Five-Fold Today Secret Place - Gatekeepers of the Internet - Unsung Heroes - Regarding the Crisis In Israel - Personal Issues - Avoid the Enemy's Conversations - Freely Give - Jeremiah: The Heart of the Prophet - A Cheap Salvation

August 12, 2001

Secret Place Part One

by Todd Bentley

THE THREE LEVELS OF THE TABERNACLE

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about the levels of glory; the realms, and the heights of Heaven. Are you hungry for a new place in Heaven? Do you believe that the Heavens of Heavens cannot contain God? Do you believe that there are different levels of the manifestation of the Presence of God? I call them the levels of the tabernacle; "The Tabernacle of the Lord of Hosts". Different places in the Courts of the Lord. Different places that you can taste of the Father's House.

I just want to talk about that here and I believe you're going to get really hungry to begin to dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High. I'm going to pray and believe for God to bring you into a new place in the manifestation of His Presence. The levels of the tabernacle of the Most High. We see the Outer Court, we see the Inner Court and we see the Holy of Holies. The Secret Place of the Most High. Father, let the shadow of the Almighty begin to cover those reading this message. Cover them with Your feathers. Right now, God, cover them with your feathers and let them sense the covering of Your Presence. The secret place of the Most High. Father, bring them into a new realm, into another level of glory. Oh, Jesus, I thank You right now for Your Presence.

THE OUTER COURT

What is the Outer Court of the Presence of God? The Outer Court of the Presence of God is the altar of sacrifice. Everything in the temple revolves around the altar. Worship doesn't happen without the altar, hallelujah. The altar of sacrifice. The Outer Court of the Most High is that place of surrender. The Outer Court of the Most High is that place where you come and get right with God and say, "God, I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me just from the affairs of the day and the cares of the world." The Outer Court of the Most High is the place where you make the decision to say, "I think I'm going to have some communion with God. And you begin to move into the process of getting into the Presence.

And usually the process of getting into the Presence involves sacrifice, and "I lay me down", and you just want to say, "God, you know in any way that I've grieved you today, in any way that I'm not right, I want to ask you to forgive me." And so, you come to the bronze laver, the washing of the water, the cleansing of the Word. And you wash yourself of the impurities of the day, the impurities of your life. The Outer Court of the Most High is the process of making that decision to move into the glory.

How many of you know that when you want to come into the glory, to move into the glory, it always involves that place of, "Ok, I'm moving out of my flesh into the Spirit." It's always that place where you begin to pray and as you begin to pray, you have to say to your mind, "NO, No, No, stay focused!" You're like, "Oh God, forgive me, I'm sorry I'm praying and my mind is wandering."

You know, there is always that place of struggling to begin to gaze into the face of Jesus and keep your mind focused. Your mind wanders, and again you're like, "Oh, God, forgive me, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be in prayer and here I am thinking about the ball game" and you're like, "No, I'm in prayer, it's prayer time". You then begin to pray in tongues, and you give some praises and some hallelujahs and you're in that place of pressing in. You're coming into the Presence. You're repenting of your sin. You see, that's the Outer Court!

Most of us get beyond the Outer Court, but some of us are stuck in the Outer Court of the Most High because it's so hard for us to get that breakthrough. It's so hard for us to move from that process of repentance for whatever it is, that condemnation that is over us, the business of our life, or the Heavens are so brass you can't get a breakthrough. Every time you pray it is so dry and God seems so far away, you just give up. Some of us don't even move out of that process.

And when you haven't prayed for a while, and you feel kind of dry, and you feel guilty, you're like "God, I'm sorry, I haven't been here all week and the only reason I'm really coming is I've got to get blessed and anointed because I'm about to preach. I'm sorry I was busy all week." and you go through the whole process of getting "right" with God; of feeling the need to have to get right and sacrifice all over again. You know what I'm talking about? You work all day, ten hours, and you come home and watch TV all night and then you're like, "I really should have prayed. God was asking me to pray, and I didn't and now when I really need Him, I have to pray and I know He's going to be saying, 'well where were you when I asked you to pray'." And there's just this whole struggle in the Outer Court.

