Five-Fold Today - The Water of Prayer - Apostolic Reformation - You Have a Destiny in the Father - Come to Me
THE WATER OF PRAYER
David Howe
The Water of Prayer.
Yes - Let your living water flow - For my Word says that from your
innermost parts shall flow rivers of living water - Rivers of prayer -
For
prayer is like water in a dry and thirsty land - Go Flow my people -
Flow
says the Lord.
Go - Flow into the dry places - Yes bring life to the dry places - Let
the
river of prayer Flow where ever you go - For where ever the river flows
-
There shall be life.
Pray - Your Kingdom come - Pray your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven - Pray - Give us today our Daily bread - The bread of life - The
bread of heaven - The bread of my Word - For I am your bread says the
Lord.
Pray - Forgive our sins - As we have forgiven others their sins - As I
have forgiven you - For if you forgive men when they sin against you -
My
heavenly father will also forgive you - But if you do not Forgive men
their sins - My heavenly Father will not forgive you - For if my people
will humble themselves - Pray and turn from their wicked ways - Pray
and
seek me - Then I will heal their lands - For then the water will flow -
Flow from you says the Lord.
Pray - And keep us from temptation - For you can overcome all things in
My
name - For My Word says - That they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb -
And the word of their testimony - For you are more than conquerers
through
Me - For I love you says the Lord.
For as you pray - Deliverance will flow like water unto the land - Unto
the people - Unto you says the Lord.
Spring up a well - Spring up a well within your souls - Let your living
water flow my people and watch the land come to life says the Lord.
Dave Howe - 29.6.2000 - Wellspring Prophetic Ministries - Ministering
unto
the Lord - Serving his people.
David Howe.
APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
An apostolic reformation is underway. The Scriptures and the prophets say so. It is a re-formatting of the church. And it is
birthed in united prayer.
I want to use this event on the Mount of Transfiguration in the life of our Lord as an analogy, a picture that illustrates the
transformation taking place in the Body of Christ. This picture speaks to us about current events in the church.
In this analogy, Moses represents the apostle, Elijah represents the prophet, and Jesus represents the corporate leadership gifts
resident in the whole church.
Notice, Jesus prophesied to his men that the kingdom of God would come with power. This kingdom he spoke about was not
some remote future event, but was to be an experience begun in their lifetimes.
Jesus was transfigured before them while he prayed. God's unveiled glory became evident to them. This occurred during a time
of waiting on God. It was a prayer-summit of strategic men chosen to spend time together. What will it take for this type of
power infusion to happen in us today? It will require a reunion of two gifts ”apostles and prophets. And it will require
prayer.
The church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Apostles and prophets are
foundation gifts, fundamental to the structure of a New Testament church.
Jesus prayed while his disciples watched. Then he came down from the mountain to help his embarrassed disciples deliver a
demonized child.
Unless we take similar action, we will be powerless to help this next generation. Mountain-top experiences are intended to help
us deliver people from Satan's power, not give us goose bumps or spiritual merit badges.
There is work to be done. Apostles need teams around them to help them finish their work. Prophets should ally themselves
with apostles. They must be in prayer, together. Elijah and Moses were in the right place at the right time to strengthen Jesus.
One of the truly great men of the Bible was Moses. We who are Gentile believers do not adequately appreciate this great
patriarch of Israel. He wrote the first five books of the Bible. He was a pivotal man in the unfolding of God's plan for the whole
human race. Prophets are God's agents to strengthen leaders facing trials. While some people see it as their duty to criticize,
undermine, and disqualify God's leaders, true prophets come along side to help. When the Son of God needed to be
strengthened prior to his crucifixion, God sent the best that heaven had to offer. He sent Elijah and Moses. Here was a rare
sight: prophets united in support of an apostle!
Yet these two prophets were so different. Their lives demonstrate that there is no such thing as a typical prophetic temperament
or style. God won't let himself or his servants be put in a box. A spiritual man is a mystery. He can discern all things, yet he
himself can be discerned by no one. God is unpredictable. The Spirit blows like the wind.
Elijah and John the Baptist were "wild men" while Moses and Paul were educated in the best schools of the day. Daniel and
Isaiah ministered among kings or astrologers, while Agabus, Barnabas, and Silas prophesied among unknown apostles and
illiterate saints. Isaiah walked naked as a prophetic sign, while Joseph was clothed with new garments. There is no one single
style that proves prophetic authenticity.
Moses was a meek man. He was so gentle the Bible states he was the meekest man on earth. Is that how you would like to be
known? At that time in history, he also had the greatest revelation of God on the planet. No one else came close. Does that tell
you something?
