When a Church Needs to Apologise - A prophetic mandate for Senior Leaders

There are a lot of people who have been hurt badly by churches, leaders, elders. Yet these same leader believe they are OK with God because they are "The Church" and can do no wrong. Yet the church as is represented in the USA has all kinds of iterations, some of whom are really disfunctional.  All quality of leadership, some really egotistical and narrow. All types of success and failure, some very misdirected and decieved in their error.  Still there is an untouchable quality that exists because of the flawed belief that Anointed can do no wrong. This is pride not of God.

Matthew 18:33
And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

Romans 13:8  Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

That attitude is not the record of scripture. The most anointed in the Bible were those most willing to repent, say I'm sorry, say I apologise.  The list is long of those so deigned.  David after Nathan confronted him.  Peter after denying Jesus.  The idea of reconciling ones self to fellow believers as Paul and Peter did after they came to odds with one another.  People needed to reconcile and did.

John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

I know people who for years were faithful in supporting a church and it's leaders, financially, sacrificially and in their time (the stuff life is made of).  Yet over some issue or perhaps just moving on they withdrew.  The leadership never reached out to them.  Never said, "We miss you".  Never made an attempt to see if there was a reason they separated themselves.  They are therefore devalued further.  It's fatal arrogance to do so. 

Romans 12:14-21
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ...

Making peace even with those who have left you, with those who did you wrong, with those who have hurt you, with those no longer of your fellowship is essential to your further development as a fellowship.  Making peace means you must as a leader go to them and do your best to reconcile.  Not so they come back but to make the separation peaceable.  This means in most cases you must be the bigger man (or woman) and take the first step.  Apologize.  Even if they don't receive it, you must get closure.  A person who leaves a fellowship out of order will always be out of order.. but a leader who allows a person out of order to leave without closure leaves an open wound.  If you want the truth, it is your pride as a leader to say I'm sorry for hurting you.  Don't send an elder to do it.  Be the called man or woman of God and take charge of the situation.  Be a bridge to healing hurts.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The mentality that is at issue here is, "God needs to prune people out of the church for us to move on".  That's not true.  God doesn't build his body to see it destroyed by enmity between saints, and particularly between leaders.  If you looked at the roll of all those who are no longer with you in the last 10 years, it might stun you.  You know their names.  You know where they live.  You have their phone numbers.  You must take the first step.

Hebrews 12:14-15
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Here's the prophetic mandate.  You as the leader or leaders of the church as much as it is possible, must reach out to those saints who were once an integral part of your church (not passers thru) and attempt to make peace.  Peace is the foundation on which church health is based.  You go say, "I wish our lives had stayed together.  You were really important to us".  Don't do this anticipating that they will return.  In fact encourage them to be as great wherever they have found new fellowship as they were with you.

 Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

Allow the old hurts to be aired.  It will be painful. Yet it will be essential.  Healing that starts with surgery always hurts.  Your church needs to apologise to those people it has hurt.  Healing can begin.  It can become a safe place once more.  That will call in the lost.

Matthew 5:23-26
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 

TEN KEY ADMONITIONS ABOUT PRIDE TO CONSIDER AS YOU DO THIS

1. Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
2. Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
3. Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
4. Proverbs 29:23 One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
5. Galatians 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
6. James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7. Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
8. Proverbs 21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
9. Proverbs 12:9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.
10. Luke 11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

The Rising Storm and NOT A Word

It's common for prophets to give smooth words.  Words of goodness.  God is a Good God, so much so that sometimes He places certain of His servants to cry aloud and spare not. 

For some reason, I have this assignment.  For the last ten years over and over again Father has placed certain things in front of me that if silent blood is on my hands. 

If the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't blow his horn to warn the people and the enemy comes and kills someone, that watchman must die because of his sin. I will hold him responsible for their deaths. Ezekiel 33:6

The pain in being one of whom it is required to watch for the sword of the enemy is we are not very popular.  So, in the face of oppression and bloodshed many just remain silent.  The storm rises and not a word is said.  Smooth words.. comfort... encouragement...positive words.  The good news is that Father God is still God.  We can live in that truth.  The enemy is defeated.  There is no victory for him.  Yet, he still roars looking for someone to devour. He still has schemes.  He still strikes like a viper. He still sheds innocent blood.  Some could well be yours or someone you love

It's not hard to see.  The cruelty of Abortion. The disaster that the middle east has become. The anti Semitic horror that manifested in Hitler is alive and well.  Today it comes disguised as liberalism. Tolerance. Love (as in gay marriage). It comes as a precursor to persecution of people of the Book.  Celebrities and politicians are turning their back on those souls rescued from the furnaces of Auschwitz to once again fire up the furnace of hatred.  Of course it's all done in the mindset of liberalism.  Jews are once again the dogs of the earth.  In that liberals agree with Islam.  Islam just cut's their heads off.  The liberal cuts the legs out from under them.  Hatred is the truth of liberalism.

Our nation has gone off the track. The third world war has already begun.  Not yet declared. Yet it is in full fury.  Old enemies are once again enemies.  Our government is deadlocked and adrift with no wisdom at any helm.  

The political solutions have failed.  Misleaders at every level have placed the Body of Christ at odds with the established order.

The Civil Order that once held people together has fallen apart.  The stories coming from a broken culture are heartbreaking.

This is all part of a rising storm.  It may be that this rise will prepared a new move of God.  People reaching the end of their rope once again. 

It is not time to give up, to retire from the battle, but to refire, refocus, decide what and who's you are.  It's time to firm your face to take on the storm to come.  There will be casualties. There will be difficulty.  YET it is impossible to avoid.  There is no hiding place.  The battle must be fought, but be of good cheer, HE has already overcome the world.  The battle is the Lord's... yet you must fight that good fight. 

Take a stand, find righteousness.  Stand for the right. Stand against evil in entertainment, in the media, in government.   Reject the drift that those in charge have brought us to.  Perhaps as we stand and proclaim the storm will calm... yet the storm is coming, and even if not one other prophet is willing to say so, I am.  Now it's up to you to decide.  Cry aloud, spare not.  There is evil afoot in the land. 

When God Does Romans 8:28

Life has twists and turns.  Disappointments.  Difficulty.  Danger.  Discouragement. 

We hit the wall and bounce off it.  We pick ourselves up and start back again, not knowing what will follow.

If you are Called of God and Love HIM you know what to do.. but it's hard.

