Rabu, 27 November 2013

PRAYER and OBEDIENCE

PRAYER and OBEDIENCE
by David Wilkerson

We sometimes go to God in prayer as if He were a rich relative
who will support us and give us all we beg for, while we lift not
even a hand to help. We lift our hands to God in prayer, and then
put them in our pockets.

We expect our prayers to get God to working for us while we sit
idly by, thinking to ourselves, "He has all the power; I have none,
so I will simply stand still and let Him do the work."

It sounds like good theology, but it is not. God will have no idle
beggars at His door. He will not even allow us to be charitable to
those on earth who refuse to work.

"We commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should
he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

There is nothing unscriptural about adding sweat to our tears.
Take, for example, the matter of praying for victory over a secret
lust that lingers in the heart. Do you simply ask God to take it
away miraculously, then sit by, hoping it will die on its own? No
sin has ever been slain in the heart without the cooperation of
man's own hand, as in the case of Joshua. All night long, he lay
prostrated and mourning over Israel's defeat. God set him on his
feet saying, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant
which I commanded them... Up, sanctify the people" (Josh 7:10-13).

God has every right to rouse us from our knees and say, "Why sit
around lazily, waiting for a miracle? Have I not commanded you
to flee from the very appearance of evil? You are to do more than
simply pray against your lust-you are commanded also to run
from it. You cannot rest until you have done all that is commanded."

Do not blame God for not listening to your prayers if you are not
listening to His call to obedience. You will end up blaspheming
God and accusing Him of negligence, while all along you will be
the culprit.

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/23867

THE LACK of "HUNGER" - Key Problem!!

NOTE:  An insightful piece below from Marie on why the West is
spiralling downward spiritually. It was sparked by Lee Grady's
article on "Apostles". We would be interested in your comments,
my friends.

THE LACK of "HUNGER" - Key Problem!!
by Marie [RS]

I´m sure there are compassionate apostles out there, but I´m afraid
that it´s the people they try to reach that are the problem. Our
western society is filled with so much pleasure-seeking and
entertainment, it´s hard to find the hungry people. We don´t live at
all like they did in the early church. Sin abounded then as much
as today, but people had shorter lives, walking everywhere to reach
places, no electricity, and everyone had to depend on each other
to survive. Families all had to live together and pitch in if they
wanted to survive.

We live in a selfish world.  In India, families take care of elderly
parents and in the West, many are discarded and sent to homes,
or have retired wealthy and travel and live abundantly, spending all
their time on cruises, while the adult children struggle. We are
living in one of the most selfish times the world has ever seen.
When we read about certain dog-owners pampering their pets and
feeding them better than the average human, are we ready to hear
the gospel?... Everyone must keep up with their neighbors. People
are obsessed with things that are so temporal and don´t realize
they keep souls away at arms´ length.

If we are so consumed with self, how can we be apostles? The
Western lifestyle is quenching the Spirit. It demands energy,
obsessive communication with twittering and facebooking, financial
independence, success, education, youthful appearance, well-
maintained physiques, materialism, entertainment, travel and
what´s left of the day, is time for bed. Few take care of others. The
West hires people to take care of other people. The west is
experiencing a nursing shortage. Few young people want to work
in humanitarian jobs, but all want to work as anchors, or stock
brokers. Everyone wants to be a celebrity. Most high-powered
couples (and many in the church) are preoccupied with programs
and raising money for their churches. When do these have time
to talk to strangers? We won´t go where strangers are because
we´ve lost the art of hospitality and prefer to walk across the street
from the homeless man.

Apostles in today´s churches follow the trends, but so do the
saints, and so do unbelievers. Trends and activity keep everyone
from seeking God. Our minds are being bombasted with information
every moment, every second and we are being acclimatized to
having music, noise, talk, on radio, i-phones, i-pads, and if we ever
had a moment of quiet, I believe it might cause psychological
stress. People are being fed noise in their ears every waking
moment. How can anyone contemplate the things of God?

Towns in the Book of Acts were such that people congregated
outside (tropical climate) in the market and near temples to pray.
Today, millions pass each other in the streets and we don´t speak
to each other, but rather get cursed at if we don´t drive fast enough.
No one seems to have pity, compassion, self-control; women are
now independent feminists working outside the home, becoming
ferocious competitors and exhausted and have little compassion
outside the confines of their home.

The West is sucking the physical, emotional and spiritual energy
right out of everyone, where that leaves little for individuals to seek
God and pray and meditate on the Word. We are stressed on all
sides. Many people are coping with medications to relieve stress.
Everyone is told they need to exercise, keep a balanced life, work,
raise families, travel, occupy with activities, competitions, etc.
How can an apostle of the Lord squeeze into these people´s lives
for them to listen to what he has to say?

If they won´t listen, maybe it´s time for western apostles to shake
the dust off their feet and go into a place that would welcome the
gospel message. But, it might not be a comfortable lifestyle and
might require a lot of sacrifice. No one should call themself
`apostle´ until they leave the ways of Babylon.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

Kamis, 14 November 2013

THE SIGN OF a TRUE APOSTLE (It´s Not What You Think)

THE SIGN OF a TRUE APOSTLE (It´s Not What You Think)
by J. Lee Grady

What are the characteristics of a true apostle?

A few years ago I heard a preacher tell a room full of ministers that
they couldn´t work miracles or exercise apostolic authority unless
they used the word apostle as a title. So some of them ran out
and printed new business cards-as if putting the word in front of
their names was the magic ticket to reclaiming New Testament power.

That was a bad idea. For the past 15 years or more, thousands of
people have been wounded and countless churches have nosedived
because immature leaders thought they could gain apostolic status
the easy way. We are so eager to qualify ourselves that we forget
God alone calls, prepares and sends true apostles.

The late Arthur Katz, who was a prophetic voice to our movement
for many years, wrote in his 1999 book Apostolic Foundations that
nobody should be eager to step into an apostolic assignment or to
treat such a task flippantly. "God is jealous over the word apostolic,"
Katz wrote. "It is a word that has fallen into disuse and needs to
be restored, and that restoration is not going to be cheap."

We are so carnal, so power hungry and so enamored with status
and position that we don´t have a clue what apostolic ministry really
is. Most charismatics think it is about authority, and many men
who claim to be apostles build top-down pyramid structures that
abuse people. Others think apostolic leaders are marked primarily
by sensational miracles. Yet I see something we have entirely
missed when I look at the life of the apostle Paul.

Paul told the Thessalonians that love is the true hallmark of any
person who is sent on an apostolic mission. Therefore, if we want
apostolic power or authority (which we should), it must flow through
apostolic love or it is a counterfeit. This apostolic love can be
described in four ways:

1. It is incarnational. Paul brought the gospel to the Thessalonians
and lived among them. He did not just drop in, preach a good
sermon and leave. He said, "We were well-pleased to impart to
you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives" (1 Thess. 2:8,
NASB, emphasis added). Just as Jesus came to this earth, lived
among us and died for us, true apostles give it all. If all an "apostle"
does is preach a good message, he is a poor substitute for the
real thing. (And if he also spends more time taking up offerings
for himself, he is a hireling or a con artist.)

2. It is sacrificial. Paul risked his neck in Thessalonica, and then
he told his followers that he would "suffer affliction" from his
persecutors (1 Thess. 3:4). But he loved them so much that he
prayed for them continually, and he longed to visit them again
even though he knew it would be risky. He never mentions money.
In fact, when he was with the Thessalonian church, he worked
night and day "so as not to be a burden to any of [them]" (1 Thess.
2:9). That flies in the face of modern apostles who charge $1,000
an hour for their consulting fees.

