A CHRISTLESS PENTECOST!!

A CHRISTLESS PENTECOST!!
by David Wilkerson

The following is a prophetic warning from Azusa Street 75 years
ago, concerning the dangers of a Chrisiless Pentecost!

Frank Bartleman was an eyewitness to the out-pouring of the
Holy Spirit in 1907 at Azusa Street, Los Angeles. He has been
characterized as the Reporter of the Azusa Street Revival. Nearly
75 years ago, during the outpouring, he wrote a tract warning of
a Christless Pentecost

He warned: "We may not hold a doctrine, or seek an experience,
except in Christ. Many are willing to seek power in order to
perform miracles, draw attention and adoration of the people to
themselves, thus robbing Christ of His glory, and making a fair
showing in the flesh. The greatest need would seem to be for
true followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Religious enthusiasm
easily goes to seed. The human spirit so predominates the show-
off, religious spirit. But we must stick to our text - Christ.

"Any work that exalts the Holy Ghost or 'gifts' above Jesus will
finally end up in fanaticism. Whatever causes us to exalt and love
Jesus is well and safe. The reverse will ruin all. The Holy Ghost is
a great light, but focused on Jesus always for His revealing.

"Where the Holy Ghost is actually in control, Jesus is proclaimed
the Head-the Holy Ghost, His executive."

In another place, Brother Bartleman warned:

"The temptation seems to be toward empty manifestations. This
does not require any particular cross, or death to the self-life.
Hence it is always popular.

"We may not put power, gifts, the Holy Ghost, or in fact anything
ahead of Jesus. Any mission that exalts even the Holy Ghost above
the Lord Jesus Christ is bound for the rocks of error and fanaticism.

"There seems to be a great danger of losing sight of the fact that
Jesus was 'all in all' The work of Calvary, the atonement, must be
the center for our consideration. The Holy Ghost will never draw
our attention from Christ to Himself, but rather reveal Christ in a
fuller way. We are in danger of slighting Jesus - getting Him 'lost
in the temple,' by the exaltation of the Holy Ghost and of the gifts
of the Spirit. Jesus must be the center of everything."

I do not take Brother Bartleman's warning lightly. The danger of
a Christless Pentecost is very real today. I say to you it is possible
to gather Spirit-filled people in one place, praising and lifting up
their hands - and still have Christ walking among them as a stranger!

It's true He said, "Where two or three have gathered together in My
name, there I am in their midst." (Matt. 18:20 NASB) But He can
be in our midst as a stranger! Ignored, unrecognized - even by those
who meet in His name! The Jews gathered every Sabbath in the
synagogue to speak of His name, and to prophesy of His coming.
They praised the name of the Father who promised to send Him.
They spoke the Messiah's name with awe and reverence. Then,
when He came and walked among them - He was not recognized!
He was a stranger to them!

Christ, a stranger in the midst of a Spirit-filled congregation? A
stranger in the midst of those who speak His name - who worship
the Father who sent Him? A stranger to those who sing His
hosannas, who call Him "Lord, Lord"?

Yes! Absolutely yes! It is not only possible - it is happening
among God's chosen people today!...

-Read the full article below-

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=3353

2003 IRAQ PROPHECY -Bryan Hupperts

NOTE:  A month before the US invasion of Iraq, Bryan Hupperts
from the USA released the following prophetic word, for which he
was mocked and heavily criticized - especially by Christians. We
published it at that time under the following heading-

"COULD IRAQ BECOME a TRAP?"

"To the President Of The United States"
-Bryan Hupperts  (Feb 3, 2003).

Dear Mr. President,
Nothing manmade has ever fallen such great heights, as did the
shattered remains of the Space Shuttle Columbia. In an instant,
7 explorers lost their lives in yet another American tragedy. Tears
are the deepest expression of prayer because sometimes there
are simply no words to express the grief... Have you considered
that the repeating tragedies that keep striking the USA are also
warnings of a great storm to come?

Mr. President, I ask you to weigh my words carefully. No
rational person disputes that Saddam Hussein is the bad guy.
Even Muslim leaders will quietly acknowledge that he needs
to be removed from power. Yet I fear our insurgence into Iraq
will end in the greatest of all American tragedies. Sir, you are
leading our country into a diabolically laid trap.

Look to the Columbia as a prophetic warning. Other nations
mock you calling you the Imperial President. If you will seek
God for wisdom to avoid this military conflict, they will revere
you instead as the Regal President. Hussein can be
successfully dealt with only if you and your counselors will
humble yourselves and seek God for wisdom. If we invade
Iraq, it will signal to terrorists around the globe that the West
has declared jihad on Islam and it will ignite a Third World War.

