Sunday 30 January 2011

Our Resignation From Zeus Club



From memory this week on Facebook I've been highlighting a passage in Acts 14:12, and saying Paul was being addressed as Zeus. Well this is wrong.It was Barnabus.
"And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. "
The sentiment of what I wrote was right, and whenPaul refused to go along with it, by verse 19 Paul was being stoned and dragged out of the city for dead.
I'm ofcourse highlighting a peculiar spirit that I'm calling Zeus Club, whereby as long as you are prepared to be considered "something special in your own right", you will be warmly received by this opposite and symbiotic spirit of a kind of "servitude" in those receiving you. The twin pronged spirit produces a pyramid structure. It is the same spirit that thrust Moses on alone up the Mountain to meet with God face to face, while the people of God first quaked in fear then began to "play". Which tells us something about the parable of the Talents and the man that hid his talent in the ground out of fear, "because he saw his master as a hard man, expecting more back than was given." So if we are "seeing hardness".....the strange thing is , it is not long before we are "playing". The opposite of Zeus Club, is becoming one flesh, one thing with Christ. Of being driven by that passion of the 1st Commandment to love God with a "fire" love that consumes our whole being.


About 30 years ago, Emsworth "warmly" received their "apostle" Jorge Pradas to live full time amongst them for 6 months. At the end of this period Jorge confided in me that he may as well have just carried on visiting from Spain,for all the extra "gift of utterance " it had given him by being more on hand. I also noticed that women in particular would be thrilled to invite Jorge and his wife to their houses for meals, in the UK ,Argentina ,Spain and France. They would serve up the very best. Jorge would get fatter. The women would bust their guts getting things ready....and hardly even see the guy for all the time he was there.

Charismatic leaders dine out on this symbiotic relationship continually. Something like this is also going on in tithing." We'll support you as long as you are nice to us, and don't give us too much of this "religious " stuff."

You start to see there are "other dynamics at work" which we, in our original naivety assume to be just Kingdom love, and hunger for the Word.
We say "You continue running meetings, or if you are a worship group, singing songs and we'll sit here being entertained." "You go up ahead Moses.....we'll remain here."

A truly marvellous system , no? Except nothing changes, and the resultant fallout when nobody changes is a cynical gospel of despair. By being a part of all this we are supporting the very system that Jesus described when he used the image of a tower.
When you build a tower, make sure you have enough to complete the job, because if you only half finish, everybody will laugh at you.
The other aspect of Zeus Club, is by signing into it, we are accepting that we "shall permanently be excluded from some inner core, some inner elite."

Two Christian musicians who covered this ground were Steve Taylor on I Predict 1990 What is the Measure of your success?(in the form of a 80s selfmade man) and Charlie Peacock as himself in Big Man's Hat. Lyrics below if you are interested?
So I was going to do a blog post in the manner of a resignation from Zeus Club.



People who are actually in this spirit look at my 3rd level blog and assume it is some elitest thing, when the truth is, it is just the opposite- the realisation that we never had an independent life, and that it's not enough to have the Holy Spirit as some external charismatic mid realm....it is Christ Himself living His life as us.



MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION
We the undersigned do notify that we are hereby terminating our membership to Zeus Club.
The Body of Christ is not a pyramid in the shadow of one man either locally, nor internationally. The Church is run by the Lord Jesus Christ in and through the one Holy Spirit. We refuse to have any pyramid role thrust upon us, nor to serve any pyramid purporting to be the Church of Christ. We speak instead the freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all souls, for He is the husband of the Church, exalted as its Head at the right hand of God the Father. He has appointed gifts of ministry and empowering to men to impart this very freedom in the Son, and to enable all others to be cobuilders of this same Body of Christ, by that which each joint supplies. And never by locking people into some earthly institution or framework that honours only a handful of people at its inner impenetrable core. Our resignation is from immediate effect and to the greater glory of the Son of God Jesus, who is worthy of all honour and praise, from a multitude drawn from every nation and people and to whom we add no further burden than to believe in the full work of the Cross and resurrection of Christ.
















