PROPHETIC MINISTRY

LATEST Prophetic Words, Encouraging Writings, and News

Preface by David Nelson to the following article by Dutch Sheets

After I read the following article by Dutch Sheets I felt that Prophetic Ministry should say something important to the Body of Christ. The Lord has been showing for some time now both to us and to many others that there are serious problems in the Church at large.

We have been saying that each individual Christian must have such a relationship with the Lord that he must know His voice much better now than has been in the past. “They shall all know Me from the least to the greatest.” “My sheep will know my voice and they will follow Me, a stranger they will not follow.”

Yes, there will be some who are spiritual leaders, but each one of us will stand before the Lord by ourselves, not with our spouses or spiritual leaders beside us, and we will answer to the Lord alone as to whether we followed His voice to us or not. But did we value as top priority knowing His voice and were we willing to follow Him wherever He led us?

Even though there are many gifts in the Body all around us, including spiritual leaders, we will be responsible alone to hear the Lord through these gifts and also what the Lord says directly to us. The day that the Lord is bringing us into allows and expects that every person is important to the Body of Christ and is needed, and that we should be careful not to follow others without the Lord speaking in our own spirits also. There will be much deception but there will be much restored truth too. We must know the difference by knowing our God, each for himself.

When Dutch Sheets says in point #3, “How do we fix this mess?”, I think this is a key statement. The Church at large is in a mess. But there is an emerging Bride that is shunning the worldliness that has come into the Church and is pursuing purity, holiness, righteousness, and a restoration of what the Lord has always intended for His Body and which was seen to some extent in the book of Acts.

Yes, there is a return to the Lord sincerely and fervently by some but it is not always easy or popular to answer the Lord’s call to follow Him in our day. It will be by God’s grace that He will make and build a Church after His heart and whoever wants this will need all His grace to hang on and become all that He wants us to be. And as we desire to become what He wants He will give us compassion and love for the Church at large. What to do for them and for us all must be shown by the Lord in His timing. The Lord loves His emerging Bride and His wayward Church and will do what He has planned to bring about His highest glory. Each one of us must hear Him and do our part.

Regarding Dutch Sheets final point #4, I too am sick over the hype in the Church as seen often on TV. We should not mistake hype for anointing. We should reject what we see as false and accept what we see as true. There is much error but there is much truth that we need to embrace also which is coming forth in this day from the Lord. And even though many are cynical about the Church, young and old, for good reason, the “real thing” will arise. “In a day of great darkness the glory of the Lord will arise upon us, and the world will see it.” (Is. 60:1-3)  Yes, a time of cleansing and healing for all of us (as Dutch Sheets has put it), really has already begun. It has been developing and growing for some time now. The Lord is doing something wonderful behind the scenes in each one of our hearts who is wanting to hear Him. It is my heart too (with Dutch Sheets sentiment) to help shape a movement, the fruit of which will last till the coming of Jesus and forever. I too have great expectations for this.

Excerpts from “A Statement and Appeal Regarding Lakeland” by Dutch Sheets
(8-21-08)

The Bigger Picture

It may come as a surprise, however, that my real purpose in
writing this is not to only state the above (a statement and appeal regarding the Lakeland, Florida “revival”), as important as I believe
saying it is. My primary purpose, and I believe my assignment
from the Lord, is to identificationally repent on behalf of the
leadership of the charismatic body of Christ (see Nehemiah 1:4-7;
Daniel 9:1-19). In doing so, I do not have a pompous, "no one else
will, so I'll do it" attitude, nor am I arrogant enough to think I have
become the spokesperson for the charismatic church. I want to repent for our sins and weaknesses. I encourage
leaders who find my statements true and appropriate to join me.

Beyond the simple fact of it being appropriate, I firmly believe it is
the only way to begin the process of rebuilding trust with those
asked to follow us and to remove the cynicism of the world we ask
to listen to us. Concerning what I'm about to say,
I don't believe I have a critical spirit, nor do I want to diminish the
sacrifices, faithfulness, and hard work done by so many in ministry.
The fact remains, however, that we have failed the Lord and His
people in many ways-not just with Lakeland but in countless
other situations-and must repent if we are to be trusted in the
future. And as you also know, no repentance is effective if watered
down and couched in excuses, therefore, I intend to be brutally honest:

1) We, the leaders of the charismatic community, have operated in
an extremely low level of discernment. Frankly, we often don't even
try to discern. We assume a person's credibility based on gifts,
charisma, the size of their ministry or church, whether they can
prophesy or work a miracle, etc. (Miracles and signs are intended
to validate God and His message, not the messenger; sometimes
they validate the assignment of an individual, but never the
person's character, lifestyle or spiritual maturity.)

Preface by David Nelson to the following article by A.W. Tozer

I do not believe that this article is trying to teach that each one of us must walk alone without being connected to the Body of Christ. But what I believe it is trying to convey is that each one of us must bear his own cross which is unique to each individual and that each one of us must hear for himself and follow the Lord’s leading. This “aloneness” that we will feel is important for each of us to focus on the Lord supremely and never let anything or anyone come between us and our relationship with the Lord. We will need others and the gifts of the Body of Christ to come to our fullest potential as we listen to the Lord through others.

Excerpts from “The Saint Must Walk Alone” by A.W. Tozer 

The pain of loneliness arises from the constitution of our nature.
God made us for each other. The desire for human companionship
is completely natural and right. The loneliness of the Christian
results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that
must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians
as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given
instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others
who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in
the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are
so few who share inner experiences, he is forced to walk alone.
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding
caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord
Himself suffered in the same way.

The man who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual
inner experience will not find many who understand him. A certain
amount of social fellowship will of course be his as he mingles
with religious persons in the regular activities of the church, but
true spiritual fellowship will be hard to find. But he should not
expect things to be otherwise. After all he is a stranger and a
pilgrim, and the journey he takes is not on his feet but in his heart.
He walks with God in the garden of his own soul - and who but
God can walk there with him? He is of another spirit from the
multitudes that tread the courts of the Lord's house. He has seen
that of which they have only heard, and he walks among them
somewhat as Zacharias walked after his return from the altar when
the people whispered, "He has seen a vision."

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. "When
my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me
up." His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek
in God what he can find nowhere else. He learns in inner solitude
what he could not have learned in the crowd - that Christ is All in
All, that He is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification
and redemption, that in Him we have and possess life's summum
bonum.

My thoughts after reading the book “True and False Revival” by Andrew Strom

(Excerpts are given with page #s from the book)

Truth has fallen in the streets. The Tabernacle of David has fallen, but it is being raised up in our day. The raising up of the Lord’s Tabernacle is the beginning of Revival for this time. We also are raising up a standard of truth that the Lord is now giving us that will be seen by many as it is lifted up. They may not accept what God is saying but at least the truth is being sounded forth as a trumpet or a horn sounding forth with clear notes. The Bride is hearing the call.