3. It is relational. The word brethren appears in 1 Thessalonians
17 times. That´s because Paul viewed the church as the family
of God. He saw himself in the role of a gentle, nursing mother
(1 Thess. 2:7) as well as a strong father (v. 11). Paul´s affection
is so thick and so slobbery that it drips off the page of his letter.
He says the members of the church "have become very dear" to
them (v. 8) and that they "also long to see [them]" (3:6). It´s no
surprise that he ends the epistle by exhorting the people to greet
one another with "a holy kiss" (5:26).

What has happened to this kind of holy affection in today´s church?
Why are we so disconnected? We have replaced deep relationships
with cold professionalism. Many pastors have not been properly
fathered, so they don´t know how to love-nor do they have close
friends. So we cover our dysfunction with busyness. We work,
work, work-while sterile, loveless congregations struggle to grow.
We use gimmicks and programs to get people in seats because
our love is not warm enough to attract people to Jesus.

4. It is confrontational. Paul was not seeker-sensitive. He did not
hesitate to confront sin. He gave the Thessalonians one of the
most frank, forthright sermons on sexual sin ever written (1 Thess.
4:1-8). But he confronted them as a loving father by emploring
them to stay within their God-given boundaries. He didn´t use
anger, manipulation, domination or threats. He led with strong,
apostolic love.

I believe God wants to pour out a new wave of apostolic power on
our generation. But we can´t be trusted with this anointing if we
refuse to grow up. We will have the maturity to use the word
apostolic when we learn to walk in the love that was modeled by
the first apostles.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Original Source-

http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/18982

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"Let me never become a slave to crowds."
- A.W. Tozer

"How do we worship our God Wholeheartedly? To answer the
question we must respond to the command..."If you love me, you
will obey what I command." John 14:15.
"True Love is complete obedience ... half obedience is no obedience.
If you love Jesus, you will obey what He commands. This is true
love and true worship."
- Unknown

"After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, and children
sift through all we've left behind;
May the clues that they discover, become the light that leads them
to the road we each must find."
-Sung by Steve Green " Find US Faithful"

"Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of
spiritual life. When properly executed, its benefits are untold. When
wrongly executed, no evil can exceed its damaging results."
-E.M. Bounds

"Despite the atrociousness of it, Satan really does have "little cause
to fear most preaching." Most preaching in the modern church is
completely devoid of unction. Pastors are too busy playing golf or
racquetball to bother spending time on their knees."
-A. Reavis

Jumat, 08 November 2013

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"Where God is not glorified - that place is sick."
-A.W. Tozer

"A season of silence is the best preparation for speech with God."
- Samuel Chadwick

"A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians...
They have a new foretaste of heaven and new desires after union
with God; and the charm of the world is broken, and the power of
sin overcome. When the churches are thus awakened and reformed,
the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow, going through
the same stages of conviction, repentance, and reformation. Their
hearts will be broken down and changed."
-Charles G. Finney.

"The devil's not fighting churches today, he's joining churches."
-Vance Havner

"Nothing is wrong with the inlet: It is the outlet that is obstructed.
The water of life does not spring forth because the flow has no
way through. Were the outlet cleared, the water of life would flow
unceasingly. What a child of God needs is not more life but more
flow of life. "
-Watchman Nee.

Rabu, 06 November 2013

The GREATEST DECEPTION

The GREATEST DECEPTION
by David Wilkerson

The greatest deception in the modern church is the matter of using
God's Word to put a badge of approval on covetousness. On the
surface, the Jezebel doctrine works (see 1 Kings 21:14-16). It got
Ahab what he wanted. He possessed his rights because when a
man was stoned for high treason against the king, all his
possessions reverted to the king.

Naboth the Jezreelite had told Ahab that he would not give him
the inheritance of his fathers because the Lord forbade him to do so.

"And [Ahab] laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face,
and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and
said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?...
Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread,
and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vinyard of Naboth
the Jezreelite" (1 Kings 21:4-7).

Listen to the doctrine of Jezebel: "You are king, number one, and
you have rights. Let nothing stop you from getting what you want."
She said to Ahab, "Be happy! I'll get it for you." That is the false
gospel in a nutshell. "Don't sweat it. Don't feel sad or condemned
by those desires that eat you up. I'll get it for you." Like the
deceptive methods Jezebel used, these doctrines twist and
misuse Scripture.

But Ahab could not enjoy what he received because of a pesky
prophet of God. "And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the
Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab . . . in the vineyard
of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt
speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed,
and also taken possession? . . . In the place where dogs licked
the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood. . . . And Ahab said
to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered,
I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in
the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings 21:17-20).

Imagine Ahab walking about his new possession, saying, "Isn't life
sweet? Ah, Jezebel. I may not agree with all her methods, but she
certainly gets it done." But dogging his every footstep was the
prophet Elijah.

So it is today. God has sent prophets, crying aloud, confronting
the Jezebel doctrine of materialism, making it uncomfortable for
Christians to enjoy their playthings and acquisitions. They have
sold out. They cannot see it, but sin is behind all this. Every time
I cry out against the prosperity doctrine, I sense the spirit and
power of Elijah upon me. You are going to hear more and more
exposing of this Jezebel doctrine. Everywhere, prophetic voices
will be heard loud and clear, crying out, "Sin! You possessed by
selling out to sin."

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/25091

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"We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too."
-John Calvin

"Pride is God's most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much
like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin, and appears
in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected."
- Jonathan Edwards

"A Theologian has nothing on a man who has experienced God"
-Paul Washer

"The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of
time-judgments. By faith he rises above the tug of earth and the flow
of time and learns to think and feel as one who has already left the
world and gone to join the innumerable company of angels and the
general assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in
heaven. Such a man would rather be useful than famous and would rather
serve than be served. And all this must be by the operation of the
Holy Spirit within him. No man can become spiritual by himself. Only
the free Spirit can make a man spiritual."
-A.W.Tozer

"Oh the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him!!!"
-Duncan Campbell

Kamis, 31 Oktober 2013

BETTER Than PENTECOST

BETTER Than PENTECOST
by David Wilkerson

John the Baptist never made it to Pentecost! He saw none of the
cloven tongues of fire and did not hear the mighty rushing wind. He
did not see Jerusalem shaken and multitudes converted. But John
said his joy was fulfilled! He had heard something better than the
rushing wind, better than good reports, better than the sounds of
a joyful bride. He had heard the Savior´s voice.

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly
because of the bridegroom´s voice: this my joy therefore is
fulfilled" (John 3:29).

John tasted of the greatest joy a follower of Jesus can know. He
said, "I stood still and I heard Him talk to me. His voice made my
heart leap as He talked to me personally. I listened to my Lord.
And that´s my joy-just hearing His voice."

John could say, "I loved Him and worshiped at His feet. I told Him
how unworthy I was. My joy, however, is not in what I said to Him
but in what He said to me. I heard Him speak and I rejoice just in
the sound of that voice."

Some people teach that the Lord no longer speaks to men except
through the revealed Word. They cannot believe men can be
directed and blessed by hearing that still small voice today.

Jesus said, "My sheep know My voice; they hear when I call and
another they will not hear." But nowadays we are afraid of all the
abuses, even though they are not God´s fault. Every fake vision,
bogus prophecy, false leading is a direct result of man´s own
pride and self-will. Man abuses every gift of God. Nevertheless,
He still speaks directly to the hearts of those willing to hear.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

"Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7).

-Original source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24879

Rabu, 30 Oktober 2013

PROPHETIC WORD from 50 YEARS AGO

PROPHETIC WORD from 50 YEARS AGO
by A.W. Tozer
   
"Let me go out on a limb a little bit and prophesy. I see the time
coming when all the holy men whose eyes have been opened by
the Holy Spirit will desert worldly Evangelicalism, one by one.
The house will be left desolate and there will not be a man of God,
a man in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, left among them.