But I want you to know that if you will continue to give yourself over to that Secret Place, and continue to press in for that Presence, eventually what may have taken you fifteen minutes to get into the Presence will all of a sudden take you only five seconds to get into the Presence. I don't know what happens, but when you just continually give yourself over to the Presence of God, you begin to become more sensitive. You begin to become more in tune with the Spirit of God in making that transition. In the process of "I think I'm going to go pray now", you go to pray, and getting into the Spirit, you can break the transition, and move in a whole lot quicker as you to continue to press in.

THE INNER COURT

As you come into the Inner Court of the Most High, you see the Table of Showbread and the Lamp. One thing I want to say about the Lamp is that when you see the Lamp, you see the Oil, and you see fire. The Lamp speaks of the Light of Christ, it speaks of direction, it speaks of revival. What is the Showbread? It's the Bread of Life. It's, "My God, give us our daily bread." It's the bread of provision. It's the bread of healing. It's the bread of deliverance. What do you do in the Inner Court of the Most High? You tend the Lamp. You're the Priest of your Lampstand. You're bringing oil. You're making sure that the Lamp has fresh oil so that the Lamp can burn continually. That's what the Priest did in the Inner Court of the Most High. He tended the Lamp.

As he tended the Lamp, he burned incense, so it was a place of prayer. I want you to catch this. In the Inner Court there was a level of prayer, there was a level of incense, there was a level of oil, there was a level of fire, there was bread. There was The Bread of Life, there was the Light, there was direction, there was the bread of provision, the, "Give us our Daily Bread", the bread of healing. What am I saying about the Inner Court? The Inner court is the place of prayer. The Inner Court is the place of requests. The Inner Court is the place of intercession. The Inner Court is a place of warfare. The Inner Court is the place where you bring the blood of your sacrifice from the Outer Court and you present it to God.

What am I saying about the Outer and the Inner Courts? The Outer and the Inner Court very much involve your duties as a Christian, what you need to do to move yourself into the process of where you really want to end up, The Holy of Holies. The Outer Court and the Inner Court speak of you burning the incense, you praying, you tending the Lamp, and you in the place of intercession, you saying "Give us our Daily Bread", asking God about the things that you have need of, sacrifice, the slaying of the animals. Bringing the blood of the sacrifice. It very much involves you and your duty and work. It's the works of prayer and the works of intercession. Most of us live in the Inner Court of the Most High. We live in that place of prayer requests, intercession, worship, (there is a measure of oil), the Bread of Life; we talk to God about the things we have need of. We cast all our care on Him. We look for direction, we fast, we pray for direction, we come to God for what we have need of.

THE HOLY OF HOLIES

But, the Holy of Holies, where the glory of God dwells, the Holy of Holies is Shhhhhhh. The Holy of Holies is quiet. How do you know when you come into the Holy of Holies? When you come into the Holy of Holies, there is such a level of the intensity of the Presence of God, that you don't want to move. You're treading on Holy Ground. There is Holy Fear. There is Awe. Absolute majesty. Shekinah Glory. The Mercy Seat of God. The Law of God. Absolute Holiness. The Presence of God is so intense in the Holy of Holies, you wonder if you can even stand any longer.

You don't do anything in the Holy of Holies. All that God sees in the Holy of Holies is the fruit of everything you have done in the Outer Court and the Inner Court, and you just stand there with the fruit of all your prayer. The Holy of Holies is when you can't praise anymore. The Holy of Holies is when you run out of things to pray about. The Holy of Holies is when you hear somebody say, "I spent an hour with God", and you're like, "Well, what did you talk to God about for an hour? After fifteen minutes, I don't have anything to talk to Him about any longer after I went through my prayer list." You've never been in the Holy of Holies.

