voice in the storm. Hallelujah!
CARTER CONLON
Carter Conlon is senior pastor of
Times Square Church, where he
has been on the pastoral staff
since 1994.
TIMES SQUARE CHURCH
Times Square Church was founded in 1987
by Pastor David Wilkerson, author of
“The Cross and the Switchblade.” It is an
interdenominational church located in the
heart of New York City.
This newsletter is an edited version of “A GUIDING VOICE IN THE STORM,” a sermon given on December 2, 2012 in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in New York City. Other sermons are available by visiting our website at tscnyc.org. You are welcome to make additional copies of this sermon for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission existing copyright laws apply. This sermon cannot be posted on any website or webpage without permission from Times Square Church. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are from the King James Version.
Over the course of the last seven months the body of Christ has been gathering in regional expressions of unity to worship the Lord together and to pray for revival in our state. An overflow crowd of 2,000 packed the Shubert Theater in New Haven to worship and pray for three hours! The Rome Ballroom on UCONN’s campus was filled with students and area believers to pray for revival at the university. Called 7NOW/CT—seven nights of worship for Connecticut, this has been a grass roots relational movement of seeking the Lord. Momentum is building to see a move of God in our state!
Now an eighth gathering has been planned for February 22 at 7:00 PM at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield. Prophet Chuck Pierce, who has been used by God as a voice to the nation, will return to Connecticut for this gathering. It was a prophetic word from Chuck released on June 9 to a similar gathering that launched the vision for 7NOW/CT. Come to The First Cathedral on Friday, February 22 at 7:00 PM for a night of united, cross-cultural worship; for prayer for our state; rand for a fresh word of encouragement for the advance of the Kingdom here in Connecticut.
This is the year to make a decision and commitment! The decision brings us to commitment so we can commit our entire life this year. Then we will serve God and obey the written word and the Holy Spirit in the way He directs our lives. When we make this commitment to God we will see the faithfulness of Isaiah 11:5.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist and faithfulness the girdle of His loins. (Isaiah 11:5)
Through obedience to the written word we learn righteousness; right standing with God. By developing relationship with God we take on the divine nature of Christ and sanctify the imagination (thoughts). When we surrender our soul to our spirit we allow the spirit within us to rule over the soul.
And havingbeen set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action). (Rom. 6:18)
In this way our thoughts, purpose and action will be committed to God’s will. And being led by the Holy Spirit of Truth, Who leads us into all truth; we walk the highway of holiness. Then our entire bodily members will be in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit because we are obedient to the law of Love. (Rom. 13:10) It’s from the place of mature love the greater works flow. Then what is seen in our sanctified imagination we speak according to the will of the Father bringing “on earth as it is in Heaven” into the natural realm.
Christ was obedient unto His death on the cross. Christ was separated from the Father when He cried out “My Father, My Father why have You forsaken Me?” When Christ became the atoning sacrifice for man’s sin, the Father could not look upon Him. Therefore, obedience is greater than sacrifice. Christ yielded all His bodily members to the Father so we could become the righteousness of God through His Son. Jesus lived His earthly life totally committed to the Father’s will. Therefore the Father’s will was being done on earth as it was in Heaven. For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. This was the Father’s greatest act of love, giving His Son to mankind. (John 3:16)
It is in the DNA of every Christian to hear the voice of God and be led by His Holy Spirit. John 10:4 says His sheep hear His voice and follow after Him. His sheep commit to follow Him because they know the voice of the Good Shepherd. We must follow His voice and be totally obedient to what He tells us to do. Obedience leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to sanctification. Sanctification is the beginning of holiness and holiness is the beginning of the greater works. The greater works begin with unconditional love toward one another.
And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)
God is calling for us to conform to His way with all of our natural being; heart, soul, strength and mind. We are being called to walk the straight and narrow way, the road less traveled or perhaps better known as the highway of holiness. We must surrender to Him the dictates of our own heart in order to walk according to His will.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8)
When we make the decision to walk the way of righteousness and arm ourselves in commitment, we begin to walk in sanctification. Sanctification is the belt of truth we put around our waist and commit our mind, will and emotions to God in thought, purpose and action.
Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. (Eph 6:14)
You shall know the truth and it will set you free. The truth we gird our mind with is His Word. His word will always tell us what to do. The real thing that we commit our self to is love.
Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law. (Rom 13:10)
This is the word for 2013; make a decision for Christ that you’re going to walk in righteousness. And make for yourself a commitment to obey the works of righteousness which is our thought purpose and action. We live with the consequences of decisions we make whether good or bad. Let’s choose to make God the Master of our life and let Christ ride in the saddle of our mind. Let us commit ourselves completely to Him this year! That which we have committed to God He is faithful to commit to us. Once we have made the decision to commit our whole being unto God and come into His righteousness, we must not stray from it.
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2Timothy 1:12)
Bob and Bonnie Jones: Bob Jones is known as a contemporary prophet with a great love for the Lord Jesus and His truth. His prophecies have spanned over four decades as the Lord has enabled him to foretell earthquakes, tidal waves, comets, and weather patterns. Like Daniel who functioned at an incredible level, Bob has often told leaders their dreams and experiences, as well as the interpretation. After his death experience in 1975, God sent him back to minister to Church leadership and reach the multitudes with His love, truth and equipping the saints with understanding of the spiritual gifts. God promised Bob that he would see the beginning of one billion souls coming into the Kingdom in one great wave of the end time harvest. Bonnie has a great love for the Lord, the Word and the Cross of Jesus. She loves children and enjoys blessing them with a gift of joy, truth, love and encouragement. Bonnie moves in a seer prophetic gifting as well as healing and miracles. Her passion is to see women set free from the fear of man and step into their gifts and calling. She is a great advocate of women stepping forth into their rightful place beside their husband.
Typically when I remind Christians that their core destiny is Christlikeness, most nod, affirming the general truthfulness of my statement. However, I can tell that they really do not believe becoming Christlike is the reason they exist. If they did, they would have a plan. They would be in obvious pursuit of their transformation.
Yet, when people think of their destiny, they often first think of something they will do for God, a task that involves the visible demonstration of a unique gift or ministry function. But neither our gifts nor a specific calling represent the core reality of our destiny. It is not what we do for the Lord but what we become to Him that matters. It is this inner surrender of the heart, this deliberate turning of our soul Godward, that defines our true progress.
Our responsibilities and gifts may be as varied as the seasons of our lives – and certainly we should spend time attending to them. But I am speaking of the deeper reality that must develop within us: becoming like Christ.
I am sixty-six years old. During my life I have served God in a variety of tasks. Yet whether I was church planting or selling computers, doing odd jobs or starting a training school, I never confused my calling with my destiny. Becoming like Jesus is why we exist.
Your Life Focus
The sad fact is we have seen ministry leaders whose gifts and callings were so powerful, so captivating, that they seemed capable of bringing Heaven itself to earth. Then, to our shock, we discovered later that these very same individuals were secretly in the grip of the most disgraceful sins. How could such things occur? When our primary goal is the development of our gifts or calling rather than our character, we become increasingly vulnerable to satanic deception.