What is the Lord saying? Clear and concisely He is saying, “Stop all that you are doing in the flesh and come to Me (the Lord) and I will show you what I want in this hour.” “Come out of all that is not of Me and I will teach you to walk with Me and learn the new things and the old things that I want to do to restore My people to all they were meant to be.” Of course, there is much more than this, but do you hear His call to come out of what is not of Him and to know Him and come into what He wants to do now? What He has been showing us here at Prophetic Ministry and what He has been showing many others around the world are precious truths and revelations that are changing our hearts and lives. We are being changed to think and be more like our Lord, and a standard is raising in our hearts that we will speak out to whoever has an ear to hear what He is saying.

Just as it says in Acts chapter 2, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, the young and the old, men and women, anyone who has an ear to hear, visions, dreams, and prophetic words.” What we are hearing from the Lord is anointed of the Holy Spirit, and it puts an anointing on our lips, and the revelations we hear are prophetic and cause us to know and give forth these prophetic insights to others. We are being changed by Him and all who will hear us will hear what God is saying.

So, please know how important you are who are seeing Him more clearly and hearing Him more clearly. We are being made into precious vessels (of gold) to carry His special new wine. We have been given the responsibility to carry the Holy things of the Lord. But many will not welcome us with open arms. Some will. They will know that God is speaking and they will hear His call through us, even as the Lord himself has been drawing them into a deeper walk with Him. In their heart they will know the voice of God when they hear it. They will know who is of God, who has a kindred spirit with God, and we will touch each other’s hearts, all who have been seeking Him.

Here is what the Scriptures say concerning these “prophetic people” (you are included as a “prophetic person” because you are hearing from God). The following is an excerpt from “True and False Revival” by Andrew Strom, which I think speaks very accurately concerning how the “prophetic” will be rejected/accepted. (Pages 83-84 “Receiving” a Prophet)

"RECEIVING" A PROPHET

It is interesting to note that throughout Scripture there is a tremendous blessing attached to "receiving" a true prophet and his message. Likewise, there is a real curse attached when we reject the one whom the Lord sends. We see this on both a small scale and a large scale, right through the Bible.

This concept of "receiving" a prophet was so important to Jesus that He said: "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward" (Mt 10:41). He told his disciples that when they came into a new town, "whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" (Mk 6:11).

To Jesus it was a very serious thing that Jerusalem and Israel were not only rejecting Him and His message, but also the "prophets and wise men" that He would send to them. (My own addition: Matt. 23:37, 38 says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you!....Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”) The mistreatment of these messengers was in itself a cause for the most severe judgment. If you read the entire passage of Jesus' outcry over Jerusalem in Matt 23:34-39, you can clearly see that this was a major reason for the judgment that was about to come upon them. And indeed, less than forty years later in AD 70, Jerusalem was surrounded by armies and utterly destroyed – just as Jesus had prophesied. It is estimated that over one million Jews were put to death, and the historian Josephus records that so much blood was flowing in the streets at times that it was putting out the fires. 

Jesus ends this passage in Matt 23 with a very significant statement: "You shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Again, this is all about 'welcoming' those whom God sends, rather than rejecting them. Jesus is saying here that He will not come to this people again until they are welcoming of Him and His true messengers. And the same applies to us today. (My own addition: This particular verse, Matt. 23:39 may mean other things also. Please note these passages Matt. 21:33-44 and 22:1-14: In Matt. Chapter 21 the Father in heaven sent servants to those who were entrusted with the vineyard but the “leaders” of the vineyard rejected them. More servants were sent but they were rejected also. In Matt. Chapter 22 the Father in heaven sends out servants to call those who are invited to His wedding feast but they were not willing to come. So He sent other servants to say, “all things are ready, come to the wedding.” But they made light of it and went their own ways. Then the Father said to His servants, the wedding is ready but those who were invited are not worthy. Go into the highways, and those who have an ear to hear, did come, both bad and good.

Message for July 2008  by David Nelson

I would like to talk with you all heart to heart. There is a message in me that has been formulating and growing in my heart since 1996.

I have a chance with this website to speak a message to all the nations of the world and especially the Church for anyone that might hear. We must hear from God! We might hear Him in a sermon or a book or the Bible itself but then again we might not hear Him in sermons or books or even if the Bible is read if it is the letter only and not Spirit and life. We must ask, “Where is the Lord!” “I must hear Him!”

Now, you may say, of course we hear Him all the time. No, I really mean, “I must hear Him and know it is Him, nothing else will do, and I will know when He speaks to me.”

Many people in the Bible heard from God very clearly and it was recorded what He said to them. They, or most of them, are in heaven now and it is our time to hear from God. The Lord wants to speak so clear and strong to each of us (more than ever before) but we must want to hear Him and nothing else will do. He is even now honing your desire to hear purely from Him and give you treasures if you will sincerely say, “Where is the Lord, I must hear Him alone?” “In these last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and they will see visions, dreams and hear and receive prophecies (from Me).” But we must hear His call to draw closer to Him, be serious about it, seek Him with serious intent, in hopes that we find Him. Of course, He doesn’t want only to speak to us, as wonderful as that is, but He wants to have an intimate relationship with us and to walk with Him as Enoch, Moses or Paul did.

So, we all know that the Lord is wanting us to draw near to Him as He is desiring to draw near to each of us. What will be the result is our true spiritual gifts coming forth, a new love for God, a newly appreciated love for others growing, and the supreme treasure of knowing Him as never before. To get this, as you probably have already found, is quite an adventure, with many risks, many sacrifices, much suffering, rejections by others, misunderstandings by others, a pioneer mentality, a wilderness walk alone in search of Him. If you don’t like these last things mentioned please be assured they are the lot of many who have walked before you and for many who are seeking Him now. There are many Scriptures to verify that this truly is the lot of all those who seek Him diligently and who find Him.

This new fire that will burn in your heart cost something but you will gain a great and rich treasure that will grow in you as you have entered in to what the Lord is calling you to. Sometimes you will feel so alone and even at times abandoned by the Lord but it is all part of the personal walk with Him that will produce rich fruit (eventually). And remember, have and are now going through the same things.

If this was all I had to say we could rest (or learn to rest) in our new adventure on this path that leads to eternal life as we learn to walk with Him. But this is not all. My message to the world in this hour is also that we must learn to come together corporately and become the Bride and the Church that the Lord is longing for. What must happen is we must not continue to walk alone (just me and God) but connect with others who are being melted and forged with kindred spirits to our own.

Excerpts from “The Doctrine of Delays”   (Author unknown)

....There are myriads of creatures who are born and dance and die
in the short span of a bright July day. No one in watching them
would ever dream of charging the Creator with delay. But a nation
of men which is to serve the high ends of heaven is never fashioned
hastily like that. Through pilgrimage and war and struggle and
blood and tears, by heroism that oft seems unavailing and sacrifice
that is like water spilt, it becomes the polished instrument of God.
Delay, then, tends to become more marked, the higher you rise in
the Creator's purposes. Great delays in the mystery of providence
are the highway for the chariot of great blessing. The joy that
cometh in the morning might be far less thrilling, had not the
weeping from which it springs endured all night.