Real prayer doesn't start until you can't pray anymore. The glory really doesn't happen until you've done everything that you can do to spend time with God. The Presence of God begins to happen when you've done all the praising and all the worship, all the prayer, and all the intercession, all the casting your cares, and making all of your requests known unto God. When you've finished saying "give me my daily bread", asking God for direction, the anointing, all the things you have need of, the sacrifice, the cleansing of all the things that you do. When it's all over, The Holy of Holies. Sometimes I come into the Presence and all I can do is be still. Even if I wanted to say, "God, I give You praise", it would bounce off the wall.

Five minutes ago, "God, I praise You!" was alive. Now, it's flat. How many do you think have come to that place and can actually relate to the level that I'm talking about? We're talking about the Holy of Holies. We're talking about deep into the Presence. Very few. Many live in the Inner Court of the Most High, in that place of--they're not really praying unless they're praying. They live in that place. It's all they know; the works of prayer, how to intercede, how to pray, the manner of prayer.

But the Holy of Holies is absolute awe. There's majesty. There's peace. There's fear. There's holiness. You don't do anything anymore. All you do is stand there with the fruit of everything you've done. And then you just "be". That's all you do in the Holy of Holies. You just "be". There's nothing else to do but look at the glory. There's no more sacrifice, there's no more incense. There's no more work, there's no more duty. There's no more intercession, there's no more warfare. You are in the Holy of Holies.

Fresh Fire Ministries
http://www.thearc.bc.ca
toddbentley@home.com

Gatekeepers of the Internet

Elvis D. Iverson

Dear Prayer People, God made the Internet for His Glory, we therefore need to take our rightful place on the internet for His glory. We also need to pray for and about the Internet.

  1. Pray for Jesus's Lordship in the lives of the Gatekeeps of the Internet.
  2. Pray for the big players of the Internet like MSN and Yahoo.
  3. Pray for rivers of the Spirit to flood the internet.
  4. Pray for Christian domin will grow on the internet.
  5. Pray for Prayer ministry to used the internet to network christians to pray.
  6. Pray for Christians to always have the freedom in internet.
  7. Pray for the Church everwhere for there eyes to be open, on the will of God for the Internet.

Grace and peace,

Iverson
faithvision@hotmail.com

Unsung Heroes

Paul Jobe

"Sons and daughters, I see your weariness and I see your sacrifice on My behalf to wage the good warfare for the things that you feel are important fights and battles against the kingdom of darkness. Understand that there are none of you whom I have forgotten and none whom I have not seen at this time. Many of you are bloodied and bruised by the battle and some have lost hope.

Some of you have felt that I have forsaken you or at least left the hardest parts of the battle up to you to fight. But I have seen all and want you to know that I have had a purpose in your struggle. The struggle has been to enrich you and cause your heavenly account to become invested with the equity of your suffering on My behalf. As I said before in My word, 'rejoice when they persecute you and say slanderous things against you, for rich is your reward in heaven.'

These sufferings and woundings which many of you have received are going to result in rich blessings for you and add to your stamina in the days ahead and strengthen the other soldiers who see you still standing. So understand that there is nothing which you have done for Me that has gone unrecorded. The accusations of relatives, the enraged employer, the drunken spouses, and the other barbs of the enemy will certainly result in an increase of My stamina within you and bring a perseverance like you have never experienced before. As you have taken these woundings on My behalf (for if it is done to the least of you, it is done to Me), there has gone up from the heavenly ranks a cry for Me to include you in the ranks of those who have truly suffered for My name's sake.

So all has been recorded and I want you to know that if you have taken wounds for Me, it is by My stripes that you are healed and by My blood that you will overcome. There is a song in heaven on your behalf, the song of the "Unsung Heroes" that are still unrecognized on earth, but fully known in heaven. It is to your great benefit that others who believe in My Name do not know all that you have been through. Those of you who have silently passed up opportunites to tell your 'war stories' have the greatest accounts and the richest blessing of intimacy with Me which will only increase with time.

