Five-Fold Today - Exponential Synergy, Imparting the Mantle - The Prodigal Son's Pig Pen - Secret Place - Mercenary or Soldier? - Praise The Lord - A Bruised Reed, I Will Not Break - The Place of True Security in a New Day - Do not fear the coming storm
EXPONENTIAL SYNERGY- Imparting the Mantle
by Doug Fortune
Ever since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of
the church in Wittenberg in 1517, the Church has been in the
process of reformation and restoration. This reformation and
restoration is working to bring forth a glorious Church (ecclesia
- called out ones) without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27); a corporate
expression of the Body of Christ manifesting "... the completeness
of personality which is nothing less than the standard height
of Christ's own perfection, the measure of the stature of the
fullness of the Christ..."(Eph.4:13). This process of "building
up Christ's Body" (Eph.4:12) seems to be one that is accelerating;
there has been more advancement of the Kingdom in the last 100
years than the previous several hundred combined. Each generation
or movement (movements are formed as a particular truth is restored)
has not had to start from ground zero, but rather has built upon
truth that was previously restored; it has been line upon line,
precept upon precept. If we are wise in the Kingdom we are "...like
a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure
that is new and treasure that is old, the fresh as well as the
familiar."(Matt.13:52)... (Emphasis on TREASURE; old error is
still error!) This is the double portion principle we see with
Elijah and Elisha; Elisha didn't just receive two doses of Elijah's
spirit, he received that PLUS Elisha's OWN portion. To equate
it mathematically (strictly for illustration purposes) we would
say he received the spirit of Elijah to the third exponent; Elijah
x Elijah x Elisha = Elijah/ Elisha to the third power!
In this we see not only an exponential effect (multiplying) but
also a synergistic effect; synergy being defined as two or more
unique forces that when combined produce an effect far greater
than the sum of their effects when separate... each horse pulls
one ton individually, two horses can pull five tons, you get
the idea. If the church can embrace this principle, I believe
we can see dramatic results. Younger individuals and ministries
(such as mine) must lay down any pride and seek the mantle of
wisdom and the spiritual substance of mature ministries and individuals
(however, I'm not saying we must employ their same methods in
ministry). Like Elisha, I believe we must actively pursue the
mantle... like Jacob, actively pursue the blessing. Obviously,
we are not seeking to be spiritual look-alikes or merely mimic
them; what we must be open to and seeking is the deposit or REVEALation
of Christ that is resident within those of maturity.
I've recently become acquainted with Dr. Bill and Nadine Smith
of Christ as Life International; their ministry has spanned many
decades and many nations, even prophesying over high ranking
government officials of many nations. (Dr. Bill was doing the
works of an apostle when I was still in diapers!) They attended
one of our conferences and as I walked by them the Lord instructed
me to stop and ask them to pray over me. I was very blessed and
encouraged as Dr. Bill prayed and prophesied over me. I recently
spoke at one of their conferences in Texas and an apostle from
Lesotho, South Africa whom Dr. Bill had spiritually fathered
told of how the Lord instructed Dr. Bill to place his suitcoat
on this apostle as he prayed for him... resulting in a great
increase that apostles ministry over a period of time. From that
moment, I earnestly sought the suitcoat! (Obviously it wasn't
the suitcoat I was after, as it didn't fit and wasn't even my
color!... just a little humor...). The last session I preached,
Dr. Bill called myself and two others to the platform, and placed
his suitcoat on each of us as he prayed and prophesied over us...
I wept and bowed under the power of the Spirit.
Now don't go running around looking to try on everyone's suitcoat!...
do you see what I'm getting at?... it is the exponential synergy
of imparting the mantle! If you are the elder man or woman of
God (yes, I did say woman), don't go tossing your suitcoat on
just anybody, either. But I believe there is great power released
BOTH ways as the generations are actively joined like this. Yes,
the generations are joined any way in one sense, but this ACTIVE
imparting and joining produces greater blessing and when this
happens in the context of RELATIONSHIP, there is a much greater
blessing still. Established ministries cannot view younger ministries
as 'less than' or as competitors in the spiritual marketplace.
