Prophecy

Prophets, Seers, and Humility

2006-12-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

PROPHETS AND SEERS
By John Paul Jackson

with Introductory Comments
By Ron Wood

John Paul Jackson is a blessing to me and to the Body of Christ. I’ve enjoyed being around him in several venues. We had the privilege of hosting his ministry in a conference when I was leading a church in NW Arkansas. I appreciate John Paul’s teaching and mature perspective on the prophetic ministry. I consider him to be a true prophet of God.

Prophets have a peculiar and vital function in the Body of Christ. Prophets, along with the primary building gift of apostles, form an important part of the foundation of the Church. Some prophets focus on divine revelations. These prophets build up individuals with words of encouragement.

Others are what I call Building Prophets. They work alongside apostles or church planters and thus team up in strategic warfare and in building up the church. Both kinds of prophets bear a distinct testimony of Jesus Christ. They impart His Spirit in a wonderful and unique way to the saints.

John Paul Jackson has given a lot of thought to distinctions in the operation of prophetic gifts. For years, I’ve recognized that it is one thing to have a divine revelation and something totally different to have utterance to speak it forth. By utterance, I mean the grace or anointing to verbally speak a revelation with God’s authority.

So in prophetic ministry, there is a valid difference between seeing it and saying it.

You might see a word, but if you try to say it, it may fall flat on the floor! Is it time? Is it the right place? Are you the right vessel? Seers seem to often wait for someone to inquire about a word, whereas prophets may have unction from on high to declare it proactively. Yet presumption may make us assume that we can release it simply because we have discerned it.

John Paul analyzes this distinction very well in this excellent short study on seers and prophets, and the insightful question that follows it on humility.

This particular article addresses one aspect of revelatory gifting, that is, "words of knowledge." This grace-gift from the Holy Spirit enables a believer to know information or details about someone that could only be revealed by God. It is a small but valuable gracelet from Holy Spirit.

For example, when Jesus met the woman at the well (John 4), He knew by this gift operating that she had been married five times. This divine knowledge about her life uncovered her sin. Yet Jesus spoke the truth to her without condemning her. He ministered in such a way that it broke down her resistance and resulted in the salvation of her village. This is an example of a grace-gift functioning in a non-religious setting in order to display God’s great mercy.

When the gift of prophecy gets outside the church and into the streets, sinners won’t stand a chance! Resistance will be futile. God’s truth ministered in deep love and humble wisdom will uncover the stumbling blocks that hinder their repentance and thus will help bring many souls to faith in Christ.

I believe the day will come when ordinary believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and living in union with Jesus will manifest the word of knowledge in remarkable ways. It will be common for sin to be uncovered, not by ministers, but by disciples. In fact, the day will come when we will think that prophets who impress us with their words of knowledge today were mere children in the faith!

I am asking for this little gift to operate more often in my own life- the snippets of divine information that enables me to show people that God knows the details of their lives and truly cares for them. Twice, the Lord has given me peoples’ names! Once, it was to witness to a waitress. Another time, it was to encourage me in a time overseas when I felt like I wasn’t hearing anything from God in my meetings. But this little gift is needed more. Along with sharing the gospel in a natural and gracious way, it can be a very powerful supernatural evangelistic tool as we saw in the example of Jesus talking with this discouraged woman about her life.

Why doesn’t the Lord give more words of knowledge to more believers today? I believe two reasons hinder this. One is disbelief. We don’t expect the Lord to help us and we doubt it when He does. The second is pride. We get can quickly inflated in our ego when God shows us something. As soon as we start getting revelation, we tend to get an exalted opinion of ourselves. We start to feel entitled to a title, and we think just because we heard some secret revelation from God, we must be in the office of a prophet. Wrong! Humility is thus a vital key to advancement in this powerful ministry.

Here are John Paul Jackson’s comments on revelatory gifting….

PROPHETS AND SEERS
By John Paul Jackson

Years ago, I considered anyone who had a revelatory gift to be a "prophet". I no longer believe this. Over the years, I have come into contact with many revelatory styles. I define these styles by the manner in which someone ministers, combined with their own God-given personalities.

During my 20-year tenure, I have observed many gifted revelatory people. I was delighted to discover how radically different they are from one another. Their differences are more than just a broad array of personalities or the way revelation is delivered. How a person receives revelation from God and the type of revelation they receive may vary from person to person.

This makes for quite a potpourri of visual differences when watching how someone ministers or delivers a word from the Lord.

After reflecting on these various types and styles, I have come to understand that there are unique personalities as well as variations in the respective gifts of prophets and seers. Notice that I have not made a value statement, making one gift more valuable than another. Rather, they are two of many expressions within the revelatory arena.

Differences between prophets and seers seem to be more clearly distinguished in the Old Testament. However, the lack of distinction in the New Testament does not necessarily indicate they are the same. Instead, it may simply indicate the writers did not distinguish between prophets and seers, which may reflect a difference between the Hebrew and Greek mind-sets. The Greek language does not seem to recognize a difference between the two titles.

Since the Early Church, many believers in the West have failed to make a distinction between prophets and seers. At some point, the Church also stopped recognizing the title of a seer. In a similar way, they diminished the role of a prophet and failed to note the distinction between prophets and pastors, or even prophets and evangelists. Today, however, these perceptions are rapidly changing in many places around the world.

A STARTING POINT
As a starting point, I would like to suggest using the following three approaches. These steps will lay a biblical foundation for understanding these gifts. First, we need to approach the differences between prophets and seers through translating the original Hebrew words. Second, we need to approach the differences between prophets and seers by looking at the manner in which the titles are used. Third, we need to approach the differences between prophets and seers by looking at those who were given the titles and by trying to ascertain, whether or not their titles indicated differences in their respective functions.

WORD ORIGINS
Perhaps we should begin by looking at some of the Hebrew words translated in Scripture as "prophet" and "seer." The Strong's Concordance translates these as follows:
"SEER" Hebrew (7200, 7203, 2374, 2372)
-- Hebrew 7200: ra'ah, raw-aw'; to see, look, view; to realize, know, consider; to be selected; to become visible, appear, show oneself; to be seen; to cause to see, show; to be shown; to look at each other, meet with; a general word for visual perception.
-- Hebrew 7203: ro'eh, ro-eh'; a seer; vision.
-- Hebrew 2374: Chozeh, kho-zeh'; seer, one who receives a communication from God, with a possible focus that the message had a visual component; agreement.
-- Hebrew 2372: Chazah, khaw-zaw'; to see, to look, observe, gaze, by extension: to choose (one thing or another); to have visions, to prophesy.

"PROPHET" Hebrew (5030, 5012, 5197)
-- Hebrew 5030: nabiy', naw-bee'; a prophet (true or false).
-- Hebrew 5012: naba', naw-baw'; to prophesy, speak as a prophet; prophesy has its focus on encouraging or restoring covenant faithfulness, the telling of future events encourages obedience or warns against disobedience.
-- Hebrew 5197: nataph, naw-taf'; to pour down; gently fall, drip; to (drip words) preach, prophesy.

WORD USAGE
We also need to look at how the words are used. Many use the terms "seer" and "prophet" interchangeably. Furthermore, some believe that seers have not existed since the time of the Prophet Samuel (1150 B.C. - 1010 B.C.). They quote 1 Samuel 9:9: "(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: 'Come, let us go to the seer' for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer)".

However, this is a shortsighted point of view and creates a dilemma: Why does Scripture continue to make a distinction between prophets and seers after the era of Samuel?
I believe that seers and prophets continue to "co-exist" throughout Scripture. Both Gad, the seer, and Nathan, the prophet, served in King David's court (2 Samuel 24:4; 1 Chronicles 29:29). Asaph, the seer, and Isaiah, the prophet, were also contemporaries during King Hezekiah's reign (2 Chronicles 29:30; 2 Kings 20:1).

Therefore, I believe that 1 Samuel 9:9 implies that Samuel moved from functioning as a seer to functioning as a prophet. Or, more likely that Samuel fulfilled both the functions of a seer and a prophet!

In addition, there seems to be a difference even between those who functioned as "seers". In 1 Chronicles 29:29, the word "seer" is used twice, but it is not the same Hebrew word. "Now the acts of Kind David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer (7200), in the book of Nathan the prophet (5030), and in the book of Gad the seer (2374)" (1 Chronicles 29:29). Perhaps this indicates a difference in how Samuel and Gad received revelation from God.

Samuel had a wide variety of revelatory experiences, perhaps broader than Gad's. Samuel was gifted in visions, knowings, and dreams. He transcended time and geographic locality to watch events that were occurring simultaneously outside of his immediate geographic location. He knew who was coming to his door before the person arrived. He even predicted weather patterns (1 Samuel 12:17).