When the worst possible things seem to happen and you tear your hair out, then it's time to Let God Be GOD.  He says he will take all things, not a few, not the easy ones, ALL THINGS and reweave them into the fabric He calls favor. 

Romans 8:28 says "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God-those whom he has called according to his plans and purposes for your life".

Or the Amplified:
²⁸ We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

You are covered in his goodness as he takes things you didn't imagine could work out and as you walk doing what you know suddenly things come out not only for your good, but better than you ever thought they could.

I had one such today.  A customer and I ended up at odds.  My guy didn't show up at the shop. His phone was off.  I didn't know what to do.  I ended up going pulling the order and delivering it.  One the way I decided as long as I was out and about, I would take the shears and cut another order.

I did.  I needed to get out. It turned out overall to be a great day.  I got a lot done.

Once I settled into allowing things to work out for good.. they did.

Does it always go this way?  NO.  But it goes this way often enough to be worth doing.  Trusting in the plan is the issue.

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding said Solomon.  It's still true.

What it Really Means to ABIDE in Christ and Why so many Fail

We hear the verse "Abide in me".. and we get an image.  It's not bad, just not well understood.  Many people think it has to do with resting in Christ, that it's a static event.  It's not, it's an agricultural admonition.  Here's how we usually read this passage.  It's Right. But not complete if we do not understand the concept.

John 15:3"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.…

 A more accurate rendering of this verse is:

Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.

In horticulture we attach grafts to living stems.  They host provides nutrition for the new shoot.  If somehow the branch disconnects itself from the vine, it will die.  It is impossible for a dead branch to bear fruit.  In winter it might look alive, it may look like all the others, but it's dead. Grapes is the idea here.  The hearers of this word understood it in that time. 

The fruit is the result of not only staying alive but forming fruit from latent buds that flower and grow into useful results because of living nutrition.  It is not just staying alive that is the mandate of the passage, it is the essential element of bearing fruit.. and that only happens as we stay attached to the living Vine Jesus.

So how does that happen.  In horticulture you nurture the place of connection.  If that is damaged the branch may die.  "I am divine and you are debranch" Keith Green sang.  It's still true.

Then in addition to keeping the connection, one must allow leaves and flowers to manifest as the sun and rain come on them.  It's essential if there is going to be any life.  That means more than resting, that means drawing on the Life of Christ in all his essence to allow you to bear fruit.

How do we do that?  It's not about church, it's about hearing and reading his word (not the same thing), it's about exercising the gifts of the Spirit of God, it's about nurturing and being nurtured.  There is much to do to become the man or woman of God HE intended you to be.  A fruit bearer.

Father is saying, "I created you before the foundation of the earth to accomplish my purposes in the earth.  If you will stay connected, I will empower you by My Spirit to do all that you are meant to be and do.  Do not fear, I will do it, and you will be immortal until my purpose in you is accomplished."

A New Order is the Old Order

There is a change afoot.

People keep talking about a new world order.

I keep seeing a return to an old order. One tested. One established.  A return.

I am thankful for this new old order, we are long overdo.

Look at the LAST 12 months in world history.  There are wars and brutality beyond belief, but with it has come some overdo realizations about evil.  There have been elections and overturnings, but in those are the seeds of this order.

Father is up to something and those who thought they could bring in something NOT of HIM on the world scene are being pushed back.  Look at how irrelevant the new world order players are becoming.  Certainly we still have too much power in too few hands.. but nothing like it was.  Yes there is great power and wealth in corporate enterprises globally but that is being crushed.

Even the stranglehold that oil empires globally had on the USA is gone.  Russia is wounded, still dangerous, but understood. 

There is a new order and it looks much like the old order.

  Joel 2:25-26
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

 Acts 3:19-21
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Job 42:10
And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Revelation 21:1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

"Behold I do a new thing, and it's called restoration".

God is about to put some Ministries based on Falsehood to Death

We know the story of Ananias and Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira
Acts 5:1-11 (NLT)
5 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

The result (if you know the rest of the story) is that the church grew even more rapidly. That is about to happen again.  It all starts with the fear of the Lord. 

God honors Truth.  The Holy Spirit is CALLED the Spirit of Truth.  There is a direct relationship in health of ministries between those who preach and teach truth and those trapped by a lie.  I know this from the Spirit of God tonight.  God will not sanction any ministry to grow or prosper that even considers lies, myths, falsehoods or even half truths.  When any ministry accepts as fact that which is untrue, it puts a stopper in the bottle. Nothing in, nothing out. To bless such would be Father doing something opposite of his Holy nature.  You only have to look around you and you quickly see sincere ministers trying as hard as they can but accepting false reports as true.  They are dead ministries walking.

Accepting falsehoods as truth (and worse spreading such) is taking the name of the Lord in vain, (HOLY SPIRIT, the Spirit of Truth)  when that happens and it will bring to a quick halt any anointing, any blessing, any potential for breakthru.   If a minister of the Gospel asks God to bless his ministry and grow it and yet is trapped by lies, in chains of untruth, committed to myths there is no way the Holy Ghost will bless that church or ministry..and in fact as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, HE WILL KILL IT.

People are hungry for truth, God honors truth with success.  Ministries that preach truth grow.  Ministries that harbor falsehood and lies are locked up.  They will never prosper.  They are already dead.. like Ananias and Sapphira.
 
This will take true repentance to get away from. This will take turning around.  I hear the Spirit of God saying, "I will not bless or tolerate my precious ones being lied to for another year".  You must be concerned if you are in ministry. Examine everything you believe to test if it is a lie, a rumor, a falsehood or a widely believed untruth.   They are all the same.  Lies put you in chains.


Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.

Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds;

1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Scripture warns against spreading rumors and those who engage in gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Words are powerful. They can build up or destroy (Proverbs 18:21). James 3:2–12 instructs us to control our words, stating in verse 5: “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Spreading “harmless” rumors, then, can cause great destruction. God desires that we use our words to praise Him (Psalm 34:1), to speak wisdom (Proverbs 10:13), and to encourage and edify each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 4:29).  Spreading rumors is so repulsive in the Lord’s sight that He made a prohibition against it in the Law He gave to the Israelites (Leviticus 19:16). First Timothy 5:13 sternly warns against using idle time to spread slander. And Proverbs 17:4 implies that those who eagerly listen to gossip have low character.