You see, a time will come when, in increasing degrees, we begin to master our gifts. We learn how to preach and prophesy effectively; we can minister in perfect pitch in song or praise. We even master the tears of sincerity in our altar calls and ministry. Outwardly our spirituality is convincing, yet inwardly our soul is bored with our staged, religious performance. The challenge of our calling is gone. No one discerns our inner decline, not even our closest friends. In that state of mind, a door swings open to the world of the flesh. Scripture says, “Desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
The life that sustains us – that should ultimately fill us – is not drawn from seeking our calling but seeking the Caller Himself. This was Paul’s goal when he passionately wrote, “That I may know Him.” This “being conformed to His death” was the “one thing” Paul said he truly focused on (Philippians 3:10, 13). Paul lived a transcendent life that unfolded “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Beloved, God created man to be “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:27 AMP). The image of God is Christ, and it is our conformity to Christ that fulfills the purpose of our existence. We do not need crowds to see us perform nor applause to affirm our ministry. When we pursue the image of Christ, we possess the meaning of life.
Francis Frangipane is the founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has traveled throughout the world ministering to thousands of pastors and intercessors from many backgrounds. Francis’ heartfelt prayer is to see established in every city Christlike pastors and intercessors, united before God, revealing the love of Christ to their communities. Since 1985, he has written fourteen books plus a number of study booklets. Over the past decades, Francis has served on a number of other ministry boards. However, in recent years he has gradually resigned from these various boards. As of June 2009, he has also retired from his position as senior pastor of River of Life Ministries. In this more simplified life, Frangipane is devoting himself to prayer and the ministry of God’s Word.
I want to extend an invitation to our seventh gathering of the Seven Nights of Worship for Connecticut (7NOW/CT) on Friday, January 25, at 7:00 PM. We slated this final meeting for Walnut Hill Church in Bethel, CT months before the words “Sandy Hook” took on the tragic significance they now hold for all of us. Walnut Hill Church is about a mile from Newtown and hundreds of their congregation live in that town; four of their flock were killed in the massacre. Now, at the end of this month we will gather at Walnut Hill to worship the Lord as a united Body and to pray for his intervention in our state.
Please advertise to your flock this opportunity to worship the Lord and to cry out to Him in the face of this tragedy.
So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
God wants to take the natural things in your life and make them supernaturally blessed. He does this by asking you to give Him what you already have in the natural, and He will do the supernatural.
That is why the Lord told Moses to cast his rod on the ground. And when Moses cast his rod on the ground, which represents him giving the rod to the Lord, that same rod became the rod of God. With that rod, the Red Sea was opened. (Exodus 14:16) And when that rod was used to hit a rock, water flowed out of the rock. (Exodus 17:5–6) It was no longer a natural rod, but the supernatural rod of God!
But why did the rod become a serpent when Moses cast it to the ground?
Moses never realized that there was a “snake” in his rod. You see, because of the fall of man, there is a touch of the curse — a snake — in every natural thing, including your career, natural strength, talents and ministry.
So how do you deal with the “snake” that is in all the natural things in your life?
First, cast it to the Lord. Then, do what the Lord told Moses next: “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail”. (Exodus 4:4)
Now, it could be fatal to take a snake by its tail because it can easily turn its head around and bite you. So why did God say that?
When you take it by the tail, God will take the head! He wants you to let Him handle the head, and not grab it or hold on to it tightly in fear or self-effort. That is how you see your career, strength, talents and ministry supernaturally blessed.
Beloved, there is a snake, a touch of the curse, in everything in the natural. But give what is natural to the Lord and see the touch of the curse replaced with the supernatural touch of God!
Thought For The Day
Give what is natural to the Lord and He will make it supernaturally blessed.
26 innocent women and children were shot dead Friday. They were our neighbors. 20 students killed by former student Adam Lanza. He was 20 years old. The 6 teachers and administrators were heroes. They did not shrink back, giving their own lives to save others. The Newtown community is devastated. The Nation is in shock and unbelief.
Everyone is asking: Why?
Everyone is saying: What can be done to prevent this?
Most feel saddened, frustrated, fearful and powerless.
I watched a nurse being interviewed on site vocalize the frustration many are feeling: “I wanted to do something to help, but it was too late. There was nothing I could do. They were already dead.” (paraphrase)
One of our town’s sports organizations is collecting teddy bears for the children of Newtown. A positive, symbolic gesture birthed out of compassion and desire for action. Others around the country are sending wreaths, donations and other gifts. But, if you are like me, you ask: is that all we can do?
In the vacuum this disaster has left, the President, politicians, interest groups and the media are beating the drum of increased gun control, mental health and security laws, programs, and regulations. Petitions are flying around the internet tapping into human frustration and desire for action and control. However, the reality is: man-made solutions only offer an illusion of control and do precious little to avert disasters like this. Yet, with certainty, impulsive regulation risks further diminishing liberty and freedom.
Consider CT already has tough gun control laws. The guns were stolen. It did not prevent the tragedy.
Consider Nancy Lanza was well-off and could afford the best mental health care for Adam. It did not prevent the tragedy.
Consider Sandy Hook had just installed a state-of-the art security system this fall. It did not prevent the tragedy.
However, there is something we can all do which will eradicate senseless killings like this, but it is largely hidden from view. It doesn’t appeal to the self-centered nature, which is ultimately the crux of the problem and critical to the answer.
The Answer
The answer as to what can be done is more profound than anything man can devise or legislate: we must repent and turn back to God. He will save us from ourselves. He will protect us. The answer is Jesus.
The Difficult Questions
Why did this happen?
Where was God in all of this?
I think these questions are best answered by looking back at 9/11. 3000 people died that morning when evil visited the U.S. Everyone was asking those same questions.
I believe the most God ordained response back then came from Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s Daughter) when she was interviewed on Larry King Live…
KING: And what do you say to people who obviously must ask you the endless why?
LOTZ: You know, when we get to heaven, I expect a lot of people will be asking God that: Why? And I believe one of the reasons is, you know, it’s a wake-up call, Larry. And I feel like we’ve seen some wonderful things come out of this tragedy on September 11th. And one of the things is that I think it was “The Wall Street Journal” said that God has shown up.
You know, we’ve turned back to God in a way. We’re calling on Him. We have a little phrase “God Bless America” everywhere, which is refreshing, because after 1963, basically we’ve told God to get out of our schools, and we’ve told Him to get out of the marketplace, get out of our businesses, get out of our government. And you know, it’s all right if he stays in church or in a synagogue, but we’ve not wanted Him on the streets.
And so God who is gracious just, I believe, has backed out of our lives, and I think it’s time we invited him back in.
So one of the positive things for me after September 11th has been that we’ve called on God and asked Him to come back and be a part of our national life.
If we have ears to hear, essentially Anne Graham was saying this: the tragedy is another wake up call for the people of the United States to return to God. The question is not: “Where was God in this? How could He let it happen?” The question is: “Where are we in God?” If we have kicked God out of our schools, businesses and government, how can we expect him to be there for us? Yet, somehow we still expect God’s protection from evil. Sounds like quite an incredible self-serving and self-centered perspective, doesn’t it?
Umm, excuse me God, could you just limit yourself to church buildings? We don’t really need you in daily life given advancements in science and technology. Besides, it’s not really fair to have to choose You on Your terms instead of our own terms. You know, we have free will. Also it’s not really fair to those who don’t believe in You anyway. You understand, right? Maybe you could just come rescue us when we need help or are dying. Thanks. We’ll take it from here.