So settle it in your hearts that I see all that you have suffered for Me and that I will minister My grace and My healing anointing to My precious heroic children."

Jobies7@aol.com

REGARDING THE CRISIS IN ISRAEL -- A WORD BY STEVE SHULTZ

It doesn't take a prophetic voice to know and understand that WAR in Israel is more imminent every day. On the one hand, we should continue to pray for the PEACE OF JERUSALEM. On the other hand, I've talked to several who are saying that the only solution is WAR-- in order to take back the very lands that Israel had no right to give away in the first place.

However--AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS!! . . .

God's children are both Jewish and Arab. There is or will be no deaths that the LORD takes pleasure in. Therefore, when you pray, Do as Jesus said and "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES" so . . .

. . .that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matt 5:45
It would seem to me again, that the safest prayers and attitudes are these:
  1. Love your enemies and the enemies of Israel and pray good for them.
  2. Realize the G_D loves Jew and Gentile, Israelis and Arab alike.
  3. There is no death that the L_RD takes pleasure in.
  4. Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem
  5. Pray to Yeshua that "YOUR KINGDOM COME and YOUR WILL BE DONE!"
I think that about covers it. But above all . . . PRAY!!

Steve Shultz, Publisher
THE ELIJAH LIST
Ambassador of Christ Who HIMSELF is a "Friend of Sinners"
kary@elijahlist.com
To subscribe: elijahlist3@mindspring.com

Personal Issues

Marsha Burns

I say to you that even though you have had personal issues and challenges to work through, you have been in a calm before the storm. There is a great deluge about to be released upon the earth. You are about to experience a very great outpouring of My Spirit, which will produce varied results. In some places it will produce new life and revival, but in other places it will produce destruction and judgment. For, it will be a flood of justice being poured out to cleanse the land and restore My purposes. Many have been straddling the fence, trying to live in the world and still serve Me, but this is a time when you will find yourselves in the valley of decision, and you must choose life or death, blessings or curses. You cannot feast at My table and continue to drink of the cup of demons.

Faith Tabernacle
Kremmling, CO 80459
http://ft111.com
ft111@ft111.com

Avoid the Enemy's Conversations

Stephen Hanson

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, [21] which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. 1TI 6:20

[6] Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Col. 4:6

"Watch out for the noises that you hear in this world. There is Godless chatter. There is noise that is meaningless that comes from the lips of many. Your lips are to be a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto Me. Do not join into these conversations that go against Me. Do not be a part of them. You are to be a voice that rises above these things. How can the world know about Me if there is always "course talk?" How can they know about a God that they think does not exist? It is not always what you say, but also what you "do not say."

"The enemy loves conversations like these. He loves it when my children do nothing about how the world is talking around them. But you can cut a channel in the current noise of the world. You can direct its flow in a different way."

(The Lord showed me what I thought was a huge water pipe that was flexible. I watched as this supposed pipe was moving in the water of a river. It wove in and out at a fast pace. It seemed to scoop up the ground and the water itself, causing the flow to go in a certain direction. Then I noticed that this "pipe" was actually a very huge snake. As it moved in serpentine fashion across the landscape and water, there were other snakes within it. It troubled me as I watched them move their heads from side to side, as this huge monstrosity wound its way through the water. The scene then changed somewhat, and people were on a rollercoaster, having fun as they dipped up and down on the course of the ride. This seemed to be a representation of much of the world, in that they want to be "entertained.")

"The enemy has taken over much of the "talk" in this world. He has woven his way into many conversations. He has slithered his way into many homes. He has spread his filthy venom in the form of vile speech and a blatant disregard for Me and my word. Strike the head of this serpent and he will flee from your conversations. Trample him under foot and he will be destroyed."