Think of Christ's treatment of the Syro-phoenician woman when
she came to Him praying for her daughter. All her motherhood was
on her lips and in her eyes as she pled and interceded for her child.
Do you think it was cruel of Christ to answer her never a word?
Do you think it was harsh to speak about the dogs? How much
we should have missed, and how much Christ Himself would have
missed, had it not been for that practice of delay! It was that which
called out in her fine persistence, her faith, her wit, all that was
brightest in her. She might have been anybody when she began,
but she was a woman among women when she ended. And many
a person has begun by being anybody, and ended by being a
woman among women, because they were kept praying and
pleading long for something that was to be granted by and by.

There have been men
of genius who could only work irregularly; for long periods they
seemed to do nothing at all. Then suddenly, and as if by inspiration,
their powers took fire and they wrought at a white heat. You may
be sure of it that the periods in between were not so idle as the
world considered them. By thought, by reading, by communion
with glad nature, half unconsciously they were preparing for their
work. And when the kindling came, and the fire burned within them,
when they were divinely swept into utterance or action, they owed
far more than we should ever guess to the silent preparation of
delay. As it is with men of genius, so with God, only in loftier and
nobler ways.  >>READ MORE

The “Impossible” Dream       by David Nelson     7-7-08

I am hoping and dreaming and I have a vision for the future. Many songs in past years convey that we need more love in the world, but Jesus said in the last days the love of many will grow cold. But He also commanded His disciples to love one another with His love and He prayed that His disciples would be one with the oneness of the Father and the Son. In both cases (John 13 and John 17) He said, so that the world will know and see that Jesus is in us. So, my dream is that the true followers of the Lord in this hour would INCREASE in their oneness with each other and their love for each other. It seems like an “impossible” dream with so much coldness and lack of love in the world now. Love is decreasing in the world but I am believing that God will do a miracle to cause followers of Christ to increase in love. Do you have this dream?

Of course, we all need to be closer to the Lord and our meetings need to be true encounters with the Lord, with Him mightily in our midst. Intimacy with the Lord every day will be the path to this new kind of love in us for Him and for each other (we see some of this in the book of Acts). But the world’s weeds and the cares of life can choke out our growth and our fruit. And who is behind the lures of the world that side-track us and can de-rail us, a foe whom we cannot beat or out wit except by God’s grace. We have an “impossible” dream and a deceptive foe and many temptations. We also have had to bear innumerable disappointments, delays, deep sorrow for the Church, and even deep sorrow over our own strivings.

We have had to pioneer a new path that others have had to walk before but we have never been this way before. No one else can walk this walk for us, the Lord alone must show us each step to take. We will get encouragement from others but the Lord expects us to walk with Him in this new adventure. Have you heard His call to walk with Him? Have you ventured into this unknown territory where He will show us what He wants us to do?

Maybe the Lord has shown you the kind of love that He is wanting to create in us and you have even burned with this pure love for the Lord and for others but you have seen very little reciprocated from others. And you have seen much less fruit for all your prayers and labors for Him than what you had hoped for. But still you are reaching for a star. You have a dream and a vision that is clear in your heart, it just has not been reached as yet.

Excerpts from a vision by Robert I. Holmes

 (The entire vision can be found at prophetic@revivalschool.com titled “Joel’s Army & Gideon’s Army-A Vision”) (I am only giving excerpts that I found encouraging. I do not necessarily agree with all his interpretations).

 Gideon’s army

 I also saw off to one side, hidden in dense undergrowth, a battalion.
This group stood quietly, waiting in the jungle. They were assembled
in a square, and they were awaiting instructions. At the head of this
smaller group was a banner which read "Gideon's army".

Then I looked and saw a single platoon, off to the side of the battalion.

It stood divided. I looked carefully at this group, feeling
at first that it represented the local body of believers I belonged
to at the time. They were standing in mud, in two ranks facing each
other. The Spirit expressly said, "Many have passed through their
ranks" and I began to realize they were (are) the prophets. These
troops were stuck in the mud, and had not moved on for some time.

 GIDEON'S ARMY

The second army I saw however, portrays an altogether different
picture. Here is an army fully prepared, awaiting instruction. It is
not yet mobile. The battalion (in military terms about 10,000 men)
was labeled Gideon's army. It represents the refined, the chosen,
the remnant church. This second army is not yet marching. They are
stable, focused, balanced and awaiting instruction. They have NOT
been given their marching orders! Gideon and his men were exhorted:
"Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel... I will be with you
and you shall strike down the Midianites" (Judges 6:14,15).

As I read through the account of Gideon in Judges 6-8 several things
strike me about them. If this army is a picture of the remnant, then
it will help to see what they had, and what they did. Firstly, they
were twice refined. At first a great number of men gathered to fight
(32,000 in all). During the first purging the Lord removed those who
had the fear of man. This took their number down to 10,000. In my
vision I saw the battalion (10,000 men) labeled as Gideon's army.
This seems to indicate that the assembling battalion has already
been refined of the fear of man. The second purging Gideon's army
underwent was to remove those who trusted in their own strength.
This took their number down to 300.

In their first battle, Gideon moved only according to God's command.
It was at God's initiative, at His request and by His plan only. It
was interesting that as an army, they carried no swords! How could
they possibly win the battle without weapons? Their battle cry was
"a sword for the Lord and Gideon" (7:20) and the enemy "feared the
sword of Gideon"(7:13). Yet in actual fact their hands were full.
They went into battle with a shofar in one hand (trumpet) and fire
in jars in the other. 

The shofar symbolises the prophetic clarion or the watchmen, used to
sound the alarm and awaken the city.(Also, added by David Nelson, this may symbolize a clear message given forth of what God wants us to say in this hour).

 The fire in jars may well speak
of this very great treasure we have within us, this precious truth
about Christ which shall demonstrate his very great power: "we have
this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this
extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us." (2 Cor.
4:7). Likewise the secret to our warfare is also that the weapons of
our battle are not merely carnal, they are divine to the tearing
down of strongholds (2 Cor 10:4). (Also, added by David Nelson, when the jars, our flesh, are broken, only the fire of the Lord will be seen and not us).

Encouraging thoughts for June, 2008    by David Nelson

I would like to share three important points that the Lord has impressed on me lately that I believe will encourage you. We must keep believing what the Lord wants to do in His revival even before it fully comes. Do not give up on the vision God has given you no matter how long it takes. What the Lord has already shown you about the coming revival, the truths He is now showing and has shown you, these revelations are very precious treasures. When they are shared with others, as the Lord leads, it will advance the Lord’s desires for the coming revival. You have a prophetic/apostolic anointing as the Bride of Christ being prepared to shine these truths to the whole Body of Christ so that more can come into real revival.

