The Danger of Familiarity

The Danger of Familiarity
by Chip Brogden
“I entered into your house, and you gave Me no water for My feet…” (Luke 7:44ff).
How often do we take the presence of Jesus for granted? Our psuedo-Christian culture is profane. I speak not of the profanity of foul language, but the profanity of treating divine things with a casual, apathetic, flippant attitude. We profane holy things by making them common, ordinary, usual, mundane, and routine.
Interestingly enough, only those who know the Holy are in danger of becoming too familiar with it. Unbelievers, those who are not yet acquainted with the Holy, cannot profane what they do not understand.
The danger of familiarity is in knowing and taking for granted.
This is illustrated for us here in Luke 7. A Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. This is not an irreligious man who invites the Lord, but member of the strictest religious order. Jesus accepts his invitation and they sit down to have a meal.
While they are sitting at the table, a woman enters the room with an alabaster box of ointment. We know she is a sinner, because Luke says, “A woman in the city, which was a sinner…” (Luke 7:37ff). This sinner does a strange and wonderful thing. She washes the feet of Jesus with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses His feet, and pours the fragrant ointment out on Him.
The Pharisee, of course, is highly offended that this sinner has come uninvited to his home. He is also a bit embarrassed about this display of affection. And he thinks to himself, “If Jesus were a real prophet, He would know that this woman is a sinner!”
But in the mind of Jesus, the real issue is, “Who really loves Me, and who takes Me for granted?”
No one traveled for pleasure in those days, the way we do now. Travel at that time was universally despised as a hot, dirty ordeal to be avoided if at all possible. Most people, Jesus included, traveled on foot. So the ritual of taking care of guests followed a predictable pattern and centered around the feet. Upon entering someone’s home, the host would greet his guests with a kiss on each cheek and offer water for their tired, dirty feet. If available, some perfumed ointment would also be offered to soothe and freshen them up a bit.
But the Pharisee failed to provide Jesus with even the most basic, usual, and customary courtesies given to guests:
“You gave me no water for My feet… No kiss of greeting… No oil for My head” (Luke 7:44-46ff).
The presence of Jesus was taken for granted! Was it just a case of forgetfulness on the part of His host, or was it something else? Something deeper?
Perhaps the Pharisee was becoming too familiar with Jesus - just a little bit too casual. From a distance Jesus was pretty amazing. Now that he had Jesus sitting there at his own table, in his own house, he saw that Jesus was a man. Maybe he came to believe that Jesus was someone not too unlike himself. It’s only Jesus, so there’s no need to get all excited. Let Him get His own water and wash His own feet.
That is the danger of familiarity.
It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. In the beginning we coveted the presence of the Lord, but today perhaps we take it for granted. In the beginning we were awed by Him, but today perhaps we are not so amazed. His visits become more routine, more ordinary, more commonplace. The songs we sing become a habit. The Bible we read becomes dry and old. The testimonies of our brothers and sisters do not move us because we have seen and heard it all before.
The woman, on the other hand, maintained a quiet reverence, a godly sense of awe, a majestic sense of wonder before the Holy. She gave honor to Whom honor was due. She made up for what was lacking. When she arrived she saw that no one was ministering to the Lord, and she made Him the focus of her being there in that moment.
Few people today truly minister to the Lord Himself. They expect that the Lord will minister to them. And indeed, He does. But the nature of the Lord Jesus is such that He will never call attention to Himself. He will never say, “Why do you not minister to Me? Why do you take me for granted? Why have you not washed My feet?” He will remain silent, and wait for someone to notice Him.
Perhaps that is the reason why He is so often overlooked and taken for granted: because He never seeks anything for Himself.
When the Lord first showed me the importance of ministering to the Him, He made no demands upon me to do anything. He simply let me experience how lonely He was in the midst of a lot of religious activity. There, in the middle of our wonderful church service, I understood that we were taking Jesus for granted. We were too familiar with His Presence. When I understood the pain of the Lord, I knew immediately what needed to be done. That is when I understood that to minister to the Lord was the preeminent thing, the most important thing, and our primary purpose and reason for being.
The best waiters and waitresses are the ones who anticipate your needs and move at once to meet them - without you having to ask. They do not say, “Would you like some more tea?” They watch to see what you need, and if they see that your glass is empty, they move to fill it.
A waiter, a servant, a minister: all three have the same meaning. To wait on the Lord; to be a servant of the Lord; to minister to the Lord; all three describe the same purpose and function. The foremost thing is not to preach, or teach, or travel, or build a big ministry. We are to watch for, anticipate, and meet the Lord’s Need so that He is never taken for granted.
The Lord gives all day long. He teaches the crowds. He heals their sick. He meets their needs. At the end of the day He is tired. His feet are dirty. He needs to be refreshed. But as is often the case, the needs of Jesus are completely overlooked at we eagerly stretch out our hands to get OUR blessing.
Certainly, this woman had many needs. Yet she comes to the Lord Jesus, not to receive a blessing, but to be a blessing:
“She has washed My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair… She has not stopped kissing My feet… She has anointed My feet with ointment…” (Luke 7:44-46ff).
When Jesus enters “our house” - whether it is our place of worship, our home, our workplace, or our heart - do we take Him for granted? Is His Need being met? I pray the Lord will convict us of our profanity and deliver us from familiarity. Let us repent, and rediscover the One Who sits at the table with us.