In contrast, Gad's revelatory gift was not as well documented. It is possible that he walked in the same level of prophetic gifting as Samuel, but there is no record of this. Scripture indicates that he carried the Lord's rebuke to David for numbering Israel (2 Samuel 24:11-13). He also helped arrange Levitical music (2 Chronicles 9:25), and apparently wrote a history book about David's reign (1 Chronicles 29:29).

Did people go to a seer more than to a prophet? It seemed to be common practice for the people of Israel to look to the seers for direction (1 Samuel 9:6-9). It was also common for them to bring the seer an offering for his livelihood (1 Samuel 9:7). There are also several instances where people went to the prophet for wisdom and direction from God.

In conclusion, prophets and seers still function today, as they did in biblical times. In fact we are seeing a worldwide renaissance in these types of revelatory gifts. Next month, I will offer deeper insights on these dynamic, re-emerging, and mysterious revelatory gifts.

To learn more about prophets and seers, please see John Paul Jackson's 6-tape series, PROPHETIC REFORMATION. You can order it online at http://www.streamsministries.com. Or, by calling our office toll-free (U.S. and Canada): 1-888-441-8080.
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13. QUESTIONS FOR JOHN PAUL JACKSON

QUESTION: Is humility and meekness the same thing?

JOHN PAUL JACKSON: Humility and meekness go hand in hand. Meekness is often overlooked because our focus is more often on trying to be humble. Meekness involves how you respond to others when they think that you are wrong. Meekness is how you lead others when they are totally dependent on you. But the best example of meekness is giving up the right to rule and the right to be right. Daily, the Lord is taking me to a place where I am learning that I don't have a right to be right. This is an attribute that I hope to see the Church grow in. The secret to growing in meekness involves giving up your need to be right. We don't have to be right. We do have to be broken.

QUESTION: I have been facing difficult trials lately. My friends have told me to be encouraged these difficulties are a good sign. Can you explain this to me?

JOHN PAUL JACKSON: Your friends are telling you the truth. This principle is one that is discussed in The Art of Hearing God classes. The depth of your battle is proportionate to the coming anointing you will receive from God. Anointing is basically spiritual influence in a natural world. Therefore, the battle we face actually predicts the coming influence we will walk in after the battle has concluded. What we tend to focus on, however, is the difficulty of the battle. The battle that we overcome creates stronger character that allows us to become better leaders. Therefore, if you don't quit, you win.

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Ron Wood resides in Springdale, Arkansas, is the founder of Touched by Grace Inc. He and his wife, Lana, are parents and grandparents. You may contact him at ron@touchedbygrace.org.

Father's War

2006-08-16T13:15:00.000-04:00

Father’s War
by Ron Wood

Many great dramas have been written or filmed that featured a father standing strong to defend his children. A man unwilling to fight for his family is a phony father and a hollow man.

In the Old Testament, Abraham was a man who displayed traits of good fatherhood long before he actually became a father. When his nephew Lot along with many women and children were captured and carried off, Abraham put together a band of brothers from within his household to rescue them. He had 318 trained men who were ready to follow him into battle. (Genesis 14:13-20)

What made these ordinary workers and ranch hands willing to follow their master on a perilous pursuit? To these men, Abraham was a patriarch. He had treated his servants like sons.

Fatherhood is far more than the act of siring offspring. When God first called Abram, he and Sara were childless. Yet the character of a father, not the act of having fathered children, was what God was looking for. This was the kind of man with whom God could cut a covenant. Why? Because- Abraham’s ways were compatible with God’s ways as a father.

The spirit of fatherhood in Abraham was like a covering that protected those shielded by it. The spirit of fatherhood creates extended family– it adopts. It causes a man to invest resources in those joined to him, to nurture and equip those dependent on him, to save his family or friends from their enemies.

Abraham’s faith was contagious. This motley non-military team that he assembled like a posse believed the impossible, that they could win the battle and rescue their loved ones. True fatherhood creates a culture of faith that has a can-do attitude. Fatherhood is a bulwark against eroded values in a decaying culture. Real fatherhood, the kind that comes from knowing God, faces down fear, refuses to run, and fights for what is right. Fatherhood empowers. A mother may carry a baby for nine months and nurse it for a year, but a father also carries his children… in his heart, forever.

Our God is an eternal Father. He is not like a father... he is a father! The Bible says he is the father of our spirits and, like a good father, he corrects us so we can be partakers of his nature and learn his ways. Our Savior revealed God to us in a new way… our "Father in heaven!"

True fatherhood is displayed in actions, not intentions. Fathers earn respect by their deeds and thus become worthy of honor. It is not a title or an empty office, but a job description, what a man does daily. The apostle Paul said, "You have lots of teachers but few fathers." This is still true. The prophet Malachi quoted the Lord, saying, "If I am a father, where is my honor?" and went on to discuss financial honor through the practice of paying tithes and giving offerings.

God is a good, honorable father. He is not an abusive father. He is not an absent father. He is not a feminized father. God the Father did not come from a dysfunctional family that left him emotionally frozen and distant from his children. He is holy, happy, merciful, reliable, and just. God speaks and keeps his word. He loves us, stays involved in our lives, and disciplines us for our own good. He trains us in right living. He causes us to reap what we sow, yet forgives us when we repent. His kids never go lacking. And God gets angry at his children’s enemies.

God goes to war against any enemy who attempts to rob his children of their inheritance. Jesus is The Prince of Peace, but he can be violent. He doesn’t promote peace at any price. Lasting peace comes when God’s rule impacts our human situation. That happens as people choose to follow God’s word and invite Christ’s kingdom to be present. But not everyone is willing or obedient, are they? Because of the reality of evil and the existence of the devil, all people must be confronted with the kingdom of Christ, the Good News, and the devil’s deceit and oppression must be defeated. That ends all revolt and robbery. To this end, our Father is willing to fight.

The Bible is filled with stories of good people forced to fight. Job fought using prayer. He made intercession for his children regularly, fearing they might have sinned. God said concerning Job that he was a perfect man. David was a solitary psalmist and a gentle shepherd, but he was ready to fight. He protected his family’s sheep by killing the lion and bear, thus preparing himself for overcoming Goliath. Nehemiah the builder called for his people to fight for their families as they returned to the promised land and rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem. God honors men who take a stand against their foes for the welfare of their family.

Whether it is a drug lord invading a peaceful neighborhood, or a political leader with no moral values, or a bureaucrat who takes bribes, or a heartless judge who frees the guilty and fails to protect the innocent, or sly entertainers flaunting their perversion, evil must be withstood by men of courage or else we forfeit the future of our families.

The Lord tells us why he chose Abram, why he elevated him from exalted father to Abraham, father of a multitude. It was because he would be a faithful father to instruct or command his children. God said "I know him... I’ve chosen him." Based on what? The Lord had observed Abraham training his household servants as though they were his family, boldly rescuing Lot, then honoring God with tithes from the plunder. (Genesis 18:19) This shows us that when God chooses someone, he first tests them to prove their faith prior to releasing their blessing.

Abraham’s faith was birthed by God’s gracious choice, not any man’s determination. God can vindicate anyone He chooses, if we respond to his grace with faith that endures. God selected Abraham, approved him through trials, and then gave him a posterity beyond his wildest dreams. God the Father is in the business of selecting and supporting fathers who pass the test. God will fight for fathers when they stand for what is right, confront evil, and defend their children. God is still looking for men who walk in the steps of father Abraham.

Today, vicious enemies have risen up against Abraham’s natural seed, Israel. Our Father in heaven is not passive nor neutral. He is on the side of covenant faithfulness. The three-generation promise that he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not be undone. God will keep his word.

Simultaneously, another battle is unfolding behind the scenes. Wicked forces assail the saints and seek to plunder their inheritance. Satan is resisting the spiritual Seed of Abraham, Christ Incorporated, the Church which is his Body. In behalf of us all, God will work wonders again. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will arise and make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, for the glory of His Son and for the salvation of a multitude.

It is time for the saints to possess -- through prayer and faith -- the kingdom purchased for us by Jesus. It’s time for the power and glory of the kingdom to be displayed.

Considerations and Applications:
1. Being servants in the house where God birthed you is a high calling.
2. Real Fathers in the Faith treat those who serve like sons, not hirelings.
3. Equipping sons in the house is part of your calling, if indeed you are a father.
4. If you depart from fatherhood as did Lot, you will be captured by an alien culture.
5. Everything God does that’s built to last begins with fatherhood.
6. God the Father will fight for Jesus’ birthright: Israel, the saints, the nations.

Father’s War © 2006 by Ron Wood. Write us at ron@touchedbygrace.org. See more material online at touchedbygrace.org. A Ministry of Prophetic Teaching. We are Touched by Grace to Touch the World!

Houses and Fields & Fearless Faith

2005-09-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

These two words are related. Debbie is an experienced prophetic intercessor and a dear friend. She is spear-heading an apostolic war summit for intercessors set for our area with Dale Sides. I’ve asked her permission to share this timely word with you and added my own to it as a one-two punch. Enjoy!