Obviously the position we have taken as a Nation is preposterous. It is just hypocrisy. Somehow, we want the benefits of God (blessings) without the commitment (love for God). Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
We the people, through the Supreme Court, removed God and prayer from our schools in 1962 (Engel v. Vitale) and 1963 (Abington School District v. Schempp). So, why are we surprised that we are without God’s protection when evil befalls us? Have we checked with God on this? Read Deuteronomy 28. Here is an excerpt:
…if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God…Blessed shall be the fruit of your body…The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated
…if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God…Cursed shall be the fruit of your body…The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies
So yes, it’s that simple: we must turn back to God. We must allow God back in our schools through prayer. Our children and teachers are worth it. Now is the time. How many more have to die?
For anyone who objects that such prayer isn’t constitutional because of “separation of church and state”, consider the ample history of our Nation’s practices before, during and after the U.S. Constitution and the first Amendment were written:
1. In 1789 the First U.S. Congress passed a law hiring Christian Chaplains to lead Congress in prayer. Every session of Congress since has been so opened in prayer (read more here…)
2. The principal textbook of 18th century American schools was The New England Primer. The framers of the Constitution were taught from it. There was absolutely no effort to remove it from schools after the Constitution was written (editions of the Primer were used in schools through ~1930). (click here to read…)
3. The founding fathers saw no “entanglement” with respect to prayer and religion within government or schools. In fact the opposite was true (read quotes here…). The colonies’ form of self-government was indisputably founded under God (read Fundamental Orders of CT and Mayflower Compact). The 1st amendment establishment clause was written to prevent the corruptions of the state imposed Church of England, as this was the very tyranny the Puritans and Pilgrims left all for in order to pursue religious liberty in a new land.
In fact, the country was consecrated to God right after that first amendment was passed in Federal Hall, NYC. On April 30th, 1789 at St. Paul chapel, NYC (incidentally part of Ground Zero), George Washington led the first Congress in prayer on the day of his inauguration (the first Federal capital was NYC). If there is any doubt, listen to the wisdom in our First President’s prayer:
“It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves . . . In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and . . . can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage…“
Now pay particular attention to the close of Washington’s prayer and it’s biblical truth:
“We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained .”
If you think it’s just antiquity, ask yourself this: where did common law come from? Answer: The Bible. No one is suggesting we throw our laws out.
Ask yourself: why is it acceptable for the President, the Governor and the First Selectwoman to lead an inter-faith prayer service in the Newtown high school auditorium mourning the tragedy, but it is illegal for teachers and students to pray in the Newtown schools where the tragedy took place? Many prayers went up from students and teachers that tragic morning on 12/14. No one wants to ban those. Do you see the hypocrisy? We must get understanding. We must get wisdom. This is foolishness!
Ponder this “coincidence”:
The first massacre of this type (mentally disturbed mass shooting at a school) is generally considered to have occurred in 1966 when Charles Whitman killed 13 from the clock tower at The University of Texas, just a few short years after prayer was banned from schools. Since that time, many many similar types of mass shootings have occurred in our schools. Mesa. Fullerton. Grover Cleveland. Stockton schoolyard. Lindhurst. Westside. Columbine. Virginia Tech. Chardon. Sandy Hook. Need we go on? How many more children have to die before we humble ourselves and say its OK to pray? 1000 more? 10000? This is the real “Why?” question each one of us should be asking.
In concert with this (and for further inspiration), read the heartfelt testimony of Darrell Scott (father of a Columbine shooting victim) before Congress in 1999. (click here to read…)
How Do We Respond?
We don’t have to be frustrated by a lack of action. We don’t have to grasp at straws and jump on board the Politically Correct action bandwagon. There are three biblical responses all of us can implement. All are modeled after: “What did Jesus Do?”
1. Prayer.
As a Nation, we must return to prayer. Jesus started every day in prayer. Often before the sun came up. He prayed continuously. So must we (1 Thes 5:17).
2. Compassion.
How can we have compassion toward the victim’s families? We can pray. We can comfort. We can mourn with them. We can release healing for the wounded in Jesus name. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt 5:4). We also can offer help and moral support, not only to them, but toward each other in our own neighborhoods. Maybe a random act of kindness. Maybe not pushing our way onto the train or subway. Maybe not cutting someone off on the road. Maybe not thinking about what our little ones are getting for Christmas as much as thinking about helping someone we don’t know.
3. Repentance.
Jesus was not silent. He warned and rebuked a wicked generation in the hopes of saving them. The first sermon of Jesus’ ministry was: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matt 3:2). Similarly it was Jonah’s message to Nineveh: “Repent or face destruction” (Jonah 3:4)
Repent for what?
What have we done that’s so “wicked”?
– loved ourselves more than God
– served our own agenda and called it God’s
– built our own kingdom and called it God’s kingdom
– made money our life blood
– put comfort and materialism ahead of sacrifice and obedience
– massacred 55 million innocent children through abortion
Imagine if 200 shooters were released into prenatal care wards across the country, killing 4000 children every day. Are these not the youngest and most innocent of all? Do they not have “… their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own.” Why does anyone have the right to take their life?
– promoted adultery, promiscuity, fornication, pornography, lewdness, sexual perversion as excitement/entertainment
– called homosexuality a civil right instead of sin
– endorsed the lie that God does not belong in government, schools, business, academia and mass media
We need to admit: I’m part of the Problem.
We need to call the Church to repentance first.
First, we must not blame someone else for the problem (“the heathen” are the problem). We must look within our own hearts and see where we are culpable.
Remember, “Judgment starts within the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17) and “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…” (2 Chron 7:14).
We may not be aborting children, promoting homosexuality or banning prayer, but the honest truth is: We do serve ourselves. We have trusted in the “Almighty Dollar”. We are self-centered. We do have have strife and division amongst us. We have not forgiven. We are self-promoting. We have trusted in ourselves more than God. We worship “being in control”. We are prideful. We divorce too quickly. We fall to sexual temptation. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves. We do not discipline our children as we ought. We have made an idol of our children and family units. If we are guilty of these things, is it no wonder we have no moral authority to stop abortion and reverse prayer bans?
So, let’s start here. With us. Within the Church. What business do we, God’s people, have heralding a message of “repent” if we are unclean ourselves?
The number 20 in the bible means Holy (2 Chronicles 3:8). Let us not forget the blood spilled in this tragedy: 20 children dead. 20 year old shooter. God is calling us to 20:20 vision, returning to Holiness.
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14. Sandy Hook tragedy was on 12/14. God is calling for a move of Holiness in the United States. A great definition of Holiness is not conforming to this world (Rom 12:2). The Methodists called for Holiness during the 1st and 2nd great awakening. It was known as the Holiness Movement. Hebrews 12:14 was one of John Wesley’s favorite scriptures. We too must pursue Holiness as part of a 3rd great awakening. “Be Holy for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
I would encourage all to read through the following material and consider it’s implication: (read about Baal here…) Ancient Baal was simply a god fashioned out of serving yourself. We must divorce all foreign gods and idols, known and hidden. Read Ezra 9-10. Make no mistake, idols and foreign gods do exist today in the U.S. and in the Church. They are not made of wood or stone, but are very real. Remember that 5 out of the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 were told to repent.