Stephen Hanson

http://www.angelfire.com/in/HisTruth/prophetsite.html

Freely Give

Jim Grayson

Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46

As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7,8

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Galatians 3:1-5

The Holy Spirit has much to say on this subject and so many things in the church right now just don't line up with Scripture in this area. The attitude of the unbelieving world has often been shaped by the vision given them of evangelists and churches which beg and cajole people into giving. These folks have made the Body of Christ into a money changer in many ways. How many times have we heard people speak negatively of the church and their comments are usually one of two things: the church is filled with hypocrites or the church is always after their money. Unfortunately, at least for the latter, there is a basis for their belief.

I have heard TV evangelists tell the listeners that if they give to their ministry, God will give them special rewards for it, and they have even hinted that if the person does not give to their ministry, they're out of the will of God and something unfortunate may occur to them, sort of like walking out from under the unbrella. I've heard preachers who urge the sick to give to their ministry and expect a miracle. What charlatans! If Jesus were here in the flesh, He'd make a whip of cords and wear them out! It sickens me to think of the damage these people have done.

I know this will rankle many but it's what I see in the Bible, and don't see in our churches. Tithing is not mentioned after the Gospels; giving freely is, yet the majority of the church leadership holds on to it, the reason being it gives what they consider to be a firm and Biblical guideline for giving, and requires a specific amount of one's income, which they feel will assure more income for the church, ministry, outreach, whatever. This is trusting in man, not in God, for provision.

We must be careful what we preach and teach, for God holds us accountable to Himself and His Word. He doesn't take kindly to misrepresentation of His Word, even if done in error. If we aren't sure of what we are putting forth, then we need to study on it more. There is but one standard for all things and that is the Holy, Unchangeable Word of God. Our opinions, yours and mine, mean nothing if they don't line up completely with the Word. For too long, the leadership of the church as a rule has been giving an uncertain trumpet call because they have tainted the Word of God with their own prejudices and desires. This is soon to change.

Those who insist tithing is a New Covenant principle need see what Paul said in 2 Corinthians-

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

In verse seven, we see Paul did not mention tithing but said to give what one determines in the heart to give, and the determination of the heart is, or should be, born of the heart of the Father. Consequently, the gift should not be sparse or stingy, for God loves a cheerful giver. I wonder what He thinks of stinginess?

I see prominent problems in the church today in the area of giving. The first is with much of the leadership using thinly veiled strong arm tactics to get people to give. They trust in their own thought processes, rather than in God. That's the reason the leadership of the church, many centuries ago, went from using the offering boxes as they did in the temple in the days of Jesus and the early church, to using the wretched practice of "passing the plate". I have sensed for over twenty years that this is a stench in God's nostrils. To some, they may say, "What's the harm?" but can you imagine Jesus passing the plate or trusting God to touch the hearts of people to give, and then trusting the people to hear and obey God, all without any coercion or arm twisting. I can't help but wonder how many people of little means have sat in church as the person next to them laid out a wad of money and felt shame as they had only a bit of change to give to God and if this is the result of passing the plate, it's wrong. It promotes pride and does not give the people the rightful chance to give without coercion. Many pastors will privately say, "This is a lofty and noble thing but I'm afraid if I don't pass the plate, the people won't give." I have but one answer for that. Ever since I came back to the Lord in 1978, I longed for a church built entirely on Biblical principles, as opposed to the traditions and junk of men. From 1980 until 1999, I couldn't find a church which didn't pass the plate. Finally, the Lord led us to our interdenominational church here in Lexington in August 1999 and guess what? It's a church which has NEVER taken up an offering in it's nine years of existence. The leadership trusts God and His people to make things happen. If there is a need, it is mentioned and people give. We aren't rich but for our size, we give disproportionate amounts of money to missions every year, and we pay our bills and are a blessing to others. It goes to prove it can be done...IF the leadership of a church will dare to break tradition and the practice of passing the plate and put their trust in God. If they insist in saying tithing is for today, then perhaps they should take a look at what Paul said about circumcision, another Old Covenant principle, one which has an even stronger link to our early faith for it identified one who belonged to God:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! Galatians 5:7-12