First let me say that “real revival” and “the coming revival” have already begun. It has come in the truths the Lord has revealed to us about the bankruptcy of what is in “the church” now and the greater riches of what He is calling the Church to become now. It has come because He is calling us to a much closer walk with Him and some are answering His call and drawing near to Him. There will also be a closer walk with true brethren (whose hearts are being knit together more and more). We see this happening too. One thing we long for is corporate gatherings that will be 100 % led by the Holy Spirit.

But we have not seen the things that we long for coming into flower or fruitfulness as fully as the dreams in our heart have portrayed. Just as Abraham saw a city whose builder and maker was God, but he saw it from afar off, he did not see it come into reality in his life time, but he still believed in it and longed for it, and it was accounted to him by the Lord as righteousness just to believe that it was coming. So too, we will be counted as righteous in God’s eyes as we look for His true revival, and because we will not be satisfied with anything less, and because we keep on believing no matter what we actually see with our eyes.

Excerpts from “The Picture of a Prophet” by Leonard Ravenhill   (1994) (taken from “The Banner” (Winter 2008) Pinecrest Bible T.C., Salisbury Center, NY)

• Introductory note by David Nelson: This article is for all who are desiring to follow the Lord in these days. Would that all God’s people prophesy. All of us will experience the things described below whatever our gifts are for we all will be hated by the world the closer we walk with the Lord. We as Prophetic Ministry do not claim to have achieved all that is below but we with all of you are seeking for so much more of this. 

The prophet in his day is fully accepted of God and totally rejected by men.

Years back, Dr. Gregory Mantle was right when he said, “No man can be fully accepted until he is totally rejected.” The prophet of the Lord is aware of both these experiences. They are his “brand name.”

The prophet comes to set up that which (will) upset. His work is to call into line those who are out of line! He is unpopular because he opposes the popular in morality and spirituality. 

The prophet is God’s detective seeking for a lost treasure. He is totally “otherworldly.” He marches to another drummer. He breathes the rarified air of inspiration. He is a “seer” who comes to lead the blind. He lives in the heights of God and comes into the valley with a “Thus saith the Lord.” He lives in “splendid isolation.” He is the villain of today and the hero of tomorrow. He is excommunicated while alive and exalted when dead! He is friendless while living and famous when dead. He eats daily the bread of affliction while he ministers, but he feeds the Bread of Life to those who listen. He walks before men for days but has walked before God for years. He is a scourge to the nation before he is scourged by the nation. He has a heart like a volcano and his words are as fire. He faces God before he faces men, but he is self-effacing.

Our national need at this hour is not that the dollar recover its strength, or that we save face (in the world), or that we find the answer to the ecology problem. We need a God-sent prophet!

I am bombarded with talk or letters about the coming shortages in our national life: bread, fuel, energy. They feel that the “seven years of plenty” are over for us. The “seven years of famine” are ahead. But the greatest famine of all in this nation at this given moment is a FAMINE OF HEARING OF THE WORDS OF GOD. (Amos 8:11)

Millions have been spent on evangelism in the last 25 years. Hundreds of gospel messages streak through the air over the nation every day. Crusades have been held; healing meetings have made a vital contribution. “Come-outers” have “come out” and settled, too, without a nation-shaking revival. Organizers we have. Skilled preachers abound. Multi-million dollar Christian organizations straddle the nation. BUT where, oh where, is the prophet? Where are the incandescent men fresh from the holy place? Where is the Moses to plead in fasting before the holiness of the Lord for our moldy morality, our political perfidy, and sour and sick spirituality?

GOD’S MEN ARE IN HIDING UNTIL THE DAY OF THEIR SHOWING FORTH. They will come.

The silence of God, the “great revival” has begun, and God’s promotion
by David Nelson   (5-7-08)

There are three things I want to give to you today so I thought I would write this at one sitting. They may be a little unrelated but they are all important in my heart at this time.

First concerning the silence of God, do not be overly troubled when God does not say anything to you for a period of time. He is testing us to see if what we say we believe we still believe when He is silent, or as the Psalms say, “He hides His face” for a period of time. The Psalmists were perplexed when they said things on numerous occasions like this, “How long will you hide your face from me, O Lord?”

The Lord is intensely training each one of us to know Him so well that our confidence is not anymore in good feelings, or experiences, or gifts from above (although these may stop for a period of time God never means them to go away permanently, for He loves us so much and wants to keep giving us pleasant things). But to really be trained completely He must show that these are not central but just Him, who He is, who we have come to know Him to be, regardless if all outward or inward blessings cease for a time. To fully receive this lesson and to keep being reminded of it, the Lord may be completely silent for periods of time. Sometimes for much longer than we ever would have dreamed or felt necessary. But again, His point to teach us is, to know who He is and who He has shown Himself to be. We have read these things in the Word and we have experienced who He is over and over in our lives already. So, when everything becomes dark, with thick clouds allowing no light through, and this dark period lasts for many days, we must know who He is, who He always is, what His love is, and that His plans will one day be revealed, be fulfilled, and resume on schedule. For the Sun is always shining brightly even when it is night or thick clouds cover it, we just can’t see the Sun now (or hear Him), but He is shining brightly (out of sight) and never changes.

Excerpts from 5 encouraging articles

I (David Nelson) have read some articles in the last few weeks that I did not feel led to put on our “Latest Page” yet they were of some encouragement to me. The following is a compilation of some encouraging thoughts I gleaned from these articles. The ideas are not necessarily related to each other but are more of a “buffet” of different encouraging words. I will give the authors and titles of the articles and may make a few of my own comments in each article. (If you want any of these articles in their entirety just let me know.)

“Having Done All, Stand and Be Filled” by JoAnn McFatter:

Have you dreamed the dream of God’s Presence filling the Temple (in our day)? Have we gotten to the point that we are convinced…that it will not be by might or by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts? We have pressed in and pressed on with “the little” we have heard from the Lord in sheer faithfulness to God and with a lovesick heart, but we still have not experienced the desired result of His habitation in our midst. We are trying not to despise “this day of small beginnings.” And having done all (we know to do) we stand. We stand before Him resting and abiding in Him. We are waiting to receive from Him the infilling that is necessary (what we will need) to carry what He is about to pour out from Heaven.

The process so far has all but killed us, so are we close to its revealing, has its purpose almost been accomplished? Are we empty vessels, void of ourselves, having come to the end of our strength and our ideas? His rebuilding of His Temple has been on a much more personal level (the changing of each one of us) than we ever imagined. (For the rest of this word go to "Read More")

“They Looked for a City” by Bob Brunz: 

What I am about to write was given to me by the Spirit of the Lord in the summer of 1974. It was an open vision. I believe this vision was given for the whole body of Christ for understanding and encouragement. I have shared it with small groups over the last 33 years. I was to write down the vision and wait until He would release me to share it with the Body of Christ. So, the Lord released me to share it 7-7-07.