The Danger of Familiarity

The Danger of Familiarity
by Chip Brogden
“I entered into your house, and you gave Me no water for My feet…” (Luke 7:44ff).
How often do we take the presence of Jesus for granted? Our psuedo-Christian culture is profane. I speak not of the profanity of foul language, but the profanity of treating divine things with a casual, apathetic, flippant attitude. We profane holy things by making them common, ordinary, usual, mundane, and routine.
Interestingly enough, only those who know the Holy are in danger of becoming too familiar with it. Unbelievers, those who are not yet acquainted with the Holy, cannot profane what they do not understand.
The danger of familiarity is in knowing and taking for granted.
This is illustrated for us here in Luke 7. A Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. This is not an irreligious man who invites the Lord, but member of the strictest religious order. Jesus accepts his invitation and they sit down to have a meal.
While they are sitting at the table, a woman enters the room with an alabaster box of ointment. We know she is a sinner, because Luke says, “A woman in the city, which was a sinner…” (Luke 7:37ff). This sinner does a strange and wonderful thing. She washes the feet of Jesus with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses His feet, and pours the fragrant ointment out on Him.
The Pharisee, of course, is highly offended that this sinner has come uninvited to his home. He is also a bit embarrassed about this display of affection. And he thinks to himself, “If Jesus were a real prophet, He would know that this woman is a sinner!”
But in the mind of Jesus, the real issue is, “Who really loves Me, and who takes Me for granted?”
No one traveled for pleasure in those days, the way we do now. Travel at that time was universally despised as a hot, dirty ordeal to be avoided if at all possible. Most people, Jesus included, traveled on foot. So the ritual of taking care of guests followed a predictable pattern and centered around the feet. Upon entering someone’s home, the host would greet his guests with a kiss on each cheek and offer water for their tired, dirty feet. If available, some perfumed ointment would also be offered to soothe and freshen them up a bit.
But the Pharisee failed to provide Jesus with even the most basic, usual, and customary courtesies given to guests:
“You gave me no water for My feet… No kiss of greeting… No oil for My head” (Luke 7:44-46ff).
The presence of Jesus was taken for granted! Was it just a case of forgetfulness on the part of His host, or was it something else? Something deeper?
Perhaps the Pharisee was becoming too familiar with Jesus - just a little bit too casual. From a distance Jesus was pretty amazing. Now that he had Jesus sitting there at his own table, in his own house, he saw that Jesus was a man. Maybe he came to believe that Jesus was someone not too unlike himself. It’s only Jesus, so there’s no need to get all excited. Let Him get His own water and wash His own feet.
That is the danger of familiarity.
It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. In the beginning we coveted the presence of the Lord, but today perhaps we take it for granted. In the beginning we were awed by Him, but today perhaps we are not so amazed. His visits become more routine, more ordinary, more commonplace. The songs we sing become a habit. The Bible we read becomes dry and old. The testimonies of our brothers and sisters do not move us because we have seen and heard it all before.
The woman, on the other hand, maintained a quiet reverence, a godly sense of awe, a majestic sense of wonder before the Holy. She gave honor to Whom honor was due. She made up for what was lacking. When she arrived she saw that no one was ministering to the Lord, and she made Him the focus of her being there in that moment.
Few people today truly minister to the Lord Himself. They expect that the Lord will minister to them. And indeed, He does. But the nature of the Lord Jesus is such that He will never call attention to Himself. He will never say, “Why do you not minister to Me? Why do you take me for granted? Why have you not washed My feet?” He will remain silent, and wait for someone to notice Him.
Perhaps that is the reason why He is so often overlooked and taken for granted: because He never seeks anything for Himself.
When the Lord first showed me the importance of ministering to the Him, He made no demands upon me to do anything. He simply let me experience how lonely He was in the midst of a lot of religious activity. There, in the middle of our wonderful church service, I understood that we were taking Jesus for granted. We were too familiar with His Presence. When I understood the pain of the Lord, I knew immediately what needed to be done. That is when I understood that to minister to the Lord was the preeminent thing, the most important thing, and our primary purpose and reason for being.
The best waiters and waitresses are the ones who anticipate your needs and move at once to meet them - without you having to ask. They do not say, “Would you like some more tea?” They watch to see what you need, and if they see that your glass is empty, they move to fill it.
A waiter, a servant, a minister: all three have the same meaning. To wait on the Lord; to be a servant of the Lord; to minister to the Lord; all three describe the same purpose and function. The foremost thing is not to preach, or teach, or travel, or build a big ministry. We are to watch for, anticipate, and meet the Lord’s Need so that He is never taken for granted.
The Lord gives all day long. He teaches the crowds. He heals their sick. He meets their needs. At the end of the day He is tired. His feet are dirty. He needs to be refreshed. But as is often the case, the needs of Jesus are completely overlooked at we eagerly stretch out our hands to get OUR blessing.
Certainly, this woman had many needs. Yet she comes to the Lord Jesus, not to receive a blessing, but to be a blessing:
“She has washed My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair… She has not stopped kissing My feet… She has anointed My feet with ointment…” (Luke 7:44-46ff).
When Jesus enters “our house” - whether it is our place of worship, our home, our workplace, or our heart - do we take Him for granted? Is His Need being met? I pray the Lord will convict us of our profanity and deliver us from familiarity. Let us repent, and rediscover the One Who sits at the table with us.

SIGN 3

SIGN 3

BY JOHN FENN

Hi all,
You'll recall I started this series at the end, The Revelation, dealing with the double asteroid hits, the 1/3 of the sun/moon/starlight blocked out, the ensuing economic, food, and health issues, rather than spiritual things. But so many wrote asking about the 'rapture' that I took a side trip last week to cover it.
 
I shared how we are in the 'time of the Gentiles' and this time ends when Jerusalem is no longer trodden down by Gentiles (1967/1973) and we start to see the blindness on Israel lift (Jews for Jesus ministry began in 1973, for example).
 
The book of Acts closes with Paul being rejected by Jewish leaders and his declaration: "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." (28:28)
  
I shared how the 'rapture' is one of the 7 Jewish festivals, called the Feast of Trumpets. The "last trump" spoken of by Paul is a specific trumpet blown at this feast to awaken the righteous dead, transform the living, and hide them with the Messiah - thus the festival occurring during the new moon phase, when the moon is hidden. No one knows when that blast will happen, but he did say it would be before the 'man of sin' is revealed.
 
Continuing...
We also know that all 7 festivals happen in chronological order as presented in Leviticus 23. The 4 spring festivals speak of his 1st coming, the 3 fall festivals speak to his 2nd coming.
 
Unleavened Bread (#1) and Passover (#2) were fulfilled at the appointed time by Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus was resurrected on the following Sunday morning, which was on the Feast of Firstfruits (#3). Fifty days later Pentecost (#4) celebrated the giving of God's Word from Mt. Sinai, and fulfilled by the giving of God's Spirit and Word to all nations.
 
So the 4 spring feasts were all fulfilled on their exact anniversary day and in chronological order. The 3 fall festivals are: The Feast of Trumpets; raising of the righteous dead/living) (#5), Day of Atonement; 2nd coming of Christ (#6), and Feast of Tabernacles; God living with man (#7).
 
We are told in Zechariah 14:16 when Messiah rules the earth, that all nations will annually come to Jerusalem to celebrate Tabernacles, the celebration of God dwelling with man. So that final (7th) festival will be fulfilled exactly on it's day just like the first four.
 
That leaves the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. Isn't it logical to see God is giving us the pattern since he fulfilled the first 4 festivals in order and the last one will be fulfilled in order, to believe #5 & #6 will also be fulfilled on their day and maintain their chronological order?
  
There's more. In Judaism, once the trumpet is blown to start the Feast of Trumpets and the righteous dead are raised and the living are hidden in Messiah, they believe the earth goes into what's called The Days of Awe, which last until the Day of Atonement (return of Christ). 
 
The Days of Awe divide earth's people are into 3 groups (God's vantage point): The Wholly Wicked, the Wholly Righteous, and the largest group, The Undecided. Many will come to Christ during this time, many martyred, but eventually Israel will realize Jesus is their Messiah, and will be rescued at the last minute by the return of Christ (Day of Atonement).
 
So you see, the rapture really will occur before the tribulation. If it follows the pattern, it will happen on some future Feast of Trumpets, which is celebrated each fall. (September 19 this year)
 
There is also some question about just who will go. Hebrews 9:28 says "so Christ also, having been once offered (up) to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time apart from sin, to those who wait for him (look for him), unto salvation."
 
In other words, the first time was to pay for our sins, the next time he is coming to those who are looking for him (as distinct from the 2nd coming in Revelation 19 where he doesn't care whether they are looking for him or not, he's coming!).
 