I hear Jesus saying...Mat 23:37-38: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the
one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her,
how often would I have gathered your children together, even as
a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Behold, your house is left to you desolate"

As the Church now stands, the man who sees this condition of
worldly evangelicalism is written off as somewhat fanatical. But
the day is coming when the house will be left desolate and there
will not be a man of God among them. I would like to live long
enough to watch this develop and see how things turn out. I would
like to live to see the time when the men and woman of God - holy,
separated and spiritually enlightened - walk out of the evangelical
church and form a group of their own; when they get off the sinking
ship and let her go down in the brackish and worldliness and form
a new ark to ride out the storm."

PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Source-

www.sermonindex.net

Minggu, 27 Oktober 2013

JOHN MACARTHUR: GRACE to YOU TOO

JOHN MACARTHUR: GRACE to YOU TOO
by J. Lee Grady

Fundamentalist pastor John MacArthur is a gifted preacher, author
and lover of Scripture. His Grace to You radio program points
countless people to the Bible, and his Master's Seminary trains
hundreds of ministry leaders. He´s a staunch Calvinist, but that
doesn´t make him any less my brother in Christ.

Unfortunately, MacArthur can´t say the same about me-and
that´s sad. In his new book Strange Fire, he declares in no uncertain
terms that anyone who embraces any form of charismatic or
Pentecostal theology does not worship the true God.

My brother in Christ has written me off.

In John MacArthur´s rigid world, anybody who has sought prayer
for healing, claimed a miracle, received a prayer language, prophesied,
sensed God speaking to them, felt God´s presence in an emotional
way or fallen down on the floor after receiving prayer has already
stepped out of the bounds of orthodoxy.

MacArthur says charismatics think they worship God but that
actually we are worshipping a golden calf. "Every day millions of
charismatics offer praise to a patently false image of the  Holy
Spirit," MacArthur says early in the book. "No other movement
has done more damage to the cause of the gospel."

He doesn´t just write off fringe elements of our movement; he
skewers the original founders of Pentecostalism and even goes
after Baptist author Henry Blackaby for teaching that God can
speak to people today.

MacArthur, who is 74, urges evangelical Christians to engage in
a "collective war" to stop the spread of the charismatic movement,
which he describes as a "deadly virus," a "deviant mutation of the
truth" and a "Trojan horse" that has infiltrated mainstream
Christianity. MacArthur writes, "Charismatic theology has turned
the evangelical church into a cesspool of error and a breeding
ground for false teachers."

No one familiar with MacArthur is surprised by Strange Fire, since
it is really a rehashed version of his 1993 book Charismatic Chaos.
Unfortunately, some charismatics have given MacArthur plenty of
new ammunition to support his case that we are all a bunch of
sleazy con artists and spiritual bimbos. Our movement is new and
fraught with problems, so MacArthur doesn´t have to look hard to
find examples of troublesome doctrine. But instead of offering
fatherly correction, he pulls out his sword and hacks away.

I´m no five-point Calvinist, but I will make five points here in response
to MacArthur´s book:

1. Not all charismatics and Pentecostals have embraced errors or
excesses. To MacArthur´s credit, he quotes charismatic leaders
who have addressed legitimate abuses and errors in our movement.
But then he writes us off with a broad brush. Actually, the majority
of our movement is not in error, even though we all know of doctrines
and practices that need correction. There are millions of healthy
charismatic and Pentecostal churches around the world that are
winning the lost, launching missionary endeavors and helping the
poor. And charismatics and Pentecostals are fueling the global
growth of Christianity-even with our flaws.

2. We must leave room for the present-day power of God. MacArthur
believes God´s miracle-working power stopped around 100 A.D.
He says healing, tongues, prophecy, visions and other supernatural
manifestations described in the New Testament don´t work today.
MacArthur is particularly irked that charismatics emphasize
speaking in tongues (which he calls "gibberish"); he also complains
that we have a "perverse obsession with physical health" (in other
words, if you get sick, just accept it because God doesn´t heal
anymore). But the New Testament doesn´t tell us that heaven
flipped a switch and turned off the Spirit´s power. That is
MacArthur´s opinion, not a biblical doctrine.

3. The church needs a fresh emphasis on the Holy Spirit.
MacArthur says charismatics are guilty of an unhealthy focus
on the Holy Spirit. He claims that the Spirit points only to Jesus
and that we shouldn´t seek the Spirit´s power or presence because
He likes to stay in the background. My question: If that is true,
why did Jesus teach so much about the Holy Spirit? And why is
the Spirit´s powerful work so clearly highlighted in the book of
Acts and the epistles? It´s true that the Spirit wants all the credit
to go to Jesus, but we are making a huge mistake if we ignore
the Spirit or limit His power. The church today needs God´s power
like never before.

4. There is a difference between biblical correction and judgmentalism.
Anyone who reads this column knows I speak out regularly about
whacky practices in our movement-from prosperity doctrines to
necromancy to adulterous pastors who say God told them to divorce
one wife so they could marry another. I believe we must address
sin in the camp. But there is a difference between confronting
specific sins and condemning a whole movement to hell. John
MacArthur´s book has crossed that line.

5. We should love MacArthur anyway. Strange Fire lists numerous
ways charismatics are misusing or abusing the Holy Spirit, in
MacArthur´s view. But he forgets to mention that one of the
important works of the Holy Spirit is to unify and connect the
Christian community in deep fellowship. The New Testament
urges us to "preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(Eph. 4:3, NASB), and we are also told that love is part of the
fruit of the Holy Spirit. But Strange Fire was not written out of a
heart of love.

Still, there is no need to retaliate against MacArthur. He is our
brother because we all believe in and worship the same Savior.
The best thing we can do in response to this extremely unkind
book is to love our brother in spite of his unfortunate bias against us.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

Rabu, 23 Oktober 2013

IN TIMES of DISCOURAGEMENT

IN TIMES of DISCOURAGEMENT
by David Wilkerson

The first thing the Holy Spirit often does in times of discouragement
is bring to your remembrance the precious promises of Jesus. He
has done this with me as He flooded my soul with promises from
God's Word. "Your life isn't over," He assured me. "You don't know
it, but the best is still ahead of you." The work of the Holy Spirit is
to undo the lies of the enemy and bring encouragement from on high!

Multitudes of Christians enter God's presence every day expecting
to be reproved by Him. How that must grieve our Lord. When we go
to prayer, we ought to be prepared to hear a good word from our
loving Father. For years every time I entered my prayer closet, I
expected to hear a rebuke from the Lord. Thank God, He has
taught me a better way.

On the other hand, there are entire denominations that avoid any
mention of holy reproof. They say very little about sin because they
want to preach only positive, upbeat messages. In the process,
they ignore all the convicting, life-giving reproofs spoken by Christ
and the New Testament writers. Such churches claim to preach a
gospel of love, mercy and grace. But, sadly, they misuse God's
grace, turning it into a license to sin.

I realize I am not writing this message to that kind of people.
Rather, I'm speaking to overcoming Christians who avoid sin as
one way of loving the Lord. I'm speaking to those who enjoy
intimacy with Christ because they hunger and thirst for Him
constantly. If this describes you, and you're downcast and
depressed, please know it is happening because you are under
attack for loving Jesus!

Be assured that all who wait on the Lord will receive His glorious promises:

"Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived
by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what
he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isaiah 64:4).

"As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

-Source - http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24992

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserved. PO Box 260, Lindale,
TX 75771-0260, (903) 963-8626.