Can Only Be Done Supernaturally
These actions and accompanying emotions (for example: having compassion, rebuking, warning) can seem to be at odds with each other within our human limitations. But Jesus acted in all simultaneously and supernaturally through the Holy Spirit. So must we. Remember, Jesus is as fierce and unrelenting as a lion yet as gentle and compassionate as a lamb. So must we be. He never shrunk back from the truth.
If we have compassion for the families affected, but shrink back from vigilantly warning the Nation, we fail because we are not helping people in the long-run (for eternity) and the devastation and death will continue.
If we warn and rebuke in anger without hope and compassion, we don’t have love (1 Cor 13:1), and we are totally ineffective.
And finally and most importantly, if we call for repentance without having “taken the plank out of our own eye” (Matthew 7:5) we utterly fail, because we are hypocritical, religious and worthless. One thing unbelievers can rightly discern about “Christians” is that we are all-to-often hypocrites.
When we put it all together by the Spirit as Jesus does, we do well and please the Father.
NOTE FROM RICK: This is a word that was first circulated in The Morning Star Journal, Volume 6.2. Because so many have reread this and felt that it addressed our present situation, we decided to resend it as a Prophetic Bulletin. With the exception of a few word changes for the sake of clarity, this is exactly what was circulated in April 1996. I still agree with the interpretation included.
MorningStar Prophetic Bulletin #75 – December 10, 2012
A Field of Dreams or Nightmares?
While praying about the future of our economy, I was given a vision of a long, lush green field. I felt that this represented a long period of economic prosperity, which has generally been the case since that time. While praying in August 1995, I saw this field in a vision again, but with much more detail. The end of the field was covered in fog. Not far into the fog there was a very steep cliff. In the middle of the cliff, there was a narrow, twisting, steep path that appeared like a descending bridge. It had the same green grass on it that the field did and went all the way to the bottom.
Those who walked into the fog almost all missed the little path and fell over the cliff. Some of these died, but nets below the cliffs caught many of them. However, these nets were not there to save the people but to trap them. Others entered the fog carefully, dropping to their knees and searching for the path, which they seemed to intuitively know was there. Most of those looking for the path were able to find it and carefully started down on their knees. A few people had parachutes, and they jumped off the cliff into the fog.
At the bottom there was a sea with four kinds of ships in the harbor: slave ships, warships, luxury liners, and hospital ships. Most of the ships were slavers. The next greatest number was warships. There were only five hospital ships, all of which were on clean, well-kept docks right in the middle of the harbor. The two luxury liners were docked at each end of the harbor. An abundance of supplies were on their docks, but both the docks and ships looked filthy and poorly maintained. No warships were docked, but all kept moving about in the harbor.
The people who fell into the nets were put on the slave ships. Most of those who made it down the steep paths headed for the hospital ships, but many did head for the luxury liners. Of those who headed for the luxury liners, some were captured and made to board a slave ship.
The luxury liners were closely guarded, and obviously under the control of the warships. The warships occasionally took people from the slave ships and luxury liners, and they were taking whoever they wanted—they could not be resisted.
Those from the hospital ships were also taking people from the other ships. However, they only took the weakest or those who were so sick or wounded and not expected to live.
The crewmen of the hospital ships were shown respect because they wore brilliant armor that seemed to confound everyone else. Those who were jumping off the cliff with the parachutes were all landing on the hospital ships or their docks.
When a slave ship would fill up it would depart, making frequent turns as if it knew where it was going. The warships were also making so many turns that it seemed impossible to tell which way they would go next. Any ship that happened to be in the way of a warship when it turned was blasted and sunk by the warship. If the warships turned toward each other, they started shooting at each other until one was sunk.
Because of the fog, many ships collided with other ships and sank. The water was filled with sharks that quickly devoured those who fell into it. The confusion, despair, and fear over the harbor were as thick as the fog. When the fog thickened, these fears would intensify. When the fog would thin a little, hope would begin to rise in the people. When the fog lifted enough so that the open sea could be seen, the ships would begin heading for it.
The hospital ships were also the only ones who seemed to be sailing as if they knew where they were going. They could sail right through the chaos in the harbor and into the open sea at will. One or two of them were constantly going out to sea, disappearing for a time, and then they would return. Then another would go and do the same.
As I followed one of these ships to the open sea in the vision, all of a sudden it was as if I was standing on the bridge of the ship. The farther out we went, the more the sky cleared. Soon it became bluer than I had ever seen it, except when flying in a high altitude jet. I was so intrigued by the sky that I had not been watching the sea. When I looked back at it, I saw that we were actually flying at a very high altitude.
I thought that we were going out into space, but soon we descended toward what appeared to be a whole new world. It was composed of islands, each with a different culture of people on it. The wounded on our hospital ship were placed on several of the different islands, so that each wounded person was placed with those from his or her own culture.
These islands were at perfect peace, and there were beautiful white bridges connecting them to one another, with a constant flow of people on the bridges. On each island vast foundations were being laid for a great city.
Even though each island was very different, and different from any place that I had ever seen, I felt immediately at home on each one. They were each like paradise, and though they seemed to be on a different world, I knew that they were somehow very close to the one I had just left.
Interpretation and Insights
That I can now see the end of this field indicates that the end of our economic prosperity is now in sight. What I saw at the end was much more catastrophic than I had ever thought. There are some very dark times ahead, but at the same time there is a whole new world being built right in our midst that is more wonderful than we can even imagine.
To the degree that we have built our lives and faith on the economy of the world, we have built on a very shaky foundation. We know that the time will come when everything that can be shaken will be. The time that we have been given until that happens is for the purpose of preparation. Let us build our hope and trust on the kingdom that alone cannot be shaken.
Those who kept walking into the fog just as they had been walking in the open field, not discerning or not acknowledging the change, either perished or fell into slavery. Those who immediately fell to their knees found a safe way down, but it still led down. They had to stay on their knees all the way; no one could have stood up on that slope because it was too steep and narrow. Falling to our knees speaks of prayer. As soon as we see the fog, or confusion, we must pray for every step we take thereafter.
That no one ascended, but all went down to the bottom of the cliff, spoke to me that the economy of the whole world was going down. Many will survive what is coming, but not at the level they are presently. Much of our present standard of living has been built upon credit, borrowing from the future, and the future is now here. We are fast approaching the time when the bills will have to be paid. That will cause a drastic reduction of our present lifestyles.
I felt that the slave ships were banks. During the Great Depression, banks were so over extended that most of them failed. Somehow, they have now positioned themselves to not only survive another economic collapse, but will actually be in a place to enslave those who are in debt to them.
The warships were all different sizes, and I felt represented different powers. Their efforts were not coordinated, but they all seemed to be in as much confusion as everyone else, and all seemed to be at war with one another. They lived by plundering the other ships and each other. I believe that in the times ahead, small wars will be flashing up almost everywhere and without apparent reason. Anyone who gets in the way of those with some power will be in trouble.
The luxury ships were so filthy that it seemed only slightly better to be on one of them instead of a slave or warship. It was obvious that the luxury of the future will not be as we know it today. Also, the luxury ships were constantly being plundered by the warships, making them almost an intolerable place to be. Even a hint of luxury in the future may only serve to make us targets.