Houses & Fields
By Ron Wood

The Lord gave me a prophetic word recently about the house and the field. In this word, He said “The wisdom of the master-builder can be seen inside the house, but the power of the seed is seen only in the field.” I saw the Lord making a distinction between the house and the field. I knew there was more to this word, so I’ve considered it further and have some thoughts to share.

It’s a mistake to try to make everything happen inside the house. We tend to relegate all the ministries to classrooms, kitchens, and nurseries. These are all in-house duties. Distracted with many chores in the house, we may forget the field outside the door. But the field is where the Lord is looking. Why? Because: the field is where the harvest is found. In this season the Lord is saying, “thrust in the sickle for the harvest is ripe.” It is time to reap. Harvest and judgment coincide in the Lord.

Hosea 6:11 says, “…there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.” Listen: You have an appointed harvest from God! This rich blessing will arrive at a time of restoration, not just for you, but for all of God’s people. Where will you find it? Many Christians feel frustrated; many are trying to find some place more satisfying. Does that describe you? The problem may be that you should be exercised in the field, not sitting in a house becoming a spiritual vegetable.

Field work is different from house work. Field work is arduous and dirty. House work is tedious but clean. Both are work, not play. If we were farmers, we would all know that the tough work is done outside in the field, but refreshing comes inside at the table with the family. Both kinds of work are necessary but they are not the same.

Paul wrote about these two types of labor as he described the various efforts of apostles who had teamed up as servants to make the Church at Corinth thrive. He said, “For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” God uses teams composed of incompatible people. Only His yoke keeps them together (ouch!). No one type of ministry can fully equip God’s people. We are designed with built-in deficits. Humbly, we need to admit that we need one another as equal partners in order to finish God’s work.

Some laborers are gifted at building, others are gifted at farming. One labor involves laying a foundation, designing and erecting a structure, and then furnishing it. The other requires locating the right field, planting the right seed, tending it to keep predators or weeds away and finally gathering the crop when it is ripe. At harvest time, intense effort is required. Everyone lends a hand after long periods of being idle. Where do you store the crop? In a nearby barn that is part of a house. The house and the field are meant to be connected, part of the same territory or sphere, part of the same cycle of reproduction.

If you make builders labor outside in the field, you’ll be disappointed with the results. You may have orderly rows, but a lean crop will occur. If you make farmers plow and sow and reap inside the house, you’ll be disappointed with the pitiful potted plants that barely manage to bloom. These workers are different gifts from God with different grace in operation intended to produce different effects. But both are God’s fellow-laborers.

This phrase in the Greek is sun ergo, (together-energy) translated into English as “synergy,” which means “the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.” Teamed up, we produce more than when working alone. Who is our team-mate? God! He is at work both in the house and in the field. In the kingdom, teams are assigned tasks to get a job done. Some workers are stationary. James rarely left Jerusalem. Some workers are mobile. Paul never stayed long in any one place. Houses are rooted in a location. Seed is portable and easily carried to new fields.

Now listen to the wisdom of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord said, “The power of the seed can only be seen outside in the field.” Sometimes we don’t know what we’ve got until we get it relocated and activated. The miracle of grace erupts as the seed germinates under the right conditions in the right location. Seed, locked up in a sterile environment, produces no crop and never multiplies. Seed is meant to be sown, not stored forever.

The power of the seed is the life of Jesus inside you. Trust in that power! It will be unlocked by your faith as you cry out to him after you are sown into unpleasant circumstances.

Jesus spoke of world as his field and of houses that will either stand or fall. Fields are subject to seasons; houses are not. Seasons must be discerned or they will be missed and the work will be in vain. Houses are subject to fires and storms and winds. Houses go in cycles of generations, not seasons. There is a time to build a house and a time to work in the field. “Do your work first in your field and afterwards build your house.” Don’t jump over the field trying to get to the building stage too soon. Don’t neglect the field or your house will be bare.

Jesus said a man found a treasure hidden in a field and sold all he had to buy it. He didn’t find the treasure in a house—he found it in a field. Likewise, the riches God has intended for his house are first derived from the field. All that is good in the house was discovered first in the field. The wealth that furnishes the house comes from the field if we work it; it is only stored up in the house for the good of the family or to buy more fields to increase the harvest.

Ron Wood
ron@touchedbygrace.org

Fearless Faith
By Debbie Davis

We must get past the fear that tells us we need to wait for permission. It's time to move because you have the Word of the Lord! Many in the Body of Christ are sitting and waiting. But waiting for what? Gifts, talents, and divine empowerments are going unused. How many examples do we see in the Scripture of whole people groups waiting to be delivered? The enemy would love God’s appointed and anointed to just be idle; to sit and wait for a sign. Fear never affects only you; others are waiting for you to overcome your fears and move in faith. Others are depending on what you have been given, so go!!

Jesus Christ put all the keys to spiritual power in our hands to complete the work of the Kingdom. He has given us authority and power to trample on serpents and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall in any way harm you. (Luke 10:19).

The Lord is assembling an army of valiant warriors. A wake up call is being heard across the land and the army is coming to attention. There has been an unprecedented assault of terror and fear by our enemy. God needs those who will be fearless and full of faith for such a time as this. The Lord is networking the Body of Christ who are like-minded and of a different spirit, those who cannot be stopped by the intimidator! These warriors are uncompromising Army of the Lord who are not interested in fame or fortune but only in hearing and obeying the Captain of the Lord of Hosts.

Fear is always the opposite of faith. It will be the difference between defeat and victory! Fear sets out to strip us of our God-given authority, to dilute the power of God at work in us, to drive us from the love of God. Fear torments the mind and wants to destroy our witness for Jesus. Fear will always keep you in bondage and steal your victory.

The power of fear will render you useless if you allow it to take root. It will keep you stagnant and stunt your spiritual growth. Fear will rob you of being profitable for the kingdom of God. It will stop you from fulfilling your God-given call. It will make you waste your gifts and talents.

I believe we are in a time of divinely anointed exchange. We are being required to look our fears in the face. Do you see it? Can you confront it? Complacency and lethargy are being traded for a willing attitude. God is looking for those who will not be limited or hindered in any way by the spirit of fear. Fear controls; trust liberates. This army will declare, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind."

There is a wooing of the Spirit for us to make a trade: to lay down our former motives based on fear (guarding what you’ve got) and to take up the power of God (going into new uncharted territory). Move past the difficult situations, push through hindering circumstances and yes, even push past the people-- those who’ve been discouraging you-- and move into courage and obedient action. Acknowledge you are ready to do great exploits for the one true God- the one who goes before you!

Debbie Davis (email address: soundthealarmdd@juno.com)

Pastors on Probation, Jubilee of Healing & Golden Wine

2001-10-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

The months of June and July were a turning point chronologically in the year. It marked moving from the first half to the last half of the year. This is also a significant period in God’s dealings with the Church. I will explain why it was a turning point in kairos time, a brief opportunity in which to hear and obey the LORD, a time to fast and pray, to repent and return. Any word from God requires our immediate response or else we have despised the His authority.

God has been speaking to His church about the restoration of apostles and prophets. Now, He is specifically addressing the critical issues of apostolic power and apostolic purpose.

"The office of the pastor is on probation." On the eleventh day of June, I awoke with these unusual words running through my mind. It seemed the Lord had been talking to me in my sleep.

By probation, I understood the Lord to be saying that a sentence had been handed down, but mercy from the Judge was delaying its implementation. Someone on probation has already been convicted of wrong doing. By office of the pastor, I understood the Lord to mean the congregational leader, the typical model we picture today of the local church’s senior pastor who oversees a church in a building whether that gathering is fifty or five hundred people.

Congregations have emerged as the de facto model of church life. In fact, they are an adaptation taken from the days of captivity, a synagogue form of former Temple worship. That doesn’t make them wrong. But we need to recognize that there is nothing sacrosanct about that particular model. It is just a practical tool to get the job done, an alternative method to extend the kingdom, a traditional strategy to preach the gospel, and an easy way to provide care for the people of God.

Other methods also work well in some locations and cultures. In the Book of Acts, Paul’s method was as an apostolic team that traveled from city to city, making disciples and planting cell or house churches. That was practical for his day for an era of new beginnings. Wherever we are, our model must serve our mission for the season we are in. To quote Derek Prince, "If it is not practical, it is not spiritual." Are we results oriented? Or stuck with a method because "that’s the way we always did it."

The popular congregational model takes many forms and is quite varied. For years, I have complained that the Pentecostals had imported a Baptist model of congregational church life, implementing Robert’s Rules of Order to run church meetings as though God’s word needed man’s system. But different streams have adopted different rules, and different gift-mixes in the leadership produced structures that met the need of that hour. When a leader emerges with grace for government, the church certainly develops along lines that seem more biblical and are more effective. Our grace-gifts determine our boundaries.