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"Beloved, God is not a cosmic vending machine!" - Ron Hembree

"I was invited to a gathering one time, where their brochure
announced there would be a worship leader demonstrating radical
worship... the term "radical worship" did cause me to think of a
couple of instances in the Bible which I would describe as being
radical worship. Job, a righteous man, afflicted by Satan with
God´s permission so that he lost almost everything, and was
afflicted with a very severe skin disease and sat in a pile of
ashes, worshipping God. I would call that very radical."
-George H. Warnock

"You dedicate and then God consecrates." - Keith Daniel

"Men tell us they were thrilled when John Hyde prayed. They were
stirred to their inmost being when he just pleaded the name "Jesus!
Jesus! Jesus!" and a baptisim of love and power came upon them.
But it was not John Hyde: it was the Holy Spirit of God whom one
consecrated man, filled with that Spirit, brought down upon all
around him. May we not all become "Praying Hydes"?'
- Anonymous

"If no immediate choice has to be made, one should wait. The Lord
orders our stops as well as our steps. When the time comes that
a decision must be made, one can proceed in the direction that
seems best. As you conscientiously seek His guidance, He will
not let you make a wrong choice." - George Mueller

"A soul-winner can do nothing without God. He must cast himself
on the Invisible, or be a laughing-stock to the devil, who regards
with utter disdain all who think to subdue human nature with mere
words and arguments."
- Charles Spurgeon

A LESSON on LISTENING

A LESSON on LISTENING
by David Wilkerson

God had to teach Elijah a lesson on listening so He took him to
the top of Mr. Horeb and gave him an illustrated sermon.

"And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.
And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent
the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but
the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake;
but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake
a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still
small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped
his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in
of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said,
What doest thou here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13).

When that wind began to howl, I think Elijah thought, "It´s about
time, Lord. Blow Jezebel right off her throne and throw her and
her sinner friends to the winds. Blow them all away!" But God was
not in the wind!

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake and Elijah said, "That
ought to scare them good. God will get even. He will shake them
right out of their shoes." But God was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake, a fire! The heavens were aglow with white-
hot flames! Elijah said in his heart, "Lord, they didn´t accept the
fire that fell on the altar so burn them out! Burn out wicked Ahab!
Fry Jezebel. Cause your fire to consume the wicked." But God
was not in the fire!

"And after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah
heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle" (verses 12 and 13).

Can you imagine this? A prophet who was not afraid of a hurricane
or an earthquake or heavenly fireworks is frightened by a still small
voice! Elijah covered his head with his coat. Why? Had not this
prophet talked to God many times? Was he not a great man of
prayer? Hadn´t God used him mightily? Yes! But Elijah was a
stranger to the still small voice! When he finally allowed that voice
to speak-alone, quiet, away from all the power displays-he got
the most specific directions in all his ministry.

"Go to the wilderness of Damascus; anoint Hazael king over Syria;
anoint Jehu king over Israel; and anoint Elisha to be the prophet
to follow you" (see 1 Kings 19:15-16).

How many busy children of God today have never had the voice
come to them? They are busy witnessing-doing good-praying
for a spiritual awakening-fasting. So intense-so dedicated. Yet,
they have heard everything but the voice of the Lord.

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24387

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserved. PO Box 260, Lindale,
TX 75771-0260, (903) 963-8626.

DENYING THIS KEY TRUTH

ANDREW's NOTE:  I so agree with the major point made by John
Anderson below. Would appreciate your comments, my friends.

DENYING THIS KEY TRUTH - The One Huge Lie
by John Anderson

Lee Grady's article is tremendous. However, the four flaws he
mentions are not the beginning of the problem; they are rooted in
a flawed message which is in turn rooted in a flawed, distorted
view of the holy God.

Distortion of God's character was the essence of the temptations
in the Garden of  Eden, as with deadly subtlety the enemy of God
lured Eve toward sin by stripping God first of His Integrity --- by
casting doubt on His truthfulness: "Has God said that you should
not eat..."; and then stripping Him of His Justice --- by denying the
truth that God would judge: "You shall not surely die..."

Beginning with God's warning to Adam and Eve that if they ate of
the forbidden fruit they would die, the stern but vital truth in Scripture
is that the God of Justice says every evildoer is under His wrath
(John 3:36);  and unless he or she repents and receives forgiveness
and cleansing made possible through His Son's shed blood on the
Cross, they face eternal damnation in hell.

Today's visible church  has made an art form of dodging the
inconvenient Scriptural truth that God clearly says the wicked are
under His wrath, preferring to market God in more appealing ways
by ignoring or downplaying His judgment. So we've happily replaced
the true gospel with all kinds of seeker friendly pseudo-gospels
focused on prosperity, success, self-image, motivation and how
to have a good sex life. All this revealing of course that today's
visible church, like Eve, has been seduced to buy into Satan's
distortion of God's character.

The point here is that the consequence of the distorted view of
God and His message so popularized today is that it produces
a professed, likely self-deceived preacher whose ministry is not
marked by brokenness, humility, and servanthood; but is marked
by the frauds of ministry Lee Grady cited:  charlatanism, entitlement,
arrogance (this should head the list), and professionalism. 

The true minister of God is marked by brokenness before the Lord,
humility and a servant's heart whose desire is to please the Lord
and proclaim His Word. Such ministers do not play to celebrity,
nor need strobe lights, fog machines, armor-bearers, special
treatment, rock bands and other evidences of today's god who 
doesn't judge.

Thank you Lee Grady. As you said:  "Let's become leaders who
act like Jesus."

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

Rabu, 16 Oktober 2013

FOUR FATAL FLAWS that RUIN MINISTRIES

FOUR FATAL FLAWS that RUIN MINISTRIES
by J. Lee Grady

Our movement began unraveling a few years ago because of flawed
leadership. We will not recover until we clean up our act.

I spend a lot of time investing in young leaders-and I constantly
urge them to learn from the mistakes we made in the previous
move of God. I appreciate the positive things the Holy Spirit did
during the charismatic movement, but we made a mess because
we didn´t lead with integrity.

The apostle Paul gave us a crash course in leadership in his
second letter to the Corinthians. While studying that epistle
recently, I identified four of the biggest mistakes we made during
the charismatic revival. I pray we've learned our lesson so we can
avoid these flaws in the next season.

1. Charlatanism. We charismatics lost our credibility during the
past 30 years because certain greedy preachers manipulated their
audiences to pad their own pockets. Just as a little leaven spreads
to the whole lump of dough, the charlatans ruined it for all of us.

The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, "For we are not like many,
peddling the Word of God" (2 Cor. 2:17, NASB). The Greek word
for peddling, kapeleuo, means "to make money by selling; to
corrupt; to get gain by teaching divine truth." How many well-known
charismatic preachers started out well but ended up as pitiful
peddlers, begging for dollars to pay for luxury cars and mansions
they felt they needed to prove their importance? (And now some
of these guys have their own reality show, The Preachers of L.A.,
which airs in October and features Noel Jones and Clarence
McClendon.)

2. Entitlement. Paul continually reminded the Corinthians that he
was a servant: "For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus
as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus´ sake"
(2 Cor. 4:5). Servanthood is the most fundamental requirement for
any leader. Yet in our movement, we celebrated the opposite
attitude by allowing leaders with out-of-control egos to demand
special treatment.

I know of one conference speaker who routinely sends a 23-page
list of requirements to churches that want her to speak! In the past,
some charismatic preachers have demanded shopping money (in
addition to their honorariums) and luxury accommodations; others
insist they can´t travel without their "armor bearer"-basically a
minion who carries a preacher´s briefcase, handkerchief and water
bottle to make him look important.

News flash! Paul did not have an armor bearer, and he would have
rebuked any minister who insists on acting like a fat cat.

3. Arrogance. The apostle Paul modeled teamwork. When he went
to Corinth, Thessalonica or Crete, it was not The Paul Show. He
traveled with Luke, Silas, Timothy and many others. He told the
Corinthians, "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among
you" (2 Cor. 8:23)-and Paul exhorted the church to view Titus with
the same respect they showed him.

Yet in our movement, we put men on pedestals and under spot-
lights. We created a culture of preacher worship. Leaders began
using titles. Then came the limousines and private jets. Some high-
profile speakers went so far as to promote the use of bodyguards.
And I know of at least one preacher who demanded that a church
fly special beef to his hotel so he could have the steak he required.
Pride turns men of God into monsters.