I knew that the hospital ships were the church. They were glistening white with red crosses on them. They were so bright and clean that they stood out dramatically in this vision. White speaks of purity, and the red crosses spoke to me that they were bearing the cross. Red is also the color of sacrifice. These ships were so beautiful that anyone would have wanted to be on them. The church will become the most desirable place in the world to be, and the church will become the pure vessel she is called to be when she takes up the cross, committing herself to the life of sacrifice. In the times ahead, the life of sacrifice and service to others will be the most desirable life in the world and will actually be a glorious place to dwell.
The people on the hospital ships each wore brilliant, silver armor. They, too, stood out dramatically whenever they appeared, and this caused everyone to show them great respect, even the warships. This spoke to me that when believers learn to wear their armor, they will command the whole world’s respect and have authority because of it.
The docks of the hospital ships were also spotless and were overflowing with supplies. There was far more wealth on them than on the luxury ships, but the wealth was being used for service, not luxury. Because the individuals with the armor and the hospital ships commanded such respect, no one was trying to plunder their great stocks of supplies, even though they were obvious to everyone.
When a hospital ship pulled between two warships that were fighting, they would stop fighting and give them their wounded. It seemed that this was one of the primary purposes of these ships, to simply stop the fighting whenever they could.
In the midst of the chaos of this place, the dignity, resolve, and purpose that the Christians and their ships moved with was stunning. The greatest feeling came over me when I stood on the bridge of the ship leaving for the open sea. That feeling was freedom. As soon as we entered the open sea, we ascended into the heavenly places. Once out of the fog, we did not travel on the earth. When we came back down, it was to a seemingly new earth, even though I knew somehow that it was right in the middle of what I had left.
That I entered this extraordinary freedom on a hospital ship speaks of finding our true peace when we take up our crosses to serve others. When we do this, we will begin to dwell in the heavenly places. Then we will see the earth very differently—we will see what God is doing. I really felt that those paradise islands were already right in our midst, but we just could not see them yet.
At the very time when the world descends into a terrible chaos, which will probably begin with economic chaos, God is building bridges between people that will be the foundation of a glorious future. The end of this age is the beginning of the one over which Christ will reign. In Revelation 17:15 we are told that, “The waters which yousaw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” The sea often represents mass humanity in prophetic language. That the sea at the bottom of the cliff was in the most terrible chaos represents what the kingdoms of this world are headed for. The islands represent that the Lord is also laying a foundation for His kingdom right in our midst at this same time. That I knew these islands were close to the sea of confusion spoke to me that what the Lord is about to build on the earth is also very close at hand.
The bridges are right now being built between people. The bridges were for interchange, and it was obvious to me that each island was building something wonderful, as if it were the very best from their culture in order to share it with the other islands. That new foundations were being laid for cities represented a whole new beginning for the earth. What is now being built for the Lord, for the sake of His kingdom, will remain and be a foundation for the age to come.
Rick Joyner is the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Final Quest, A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The Oak Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.
Author and hell survivor Bill Wiese answers the six most common questions about hell
As my wife and I speak at churches, schools and conferences around the world, we’re often asked questions regarding the subject of hell. Pardon the pun, but it can be a hot topic these days, given that many doubt its literal existence. Although God has given us many answers and instructions clearly in His Word—yes, even about hell—many people fail to read the Bible and thereby remain uninformed. We hope to change that by inspiring people to search God’s Word for themselves. After all, our opinions of what hell is like aren’t important—God’s are!
Given that, here are six of the most frequently asked questions on hell, followed by simple and succinct answers that should stir you to dig deeper for what the Bible has to say on the matter.
1. Why did God have to make hell in the first place?
Just as prisons have been constructed to protect the innocent from those who break the law, hell has been prepared for the offenders of God’s law. Would you say that our governmental leaders are mean for constructing prisons? No—especially when you realize you don’t have to go there. If you do go, it’s your choice (see Deut. 30:19; Ps. 9:17; 86:5; 2 Pet. 2:9).
Besides, hell was not prepared for man but for the devil and his angels (see Matt. 25:41). God never intended for men and women to go there. By contrast, He is preparing a place for us in heaven (see John 14:2). It is only by our stubborn will that we reject the provision He has made for our access into heaven. It is arrogant of us to desire to go to heaven yet demand our own terms of access. If you want to live in God’s house, you come by His way and not your own (see Luke 13:3; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Tim. 2:4-6). If you want nothing to do with God, then there is a place prepared that has nothing to do with His goodness.
Salvation is a free gift, but we must receive it in order to be saved. God loves you and is a good Father. He is trying to keep you out of hell and to divert you from your misguided course. Nevertheless, hell exists—and it will be your own fault if you go there.
The simple solution is, don’t break God’s law. Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3; see also John 3:36; Rom. 10:9-10, NKJV). Remember this point: Just as prisons were not the first thing our founders had in mind when they came to this country, so too hell wasn’t God’s first intent when He made humanity.
2. Isn’t God mean and unloving for sending people to hell?
God is not sending anyone to hell! He sent His Son to keep us from going to hell (see John 3:16; 6:40; 12:47).
All of us are on the road to hell automatically (see Matt. 7:13-14; John 3:17-18) because we all are born in sin and already condemned (see Matt. 18:3; 19:14; Ps. 51:5).
If Jesus hadn’t come to die in our place, we all would end up in hell. Because we are sinners, we cannot live in His perfect kingdom as we are. We must be given a new heart and spirit.
We become new creatures in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:17) when we trust in His Son and His shed blood for our sins (see Rom. 5:8; 1 John 1:7). He will not let sinful humanity into heaven, as we would corrupt or defile heaven just as we have the earth (see Rev. 21:27).
People think He is mean for allowing so many to suffer in hell, but they don’t realize He is the same God who suffered an excruciating personal death on the cross to keep us out of hell. He loves everyone, even those who deny Him and mock Him (see Ps. 145:9; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Eph. 2:4-5).
If you play a game, you must play by the rules that are established. You don’t apply the rules of another game when you play Monopoly, right? Why do we think God should follow our rules and not we His? He is the designer, not us.
God is not mean. He has provided a way for everyone to live with Him in heaven for all eternity. It is we who are mean and unloving for not acknowledging His existence. God’s Word will teach us the truth about heaven if we will only read it.
3. Where was God when the disaster struck?
Let’s establish first things first: Disaster usually does not come from God. Evil forces exist on the earth, and we must pray for God to intervene and stop the evil (see John 10:10). God can, of course, send a plague or disaster if He chooses. If He does, then it is usually because rebellion and sin continue after His many warnings have been sent but ignored.
Jesus told us to pray that His will be done on the earth as it is in heaven (see Matt. 6:10). Yet, for the most part, men do not pray.
So, if we don’t pray, His will is not always done. If we would pray, God could get involved to a greater degree, as prayer gives Him the access to intervene (see 2 Chr. 7:14).
We live in a fallen world, and people choose to sin and disobey God every day. There is also a spiritual law of sowing and reaping at work in our world, and destruction is a result of sowing sin (see Prov. 13:21).
In addition, God has given humanity dominion in the earth (see Gen. 1:28; Ps. 115:16). He also has given the born-again Christian power over the devil (see Luke 10:19). The mess that the earth is in is not God’s fault but man’s.
If God weren’t intervening through our prayers, then we would have destroyed ourselves long ago. There are no disasters in heaven, and this is His will for the earth, too.