So why do we enjoy the rumor mill? Proverbs 26:22 gives one good reason: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”  Truth will make us uncomfortable.  It will go down OK but then be upsetting.

I know many people in ministry struggling today and will struggle till the day they die (or their church closes up) simply because they cannot discern the truth from a rumor.  God is not honored by rumor and untruth.  Lying to the Holy Ghost is a serious offense.  Harboring an untruth is profanity.


"You must not pass along false rumors".  Exodus 23:1

God Meant it then, and he still does..  Do you want to see your ministry grow?  Begin renouncing falsehood and start preaching truth, even if it's painful, even if it is unpopular.  God Honors Truth-telling and condemns falsehood.

The Sin of Entitlement Christianity

I have not met many men or women of God who I hold up as outstanding examples of what it means to be an extraordinary leader of men.  There are a few.  Too few.  There are too many excess driven pretenders that spite the Kingdom of God by their appetites.  

I see many who are in the public eye in ministry for worse.  Many for really worse.  They are become a stumbling block for believers and unbelievers alike.  Their appetites for fame, fortune and fantasy belie who they really are in Christ.  They are rendered useless for the kingdom and they propagate deceit among the weak.

Let me be clear.  None of the great men and women of God I have known ever agreed to live in poverty and want.  They were wise enough to live in abundance not extravagance.  The abundant life is not one that calls attention to itself in it's excess.  These worthy leaders I know personally are wise in the way they deal with material things. So before you think this word is about keeping the servants of God who watch over our souls poor, it's not.  On the other hand, it is a call to wisdom when there seems to be so little on display in the Church World.

It is grown out of hand because of the prosperity teachings that the Word of Faith movement first brought.  I am a word of faith man.  I grew up Charles Capps, Kenneth Hagin and Ken Copeland.  Been to meetings where all of them ministered.  They all began in pure faith.   Yet there came little foxes that have caused many to go shipwreck.  Before he died, Kenneth Hagin warned about this excess we see. They justify themselves in their error by trying to say that it is God's Will for them to live in lavish extravagance simply because they work hard in the Kingdom and are effective.  WHO GAVE THEM THIS EFFECTIVENESS?  From where did that come?  How much did they pay the giver for it?  How much should they charge for it?  Does freely given freely give have any meaning any more?

What follows are observations of real men of God I knew or know personally.  Men who do the work of the kingdom without fanfare, praise or excess.  There are others beyond these, but these stand out strong.

The opposite of these men is most often exhibited when I pull up to a church and see a sign by the door saying "Reserved for senior pastor", or elders, or deacons or some such.  Most of these guys wouldn't be worthy to untie the shoelaces of the real men of God I have known.   But they telegraph a message to the congregation (and visitors), "we are all equal at the foot of the cross but here on earth some are more equal than others". Now if the Senior Pastor is 80 years old and impaired.. OK.  But if he is 40, WALK BROTHER!

The real men of God I know say, "the most holy parking places in the lot are the ones way at the back so the visitors can park up front".  That's what Pastor Dan Rothwell did and said.  That's what Pastor Robert Schmidgall said and did.  They led churches of thousands and influenced people who still are activated for God.  Part of that was the selflessness they exhibited in service.

Then there are the fistfights that break out in some churches over the "Holy Chairs" at the front.  I once was told to sit in one of them when visiting a church in Michigan and was confronted by a deacon who didn't know why I thought I should be allowed to sit there because they were reserved for the "special people".  He was about to evict me from my chair, and I was ready to go, when the Pastor stopped him and said, "I asked prophet Gene to sit there".  

Some churches even have people's names on the chairs.  Some are absolutely fanatic about always sitting in THEIR PLACE which you better not ever violate.  I once saw a woman go to someone (a new visitor) who accidentally sat in her chair and told her to move.  Amazing.  This is not at all like my remembrance of attending church with Reinhard Bonnke in Germany.   He was traveling all over the globe preaching to millions but he always sat at the middle back of the church.  Behind me many times.  People knew who he was.  He is in person the most humble man you can imagine.  It's why I will never sit in the front of a church.  You will nearly always find me 6-10 rows back.  Don't like sitting in the far back, can't hear, but I avoid front seat fistfights.  I'll let the more "holy" sit there.

Then there is the lifestyles of the rich and holy that brings a stench up before God and a stumbling block for any unbeliever or a new believer of weak faith.  You see it all around.  Multi Million dollar homes, Bentleys and Limos, Private Jet Planes and $5000 suits.  Preachers of LA.  Excesses on Christian TV Networks.

How is this justified? Of course you remember when Jesus insisted on someone coming to pour $50,000 worth of oil on his feet?  Right?  Oh you don't?  Believe it or not that is one of the lame justifications for excess.  To be clear I don't believe Jesus was as poor as my Catholic friends make him out to be, He did own a home apparently, He had support, There was money, There was a treasurer.  But it was only for needs, not greeds.  There was no entitlement in Jesus.  He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30  

Then there is the "Christian Entourage" effect.  This is amazing.  I believe a man who is mobbed by many in public ministry needs to have the capacity to be sheltered from the press of people when it is there.  The sin is when that is carried to illogical and obvious excess.  The heart of God is saddened by the king and queen like treatment some so called men of God allow and encourage.    It starts by the glass of Gatorade in a chalice with a cover, or if someone has to work as an Armor bearer bringing his or her Bible to the podium at just the right time for the man of God.  Or the preacher who cannot carry his own bag to the car or airplane.

There was a time burned in my memory when Apostle John Eckhardt who has a church of thousands and a global network of ten thousand, who goes where no big shot preachers ever go, who is in danger sometimes while ministering in 64 nations around the world, that has many million dollar best selling books, that John Eckhardt who early one morning was all alone pulling his bag to get on a plane at Midway Airport to fly to his next assignment.  No pretense.  No Entourage.  Just a servant of the most high SERVING.  Yes if he can get an upgrade to a better he does.. but he flies just like I do.. in a seat, with people around him.  No bubble for him.  Humility without entitlement is why I admire him.  He could easily fall into the trap of big shot Christianity.. but he doesn't and his ministry is a thousand times more effective than all the pretenders who believe the myth of excess under the guise of Word of Faith Prosperity.

Somehow we have to put this back where it came from, the pit of hell. It was pretty clever of the devil to do this to the body of Christ. Use their flesh and the deceitfulness of riches to strip away any impact we might have otherwise had on the earth.  The Kingdom is declined, not advanced by our excess.