Revelation and humility are related. More humility, more intimacy with God. Do you suppose the Father's rebuke was an
"attitude adjustment" for the three disciples on the mount? (Mark 9:7)
God plays favorites. Moses and God were close friends. They were muy sympatico. They talked face to face. God fellowships
most with those he is compatible with. Our trials tenderize us.
God resists the proud. Apparently he enjoys the humble. God likes broken people, penitent souls, people with a realistic
assessment of themselves, who are not haughty. God likes faith walked out by submission to his divine authority.
Arrogance is like body odor. Pride in the spiritual realm actually stinks. It isn't pleasant to be around. Let's ventilate the church
with fresh air and take a bath!
Meekness is not weakness, but strength under restraint. God is the strongest person in the universe, but he restrains his hand
and therefore we are not destroyed. Our Lord is gentle. He takes into his yoke those who are like himself.
In contrast to Moses' meekness, Elijah was a character! He was pure prophetic zeal. He wasn't domesticated by the social
standards of community living. He never wrote a book, he trained only one disciple, and moved from place to place like a
gypsy. He won high victories and suffered agonizing defeats. He was not well-schooled, lived in obscurity in the desert,
addressed kings with boldness, and prayed with such power that he epitomized the gift of faith. (James 5:17)
Like all who stand in the office of a prophet today, Elijah was jealous for the worship due only to God. Prophets feel the
jealousy of God.
The zeal of the Lord burns like fire in their bones. They want the temple to be pure. Elijah confronted Ahab and the prophets of
Baal and turned Israel away from idolatry injected by Jezebel. He rescued his nation from destruction. Later, his powerful
prophetic anointing re-appeared on John the Baptist. Jesus said it would return again in the last days.
Thankfully, not all prophets are like Elijah. In fact, his style was suited more for tearing down than for building up. Most
modern prophets are builders, relational, not isolated and confrontational. We need all kinds of prophets!
There is an epic battle still brewing between Elijah and Jezebel. The soul of churches and the welfare of nations is at stake.
Ignorant people are caught up in forces they do not understand.
Illegitimate authority still rises up against God's anointed. Churches are split. Ministries are destroyed. Nations turn away from
God.
Because of the restoration God is doing today, the warfare will not decrease, but increase. The battle lines are drawn. In this
battle, Jezebel kills the prophets. The Pharisees stone the apostles. Nothing has changed in the spiritual warfare we are
engaged in since the days the Bible was written.
The prophetic anointing is primarily a "seeing" gift. Old Testament prophets were called seers. They could discern the spiritual
dimension. Prophets have this capacity more than most. They see by the Spirit then they say what God allows.
Prophets disclose what is concealed so we can repent. They shake the foundations of the house. They x-ray the situation and
diagnose the ailment. They hold up the plumb-line of God's word to examine how we are building. But not all prophets are
builders.
Moses was a builder. More than a prophet, he was also the law-giver. He brought people out of lawlessness into divine order.
He established government for God's people. The Ten Commandments which he delivered were intended to be the pillars of
civilization. God's law-word formed a nation out of a rag-tag stubborn mob on exodus from Egypt.
Israel moved from a slave mentality to tribal mentality to become an army that could possess the land. They were able to do
this because Moses required them to become obedient to God's word. Today, the church is not yet an effective army. But
God's grace is gathering us under apostolic identity.
The "Moses Mantle" of apostolic leadership sees to it that God's people are fitted in to find their place and their function in the
Body of Christ.
We can now see from a New Testament perspective that Moses actually stood in the office of an apostle. He laid the
foundation of divine government so that God's people could walk in righteousness and receive their inheritance. As a spiritual
father, he exercised authority that produced the obedience of faith. This is the function of apostles today.
Additionally, one of the great things that Moses did for Israel was intercede. He intervened for God's rebellious people and
spared them from God's wrath.
We have heard much about prophetic intercession. I believe the Lord is now going to teach us about apostolic intercession. In
fact, the true heart of a genuine apostle will be revealed more by his prayer in behalf of God's people than his government over
God's people.
Like Jesus, we also intercede for people to be saved and to come into their inheritance. We are all a kingdom of priests. The
Melchisedek priesthood of apostolic ministry is being restored.
Our "glory robe" is being delivered from the cleaners. Will we put it on? Will we meet at the summit to pray?
© 2000 by Ron Wood, pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. He is a State Coordinator for the U.S. Spiritual Warfare
Network and a member of Reconciliation International. For copies of this article in a brochure format, write Touched by
Grace, P.O. Box 678, Rogers, AR 72757-0678, USA. Permission is granted to duplicate in entirety with no changes or
deletions.
YOU HAVE A DESTINY IN THE FATHER!