4. What about the person in the jungle who has never heard of Jesus?
You don’t have to worry about him; the Bible says God is fair and just (see Deut. 32:4; Ps. 96:10,13; Acts 17:31). If that person looks up at the heavens and cries out: “God, I want to know You. Please reveal Yourself to me,” then God will somehow make Himself known to that individual. He even gives people dreams and visions to keep them out of hell: “For God may speak in one way, or in another … in a dream, in a vision of the night … He keeps back his soul from the Pit” (Job 33:14-15,18).
God warns us throughout our lives in many ways in order to keep us out of hell. He warns us through His creation (see Rom. 1:20), our conscience (see Rom. 2:15), His Bible (see 2 Tim. 3:16).
If the person in the remote jungle doesn’t cry out to God to reveal Himself and doesn’t believe in the Son of God as the only Savior, then he will die in his sins, as the Bible says: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17).
There are signposts of warning all along our road of life. Bible teachers say there is a warning about hell in each of the 260 chapters in the 27 books in the New Testament.
If you equated those warnings to actual signs on a highway and equated the 27 books to 27 miles, then there would be a signpost every 540 feet, or about every six seconds when traveling 60 mph. If we ignore all those signs and then drive off a bridge, it is our own fault, not the sign-maker’s.
God will find a way to make Himself known to all of the people in our world. The more important question is this: Now that He has made Himself known to you, whom do you say Jesus is?
5. Is the fire in hell real or just metaphorical?
Revelation 9:2 states that there arose a great smoke out of the pit and that “the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.” How could a metaphorical fire produce smoke that darkened the sky?
The rich man who had been sent to hell said he wanted a drop of water to cool his tongue because he was “tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). If it were only mental anguish or something other than real fire that tormented him, then why would water suffice?
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary notes that the parable of the tares in Matthew 13, which discusses eternal judgment, includes the Son of Man, the world, children of the kingdom, children of the wicked one, the devil, the angels—all literal figures. Holman then states: “It is then natural to conclude that the burning of the tares should also be taken literally.”
If you take the Word of God literally, then it is easy to arrive at an interpretation of literal fire. I understand there are metaphors and idioms; but it’s obvious when they are being applied, such as when Jesus said He was the bread of life (see John 6:48). His Word is representative of bread, and He is the Word.
To say that all the verses in question are allegorical would require some proof. Jesus mentioned hell in 46 verses, and 18 spoke of the fires of hell. The word He uses for hell in 11 instances is Gehenna. Gehenna was the Jerusalem city dump, and it burned continually. The unclaimed dead bodies were thrown into that fire, and the wild dogs and maggots ate the flesh.
This is a graphic picture Jesus wanted the people hearing Him to see so they would recognize He was giving them a severe, sobering warning. Why would He compare hell with a place were bodies burned if the fire of hell was something quite different?
6. Is it fair for someone to live in sin and at the last moment “get saved”?
It doesn’t seem fair. Most of us would think that person deserved hell. The truth is, we all deserve hell. Salvation is not based on our good works. We all are evil in God’s sight (see Ps. 143:2; Rom. 3:10-12,23). Only repentance brings salvation (see Matt. 3:2; 4:17).
The point is this: For God to save an extremely wicked person, whether it happens 10 seconds or 10 years before death, shows how loving and forgiving God really is. He is not trying to keep people out of heaven but to get them in. If we can get it in our minds that getting to heaven has nothing to do with our being good, then we can see how He can save a wretch at the last moment.
Look at the two thieves on the cross. One said, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us” (Luke 23:39).
But the other one corrected him: “‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’”
The one thief was humble and knew he deserved his punishment. He also knew Jesus was God. He called on Him at his last moment, and Jesus saved him. That is how loving our God is.
You and I might not always be that loving, but God will be. Just imagine, the other thief now has all eternity to think that he was right next to the only one who could have saved him from hell and he didn’t know it—or believe it. What an eternity of the deepest regret.
I’m not saying you can live any way you want and then plan to get saved at the last second. God knows your heart, and only true repentance with a sorrowful heart brings salvation (see 2 Cor. 7:9).
Also, you don’t know that you will have an opportunity to get saved before you die. Many people die suddenly. Do not take a chance with your soul. Make the right choice today (see Deut. 30:19).
Bill Wiese is a former real estate broker in California who in 1998 had a terrifying vision of hell. He and his wife, Annette, have since founded the evangelistic ministry Soul Choice. He’s the author of 23 Questions About Hell, which releases this month, and the best-seller 23 Minutes in Hell.
There is a terrific operation of the Spirit going on today to bring the Sons of God into an absolute confinement to the perfect will of God. This is the Day of His Preparation the day in which He is preparing the channel through which He shall pour forth His Glory for all the world to see. This channel is His Body in the earth that glorious company of people who are being conformed through much tribulation and fiery tests to the Image of the Son of God. This is His “battle axe and weapons of war” with which He shall subdue kingdoms and overcome all His enemies. This is His “mighty and strong One” to whom He shall commit the work of judging this world. This is His Overcomer, His “great army” with which He shall bring the nations into submission. The weapons of their warfare are not carnal, natural weapons but they are mighty weapons, mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. These are those who shall “be strong and do exploits.”
But before God can commit this great and tremendous ministry into their hands they must submit themselves to the discipline of the Lord letting Him truly be the Lord of their entire lives. We have long since dealt with the question of open sin but now God is dealing with the inward rebellion of our own wills. Some good Christians are not now being so dealt with for they are not in this Firstfruits Company but nevertheless there is a real dealing of God going on within those who are called into the High Calling of God. This is a very real thing and is the work of the Refiner’s Fire. To those who are going through it some of its aspects are horrible but very necessary and the end result thereof is glorious as we are brought into absolute and complete submission to the will of our Lord.
It was in a minister’s conference and convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma that God gave me a vision which I want to share with you concerning this harnessing of our own wills. There were more than 30 ministers present in this particular Thursday morning service and God, the Father of spirits, was present to deal with His sons, to correct them and discipline them to absolute obedience to His will. There was such a stern dealing in the Spirit that no one could go to the pulpit and minister, there was a reluctance among the ministers to say anything except that which was directly ordered by the Spirit. And as those men of God sat there in the awesome presence of Almighty God, some of them having many years of ministry, some missionaries, all of them capable of getting up and preaching a powerful sermon, I was impressed by the way they responded to the discipline of the Spirit. And in the midst of this terrific dealing of God with our spirits, the Holy Ghost gave me a vision …
I SAW THE KING’S CARRIAGE
On a dirt road in the middle of a wide field stood a beautiful carriage, something on the order of a stagecoach but all edged in gold and with beautiful carvings. It was pulled by six large chestnut horses: two in the lead, two in the middle and two in the rear. But they were not moving, they were not pulling the carriage, and I wondered why. Then I saw the driver underneath the carriage on the ground on his back just behind the last two horses’ heels working on something between the front wheels on the carriage. I thought, “My, he is in a dangerous place; for if one of those horses kicked or stepped back, they could kill him, or if they decided to go forward, or got frightened somehow, they would pull the carriage right over him.” But he didn’t seem afraid for he knew that those horses were disciplined and would not move till he told them to move. The horses were not stamping their feet nor acting restless, and though there were bells on their feet, the bells were not tinkling. There were pom-poms on their harness over their heads but the pom-poms were not moving. They were simply standing still and quiet waiting for the voice of the Master.