4. Professionalism. Somebody got the bright idea a few years ago
that churches should be managed like businesses. So pastors
became CEOs, and ministry was put on an assembly line.
Congregations became franchises competing with each other to
see who could offer the coolest music, the hippest sermons and
the best lobby coffee bar. But a funny thing happened on the way
to the megachurch: We lost the relational touch.

I´m not against big churches, cool music or coffee bars. But my
fear is that leaders today might assume they can buy success by
copying the style of this month´s most popular rock-star preacher.
I don´t care if you have strobe lights, fog machines, killer musicians
and a home-run sermon every week. If people don´t see true
brokenness in the pulpit and experience real pastoral care, they
will never grow into disciples. Shallow, professional leaders
produce shallow Christianity.

Leaders must be real. Our ministry must flow out of passionate
love for God and genuine love for people. The apostle Paul never
wore a mask. He was touchable and affectionate. He never went
through the motions. He was broken. He knew he was nothing
apart from Jesus. He told the Corinthians, "Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of
Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor. 12:9).

Paul told the Corinthians he was careful not to offend in any area
"so that the ministry will not be discredited" (2 Cor. 6:3). I wish we
had been that careful to guard what God gave us in the charismatic
revival. Our flaws have grieved the Holy Spirit. Let´s trade in
charlatanism for financial integrity; entitlement for servanthood;
the celebrity syndrome for teamwork; and professionalism for
touchable authenticity. Let´s become leaders who act like Jesus.

-Source-

http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/18703

Selasa, 01 Oktober 2013

WITH ALL Their HEART


 
WITH ALL Their HEART
by David Wilkerson

God makes certain, special promises to those who determine to
seek Him with all their hearts. One such promise is a covenant
of His presence.

However, this covenant is strictly conditional. Scripture makes it
clear that if we abide by the rule of this covenant, we will enjoy
the incredible blessing of God's presence in our lives. And this
does not refer only to issues of salvation. It speaks of being such
seekers after God that His awesome presence is poured out on
us and it is seen and known by all.

God revealed this covenant of His presence through an unnamed
prophet who delivered a message to Eli, the high priest of Israel.
At the time, Eli was backslidden. The Lord had been speaking to
him, warning him against allowing sin and compromise. But Eli
had ignored all of God's words. Now this unnamed prophet said
to Eli, "The Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house,
and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but
now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I
will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed"
(I Samuel 2:30).

The phrase "lightly esteemed" has to do with the lifting of God´s
presence. This does not mean a person is damned, but rather
that he will have to walk in the power of his own flesh. God was
telling Eli, "I intended to bless your house, to favor you. But you
have scorned me, becoming soft on sin and allowing your lusts
to push me aside. Now I will take My presence from you."

Many people come to Christ with a great, initial burst of faith. Yet
over time their zeal wears thin, and they begin to neglect the Lord.
They "lightly esteem" His commands and turn back to their old,
sinful ways. Yet they still believe God's presence remains with
them. But that is a lie, a delusion. The Bible makes it clear that
if you forsake Him, He will forsake you!

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24360

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserved. PO Box 260, Lindale,
TX 75771-0260, (903) 963-8626.

Minggu, 29 September 2013

THAT I Might KNOW HIM

THAT I Might KNOW HIM
by David Wilkerson

God gave Moses a frightening directive: "Depart, and go up hence,
thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of
Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and
to Jacob, saying, Unto they seed will I give it: and I will send an
angel before thee . . . for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for
thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way"
(Exodus 33:1-3).

The people of God had spun completely out of control because of
lust and idolatry (Exodus 32:25). Gold had become their god.
They wanted to dance, play and follow their lustful appetites.
Only the sons of Levi stood up for the holiness of God.

Then followed the dreaded revelation that the Lord had removed
Himself from them; He had departed lest He slay them. But still
they were commanded to move on to claim their inheritance.
God said, "I will give you what I promised." They could claim all
their rights and His protection but not His presence.

Today we are seeing the sad spectacle of multitudes of God's
people moving on in their religious quest for promised rights,
boasting of angelic help against enemies, but having no holy,
awesome, convicting presence of Christ in them.

What could be worse than hearing the Lord command them to
go up to a land flowing with milk and honey and yet say that He
would not go up with them (see Exodus 33:3)? God said to them,
"You are an obstinate people. If I should go up in your midst for
one moment, I would destroy you" (see Exodus 33:5).

Moses wanted something greater than a land flowing with milk
and honey. He wanted to know and experience the Lord's
presence. He prayed, "Thou hast said, I know thee by name,
and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray
thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way,
that I may know thee" (Exodus 33:12-13).

No wonder this precious servant of God convicted his generation!
No wonder there was so much glory in his face. He wanted only
to know the Lord. The only favor he wanted was the abiding
presence of his Lord. So it was with Paul, whose heart cried out,
"Oh, that I might know Him!" (see Philippians 3:10).

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24323

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserved. PO Box 260, Lindale,
TX 75771-0260, (903) 963-8626.

Kamis, 19 September 2013

More GREAT QUOTES -Sermonindex

More GREAT QUOTES
-Sermonindex

"The average Christian is so cold and contented with his wretched
condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed
Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness."
-A.W. Tozer

"A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant." -
Stephen Charnock

"No man is ever fully accepted until he has, first of all, been
utterly rejected." - Author unknown

"We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too."
-John Calvin

"The secret of following God's will is wrapped in rejecting the good
for God's best."
- K.P. Yohannan

THE LONELINESS of THE CHRISTIAN

THE LONELINESS of THE CHRISTIAN
by A.W. Tozer

The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in
an ungodly world,
a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good
Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world.
  
His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of
his kind,
others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his
absorptions in the love of Christ;
and because with his circle of friends there are few who share his
inner experiences, he's forced to walk alone.
  
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding
caused them to cry out in their complaint,
and even our Lord himself suffered in the  same way.  

The man (or woman) who has passed on into the divine Presence
in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him.
He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme
object of his interest,
so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious
shoptalk.   
For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious,
so he is avoided,
and the gulf between him and society widens.

He searches for the friends upon whose garments he can detect
the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces,
and finding few or none, he, like Mary of old, keeps these things
in his heart.   

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His
inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God
what he can find nowhere else.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

A REVIVAL of CLEANSING

A REVIVAL of CLEANSING
by David Wilkerson

All the prophets saw the end times and prophesied of the gathering
of a separated, holy people who would have great understanding
in the Word of the Lord. Daniel heard great things from God but
"understood not" (Daniel 12:8). However, he saw a day coming
when a purified, tried and tested remnant would understand; there
would be a last-day company full of wisdom and discernment in
the things of God. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and
tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked
shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10).

Isaiah deplored the spiritual blindness of backslidden Israel. He
said, "They err in vision, they stumble in judgment" (Isaiah 28:7).
The little discernment they once had was destroyed by their lusts.
But Isaiah prophesied of a day in which "the deaf [shall] hear the
words . . . the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out
of darkness. . . . They shall sanctify my name . . . and shall fear
the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to
understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine"
(Isaiah 29:18, 23-24).

I believe the last-day revival so many preach about is a revival of
cleansing. If the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of
sin, righteousness and judgment, then it is certain that in a great
Holy Ghost outpouring there will be powerful waves of conviction,
and a careless, indulgent Church will be shaken and forced to
face her sins.

While multitudes of Christians chase after signs and miracles and
flock to teachers of success and prosperity, God has been calling
out a "wilderness people" who are consumed with hunger for more
of Christ.

Right now a glorious company is coming forth! One day God began
to stir their hearts and they became disillusioned with all the
hypocrisy and shame. They got into the Word of God and saw for
themselves what His ultimate purposes are. They put on Christ's
robe of righteousness by faith, submitted to the claims of Christ,
and decided to walk alone, if necessary, to be wholly obedient to
Him. They set themselves to hear and understand the Lord's will.
They began to see things in the Spirit and were made to understand
that the end of all things is at hand. To these, the Word of the Lord
has come!