No one can build beyond their own calling and vision. You can’t exceed your calling, only fall short of it. A carpenter can’t be an architect. He’s not equipped for it. That isn’t a criticism, just an observation. The problem has been that church structures have been invented that have no basis in the Bible. Today the foundation of government and structure in the church has rested mostly on pastors, yet Paul said the foundation should be on apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). This error by default has produced a hybrid of church life that misses the mark.

Why would God say that pastors are on probation? I admire pastors and support their role! I think the pastors are the unsung heroes of the faith, bearing the heat of the day. But most pastors have settled for something less than God’s best. Quantity is substituted for quality. They fill up their pews but don’t make disciples. Yet Jesus wants to bring many sons to glory! That is both quantity and quality! God wants disciples. That’s our great commission. Perhaps we’ve lost the kingdom imperative. The congregational model measures success based on buildings, budgets, and buses. How many people attend my church? That vision misses the mark. God is concerned for more than just your congregation— He is after your whole city!

Apostles make spiritual sons. And, apostles have faith to take cities. They arrive on the scene (or emerge from within our ranks) with a different kind of spiritual DNA. They don’t settle for building solitary congregations. That vision is too small. They are generals in God’s army who are sent to un-seat principalities and liberate a city for Christ. Apostles think in terms of territory, not buildings on a street corner. Apostles see the need for spiritual leaders in a city to network together for the gospel’s sake. Their mission is to make war on the enemy. On the other hand, pastors offer maintenance for groups of people who have been saved within that city.

Think cities. Jonah was sent as a prophet to a city, Nineveh. God was concerned for the fate of that wicked city, that it might repent and be spared judgment. God wants whole cities to be saved. Jesus wept over a city, Jerusalem. He cried because they had not known the hour of their visitation, a unique opportunity characterized by kingdom envoys of prophets and the Chief Apostle Himself being present within her city walls.

A city is more than a socio-economic community. It is a also a battlefield where God wants to marshal His troops and destroy enemy forces. Cities were strategic in the Book of Acts for the extension of God’s kingdom. They still are. The church is meant to minister to the city, not just bring a few escapees to her meetings.

Despite our errors and mis-focus, fortunately, God rarely starts over. Usually, He gives us space to repent, to return and to do the first works, to re-hear what we missed, to begin obeying Him now. God gives us a "space for grace." God patiently re-speaks Himself into His people until the Word of God takes hold and affects our lives and our community of faith. In our cities, God wants His word to prevail, not just any one church or denomination. Jesus is Lord of our city!

Pastors are being offered an opportunity to allow the Head of the Church to adjust their thinking and modus operandi. It is time to partner with apostles and prophets, to network with other pastors, to break out of traditional molds so that vibrant church growth and God’s kingdom authority can be manifested among us. It is time to see evil spirits cast out and severe illnesses cured and whole households saved! When the government of the church gets right, the government of cities and nations will get right. How can this happen? A paradigm shift is needed. Then a power shift occurs.

We need an adjustment. Have you ever been to a chiropractor? Jesus is the Great Physician. He is a Kairos-Practor. In a moment, He can invade our space-time world. With one word, He can change everything. He can line up the backbone of the Church with an adjustment that makes us snap into alignment with the Head! Jesus can fix us so that the pain in the body goes away.

It is time to quit playing in our pastoral pond and start swimming in God’s apostolic river. Pastors who feel this call often seem frustrated and appear dissatisfied to their flock. Actually, they are keenly in touch with the heart of their Lord. But because we have few working models of the city church, believers who have known only congregational church can easily become critical of these front-line pastors who carry an apostolic-prophetic calling.

It is time to think strategically regarding your whole city, not just your individual success in your church. Don’t neglect your church, but lift up your eyes and enlarge your vision. Think of the resources God has placed in your city, the other churches and leaders, the outside help you can bring in, the facilities you have built, the ministries God has planted among you, the felt needs in your community. Marshal resources to win your city, not just build your church. See the whole church in the whole city, not just your congregation.

Sometimes to win big, we need to think small. Don’t overlook the power of small groups. A pastor who meets with a handful of trainees, offering mentoring through relational training, can have a permanent affect on those lives. A small gathering of pastors praying in earnest for their city can have a giant effect on their region. The prayer of agreement based on God’s word is our primary spiritual weapon of warfare. Gatherings of believers in house fellowships in their neighborhoods can powerfully affect the community. Understand, the church has three layers: 1) The Church in the City; 2) Local Congregations; 3) and Cells, or little flocks that meet for nurture and prayer. Congregations are in the middle. They need to reach upward, into the city, and downward, into cells. Our structures should serve our mission. Are they working? If they don’t produce results, change them!

Apostolic purpose involves whole cities. God is now releasing apostolic power to accomplish that objective. Grace-gifts that have long been dormant are now being restored in order to equip God’s people for works of service.

I have seen a vision of a closet in God’s house of faith. It is filled with mantles, robes, garments of power and grace. Elijah’s mantle is still hanging in God’s closet! The ancient mantles of power that clothed men and women of renown are now being taken out of the closet and draped on the shoulders of modern prayer warriors and preachers, empowering saints who appropriate their anointing by faith. Healing centers are arising again. It is transformation time for true believers. The first Pentecost of the new millennium has now occurred.

Jubilee of Healing

God’s kairos openings from heaven are worked out in our chronos space-time. In the fullness of time, God sends His word and in due course we see the results. My friend Sanford Cooper says, "God is not time conscious like we are, but He is time-sensitive."

God’s "suddenlies" are obscured until they dramatically burst forth, always at just the right time. Remember, Jesus was a nine-month baby. Likewise, we become pregnant with God’s rhema word. Like Mary, we must carry it to term. God’s word and our response to it, determines our season. I believe God is telling many prophets that we are now in a season of restoration. It is Jubilee time! Jubilee in the Bible is a celebration that marks fifty years. It marked the season of release and restoration in the Old Testament like Pentecost marked the outpouring of the Spirit in the New Testament.

Fifty years ago, God did something amazing in the Church. A sustained season of miracles occurred. An example of this was June 5, 1951, the beginning of the great stadium campaign led by Tommy Hicks in Argentina. That revival affected the whole city and the nation. Miracles confirmed the word and multiplied thousands were saved. Today, the Argentine revival has produced an on-going renewal that is refreshing the whole Body of Christ. Its repercussions continue to touch the world and have affected Toronto and Pensacola and the modern global prayer-movement (for example, Ed Silvoso and Carlos Annocondia).

The era of around 1948 through the early fifties was an unusual revival. It was primarily in America. It preceded the modern charismatic renewal. This powerful revival was marked by miracles of healing with signs and wonders beyond description. It was a season of raw power. The gift of faith for miracles was functioning in the Church. Although the gift was from heaven, it was carried by earthly men. Sin and carnality eventually spoiled that revival. But its decline did not do away with its reality. Awesome evangelists were raised up whose ministries shook nations. Church historians call it the "Latter Rain" or the "Healing Revival." It was a resurgence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Giant tents marched across the country filled with people being saved and healed. These were the days of William Branham, Raymond T. Richey, Jack Coe, and Oral Roberts. Gordon Lindsey, who founded Christ for the Nations, recorded much of this history for us. My life was impacted by one of those pioneers, evangelist Richard Vinyard, who had a remarkable gift of faith. This healing revival was short-lived but powerful. It was a foretaste of things to come. It left an indelible mark on the Church.

Fifty years have passed since that great revival. It is time to repent so that what was lost can be restored. We can’t do God’s work without God’s power. We can’t substitute education or the respect of the world for the anointing. It is time to seek the Lord for a return of the Holy Spirit’s raw power.

Power is coming back to the church. But this time, it won’t be marred by independence and arrogance and competition. It will be sanctified by apostolic purpose and guarded by teams of leaders who in honor prefer one another, who love the church more than they love their own ministries. Power often comes back in seasons and in cycles. For my life, the September-October season has always been significant, a "window" of time when I have discovered new grace or moved into new opportunities. God respects the calendar He created. Therefore, I believe this Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement will be an awesome turning point on earth’s timetable.

Apostolic power and purpose are returning with a rush. The prayers of God’s people are mounting up to the altar of heaven, the incense is being mixed in, and holy fire is being cast on the earth. Shaking is about to occur. Armies of angels are entering the harvest. Intercessors won’t be disappointed. Leaders are being promoted even as we watch, promoted into intimacy with Christ, into authority over the devil, into the privilege of winning their city for God’s kingdom.

Golden Wine for a June Bride

June is a month of many anniversaries. My wife and I were married June first, 1969. She was a June bride. Another dream came to me the morning of June 16^th. It also speaks to this season, this space of grace we are currently experiencing. In this dream, I saw a wine glass filled with golden wine.