Elder individuals and ministries need not fear that God will
put them 'out to pasture' as they begin to impart the mantle
either... I believe there is an exponential transfer BOTH ways
as we see the ministry of Elijah being perpetuated through Elisha
and then John the Baptist and now an entire company of last day
Elijahs.
Consider also Heb.11:39-12:1, speaking of many heroes of faith,
"...they did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised,
because God had US in mind... so that they should not come to
perfection APART from US... we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses...". Do you see the connective joining there?...
we are sharing in the spiritual substance of restored truth revealed
through those who have gone before us, and they in turn, share
in the spiritual substance of Christ revealed through US. Let
us not criticize past movements or ministers, for we are sharing
in their substance... neither let us worship them as idols. Mind
you, I'm not saying we cannot discern possible error from the
past and learn from their mistakes; part of the apostolic mandate
IS rooting up and tearing down, in order to build. Speaking of
rooting up and tearing down, we must also engage in this concerning
the walls of division we've built between generations and those
of different giftings (I'll even include gender and prejudice
in this, also). As we actively tear down these strongholds of
the mind and PURSUE the exponential synergy of impartation of
the mantle, I believe we will see exponential INCREASE in advancement
of the Kingdom of God in the earth. "For just as the body is
a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts though many,
form only ONE body, SO IT IS WITH CHRIST..."(1Cor.12:12); the
days of the 'one man (or woman) show' are over... THIS is the
day of the CORPORATE generational many membered expression of
Christ in the earth!
Let us press forward... let us exponentially draw from the spiritual
substance of the revelation of Christ in older generations...
let us release the synergy of the joining of generations, giftings,
and gender. Let us actively move into the FULLNESS of the Christ.
info@DougFortune.org
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD WILL BE FOUND IN THE PRODIGAL SON'S PIG PEN"
John and Alta Ludlam
The Spirit of God has been speaking to us for a few days about the
process and timing of the long anticipated move of God in our land.
The Holy Spirit has given us and many others prophetic words regarding
the Spirit of God reviving our churches, and then a flood of His
Spirit flowing out of the church into the streets. The Lord is
releasing an apostolic church to move in the harvest fields.
THE RIVER SEEKS THE LOWEST PLACE
An apostolic church is a 'sent' church. It is an outgoing missionary
body. When a river flows, it always seeks the lowest place. Recently
the Holy Spirit gave Alta a vision of a ship that was aground on some
rocks. The water had receded from around the ship. She heard that
the only thing to do was to find out where the water - or God's Spirit
- went, and go there.
At the same time, I had a vision during a time of worship at a large
gathering, I saw the glory of God flowing like a river. It was flowing
outside of the place we were meeting in and going into dark and low
places in the city.
WHILE WE PRAY HERE, HE MAY GO THERE
The Holy Spirit spoke to me that God always responds to worship, but
the church cannot determine where He will release His glory. We may
be calling for Him to fill the house we are in, and He may decide to
fill a barroom across town! During a time where the Holy Spirit is
moving apostolically, the presence of the Lord will be found in the
prodigal son's pigpen.
Jesus will be found where the one lost sheep is caught in the brambles.
The anointing of God will be moving in the highways and byways.
The harvesters must go into the fields, the crops will not bring
themselves into the barns. Quite to our surprise, God has opened up
places of ministry in prisons for us in the past few years.
REVIVAL IS ALREADY HERE
We are seeing His grace and power flow in these places bringing
salvation, healing and deliverance to many inmates. Alta and I were
in a church service very recently in which a song crying out for
revival was being sung. The Holy Spirit really surprised me by saying
to me that "the revival is already here."