The issue with some is that they can't see the person who lives like the world Monday through Saturday but shows up on Sunday saying they love God, make it in the rapture. (Let 'em go though the tribulation) Thus the teaching that the bride of Christ is those who are true disciples, purifying themselves as brides awaiting the groom, versus the body of Christ at large. I don't know about that, but I do know there is a blowing of the Awakening Blast and one way (having died) or the other (still alive) I'm going to be in that load going up!
 
But we don't know...
...if it will happen before, during, or after what can only be called World War 3.
 
This is the battle depicted in Ezekiel 38 & 39, sandwiched in between the prophecy of Israel becoming a nation once again in chapters 36 & 37 (happened in 1948), and the description of the Millennial Temple of chapter 40. Remember from last week that the time of the Gentiles was not revealed to mankind before Pentecost, so Ezekiel is shown things in order minus that information - and that's what keeps us guessing!
 
A rule of Bible interpretation is that if you update things like nations, you must also update across the board, like in weapons descriptions. In Ezekiel 38 he sees a military and economic alliance between several nations that will invade Israel, but be defeated by Israel and her allies. Those nations were in Ezekiel's time:
 
Magog - people who lived north of the Black Sea, north of the Caucasus Mountains - Russia, Ukraine.
Meshech and Tubal - people living on the east and south of the Black Sea - Russia, Georgia.
Persia - Iran
Ethiopia - in Ezekiel's time this was the modern nation of the Sudan, directly south of Egypt.
Libya - same as today.
Togarmah - Turkey.
Gomer - there is some debate about this, with some saying Eastern Europe, but historically, Turkey.
 
Russia will act as 'guard', to Libya, Iran, Sudan, Turkey, and together they will invade Israel.
 
Defenders?
Ezekiel also says some nations will ask "Have you come to take a spoil? Have you gathered your army to take a prey, to carry away silver and gold and goods and to enslave? (Ez 38:13) Those nations that object to this invasion are: Sheba, Dedan, and the "merchants (business interests) of Tarshish with all the young lions thereof".
 
Sheba and Dedan are mentioned in Genesis 10:7 as beings sons of Abraham's concubine, Keturah, and became nomadic Arab tribes. The historian Ptolemy put them in the area of Zabram, just west of modern Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.
 
The merchants of Tarshish is more interesting, as in Ezekiel's time Tarshish was a general term referring to the Gentile land around and beyond Spain into Gentile Europe - the west. So it appears moderate Arab countries (Saudi Arabia) and the merchants of the west will at least raise some diplomatic fuss over the impending invasion of Israel. Obviously in our time, the issue is oil, as the "merchants of Tarshish" are linked to 'Sheba and Dedan' strongly. In our terms, Russia is making a power grab to eliminate Israel for control of the middle east oil supply.
 
There is considerable debate about what "the young lions thereof" mean. Some have said the 'young lions' is a reference to Great Britain (it's symbol is a lion) and the US, being 'offspring' of Tarshish (Spain/Great Britain/Europe). We don't know, but clearly Russia believes the west won't raise a hand to stop the invasion, but they are wrong.
 
In 38:21 the Lord says "I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, every man's sword will be against his brother." In prophetic literature, "mountains" stands for nations, as in Daniel 2:23 where a stone representing God's kingdom becomes a huge mountain and fills the earth.
 
So there will be God's mountains, nations that fight with Israel against Russia and her allies. The good news is that Russia is defeated, and even nature is turned against her in Israel's northern territory, as there will be overflowing rain, hailstones, fire and brimstone (perhaps modern warfare explosions). Ezekiel makes it clear the destruction will extend to the home countries involved, not just the armies.
 
Ezekiel 39 says it will take 7 months to bury the dead, and Israel will have a 7 year supply of fuel and spoil as a result. He even sees people being hired to look for body fragments and setting flags when they spot a body part.
 
This is NOT the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19, which is the return of Jesus. Remember that involves the massive army from the 5 kings of the east. The 'east' is a reference to China and the orient.
 
So Israel will have 1 battle that results in the defeat of Russia and ends for all intents and purposes the Arab/Israeli conflict.
 
Here is what I believe, so take it with a grain of salt
I believe after that battle, the leader of Europe will make a 7 year peace treaty with Israel that will include a provision to build a temple on the temple mount (who will stand in their way?). The peace treaty ensures their right to do so - they and their allies just defeated Russia, Iran and allies after all!
 
At 3 1/2 years into the treaty this European leader will come to Jerusalem (possibly at the dedication of the temple?) and demand the same allegiance and worship he has imposed on Europe the previous 3 1/2 years, which is called 'the tribulation'.
 
Jesus said in Matthew 24:15 that when you see that ruler in Jerusalem in the temple, it begins the 'great tribulation', the second 1/2 of that 7 year time frame.
 
It is in that time frame that most of what we covered 2 weeks ago take place, though certainly this ruler (anti-Christ) will have been killing all who oppose him, believers included, and causing huge economic problems to this point. (Can you imagine the economic issues in Europe with Russia destroyed?)
 
While people have wondered about the US, I had always wondered how China/'the 5 kings of east' can move that many people across what is the southern belly of the former USSR without Russia fighting them - the answer of course is that Israel destroys Russia's army at least 7 years earlier, so the 5 kings of the east march across southern Asia with no one to stand in their way, come across the dried up Euphrates, and meet their doom at the return of Christ at Armageddon.
 
OK...that's a quick overview...sorry the last 3 weeks have been so lengthy, but the topic is huge.
What exciting times we live in! Watch Russia and who it allies itself with, watch for Turkey to go pro-Russia and/or the EU to go anti-Turkey nearly pushing into the arms of Russia, and watch Israel and her allies. May the US, the UK, and the west stand with Israel as one of God's mountains!
 
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem,
John Fenn
www.iFaithhome.org
 

STREET REVIVAL

NOTE FROM ANDREW: Darren Smith runs a very effective ministry
to the Homeless in Galveston, Texas. I have ministered alongside
Darren in the USA, and believe he is a genuine man of God. Here
is his latest report:-

STREET REVIVAL UPDATE - Aug 15, 2009
-by Darren Smith.

The Fire from heaven is falling on Galveston Texas in the street.
This morning the outpouring increased with signs and wonders.
James, a man with severe blood clots in his legs, let us pray with
him last week, came strolling up to tell me that he has been
completely healed with the hospital backing him up. He went for
treatment Tuesday and the clots were gone!! Three men we prayed
for jobs with received jobs, a man named Joaquin asked last week
to be set free from addiction said he had been clean for a week and
was standing on Christ for the rest of his life, came back to testify
of being set free.

Another Spanish man who we prayed for his sick baby came back
to tell us the baby is healed, all to the glory of God. This morning
after I brought the word many came forward asking for the Lord to
release the anointing in their life and many went straight out into
the highways and byways seeking souls right after the outreach.
The Spirit was so strong, several men that were drunk when we
prayed for them were instantly sober and began crying out for God.