The Pharaoh of Egypt survived the coming famine because he
heeded a godly interpretation of his troubled dreams. Look to
his example and consider the fate of the USA. The Columbia,
a perfect picture of the heights that the USA has flown to,
exploded and rained down in fiery debris all over Palestine, TX.
We need not die so young nor so senselessly as a nation...

Mr. President, rightly did you quote Isaiah when you said,
"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens."  Yet nothing
manmade has ever fallen from such heights, as did the
Columbia. To openly invade Iraq will bring similar
consequences upon our own shores. Sir, do not leave a
Presidential legacy of, "Blood fire and vapor of smoke."
Heed the very public warning. Understand the sign in the
sky. Seek the Lord.  Thank you.  © 2003 Bryan Hupperts.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

"7 CHARISMATIC CHARACTERS Who SHOULDN'T BE on YOUR MINISTRY TEAM"

"7 CHARISMATIC CHARACTERS Who SHOULDN'T
BE on YOUR MINISTRY TEAM"
-by J. Lee Grady    

Have you encountered any spiritual flakes in your church?

When the Holy Spirit comes in His fullness, people receive
miraculous anointing, remarkable boldness, overflowing joy
and irresistible enthusiasm. Yet because we are all bent
toward sin and selfishness, many people who experience the
Holy Spirit's raw power sometimes also act weird. Their flesh
gets in the way, and they misuse the gifts of the Spirit.

I've seen this happen oftentimes during prayer ministry times
at a church altar. Because of poor training and a lack of mature
leadership, things can get wacky when people come to the front
of the auditorium for ministry. If this flakiness isn't immediately
corrected, visitors will stop coming and your church will get a
bad reputation.

Here are seven people you should never allow to be in a ministry
position in your church:

1. Bulldozer Bertha. If this woman decides to pray for you at the
altar, put one foot in front of the other, hold onto a chair and brace
yourself. She intends to push you to the floor, one way or another.
She's been told over and over that it is  rude-not to mention
dangerous-to push people during prayer. But she claims
"the Spirit" turns her into a samurai warrior when the anointing
comes on her.Steer clear. Bulldozer Bertha is an accident
waiting to happen.

2. Shonda Wanda. I appreciate the gift of speaking in tongues,
and there is a time and place for this gift in a church meeting.
But it is not appropriate for a person to scream in tongues while
they are ministering to someone at the altar. Shonda Wanda is
notorious for offending visitors by pummeling them with noisy
glossolalia. She should be reminded that seekers who come for
prayer should be treated with sensitivity and respect-and that
tongues is best reserved for private prayer times
(see 1 Corinthians 14:18-19).

3. Lascivious Larry. It is totally acceptable for people on a prayer
team to lay hands on those who are seeking healing or comfort.
But in this age of sexual perversion, some people are looking for
a cheap thrill, even in church. Prayer ministers should be
carefully trained on what kind of touch is appropriate during
ministry times. We must have a zero tolerance policy for those
who grope in the name of Jesus.

4. Freak-Out Frances. It's a fact: Some people just act plain
weird when they feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Some
shake, others vibrate, others shriek or make birthing noises.
I don't believe we should allow prayer ministers to carry on like
this at the altar. The people who are entrusted with the job of
praying for others should minister with gentleness and
self-control. You will scare and confuse people if you are
flailing your arms, jerking your torso or acting as if you have
a nervous tic while you pray for them. This kind of immature
behavior squelches the Holy Spirit.

5. Shrill Bill. The gift of prophecy can be a wonderful blessing-or
it can be a total turn-off when the person prophesying is out of
order. Nothing kills a church service like a prophet who sounds
like he is channeling a banshee. Those who desire to minister
in the gift of prophecy should learn to speak in a normal tone of
voice-and they should convey love and grace even when they
are passionate. Don't allow angry or bitter prophets to ruin
church for everyone else.

6. Slick Rick. I believe it is scriptural to anoint people with
oil when praying for healing (see James 5:14). But "anoint"
does not mean dousing a person with two quarts of scented
olive oil. I've seen some prayer ministers get so carried away
with the oil that the poor people they were praying for left the
church slimier than a pasta salad. A dab of anointing oil is
enough!

7. Groovy Greta. God has gifted certain people with grace in the
arts-whether it is  singing, songwriting, music or dance. But not
all artistic expression belongs in church, and not everyone who
thinks they are gifted should be given a platform. We've all been
in situations where someone performed an awkward
"praise dance" that should have been screened before it ended
up on the church's live webcast. Don't allow the holy worship of
God to be tainted by people who are selfishly seeking attention.