This vision entitled “They Looked for a City” is what I have labored for and give my life to in the past 34 years of ministry. I continue to look for that city (that Body) whose Builder and Maker is God (Heb. 11:10). My prayer is that the Spirit of the Lord will reveal to you, the reader, the understanding of the vision and encourage you in the days ahead as we journey together as the many membered Body of Christ. 

The Vision:

I was at work talking with a friend concerning what would happen
in the last days concerning the Church, when I received this
revelation. The vision was given in an allegorical fashion, using the
children of Israel to symbolize the Church. I saw the vision in a
panoramic view (from my left to my right). I saw as it were the
children of Israel "trekking" on foot in a very dry and sand filled
desert. They were famished, exhausted and very thirsty (For the rest of this word go to "Read More")

Words of Encouragement from the Lord    (Author unknown)

A few years ago I wrote down these thoughts from a book I was reading. I wrote down page numbers but do not have the author’s name. Until I discover who the author was let’s just except them as being from the Lord. I have a feeling that the real author just wants us to know the Lord’s heart and does not care that his name is not known.

Your dreams are my dreams for your life. I share your excitement for the future and I have big plans for you. I have held them in my heart since before you were born. 

I see the big picture of your life and will take good care of you always. Through twists and turns I will give you my provision. Remember, I can make a way when there seems to be no way.

My gentleness can make you great. My Spirit knows how much to do and will give you the strength to do it. Green pastures and still waters of my presence.

Bask in the fullness of how much I love you, no matter what you face remember I am standing beside you.

I desire to give you the fruits of the Spirit, they will fill your life with great contentment. When you follow me you follow the highest dreams for your life and fulfillment. 

I see the big perspective, you are trying to peer thru a keyhole. When you focus on me you will discover a different perspective, a higher perspective.

Your plans thrown into disarray? Submit yourself and your plans to me. (I am all you need, everything will work out, you’ll see).

Don’t give up, your future is secure with me. I want to see your dreams realized because I gave them to you. I finished my course and you will finish yours also.

I am the anchor of your soul lest you drift into the sea of doubt and unbelief.

Trust me and I will open doors for you and my hand will be upon your life.

You are my treasure. Grace and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. Let me transform you into the person you long to become.

I want to describe two different types of gatherings. One is in heaven and one is on the earth. Both gatherings will have the Lord at its center and be led by the Holy Spirit. First, let me describe the heavenly gathering.

Imagine in heaven the Lord inviting many people to His home for an evening together and that He is the host of this heavenly gathering. The greatest men and women saints of all time will be there and we are invited too. As we enter the place where the gathering is to be held it is the Lord’s home, decorated beautifully, with good food prepared by the Lord and each one dressed with very nice clothes provided ahead of time by the Host. It is hard to imagine this but everyone there is expecting us and is looking forward to meeting us and talking with us. Each one there has been individually trained by the Lord in being courteous, kind, loving humble, they have taken on the Lord’s character and have learned to treat people like the Lord does. We have been invited by the Lord and are kindly welcomed by the Lord and everyone else welcomes us too. Can you imagine being invited to a beautiful home with very important people there and being welcomed so graciously that you feel like an honored guest, equal with everyone else who is there? You feel so at home because of the kindnesses of everyone, you don’t feel out of place, or like an alien (alienated), not ignored, or forgotten. Even the highest and most respected guests come and talk to you and want to know you better sincerely (like you are important too). The Host even made part of the gathering a toast to you and a very fine plaque was awarded to you with very encouraging words said about you in front of everyone. (The award was so prestigious, like a Noble Peace prize, or a Pulitzer prize, or a Distinguished Metal of Honor). This is not a place where you felt excluded, or just an observer, not snubbed in any way, but you felt very at home and loved and appreciated by everyone, especially the Lord. It is the Lord who knows us and loves us and accepts us. He is the one who is supremely courteous and who appreciates who we are and who we will become in Him. It is He who teaches all the others to be like Him and so they all love us. He has always loved us, even before we knew Him, He has always known our potential, He has always believed in us and has seen us as a finished masterpiece of His. He has told everyone in heaven who we are and how much we mean to Him. Now even the greatest, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle all come up and talk to us, no one thinks they are greater than another.

Now, let’s go to the gathering on the earth. True Christians from many different backgrounds have come together to meet with the Lord and with each other. Does anyone know who you are or does anyone want to know who you are? In our day the Lord is preparing His people how to gather together and He is teaching us to have a new, heavenly attitude that is the same as the heavenly gathering described above. The Lord wants us to taste some of what heaven is like and begin experiencing the love and kindness and graciousness of heaven even now. He wants us to be a people who will get together and honor one another and love and accept one another, with no one better than another. Of course our goal is to have the Lord dwelling in our midst and greatly honor, worship, adore and fellowship wonderfully with Him but He also wants us to love one another too. In this place where His people meet, even the “greatest” talk lovingly with the “least.” (We really are all equal) It is a place where you are welcomed for who you are and people want to know you and glean from the gifts in you. This will be a place where you feel so at home with people who sincerely love you because the Lord who knows you resides and flows through them toward you. You feel loved, accepted, understood, not ignored or excluded, not alienated, but truly one with the Lord and all His guests just as it is in heaven.

Anew
© BY:Zainab Sule

Just yesterday, I thought about God's love,
and my mind was filled with awe anew.
Now Easter is around the corner,
and we have to think again of His love,
which redeemed us from sin and shame.
I will be forever grateful,
as I keep remembering His wondrous love,
which He showed to me,
when He died on a wood, with hammer and nail.
Never ever forget this Love,
which redeemed us from the devil's claws.
And this Easter, it is my wish,
that He'll reveal a new dimension,
of His love- Once again.

Please note: Prophetic Ministry (Iowa) would like you to think seriously about the following quotes but we are not endorsing all ideas written in the above book. Overall, it is an excellent book that we recommend for you to read.
(Thoughts in parenthesis are our own.)

On the back (dust cover) of the book are the questions:

• Why does the pastor preach a sermon at every service?
• Why do church services seem so similar week after week?
• Why does the congregation sit passively in pews?

Not sure?  This book makes an unsettling proposal: Most of what present-day Christians do in church each Sunday is rooted, not in the New Testament, but in Pagan cultures and rituals developed long after the death of the Apostles. The authors also uncover problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was called to be. As you reconsider Christ’s revolutionary plan for His Church—that He would be the head of a fully functioning body in which all believers play an active role—you’ll be challenged to decide whether you can ever do church the same way again.

Inside flap (dust cover)---One of the most troubling outcomes of the practices in our church services today (we take for granted that they are Scriptural) has been the effect on average believers: turning them from living expressions of Christ’s glory and power to passive observers. This book examines and challenges every aspect of our present-day church experience.