THE STABLE PRINCIPLE
I had a revelation of what we are seeing Him do in the prisons as
that revival. This is what we have been praying for, but it hasn't
come where we thought it would come. This is the stable principle.'
The messiah that all of Israel was praying for did not show up where
he was expected. He came in THE most lowly place imaginable.
Many continued to pray for him to come while Jesus was walking down
their streets. The revival has come. It is being found in small and
lowly places. Young people are being released to lead with authority,
but few know about it.
INMATES WITH APOSTOLIC ANOINTING
Right now inmates are being released with apostolic anointings, but it
is still hidden. This move of God will grow and mature, but it will
not look like past moves looked. We have experience with prisons and
youth, but I know that this same thing is happening with the poor and other
places where there is great need.
A few years ago the Holy Spirit was preparing to move in great power in
one of the prisons I minister in. At that time He said to me something
I have not forgotten:
THEY'VE LOST EVERYTHING -- SO THEY QUALIFY FOR THE BEST
He said, "These men have lost everything. They have no money. They have
lost their reputations and standing in society. Many have lost marriages
and family. Therefore, they qualify for My very best."
I believe that this is His heart for every person in great need. If our
expectation is for stadiums to be filled before we get to work and
partner with the Holy Spirit's apostolic work, we may miss it. If we
are waiting for a transfer of wealth to the church before we minister
to the poor, we have missed the point. Find out where He wants you to
serve, and go with what you have. Head for the stable. He is there
now.
John & Alta Ludlam
tentmaker@ktis.net
Secret Place
Armando Morales
My children, come nigh unto me. I stand at the door and knock. Won't you
invite me to dine with you? I long to commune with you, hear your hearts
concerns and troubles. I too have so much I want to share with you..so
much I want to reveal to you. Did I not say in my Word I would pour out
if you would only ask of me? (Jer. 33:3)
The time is now where I'm calling you closer. Remember when you were
first drawn by my Spirit, that was when I called you, I took you in my
arms, and seperated you from the patterns of this world?
But hear me now! You are set apart from this world, chosen to be a light
to this generation. Don't be so easily influenced by your surroundings
or even your closest friends, remember I have the last Word.
Why aren't you seeking Me for counsel, my words are perfect in every way.
Seek me in EVERYTHING that you do and think! I have given you what you
need and MORE! Know that I am ever present through the times you rejoice
in my glory, and the times you question your faith in Me.
Not one word you've spoken has gone unheard. I'm ready to bless you in
an abundance of wisdom, but I wait for you in the secret place you seem to
have forgotten. Time is short my precious child, won't you be apart of
what I'm doing in these last days? Draw nigh unto me and you will walk
with the direction and confidence you've strayed from.
I wait in My secret place...
in Him,
Mercenary or Soldier?
Bryan Hupperts
Have you ever leafed through a copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine?
It is filled with informative articles concerning guns, ammunition,
and Second Amendment issues. It also boasts a number of ads featuring
soldiers for hire known as mercenaries.
A mercenary and a professional military soldier have much in common.
Both carry weaponry and are (hopefully) trained to use it. Often,
both wear the same military fatigues, boots, and even speak the same
military jargon. Both are trained to kill and have a personal code of
honor. There is one overriding difference between a mercenary and
military soldier. The professional soldier operates under authority
while the mercenary is a gunslinger for hire who answers to no one
but himself.
Jesus once encountered a professional soldier, a respected Roman
centurion who commanded 100 men. This soldier had a sick servant that
he desperately needed Jesus to heal. Jesus consented and asked to be
taken to his home. In Matthew 8:8-9, "The centurion answered and
said, `Lord, only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I
say to this one, `Go,' and he goes; and to another, `Come,' and he
comes; and to my servant, `Do this,' and he does it.'" This
soldier's faith made Jesus marvel!