The real question I ask today is this, With the recent dust up over Creflo Dollar's 65 million dollar jet, was the Kingdom advanced or retarded?  Is his impact on marginal believers increased or decreased.  Is there any stumbling block in his actions?  Paul talked about this.  He talked about it in the context of Food and Drink.  Yet today he would talk in terms of all of our consumptions.. and excess.

Paul the Apostle said this, " 1 Corinthians 8:8-10 -- food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?…"

To the Romans he said, " Romans 14:20-23  -- Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

I can't tell you what is or isn't.  I can say that many who are living without regard for how it appears to those weak in faith have hardened their hearts and no longer hear from the Holy Ghost.. for if they did they would be convicted for their choices.

That's just how it works.   If you are convicted by this, it's not me, it's what the word of Holy Spirit does.  If you are not convicted by this and some of this hit home.. you have a problem only YOU can solve if you have ears to hear.
 

Immoderation in Ministry is a Black Mark on the Bride of Christ

So much of the past several decades prosperity teaching has caused many to drift into a life lacking moderation.  It is a slippery slope.  We see it more and more.

It is God's desire for his people to be prosperous.  To have more than enough.  To be able to give away much as the Holy Ghost prompts.  It's his pattern.. we are the hands, eyes, ears and POCKETBOOK of the Father here on earth.

Where it becomes a problem is when it becomes immoderate.  Over the top.  Particularly in ministry.  You are in the keen eye of the saints.  You are a testimony to the world.  You are a model to be followed.  Because of all this, when excess in appetites become obvious and visible it is not only unwise but a stumbling block. 

We see this in the news.  We see it on TV.  It is parodied in movies and sitcoms.  The greedy minister is almost legendary.

Television is a wasteland of such:  Look at the preachers of LA, the preachers of Detroit some of whom live in houses that are beyond belief.  Then there was the recent dust up over a jet proposed to be purchased by a ministry for 65 million dollars.  And there is a ten million dollar home just built by the pastor of a large ministry in Texas.  None of these are wrong in and of themselves, it's when the saints begin to imitate these people.

These things are immodest.  They lack wisdom.  They are bad models.  They are flesh over spirit victories in lives that should be driven by the Spirit of God.   The devil didn't do it, their carnal flesh did. Many have gone astray because of these unfettered appetites. These kinds of things stain what is supposed to be the spotless Bride of Christ.

•     People buy things they cannot afford to have the "Look" of prosperity
•     Some drive cars so ostentatious that there is a question mark when people see it
•     Some build mansions so large that people ask why
•     Some buy Jet Airplanes worth many times what any ministry requires.  No one man is that important.  Not in the Kingdom.  If you read Final Quest you see such an example.

There are many scriptural admonitions about these things.

 Proverbs 25:16   If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
 Proverbs 23:20-21  Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
 Titus 2:7   Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,
1 Corinthians 6:12   “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.
Proverbs 31:4-5  It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

Wait, you might say, they are Men of God or Women of God and they aren't getting drunk.. right?

Once you give into fleshly carnal desires, the flesh wants more and more and more.  First a bit of wine, then stronger.  First entertaining a flirt and then falling into adultery or worse.  That is why so many people in ministry end up shipwreck.  They never learned to control their flesh.  Not in booze and broads and but they fed their flesh with excess.. immoderate in all things, they opened the door to worse.

I know for some this seems harsh. It's not.  I understand nice things. I like them too.  BUT I spend MY MONEY on them. I don't look for others to feed my lusts of the flesh or wrap me up in the deceitfulness of riches.

Stars of music and entertainment, big businessmen and people that just inherit a ton of money can do this.  They are not accountable.  They are not models and once again it is THEIR MONEY.    When a man or woman of God do this it opens a door to greed that will not easily be shut.  It also creates a spiritual arms race.  IF so and so can have a Bentley, I can too. 

We all agree with Bible verses that follow regarding women.  They were warned, 

1 Timothy 2:9-10
Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
 Proverbs 11:22
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.

I have heard some pretty harsh preaching on this.. BUT do those same admonitions apply to a man and in particular a minister of the Gospel?   I submit they do.. MEN can be horribly vain, they just express it with houses, cars and extravagance.

In fact the Word of God  warns emphatically against allowing worldly appetites to overtake a person.

 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
 Matthew 5:27-28
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
 1 Peter 5:5-6
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
1 Corinthians 12:22-24
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
 Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

As I read these passages I am struck how a lack of modesty, or an immoderate life is considered ungodly.  Even looking at a woman is adultery?

The Bible Finally says.. this.. we are to be models, representatives, living testaments, ambassadors.  Someone that a believer can say to his son or daughter "When you grow up, strive to be just like THEM"

Philippians 3:17
Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.
1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

AND


1 Corinthians 11:1  And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.


So if we are going to imitate Christ so others follow us.. does that look like the world of excess you see in so much of the western Church?  AND we wonder why the culture is deaf to our message.  They can't stand the stink.  

God is saying to those who are Immoderate: 

  Haggai 1:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

The house of the Lord is in Ruins in the USA..

 Jeremiah 22:14
‘I will build a magnificent palace
    with huge rooms and many windows.
I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar
    and paint it a lovely red.’
15 But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!
    Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink.
But he was just and right in all his dealings.
    That is why God blessed him.
16 He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,
    and everything went well for him.
Isn’t that what it means to know me?”
    says the Lord.

 There is judgement against those who have fed the flesh with worldly things and appetites:

  Amos 6:4
How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds
    and lounge on your couches,
eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock
    and of choice calves fattened in the stall.
5 You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp
    and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful
    and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions.
    You care nothing about the ruin of your nation.

Judgement begins in the house of the Lord, and that Judgement is now..  Repent of your folly.  Live Holy, Separate from the world and without greed and avarice.  The eyes of the Lord are upon you..


How shall we then live?

Robert Blackburn "When The Dark One Hides" . . .

 A Friend of about my age tells this story from his past.  He is talking about light and dark, exposure and discernment.  This thing is real.. I just posted that it is happening on a national scale.. this is what that looks like.

Some years back now, I was invited to visit a smaller church in a rural community for a revival service. There were about a hundred people there. The service had already started and the people were standing and singing. I stepped in close to the back on the right side, next to the aisle. I was kinda glancing around at the group to see who all was there; like we would normally do. Everything appeared normal.