THERE WERE TWO YOUNG COLTS IN THE FIELD
As I watched the harnessed horses I noticed two young colts coming out of the open field and they approached the carriage and seemed to say to the horses: “Come and play with us, we have many fine games, we will race with you, come catch us.” And with that the colts kicked up their heels flicked their tails and raced across the open field. But when they looked back and saw the horses were not following they were puzzled. They knew nothing of the harnesses and could not understand why the horses did not want to play. So they called to them: “Why do you not race with us? Are you tired? Are you too weak? Do you not have strength to run? You are much too solemn, you need more joy in life.” But the horses answered not a word nor did they stamp their feet or toss their heads. But they stood, quiet and still, waiting for the voice of the Master.
Again the colts called to them: “Why do you stand so in the hot sun? Come over here in the shade of this nice tree. See how green the grass is? You must be hungry, come and feed with us, it is so green and so good. You look thirsty, come drink of one of our many streams of cool clear water.” But the horses answered them not so much as a glance but stood still waiting for the command to go forward with the King.
COLTS IN THE MASTER’S CORRAL
And then the scene changed and I saw lariat nooses fall around the necks of the two colts and they were led off to the Master’s corral for training and discipline. How sad they were as the lovely green fields disappeared and they were put into the confinement of the corral with its brown dirt and high fence. The colts ran from fence to fence seeking freedom but found that they were confined to this place of training. And then the Trainer began to work on them with His whip and His bridle. What a death for those who had been all their lives accustomed to such a freedom! They could not understand the reason for this torture, this terrible discipline. What crime had they done to deserve this? Little did they know of the responsibility that was to be theirs when they had submitted to the discipline, learned to perfectly obey the Master and finished their training. All they knew was that this processing was the most horrible thing they had ever known.
SUBMISSION AND REBELLION
One of the colts rebelled under the training and said, “This is not for me. I like my freedom, my green hills, my flowing streams of fresh water. I will not take any more of this confinement, this terrible training.” So he found a way out jumped the fence and ran happily back to the meadows of grass. I was astonished that the Master let him go and went not after him. But He devoted His attention to the remaining colt. This colt though he had the same opportunity to escape decided to submit his own will and learn the ways of the Master. The training got harder than ever but he was rapidly learning more and more how to obey the slightest wish of the Master and to respond to even the quietness of His voice. And I saw that had there been no training, no testing, there would have been neither submission nor rebellion from either of the colts. For in the field they did not have the choice to rebel or submit, they were sinless in their innocence. But when brought to the place of testing and training and discipline, then was made manifest the obedience of one and the rebellion of the other. And though it seemed safer not to come to the place of discipline because of the risk of being found rebellious, yet I saw that without this there could be no sharing of His glory, no Sonship.
INTO THE HARNESS
Finally this period of training was over. Was he now rewarded with his freedom and sent back to the fields? Oh no. But a greater confinement than ever now took place as a harness dropped about his shoulders. Now he found there was not even the freedom to run about the small corral for in the harness he could only move where and when his Master spoke. And unless the Master spoke he stood still.
The scene changed and I saw the other colt standing on the side of a hill nibbling at some grass. Then across the fields, down the road came the King’s carriage drawn by six horses. With amazement he saw that in the lead, on the right side, was his brother colt now made strong and mature on the good corn in the Master’s stable. He saw the lovely pom-poms shaking in the wind, noticed the glittering gold bordered harness about his brother, heard the beautiful tinkling of the bells on his feet — and envy came into his heart. Thus he complained to himself: “Why has my brother been so honored, and I am neglected? They have not put bells on MY feet nor pom-poms on MY head. The Master has not given ME the wonderful responsibility of pulling His carriage, has not put about ME the gold harness. Why have they chosen my brother instead of me?” And by the Spirit the answer came back to me as I watched: “Because one submitted to the will and discipline of the Master and one rebelled, thus has one been chosen and the other set aside.”
A FAMINE IN THE LAND
Then I saw a great drought sweep across the countryside and the green grass became dead, dry, brown and brittle. The little streams of water dried up, stopped flowing, and there was only a small muddy puddle here and there. I saw the little colt (I was amazed that it never seemed to grow or mature) as he ran here and there across the fields looking for fresh streams and green pastures finding none. Still he ran, seemingly in circles, always looking for something to feed his famished spirit. But there was a famine in the land and the rich green pastures and flowing streams of yesterday were not to be had. And one day the colt stood on the hillside on weak and wobbly legs wondering where to go next to find food and how to get strength to go. It seemed like there was no use, for good food and flowing streams were a thing of the past and all the efforts to find more only taxed his waning strength. Suddenly he saw the King’s carriage coming down the road pulled by six great horses. And he saw his brother, fat and strong, muscles rippling, sleek and beautiful with much grooming. His heart was amazed and perplexed, and he cried out: “My brother where do you find the food to keep you strong and fat in these days of famine? I have run everywhere in my freedom, searching for food, and I find none. Where do you in your awful confinement find food in this time of drought? Tell me, please, for I must know!” And then the answer came back from a voice filled with victory and praise: “In my Master’s House there is a secret place in the confining limitations of His stables where He feeds me by His own hand and His granaries never run empty and His well never runs dry.” And with this the Lord made me to know that in the day when people are weak and famished in their spirits in the time of spiritual famine that those who have lost their own wills and have come into the secret place of the most High into the utter confinement of His perfect will shall have plenty of the corn of Heaven and a never ending flow of fresh streams of revelation by His Spirit. Thus the vision ended.
INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION
“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it,” (Habakkuk 2:2). “Harness the horses; and get up, ye horseman,” (Jeremiah 46:4). I am sure that many of you who can hear what the Spirit saith to the Church have already seen what God was showing in the vision. But let me make it plain. Being born into the Family of God feeding in the green pastures and drinking of the many streams of the unfolding revelation of His purposes is fine and wonderful. But it is not enough. While we were children, young and undisciplined, limited only by the outer fence of the Law that ran around the limits of the pastures (that kept us from getting into the dark pastures of poison weeds) He was content to watch us develop and grow into young manhood, spiritually speaking. But the time came to those who fed in His pastures and drank at His streams, when they were to be brought into discipline or “child-training” for the purpose of making them mature Sons. Many of the children today cannot understand why some of those who have put on the harness of God cannot get excited by the many religious games and the playful antics of the immature. They wonder why the disciplined ones run not after every new revelation or feed on every opportunity to engage in seemingly “good and profitable” religious activities. They wonder why some will not race with them in their frantic efforts to build great works and great and notable ministries. They cannot understand the simple fact that this Company of saints is waiting for the voice of the Master and they do not hear God in all this outward activity. They will move in their time when the Master speaks. But not before, though many temptations come from the playful colts. And the colts cannot understand why those who seemingly appear to have great abilities and strength are not putting it to good use. “Get the carriage on the road,” they say, but the disciplined ones, those in God’s harness, know better than to move before they hear the voice of the Master. They will move in their time with purpose and great responsibility.
And the Lord made me to know that there were many whom He had brought into training who had rebelled against the discipline, the chastising of the Father. They could not be trusted with the great responsibility of mature Sonship so He let them go back to their freedom, back to their religious activities and revelations and gifts. They are still His people, still feeding in His pastures, but He has set them aside from the great purposes for this end of the age. So they revel in their freedom feeling that they were the Chosen Ones with the many streams of living water not knowing that they have been set aside as unfit for His great work in this end of the age.