I believe we charismatics are entering a new season in which
God is raising the bar and calling us to a higher level of maturity.
We must put away "childish hings" (see 1 Cor. 13:11) and
embrace not only the Holy Spirit's gifts but His fruit as well. Let's
reject the flaky, the goofy and the weird and choose an
authentic spirituality that honors God and respects the people
we are called to reach for Christ.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

-Source-

http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/20608

"DEEP PLOUGHING"

"DEEP PLOUGHING"
by David Wilkerson

"Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee
to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

I do not agree with all of the Puritan writers´ doctrine, but I love
their emphasis on holiness. These godly preachers called their
sermons "deep ploughing." They believed they could not sow true
seeds of faith until the soil of their listeners´ hearts had been
deeply plowed.

The Puritans made sure their preaching went deep, cracking all
the fallow ground of their listeners´ souls. Their sermons produced
genuine repentance in their congregations and, in turn, over the
years this produced strong, mature, faithful Christians.

Today, however, most preaching is all sowing with no plowing. I
hear very few sermons nowadays that dig deeper than the topsoil.
Deep plowing does not just address the disease of sin; it digs
down to the very cause of the disease. Much of the preaching we
hear today focuses on the remedy while ignoring the disease. It
offers a prescription without providing surgery!

Sadly, we cause people to think they have been healed of sin
when they never knew they were sick. We put robes of righteous-
ness on them when they never knew they were naked. We urge
them to trust in Christ when they don´t even realize their need to
trust. Such people end up thinking, "It can´t hurt to add Jesus to my life."

C. H. Spurgeon, the powerful English preacher, said the following
about the need for repentance:

"I trust that sorrowful penitence does still exist, though I have not
heard much about it lately. People seem to jump into faith very
quickly nowadays. . . . I hope my old friend repentance is not
dead. I am desperately in love with repentance; it seems to be
the twin sister of faith.

"I do not myself understand much about dry-eyed faith; I know that
I came to Christ by the way of weeping-cross. . . . When I came
to Calvary by faith, it was with great weeping and supplication,
confessing my transgressions, and desiring to find salvation in
Jesus, and in Jesus only."

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/26771

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

SHOULD WE USE the MEDIA??

SHOULD WE USE the MEDIA??
by Marilena Fackerell

Our God is a God who says that in the last days we need to go
to the highways and byways and compel them all to come in.
What a better way to do it but through media.

You see, we did not believe that TV and media can be effective
either. Till God spoke to us and revolutionized our lives. He spoke
to us about the fact that He wants us to proclaim His deeds to
all people every day (Psalm 145). He said that the watchmen blow
the trumpet to warn a whole population at once of impending
danger and that's what TV does, reaches people all at once, faster
than one on one. The trumpet was simply ancient media technology,
a way to send a message, now we have airwaves, TV and internet.

He also told us that what we hear in the ear we need to proclaim
from rooftops. In jewish times the roof tops were the way to make
announcements. He is saying make a public announcement,
broadcast what I am telling you secretly in the ear. Proclaim
what I am teaching you to the  masses.

Media and TV is simply a bigger microphone that reaches more
people than just a few thousands in a church building and it
reaches behind closed doors to people who might not ever go to
a church or can't because of sickness. It reaches those who
would not open the door to you if you went to evangelize them
but they do turn the TV on. Movies are ways to capture the
imagination of people and make them live the truth you are trying
to present. That way the truth comes to life for them and there
are greater chances it will leave a more lasting impression.

All the sensory effects of sound, image, music produce greater
learning than just sound only. Many will stop for a movie but would
switch the channel if they saw a preacher. God is not bound by
just one method in how He works, just look at His creation and
you will see He is very creative, He will not limit Himself to only
one way of doing things so why should we limit Him?

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

CLASSIC WORDS from A.W. TOZER

CLASSIC WORDS from A.W. TOZER

[-From the foreword to the wonderful book 'Why Revival Tarries']-

Great industrial concerns have in their employ men who are needed only
when there is a breakdown somewhere. When something goes wrong with
the machinery, these men spring into action to locate and remove the
trouble and get the machinery rolling again.

For these men a smoothly operating system has no interest. They
are specialists concerned with trouble and how to find and correct it.

In the kingdom of God things are not too different. God has always had
His specialists whose chief concern has been the moral breakdown,
the decline in the spiritual health of the nation or the church. Such
men were Elijah, Jeremiah, Malachi and others of their kind who
appeared at critical moments in history to reprove,  rebuke and exhort
in the name of God and righteousness.

