Five-Fold Today - Prophets of Restoration - Love Covers, Mercy Triumphs - Appearing in Glory - Perfected in Unity - Scattered Devotion - Living Unto Christ - Your Coming Prosperity

July 9, 2000

Prophets of Restoration

by Jim Wies

The voice of the prophets has taken on a variety of tasks within God's purposes throughout history. On some occasions it was their task to declare the judgments God was about to pour out. Most often, such as in Jonah's case, this was actually for the purpose of calling the people to repentance so God might show mercy instead. Another of the prophetic tasks was to declare the kind intentions of the Lord and His plans for restoration. Joel was functioning as a prophet of restoration when he declared:

"Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you-- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:23-25)

One of the significant purposes of the prophetic in this day, is to proclaim God's inevitable intention of restoration among His people and within His church. We see this declared in Peter's sermon in Acts chapter 3.

"But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:18-21

Here we see that there must be restoration of certain things spoken of by the prophets in preparation for the Lord's return. Further clarity is found in the apostle James' quote of an Old Testament prophetic word which clearly connects a time of restoration, with God's end time plans for world harvest.

"And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' "Known to God from eternity are all His works." Acts 15:15-18

We are in THOSE days. We are in times of restoration. I believe there are certain prophetic voices who's message and anointing is to bring a Divine declaration of restoration to the church and the world around us. This was graphically demonstrated to me on a recent ministry trip to South Africa where I was sent by the Lord with a prophetic message of restoration. Not only did I have opportunity to declare restoration in the several churches and the conference I was invited to participate in, but several of the places I went; and specifically in several of the homes where I was given hospitality, they experienced dramatic breakthroughs of a "restoration" nature, much like the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 who made a place for the prophet Elisha to rest, and received a significant blessing in the process.

In one case, a man who had a significant portion of money unjustly taken, and had been dealing with the situation for over three years, had a call from his attorney the last day I was in his home to inform him of the resolution and receipt of 15000,00 rand.

In another home, the pastor and his wife told of their loss of everything they owned a few years back in an attempt to help their son in a business endeavor. During the last year, their son and they had ventured into a new business, and while I was in their home they received a call and an offer for the purchase of the new business which would give them enough money that they and their son would be able to launch a major ministry objective as well as retire for the rest of their lives.

Of course the principle found in the story of both Elijah and Elisha is that when you "sow" into the prophet you get the reciprocal "reaping" (as declared in Scripture), but by "sowing" into the "fertile ground" of His prophets, the Lord also often causes a "reaping" of the things money could never buy. In both cases, Elijah's and Elisha's, those who sowed into support of the prophet received a restoration of their own children back from the dead. In a third home where gracious hospitality was extended to me, the couple received news of a major breakthrough of restoration in the marriage of one of their children while I was there.

These stories are simply a dramatic witness to me that God is raising up "prophets of restoration" with a message and anointing of restoration upon their lives to declare the plan of God's inevitable, unstoppable Kingdom in the earth in these final days of harvest.

~ Jim Wies
Edify Ministries International
www.edify-ministries.org
"Prophetic School" discussion & training list:
www.godspeak.net
jimmy@cornerstonemin.org

Love Covers, Mercy Triumphs
Stephen Morris

The Lord says to His Church:

The works of the fear mongering false prophets, those in the church and those in the world have been revealed and their works of darkness have been exposed in the light. The enemy has used those who succumbed to this spirit of fear and utilized it as a profiteering device in order to line their own pockets with ill-gotten gains from those who would listen to their false gospel.

But because many continued to herald the truth and to stand in faith and heed the words of warnings of those who spoke truth and applied their talents and spent their money to overcome the problems that have existed, now the fear and its agents have once again lost ground. For those things which have happened upon the earth in the natural are those things that continue to happen in the spiritual realm in the lives of the billions of people upon the earth.

Will you now continue to follow the teachings and the advice of those who have prophesied falsely unto you even while the fruits of your own foolishness continue to abide with you? Will you now hearken unto those who speak the truth in love, and who speak of things that are of eternal value and not those things that are of fleshly desire?