He showed me that though the chastising seemeth grievous for the time and the discipline hard to endure yet the result with all the glory of Sonship is worth it all and the glory to follow far exceeds the suffering we endure. And though some lose even their lives in this training yet they will share alike in the glory of His eternal purposes. So faint not saints of God for it is the Lord that doth bring thee into confinement and not thine enemy. It is for thy good and for His glory so endure all things with praises and thanksgiving that He hath counted thee worthy to share His glory! Fear thou not the whip in His hand for it is not to punish thee but to correct and train thee that thou mightest come into submission to His will and be found in His likeness in that hour. Rejoice thou in thy trials in all thy tribulations and glory thou in His cross and in the confining limitations of His harness for He hath chosen thee and He hath taken upon Himself the responsibility of keeping thee strong and well fed. So lean thou upon Him and trust not in thine own ability and thine own understanding. So shalt thou be fed and His hand shall be upon thee and His glory shall overshadow thee and shall flow through thee as it goes forth to cover the earth. Glory to God! Bless the Lord! He’s wonderful! Let Him be Lord of your life, friends, and complain not at that which He bringeth to pass in your life.
PLENTY IN THE TIME OF FAMINE
For in the hour when famine sweeps the land He shall feed by His own hand those who are submitted to His perfect will and who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. When terror stalks the land those in His harness shall not be afraid for they shall feel His bit and bridle and know the guidance of His Spirit. When others are weak and frail and fearful there shall be those who shall be strong in the power of His might and shall lack for no good thing. In the hour when the traditions of the religious systems have proven false and their streams have dried up, then His Chosen Ones shall speak forth with the true Word of the Lord. So rejoice, Sons of God, that you have been chosen by His grace for this great work in this last hour.
The fence which kept the colts in their own meadows and their own pastures mean nothing to the team in the harness for the gates open to them and they go forth pulling the King’s carriage into many strange and wonderful places. They do not stop to eat the poison weeds of sin for they feed only in the Master’s stable. These fields they trample under their feet as they go forth on the King’s business. And so to those who are brought into absolute subjection to His will there is no Law. For they move in the Grace of God led only by His Spirit where all things are lawful but not all things are expedient. This is a dangerous realm for the undisciplined and many have perished in sin as they leaped over the fence without His harness and His bridle. Some have thought of themselves as being completely harnessed and submissive to Him only to find that in some avenue of their life there dwelled rebellion and self-will. Let us wait before Him until He puts His noose around us and draws us to His place of training. And let us learn of the dealings of God and the movings of His Spirit until at last we feel His harness drop about us and hear His voice guiding us. Then there is safety from the traps and pitfalls of sin and then shall we abide in His House forever!
Bill Britton served as Vice President (and co-founder with Wade Taylor) of Pinecrest Bible Training Center (now called Bethany Bible Training Center) for the first three years of its existence and was a great blessing in helping to establish the work at Pinecrest.
For more of these and other messages:
Bill Britton Ministries
P.0. Box 707
Springfield, Missouri 65801-0707
This is a faith ministry, made possible by members of the Body of Christ. Not copyrighted, may be translated or reprinted without further permission. All message free as the Lord provides.
There is an ongoing warfare, a struggle between our natural desires and His spiritual desire for us. Thus, there are two contrary wills at war with each other – “I will” and “Thy will.” When the “Thy will” (His purpose for us) is contrary to and crosses out the “I will” (our own wants), our cross is formed. (To better picture this, draw a horizontal line, showing “I Will.” Then draw a vertical line through it, showing “His Will.” There is a visual rendering of the Cross.)
Any seed, when planted, grows to express its particular nature. We need not add anything to it, but simply expose it to the right elements. Then, it will develop into the fullness of what it is. The extent to which we spiritually develop in the “here and now” will become our “measured state” (30, 60, or 100-fold) for all eternity.
Paul had warned the captain and crew from the onset that this journey would end in destruction, only to be ignored and relegated to the bottom of the ship. Similarly, we have disregarded the revealed knowledge of Almighty God and, casting off moral restraint, proceeded to set sail in our own direction. We turned to praise the gods of silver and gold, wood and stone—things originating from the minds of men. If that were not tragedy enough, the Church in large measure followed the course of society and became attached to the value system of this world. This has left us with theological perspectives focusing on prosperity and success that have tremendously weakened the testimony of Christ in our nation.
“Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship” (Acts 27:17–19).For years we have done our best to hold this country together. Now, out of desperation, we are beginning to cast overboard the tackling of the ship. The tackling represents certain standards that were once bedrock in this nation, such as the sacred right of unborn children in the womb to live. I am not a doctor, and I am not suggesting there may not be circumstances that need to be considered. But when we begin to murder our unborn children for the sake of convenience, we have crossed a line, which is terrifying at the least. Not only that, we have cast out the sanctity of marriage as defined by God from the beginning of time. God designed one man and one woman to be joined and to be fruitful in the earth. Yet now it seems that anything goes. It doesn’t matter if the Bible calls it evil; we are now calling it good.Very soon we might even have to deal with the throwing overboard of the right of free speech and self-government, all in favor of a new morality. In the ferocity of a storm, people are willing to do things that they would not do under normal circumstances. When they have already lost their spiritual moorings and fear begins to set in, they will throw almost anything overboard in favor of what is believed to be safety and security.This is precisely why the role of the Church is so pivotal at this juncture in history. We have before us a window of opportunity to be a guiding voice in the storm. It is a window that I feel will be open for only a short season, which is why we must be prepared now.
Imagine the taunting of the enemy that he had to fight. “This is hopeless, Paul! Your life is not going to amount to anything. How are you ever going to affect this journey or this generation? Do you really think that anyone on this ship will listen to you? Just go ahead and get bitter. Get vengeance on those who have caused this ignorant journey!” Yet, despite the hardship and the battles Paul faced in the belly of that ship, he chose to pray. Suddenly, in the midst of all the difficulty, a window opened. He was called to the deck of the ship, and the people were ready to listen.What would have happened if Paul had not been ready when the call came? What if he had been down there grumbling with the rest of the prisoners—if his whole focus had been on himself and his own security? If that had been so, Paul probably would have stood on the deck with no more hope or encouragement than anybody else around. He may have had some ideas, but he would not have had the mind or the word of God for those who desperately needed it. That is why it is so essential that you and I be in prayer now. We must get a word from God! He will speak if we are willing to listen and set aside our own ideas about what our future should be.Paul was willing to listen, and as a result, the Lord gave him this word of exhortation for those on the ship: “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me”(Acts 27:23–25, NKJV).
“And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”(Luke 14:22–23). Most historians agree that this represents our present church age. That means that your life and mine should be a compelling testimony. We ought to present to this generation irrefutable evidence of the reality of Christ, alive within us.
Do we have the courage to examine ourselves in this hour; to admit that our ways may not be God’s ways; that our plans might not be God’s plans? Do we have the courage, as Daniel did, to open the window, face Jerusalem, and pray in humility (see Daniel 6:10)? “Lord, we have done a disservice to Your testimony in the earth. We have not brought about deliverance, because we have dealt casually with the holy things of God. We have failed to come into Your presence and seek Your will, to walk in the holiness that You require of Your people.”