Usually we think of biblical wine as red, a deep grape color. Red wine comes from purple grapes. Purple is the color of royalty, a king’s color. The wine of Christian Communion is red to symbolize the blood of Christ. That’s the cup of blessing we receive, the holy eucharist of the Lord’s Table. Thank God for the blood that washes away our sins, that seals the new covenant, that testifies to our finished redemption! Hallelujah!

But this wine I saw was straw-colored. Anyone who knows anything about wine knows that golden wine is typically sweet, like piesporter goldtrophen auslese, from the mature white grapes, not the green young fruit of the vine. Golden wine comes late in the harvest from hand-picked sun-ripened grapes left long on the vine. It is usually expensive, hard to come by, and highly prized. That’s the late-season wine which I saw.

Nature produces two kinds of grapes, the colored variety and the white variety. It seems to me that God uses these two images to represent two aspects of His great love toward humanity: grace and glory. The red wine symbolizes grace, the golden wine symbolizes glory. The first cup of Christ’s we partake of is grace based on the shed blood of Christ. That is basic to our salvation. The second cup we can partake of is glory, based on His manifest presence as He shows Himself to His adoring Bride. When this wine is served, the next event on God’s calendar is a Wedding Feast! Then the Church will reunited with Jesus forever.

Glory is now being poured out in a crystal goblet for the bride, a golden wine being offered by the One who loves the Church and gave Himself for her. An invitation to intimate communion is being extended from heaven, to make your heart merry, to dance with joy. Grace has paved the way for glory. His love is intoxicating! The Bride of Christ is beginning to reflect the glory of her soon-to-appear Bridegroom.

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11 KJV) It was never enough for Jesus to simply redeem us. He also wants us to be with Him where he is, to be partakers of His glory (see John 17). This was Jesus’ intent from the beginning. "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom." (Matthew 26:29 NAS)

The golden wine speaks to me of the celebration of God’s revelation, the unfolding of the drama which grace initiated before time began, the consummation of our Father’s purpose which finds fulfillment in bringing many sons to glory.

But a word of warning: while grace is free, glory costs something. No flesh can glory in God’s presence. Something has to happen to us that humbles our flesh. Glory is preceded by and accompanied with suffering. Glory and suffering are linked together in the experience of the prophets and in the predictions of the apostles. God’s kingdom has an aspect of glory not yet seen on the earth. Are we bold like Moses to ask to see His glory? Then we must be ready to be purified by fire.

Many believers today are praying the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10). Jabez prayed for grace and blessings. That is well and good. But another prayer is also beginning to arise, mostly from leaders who have come to the end of themselves and desperately need more of God. That is the prayer of Moses. Jabez changed his destiny by praying contrary to his birth name. And God heard him. We should all rise above our circumstances by calling on God. But Moses went a level higher than that when he interceded for God’s people. Chosen for a difficult task, he prayed, "Let me know your ways so that I can know you and have your favor." (Exodus 33:13) Then he added this final request: "Show me your glory!"(vs18). He went beyond grace to glory.

But God wouldn’t do it. Instead, He showed him His goodness. It is not a sin to seek to see God’s glory. Those who see it are never the same. But if we fall short of glory, at least we get His goodness! That’s not bad, is it? The full revelation of God’s glory awaited the New Testament era. Now, grace has paved the way not only for goodness, but also for glory. By faith in Jesus, through the gospel, we get to see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6 NAS) Glory is resident in a Person.

The goodness of God is leading us to repentance. His overflowing grace is causing us to rejoice. But that is not a solitary rejoicing apart from our brothers. We are repenting of our independence, our arrogance, our criticism of one another in different parts of the church and in different ethnic groups. The same sins that caused God to lift His hand of blessing from the revival of healing in the fifties will also cause Him to keep His glory from resting on us in this new millennium. "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you." (Genesis 43:5) Likewise, the full light of Jesus’ glory awaits our reconciliation and reunion in Christ.

We are not alone in the Body of Christ. We need one another. This new revival that’s coming is not individualistic, but corporate. It will honor our relationships, our need to be gathered around the Ascension Gift ministries, our need to walk in covenant love with one another, our need to team up to fulfill the Great Commission, our need to be in a community of worshiping believers welcoming His presence. We need to recognize the gifts that God has set among us and receive Jesus as He invests Himself by His Spirit in His church. We are being readied to see the unveiled glory of His face as His appearing draws near.

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© 2001 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.

War Awakening

2001-10-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

Since the horrific attacks on Sept. 11, all of us Americans have passed through the stages of shock, grief, and anger. We have watched our nation battle fear, show compassion, exemplify courage, and have seen our government's resolve to prevent its recurrence and to execute justice. The evil mastermind of the plot has spoken out, encouraging more fanatical assaults against America. Our president ordered a military response, seeking to prevent further attacks. Overnight in America, we were transformed from a people at peace to a people at war.

The reality is that the world was already at war. But most of us had been ignorant of it or naive about it. We now know that this plot was hatched years ago. It took hundreds of people and perhaps half a million dollars. The war didn't start on September eleventh, it just broke out into the open on that date. The invisible war suddenly became very visible. America had a wake up call. But more than that, the church's long childhood has ended.

Since the 9-11 event, I have been asking the Lord to show me how to pray. What weapons of warfare can we bring against our enemy? I am talking about spiritual weapons, the arsenal which Christians are authorized to employ against Satan and his works. We need to know how to pray, because the real war is fought for the souls of men and women, not with bullets on a battlefield.

We have entered a new season and we need to discern the times. Our prophetic intelligence apparatus has to be fine-tuned. This current attack and America's response offers clues to a dramatic spiritual shift. What has been going on in the spiritual world? What has changed?

First, understand the present season. All over the world, millions of Christians have been praying for the 10-40 window, the area of the globe which is least evangelized. This area also happens to be the stronghold of the Muslim religion. Inside these Islamic nations (with few exceptions) there is no freedom of religion. In these countries, it is a crime to preach the Bible or to attempt to convert people to faith in Jesus. What were we praying for? We were praying for the salvation of millions in the grip of deception. Why were we praying? Because God loves lost people! Unless Muslims are saved, they will die without forgiveness of sins or the gift of eternal life which Christ purchased by His death on the cross. God wants Muslims to be saved.

In the light of this global concert of prayer for our oppressed neighbors, the true nature of the battle has been exposed. God has taken the wraps off the real spirit lurking behind the tyranny of Islam. We can now see the evil power which has hijacked much of the Muslim religion. The evil force which is behind Islam has showed its ugly head. And it is a murderous, frightening spirit.

We see the nature of this spiritual entity in the fruit of its dominion. Islamic radicals, once they take over a nation, use the power of the state as an agent of sorcery to control peoples' thinking. They use intimidation, manipulation, and domination to keep people from hearing the gospel and making their own choices about God. The Taliban oppress women, brainwash children, bring an end to freedom of speech and freedom of worship, and prevent the free exchange of ideas.

Let me summarize briefly the major differences between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We need to understand how these religions differ. They are similar in that all three are monotheistic, they believe in one God, not many gods like Hinduism. Muhammad originally referred to Christians as "people of the Book." All three religions honor Abraham. Jews trace their ancestry to Isaac while Muslims trace theirs to Ishmael. The three big differences are: How do you deal with sin? What is the written Word of God? Who was Jesus?

Jews and Muslims have a method of salvation that depends on keeping the law or doing good works. Muslims have five pillars of faith which they must do. The first is to recite the creed, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." Christianity offers salvation by faith based on the finished atonement of Jesus on the cross. Christianity believes the whole Bible. Judaism believes only the Old Testament, plus they add the Talmud, the commentaries on the Law. Islam's holy book is the Koran, supposedly dictated to Muhammad by an angel. The Koran is considered their perfect and ultimate word. The Jews do not believe Jesus was the Messiah, just a teacher. They rejected Him when He said "My kingdom is not of this world." Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet. Christians believe Jesus was the Son of God, the Word made flesh, our Lord and Savior who died for the sins of the world. Muhammad died in A.D. 632 and was buried. Islam's teaching says Muhammad supercedes all other prophets, including Jesus. But Muhammad is dead and still in the grave while Jesus was raised up and now lives forever!

Muslim clerics often declare jihad or "holy war." Let me talk for a moment about the nature of religious violence. From lessons of history we know that fanaticism can infect any religious system. Religion can become a breeding ground for demons and war. Not long ago a Japanese cult following a self-appointed guru released deadly sarin nerve gas on a subway. At one time, ancient Indians in Central America offered human sacrifices to their sun god, cutting out peoples' still-beating hearts. In the dark ages, European kings sent Christians on militant crusades against both Jews and Arabs. Protestant and Catholic Christians have bombed and killed one another for centuries in northern Ireland. Over the centuries, Muslim crusaders have killed huge numbers of civilians who resisted their forced conversion to Islam. And modern Jews have committed atrocities against their Palestinian neighbors. None of us have clean hands. How can this happen in the name of religion? Isn't religion supposed to be about goodness and kindness?