A thousand or ten thousand ordinary priests or pastors or teachers
could labor quietly on almost unnoticed while the spiritual life of
Israel or the church was normal. But let the people of God go astray
from the paths of truth and immediately the specialist appeared almost
out of nowhere. His instinct for trouble brought him to the help of
the Lord and of Israel.

Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical, possibly at times
violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to watch him work
soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative. And in a sense they
were right. He was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these were the
qualities the circumstances demanded. He shocked some, frightened
others and alienated not a few, but he knew who had called him and
what he was sent to do. His ministry was geared to the emergency, and
that fact marked him out as different, a man apart.

To such men as this the church owes a debt too heavy to pay. The
curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives, but
the next generation builds his sepulcher and writes his biography, as
if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an obligation the previous
generation to a large extent ignored...

-A.W. Tozer.

TWO OLD WOMEN and MIGHTY REVIVAL!!

TWO OLD WOMEN and MIGHTY REVIVAL!!
by Duncan Campbell

There are two things that I would like to say in speaking about the
revival in the Hebrides. First, I would like to make it perfectly clear
that I did not bring revival to the Hebrides. It has grieved me beyond
words to hear people talk and write about the man who brought
revival to the Hebrides. My dear people, I didn't do that. Revival
was there before I ever set foot on the island. It began in a gracious
awareness of God sweeping through the parish of Barvas.

Then I would like to make it perfectly clear what I understand of
revival. When I speak of revival, I am not thinking of high-pressure
evangelism. I am not thinking of crusades or of special efforts
convened and organized by man. That is not in my mind at all.
Revival is something altogether different from evangelism on its
highest level. Revival is a moving of God in the community and
suddenly the community becomes God conscious before a word
is said by any man representing any special effort.

Now I am sure that you will be interested to know how, in November
1949, this gracious movement began on the island of Lewis. Two
old women, one of them 84 years of age and the other 82-one of
the stone blind, were greatly burdened because of the appalling
state of their own parish. It was true that not a single young person
attended public worship. Not a single young man or young woman
went to the church. They spent their day perhaps reading or walking
but the church was left out of the picture. And those two women
were greatly concerned and they made it a special matter of prayer.

A verse gripped them: "I will pour water on him that is thirsty and
floods upon the dry ground." They were so burdened that both of
them decided to spend so much time in prayer twice a week. On
Tuesday they got on their knees at 10 o'clock in the evening and
remained on their knees until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning--two
old women in a very humble cottage.

One night, one of the sisters had a vision. Now remember, in revival,
God works in wonderful ways. A vision came to one of them, and
in the vision she saw the church of her fathers crowded with young
people. Packed to the doors, and a strange minister standing in
the pulpit. And she was so impressed by the vision that she sent
for the parish minister. And of course he knowing the two sisters,
knowing that they were two women who knew God in a wonderful
way, he responded to their invitation and called at the cottage.

That morning, one of the sisters said to the minister, "You must
do something about it. And I would suggest that you call your
office bearers together and that you spend with us at least two
nights in prayer in the week... Well, that was what happened,
the minister called his office bearers together and seven of them
met in a barn to pray on Tuesday and on Friday. And the two old
women got on their knees and prayed with them.

Well that continued for some weeks--indeed, I believe almost a
month and a half. Until one night... one young man, a deacon in
the church, got up and read Psalm 24. "Who shall ascend the
hill of God? Who shall stand in His holy place?  He that has clean
hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity
or sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing (not a blessing,
but the blessing) of the Lord." And then that young man closed h
is Bible. And looking down at the minister and the other office
bearers, he said this- "It seems to me to be so much humbug
to be praying as we are praying, to be waiting as we are waiting,
if we ourselves are not rightly related to God." And then he lifted
his two hands... and prayed, "God, are my hands clean? Is my
heart pure? " But he got no further. That young man fell to his
knees and then fell into a trance. Now don't ask me to explain
this because I can't. He fell into a trance and is now lying on
the floor of the barn. And in the words of the minister, at that
moment, he and his other office bearers were gripped by the
conviction that a God-sent revival must ever be related to holiness,
must ever be related to Godliness. Are my hands clean? Is my
heart pure? The man that God will trust with revival - that was the
conviction.

When that happened in the barn, the power of God swept into the
parish. And an awareness of God gripped the community such
as hadn't been known for over 100 years. An awareness of God -
that's revival, that's revival. And on the following day, the looms
were silent, little work was done on the farms as men and women
gave themselves to thinking on eternal things gripped by eternal realities.