This soldier understood something of the working of the kingdom of
God. He knew that he had authority to order his men about and knew
likewise that someone who walked with God would be under, and
operating in, God's supreme authority. If you're one who
continually asks God for greater faith, try asking instead for
revelation on how to come more fully under His authority. They are
two sides of the same coin.
Consider the Apostle Paul's admonition in 2 Timothy 2:34,
"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs
of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a
soldier." According to Paul, a soldier's first duty is to
please his Commanding officer. A mercenary's first duty is to
himself because he is not under any external authority and is
therefore a law unto himself.
The church of Jesus Christ is filled with both professional soldiers
and mercenaries. They have much in common except that the
professional soldier operates under authority and from a sworn sense
of duty while the mercenary is essentially a hireling for pay. They
both may be skilled marksmen but they have two entirely different
motivations. Soldiers are members of an army. Mercenaries are an army
of one.
When God begins to grant you authority in kingdom, and be mindful
that his gifts and callings are without repentance, what will you
become? A disciple is one who has disciplined him or herself to
follow Jesus. In other words, they have opted for bootcamp to learn
to be a professional soldier in the kingdom of God. Their passion is
to please their Commander in Chief and they seek to be under His
authority obeying His marching orders.
The mercenary is also a soldier. When God begins to grant him
authority, he begins to misuse it to further his own ends. He has no
problem knifing the enemy – or a brother or sister in Christ
– as long as it serves his personal agenda. Who he is fighting is
not the issue. It's what he is fighting for that matters –
money, or power, or personal prestige. At the end of the day, he can
go home and count his earnings, because he has become a bondservant
of Mammon. He has no Commander to heed.
Whatever their insignia on the collar, whatever their ministerial
credentials hanging on the wall, the telltale difference between
professional soldiers and mercenaries, good shepherds and hirelings
is what is flowing from the well spring of their heart. They either
honor God and His sovereign authority, or they are their own
commander.
Tell me, Christian. Are you a solder of Christ or a gun slinging
mercenary for hire?
Bryan Hupperts © 2000
PRAISE THE LORD!
Homer Owen
"I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
I believe there is unlimited power from the throne of God for us as we learn to praise God. His power is
released in praise as it is in no other way. I have seen more answers to prayer coming from Heaven as I
have praised God for His goodness and mercy and grace. Giving thanks with a grateful heart to God
produces results that we are desiring.
Over thirty two years have come and gone now since I began to thank and praise the Lord continually
and the longer I do it the more I see happening on my behalf from the throne of God. He is worthy to be
praised and our praise stirs the heart of God.
"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with
joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we
ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His
name. For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all
generations." (Psalms 100:1-5)
Here are five little short verses from the heart of David about praise and thanksgiving. The Psalms are
full of praise. Isn't it interesting that God wanted a book almost entirely devoted to praise. Let me
encourage you to just open the Bible to the Psalms and start reading and see what part praise plays in this
marvelous book. The last Psalm has the word praise in it thirteen times in just six verses.
"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for
His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and
dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise
Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 150)
Take your liberty and purpose to praise the Lord. The biggest reward you will receive in learning to praise
the Lord is that you will become positive minded rather than negative minded. The peace of God will
begin to guard your heart and your mind as you think on good things. Read Philippians 4:4-9. Paul tells us
that as we learn to practice rejoicing and giving thanks and thinking on good things we will have the peace
of God with us. Praise the Lord Saint!
This is coming to you from Homer Owen. Thanks for being on my list. If you desire off, please let me
know. I bless you today in Jesus name.
homerowen@earthlink.net
A BRUISED REED, I WILL NOT BREAK
For the past few days, I kept hearing bruised reed and smoking flax . . . bruised reed and smoking flax. Then Father said, "My sons and daughters
are lonely and hurting. They've done nothing to deserve the abuse from
others in the Body, and at times they just want to come home. Write a
letter to them from Me."
I could not deny the compassion of our Lord for His people. His heart
aches for these bruised reeds and smoking flaxes. Receive from your
Father, dear prophets and apostles, for you are in the arms of your Father.