The Bible says, "If anyone hates his brother, how can the love of God dwell in him?" Hatred perverts religion. If we nurse our grudges long enough, if we fail to forgive those who hurt us, if we harbor anger persistently, then the spirit of murder can get into our heart. Jesus told some angry Jews, "You are of your father the devil because you seek to kill me." (John 8:37-44) When we harbor hatred, we switch allegiance from God to Satan, no matter what creed we declare.

Any time we want to kill someone because of religious intolerance, we have left the kingdom of light and become agents of the kingdom of darkness. Satan is a murderer. Satan entered into the heart of one of Jesus' followers, Judas Iscariot. The doorway for the devil to enter Judas was jealousy regarding the money (he was the team treasurer) and political extremism regarding his hated for the Romans. Nationalism corrupted his heart so that he betrayed the Son of God.

The devil can hijack any religion when hatred is preached or practiced. In fact, unclean spirits, operating in a religious setting, can energize misguided zealots with an unholy anointing to hate even more. The devil gladly empowered Adolf Hitler with a diabolical wisdom to try to exterminate the Jews. The devil filled Saddam Hussein's heart with lust for power so that he has murdered Kurds and slaughtered thousands of his own people. It is blasphemy to credit a holy God with this kind of evil venom. The origin of hatred and murder is not God but Satan, using sinful people. When people entertain sin, Satan has the right to enter their hearts. Only Jesus can free people from bondage to sin and Satan. Either we surrender to Jesus or we serve Satan. When we repent of our sin and put our faith in Christ, His blood can set us free! Jesus sets people free from hatred and fear and then as we follow Him, He fills our hearts with love and faith.

For me personally, the timing of the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred when I had been searching the Scriptures and inquiring of the Lord concerning apostolic ministries. I know that the church is just beginning to understand the apostolic task in our day. But I have discovered this fact: In the Bible, the appearance of genuine apostles and the outbreak of spiritual warfare was a synonymous event. There is no reason to believe their restoration today will be any different. Indeed, apostles are built for war.

Why should war be unfamiliar to us? Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, not coexist with them (1 Jn. 3:8). We live amidst kingdoms in conflict. Jesus taught that the expulsion of evil spirits signaled that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Mt. 12:29). Before anything can be expelled, it must first be exposed. God is now exposing wickedness. All of our hearts are being exposed-- Christians, Jews, and Muslims. God's judgment on the works of Satan is near. God's advancing kingdom upsets Satan's realm. He reacts, knowing his time is short.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to spiritual warfare. He said that our fight to undo Satan's oppression was not a battle against flesh and blood, but one using spiritual weapons. This is written in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. He described our fight as "warfare." The Greek word he used, strateia, is defined by Strong's Dictionary as "the apostolic career, as one of hardship or danger." The root of the word indicates a military campaign. So the process of performing the apostolic ministry includes warfare.

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5 NIV)

Apostolic warfare uses mighty weapons (such as prophetic prayer, proclaiming God's Word, or prophesying God's will) to pull down fortresses or strongholds. Strongholds are fortified lies (erroneous beliefs) deeply entrenched in peoples' minds. Ignorance, violence, and oppression are characteristics of evil strongholds. I submit to you that the barbaric oppression of women under the Islamic system exemplifies how desperately these precious people need liberation from bondage.

All of Satan's lies (demonic conceits such as the spirit of rejection or shame) are usually guarded by strong emotions and prejudices. These ideas come from two sources: the devil, or deceived people. It matters who you listen to!

The text of this Bible verse uses two phrases which are variously translated high things (NIV- "arguments") and imaginations. (NIV- "pretensions"). It is helpful to consider these two aspects of the devil's propaganda. These are the major ways Satan controls peoples' thinking to keep them from the knowledge of Christ. One is religious, the other is secular.

High things refers to spiritual barriers to the truth of God which alone leads to repentance and faith. These barriers are ideas which substitute for Biblical salvation by regeneration. They offer religion without inner transformation. These ideas originate from high ranking lying spirits called principalities and are mediated through false prophets and occult writings. These deceits may begin with an "angel of light" appearing to a gullible liberator, someone eager for influence but not knowledgeable of the Bible. Examples are cults or sects, usually religious in nature, which incorporate extra-biblical revelation in addition to or as a substitute for the Bible (such as the Book of Mormon). They also offer salvation by works instead of by grace, follow egoistic cult-like leaders who don't want their authority questioned, and promote idolatry in some form. Thier fruit reveals their root.

Imaginations refers to secular philosophies that cloud peoples' minds, thus obscuring the truth of God. These are lies that affect cultural values. Modern examples are: totalitarianism, such as "The state owns everyone and everything" (atheistic communism); evolution as a religion, such as "Creation did not have a Creator" (scientific rationalism that excludes First Causes); religious pluralism, such as "All roads lead to God" (tolerance that denies any one way is right or better); or secular humanism, such as "What I do with my sexuality doesn't matter" (deification of self). Usually we are unaware that we have these paradigms. But we all have them to some degree, at least until our minds are renewed by the Spirit of Truth and by knowing the Word of God.

So the warfare is ideological and it is also spiritual. We need to understand the real nature of war or else we will become casualties. War is also a time of unique opportunities. There are battlefield promotions. War is a time when new leadership emerges and weak leadership falls. God's war against Satan results in carefully crafted apostolic generals being prepared, raised up, recognized, and released. There is also such a thing in God as wartime prosperity. The Lord spoke to me once using the delightful image of Daddy Warbucks in the musical Little Orphan Annie. I saw that when God's leaders will go to war to liberate the oppressed, the Lord will provide the resources for their effort. "No soldier goes to war at his own expense." Maybe we are lean in our provisions because we have never left the camp!

War is more than a fight between individuals. It is more than a police action. War is when one government launches an attack against another government. War seeks to either liberate or dominate a people, therefore it wants to replace their seat of power. War is about power. War is often fought to gain control of strategic resources. War is fought to obtain oil, land, or other wealth. Thankfully, America has never gone to war to dominate, only to liberate.

Let's shift the discussion away from civil governments and think for a moment from a Biblical world-view, from a kingdom mentality. We need to ask ourselves, Does God have a government? How is it led? Who are its leaders? The obvious next question is: Does Satan have a government? Can his evil empire have human personifications and commanders? Sometimes the invisible war which begins in a spiritual realm can break out into a material and human realm. Frank Peretti's classic novel, "This Present Darkness," is an illustration of this reality.

If war is a clash of governments, then it involves a campaign which lasts over time and affects many people. War is about resolve, the exercise of resolute will power. The will to win is a prerequisite to victory. Winston Churchill was an example of a man who understood the nature of evil and its impact upon nations. He had the will to stand against it. While others wrung their hands and practiced appeasement, Mr. Churchill took an unwavering stand against Hitler. War requires single-minded focus. Disunity makes any kingdom collapse. The power of agreement, offered freely by followers and by an administration's staff members, is what gives a leader the ability to lead into battle and win.

Biblically speaking, agreement with God is positive, while a conspiracy is negative. A conspiracy occurs when people agree together to stand against legitimate authority or government. Jesus said, "If you're not with Me, you're against Me." The church must make a decision: Are we in agreement with our Head, the Lord Jesus, or in a conspiracy against Him and His end-time purpose? Jesus is a Liberator. He wants every believer to help deliver the oppressed. His kingdom is the place where He works out His will against His enemies. We are in active service with the "Lord of hosts," the Lord of armies. Therefore to be passive or to practice appeasement during war is actually to conspire against our Lord.

I have been fascinated, I think by the Holy Spirit's illumination, with the apostle Paul's campaign through various cities in the Book of Acts (For more on this topic, see my teaching outline on our website entitled "How Apostles Affect Cities").

Paul used military strategies as he grew in his understanding of how to liberate cities by the gospel from Satan's power. His life's work culminated in the liberation of Ephesus from Diana worship. It was a successful campaign that took years to accomplish and affected other cities in the region as well. It involved preaching the gospel of the kingdom, training new leaders, ministering the baptism in the Holy Spirit, developing neighborhood prayer-cell groups, practicing spiritual warfare against sorcery, and an apostolic team acting in concert over time.

Paul was a radical. He was a bull in a china shop. He was an unlikely recruit for the church. Yet Jesus personally appeared to him and saved him. Why did Jesus save this man who so busily tormented true believers? And it happened by direct divine intervention! I imagine the church was praying fervently for relief from this persecutor and murder. But Paul was not converted by a preacher. Paul, still Saul of Tarsus, was evangelized by Jesus Himself. Jesus revealed Himself to Saul on the road to Damascus. This account was recorded in Acts 9. Paul referenced it again in Acts 22 and in Acts 26. It was the turning point of his life. Because of this encounter, the church's arch-terrorist became a powerful messenger of Jesus and the gospel. I believe concerted prayer by the persecuted church driven underground by fear led directly to the conversion of Paul. Satan lost his best agent and the kingdom of God gained its best proponent.