For many in My Church have heaped unto themselves teachers who have tickled their ears and who, even now, attempt to justify their foolish words to their disappointed followers. Those who continue to prophesy truthfully of that which I have spoken unto them, will you ignore them now? Or will you begin to measure their words by what I have spoken in My word and through My word, My Son Jesus Christ, and which I continue to teach you by My Holy Spirit? Will you continue in error or will you seek truth? Will you examine those things that are paraded before you as of Me, or will you continue to gullibly accept them because it is easier to accept them than to evaluate them and examine them for evidence of their truth?

For the time is coming, and is now upon you, when your ability to know My truth, and to know My word, and to know My voice shall be a standard in your life by which you choose life or death. Those things that go into your ears must be judged, and they must be correctly discerned as to their truthfulness. You must choose, you must make the choice of what you believe and what you attribute to the works of the flesh or the works of the devil. For it is by your choices, by your decisions, that you will continue to ensure your presence in My Kingdom.

There are many now who are back-pedaling from what they have publicly declared. But be warned, Church, although they are back-pedaling, I do not consider them backsliders. You are to obey My instructions and My word and restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness and meekness. For by your decisions, by your choices, you also could have erred by declaring that which is not of Me by failing to pray and seek My counsel and My Holy Spirit.

So let not the things that have occurred be unto you an excuse for hostility and bitterness and a wall of division between you and those who have so erred. But declare the truth of My Word and bring correction into My house and continue to be one body and go forward with the experiences that have been endured and build and continue to build the Kingdom of God, My Kingdom, here upon this earth. Continue to pursue My righteousness, not yours, but Mine, that I may continue to add unto you the things that are needful for you.

For love covers a multitude of sins, and may in fact cover the sins of those of you who think you have not sinned by your thoughts in judging the deeds of others. Be merciful unto those that you judge to be in error, for in My Kingdom, mercy triumphs over judgment.

Continue, living stone upon living stone, to build My Church. For My Church shall be mightily used in the face of more fear that the enemy would attempt to bring upon you. Know then, that the enemy has been a defeated foe and that he is under your feet, the feet of My Body on earth, the Body of My Son, Jesus Christ. Go in peace and remember that you will be known as My disciples by your love for one another.

Stephen Morris
swmorris@herald.infi.net

APPEARING IN GLORY

By Mike Danforth

Luke 9:29 And as He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. Luke 9:30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, Luke 9:31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.

Through prayer and worship the appearance of the church is being altered. There is a fashion in the church today that is not really God at all. But as the church enters into prayer and worship, her wardrobe is beginning to change. Her style is changing. Even now the apparel of ministry is taking on a new look. As Jesus was turned inside out, even his outward apparel was affected. The word, "fashion" refers to form, figure and shape. So let me say this, the church, is taking on a new form.

That is why we call it reformation. She is developing a new figure that is much more attractive than the old one. The world can not and will not, be able to help notice just how beautiful she really is. Through prayer and worship she is coming into perfect shape. And let me say, the greatest indicator of an apostolic leadership, are those who have given them selves to knowing God through prayer and fasting.

The alteration of Jesus' appearance revealed that He not only had glory, but that he was in glory. The word, "alter" means, to come to be or to generate. Jesus went from a place of them seeing Him generate glory, to glory generating Him.

The word, "generate" implies the ability to produce. Everywhere Jesus went He was producing life, and He was known as a life giver. But now for the first time he was being seen as someone not just having the power of life, but being as the very essence of life itself. As we pray and worship God we are generated by a desire and passion to draw even closer to God and the results are, a desirous and passionate generation. Our legacy will be, that we went from just having life, to becoming life.

Prayer and worship regenerate the cells in our spiritual makeup that were once broken down, unable to produce the life flow, necessary to sustain right relationship with Jesus Christ. It was a powerful thing when the glory of God became flesh and dwelt among us, but it was even more powerful when He went from being known as having resurrection power, to becoming the resurrected one.

The altered state of Jesus revealed his true origin of existence. It's the difference of seeing the glory in a man, verses the man in glory. When the glory of God is in us we see the kingdom of God wrapped up in humanity, but when we are in the glory we see humanity wrapped up in the kingdom of God. The real color in this picture, is revealed through position. To be in glory, among many things, implies a position of total rest. In other words, to be in glory, is to say, we're entering into the rest of God.