Many cops are coming by and seeing that God is working. We
have even had some cops bringing addicts and prostitutes down
to the outreach in their patrol cars. All heaven is breaking out!

It is our heart to spread this all over our nation. If we will take
action, God is pouring out revival and bringing in the harvest. If you
are willing to live with a reckless abandon of self, God will pour out
the anointing to get the job done. Remember, God is not looking
for your ability but your availability. There is nothing special about
us, we are just willing.

-Darren Smith can be contacted through these websites-
http://www.streetscapeministries.com
http://www.revivalstreet.com

Relationships in Heaven?

Relationships in Heaven?

By Randy Alcorn www.epm.org


Will we desire relationships in Heaven with anyone except God?

Genesis 2:18: The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him."

1 Thessalonians 2:17: Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again.

God has designed us for relationship not only with himself but also with others of our kind. God planned for Adam, and all mankind, to need human companionship. In other words, God made people to need and desire others besides himself. Think of it—God was with Adam in the Garden, yet God said that wasn’t good enough. God designed us to need each other. What we gain from each other is more of God because we’re created in his image and are a conduit for his self-revelation.

Matthew 22:37-39: Jesus [said], “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandment was to love God, but that the second, inseparable from the first, was to love our neighbor. He never considered these commands incompatible. He saw the second flowing directly from the first. One of the highest ways we love God is by loving people.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20: What gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.

Paul anticipates his ongoing relationship with the Thessalonians as part of his heavenly reward. Isn’t this emphatic proof that it’s appropriate for us to deeply love people and look forward to being with them in Heaven?

Some falsely assume that when we give attention to people it automatically distracts us from God. But even now, in a fallen world, people can turn my attention to God. Was Jesus distracted from God by spending time with people on Earth? Certainly not. In Heaven, no person will distract us from God. We will never experience any conflict between worshiping God himself and enjoying God’s people. Our source of comfort isn’t only that we’ll be with the Lord in Heaven but also that we’ll be with each other. We’ll sit at feasts not only with God, but with his people. That is his design, and we should look forward to it.

Don’t Block the Flow of the Holy Ghost

Don’t Block the Flow of the Holy Ghost

By Lee Grady www.themordecaiproject.com


We often pray for more of the Holy Spirit's anointing. But if God gives you His power, will you actually use it?
A few years ago the Lord challenged me about my level of spiritual hunger. He showed me that even though I had stood in many prayer lines and repeatedly sung the words, "Lord, I want more of You," I wasn't as passionate for Him as I thought I was.
In 1999 my church sponsored a conference on the Holy Spirit. At the close of one service I was lying on the floor near the altar asking God for another touch of His power. Several other people were kneeling at the communion rail and praying quietly for each other.
"If we truly want to be empowered we must offer God an unqualified yes. We must crucify every no."
Suddenly I began to have a vision. In my mind I could see a large pipeline, at least eight feet in diameter. I was looking at it from the inside, and I could see a shallow stream of golden liquid flowing at the bottom. The oil in the giant pipe was only a few inches deep.
I began a conversation with the Lord.
"What are You showing me?" I asked.
"This is the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life," He answered.
It was not an encouraging picture; it was pitiful! The capacity of the pipeline was huge—enough to convey tons of oil. Yet only a trickle was evident.
Then I noticed something else: Several large valves were lined up along the sides of the pipeline, and each of them was shut.
I wanted to ask the Lord why there was so little oil in my life. Instead I asked: "What are those valves, and why are they closed?"
His answer stunned me. "Those represent the times when you said no. Why should I increase the level of anointing if you aren't available to use it?"
The words stung. When had I said no to God? I was overcome with emotion and began to repent. I recalled different excuses I had made and limitations I had placed on how He could use me.
I had told Him that I didn't want to be in front of crowds because I wasn't a good speaker. I had told Him that if I couldn't preach like T.D. Jakes does, then I didn't want to speak at all. I had told Him that I didn't want to address certain issues or go certain places. I had placed so many cumbersome conditions on my obedience.
After a while I began to see something else in my spirit. It was a huge crowd of African men, assembled as if they were in a large arena. And I saw myself preaching to them.
Nobody had ever asked me to minister in Africa, but I knew at that moment I needed to surrender my will. All I could think to say was the prayer of Isaiah: "Here am I, Lord, send me." (Isa. 6:8). I told God I would go anywhere and say anything He asked. I laid my insecurities, fears and inhibitions on the altar.
Three years later I stood at a pulpit inside a sports arena in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. As I addressed a crowd of 8,000 pastors who had assembled there for a training conference, I remembered seeing their faces in that vision. And I realized that God had opened a new valve in my life that day in 1999. Because I had said yes, He had increased the flow of His oil so that it could reach thousands.
Many of us have a habit of asking for more of God's power and anointing. But what do we use it for? He doesn't send it just to make us feel good.
We love to go to the altar for a touch from God. We love the goose bumps, the shaking, the emotion of the moment. We love to fall on the floor and experience one filling after another. But I am afraid some of us are soaking up the anointing but not giving it away. Our charismatic experience has become inward and selfish. We get up off the floor and live like we want to.
Pentecost is not a party. If we truly want to be empowered we must offer God an unqualified yes. We must crucify every no. We must become a conduit to reach others; not a reservoir with no outlet.
Search your own heart today and see if there are any closed valves in your pipeline. As you surrender them, the locked channels will open and His oil will flow out to a world that craves to know He is real.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can find him on Twitter at LeeGrady. He will be speaking at the Embrace '09 Women's Conference in Blackshear, Georgia, Aug. 14-15. For information go to crosswaychurch.com and click on Embrace '09.

Dime Store Prophecies

Dime Store Prophecies
By Robert Ricciardelli www.vision2advance.com


As God continues to release Himself through His people, we are hearing His voice as a prophetic people more than ever before. His Kingdom comes, and His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. In the midst of His light being shed in greater measures, there is still the big issue of the fallen nature of man and the darkness within that nature.

We continue to see a rise in personal prophecies and words that are brought forth out of man and delivered to man, as the Lord wills. The problem arises when it is mans will and not God’s, or a mixture of God and man’s fallen nature. We have seen this cause hurts in many, and in fact some have never recovered from the hurt.

Prophecy is the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Life.

I have received many calls the past several months from those who have been hurt by such things. They either were given a “word” that was tied to a benefit for the one giving it, or it was given with control and manipulation in mind. Other times it was given innocently, and the person received and acted upon something that they thought was from the Lord.

In one case the person was given a word saying that the Lord wanted to bless them, but to release the blessing they needed to sow into the “word givers” ministry. This is not how God operates, and I would reject those types of words immediately, or at least consider some impartial counsel.

It is so important in the season we are in, to hear from the Lord for your self. If you are having problems hearing from Him, go to those who love you and have no other agenda but love, and seek counsel from them. If you have been given words by someone other than those who God has placed in your life relationally, it is important to share it with others who may have wisdom on what the Lord may be doing and saying for your life. Others will add another level of discernment and accountability for those speaking on behalf of the Lord.