About three rows from the front, on the left side, next to the aisle, stood a man of about average build; probably middle aged. All of a sudden, he appeared to turn and look back at me; but, his head rotated in almost a 180 degree angle. What stared at me, was the head and face of a wolf; the eyes were black. That thing spoke to me, and said; "I know who you are. I am not afraid of you. I am protected here." The service went on as usual, but I could sense that there was no move of the Spirit there; it was like it all was flat somehow. I left sometime later, after the preaching had begun.

Why am I telling this; the Spirit has a message. Jesus saw demons in so many people; they cried out when He came around; He cast them out. He sent the disciples out, and they did the same thing. The apostles continued the same spiritual practice; and so did we, in the early days of the church here. So, ask yourself, why did we stop seeing them in our services as we once did. Did Christ say, the time would come when it was no longer of any necessity. Over time, something changed. Did the enemy stop coming to church anymore. No, he started hiding in among us. How could he do that.

When we suppress the manifestation of all of the gifts of the Spirit in their totality, and do not allow the ministries that God set in the Church, to function fully as He meant, we suppress discernment. The scripture says, that those who are full of the Spirit, can discern both good, and bad. But they grow in that, by using this discernment and STAYING full of the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit, fasting and studying God's Word and intently following the leading of the Holy Ghost, produces a true Spiritual awareness in us.

Why do we think, that God put the gift of discerning of spirits, in the church to begin with. The dark ones learned, that they could do more damage and prevent a move of the Spirit, by remaining silent; doing their work under cover. A watered down spiritual ability, and all of the other works of men that we see today, causes spiritual blindness, and a sense of lull and ease. There is a rude awakening coming. Satan's time is short. The church will see again, what the early church saw. Darkness, no longer fears exposure.

A Light Shines in Dark Places

The past few weeks have been pivotal in the Spirit Realm. Things happened that rips the veil that protects darkness from the light of truth in our nation.  Exposure of thoughts and intents of the heart is now plain.

Here are a few events that indicate how this is happening:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress and the people that snubbed him.  Watershed.  People were revealed for who they are.  No matter what you think of Israel, the only genuine ally we have in the middle east, it exposed many in our nation.

The Speech given by Obama in Selma on the 50th anniversary where he drew an equivalency of gay rights and illegal immigrant rights equal to those rights that black Americans have fought and died for over half a century.

The letter sent to Iran by 47 senators exposing the deal that the secretary of state was making with Iran.  This event is a showdown in the spirit.  It's not over yet.

The IRS and Clinton episodes regarding emails and servers have lowered the already stressed credibility this government had.

There is exposure after exposure every single day.  It is accelerating. It is a dividing line.  All at once people are beginning to see our elected officials for who they are.  They are exposed for good or evil.  None of this is happening without a reason.  Father is shining the light of truth in a dark place.

Every event you see is a constant exposure.  Even the shooting last night in Ferguson exposes darkness. Darkness must flee.  It will.

Welcome the exposure.   Don't fear it. If you support President Obama and are loyal to him or if you are a right wing conservative, welcome the light that is being shown in our nation.  There is no escaping the all seeing eye of God.  He is saying to the USA.. ENOUGH!

It is Gods way to wash his people.  It's how he does things. We will end up with a better President and a better Congress because of it.  This has been coming for a long time.. it just accelerated. 

This is happening because our nation has left God.  He is not doing it for OUR SAKE but for his NAME'S SAKE.  When this exposure comes to completion, this is how it will look.  I am encouraged because WE are Israel..

Ezekiel 36:22-36 
‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.  25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not [j]bring a famine on you. 30 I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

33 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it.”

Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Selah

Tommy Hicks, an evangelist, was used by the Lord in the great Argentine Revival. God gave him a vision in 1961

I did not know this man, I don't know anything about him. I read what he wrote about the vision he received.  If you take out the idea that it is an END TIME vision and insert an expanding kingdom vision, you will see how right this is.  Certainly some of this is driven by his personal eschatology as he wrote it down, but the vision has great merit.  Victory.  Read the whole thing:

1.This vision began July 25th, about 2:30 in the morning, in Winnipeg, Canada.
The vision came three times, exactly in detail, the morning of July 25th, 1961. I was so stirred and so moved by the revelation that this has changed my complete outlook upon the body of Christ, and upon the end-time ministry.

The greatest thing that the church of Jesus Christ has ever been given, lies straight ahead.
It is difficult to help men and women to realize the thing that God is trying to give to His people in the end-time.

2.I do not think I fully realized nor could I understand the fullness of it until I read in the book of Joel 2:23, Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

It is not only going to rain the former and the latter rain, but He is going to give His people in these last days a double portion of the power of God.

When this vision appeared to me, I suddenly found myself at a great height. I was looking down upon the earth, when suddenly the whole world came into view – every nation, every kindred, every tongue came before my sight. From the east and the west; from the north and the south; I recognized the countries and cities that I had been in. I was almost in fear and trembling as I stood beholding the great sight before me. At that moment, when the world came into view, it began to lightning and thunder.

As the lightning flashed over the face of the earth, my eyes went downward – and I was facing the north. Suddenly I beheld what looked like a great giant. As I stared and looked at it, I was almost bewildered by the sight. The giant was gigantic. His feet seemed to reach to the north pole and his head to the south pole. His arms were stretched from sea to sea. I could not even begin to understand whether this was a mountain or whether this was a giant. As I watched, I suddenly beheld that it was a great giant. I could see he was struggling for life, to even live. His body was covered with debris from head to foot; and at times this great giant would move his body and act as though he would rise up. When he did, thousands of little creatures seemed to run away. Hideous looking creatures would run away from this giant and when he would become calm, they would come back.

All of a sudden this great giant lifted one hand toward the heavens, and then he lifted his other hand. When he did, these creatures by the thousands seemed to flee away from this giant and go out into the night.

Slowly this great giant began to rise – and as he did, his head and hands went into the clouds. As he arose to his feet he seemed to have cleansed himself from the debris and filth that was upon him, and he began to raise his hands into the heavens as though praising the Lord. As he raised his hands, they went even unto the clouds.

Suddenly, every cloud became silver; the most beautiful silver that I have ever known. As I watched the phenomenon, it was so great, I could not even begin to understand what it all meant, I was so stirred as I watched it. I cried unto the Lord and I said, “Oh, Lord, what is the meaning of this?” And it felt as if I was actually in the Spirit and I could feel the presence of the Lord, even as I was asleep.