"Christ is coming! Repent, for the day of the Lord is near! Lay aside
every besetting sin and set your affection on things above! Do not
partake in the empires and dreams of men. Forsake it all and go
out to meet Him." That word is being proclaimed loud and clear!

-Original source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24319

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserved. PO Box 260, Lindale,
TX 75771-0260, (903) 963-8626.

More GREAT QUOTES

More GREAT QUOTES
-Sermonindex.

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than
going to the  garage makes you a car."
--Laurence J. Peter

"The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying.
He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and
prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom,
but trembles when we pray."
--Samuel Chadwick

'It was not John Hyde: it was the Holy Spirit of God whom one
consecrated man, filled with that Spirit, brought down upon all
around him. May we not all become "Praying Hydes"?'
- Anonymous

'We rush unthinkingly and unpreparedly into God's presence,
without realizing the majesty and glory of the God whom we are
approaching, and without reflecting upon the exceeding great
riches of his glory in Christ Jesus, which we hope to draw upon?
We must 'think magnificently of God.'" - Anonymous

"You dedicate and then God consecrates." - Keith Daniel

"The history of God's specific movements with the Church is not
the history of His adding something, but of His bringing back to
the primal fullness with which He filled His Son."
-T. Austin Sparks

Rabu, 11 September 2013

VIDEOS OF THE END??

VIDEOS OF THE END?? - Take A Look!

In the last three years we have had asteroid strikes, record floods,
massive earthquakes and tornadoes, megafires, tsunamis, record
storms and droughts, sinkholes, mass animal die-offs and every
other disaster imaginable. When you look at these stunning videos
and see them one after the other, it certainly makes you think.
Take a look, at our website below-

http://www.revivalschool.com/


God bless you all.

Jumat, 06 September 2013

MICAH´s PROPHECY

MICAH´s PROPHECY
by David Wilkerson

Micah was a prophet who saw the church through God's eyes, and
it caused his soul to wail and lament! He was seeing in the Spirit
what God saw-the deep, hideous sins of the people, of shepherds
and leaders. He saw idolatry! A harlot church making a harlot's wages.

"Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked. . . .
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come
unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem" (Micah 1:8-9).

Listen to Micah's lament: "Evil came down from the Lord unto the
gate of Jerusalem. . . . For the transgressions of Israel were found
in thee" (Micah 1:12-13).

Micah saw an incurable disease among God's people and an
inescapable judgment. Look at what God calls rebellion and see
the cause of His controversy with them:
1.A new scheme of covetousness concocted by mercenary
servants of God, having to do with money, property, success.
2.An emphasis on self: "Woe to those that devise iniquity . . .
because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields . . .
and houses, and take them away: so they oppress [my people]"
(Micah 2:1-2).
3.Rejection of the prophet's warnings and telling the people that
judgment preaching is not of God, that it is contrary to His
character! "Prophesy ye not . . . Is the Spirit of the Lord
[impatient]?" (Micah 2:6-7).

The false prophets and robbing shepherds told Micah to shut up!
"Don't preach so much judgment! We are God's people; He loves
us. There will be no judgment on us." The literal interpretation
means, "Drop it! Drop this message of judgment on God's people!
Stop reproaching good people! This is not of God."

But listen to Micah's answer! "Say they to them that prophesy:
they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame"
(Micah 2:6). In other words, if this message is not preached, the
reproach of this place will never be turned back. "Do not my words
do good to him that walketh uprightly?" (Micah 2:7).

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/24037

© 2012 World Challenge. All rights reserv

Kamis, 05 September 2013

JONATHAN GOFORTH - Revivalist in China!

JONATHAN GOFORTH - Revivalist in China!
by David Smithers     

"You must go forward on your knees," was the advice
Hudson Taylor gave to a young Canadian missionary named
Jonathan Goforth. Mr. Goforth faithfully and fervently followed this
advice throughout all has missionary endeavors in China. Yet,
after thirteen years of faithful praying and preaching, and what
most would consider a very successful ministry, Goforth became
restless and dissatisfied. It was at this time an unknown party
from England began sending pamphlets on the Welsh revival of
1904. Goforth was deeply stirred as he read these accounts. "A
new thought, a new conception seemed to come to him of God
the Holy Spirit..." He then gave himself to much more prayer
and Bible study. Goforth now found himself being driven by a
fresh vision, a vision for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Soon he began to meet daily with other missionaries to pray for
revival. These men vowed to God and to one another that they
would pray until revival came to China. In 1908 Jonathan Goforth's
prayers and dreams began to be realized. Goforth began going to
different missionary stations and simply led his fellow missionaries
in prayer. Then suddenly earnest prayer gave way to the open
confession of sin.

It was when the Christians came clean, confessed and forsook
their secret sin, that the Holy Spirit rushed in like a mighty wind.
Truly it was this open and honest confession of sin that was the
most striking feature of the revival. Everywhere Mr. Goforth went
revival would spread, and almost always in the same way. First
prayer was encourage among the Christians, which then
spontaneously led to heart- breaking confessions of sin. And
then like a flood, the lost were brought into the kingdom by the
thousands. "Men were searched as with fire." One after another
broken-hearted believers emptied themselves through the
uncovering of all secret sin. Mr. Goforth clearly identified
unconfessed sin among Christians as a major hindrance to
God-sent revival.

Walter Phillips describes for us one of Mr. Goforth's revival
meetings: "At once, on entering the church one was conscious
of something unusual. The place was crowded to the door and
tense, reverent attention sat on every face. The people knelt for
prayer, silent at first, but soon one here and another there began
to pray aloud. The voices grew and gathered volume and blended
into a great wave of united supplication that swelled until it was
almost a roar. Now I understood why the floor was so wet - the
very air was electric and strange thrills coarsed up and down
ones body."

When Mr. Goforth preached, "The cross burned like a living fire in
the heart of every address." It was the person of Jesus Christ who
was exalted throughout the entire revival as a King and Savior
who must be reckoned with. In the midst of this great revival
Jonathan Goforth clearly saw that all of his previous sweating
and striving had reaped only frustration. He came to the firm
conviction that revival is only born through humility, faith, prayer
and the power of the Holy Ghost. Goforth writes, "If revival is
being withheld from us it is because some idol remains still
enthroned; because we still insist in placing our reliance in
human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchange-
able truth that 'It is not by might, but by My Spirit.'" 

-Source-

watchword.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25

TRANSCENDING the CULT OF "NICE"

TRANSCENDING the CULT OF "NICE"
by Kevin Kleint

Sometimes I think that one of the reasons why Jesus chose
fishermen to be in His group of disciples was because of their
"thick skin". Jesus knew that He needed people who could handle
the Truth, even if it was a discomfort to their flesh.

Think about it .... Jesus said "Get behind me, Satan!" to Peter!
Did Pete get emotionally devastated and go into a corner and
pout? No, Peter still followed Him. Why? Because Jesus had the
Words of Life!

How would you react if someone called you a devil?

Prizing Truth

At some point, in our Walk with God, we are going to have to
learn to prize His Truth over our feelings. The Word says:

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

This verse is an indictment against many who call themselves
"believers". Prizing "Truth" above all else at the End of the Age is
a deciding factor as to whether you "might be saved".

Strong Delusion

Consider this - if you find yourself cringing when someone tells
you the Truth of the Word, you don´t prize it. And, according to
2 Thessalonians, God Himself will send the delusion to you, and
you will be "damned". That´s not me speaking... that´s the Word!

But you see, a very large percentage of the modern day church
wants nothing to do with the Truth of the Word. Sure, they love to
hear about the Grace of God towards them as "sinners" ... and
they ABSOLUTELY ADORE the passages in the Word that
declare God´s undying love for them. But when you want to talk
about obedience to God´s commands, and how we can show our
love to HIM ... somehow the "lights" go out.