The Lord does speak through people at times, but it is important to get a multitude of counsel on those words, especially if they are directional, or involving a decision you have to make. Discount the words that bring condemnation, and love the person as they may not know what they are doing. Be overly cautious of words trying to bring extreme conviction, or extreme tickling to your ears. There may be a hidden agenda in those.

I know this may be hard for some to hear on either side of this, both those who desire to get a “word”, and for those who seek to give a “word. I believe there is a lot of misuse, and occasional abuse going on in charismatic and prophetic circles, and felt led to address it. We rejoice when the Lord speaks, but we want to make sure it is His voice, and thus the reminder for all of us.

John 2:24 it says that Jesus entrusted Himself to no man, for He knew the heart of men.

The key consideration here is the idea of “entrusting ourselves to others.” We can trust others but entrusting ourselves to anyone other than the Lord is risky. My wife and I entrust ourselves to one another as unto the Lord, and there are those relationships that God may have given you that are foundational. But when it comes to listening to someone speak as coming directly from the throne, it is important that we make sure it is Him, before we speak, and before we receive or act upon a word given by man.

There are some that use their ability, position, and charisma, to influence in ways that are not the heart of the Father, and grievous to Him. I really believe the Lord when He says my sheep hear my voice and listen to me. I believe we can hear His voice and by His Spirit discern correctly as to what is Spirit and what is flesh. During times of immaturity and times when discernment signals seem to be clouded, that is when a multitude of counsel may be necessary, especially on major directional issues.

I also believe the Lord would honor the time taken for fleeces and multiple confirmations for such important decisions. I usually say something like this, “Father you know my heart and that whatever you say, I will do. Please confirm this thing in ways that I will know it is you. I do not want to miss you, and I do not want to hold back from pleasing you, so will you send other signs, and other voices to confirm such things?”

If you are struggling with words that others have brought to you, release them to the Lord. He is not the author of confusion. Ask Him to sort out what is from Him, and He will show you. Forgive those who have utilized His name for any intent other than His perfect will for you. Be humble in giving, and receiving what may be from Him. Fear God when it comes to utilizing His name and His message. Typically I will let someone know that I believe this may be from the Lord, but to test it and see that it be true. At the same time, I have never been prompted by the Lord to give something that is not encouraging, exhorting, or pointing back to Him and His ways.

When you receive something from somebody, politely thank them, and begin the process of asking the Lord to reveal what may be true, and then seek after multiple confirmations for anything that may create a decision you may have to make. In all things both giving and receiving, check the love meter, and if it was delivered in His love. Those things that are not delivered in love, should be highly suspect…
When you combine subjective content, with human emotions attached to it, it can really seem like God, but it often can be complete deception.

When the Spirit and the Word are confirmed, release takes place, and heaven is in motion to fulfill the plans and purposes of God. May the Lord continue to show you His perfect way, and may your ears be tuned only to Him, and only to His voice, in Jesus name.
See Roberts Previous Articles http://vision2advance.blogspot.com

Signs of The Revelation #1

John Fenn, Signs of The Revelation #1

Hi all,
There is such a noise being made about end time prophecy but most (Bible teachers) are talking about words they think the Lord has shown them for the future, and little actual Bible is being shared.

The book of The Revelation is a sure word, but full of symbolism which results in ministers making it hyper-spiritual or bent towards their own biases, which removes the practical, down to earth prophecy presented.

What I've been doing in my own study is looking at the political, economic, scientific, and natural disaster part of it. The Lord gives us a very logical progression of events in a time yet future. I want to condense it for you below, so I hope it will be a blessing.

After the messages to the 7 churches, Jesus opens a scroll the Father gave him in chapter 5, which is what most of the rest of the book revolves around. So if we lay down in order the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials as a foundation the basic framework is easy to understand. What I've done is list them in groups as they will occur, and you will see a logical progression.

First Seal: White horse; rider with bow, crown given him, went forth conquering and to conquer. 6:1-2
First Trumpet: Hail and fire mixed with blood, 1/3 of trees/grass burned up, green grass burned. 8:7
First Vial: Sores on those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image. 16:2

Look at these passages like they were in the newspaper or nightly news. A new leader will begin conquering other nations, while at the same time a disaster of world wide proportions will happen that will burn up 1/3 of the vegetation. Additionally, a skin ailment will reach pandemic level.

A leader conquering we can understand, but what is the source of the 1/3 of vegetation burned up, and are the skin sores related? Here are some answers in the second grouping:

Second Seal: Red horse; power (kratos) to rider to take peace from the earth that they kill one another, and he had a great sword. 6:3-4
Second Trumpet: Burning Mountain cast into sea, 1/3 of sea became blood, 1/3 of animals in the sea died, and 1/3 of ships destroyed. 8:8-9
Second Vial: Sea poisoned and looks like blood, life therein dies. 16:3

Now we are getting some understanding. The ruler starts a war(s), but around the same time a "mountain" which we would call asteroid, lands in the ocean. This explains why 1/3 of the vegetation dies, and 1/3 of sea life dies, and 1/3 of ships at sea are destroyed. You may recall that when there is a lack of oxygen in the water there is a red algae bloom, called a red tide, which kills and poisons all sea life in the area. The word presented here is that this asteroid will land in the sea and cause just such a catastrophe over 1/3 of it. Skin sores can be explained as a result of these events as well.

Now...start thinking logically as to what is next. What would happen if in the midst of war, an asteroid hit the ocean and poisons sea life? Could we expect starvation and/or malnutrition for those dependent on a diet from the sea, economic turmoil, political turmoil? All the above! But there is more.

Third Seal: Black horse; rider had a pair of balances. In the midst of the 4 horses a voice calling for inflation/high price of wheat, barley, but not for oil and wine, or no hurt to oil and wine. 6:5-6
Third Trumpet: A burning star, burning like a torch, fell on 1/3 of fresh water (rivers), and on the "fountains of waters". It is called 'wormwood', and 1/3 of the fresh waters were poisoned. 8:10-11
Third Vial: Fresh waters poisoned, look like blood. 16:4-7

Whereas a white horse may stand for deception/false righteousness as the rider goes forth to conquer, and the red horse clearly stood for bloodshed in the conquering, now we have a black horse with balances, indicating economic chaos - things are very bad, but a common sense result from a natural disaster of this magnitude while having some possessed leader taking advantage of the situation to make war.

Look at the history of any war and you will see the disruption of food supplies, diseases, starvation/malnutrition - now throw in an asteroid hitting the earth (but wait, there's more)

The Lord tells us here there will be hyper-inflation/shortage on grains, but not for oil or wine. Logical - if you can't eat any fish the demand for grain products goes up, but if 1/3 of the grass and trees are burned, there will be food shortages - extremely high prices for what little is available.

Note the burning star that looked like a torch to the apostle John. The first was a 'burning mountain', and the 2nd may be a comet, or I lean towards the differences in appearance being a matter of perspective. If an asteroid is coming more or less right at you, you won't see a long tail.