From those clouds, suddenly there came great drops of liquid light raining down upon this mighty giant. Slowly, slowly, this giant began to melt – began to sink, as it were, into the very earth itself. As he melted, his whole form seemed to have melted upon the face of the earth. This great rain began to come down. Liquid drops of light began to flood the very earth itself. As I watched this giant that seemed to melt, suddenly it became millions of people over the face of the earth. As I beheld the sight before me, people stood up all over the world. They were lifting their hands and they were praising the Lord.

At that very moment there came a great thunder that seemed to roar from the heavens. I turned my eyes toward the heavens, and suddenly I saw a figure in white, in glistening but somehow I knew that it was the Lord Jesus Christ. He stretched forth His hand. As He did, He would stretch it forth to one, and to another, and to another as He stretched forth His hand upon the peoples and the nations of the world – men and women. As He pointed toward them, this liquid light seemed to flow from His hand into this person and a mighty anointing of God came upon them. Those people began to go forth in the name of the Lord.

I do not know how long I watched it. It seemed it went into days and weeks and months. I beheld this Christ as He continued to stretch forth His hand. But there was a tragedy. There were many people, as He stretched forth His hands, that refused the anointing of God and call of God. I saw men and women that I knew, people that I felt that certainly they would receive the call of God. As He stretched forth His hand toward this one, and towards that one, they simply bowed their heads and began to back away. To each of those that seemed to bow down and back away, they seemed to go into darkness. Blackness seemed to swallow them everywhere.

I was bewildered as I watched it. These people that He had anointed covered the earth. There were hundreds of thousands of these people all over the world – in Africa, Asia, Russia, China, America – all over the world. The anointing of God was upon these people as they went forth in the name of the Lord. I saw these men and women as they went forth. They were ditch diggers, they were washer women, they were rich men, they were poor men. I saw people who were bound with paralysis and sickness, and blindness and deafness. As the Lord stretched forth His hand to give them this anointing, they became well, they became healed – and they went forth.

This is the miracle of it. This is the glorious miracle of it. Those people would stretch forth their hands exactly as the Lord did, and it seemed that there was this same liquid fire that seemed to be in their hands. As they stretched forth their hands, they said, “According to my word, be thou made whole.”

As these people continued in this mighty end-time ministry, I did not fully realize what it was. I looked to the Lord and said, “What is the meaning of this?” He said, “This is that, that I will do in the last day. I will restore all the cankerworm, the palmerworm, the caterpillar – I will restore all that they have destroyed. This, My people in the end-time, shall go forth and as a mighty army shall they sweep over the face of the earth.”

As I was at this great height, I could behold the whole world. I watched these people as they were going to and fro over the face of the earth. Suddenly there was a man in Africa, and in a moment he was transported in the Spirit of God, and perhaps he was in Russia, or China, or America, or some other place, and vice versa. All over the world these people went. They came through fire and through pestilence and through famine. Neither fire nor persecution – nothing seemed to stop them.

Angry mobs came to them with swords and with guns, and like Jesus, they passed through the multitude and they could not find them. But they went forth in the name of the Lord. Everywhere they stretched forth their hands, the sick were healed, the blind eyes were opened. There was not a long prayer. I never saw a church, and I never saw or heard a denomination. These people were going in the name of the Lord of Hosts.

As they marched forward as the ministry of Christ in the end-time, these people ministered to the multitudes over the face of the earth. Tens of thousands, even millions seemed to come to the Lord Jesus Christ as these people stood forth and gave the message of the kingdom – of the coming kingdom – in this last hour. It was so glorious! It seemed there were those that rebelled. They would become angry. They tried to attack those workers that were giving the message.

God is going to give to the world a demonstration in this last hour such as the world has never known. These men and women are of all walks of life. Degrees will mean nothing. I saw these workers as they were going over the face of the earth. When one would seem to stumble and fall, another would come and pick him up. There were no big “I” little “you”. Every mountain was brought low and every valley was exalted, and they seemed to have one thing in common – there was a divine love that seemed to flow forth from these people as they went together, as they worked together, as they lived together. It was the theme of their life. They continued and it seemed the days went by as I stood and beheld this sight. I could only cry – and sometimes I laughed. It was so wonderful as these people went throughout the face of the whole earth showing forth God’s power in this last end-time.

As I watched from the very heaven itself, there were times when great deluges of this liquid light seemed to fall upon great congregations. The congregations would lift their hands and seemingly praise God for hours and even days, as the Spirit of God came upon them. God said, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” That is exactly the thing that God was doing. From every man and woman that received this power and the anointing of God, the miracles of God flowed continuously.

Suddenly there was another great clap of thunder that seemed to resound around the world. Again I heard the voice saying: “Now, this is My people; this is My beloved bride.” When the voice spoke, I looked upon the earth and I could see the lakes and the mountains. The graves were opened and people from all over the world, the saints of all ages, seemed to be rising. as they rose from the graves – suddenly all these people came from every direction – from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and they seemed to be forming again this gigantic body. As the dead in Christ seemed to be rising first, I could hardly comprehend it. It was so marvelous. It was so far beyond anything I could ever dream or think of.

This huge body suddenly began to form and take shape again, and its shape was in the form of the mighty giant, but this time it was different. It was arrayed in the most beautiful, gorgeous white. Its garments were without spot or wrinkle as this body began to form, and the people of all ages seemed to be gathering into this body. Slowly, from the heavens above, the Lord Jesus came and became the head. I heard another clap of thunder that said, “This is My beloved bride for whom I have waited. She will come forth, even tried by fire. This is she that I have loved from the beginning of time.”

As I watched, my eyes turned to the far north and I saw great destruction, men and women in anguish and crying out, and buildings destroyed. Then I heard again, the fourth voice that said, “Now is My wrath being poured out upon the face of the earth.” From the ends of the whole world, it seemed that there were great vials of God’s wrath being poured out upon the face of the earth. I can remember it as I beheld the awful sight of seeing the cities, and whole nations going down into destruction. I could hear the weeping and the wailing. I could hear people crying. They seemed to cry as they went into caves, but the caves and the mountains opened up. They leaped into water, but the water would not drown them. There was nothing that seemingly could destroy them. They were wanting to take their lives but they did not succeed.