Romans 11:22
"Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those
who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in
His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."

The Truth About Loving God

Here is the Truth of the matter:

Our Love for God is defined by our obedience. Don´t tell me that
you love God, but find no obligation to obey His commands. If you
do, you´re a liar. Strong words? Yes they are, but it´s the Truth.

1 John 2:4
"He who says, `I know Him,´ and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."


I´m sure I´ll get a few emails/comments on this last bit, but I´ve
grown used to it. It seems like people just can´t handle the Truth
of the Word, unless it´s pre-packaged to suit their own personal
"glitches". This group of people I have dubbed "the Cult of `Nice´" -
and they are everywhere.

People who belong to the cult of Nice will compromise Truth in the
name of what they call "Love". They serve a frail Jesus who likes
to hold baby sheep under His arms. Remember the pictures of
Jesus that you grew up with in Sunday school? The Jesus that
was surrounded by little angels (that look like fat babies with
wings)?  Yeah... me too.

Hardly a picture of a Victorious King ... whose name IS the Word of God.

The Cult of "Nice"

With the Cult of Nice, it doesn´t really matter what you say.... as
long as it´s the Truth, it´s offensive. You could take good, solid
scriptural Truth, wrap it up in their favorite Christmas wrapping
paper, put a little bow on it, smile and then tell it to them in a
"whisper" ..... and they would still think you were being mean.
They want a "Nice" truth, custom fit to their own desires and perspectives.

Think about this ... if a message is molded and modified to suit
everyone´s personal idea of what "Truth" is, where could the Real
Truth reside?

Imperfect Delivery

Obviously, there is some perspective needed here. We shouldn´t
feel that we have the right to just walk around and tear apart
everything we see, especially when it comes to newborn believers.
But if you´ve been "in the Way" for awhile (and so many of us have),
you should welcome Truth in all it´s forms. It should be like music
to your ears! Sure, it´s not always pleasant and sometimes it´s
tainted with the perspectives of others. But honestly, if you´re a
mature believer, you should be able to discern what God is trying
to tell you, even if there is an "imperfect delivery."

This "christian sensitivity" is all done under the banner of "showing
the Love of God".

Saving Souls

The majority of the modern day church is sterile and ineffective
because we have bought into this lie that "showing the Love of
God" is an affectionate, altruistic act. This is why so many of our
churches are jumping on the bandwagon of the latest great "Cause".
Don´t get me wrong ... caring for the widow, orphan and those
less fortunate is a vital part of what we are to do as believers ...
but it should never, EVER replace the concern for lost souls.

And you can´t win the "lost" without telling them the Truth. Just
like you can´t stay "found" unless you embrace the Truth.

So, the next time you feel the need to tell someone something
that could be interpreted as harsh or mean, check with the Holy
Spirit first. Don´t beat them over the head with it just because
you are in a bad mood ... but at the same time, be faithful to God
to deliver His Word. Be like Jeremiah ... don´t be afraid of their
faces! (Jer. 1:8)

Those who belong to the cult of Nice are enslaved by the fear of
man. Let´s fear God ... His Words are forever.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Source-

honorofkings.org/transcending-cult-nice/

More GREAT QUOTES -Sermonindex.

More GREAT QUOTES
-Sermonindex.

"There is nothing little in God."
-C.H. Spurgeon

"I love to live on the brink of eternity."
-David Brainerd

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
-Corrie Ten Boom

"The best and sweetest flowers of Paradise God gives to his
people when they are upon their knees. Prayer is the gate of
heaven, a key to let us in to Paradise." - Thomas Brooks

"The only way to avoid cannon-shot is to fall down. No such way
to be freed from temptation as to keep low." - Thomas Brooks

"I said: "My darling I'm memorizing Acts Chapter 5, Ananias and
Sapphira" and she said: "What about that", I said: "Yes, they kept
back part of the price, and you remember what happened. God
struck them and they were dead." She said: "What do you think"
and I said: "Jannes(?) if we were living in Acts chapter 5 today,
there will be very few christians who will be alive" I'm afraid of the
presence of God."
-Gerhard DuToit.

Rabu, 04 September 2013

More GREAT QUOTES -Sermonindex

More GREAT QUOTES
-Sermonindex

"Speak every time my dear brother as if it were your last..."
- George Whitefield

"Some of the greatest satanic activity in the end times will take
place in the pulpit." - Dwight Pentecost

"We must go back to the doctrines. I fear that the new generation
does not know the doctrines as our fathers knew them."
-John A. Broadus

"Improve the present moment! Why delay?
Why wait tomorrow when you have today?"
- Author unknown

'To be "in the will of God" is not a matter of intellectual discernment,
but a state of heart.' - Oswald Chambers

"The more I read, the less I admire modern theology. the more I
study the productions of the new schools of theological teachers,
the more I marvel that men and women can be satisfied with
such writings. There is a vagueness, a mistiness, a shallowness,
an indistinctness, a superficiality, an aimlessness, a hollowness
about the literature of the 'broader and kinder systems', as they
are called, which to my mind stamps their origin on their face.
They are of the earth, earthy."
- J.C. Ryle

O.T. PROPHETS vs. N.T. PROPHETS - What´s the Difference?

NOTE:  Quite an insight by Kevin Kleint here. And when you think
about it, it really does make sense! We would be interested in
your comments on the article below, my friends-


O.T. PROPHETS vs. N.T. PROPHETS - What´s the Difference?
by Kevin Kleint

When I left the Elijah List, my understanding of prophecy and
prophets was, at best, skewed. I knew that prophets and prophecy
were real, and that the bible talked about prophets as one of the
"5-fold ministries". Still, I knew that the fruits of our modern day
"prophets" were NOT the fruits of righteousness and holiness,
but greed, lust and licentiousness.

One day, I asked in desperation, "God! Then how do I know a
True Prophet and True Prophecy??"

He replied, "Kevin ... READ THE PROPHETS!!"

The End of Confusion

Could it really be that simple? How is it that, in our quest for
understanding prophets and prophecy, we overlook about 1/3 (give
or take) of the bible? Did God know in advance that, in the latter
days, false prophecy would be so prevalent that His Children would
need a clear guide to discern false prophecy and true prophecy?

I know this will upset those of you who believe that there is a
difference between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament
prophecy, but the bottom line is... THERE ISN´T ANY DIFFERENCE!
You will not find anywhere in the bible where God says... "OK,
now you prophets who were before Jesus, this is how you should
prophesy. And you 5-fold ministry prophets .... you prophesy this
other way." It´s just not there.

Exposing Sin

God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, tells us a key
characteristic of a True Prophet:

Lamentations 2:14 AMP
"Your prophets have predicted for you falsehood and delusion and
foolish things; and they have not exposed your iniquity and guilt
to avert your captivity [by causing you to repent]. But they have
divined and declared to you false and deceptive prophecies,
worthless and misleading."

True Prophecy will expose sin for what it is .... an abomination in
the Eyes of God. True Prophecy will not play with sin. Sin
separates God from His Beloved Children and He hates it... yes,
He HATES sin. But it is because of God´s Love that He sends
true prophets to His people... to bring them to a place of repentance
so that the Divine relationship can be restored!

... They Would Have Turned

Are you still not convinced? Let´s try another verse:

Jeremiah 23:21-22 AMP
"I did not send these [false] prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak
to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My council,
then they would have caused My people to hear My words, then
they would have turned them [My people] from their evil way and
from the evil of their doings."

Funny ... where are the instructions on "soaking" or how to have
a "third heaven visitation"? Could it be that we´ve missed the
mark? I´m not saying certain supernatural events will not take
place in the life of a prophet ... but those times are usually a
result of consecration, service and sacrifice, not following the
latest "5 steps to a Heavenly Encounter".