If it skims through the atmosphere at an angle before hitting, it will have a long tail like a torch. It may very well be one comet or asteroid that splits in 2 upon nearing earth due to colliding with the atmosphere or gravity. (Not because Bruce Willis and his band of dysfunctional spaced rangers blow it in two) :)

Either way, the 'burning mountain' and the 'star burning as a torch' poison water; the first affects 1/3 of the ocean, the second 1/3 of all fresh bodies of water, which leads one to think the 2nd will hit land. The effects of these 2 impacts are one of the most fascinating parts of what is presented by the Lord, because the next effects are exactly in line with what science says would happen if this occured.

Fourth Seal: Pale horse; name of rider is Death, and Hell rides with him. Has authority to kill 1/4 of the earth with sword, hunger, death, wild animals. 6:7-8
Fourth Trumpet: 1/3 of sun, moon, stars darkened. 8:12 (Light in day and night cut by 1/3)
Fourth Vial: Sun scorches people. 16:8-9

Now the pale horse; death being the result of war, disruption of economics, food shortages, disease. A full 25% of the population of the earth dies. Think of this in terms of numbers. There are over 6 billion people on the earth now. 25% of that number is 1.5 billion (dead). This means that 75% will live, or 4.5 billion.

The reference to wild animals is easy to think through. If cities are vacant (limited or no food or water service) the animals move in. I remember living in Colorado and when food was scarce in the mountains we'd see elk, bear, coyote, and mountain lions in the city of Boulder. If there is 1/3 less grass/fruit/water/fish for them to eat - you bet they'll coming to your house for dinner!

Back to the double impact from what I'll call the burning "meteors" (for lack of knowing exactly what's being described): Here we see what science says would happen; the massive dust and water vapor cloud darkens the earth by 1/3 as all that dirt and water is thrown into the atmosphere circles the earth.

But here is something interesting - the sun scorches people. Scientists say one result of a massive impact would be the disruption or destruction of the earth's magnetic field, which shields the earth from solar flares. Take away the magnetic field and we get burned. 16:9 says it will be "great heat" that will scorch the earth.

Wow...what a time. A possessed man starting wars, focusing on Israel and disciples of Jesus, 2 impacts from celestial bodies slam into the ocean and somewhere on land, sunlight is blocked, solar flares scorch the earth, food shortages and disease abound, 1.5 billion dead.

Fifth Seal: Souls of those slain for Jesus in heaven asking how long until they are avenged, and told to wait until the full number of martyrs is fulfilled. 6:9-11
Fifth Trumpet: A star fell from heaven to earth, and he had the key to the bottomless pit. A smoke came up like a large furnace, and the sun and air were darkened by the smoke. (remember the 1/3 cut in natural light) From the smoke came locusts that stung like scorpions. They could not hurt green plants or trees, but only those who don't belong to God. The disease/attack lasts 5 months, and burns like a scorpion. 9:1-12
Fifth Vial: "...the seat of the beast" (city/place of control) receives contents of 5th vial, his kingdom is full of darkness, and in great pain, but still won't repent. 16:10-11

Remember that while all this is going on, disciples of Jesus are being martyred in great numbers and we are given a glimpse of those in heaven asking how much longer will it go on - they are told when their number is fulfilled it will be over.

The fifth trumpet is a bit of a mystery and 12 verses in it's description. Hal Lindsay has suggested the 'locusts' with stinging tails are modern attack helicopters. I rather think it is related to the natural events that have occurred as this disease/stinging occurs when the sun and sky are darkened by what John describes as smoke rising from a furnace, and these come from that smoke. Could he have seen the pillar of dust/smoke from the 2nd meteor hit?

Scientists have speculated that new diseases could occur from all the dirt thrown into the air, as many diseases like Anthrax for instance, occur naturally in the soil but rarely get breathed in by people - but what if it's all thrown into the air? (History channel has run shows on the massive asteroid impact subject)

It is clear the Lord places limits on how much plant life will be destroyed (1/3) because here we see the command not to hurt (any more) green plants or trees. Either way, the 5th vial indicates these 'stinging' locusts (demons bringing illness?) inflict great pain, whatever the ailment.

Sixth Seal: Great earthquake, sun darkened, moon red, stars fall to earth, the sky/heavens depart like a scroll rolled up, and every mountain and island shaken. The wrath of the Lamb. 6:12-17
Sixth Trumpet: 4 angels loosed at Euphrates, and an army released of 200 million men who will kill 1/3 of (remaining) mankind. 1/3 of men killed by the smoke, brimstone. 9:14-21
Sixth Vial: Euphrates dried up to prepare the way of the "kings of the east". Deception goes out to other 'kings'/rulers to bring them to the final battle. 16:12-16

This my friends, is the return of Christ - the 6th seal, trumpet, and vial are the final battle and his return, and we'll see the 7th seal/trumpet/vial are the setting up of his kingdom.

Jesus described the same signs: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (6th seal above) And then will appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven; and then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Mt 24:29-31 (Note, he doesn't gather his elect from one end of the earth to the other, but from heaven)

So the 6th seal above is clearly the return of Jesus - but he is returning to the great final battle described in the 6th trumpet and vial; a 200,000,000 man army assembled by the '5 kings of the east' as they invade Israel through Iraq/Syria over the dried up Euphrates (do you know how many dams are on that river? - 22 in Turkey, at least 1 in Syria, 7 in Iraq) - just a turn of a few valves and it dries up to make the way for them)

Seventh Seal: Silence in heaven 1/2 hour.
Seventh Trumpet: Many voices in heaven loudly crying out: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our God, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."
Seventh Vial: A voice from heaven saying "It is done" while on earth there are voices, thunder, lightning, the greatest earthquake the world has ever seen. Jerusalem divided into 3 parts and huge hail stones fall. (Massive hail has been seen in history as a result of volcanic eruptions that throw tons of water and dust into the air, I wonder if between the final battle and everything else going on, that is another indicator for us)

Zechariah 14 describes this earthquake and battle in more detail, which will actually split the Mount of Olives in two with 1/2 moving north and 1/2 moving south, presumably cutting right through the city (Zech 14:4).

Zechariah 14:6-7 also says something interesting about the atmospheric conditions - he says at night it won't be dark, but in day the light won't be clear. Perhaps the glory of the Lord which I'd like to believe, but perhaps his description of the strange atmospheric conditions from the 2 impacts and final war - observers describe similar conditions after Krakatoa blew up August 27, 1883, there was no night nor full day on parts of the earth after the dust cloud circled the earth. The dust over the lit part of the earth reflected the sunlight to the dark side, so that it never got fully dark or had a basic glow at night, but in day never fully light due to the dust, and the clouds turned green/blue.
(NY Times, 2/10, 1889 (online), www.space.com/scienceastronomy/strange_clouds_030219.html), others.

But please understand these events are NOT World War III, which will happen at least 7 years before the events described above. World War III is about Russia and Iran attacking Israel - I think we'll cover that in 2 weeks, so stay tuned. Hope this made sense and was helpful.