"Know this day, and for all time, My friends, that I am well acquainted
with the suffering and loneliness you have endured and borne on My behalf.
I watch and hurt as you hurt, as the suffering and loneliness becomes even
unbearable at times for you. But know that I have paved the way before
you.
Yes, you may not see it now, but know that it is already there, it was
before I called you. For My eyes go to and fro upon the earth, and My
Spirit continually searches the depths of your hearts. My Son forever
makes intercession on your behalf, and feels the infirmities of your
affliction and pain.
A bruised reed I will not break, and a smoking flax, though burning dimly,
I will not extinguish. For I will faithfully bring forth justice. You will
not be disheartened or crushed, for I give breath to My prophets and
apostles for this hour.
Know that I am the Lord, and I have called you in righteousness. I will
also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and will appoint you as a
covenant to the nations.
You WILL open blind eyes to bring out the prisoners. Yes, the deepest
dungeons of arrogance and self-righteousness. I AM the Lord, that is My
name, and I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to false
idols. For behold, My friends, the former things have come to pass. Now I
declare new things, and before they spring forth, I proclaim them to you!
So sing, little ones . . . . sing to the Lord a new song! Let the
wilderness be lifted! Sing aloud and shout for joy, for your time is near!
Give glory to your Lord, and declare His praises in the lands and seas.
Shout from the top of My Holy Mountain! For I, the Lord, will go forth
like a warrior. I will raise a war cry, and prevail against the enemies of
your hearts!
Joanne Gavlick
THE PLACE OF TRUE SECURITY IN THE NEW DAY
In 2 Samuel 16:5-13, we find an interesting account in which King David,
his servants and his army were coming down a road. All of a sudden an
Israelite named Shimei came out from behind a hill and began cursing King
David to his face while throwing stones and dust at him and his
servants-"all the MIGHTY men who were on his right hand and on his left."
Abishai, one of David's officers, offered to cut off his head for
insulting the King of Israel in such an open and embarrassing manner. But
David's response was quite contrary to what we might expect from such an
important person in the Kingdom.
"David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my
own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite!
Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be
that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing
I am receiving today. So David and his men continued along the road while
Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and
throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt." (2 Samuel 16:5-13)
It seems the higher we move up in church life or the more knowledge we
attain about the Bible or the tenants of our denomination or sect, the
more we open ourselves to becoming unteachable and set in our ways. The
wineskins begin to harden.
We come to the place of beginning to think that we have arrived at some
place where we should be honored for our position, years of service to the
Lord or knowledge. Perhaps we are proud of ourselves for having chosen the
"right" church never realizing that God's body is MUCH higher than any
man-made denomination or individual church.
We surround ourselves with those who think like us; "mighty men on our
left hand and on our right"--those who will quickly come to our defense to
"cut off the heads" of those who would attack what we have made of
ourselves and what we know. We find good writers to write books and Sunday
School quarterlies which defend our doctrines. We
spend hours in Sunday and mid-week services continuously rehearing that
which we have already convinced ourselves is the truth.
And when someone comes along and calls it "traditions of men and doctrines
of demons" we quickly run for a spear or go to find someone in our army
(denomination) to kill the messenger, who seems to be dishonoring our
head, his servants and his army. When they are attacked, WE feel
threatened because they have become our defenses, our city, our fortress,
our walls, our security, our justifiers.
Don't all denominations and sects eventually become like this? We set our
articles of faith in concrete, we establish our history, we create
ordinances and rituals--then we build Bible schools and seminaries to
produce that which we have determined is the truth.
We become so convinced that we are the truth that we become immovable by
any voices that would speak badly of us and our system. A talking jackass
or an angel with a sword drawn won't move us from our course. We know the
truth and our yes-men generals and captains will be quick to shut up any
voice which may come along that may attack the city which we have built
for ourselves.