God used a terrorist to awaken the church. The result was a new cycle of powerful apostolic ministry that reached the ends of the earth. Could history be repeating itself?

Before Paul was converted, he was a religious terrorist (see Galatians 1:14, Acts 7:58-60, 9:1). Paul was like an Osama Bin Laden. He was breathing out threats and murder. He stood by as a witness of young Stephen's stoning. He plotted how to imprison Christians. He eagerly assented to their torture and killing. He knew he was right and they were wrong. He believed God was pleased as he happily killed these saints. There was not an ounce of sympathy in Saul toward the followers of Jesus. In his mind, he was defending the Jewish religion against heresy. He believed the institution of the divine Law including all of its traditions governing Jewish society had to be preserved even if he had to go to war to make it happen. He was orthodox and they were infidels. He felt justified in killing them. He had the official approval of his religious leaders to carry out his personal jihad. He was admired and applauded by those who felt intimidated by this new "Jesus movement." Paul was destined for political and religious greatness in his relentless campaign of terror against the young church.

It was at the peak of his animosity that he was interrupted on the trail of terror by a personal encounter with the Risen Lord, the One he denied and hated. In this experience, Paul was changed from a hater of Jesus and of the church into a lover of Jesus and of the Body of Christ. He was recruited for God's army, called to be an apostle, given instructions for what he should do next, and led by the hand, blind and humble, into the city. Can this still happen today?

I have often wondered why the Lord, after telling Paul what his assignment would be, also said, "I will show him how much he will suffer for Me." (Acts 9:16) Here is both God's wisdom and impartial justice. Paul was a terrorist who had meted out suffering and death to innocent saints. In his calling to the ministry, the Lord would allow a divine payback, causing him to taste some of what he had given to others. "What you sow, you reap." "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword." He would be driven to discover God's grace in the midst of his personal tribulations.

Besides this, God's general needed to have the stalwart resolve that would carry him through tough times. His character had to be forged in the fire of adversity. No sissies allowed! Later, Paul would write about his teammates and the battle-hardened companions who traveled with him. He called these men (and one-third of his team were women) "true yoke-fellows," "fellow-solders," and "fellow-workers" in the gospel. They endured hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. And like real soldiers, many lost their lives in the battle. They were heroes of the faith.

Now let's move on to a key component, Paul's secret of successfully waging spiritual warfare. This has applications today in the spiritual conflict splitting the world into factions.

We know from Paul's epistle to the Ephesians that he considered the highest and most effective activity which any Christians could engage in was to wrestle and struggle against invisible evil forces. We know this because he culminated his letter with instructions for how to fight and how to stand (Eph. 6). Paul's letters typically moved from doctrinal foundations to practical applications. In Ephesians, he discussed the blood of Jesus, redemption by faith, the riches of grace, the unity of the Body of Christ, Ascension ministry offices, personal holiness, and then moved on to practical things such as marriage, parenting, employee relations, and finally, spiritual warfare. Notice, winning the war through prayer was the epitome, the peak of practical concerns. Everything else laid the foundation and was preliminary for successful spiritual warfare by the saints.

That is the point to which we have arrived today. The curtain is being drawn on the stage of planet earth. The real actors are now being shown. We are in a new age of war. It is an apostolic age in which God will conclude human history with the crowning of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This age both demands and produces generals, specially commissioned "sent ones," ambassadors of the King who carry the Lord's highest authority to liberate and to govern. They are sent to people groups, to nations and territories, and to spheres of authority given them by the Holy Spirit. Their credentials include God's anointing to deliver the oppressed, divine wisdom to build, and unrelenting perseverance in the work. They are not afraid to die for their cause. They are spiritual fathers who raise sons in the faith. They act like Jesus. They are worthy of our prayers and our partnership and our support. Indeed the battle lines are drawn.

There are two major keys to waging war against the principality of evil which has enslaved over a billion souls through Islam. The first is this: love your enemy. The second is this: Use the prayer of agreement, two or three standing together in the name of Jesus, against dark powers.

No one can intercede for another without deciding to love them. We love people who are made in the image of God and for whom Christ died. We hate Satan and the works he perpetrates to enslave humanity. As Christians, our battle is not with flesh and blood. Civil government "bears not the sword in vain" and has authority to use force to keep the peace and to punish evil doers. But Jesus told Christians "turn the other cheek." How radical this idea is in the light of vendettas that have gone on for generations!

Love people but hate the devil's work that hurts people. Love those who are ensnared by evil power and pray for them. What does it mean to love people? A vital aspect of real love is forgiveness. You cannot love someone whom you refuse to forgive. You cannot love and have prejudice. You cannot love and harbor grudges. You cannot love and hate at the same time. Satan would delight in so offending Christians that we can no longer forgive. When Jesus hung on the cross, He interceded for His tormentors. He asked for forgiveness for those crucifying Him. He released overwhelming grace by forgiving. When Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed for those who were killing him. He saw the glory of God and found grace to forgive his enemies. I am certain this action affected Saul of Tarsus, who was a witness of this murder.

Forgiveness is the standard of God's love. Hatred cannot be defeated by more hatred. It can only be defused and defeated by forgiveness and love.

God is a just God. He listens to the cry of the oppressed. When someone is offended and hurt, they have legal standing before God's Court, the seat of all authority, the Throne of the universe. The injured party has a right to appeal to the God of justice based on God's will and God's Word. Will they appeal for revenge, or for mercy? They can bind murder or loose grace. Satan accuses us before the Throne of God. He wants our sins to mount up into a vicious cycle of retribution and more violence. But Jesus intercedes for us continually!

As Americans, we are injured. Now what will we do? I can come before God as an offended American, demanding my rights, demanding justice, wanting revenge. But is that the way of Christ? What is God's higher purpose right now? Should I accuse or intercede? I believe a higher purpose can be served if I come to God as an agent of Christ's kingdom. By God's grace, I can decide to represent the interests of Christ in my prayers, not just American interests.

We want the rampage of hate and murder by evil doers to be stopped by force if necessary. There is a time for war. But I believe the best revenge (if you can call it that) is for millions of Muslims to be saved and converted to faith in Christ Jesus. Radicals have cursed at us, but we turn and implore God for mercy and the blessing of salvation to be poured out on them.

We need to take the battle to the enemy in united prayer and in proclamation of the truth. First, pray for our President and his cabinet. There was intense spiritual war over his election, but by the prayers of the saints, the right man for the hour was put in office. Anytime God wants to dismantle the devil's works, He begins by forming a team committed to that task. The Bush administration is such a team, prepared for this day of conflict. God has fashioned a weapon in this adminstration. The Lord says, "Terror assaults have not come from Me, but if they attack you, they will fall because of you." (paraphrase, Isaiah 54:14-16).

Proclamation is also a weapon. We use the words of our mouth to inject into the atrmosphere the truth of God based on the Holy Bible, the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, risen from the dead, the King of glory, our Savior. While Muslims chant their call to prayer five times a day, Christians must unashamedly declare their confession: "Jesus Christ is Lord!" Words spoken in faith empower spiritual beings to act, whether evil spirits or holy angels.

We declare Jesus Christ is Lord, not Muhammad. We declare Jesus purchased humanity by His blood and He alone has the right to rule the nations. We prophesy that the kingdom of God will fill the earth and the glory of Christ will be seen in the nations. We proclaim that there is no name higher than Jesus our Lord. Our words become a sword used by the Spirit of God.

May the death of thousands result in the salvation of millions. May God hear the travailing cry of His wounded people. May heaven hear and take action. May the flow of oil money be diverted away from mosques and terrorists and toward good people who promote the gospel. May the stronghold of Islamic dominion be broken off the billion people in the 10-40 window. May confusion, division, and conflict come into the enemy's camp. May the prophets come forth out of the deserts, may the apostles stand up and enter the cities, and may the powers of heaven be shaken by the eternal gospel of Jesus and His unshakeable kingdom.

My constant petition is, "For the 5,000 killed by terrorists in America on September 11, I ask the Lord to raise up 5,000 apostles like Paul from within the Muslim nation who will not fear death but preach the resurrected Christ to their own people."

The fact is, prayer-cells out-number terrorist cells. There are millions of house churches, home prayer meetings and Bible studies, and neighborhood prayer watches already in existence around the world. Let all true believers who love our Lord Jesus now unite in concerted prayer for the salvation of our world, for evil to be uncovered and judged, for Christ to rule in the midst of His enemies. In this prayer campaign, we will not relent, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

The cross of cross requires it.