Next week 666, 2 witnesses, etc...
(I sure hope nobody takes offense because I express some thoughts I have about this and try to be a blessing to others so they can make sense of it)

Building Jesus' church, His people.
Blessings,
John Fenn
www.iFaithhome.org
Prayer requests can now be listed on our web site - I monitor daily and will pray for you!

AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Awake to Righteousness!
By Joe McIntyre
To be effective in ministry, we must have confidence in our standing with the Father. If we know the Father backs us in what we do for Him, we move in assurance that we will succeed in our Kingdom endeavors.

Many believers, and many in ministry, are tempted to doubt their standing with the Father and succumb to the sliming accusations of the Eternally Defeated One. We know we are saved by faith and are justified. But somehow we think if we are not overcoming every weakness of the flesh, our Father is unhappy with us and condemns us. We judge ourselves by our works and assume the Father judges us by our works as well. Whenever we allow our works to become the basis of our approach to the Father we are already defeated.

The work that gives us right standing with the Father is not our work, but the work of Christ. His Finished Work is forever adequate to allow us to come to the Father without condemnation or shame. Many of us know this at some level but revert to a “works” mentality without even thinking about it. We judge and condemn ourselves and assume God agrees with us. Father agrees with His Son that His work is forever abundantly adequate to give us free access to the throne of Grace where we can always obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A strong life of fellowship with the Father is the key to powerful ministry. As I am daily refreshed in His presence, I find myself ministered out of rest and peace. I’m not trying to earn anything, but rather I am rejoicing in the Grace my Father freely gives me. This is the key to lasting and fruitful ministry.

John G. Lake spoke of his personal discovery of this life-changing truth. “For years I hunted for this thing I have given you tonight.” “That sense of unfitness and unworthiness [or as they call it in psychology, that inferiority complex] swamped me. But when I saw that God became my righteousness, I said, ’I want you to know, Satan, that you have lost your case, I know what I am now.” “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21) 1

When we think of how bold Lake became in his ministry, it is hard to realize that at one time he, like so many of us, struggled to overcome a sense of unworthiness and unfitness. But as he took hold of God’s gift of righteousness in Christ he rose above Satan’s onslaught and walked in dominion as a righteous son of God.

E.W. Kenyon had much the same testimony. “All of this time there was an undercurrent in my life, a sense of unworthiness. The Adversary seemed to delight in making me conscious of unworthiness.

I tried everything that man had taught. I sought the “clean heart,” “entire sanctification,” “ Second Word of Grace,” everything that was preached. I was blessed for a while, but it would all fade away. I wanted something permanent. I knew I could find it in the Word.

“Romans 3:26 solved that issue. Let me give you the American Revised Marginal Rendering of it. “That He might Himself be Righteous, the Righteousness of him who has faith in Jesus.”

“Strange, I had never seen it before. God Himself was to become my Righteousness the moment that I accepted Christ and confessed Him as my Lord. Then I remembered Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 2

Here in the testimony of two great men of God, we find a similar testimony of a great breakthrough in their lives when the revelation of righteousness became real to them. It destroyed the constant flow of accusation from the enemy and released them to go on to do great things for God.

Sometimes we are looking for some “deep” truth to help us gain victory. Often we just need a deeper revelation of what we already know. God Himself is your righteousness. There is no condemnation to you if you are in Christ. What Christ has done for us is more than enough to satisfy the Father.

Let’s get in agreement with heaven.

What's In Your Wagon

What's In Your Wagon
By Eddie Smith

You remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. He was a prideful little brat, wasn’t he? Daddy’s favorite—with a coat to prove it!

You’ll remember how he was sold into slavery; and how his brothers brought his bloodied coat to their father and told him that Joseph was dead.

Once enslaved in Egypt, Joseph served in Potipher’s house where he rejected the seductive advances of Potipher’s wife. She grabbed his coat as he fled and falsely accused him. His coats kept getting him into trouble.

From there he was cast into prison where he made a name for himself as an interpreter of dreams. In time, Joseph was released with the favor of the Pharaoh, and was made second in command of Egypt! Perhaps he wasn’t as prideful a brat as we’d thought.

Now we get to my point. Do you recall how his brothers came seeking relief from the famine and stood before him, not even recognizing who he was. I love Genesis 42:7 where we’re told that Joseph “spake roughly to them”. To have a little fun, he disguised his voice. He played with and tested them until he could do it no more.

In Genesis 45:1-2, Joseph asked his staff to leave his brothers and him alone while he wept and revealed himself to them. Again, I love verse two where we read, “And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard him.” Apparently, they were eavesdropping through the keyhole!

We finally get to the place where Joseph sent his brothers to get their families and his father, Jacob, to bring them to safety in Egypt. In fact, it was Pharaoh’s suggestion that Joseph do so. And Pharaoh commanded Joseph to give them wagons loaded with the best of everything Egypt offered. They had clothing, silver, corn, bread and meat for their father.

Joseph sent them off with this warning. “See that ye fall not out by the way.” You see, they had an important task to do that would be lost if they’d fallen by the wayside.

Many of God’s servants have “fallen out by the way” lately. Referring to one of them, I was asked, “Were you surprised to hear that Bro. XX fell into sin?” First, no one falls into it. We deliberately walk into sin. But I answered, “No. I’m not surprised that he has fallen. I’m surprised that we’re still standing. What he did was natural. The fact that we haven’t fallen is supernatural!”

Please don’t fall by the way because we have an important message to deliver. Our message is the same as theirs. They were to tell their father, Jacob:

“Joseph isn’t dead—he’s alive!” Jacob had vowed to mourn Joseph’s death to his grave. We must deliver this same message to our generation: “Jesus, our Brother, isn’t dead—He’s alive!”
Then they were to tell their father:

“Joseph has forgiven us for the bad things we did to him.” Our message is the same: “Jesus has forgiven us for all those bad things we did to Him!”
And finally, they would tell Jacob…

“Joseph, our brother, has prepared a place for us.” And, of course, our message is: “Jesus, our Brother, has prepared a place for us!”

Despite all that good news, Jacob didn’t believe them. Verse 45:26 says that his heart fainted and “he believed them not”! So, don’t be surprised if you find that the people with whom you share your message don’t readily believe you.

But verses 26-27 say, “When he (Jacob) saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob was revived: and Israel (Jacob) said, ‘It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.’”

My question for you today is: “What is in your wagon?” What do you have that validates your message? Paul didn’t come with persuasive words only; but with demonstrations of the Spirit’s power.

What is the Church looking for today? Are we looking for more persuasive words, for a more gullible audience, or for greater demonstrations of the Spirit’s power?

What do the lost see in your wagon that causes them to say, “It is enough; Jesus IS alive: I will go and see Him before I die!” May the Father fill our wagons to astonishing levels for His sake!

Eddie and Alice offer a F-R-E-E-E-E 52-week school of prayer at: www.TeachMeToPray.com

How He Speaks 3

How He speaks #3

Hi all,
This is the third and last installment covering ever so briefly the ways the Lord speaks to us, and I had promised to share today how angels speak to us. Because we've been launching off John 16:13, that the Holy Spirit (of Truth) will not speak of himself but as he hears, and he will lead and guide us into all truth, you may wonder what angels have to do with it.