none of these signatures are the true signatures of the real people who oppose this spirit in the church in order to prevent fraudulent use.
Paul Anderson Walsh wrote "Bonsai Conspiracy" and is currently working on a theme close to this blog...the three growth Stages : Safe and Sound,The Apprentice,are already out
Jack Fortenberry wrote Corinthian Elders, which after a slow start is picking up readership and Chris Welch strongly recommends it.
Brian Mirte Longridge - musician and psalmist
Paul Noble is among other things a musician who is currently writing many songs
Francois Du Toit is an influential Bible Teacher who travels between nations and is currently writing the amazing Mirror translation of the Bible.
Lyrics


Steve Taylor - What is the Measure of your success
In this city I confessI am driven to possess
Answer no one, let them guess
Are you someone I impress?
I am a big boss with a short fuse
I have a nylon carpet and rubber shoes
And when I shake hands, you'll get a big shock
You'll be begging for mercy when the champ is through
You better believe I'll put my clamps on you

In this city, be assured
Some will rise above the herd
Feed the fatted, leave the rest
This is how we won the west
I am a safebox,
I am the inner sanctum when the door locks
I hold the passkeyYou say you can't take it with you?
We'll see about that won't we?push....push....push
In the city, I confess
God is mammon, more is less
Off like lemmings at the gun
I know better, still I run
I am an old manand the word came
But you can't buy time or a good name
Now when the heirs come around
Like buzzards on a kill
I see my reflection in their envious eyes,
I'd watch it all burn to buy another sunrise
Some men find the fire escape
Old men learn it all too late
push....push....push the alarm
Old MacDonald's bought the farm

BIG MAN'S HAT Charlie Peacock
I used to wear a big man's hat in a big man's world,
You got to have a big man's hat in a big man's world,
But I was just a child then, I acted like a boy,
I bought my shirts at the Veteran's Thrift,
I wore myself a fur-lined motorcycle jacket,
I had to have peg-legged jeans, I was one bad cat,
And don't you forget: I wore a big man's hat,
Oh yes, a big man's hat.

I learned myself one good lick from a one-lick man, oh yes,
You gotta know one good lick to play in a one-lick band,
Well, I was just a child then, I didn't know a thing, (no, no, no)
I thought I had to talk like a fool,
I though I had to drink like a goldfish,
I thought I had to lie like a dog, I was one sick cat,
Was all of this because I wore a big man's hat?
A big man's hat.

I used to have a big man's thoughts in a young man's world,
You got to have a big man's thoughts to make a big man's girl,
And when I finally made that girl she did not have a clue that I would break her like a matchstick, that I could turn young love into the third world war, that I'd sit in the seat where the devil had sat,
That I could turn young love into the third world war, that I'd sit in the seat where the devil had sat,
That I could turn young love into the third world war, that I'd sit in the seat where the devil had sat,
That I could turn young love into the third world war, that I'd sit in the seat where the devil had sat,
Was all of this because... (all of this because)
Was all of this because...
Was all of this because...
Was all of this because...
Was all of this because (all of this because) I wore a big man's hat?

Saturday 29 January 2011

We Need To Be Real 3 - Stephanie McEntire


eanut Butter Crackers by Stephanie McEntire
posted as a Facebook note in 2010
"Love is the expression of the one who loves, not of the one who is loved. Those who think they can love only the people they prefer do not love at all. Love discovers truths about individuals that others cannot see" — Søren Kierkegaard

In our clinic we have an area that we call the "Isolation Room." Patients that have HIV or are infected with Hepatitis B are put in there in order to "isolate" them away from other patients. It is a necessity of course. Having never worked in isolation in the 10 years I have been a dialysis nurse I looked at the room with dread in the new clinic I have worked in for over a year. Not dread for me, but for anyone who would ever have to be put there.