In your spiritual walk to you ever feel like you are lost in the crowd?
Milling around aimlessly? Without purpose or focus? Take heart my friend,
God has not forgotten you. Men may have disregarded you as a nuisance, or
unimportant, but the Father knows you. You ARE a thread in the tapestry of
his purpose. Consider just a few verses from Jeremiah chapter one and
apply them to your life:
Jeremiah 1:2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the
son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jeremiah ministered during the reign of Josiah, one of the most
popular and righteous kings after Solomon and David. Considering the
popularity of Josiah and the seemingly negative bent to Jeremiah's
message, we can see the context in which the leaders of his day
marginalized him as a kook.
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Notice how Jeremiah interacted with the Spirit of God. He didn't
conjure up a word to fit the circumstances of his day. The word of the
Lord came to him. This phrase is so often repeated that the significance
is overlooked. So-called prophetic ministry today is troubling to me.
They gather in thier conferences and prophesy one to the other and go away
largely unchanged. For the vast number of prophets in the land today what
an amazing thing that they have so little impact upon society or even the
church they claim to represent.
Perhaps they are speaking unadvisedly. In the old testament and the
new there was never a want of prophets who claimed to speak for God. Why
is this? Because the people of God are hungry to hear his word. And they
will support and uphold the ministry of anyone who convincingly speaks for
the Almighty. But where is the long term impact?
There are many "schools of the prophets" today, but look in the
scriptures: there was never a viable ministry or voice for God that came
out of the prophetic groups in bible history. The most effective and
memorable prophets were isolated men, who being social creatures, suffered
horrible loneliness, and rejection.
Are you a called man or woman of God? Isolate yourself. Seek the face
of God before you seek the face of man. Don't spend your energies
posturing and preening in the company of your peers. Remember the words
of Jesus: "We piped... you haven't danced, we lamented and you haven't
mourned..."
Set yourself apart until you are more VERTICALY connected to God and
in communion with him, than you are HORIZONTALY or laterally connected
with men. Then and only then can you have a viable ministry that will
actually help others rather than a pointless effort bobbing in the side
currents and eddies of God's purpose.
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations. {ordained: Heb. gave}
Before you were conceived in your mother's womb, the Father of Lights
knew you. He was intimate with you and in communion with you. Your call,
and your purpose in God is not the outworking of the forces
of time and circumstance. Many walk in a "call" that is only the outcome
of natural events. They have never sought out or embraced the purpose of
God, or the call of God that was established in them before the foundation
of the world was laid.
You have a destiny. You have a purpose. Before you came out of the
birth canal the Father santified you, he set you apart for HIS plan and
his special purpose. He ordained you before there was time. He delivered
you up upon the altar of his greater purpose. You are not an accident, the
Kingdom of God is not a mere hobby or past time. The Father galvanized his
purpose and plan in your life before your mother ever saw you for the
first time.
And THAT plan is the one you must feel after and follow out to its
conclusion. Every promise of God is fulfilled as you walk that journey.
The provisions of God for you are found along that path. Many people cry
out to God, questioning why they are aren't experiencing the blessings of
God. The blessing of God will continually be anemic in your experience
until you seek out and commit yourself to the Father's will for your life.
Do you question whether you can know the will of God? No problem. He
doesn't hold you responsible for finding out his will for your life, he
holds HIMSELF responsible. He WILL communicate to you in such a manner, in
WHATEVER manner is necessary to overwhelmingly convince you what his plan
is for your life.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY then is two-fold:
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.
The Father never calls you to that for which you are qualified or well
suited. The greatest musicians and worship leaders are those who in
reality don't truly have great talent or natural ability. Those in music
with large talent and skill are seldom used of God, and if they attempt to
use their skills their ego gets in the way and obscures the message of the
kingdom.
Are you overwhelmed by your shortcomings? Good, God resists the proud
but gives grace to the humble. Nothing humbles a person more than standing
face to face with their own ineptitude and inability. As you seek to
fulfill God's purposes in your life, don't rely on your
strengths, they will often mislead you. Lean on your weaknesses. In the
kingdom of God your weaknesses are your greatest assets. For when your
weakness is most glaringly evident, God's glory is most graciously in view.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to
all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
You don't have to admit your failings. They are painfully obvious to
even the most casual observer. When you stand and deliver, don't refer to
yourself. You aren't representing yourself. Say what the Father says. Give
his words and not your own. Get your ego out of the way.
Where will you go? Where the Father sends you. How will he send you?
He will direct you by his Spirit, through the inward witness. He will
guide you through the opening of doors of opportunity. Don't kick down
doors of opportunity. They might open and lead you to disaster. Go through
the doors that the Father opens before you and conduct yourself as the
mouthpiece of God.