Jesus had always been in glory, but His glorious state had not been fully realized. The church has been producing many things, most of which we could probably do without. However, we are about to be turned inside out and the kingdom of God will be realized on earth, just as it is in heaven, like no other time in history.

Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you," (Luke 17:21) Paul said, "through great tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22) So how can both be true? It's the difference of having the glory of God's kingdom in us, versus us, entering into the kingdom of God, thus taking on the actual attributes of His kingdom.

Paul said, "we have the mind of Christ,"(1Cor. 2:16) but transformation does not take place until we give up our way of thinking, for the mind of Christ. That is why Paul said, "we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. "(Romans 12:2)

Therefore transformation, is the process, of taking on the characteristics of the most dominate force that is working on the inside of us.

Into one form or another, you and I are changing; the important question is, into who or what? What is the most driving force in your life? Make sure the dreams and goals in your life are all about some One, and not some thing.

It wasn't until Peter, John and James were fully awake that they saw Jesus in all His glory. Like a Snow White, the church is coming out of a deep sleep. She is being awakened by the kiss of life. She is about to see Him in all His glory, and when she does, she will love Him, just as she is loved.

Ps 17:15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

How will we know when we are fully awake? Because we will see Him as He is, and we will be like Him.

Mike Danforth
MTIsound@cs.com

PERFECTED IN UNITY
by Rick Joyner

"But we have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16b). Note here that the apostle said "we" have the mind of Christ, not "I." No one person can have the whole mind of Christ, but each of us have been given a part. Therefore, we must come together in unity to have His complete mind. To the degree that we are connected in fellowship with the rest of His church is to the degree that we will have His whole council. Unity is not an ideal, it is essential if we are to have the whole truth or walk in the whole council of God. This is why, on the last night that the Lord was to be on the earth in His human form, He prayed that we would be "perfected in unity" (John 17:23).

Several years ago it became popular to recognize and try to get free of what has been called "co-dependence." This is an unhealthy attachment to another person, or group, in which our own personality is swallowed up in the identity of another. This can be done with a spouse, friend, boss, parent, child, or groups such as clubs, associations, etc. We can also have an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship with the church. Cults are usually composed of co-dependent people who are seeking their own identity through the group. Domineering leaders who are decisive and seem to know where they are going do attract weak, co-dependent people.

The point has been rightly made that to get free of our tendency toward co-dependence we must go through a period of independence when we really find out who we are. This is true, but we must not stop there. The highest attainment is not independence, but interdependence. In fact, we cannot fully know our own identity until we are properly related to other people.

Co-dependence is not true unity. It is dominance of the weak by the strong. We do each need to have a period in our life when we seek our own gifts and callings and become secure in who we are and what we have been called to do. Only then is true unity possible. Unity is not the melding together of people so that personal identity is lost, but it is the recognition and working together of the different and unique parts of the body so that it functions as a unit.

For my body to function right, my heart has to be a heart and I do not want it to ever try to become a lung. To function right, my heart needs the lungs, kidneys, liver, and blood vessels, but it must not ever try to be anything but a heart. I can have five of the most healthy hearts in the world, but if they are not attached to at least one good lung, those hearts are going to die. The Lord has composed His body, the church, in the same way. It is supposed to be many different, unique parts that know their own identities, but also know their places in the whole.

I have asked a number of large groups of Christians in churches and conferences how many knew their calling or ministry in the body. Most of the time the response was less than 5 percent. The highest it has ever been is about 20 percent. How well could you make it if only 5 percent of your body was functioning, or even 20 percent? This is the state of the body of Christ. We are in need of unity, but we must first go through the stage where each member of the body comes to know their place and purpose in the body.

I have contended for years that at the present time there is a need for different denominations and movements within the church. Because the members of the body have not graduated from the "independence" stage of maturity in which identity is fundamentally established, we need to stay there until it is. However, we have been there for centuries now. It is time to get the job completed and press on toward the ultimate fulfillment that can only be found in interdependence with the rest of the church.