There are literally thousands of denominations of Christianity in the
world differing on MANY key doctrines, traditions, etc. - and we, of
course, are in the right one or else we wouldn't be in it. Right? There
are many versions of Jesus, many Christs, and thousands of traditions and
rituals which divide us. All most of us are vain enough to think we're got
it all pretty much all together.
If the head of our denomination or its leadership is attacked, our
security is threatened and we immediately go for the spear. Most
Christians can't separate themselves from their denominational teachings.
Their teachings become their covering, their clothing, their protection.
If someone attacks the denomination or movements tenants, they take it
personally, they feel personally threatened. They either run for cover
seeking reassurance from their leaders that what they have been taught in
their Sunday schools or Bible studies is the truth.
Or if they've memorized enough Scriptures which they feel adequately
justifies their position, they throw their self-defense spears themselves.
This is the way of denominationalism. Thirty thousands kingdoms
(denominations) all pretending to be under the same headship of Christ but
really are not. The fact that we cannot drop our differences and unite in
the bond of love is plain proof that these kingdoms are NOT the true
kingdom of our Savior.
"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided
against itself will fall." (Luke 11:17) That IS the fate of
Christendom whether we like it or not. There are no Baptists, Catholics,
Methodists, Charismatics, Fundamentalists, etc. in the kingdom of heaven -
Christ is NOT divided!!
So then, dear Christian, if you find yourself wanting to run and hide
behind your denomination, movement or sectarian walls, or your teeth begin
to gnash, or you begin to hurl fiery words of defense against those whom
the Lord might send to test your spirit, remember David's response when he
was cursed and stoned right in front of his own kingdom, his own church,
if you will.
The key is to let God be our defense, not the system to which we have
joined ourselves. If we pick up the spear or run to the one who has the
spear demanding that the voice be shut up, we may find yourself killing
God's messenger. May we learn from King David - who although he murdered
to cover up his adultery - knew well how to humble himself before His
Maker and let Him be his defense, and not his army (denomination).
When we join an army (denomination, movement, sect, church, etc.), let's
face it, it becomes a large part of us and we, then, become a part of it.
Our individuality gets lost in the joining of the larger group. The food
(teachings) that we eat there becomes inseparable from who we perceive
ourselves to be.
So if we are individually "attacked" by someone that God may have sent to
reveal sin or corruption in our own hearts or if someone
points out something in your church which they feel doesn't line up with
the Word or His Spirit, we see it as the very same thing.
And if our church or its leadership is under attack, they expect the
members (army) to come to their defense. That's just the way the kingdoms
of this world work, whether political, corporate, religious, or otherwise.
And we, Christians are much more susceptible to deceiving ourselves in
this manner than we care to think.
I was recently told of a Christian woman in our area who is a professional
con person. She has developed a system whereby she is able to rent homes
from individuals for months and never pay a cent. She knows all the legal
loopholes and makes all kinds of lawsuit threats to stay in these homes
for months before being forcibly removed.
Because of the cost of lawyer fees and the complexity and injustice of our
legal system, this woman has gotten away with this dishonesty for many
years. Yet this woman is a faithful member of one of the largest
Charismatic so-called "spirit-filled" churches in the St.
Louis metropolitan area. She feels perfectly justified in her actions-and
why not - her church leaders feel perfectly justified when they fleece
their flock using similar methods. Both the leadership and much of the
member of this church is simply corrupt.
Having been in hundreds of churches in America, I can vouch for the fact
that this woman and her church leadership is representative of millions
who warm a pew or fill a pulpit every Sunday. Should God send a Shimei or
a John the Baptist to this church, the spears
would come from both the leadership AND most of the members.
When God's messenger or even Satan's messenger comes our way, what will be
our defense? When we join ourselves to corrupt denominations or churches,
personal attack or attacks against our church and its leadership become
one and the same. We can no longer judge honestly because the entire
church is leavened with the same corruption.