The training for working that room involves first in having enough antibodies in your own system to fight the disease. So, every couple of months your blood is drawn and tested for antibodies against the diseases that would land a patient in isolation. I have none...so, I have to be injected with antibodies in a series of shots and to this day I am trying to build up antibodies in order to be able to work the isolation room. To date, I cannot. I do not have enough antibodies. They will just keep injecting me until I do...but it is up to my body. I just took another "shot" and my blood will be drawn in 30 days. I can't wait for that 30 days. I have never wanted anything so bad in my life. I want to be able to work isolation. The other nurses think I am crazy and resent me for not having to work it. They think I should enjoy not having to work in such a place with such "people."

If you work the room you look like a Space Man in all the protective garb you have to wear. Last but not least they instill a fear in you for working with those patients in order for you to be on your guard at all times against becoming infected yourself. It's all necessary I suppose. In the clinic I worked in before we did not have "isolation" however in this clinic we do. It has been empty until a few months ago...

The room has clear glass for walls and one day "Miss V" I will call her, came in having various ailments that required her to be in isolation. She had just found out about a few weeks before and having no health care most of her life her decline into Kidney failure was swift and even though she had been sick for years it was still unexpected that her life would take such a turn. To describe her and the lifestyle reported to us isn't necessary. I think it would go without explaining. She was young and obviously very depressed. She literally lost every friend in the world save a few. She walked by all the patients and took her place in "isolation." Everyone knows when there is a patient in that room and that they are pretty sick. The room is in view of all the patients so basically you are on display. It's not on purpose..it's just that Architecturally and how the water is delivered it is necessary for the room to be where it is. Most patients are afraid of anyone that is put there. To say that a patient like that is shunned..is an understatement. The nurses also are in various states of how they feel about her..and the room. It's very obvious to anyone...it is a stressful situation for all involved.

Miss V and I haven't spoken much due to my not having antibodies. All that I can do is go up to the clear glass and put my hand on it..and look at her and mouth the words "need anything".."or how are you?" I do it often. I noticed that she usually doesn't come in with any food so a few times I have held up peanut butter crackers or something and she has shaken her head yes and smiled, something she doesn't do very often. ..and the other nurses will garb up and bring them to her...all the while complaining that I shouldn't do that. Sometimes I just turn around and go cry because why shouldn't I?

I remember being in "isolation" albeit in my own head. Staying away from everyone because I thought that I was too "diseased" to be part of folks who seem to have it all together. I still fight that disease to this day. I am glad that I have learned that God isn't afraid of me..and doesn't have to suit up to take care of me. I am glad that God has all the antibodies of unconditional love to walk right in my heart and through his son say...eat my body..drink my blood..remember this. Everything about me is for your benefit..so that you may know how much your are loved..and then picks up a towel and washes my feet..and the dust and disease of this world is of no matter to God..he brings something that transcends glass walls and protective garb of religious rules and falling short of grace that others preach will separate us. This is what I want to bring to Mrs. V in the isolation room.. Until then..the love of God will be sent in with Peanut Butter Crackers and hand on the glass....

Yesterday Miss V came in and was very ill. She got through part of her treatment and it was decided that she would need to be examined at a hospital. It took a while to find a "ride" for her. She is usually delivered to treatment by various people in her sphere. A young lady came and I told her what was going on. I hadn't seen her before. The hospital that treats our patients is in a bigger city and is around 40 miles away. The young girl did not know that it was going to be that far...but here is what she said.

"When I was little and had no one to take care of me..Miss V did. I have some make up in the car that doesn't work for me. I am going to take it back to Wal Mart and then I will have the gas to take her to the Hospital." I was so overcome with emotion I had to leave the floor and go outside. I have been a wreck every since. The love of God is amazing isn't it. In the least of these that we would throw away as unnecessary in our little worlds of comfort..God is still at work in every heart..every soul. Love makes a way when there seems to be no way...

For now...I am praying for antibodies and until I get them I will give her Peanut Butter Crackers...and a hand on the glass. If you think that what we have for healthcare right now is acceptable in our country...shame on you. I have one thing to say..."the least of these..you have done it unto me.."