A heart "knows" that it is a heart and not a lung because it recognizes the place of the lung, and works together with it. Even though we need to go through the independent stage, we will not fully know who we are and our place until we are firmly established in interdependence. All true New Testament ministry is a team of different parts that function together as a unit. Barnabus had to go and find Saul (who later became Paul), and then both of them had to get in the right place, Antioch, before they could be released into their own ultimate callings as apostles. In the same way, we too must seek out those who we are called to be joined with in the Lord before we can be released into our ultimate purpose.

I have heard an alarming number of Christians say that they love the Lord but they just do not like the church. As John wrote, this is not possible. We do not really love the Lord if we do not love our brothers. The Lord Himself said that as we treat the least of His people it is counted as the way that we treat Him. We do not have to love the state that the church is in, but we must love His church. If we do not love the church, we will never be useful in helping her attain her purpose, which can only be accomplished as we come into unity. The Scriptures are clear that the church will attain to it before the end comes. The Lord's prayer will be answered, and we will be perfected in unity. Let us all consider that we will be a part of helping this come to pass, and not a stumbling block to it.

Copyright 2000- Rick Joyner
Morningstar Ministries
http://www.morningstarministries.org

LIVING UNTO CHRIST
by Mike Forest

"For the love of Christ constrains us; because we just judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them and rose again." (2Corinthians 5:14,15).

The greatest enemy to walking in the Spirit, and in the fullness of Christ that He has purposed for us is not the devil, it is not our circmstances or people, but it is the self life. It is a marvelous deliverance to die to self, putting off the old man, and to abide in Christ, living our lives unto Him, and allowing Him to live His life in us and through us.

There is nothing that can defeat the child of God that has settled thequestion of Lordship, and has given his life totally to the Lord, and is no longer living for self and by the self life, but is living for Him and by Him.

Trials, difficulties, and struggles are going to come to those that are in the process of being conformed into the image and likeness of God's dear Son. Whether or not our trials serve the purpose of God or the devil is determined by what we are looking at, and who are we abiding in. Are we abiding in Christ or in the soulish realm? Are we allowing Christ to be formed in us by the pressures of life, or are the negative emotions that we are experiencing causing us to get our focus and attention off of Christ and onto the problem and our poor miserable selves?

Many of us have known numerous defeats in our christian lives because the mountiain that we are facing appears to be bigger to us than the creator of the universe. O that we would know the greatness of Christ. That the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to see Christ, who is our "all in all."

Everything that is designed by the enemy to seperate us from God can be used by God in our lives for His own purposes and glory. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). What is His purpose? "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29).

God's purpose for our lives is Christlikeness. The Lord is working all things in our lives to fullfill this purpose. This means that there is nothing that the devil can do to the child of God that is allowing God to perfect him through the fiery trials that he is going through.

"That the trial of you faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1Peter: 7). Why is the trial of your faith much more precious than gold? Because God is using our trials to work His own character and nature within His children. You might say, "but brother I have failed some of these tests and trials." Well, join the club, we all have, but that doesn't mean that God has abandoned His purpose or plan for our lives, and we will get to take the test over again. God's grace is so great that He even uses our failures for His own purpose and glory. We see in the Word how Judas denied Christ, but the apostle Peter did the same thing. But where Judas turned the whole situation upon himself, the Apostle Peter repented and allowed God to work His purpose and will in His life.

There is nothing that can seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Not even sin can seperate us from God, providing that we repent of the sin. The whole purpose in the enemy tempting and enticing us to sin is to cause us to break our fellowship with God. When we sin, we walk out of the light into the darkness, but the good news is that we don't have to stay in the darkness. By confessing and forsaking our sin, we are now back into the light where the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Our fellowship is restored. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1John 1:7).

May the Lord help us to see that "Jesus Christ has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." All of the Spiritual blessings are found "in Him." Therefore when we are abiding in Him, looking unto Him, and receiving from Him, there is no trial, temptaion, or devil that can defeat us. "For in Him dwells all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:9,10). We are already made perfect by the virtue of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and now the Holy Spirit is working this perfection, this completeness, which is the very character and nature of Jesus Christ, into our very beings.