Book Dedication:  To our forgotten brothers and sisters throughout the ages who courageously stepped outside the safe bounds of institutional Christianity at the risk of life and limb. They faithfully (raised a standard), carried the torch, endured persecutions, forfeited reputations, lost family, suffered torture, and spilled their blood to preserve the primitive testimony that Christ is the Head of His Church. And that every believer is a priest, a minister, and a functioning member of God’s house. This book is dedicated to you.

Matthew 15:3—“Why do you yourselves transgress the commandments of God for the sake of your tradition?” 

Quote by J.C. Ryle (19^th Century): “When traditions are once called into being they are at first useful, then they become necessary. And at last they are too often made idols, and all must bow down to them or be punished.”

Preface: XVII—The Pharisees added to the Scriptures with their “tradition of the elders.” The Sadducees removed important truths from the Scriptures much in the same way that churches today have removed important first Century practices from our church services and added traditions.  XVIII---Thankfully, such practices are presently being restored on a small scale by some today, daring souls who have taken the terrifying step of leaving the safe camp of institutional Christianity. 

XIX---To define an organic church: It is Spirit led, with open-participatory meetings, and nonhierarchical leadership. When a group of Christians begin to follow the Life of the Lord who indwells them together, the same outstanding features that marked the 1^st Century church begin to emerge naturally.

XX---Our goal? The reason for this book is simple, we are seeking to remove a great deal of debris in order to make room for the Lord Jesus Christ to be the fully functioning Head of His Church. We also make the outrageous proposal that the church in its contemporary, institutional form does not have a biblical (or historical) right to function as it does. You must decide from the evidence presented if that proposal is valid or not.

XXIII---Hans Christian Anderson quote (from “The Emperor’s New Clothes”): “But the Emperor has nothing at all on!” said a little child. “Listen to the voice of innocence!” exclaimed the father; and what the child said was whispered from one to another. “But he has nothing on!” at last said all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought, “The procession must go on now!” and the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold.” (Is this not a similar attitude that churches can have to carry on with the same things in a church service when the Lord is not in it?) 

XXV---Introduction by George Barna---We are living in the midst of a silent revolution of faith. Millions of Christians throughout the world are leaving the old, accepted ways of “doing church” for even older (Biblical) approaches. It is not so much that they are seeking to reclaim their roots or to be more accurate historically but it is borne out of a desire to return to our Lord for something (real), authentic, and for more of His fullness. The heart of the Revolutionaries is not in question, they are seeking more of God. They want more of what they read about in the Word and to be more in tune with His leading. They want their relationship with the Lord to be the top priority in their life (no matter what persecution comes or what sacrifices they must make). 

XXVI---They are tired of all the works, programs, and practices that do not draw them more into God’s presence. These people have experienced the initial reality of a genuine connection with God (and they do not want to go back to the old ways any more). God is waiting for them. They want Him. No more excuses.

LOCAL MEETINGS:

• Weekly Prayer, Saturday evenings, 7 p.m.
• Des Moines Ministry Base Church, Sunday evening, 6:15 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENT(S): 

Gilroy, California
Pacific Rim Training Institute-
Teaching sessions
March 28th-30th

Perryville, Missouri
April 2008

The True Gospel    by David Nelson       2-29-08

Introduction: Below is a statement on some of the essential parts of the message of salvation often missing in sermons. This is not a doctrinal statement or a full treatise on every aspect of salvation or the gospel. We believe it is important for people to know these things in addition to other important aspects of the Gospel that are more widely accepted and taught. We are trying to guard against people sitting in church thinking that they are saved because they have “said a prayer,” and a pastor or a “spiritual leader” told them they were saved when, in fact, they have not been born again and are still going to church in an unsaved condition. After reading the points below we hope that you will agree that these thoughts and verses are an important part of the True Gospel. 

----God takes the initiative to draw us to Himself. “No one comes to the Father unless the Holy Spirit draws him.”

----No one can make himself born again. “Unless you be born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” No one by the will of man can make himself born again, only God makes you born again as He wills.”

----We must believe in Jesus Christ of Nazareth and have Him in our life. “There is no other name except His name (Jesus) by which we must be saved.” “If we have Jesus in us we have eternal life.” “He who has not the Spirit of Christ has not life.”

----You may speak to God in prayer often but what is of key importance is when He starts speaking to you about sin and righteousness. If you listen, take heed, and change into His likeness (at whatever speed is not the key factor but what is key is continuing to change in your character and actions to become more like Christ) then you are a real “son” (child) of God. If you do not grow in righteousness and holiness (because of His continuing discipline of you, and His showing you His ways, and the changes that He makes in your life as you submit to His leadings and promptings), if this is not happening, then you are not a real “son” (child) of God but a bastard (pretend) son. “Without holiness no one will see God.”

----The true gospel Jesus presented can be summed up in this verse, “If anyone (man, woman, boy or girl) wants to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (If you don’t do this you are not my disciple, pupil, or follower). Jesus did the will of the Father in His life. “I do only those things that please Him. I do nothing on my own authority but only what I see the Father do, that I do.” One of the hardest things Jesus ever had to do, though He knew ahead of time it was the Father’s will, was go to the cross. Why do I say it was one of the hardest things? He did all that the Father sent Him to do through His whole life without complaining but one night in the garden of Gethsemane He faced the greatest crisis of His life. When He prayed, “If it be possible Father let this cup (of the cross) pass from me (that I would not have to drink it). Never the less thy will be done not my will (which was to have it pass). Three times He said the same words to the Father in great agony of soul. Finally He got the victory and said, OK, I will do it, not my will, I will do your will, Father. And Jesus requires no less of His followers, deny your own will every day, take up your own cross every day, and follow Me (in whatever I may require of you).

----This is the true gospel. It has to do with us receiving Christ and believing in Him (His cross, His righteousness, His blood, His forgiveness, His life in us). He will change us by making us born again. We will become new creatures that are drawn toward righteousness and away from sin. As we lose sin more and more, we are becoming more holy, more like Him. It is a narrow path that leads to life eternal. We have that eternal life in us with Jesus in us. If we should stray from the path, He’ll give us strength and show us the way back.

DOING AWAY WITH the CROSS
-by Vern Kuenzi.

The Lord has spoken three times over the last six years about the
absence of the cross in the current vision and affairs of the church.
These are among the strongest and clearest words the Lord has
ever spoken to me. At the time of each of these speakings, the
Lord put me into a desolate place so that I would get the point and
there would be no confusion that He was speaking and about what
He was saying.