New Testament Conviction .... by All

Am I coming across too legalistic? Am I ignoring "grace"? Doesn´t
the sacrifice of Jesus cover all those "doom `n gloom" messages?
Let´s look at prophecy in the new  Testament for a minute:

I Corinthians 14:23-25 NKJV
"Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all
speak with tongues, and there come in [those who are] uninformed
or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But
if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes
in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the
secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on [his]
face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you."

Wow! That almost sounds like the Old Testament! Have the modern
day "prophets" included this instruction in their "User-Friendly Prophecy"?

I challenge you to take your understanding of what a modern day
"prophet" is supposed to be and compare it to the Word of God.
God´s Prophets paid a price... they didn´t charge a fee.

Understand True Prophecy and you will Understand the Testimony
of Jesus.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Original Source-

honorofkings.org/old-new-testament-prophets/

Senin, 26 Agustus 2013

God's Hand at Work in North Korea



God's Hand at Work in North Korea

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) -- It began on a flight to Moscow.
Owen holds up his shofar in Pyongyang
While enroute to attend a conference with a contingent of Asian Market Place ministers, Owen Pomana, 42, an indigenous Maori from New Zealand, had a vision of a colored flag. The star stood out. When Pomana asked God what the star represented, he saw the letters NK.
One of the businessmen flying with Pomana was from South Korea, and Pomana shared the vision with him. It was then that Pomana said he had a strong feeling he was supposed to fly to North Korea to share God's Word and sound the shofar (trumpet) there.
Pomana's friend though it would be important for him to go to North Korea, so they prayed and committed the matter to the Lord.
However, a number of issues needed to fall into place for the trip to happen. Pomana said he wanted a scriptural confirmation, the right timing and the provision of the necessary finances.
Pomana said he knew the only way you can enter North Korea is by a tour; there is absolutely no other way to go. He found that a five day tour would cost 3200 dollars, a double entry visa 210 dollars, and a little other money for miscellaneous expenses.
The airline tickets cost about $3500.
Owen with his shofar besides a bewildered North Korean soldier in the DMZ
If God wanted Pomana in North Korea, the funds would have to be available in three weeks. That August tour date was the last one for the year.
Pomana said he had a real concern for imprisoned American Kenneth Bae, given a 15 year prison term, and that his going to North Korea could possibly make a difference for Bae in the spiritual realm. He said he felt the importance of him going on the tour was vital, because Bae had been locked up for a number of months, had lost a significant amount of weight and was quite sick.
Pomana said he received the confirmations for which he had been looking, a major one being that the necessary funds arrived within three weeks.
However, Pomana said, he continued to pray and meditate about his pending upcoming trip, as he wanted to make sure it was God's Will.
Kenneth Bae looking gaunt in a
North Korean prison
Pomana knew he had to believe that the North Korean authorities would not do an Internet search on him, because they would find numerous references to his Christian activities, including his comments about and concern for Bae.
Pomana's attention was drawn to John 13: 15. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Pomana said Bae had laid down his life for his friends and for his King, and was now separated from his wife and family. God was sending in a watchman "with the sound of the trumpet" (shofar), to affect the spiritual atmosphere over North Korea.
Owen plays the shofar over the North Korean capital, Pyongyang
Pomana's next challenge would be to get an Israeli shofar into China. He knew he would be faced with X-ray machines.
Pomana said God told him he needed to obtain a "bio security" certificate for the shofar, and change its description to a musical instrument. At what he felt was God's leading, Pomana also had the shofar carved with indigenous patterns so it appeared to have originated in New Zealand.
With his expenses paid and his visa in hand, Pomana set out on the first leg of his North Korean adventure.

Arriving in China, Pomana experienced his first miracle. He said when your bag goes through the X-ray machine, it stops for a few seconds so the official can see what you're carrying, but in his case the official looked away and his bag was cleared.

After staying a night in Beijing, Pomana arrived at the airport, where he met a couple of women. His New Zealand themed shirt was a point of interest, causing one of the women to say, "You're a Kiwi."
Pomana said that was indeed the case and the woman responded that she was also.
She asked Pomana why he was going to North Korea and he said if she could keep a secret, he would tell her. She said she could, so he told her he was going there to pray.
She responded, "We are too; we're prayer intercessors. God is sending us in to pray."
Owen, holding his shofar, pictured with a stern-faced North Korean soldier
Understandably amazed, Pomana told her that he had a shofar in his luggage which he sounded wherever he went. He called it "releasing the sound of heaven."
He then asked the woman if she was familiar with the story of Kenneth Bae. She said she was, and that's why she was going.
Pomana said, "These women were fearless warriors for Christ, sent on mission too. We laughed and giggled like little children. We had the assurance there and then that we were in God's perfect will, and had been sent."
They all enjoyed coffee and lunch, while sharing stories of faith and courage together.
Finally they arrived in Pyongyang, to a strong military presence. Pomana said there were stern looks and guns. He immediately began to pray.
As his luggage went through the X-ray machine, Pomana again witnessed officials looking away for some unexplainable reason. The shofar remained safe.
Feeling a tangible presence of angels around him, Pomana knew that he was in the midst of something supernatural.
Arriving in his hotel room, Pomana sounded his shofar and "released the sound of heaven" over North Korea. He also verbalized scriptures.
Over the next four days, Pomana said he grew progressively bolder as he asked permission to play the shofar. He said, "I took it with me wherever I went. The minders were taking notes wherever (we went). They were keen to know what it was, but they didn't have a clue what it was. I showed them the indigenous carvings on it, and it seem to appease their questions."
Pomana took a trip to the DMZ, or the demilitarized zone between the North and South border.
At the top he took video, and asked if he could sound his shofar. He was given permission.
Owen displays his shofar in North Korea
Pomana said, "I sounded one long blast, the 'Tekiah.' The guard then lunged forward and said 'stop,' after he realized how loud it was. I had no doubt it was being heard by the South Korean Authorities, and all those cameras were recording."
Pomana added, "All the people on my tour and others had recorded possibly the first ever sounding of the shofar from Israel in the DPRK."
Over the next few days Pomana then sounded the shofar at a number of monuments in and around Pyongyang, as well as a number of other locations.
However, he said, the highlight of his trip was making a speech in Maori, which he knew North Korean officials wouldn't be able to translate. As a number of people gathered around, Pomana said he continued by declaring prophetically in Maori Christ's reign and kingship over the nation.
Reflecting back on the tour, Pomana said he realized he had been given incredible favor not just to share his culture, "but to carry the love from our nations and speak to the people and the land."
However, Pomana wondered if he might end up being taken away for questioning about his frequent use of the shofar and the significance behind it.
"Was there going to be a knock on the door and would I be taken away," Pomana asked himself. "I was prepared for the consequences of my actions, (and ready) to join my brother Kenneth Bae in prison, but I trusted in The Lord to deliver me from the hand of the enemy."
Arriving at the border of Dandong, China and North Korea there was a long wait. When the train stopped, machine gun toting soldiers accompanied by German Shepherds wanted to inspect passports and look through bags. In addition, they checked iPads and cameras.
Pomana said, "Two hours of waiting seemed a long time. This was yet another time of intense prayer. Just over the bridge was freedom. Then finally passports were given back, and the train proceeded to deliver me into freedom, away from the confines of a culture willing to die for their supreme leader, Kim Jong Un."
To his supporters who made the trip possible Pomana said, "I want to thank you all for standing with me in prayer, for sowing finances, and for believing in me. I love you all dearly, and the memory of this trip I will never forget."
Pomana said he now wants to share his experiences with as many people as possible, and actively pursue Bae's release in whatever way God allows.
If you would like to contact Owen Pomana, please e-mail him at: owen1971pomana@gmail.com
Also, you can view some of his videos in North Korea at:

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