Victory for the child of God can be found only in abiding in Jesus Christ and partaking of His life. Defeat is encountered when we abide in ourselves and live unto ourselves. If we are going to lvie in vicory, the question has to be settled, as to whose life are we going to live by? Modern day psycology is humanistic and is built on the philosophy of self development, and independence from God. The apostle Paul warns the church of being caught up in humanistic philosphies that cater to the self life. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

True christianity is Christ living His life in and through the believer. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). The self life has already been dealt with at the cross of Christ. His death was our death, and now His life is our life. We have died to our old self life, and now we are walking in "the newness of life", living unto Him. "For in Him, we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28).

We must appropriate all that the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished through His death and resurrection in order that we would live in all the good of this glorious salvation that we have been called to.

In His Love,
Mike
MForest585@aol.com

YOUR COMING PROSPERITY

Tim Meredith

Jeremiah's Prayer: "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" Jeremiah 16:19b-20.

The Lord's Reply: "Therefore I will teach them-this time I will teach them my power and my might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord." Jeremiah 16:21.

There are many in the Body today who are on the verge of entering their season of personal prosperity. Now, when I speak of "Your Coming Prosperity" I'm referring to MANY VARIED forms of blessing. This prosperity can manifest itself as money, health, new employment, relationships, etc, etc. Prosperity is being defined here as a sudden influx of abundance into an area of your life in which you had been suffering lack. There are a few things I believe the Lord wants me to share with you concerning this.

DO NOTHING BUT TRUST

The first thing you need to hear is simply "keep on trusting God." You've been doing quite well so far, but things are coming to a head and you've recently been tempted to take matters into your own hands. DON'T YOU DARE DO IT! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!! Then, after your prosperity manifests in the natural, pay heed to the following caution.

BEWARE: PROSPERITY CAN BECOME IDOLATRY

The second thing you need to hear is this: "Don't let your coming prosperity become more important than God! This is idolatry!" Any type of idolatry can have serious repercussions in your life. Let's examine the effect it had on the Children of Israel as described in Jeremiah 17.

THIS IDOLATRY SEARS YOUR HEART AND AFFECTS YOUR WORSHIP

"Judah's sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars." Jeremiah 17:1.

THIS IDOLATRY AFFECTS YOUR CHILDREN

"Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills." Jeremiah 17:2.

THIS IDOLATRY WILL CAUSE YOU TO LOSE YOUR PROSPERITY

"My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country." Jeremiah 17:3.

YOU'LL HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF

"Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you."

Jeremiah 17:4a.

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL

You may be thinking that there is no danger of this happening to you, for you've learned your lessons well over the years. Unfortunately for all of us, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9.

THE LORD KNOWS OUR HEART BETTER THAN WE DO

"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17:10.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Keep trusting the Lord. We HAVE learned to trust the Lord during rough times. But it is vitally important that we KEEP trusting Him AFTER the blessing comes! "Trusting" works just as well in the good times as well as the bad. Yet, somehow it can be easier to lose sight of the Lord in the good times. It is often during these good times that our trust begins to be centered upon ourselves, or those closest to us, instead of the Lord.

TRUSTING IN MAN LEADS TO RUIN

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." Jeremiah 17:5-6.

Even now if we begin to trust man's strength and wisdom (including our own) more than God's, we will neither see nor recognize our prosperity when it does come. We would then miss the blessing much like the 5 foolish virgins who trusted in there own wisdom and relied on others to take care of them (Matthew 25:1-13).

TRUSTING IN THE LORD LEADS TO BLESSING

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8.

TRUST THE LORD TO HEAL YOUR HEART . . . HE WILL DO IT!

"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14.

HANG ON . . . BUT DON'T FORGET

Your prosperity is just around the corner. It's okay to enjoy it! Just use it wisely and use it well by staying in step with the Spirit. The Lord is bringing blessing. But with this blessing comes more testing. How? The test is this-what will you do with it?

(If this word has spoken to you, please read Deuteronomy 8 for further insight.) Tim Meredith
Wind Words Ministry Network
http://www.eoni.com/~mercy/windwords.html
timnsue@msn.com

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