Are you where the Lord wants you? Fine, but hold everything loosely
and remember his plan is not graven in stone, it's written in sand. Things
change. People change. He will move you on, often from relationships and
place you thought were permanant fixtures in your life.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver thee,
saith the LORD.
Close your eyes and your ears to your detractors. Peter stepped out of
the boat against the advice of 11 of the best preachers of his day. Your
friends and mentors are always ready to fellowship with you in failure.
They will forgive you anything except success. They will tolerate anything
except following the leading of the Lord outside their sphere of
influence. They can't help themselves. They are creatures of emotion,
insecurity and dependence. They need to influence you and control you in
order to validate themselves.
Lovingly, but firmly withdraw yourself from these influences. As
leeches they will sap your spiritual strength and keep you from the path
that the Father would have you walk in.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD
said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
If you seek the Father's face, you will see his hand. How many
ministers and Christians immerse themselves in spiritual activity and
vocation, WITHOUT the touch of God. They employ their skill, their
intellect, their charisma but there is no resonance of God's power or
presence in anything they do. The simple touch of God in your life is the
only asset your ministry has.
Father, touch us. Touch our hearts and lives. Touch our mouths, our pens
and cause us to emanate with your grace, power and glory, to the eclipse
of all that we are or could be in the natural realm.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms,
to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to
build, and to plant.
Having been brought forth according to God's purpose, you must then
understand the divine activity in which he will employ you. Many talk
about "prophets and apostles" today. Largely, they are frauds and
charlatans. True prophets will not mince and prance within the confines of
organized religion like trained monkeys while the pastor plays the role of
organ grinder.
True prophets tear down what needs to be torn down. They root out and
destroy. They throw down the sacred cows, the carnal programs, the
reputations of worldly church leaders and backslidden pastors. If a true
prophet were to step foot in the average church today, the gravediggers
would be working overtime the next week. Ananias and Saphirra are examples
of this.
True apostles never build on another man's foundation. They are TRUE
Spiritual fathers, not STEP fathers. How many so-called apostles carry on
today as surrogate "fathers-in-the-lord". When they haven't "brought to
the birth" in the lives of their followers? They haven't laid any
foundation of their own? They are simply religious multi-level-marketers
seeking to broaden their base of support.
Be Bold! Be firm in your resolve! Expect the Father to give you his
guidance, then follow that guidance wherever it leads. Every promise and
every good thing the Bible promises you is laid up in store on that road
leading to the Father's grand purpose for your life!
Russell Walden
Come to Me
Becky McLendon
We live in a generation that cries," Give it to me; bring it to me; send it to me; come to me." But we
do not make a practice of rising up and giving to, taking to, sending to, and coming to. Perhaps in the things of God, we need to
look at the latter practices. We are so accustomed to plugging in our quarters and "getting" the candy. We are used to "fast foods"
where we do the ordering and they do the bringing. We plug in commands to a microwave oven and get "instant" results. Tragedy
is, we expect the same from our Father. For a couple of generations we have stroked our Bibles and decreed, "Now, give it to me,
Daddy,. for we are your deserving children." We have cried like hungry infants, "Bring revival Lord. Bring it to US. Send your RAIN
Lord. Bring your RIVER Lord. Send the GLORY down on US."
But the Father is calling to His own...COME TO ME, and I will give you rest. A mature son RISES UP and GOES to his Father's
house to co labor with him. He is not lying in his cradle crying, " I'm not getting FED. BRING revival to ME. Send your GIFTS to
ME. What are you going to do for ME?.." He is rising up and chasing after the father saying, "Here I am!!! Lord what would you
have me to do?" The Lord DOES say seek His face, but begging for "stuff" which is perishable, and begging for a life of ease which
does NOT produce fruit, and wanting to be "free" to do whatever without consequences is NOT seeking His face. Seeking His face
involves repentance and a forward progressing walk toward him.
A pressing on towards the MARK!!!
To seek His face is to continually rise up and answer His "COME TO ME." The Bride of Christ joins the Spirit of God in saying
COME. That is a two way "come"...both a groaning for Christ to come in His fullness to His church (which is the fullness of
indwelling in believers) and also a groaning for those still floundering in their neo natal state of squalling demands to COME TO
HIM..shake off the baby clothes and the need for MILK and come to the maturity He so desires for each of us. COME TO HIM and
partake of what He has prepared for us.
AMEN and AMEN.
July 3, 2000
Kent, England
davehowe@fdn.co.uk
Ron Wood
by Russell Walden
rwalden492@hotmail.com
http://kindred.findhere.com
Shalom
Becky (wayfarer)
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