The first time was in late 1996, at a major men's evangelistic
meeting here in Honolulu. At that meeting were the best of
speakers, the best of musicians, an upbeat evangelistic message,
and an altar call to accept Jesus as Savior. I tried to fit in with the
flow of the meeting and went down onto the arena floor to hopefully
distribute my quota of pledge cards, but I was ineffective and
became very grieved in spirit and walked back up to my seat and
sat slumped there until the meeting was over. I thought the
problem was with me. I didn't even want to attend the next day's
meeting, and as I lay in bed the next morning stripped of all
enthusiasm, I was very surprised when the Lord clearly spoke
through David Wilkerson's latest newsletter and said, "They have
done away with the cross." Obviously the very best that we can
come up with in terms of evangelistic efforts amounts to nothing if
we do away with cross. It might look good and sound good but
still be wood, hay, and stubble. The cross is the wisdom and
power of God, and without it the captives remain bound.

About two years ago, I attended a charismatic home meeting near
my house here in Pearl City. A known minister was invited and
signs and wonders and prophetic utterances seemed to flow.
Saints were slain in the Spirit and some claimed healings. The
next morning when I woke up it was as if the Lord had pulled a
plug and drained every bit of spiritual life from me. All I could think
of was, "I'm not gonna make it." I have never been so empty in my
life. But there was a small "Free Grace Broadcaster" pamphlet
beside me on the bed which I picked up and began to read. The
article that presented itself was titled, "The Glory of the Cross."
And as I began to read that short article, I could feel the life flowing
back into me. The Lord spoke clearly through that article by
saying, "God forbid that you should glory in anything but in the
cross of Jesus Christ." Apparently I had been glorying in many
things that night other than in the cross.

Most recently (in mid-2002, about August) I was reviewing several
books written by popular authors who embrace and oversee a
current apostolic/prophetic movement. The common vision of
those authors is that the church is called to overhaul the political,
economic, financial, and educational systems of this nation before
Jesus returns. I felt so out of step with this vision that I became
unsettled for several days and wondered again what was wrong
with me. I tried to buy one of the books at the Christian bookstore
where I was browsing it, but the cash register was malfunctioning
and I went home without the book feeling a check in my spirit. The
next day I went back to the bookstore and I picked up that book
again and began to reread portions of it. I asked the Lord to show
me where I was in error, and I also asked Him to keep me from
being deceived. Suddenly the Lord seemed to say, "Where is the
centrality of the cross in this vision?"

Three times the Lord has spoken severely about things that
seemed like "good" things, and in all three cases, the problem
that He identified was the absence of the cross. In all three cases,
the pain of the experience was very real. I now believe it was pain
associated with a birthing.

As "good" as it might seem to overhaul the economic, judicial,
financial, and educational systems before Jesus returns, that is
not the finish line that the Bible describes... We see a remnant
of saints who overcome satan by the blood of the Lamb, the word
of their testimony, and by loving not their lives unto death. The
book of Daniel concludes by saying the end of the age will come
when the power of the holy people has been shattered. We see a
snapshot of this in the lives of the two witnesses of Revelation 11.

Together the books of Daniel and Revelation establish the true
vision for the church at the end of this age, and that vision is not
victory in a worldly sense, but victory through demonstration of
the wisdom and power of the cross. The true remnant church is
destined to follow Jesus and walk the path of the suffering servant.
God's eternal purpose is to involve His saints in the defeat of the
devil, and that defeat will be accomplished only as the church
walks in demonstration of the wisdom and power of the cross...
  >>READ MORE

TO RECEIVE THE LATEST PAGE WEEKLY WRITINGS DIRECTLY TO YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, click on this link info@propheticministryiowa.com

May Your Dreams Come True      by David Nelson    2-21-08 

It is a recurring theme in movies, books, and most importantly in the Scriptures, where we see a person waiting for “their time” to come and then the Lord (sometimes suddenly) launches them into their destiny. What I mean by “their time” is the period of their life that they were created for and destined by God to fulfill. What is your dream for how the Lord will yet use you?

Think about Moses living to be about 120 years old. The first 40 years (preparation), the next 40 years a shepherd in the wilderness (feeling, I’m sure, some disappointment, regrets, or wondering, “Is there more I am to do?” Maybe Moses had an unfulfilled dream in his heart till he was 80, “Does God still want to use me, could the dreams and vision deep in my heart still be ahead of me? I still feel there must be more ahead for me?” Then suddenly, one day, a burning bush. And Moses was launched into the last 40 years of his life that was his destiny. Quite an adventure he had ahead wouldn’t you say?

Think about Joseph, 17 years old, the dreams he had, sold as a slave by his brothers, almost murdered by his brothers. Then 13 years later, still in slavery and in prison. I’m sure he thought about his dreams. “Does the Lord still have good goals ahead for me, will I still accomplish the dreams deep in my heart?” Then suddenly, one night, the Pharaoh had his own troubling dream (did not the Lord know ahead of time the exact night and date Pharaoh’s dream would come?) Come quickly out of your prison, out of your waiting and wondering time. Take off your old clothes, get shaved and presentable, your time has come Joseph, you are now entering a new chapter of your life, your new adventure and the fulfilling of your destiny.

Think about Gideon of the Old Testament and Saul (Paul) of the New Testament. Gideon was threshing out wheat in a wine press. He was hiding his doings so that his enemies (the Midianites) who were coming into the land wouldn’t get his food. Many others were hiding in dens and caves of the mountains also. I’m sure Gideon was discouraged (and maybe a little angry and bitter) when he said to his visitor (really an angel or the Lord Himself), “You say the Lord is with me and I am a mighty man of valor? If the Lord is with us why have all these bad things befallen us? Where are his miracles of old that we have been told about? But now the Lord has forsaken us,” that seems clear. “Also I am the least in my father’s house.”

Gideon needed some coaxing to believe that he had something great to do for the Lord, though I am sure he also had dreams deep in his heart as to his destiny and how he would or could be used for the Lord. Then suddenly, when fire rose up out of the rock and consumed Gideon’s present of a delicious meal for his visitor, then Gideon was launched into his new adventures with the Lord.

Saul of Tarsus became Paul suddenly on the road to Damascus when he entered the new chapter of his life he was destined to fulfill. There was a preparation time for Paul and I’m sure a burning desire in his heart to be used by the Lord greatly but into what? He had not been fully launched into his destiny as yet when he was Saul of Tarsus but now he was to be Paul the Apostle.

Now I would like to paint another picture for you. Imagine an older cowboy or a former hero of the “Old West” who has seen better days. He is sitting alone in a social setting in a public establishment at a table thinking about his past. In his day, he had great skills admired by everyone. He had already accomplished some great things in his life but not everything he had dreamed of had come to pass as he had hoped. Now he wondered, is there still more for me to do? Are all my days to accomplish great things behind me or are the dreams I feel in my heart for all I could have been or still desire to be, could these great things still be ahead? Like Moses and Joseph and Gideon and Paul who searched their own hearts, appreciating their past accomplishments but wondering and hoping that they still could accomplish what they were born to do. There were dreams deep in their hearts that God had put there that there was much more ahead if they could just believe that God would or could still use them greatly. And so, the former western hero sat, wondering if he was too old, wondering if his skills and gifts were still sharp enough to be used for God’s glory, was there a greater destiny for him, and if so, when and how would it ever come? If a great need arose for his town to need a hero again, how much coaxing would it take to get him to arise to the greatest adventure of his life that God had in store for him?