In this condition, it is easy to justify ourselves. In the case of this
con-artist woman, she felt perfectly justified in her dishonesty because
the leadership of her church which represent God were doing the very same
thing. Birds of a feather flock together.
How can we know whether we have deceived ourselves - whether we have
joined ourselves to a system which we are comfortable with because it is
as corrupt or spiritually dead as we are? The key is how we react to words
of accusation spoken against us or our church and its leadership.
Do we go for the spear? Or do we hear, take it to the Lord and give Him
room to make the judgment whether the accusations are true or not. Do we
immediately defend ourselves by shutting our ears?
Do we gnash our teeth so loudly that we can't hear the accusations? Does
our blood boil so fervently that could make a teapot whistle? Do we ask
our accuser more questions which indicate that we REALLY want to know why
they feel the way they do?
Or do we grab the spear or do we get behind our church walls and let our
leaders and apologists shoot them down before the rest of the sheep hear
the words of our accuser? Self, our church, or Christ - who do we run to?
A.W. Tozer has some helpful words regarding part of the subject at hand:
"How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart's fierce effort
to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the
bad opinions of friend and enemy, will never let the mind become
intolerable.
Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually,
challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every
criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if
another is preferred before them.
Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear. Jesus calls us to
rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is
greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world
is not worth the effort.
He developed toward himself a kindly sense of humor and learns to say,
"Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before
you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And
now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things
you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God
that you were nothing, a mere worm in the dust. Where is your consistency?
Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think."
So then, "self" defense or running to our denominational or church and its
leadership is NOT the answer if we are to deal with the corruption of our
own heart. It may be that we find comfort in our church because most of
its leadership and the congregation is just as corrupt and dishonest of
heart as we are.
We will discover ...that God allows churches and leadership to exist which
are as corrupt as our own hearts. We have to run elsewhere, if we are
going to enter the New Day, the New Wineskins which are being prepared for
the Wine the Holy Spirit is about to pour out into the earth.
By Gary Amirault
Do not fear the coming storm
Debbie Cossu
A Fresh Wind is Blowing
Daniel 11:35
I can hear it...
Let the Fresh Winds Blow.....
debbcossu@juno.com
August 17, 2000
Mando
ib4gzus@juno.com
SheepTrax Ministries, Inc.
www.SheepTrax.com
By Joanne Gavlick
EagleGav@email.msn.com
http://www.keepersofhisgates.com/prophetic.htm
By Gary Amirault
"The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think for yourself
whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightly
of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must
be loyal, there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your
idol.
tentmaker@ktis.net
http://www.tentmaker.org
I can see it...
I can feel it...
I can smell it...
But , O the taste. The taste of this wind now blowing forth from My
throne. I know some of
you have stumbled in the eyes of the world, but you now humble yourself
at My feet. You
have been refined, purified, and made spotless. My wind blows on those
who have fallen, for
you have fallen before Me in surrender, humility, and now worship in
spirit and truth. This
wind follows the one that came to shake that which could be shaken. You
remain before Me as
I knew you would. This wind comes to cause you to rise up again. Rise
up and gain new
strength. Rise up, stand up and take your place assigned before the
foundation of the world
was lain. I have kept you for this hour. I have called you by My name
and I now empower
you afresh. This wind shall be heard in the opening of your mouth. It
shall be seen through the
signs and wonders that shall follow. It shall be felt by the saved and
unsaved alike. It shall be
offered up as a sweet fragrance to My throne through your worship. It
shall be tasted in the
fruit that shall come forth abundant and sweet.
Listen, look, touch, smell, taste---for I send forth this wind upon you,
through you, and to you
in full force and power and strength to cause you to stand as never
before. The mercy and
grace cried out for by the faithful has been released. Latter Rain Discussion Archives
The Lord has given us the grace to reconcile the children to their Fathers
As One Body
Issue Oriented Discussion Newsletter
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