Ron Wood

Johannesburg, South Africa

www.touchedbygrace.org

Acres of Diamonds

2002-03-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

If you read National Geographic Magazine, you will notice this month's issue features America's only producing diamond mine, the Crater of Diamonds State Park, located in southwest Arkansas. For a small fee the public may search and dig all day on a plowed lamporite field of greenish-gray soil hopefully finding diamonds and other precious stones lying near the surface. When I was there early in March, fifty stones had already been found this year. Most are very small, the size of a match head. The area which produces diamonds is the center of an extinct volcano, now sun-drenched upturned earth surrounded by pine trees and forest. You can rent trowels and screens to help find the stones but no electric or powered tools are allowed. On display in the lobby is a beautiful diamond, a "one in a billion" find, a 0/0/0 rated 1.09 carat brilliant white gem mounted in a lovely ring designed by Underwood Fine Jewelers of Fayettville, Arkansas, after being expertly cut by Lazare Kaplan of New York City. An ideal cut diamond this perfect of this size is so rare that most jewelers will never see one in their lifetime. It is named the Strawn-Wagner diamond, originally an uncut three carat stone found by a Murfreesboro woman in 1990 as she searched through dirt that can only be described as acres of diamonds.

This is the place where the Lord welcomed my wife and I to retreat after our recent return from Africa. We enjoyed a haven of solitude and prayer, a place to listen to the Lord in quietness and rest in an old restored farmhouse made hospitable for God's workers needing respite. What a coincidence, that an opportunity to reconsider our strategy to take the riches of Christ to the poor of the earth should be near some of God's hidden riches buried in the ground. Not only that, but riches accessible to anyone desiring to search for them. And what a coincidence that while we were there, a magazine read by twenty million people highlighted this out-of-the-way region and its hidden riches.

Three years ago, God began speaking the words, "End-Time Transfer of Wealth." Last year, God gave me a phrase which I wrote into a brochure entitled, "Who wants to be a millionaire?" I told about how I had watched the American TV show only three times, but each of those times I witnessed a contestant go all the way to the top. After September 11, I shared about the phrase "Daddy Warbucks" from the movie about Orphan Annie and told how God reminded me that those who finance the war effort can become rich. (Realize, God has a war effort and He has officers and soldiers in the battle.) This past December my small book, "Thief in the Storehouse," which teaches that God wants to finance his kingdom workers, was translated into Spanish and delivered into the hands of hundreds of pastors in Cuba. As the people in the churches of Cuba begin to honor God out of their poverty, even though it is only a widow's mite, it will become inevitable that communist oppression will end and the embargo on trade will be lifted. Today as I awoke the Lord gave me this new phrase: "Acres of Diamonds."

I know this word is partly to encourage me, but also it is intended to bless you. Although at this present moment I am without funds to buy a vehicle or furnish a house, nevertheless, I am rich. I am rich with the treasures of heaven, the revelation of Jesus, the knowledge of God, the gift of eternal life, the abundant mercies of a risen Savior who knows me and calls me by name! And I speak this confession by sheer faith, I will handle millions of dollars for missions. I say this based on God's promise that whatever we ask in Jesus' name, He will do, if we have faith and not doubt. And I am asking for big things from God. Why? Because Jesus from the cross claimed the nations (Ps. 22:27-29).

Like Abraham, I am looking for what only God can provide. By faith, God speaks and "calls into being that which does not exist." (Romans 4:17 NAS) And God invites us to speak forth our faith as well. What God has promised, He is able to perform (vs. 21). Abraham, after considering his pitiful circumstances, also considered what God had said, thus he grew strong in faith (vs. 20). God will always have the last word. Will you listen? Whose report will you believe? This is faith's response: We must say what we hear so we can see what we said.

What if you had the found this valuable diamond or one of hundreds of other precious stones, some weighing more than six carats? What will you do when God blesses you? I am convinced that God has already placed along our path buried treasures awaiting excavation, resources more than sufficient to meet our needs and to finance His mission in these last days.

God has a program to allocate wealth in these last days. The apostle James had much to say about money, about how we treat the poor, and about faith and how it relates to good works. I want to quote from James and comment briefly on it. (See James 5:1-11 NASB95)

The End Time Transfer of Wealth

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.

2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Vs. 1 says great misery and lament will come to the rich. This isn't what we expect, is it? But when God releases judgement on the earth, those with the most to lose will feel it the keenest. Only the righteous will be spared (Malachi 3:16-4:3). Vs. 2 says riches can rot. Vs. 3 says gold can rust. Powerful images, metaphors from a spiritual reality. It is when riches are allowed to accumulate, unsanctified, unused for God, that they rot or rust. When such is the case, these riches testify against the owner. Did you know your money speaks to God, either for you or against you? And here is a key revelation: It is in the last days that stored up wealth produces such painful judgement. Verse 4 tells us why: the pay of the laborers has been withheld. It is always dangerous to defraud the workers whom God has sent. Vs. 11 says the outcome is in the hands of God.

Here is what I see being arranged unseen and unnoticed by our Almighty God. There is an agenda from heaven presently affecting the earth. This agenda is already operational. It is being enforced by holy angels, by the "coincidental" opportunities arranged by divine providence, by diligent application of ethical economic principles, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon the dedicated talent of trained individuals and the corporate courage of companies with a kingdom vision, by men and women of faith who dare to believe God's covenant Word. It is an end-time transfer of wealth from the hands of the wicked into the control of the righteous. God is preparing to prosper His people! Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth. Those who have sacrificed houses and lands and family for Christ and His kingdom will be amply repaid. "Say to the righteous, it will go well with them." God honors faith! Paul said this to those who would partner with him in his apostolic purpose, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) Do you believe this promise?

What to do when God blesses you

Here's what to do if you find yourself standing on the verge of wealth-generation. Be careful that you do not forfeit the privilege God is offering you, that you do not squander your inheritance or waste this precious moment. Guard this season by applying God's ways to your wealth, God's methods to your money. In the fear of God please remember this, God who made you rich can also make you poor. Stewardship is required. Deuteronomy 8:18 shows you the source of your prosperity: "But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant..." Power to make money comes from God. Here are seven pointers to protect your new God-given opportunity:

1. Be patient. "Haste makes waste." Sowing must precede reaping. Every season serves the harvest. The season when the seed is in the ground doesn't look like much, but the farmer knows what will happen as time passes. Don't faint. Reaping is in "due season."

2. Don't criticize. Often a season of promotion is preceded by a season of humiliation. Pass the test of proven character. When God humbles you, guard your heart and keep it free of the weed called bitterness. Bitter roots choke off your crop and poison your harvest.

3. Honor God. You can't spend stolen money and go free. Honor God and be blessed. Tithes are the first one-tenth of all your earnings. If you withhold it, you rob God. That money (the tithe) has been marked and it shows up on God's tracking system. Those who steal tithes or withhold offerings or lie about pledges inherit a curse on their house (Zechariah 5:1-4; Malachi 3:8-12; Acts 5:1-5).

4. Eliminate debt. Paying interest unnecessarily only robs your future. Cut up credit cards, pay off automobile loans, retire debts early and quickly. Make financial freedom a primary goal. Travel light so God can recruit you. How do you avoid debt? Pay God 10%, then pay your self 10%. Use that savings as it accumulates to handle emergencies and to prepare for investments.

5. Establish a standard. Don't foolishly start living a lavish lifestyle just because you have come into wealth. Establish a standard which you are comfortable with then determine to stay there. Why? So you don't keep consuming an increasing percentage of your income. Find ways to give away more, to bless the poor, to sow more of your seed, not eat more of it up.

6. Help the poor. Many a man or woman has been made wealthy by God because their parents or grandparents gave to the needy. Ross Perot is an example. His father often took groceries around to the poor on Sundays. If you give to the poor, you lend to the Lord and He pays with good interest. Besides, you will have treasure in heaven that will never perish!

7. Invest in outreach. Most of our giving as Christians is to our own comfort or spiritual nourishment- to our church, our pastor, our worship facilities. Try sowing seed into other fields, into the lives of those who cannot repay you. Especially target for investment those whose words are reaching the poor of the earth with the riches of Christ. For example, Rheinhardt Bonnke, a German evangelist based in the US, is touching millions of Africans with the gospel. Help him do more. Consider SAT7, a ministry which beams down gospel programs into the homes of Palestinians in their language. Strengthen Ablaze International, the evangelistic miracle ministry of Stephen Strader in the Phillipines. Or, if you feel led, help me print and distribute thousands of kingdom teaching books through the ministry of Touched by Grace. We are knocking on amazing doors of opportunity now in India, Ghana, and Chile, as well as Cuba and South Africa. We need to seize the moment while we can.

These are ideas to consider as you stumble over precious stones buried in the soil where God has placed you. Look down, get low before God and open your eyes. See what's hidden right under your feet. Are you standing on acres of diamonds and don't yet know it?

© 2002 by Ron Wood. Visit us on the internet at http://www.touchedbygrace.org We are touched by grace to touch the world! For more information or to contact us, write Touched by Grace, P. O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405 USA.

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