This is a time now for each one of us. This is the time that the Lord has chosen for us to be in. All the dreams and the vision deep in your heart have been smoldering. Your dreams may seem broken at times, many disappointments, or what others may see as failures, or the times of waiting for your dreams to come true have passed like water under the bridge. You know God has given you the skills and the gifts, you have seen them, and others have seen glimpses of them. Your gifts may be much greater than you know, you might be one in a thousand or one in a million with rare skills to be used by the Lord in this hour. You have a smoldering fire down deep inside (your dreams) that haven’t completely gone out. Who will coax you out of “retirement” like Moses and Gideon were?

“We need a baptism of clear seeing.
We desperately need seers who can see through the mist--Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy."

Author: A.W. Tozer, circa 1950

The Coming Great Awakening

"OLD WELLS, FALLEN MANTLES and NEW FOUNTAINS"

~by Michael Edds


I moved to a major U.S. city in June 2000 to assume the position as Headmaster for an interdenominational Christian High School. The school was new but had severe problems. Prior to my arrival, a teacher had been arrested for a serious crime. Upon my arrival, the incident had become front-page news in the city. To say the least, I was shocked at the magnitude of the problem and the work that needed to be done. I became angry with God and questioned His direction.

Late one night I could not sleep. I was exhausted from the stress of the challenge before me and still angry with God. Around 2 am, I got up to sit on the couch and pout. In spite of my upset state, anger and disgust, the Presence of the Lord settled in the living room. God did not even pay attention to or address my complaint. Instead, His presence was so strong that I physically trembled. He spoke these words, "Old Wells, Fallen Mantles, and New Fountains." He instructed me to get my Bible. By that time, I too had set aside my complaint. His Presence was so great that I did not know if I could survive it.

I opened my Bible to Isaiah 35: 3-7: "The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing, for IN THE WILDERNESS SHALL WATER BREAK OUT and streams in the desert. AND THE PARCHED GROUND SHALL BECOME A POOL and the thirsty land SPRINGS OF WATER."

Next followed Isaiah 41:17, "When the poor and needy seek water, and
there is none, and their tongues fail for thirst, I the Lord will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in
high places, and fountains in the midst of valleys: I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water."

I was directed to verse 19 of [Isaiah 43]: "Behold I WILL DO A NEW THING. Now it shall SPRING [BURST] FORTH . Shall ye not know it?"

The Lord was moving so quickly through the scriptures that I could hardly keep up. His presence was incredibly strong. I felt like I was floating. Leaving Isaiah, the Lord took me to Joel 2:23: "He will cause to come down for you the rain, THE FORMER RAIN AND THE LATTER RAIN IN THE FIRST MONTH." Then Joel 2:28 was given which states: "It shall come to pass afterwards that I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH. Your sons and daughters shall PROPHESY, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS and your YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS."

Finally, Genesis 26:18 finished the scriptures that the Lord was rapidly giving me: "AND ISAAC DUG AGAIN the WELLS of water which they had DUG IN THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM HIS FATHER."

The Lord revealed the meaning of this vision:

The Early Church experienced the fullness of God. They had the fullness, the gifts and revelation of the Holy Spirit. They were full of boldness, power and anointing. God turned the world upside down through them. The dead were raised, the blind received sight, the possessed were set free, the sick healed and the Gospel was preached to the poor. The anger of Hell was violently aroused. The more the devil persecuted and killed them, the more they multiplied and spread. So Satan changed his tactics. By 300 AD Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. What Satan could not do through persecution, he accomplished through promotion, position, power, prestige, acceptance and prosperity. They SOLD OUT! The Church backslid and the all humanity fell into the brutality of the Dark Ages.


The purpose of each Great Awakening or the bursting forth of a spiritual well was to restore an element of truth that the Early Church possessed back to the church. Luther restored 'the just shall live by faith'. Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards and the First Great Awakening restored repentance, inward holiness and "Christ in you." The Second Great Awakening with Barton Stone at Cane Ridge in the West and Francis Asbury in the East brought restoration in society through evangelism, missions, and great social renewal such as abolition, child labor laws, and suffrage movement. The Third Great Awakening of 1857 restored the power of prayer. Azusa Street Outpouring of 1905 restored the infilling and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Lord stated that He was going to reopen all of the "old wells" of revival in order to restore TOTAL truth to His church.

Fallen mantles of ministry and anointing that rested upon the great men and women of God of old would be picked up and placed on godly men and women today to finish what was started long ago. They are the "Isaacs" that will revisit the old wells of revival and reopen them. The mantles of ministry did not die nor were they buried with Asbury, Wesley, Stone, Amanda Berry Smith and others. They have only been "on hold" until a generation would be born that could relate to them and pick them up. Isaiah 58:12 refers to them: "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places, thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in." The Lord said, "What once was shall be again."

"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world." 
Author:  William Booth

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
Author:  C.T. Studd

 "I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them."
Author:  Keith Green

IT'S SO EXCITING THAT YOU
 
HAVE BECOME A NEW CHRISTIAN--
WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?

Part I

Scripture verses referenced in this study:

John 1:1
Col. 2:3
I Cor. 1:30-31
II Tim. 3:16
Matt. 4
Deut. 8
Rev. 12

The Word of God is very precious to God.  It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  God even calls himself the Word.  Jesus called himself the truth.  He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the light.”  In Col. 2:3 it says, “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ.”  In I Cor. 1:30-31, it says, “He is the source of our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption.  Therefore, it is written, Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”  The Lord is the source of our righteousness.  He is the source of our wisdom.  All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ.  Without Him, we may have a worldly wisdom but to God it is foolishness.  God will show us the truths, the precious treasures, jewels, and truths that he has hid in him that are actually he, himself.  Jesus is the word of God who was with God and who is God.  Jesus is the truth.  When we are receiving the word from God, we are actually receiving of his nature and who he is.  As we learn this word and receive this word, and walk in this word, we will become more like God.  This teaching on the word of God is very powerful and precious. 

Dealing with disappointments—Don’t give up!

Scripture verses referenced in this study:

II Cor. 12:9-10
Phil. 2:13
1 Cor. 29-31
Job 1: 1, 8
Job 2: 2, 3, 10
Job 38: 2
Job 42: 7,8

Satan wants you to give up and stop being a Christian. He is called the accuser of the brethren.  He not only accuses others in your ears but he will accuse you, too. He does this by telling you that you are too sinful or that you fail too much, and that God really cannot use someone like you. He makes you feel that you’re not going to make it as a Christian, it’s too hard of a road, no matter how hard you try you’re not getting anywhere; you might as well hang it up and just live for the world. Satan wants you to quit. He wants you to say, “I’m too weak, I can’t make it.”

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