Judging from Paul's last sentence, the Holy Spirit is not happy with those who would keep God's people from the liberty of the Gospel of Christ. If we don't circumcise our boy babies on the eight day any more, then neither are we bound by a law of the Old Covenant which in many ways puts a cap on giving, for many who do adhere to the tenth will not give above it, feeling they have done all they should do. By insisting on the tenth, rather than the way God says it is, many leaders are actually robbing God of the full giving of His people, simply because they don't trust Him for their provision. Because of this, the people, and the ministry, suffer and do not flourish. We are not called to merely exist but to be a blessing and one can't be a blessing by being bound by old standards of giving. Behold, things are being made new!

One word about those on TV and elsewhere who try to coerce you out of your money. If they are of God, they need not beg you for your money. He knows their need and is more than able to speak to people's hearts and urge them to give, just as He does at my own church. He doesn't need their help in begging for money. Besides, begging is distasteful and unScriptural, for the Word says God's people need not beg for bread. So is twisting Scripture distasteful and using the hundred fold return to appeal to man's greed in getting a return from one's gift, when giving should not even involve the thought of anything in return. Their reward will be what they have sown. That's all I'm going to say.

Now, to the folks who are saying, "By golly, this fellow has spanked the leadership, for sure," I say this: if you are a child of the Most High King, your life is not your own for you have been bought with a price. Your life means everything about you, including your bank account. The highest standard of giving and trust is this: Let's say you have a thousand dollars in the bank. You have bills coming up and the Lord says, "Your brother Lemuel is in a real bind. He lost his job this week and needs rent money. I want you to give him eight hundred dollars." Now, you can do one of two things. You can do what most of us do and become hard of hard of spiritual hearing and begin to reason our way out of it by saying, "How on earth can God increase my bank account? If I give that much, I won't be able to pay the bills." Then just do nothing, which results in both Lemuel and you missing a blessing. Or you can obey God and see His wonders of provision. That, beloved of God, is what God requires of us. He doesn't require the sacrifice of the tenth. He requires the obedience of your all. Again, in giving, there is no higher standard than this for it is of God. Consequently, those who obey this principle will often find themselves giving more than ten percent but they will also see how God makes their loaves and fishes feed them, and give them enough to feed others as well.

We must learn to trust God, my friends. If we can't trust Him for our needs, how on earth can we trust Him for our salvation? Do we believe He is a God of His Word or not? Or do we just believe in our salvation only because it's after we die, which, in some ways, makes it seem like pie in the sky and not for now? We can't go on like this. Dark days are coming to the world. If you're trusting in the economy of this world and of this nation, you may very well find yourself with nothing. Trusting in God always brings a reward. His word to us is always, "Prove Me!"

You have my heart, beloved of God.
Strength and Honor.
Hail the Lamb!
Love,
Jim Grayson

Jeremiah: The Heart of the Prophet

By Chad Taylor

A PROPHET TO A GENERATION

My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, when little ones and infants faint in the streets of the city… (Lamentations 2:11)

In a time of national calamity and moral collapse there was a heart that burned with this fire of repentance and righteousness. In the midst of riot and rampage through Israel’s streets, stood one lone prophet with the message of the hour mixed with tears. Like Ramah, he refused to be comforted. Like his Lord, he could not ignore the plight of his people. He witnessed and pleaded on the corner of every street and hedge of Jerusalem for their lives and their liberties, to truly return to the Lord. Echoing through the alleys and lanes of the city it could be heard,

Arise! Cry aloud in the night! At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift up your hands to Him, for the life of your young children who faint because of hunger at the top of every street! (Lamentations 2:19)

See, Jeremiah was no stranger to his nation’s sin and pain. He did not observe from a terraced temple treasury at the passing of the publican and prostitute that paraded through the streets of Jerusalem. He did not stand as high priest and judge to the agony and cry of Zion’s children, but to the contrary, he walked with them, he pleaded with them, he wept with them! Like his Messiah, he was no stranger to their desperation; he stood with them at the threshold of their judgment and cried. “…Call upon Me and come pray to Me! And I will listen to you! And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart…” (Jer. 29:12&13.) Judgement never falls without the tears of the prophet falling first.