The reason is that their communication to us is consistent with the Holy Spirit and how he speaks to people.

So far...
Up to this point I covered the various non-verbal ways the Holy Spirit communicates with us, the ways he guides us into truth and shows us things to come, like Simeon having a revelation he wouldn't die until he'd seen the Messiah, or Jesus perceiving power went from him but not knowing who did it, or Paul perceiving the faith in a lame man, but waiting until he knew that he knew and then told the man to stand up.

Perhaps the greatest blunder in missing the Lord's timing after a revelation that you've never heard about is Moses. Most of us have the idea the burning bush revelation at age 80 was the first time he learned he was the deliverer of Israel, but the Bible says otherwise.

Acts 7:25 says he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand "For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them; but they understood not."

Moses knew by age 40 he was the deliverer, and as Steven's message says in verse 22, he was educated in the ways of the Egyptians, and that would have included warfare. If the historian Josephus is to be trusted, Moses was a hero military commander. This would explain why once he received the revelation he was the deliverer, he naturally assumed it would be through the civil uprising of killing (more) Egyptians.

He spent the next 40 years, 1/3 of his life, being a shepherd until the burning bush meeting with Christ where the gift/working of miracles was revealed as the means of deliverance rather than civil war.

What I admire about Moses is that even though he missed the timing by trying to make the revelation come to pass (show of hands please of those who have done that, me included!), Hebrews 11:27 says he left Egypt not in fear, but still seeing the invisible - holding to the revelation he had, though his head surely was swimming with questions.

The example of Moses teaches us that just because we have a revelation, we can't assume others have it too. He supposed his brethren would have understood - he assume they had the same revelation. Many a person has eagerly assumed mom/dad/spouse/work/church/etc had the same revelation as they; NOT!

Often we have to keep a revelation to ourselves, much as Mary pondered in her heart the things said of her son, but it doesn't say she told the whole town that he was the Messiah. Sometimes we just have to keep quiet until that other person has the revelation we have, if they ever do get it.

Angels
I've shared how the non-verbal ways of communicating to us need further revelation because they are vague and/or their timing is vague as in the example of Moses, but when the Holy Spirit speaks it is always specific and clear.

This is the same way with angels. When they speak it is always clear and specific but with a major difference: When the Spirit speaks it is internal; when angels speak it comes from the outside.

In fact, if you become experienced in this or just think back to the times you've heard the Lord you can discern the difference. Angels are individuals, so their instruction is always external, often from behind or beside us, and they sound like a person anointed by the Holy Spirit. In the same way you can tell from which direction someone is talking when they are standing in a room, so it is with angels, though their voice will enter our spirit man's ears - but you can still tell the direction from which they are speaking if you just look down in your spirit and think through when you heard that direction.

In Acts 8:26 the angel said to Philip: "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert."

In Acts 10:4-5 the angel told Cornelius that "Your prayers and your giving have come up as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa to look for a man named Simon Peter, who is staying with a man named Simon the Tanner who lives by the sea, and he will tell you what you need to do."

I could go on - the angel in Acts 27:24 told Paul about their soon to be shipwreck and saved lives, the angels at the empty tomb gave specific directions, and so on - and that doesn't even cover the Old Testament.

Inside/outside
The Holy Spirit lives in you, so his voice comes from within, angels are individuals standing by you, so their voice is external.

While in college I was asking a friend if he knew the Lord's working in his life. He replied that he remembered one time he was going drinking with some of his high school friends and when he put his hand on the car door he heard a voice behind him and to the right say: "Don't go with them, there's going to be a wreck." He obeyed, and sure enough the others were in a horrible wreck.

My friend noted that he took that suggestion as his own thought, and only after the wreck reflected that it had come from somewhere close behind him.

When I was 14 and not wanting to obey my mom about wearing my helmet when I rode my mini-bike, I heard a voice over my right shoulder say "Go ahead and obey your mom and wear your helmet."

Now to me, this voice was gentle, a suggestion, and felt 'warm' - I know now the presence of the Lord. And as soon as I heard it I said to myself, "I think I'll go ahead and obey my mom and wear my helmet." The wreck I had 30 minutes later resulted in a severe concussion, but the helmet saved my life.

Because angels sound like people giving instructions or suggestions from the outside rather than inside like the voice of the Holy Spirit, we often do like me and my friend did; just hear their word and take it as our own thought and go our way, only to later analyze what happened and realize it was supernatural instruction.

I encourage the reader to consider times when you've had divine instruction, and then analyze where it came from. The first element to discern and remember is, internal or external?

The first time I had a conversation with who I call "my angel" was late at night when I was in bed and he was suddenly standing at the end of the bed. Though the Lord had introduced us some months earlier during a visitation, I had never received a message from him until that moment. He told me he was the one who spoke to me about the helmet when I was 14, and other incidents he had been involved in my life to protect me.

His voice was one I knew, woven into the tapestry of various life threatening and other incidents, giving instruction, making things work out just a certain sort of way - and up until that moment I had never thought through the process of hearing his voice.

Yet in retrospect, each memory he detailed included that of me hearing almost subconsciously a voice from somewhere near, his voice, urging, suggesting, directing me to do this or that, and without fail I had just taken that voice as my own suggestion, repeating it in my mind, and acting on it.

And so
I will add this. One time in a visitation I asked the Lord if we have authority to send angels to do this or that, as is the practice of some. It had never felt right in my spirit but I didn't know why, though in some circles people tell angels all sorts of commands.

Jesus said this to me: "You don't even know how to pray as you should, so what makes you think you know how to tell an angel what to do? But to answer your question, have you not read that even I, in the days of my flesh, said, 'Do you not think that I could ask my Father and He would send twelve legions of angels?' The angels belong to my Father; you don't have that authority, yet."

The part that we don't know how to pray is Romans 8:26. That's our infirmity as humans, we don't even know which way the wind blows, let alone what a person we're praying for genuinely needs. That's where praying in tongues comes in: The Father takes his unlimited knowledge for someone and then puts that in a language we didn't learn so it by-passes our ignorant mind, and puts it in our spirit, then we speak it back to him in that unknown language and it is as the passage says, 'according to the will of God'.

In this way we are "loosing" on earth the Father to act on someone's behalf. What a wonderful way to pray, and always 100% the perfect will of God for someone!

The 12 legions of angels reference is Matthew 26:53 - Jesus himself, in the garden would have had to ask the Father for angels, which explains why the angels came and ministered to him after his temptation, sent by the merciful Father to help his Son (Mt 4:11)

OK...so much more, but these are some of the ways of the Spirit. Learn them, practice them, and you'll not lack for the Lord's leading, whether by revelation, witness, perception, outright voice of the Spirit, or external directions from your own guardian angel...the Father is more communicative than we often realize, but we aren't always knowledgeable on how to listen to him. I hope this has helped.

Blessings,

John Fenn
www.iFaithhome.org