Again I turned my eyes toward the glorious sight of this body arrayed in the beautiful white shining garment. Slowly, slowly, it began to lift from the earth, and as it did, I awoke. This sight that I had beheld – I had seen the end-of-time ministry, the last hour.
Again on July 27 at 2:30 in the morning the same revelation, the same vision, came again exactly as it did before.

My life has been changed as I realize that we are living in that end time, for all over the world God is anointing men and women with this ministry. It will not be doctrine. It will not be “churchianity;” but it is going to be Jesus Christ.

They will give forth the word of the Lord and are going to say – I heard it so many times in the vision – “According to my word, it shall be done.”

Oh people, listen to me! “According to my word, it shall be done.” We are going to be clothed with power and anointing from God. We won’t have to preach sermons. We won’t have to preach sermons. We won’t have to depend on man, nor will we be denominational echoes, but we will have the power of the living God! We will fear no man, but will go in the name of the Lord of Hosts!

Tommy Hicks died in Los Angeles, California around 1973.

A Prophetic Warning regarding Recent IHOP Article

There is a story about IHOP that is appearing all over the internet. I don't question the man's testimony or motives in writing it. There is some truth in it. The problem I am having now a day after reading it for the first time is now there is a baby/bathwater issue.

Many will assume that everything Mike Bickle and IHOP ever did was invalid and of no value to the Kingdom. That would be a wrong assumption. The whole Prophetic worship flowed out of the IHOP model. The Emphasis on Prayer and Praise as two sides of the same coin came from there. The idea of immersion into that culture FOR A TIME had value. It did in early days of Christianity and still does today. The idea of intense discipleship for new young believers was needed. The breaking down of barriers of the God Box that many of us kept Him by religion was critical. The sharing of all things that I saw happen in person .. a la book of Acts was a rich heritage. A new level of Grace living. Tabernacle of David emphasis and the Christian Hedonism - Desiring God John Piper theology that set so many people free was taught and lived. The prophetic emphasis that was not anywhere in the church in 1999 when we started (I was part of it then). The new boundaries pushed back in passionate worship. Misty Edwards. And a new view of Grace Living by Faith that caused many to grow in God.

Much good came from all that. Many people today now act as if they invented this. They didn't. It flowed out of this movement. We must not scorn that place where we came from. 

Then some things began enter in. Some messed up end times teaching. Some of the discipleship became demands. Some of the demands became almost cult-like. Some of the money needed to run the ministry came from kids who didn't make a future, didn't make a life, didn't get a job, didn't get married, didn't go to school to get an education. BECAUSE Jesus was coming soon. The money-ministry machine was in full force and needed to be fed.  Young lives were the fodder. 

New leadership had entered the scene. I met some of them. Not like Mike.

I pray that this exposure will cause those in leadership at IHOP to set aside some time to carefully examine if there is a cause and begin to deal with it all. It's not too late. Sometimes God uses people to create a Holy Reboot.

If you tend to be critical, be careful what bandwagon of disdain you jump on to illuminate your own bandwagon. Be more like Gamaliel in your opinions. If you don't know what I mean, you probably don't have an opinion.

That is the warning I heard in the Spirit. 

Turn or Die

This kind of rhetoric is common among hellfire and brimstone preachers.  It doesn't impress me much.

But in the natural it's true. In seasons those things as the weather changes if they don't turn, bud and leaf out, grow flower fruit, store sap for winter, then lose their leaves as the weather changes so they can once again weather the snow and cold...those that do not.. DIE.

In horticulture it's called breaking.  A plant that doesn't break dormancy is pretty much gone.  Too long without green sprouts and it's over.  It didn't get the signal.  It didn't see the season coming.

So it is for the Christan.. there are seasons.  I spoke with a good friend and advised him to be ready to prune off and replant.  You can't bloom when the sustenance runs out.  I messaged with a sister saying it's time to begin again.

Seasons of life change.  Spring Summer Fall and Winter.. but then Spring returns.

Watch as you life finds new sprouts.  Nurture them.  See where they go.  Keep your roots deep fed near the water of life.  You will survive the heat of summer which is sure to come.  You will store for another day.  You will bear MUCH FRUIT.. when you know what season this is.

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹² ‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
¹³ ‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

IF YOU ARE A "WHAT IF" SENIOR LEADER YOU ARE ROBBING GOD

Years ago Roger Whittaker sang a song. It was an anti war song. Some was a bit peacenicky, but there was part I really liked. It had a refrain "I don't believe in IF any more".

Here are the last couple verses:
If's an illusion
If's an illusion
No you won't believe in If anymore
If is for children
If is for children
Building daydreams
If I knew then what I know now
(I thought I did you know somehow)
If I could have the time again
I'd take the sunshine leave the rain
If only time would trickle slow
Like rain that melts the fallen snow
If only Lord if only
If only Lord if only

I had a conversation with a denominational pastor of a local church. A good man. A well meaning man. We talked about the manifestations of the Charisma of God. Healing, Miracles, Faith, Discernment, Prophecy and so on.

He listened and then stunned me with why he doesn't embrace these things at least publicly.

• WHAT IF people are prayed for in healing and they don't get healed?
• WHAT IF people believe for a miracles and it doesn't happen?
• WHAT IF people are stirred up in faith for provision of a need and it doesn't come to pass?
• WHAT IF a person or a church gets a prophecy and it doesn't come to pass?
• WHAT IF a demon is discerned and we don't know what to do about that?
• WHAT IF a word of knowledge is not on target and causes upset?
• WHAT IF a word of wisdom turns out to be unwise?

To say nothing of Tongues or interpretations.

It grieved me, and it grieved the Holy Spirit. That is a lack of faith. SO, if you feel this way, what are you going to preach on? What do you offer as ministry. What can you do for the person who needs a breakthrough?

My answer is simple, you don't have if you 1. ASK NOT or 2. ASK AMISS.

Asking not is, well never asking and asking amiss is asking without mixing it with faith. You have to have mixing faith to expect God to Manifest.

So here's what the real question and answers are:

WHAT IF people are prayed for in healing and they don't get healed?
What if they are healed, who benefits, who gets the glory, who is worshiped for the healing? Does God want people healed, ONLY if you believe that his sacrifice on the cross was not only for salvation but for healing (soterio). Is everyone saved? NO, Is everyone healed, NO.. but some are and that is the point. It's the children's bread.

WHAT IF people believe for a miracles and it doesn't happen?
What if it does. Who gets the Glory? Is faith believing built up? Do people raise expectation in a loving God's will for their lives? Ask the person who has received a miracle.