‘And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it…’ (Jesus over Jerusalem…) (Luke 19:41)

Yet today in modern day clergy, hidden behind insulated church walls, one can easily stand afar off and preach of their plight, but never fight the good fight. Sleep unaware through the night, never shining His glorious light. It is easier to preach of their demise, than to look them in the eyes. It is less toil to walk by on the other side, than to bind up their wounds with oil and wine. God is looking for prophets that will weep with those that weep, leave the ninety-nine for even one lost sheep. That will open the prison doors and set the captives free. The Lord is imploring in this dark hour, “Who will follow Me?”

PROPHETS ARE BORN NOT MADE

From the womb the stirring was heard, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you, I have appointed you a prophet to the nations…” (Jer. 1:4). In the bowels of the earth before the foundations of the world an election and a calling was birthed. It was not by mere whim or human standard that Jeremiah was ordained a prophet to the nations. Hear his reply! “But, ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth…” In his spiritual infancy Jeremiah fled the holy calling. In his natural age he deemed himself unfit. But in God’s sovereignty he was “prophet to the nations.”

But with no small cost did Jeremiah don this mantle! No! But with life and honor and tears and blood did he bear it! In peril and in prison did it accompany him! He was called by God to stand in the streets and weep as a nation faltered. To bear their wounds and weep their tears. In his own words he confesses, “I am a man who has seen affliction…” (Lam. 3:1). Not unlike his Master and Lord, “…smitten of God and afflicted…” (Is. 53:4)

If we desire to speak as these prophets spoke, if we aspire to live as these prophets and Prophet lived, then we must then, enter into the melee of human despair and give them the river of life freely! To step into the masses and declare with Peter, “Repent and be saved!” We cannot stand afar off in some upper-room writing and wrangling, we must step out of the boat of human effort and enter into the supernatural realm of His glory. You see, His power FOLLOWED them as they went, “Confirming the Word with signs following…” (Mk. 16:20) The Lord is still looking for those that He can follow.

NO POWER WITHOUT PASSION

To whom also he showed Himself alive after HIS PASSION by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

The word passion comes from the Greek word: pascho (pas'-kho); which means, to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful): KJV—to feel, passion, or to suffer, vex. Jesus did not walk in divine power without passion. Without suffering. Without paying the price of pain as He held an orphaned child, or healed a dying leper, or defended and forgave the prostitute. He suffered with them! He walked with them every day! He felt their pain! He stood in their midst. He was found with the unlovely and deemed misfit. My friends! This divine power does not come without passion! Nor will it ever without His compassion! If we are to see His miracles we must first feel His heart! We must first be broken with the weight of His love before we can be equipped with the power of His glory!

O Lord give your passion!

We must leap from the safe shores of church, into the deep waters of the world, and take in a great catch! He is calling to us from the storm, “Don’t be afraid, it is I!” He is calling us from the hi-ways and hedges, “Compel them to come in!” He is calling us from the nations and poverty stricken places, “The heathen is for your inheritance!” The Lord of the Harvest is crying to the church and those that stand idle, “Will you work in My fields?” Jeremiah knew their pain first hand. He sat with them everyday. He pleaded and begged for their repentance. He comprehended that there was no power without passion. He knew the secret of His Father’s heart, “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease. His compassions never fail…” (Lam. 3:22)

Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes. And from it He “healed every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (Mtt.9: 35&36) It is His compassion that will release miracles, signs, and wonders. And it is apathy and indifference that will obstruct and hinder the river of His love through earthen vessels. We expect power without passion! Miracles without compassion! God forbid we live our lives without the infallible proofs of His resurrection bearing witness upon our ministry. Having the power to effect and impact a world all around us desperate and lost in darkness. God forbid we are silent as the world is screaming for His love captured in human hearts refusing to be released…

THE HEART OF THE PROPHET

“My soul, My soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I can not be silent, because you have heard O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.” (Jeremiah 4:19)

Certainly from this generation is springing up an army of prophets and prophetesses. A vanguard of youth that hear the beat of His heart and march to Its rhythm. That has heard in the closets of prayer the sound of the trumpet rousing the warriors, and the alarm of war. A troop of youth that have counted the cost of discipleship and have plunged into the deep and cast their nets on the other side of religion, LIBERTY! Certainly a chosen generation is taking center stage as the curtain of destiny is parting. A royal priesthood, that wears the garments of praise and humility. A peculiar people indeed that march into the land! For such will carry His glory into the nations. And such will declare His heart to the masses.

Like Job they will exclaim, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ears, BUT NOW MY EYE SEES YOU…” (Job 42:5). This is a generation that not only has heard of Him and His power and majesty, but one that will experience His power and majesty. They will see with their eyes the demonstration if His love and glory poured out on a dry and thirsty land. The Lord would say, ‘MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FOR MY YOUNG ONES! THEY WILL LEAD YOU INTO THE PROMISE LAND! THEY WILL LEAD YOU INTO THE FRUITFUL STAND! FOR THIS IS A GENERATION THAT FINALLY UNDERSTANDS, THE DIVINE STATEGY OF MY UNFOLDING PLAN! TO POSSESS THE LAND! TO POSSESS THE LAND!

This will be a people that touch not just talk. Like their predecessors Jeremiah and Ezekiel, they will stand in the city gates and prophesy, “Return, backsliding Israel, says the Lord; I will not cause My anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, says the Lord. Only acknowledge your iniquity that you have transgressed against the Lord…” (Jer.3: 12&13). They will not be a foreigner but a friend to their nation, their city, and their land. They will ‘stand in the gap,’ that God would not destroy it.

God give us prophets that are not afraid to walk in the streets with a ‘Thus say the Lord.’ Those that are not afraid to touch and hold and heal the wounds of a generation. Make them like their Master who sat and ate with the publican and the tax collector despite the ridicule of His peers. Give them a courage that transcends religious tradition that creates a chasm between the world instead of a bridge. Distance instead of desire for a lost and degenerate world. God give us Heaven breathed, passion born, and love inspired prophets that invade every modern day Samaria with Your power and eternal weight of glory! Illuminating the poverty of sin with the power of Christ’s Liberty! Breaking the chains of humanity with the promise of salvation’s immortality! GOD GIVE US PROPHETS!

Chad Taylor
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A Cheap Salvation

A. W. Tozer

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. --2 Corinthians 4:2

Here again is seen the glaring discrepancy between Biblical Christianity and that of present-day evangelicals, particularly in the United States....

To make converts here we are forced to play down the difficulties and play up the peace of mind and worldly success enjoyed by those who accept Christ. We must assure our hearers that Christianity is now a proper and respectable thing and that Christ has become quite popular with political bigwigs, well-to-do business tycoons and the Hollywood swimming pool set. Thus assured, hell-deserving sinners are coming in droves to "accept" Christ for what they can get out of Him; and though one now and again may drop a tear as proof of his sincerity, it is hard to escape the conclusion that most of them are stooping to patronize the Lord of glory much as a young couple might fawn on a boresome but rich old uncle in order to be mentioned in his will later on. Born After Midnight, 17.

"Lord, don't let me fall into the trap of offering a cheap salvation. Remind me often that redemption that cost the life of Your Son should never be so cheapened. Amen"
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Read "Insight for Leaders" online at:
http://www.litmin.com/tozer.php3

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