WHAT IF people are stirred up in faith for provision of a need and it doesn't come to pass?
What if they DO receive miraculous provision. Groceries at the door. Money in the mail. Raise in their job. Bonuses. Inheritance. Found money. Windfalls. Who gets the GLORY when they had faith in God for provision?

WHAT IF a person or a church gets a prophecy and it doesn't come to pass?
What if they do change their life or change direction because of a prophetic word. What if they start relieving in the goodness of God and start walking it out? What if the future looks brighter because of a prophetic promise. What if it DOES come to pass. Who gets the Glory?

WHAT IF a demon is discerned and we don't know what to do about that?
What is a demon is in the church and nothing is done about it. What then. What if a person is tormented of a demon, is it OK for that person to wake up in the middle of the night screaming? The reason for discernment is for deliverance. People live in fear and torment because of demons. It's time to set them free. That takes discernment. IF it's not a demon, nothing harmed. But most of the time it is.

WHAT IF a word of knowledge is not on target and causes upset?
What if a word of knowledge IS on target and tells the person that God knows who you are, where you are at, that he cares, that he knows and still loves you. It's a precious gift when you hear the Father speak by the Holy Spirit thru a person something only YOU know. You can live in confidence that even the sparrow has his eye and how much more does he care for YOU. .

WHAT IF a word of wisdom turns out to be unwise?
What if a word of wisdom, which might be a caution, might be an answer, might be a direction, might be reassurance is exactly what that person needs just then just now. They might be floundering around and need God to help them sort it out. Wisdom's name is JESUS. Look it up. Can that be unwise.

I don't mean for this to be critical as much as encouragement. IF you believe in WHAT IF.. you are robbing those all around you who need to hear from God, who need a Miracle, who need Healing and everything that the Holy Spirit means for them.

Let's not worry about robbing God in our tithe, let's not Rob God as he tries to give grace and mercy to his Beloved.

NETANYAHU PROPHETIC DREAM 3-1-15 -

I did not have this dream.  I believe a man called Jeremiah Johnson did.  Can't verify.  Yet it is stirring.

I had a prophetic dream last night where I saw Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approaching the United States on aircraft and a mighty roar was released in the atmosphere. I heard gnashing of teeth and cursing from principalities in America too terrible to even describe.

The Spirit of God spoke to me in the dream and said, "I am sending Netanyahu like a torpedo to shake the foundations of the United but yet divided States.

He will stir up forces of darkness that have been kept silent in America for such a time as this. If the intercessors do not respond to his prophetic clarion call, darkness will prevail in the land.

His visit will shift the 2016 election. Pay very careful attention to the response of the potential candidates. It will either stifle them or launch them. Keep your eyes on the East Coast. Awakening is coming. A revolutionary spirit is arising once again."

Then I awoke.

We are all called to be Queen Esthers

It is worth remembering what this season of Purim is all about.

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

I won't rehearse the whole story, I assume my readers know it well. There is a key however to the story that fits in this day. I was reminded of this by Barbara Yoder. It had to do with how Netanyahu sees his trip to speak to congress.

In a greater way if we as Christians carry inside us by the Holy Spirit a world view that helps us see past the deception and cultural delusion that is rampant in our land we too are Esthers.. called to speak up. Some will not hear. They deny that the gallows being built are for us, they don't want to hear about evil plots, they want to live inside a bubble of intentional blindness without having the reality of those who do want to kill us and the reality of people (kings) who intentionally or otherwise continue to fall for Haman's evil plots. They are those who insist that the mix of political viewpoints that reflect from a biblical world view are out of order. They seem to feel that if we just say nothing, pray and hope that everything will turn out all right.

If Esther had taken that approach we wouldn't have her story in the Bible and more important a nation would have died at the hands of an evil plotter. Just like today.

There are forces at play in the world who mean to kill Christians, Jews, innocents and yet there is a vacancy of leadership that recognizes that reality. Not even among spiritual leadership is there a stand for world view that comes from the heart of God. People think it is a mix of politics and religion. I am guilty of that.. but sometimes the Hamans of the world and those compliant like King Ahasuerus was in office need to be called to account.

If I don't, then what's a prophet for? I guess I have to tear whole books out of my Bible starting with Ezekiel. And when the rulers of the day were oppressing the people with heavy yokes... a guy whose name I bear called them out and openly rebuked them... His name is JESUS.

Should we do any less??

Hiding From The Prophet

If you flow in the prophetic you see a syndrome that puzzles you.

Scenario:

You get a word for someone.  It's a strong word.  It means a life change for them.  You deliver the word.  They hear it.  It shakes them up. Upsets the apple cart. 

Then the word comes to pass, exactly as you said it would.  Their life changes.  They now have a new and better apple cart.  Except now they don't want THAT new one upset. 

So they avoid you.  What if you gave them another word that would tip things over once more?  You are dangerous to the Status Quo.

I'm not talking about a word of rebuke, but a word of relationship change, job change, destiny direction, ministry reset, financial change or a host of other things.

What terrifies most people about prophetic word is not that they are wrong or false.  That's easy enough.  It's when the word is not only right, but significant and it requires stepping out in faith.  That's not what people want.  They want a soft word.

People rely on the old ways.  They forget that they now prosper because they heeded the word of the Lord from the Prophet.  They have become comfortable in their new reality.  New comfort zone. In their mind they are saying, "Please Mr Ms prophet, don't disturb my comfort box.  I like it just fine".
They want to stay comfortable in the new box they occupy.

Here's how they hide from the Prophet:

• They say "I'm able to hear from the Lord for myself" so if it threatens to disturb them, they don't want to hear.
• They try to silence the prophetic voices around them by claiming the prophetic isn't real.
• They try to "Kill" the prophets.  Most of the time this is done by "setting them aside, down, muzzled".
• They depend on house prophets who fill their itching ears with whatever they WANT to hear because the real word of the Lord would be too hard.

I don't ever say, "I told you so".  They know that.  For those who say, "I want a word", that would be a one off if it came to the point where it caused them to have to step out in faith believing.  Most people want a word but don't have to move from UR like Abram did.  

There are people who read this who have indeed had a word that changed their lives and now they are cautious about getting another one.  Hiding out.

Don't be afraid, don't hide from the Prophet.  He or She is there to help you prosper... by the word of the Lord...  The Power to prosper.