Thursday 27 January 2011

We Need to be real 2 - Faith in the Margins

Three Posts from Faith whose blog is Faith In the Margins


Run For Your Life
Run from gospels that focus on your success and prosperity.
Run from those that use the name of Jesus Christ only for personal gain.
Run from those that are picking your pocket in the name of Jesus.

Run!

Run from gospels that focus only on self-improvement, or on three steps to a better personality.
Run from churches where men and not Christ are glorified.

Run, get out of that place!

Run from churches where there is no Bible, no cross, no searching Word, no repentance from sin.
Run when there's no mention of the blood of Jesus. It's an unclean place, so run!
Run from churches where the worship leaves you cold, where there's no sense of God's presence, because they don't know God.

Run!

Run from churches where you're comfortable in your sin. If you enter God's house with sin in your life, but you're not convicted of it, you're sitting at a table of devils.

Run!

Run from pulpits that are filled with politically driven men who use the pulpit of God for a personal agenda.

Run!

Run from those who preach division between races and cultures.

Run!

Run! Get out! Turn it off. They know nothing of God.
Run from ungodly, spasmodic movements and endless empty prophesying. Beloved Church.

Run for your life!

Run from preachers that stand, who tell only stories and jokes.
Run like you've never run before.

Run from those that are only after money and they use one gimmick after another to get your money. One foolish thing after another to get your money.

Run!"

( taken from 'Run' by Carter Conlon)

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Two Little Eyes

Wait for the Lord: Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I remember being 27 - about 20 years ago. (This is going to be a long post!) I had just become a Christian, prior to this I had been about to commit suicide as my life had fallen apart in every way possible. I guess I thought that as I had invited Jesus into my life and accepted him as my Saviour and the Holy Spirit had knocked me to the ground everything would start to sort out. My husband (the love of my life and my baby daughter's father) would return and I could get on with a normal life. As I climbed into a friends car and sat in the back God spoke to me at that time very clearly He said 'I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten' Joel 2:25. I was elated. He was going to turn my mourning into dancing, my tears into joy and my despair into hope. I waited.........


It took another failed marriage, 2 more children, another suicide attempt, an abusive relationship with a church leader, being rejected by 2 more churches, becoming homeless and abandoned by all but one of the Christians I knew, it took becoming penniless and nearly having a mental breakdown before God brought to my attention the repayment. All in all 20 years of despair, suffering and waiting. But when he did it boy - does he know how to do it!!!

I have 3 children. This is a story about one of them - the other 2 are just as amazing in different ways.

My son.

He was born into a marriage made in hell. I married for all the wrong reasons - for the second time. I was still broken hearted about losing my first husband. I was still a mess, yes I was a christian but God had so much still to do in me before he could get me in my right mind. After 3 years we split up.

We had a son together. He was long awaited. I had a daughter so I really wanted a son - and God in his graciousness gave me a son. He was born too early and I thought he might die. I would sing to him in his incubator and promise him I would always be there for him no matter what, and I promised God if He let him live I would give him back to God all the days of his life. God didn't forget that - and neither have I.

Through all the suffering and pain the next 16 years brought me I never realsied until now how those two little eyes had been watching. He watched and learnt. He studied my actions and watched the way others mistreated this vulnerable single parent in the churches I took him to.
He was there when they asked me to leave - he lost his sunday school and his church friends and his faith in institutional church. He lost his childhood home and his stability because of what the church did to us. He watched. He understood that we had no money, that we had no home of our own. He understood we were weak and it was easy for those with power in the church to walk all over us - and they did and he saw this.
He watched as I tried to furnish an empty rented house in a new city without money or friends. He watched me struggle and he heard me pray and cry until my heart broke. He made him and his little sister dinner when I lay in bed so damaged by life and church that I couldn't function. He watched it all and I loved him. I taught him about God and how he cares for the lonely, the unwanted, the needy and those on the edge of society who have nothing - I taught him, I lived it and he used to say 'Mummy when is God going to care for you? Why does He let bad people do bad things to us when we have no man to protect us? Why doesn't God protect us from bad people in the church? And I couldn't answer him. And this was the story of his life for 16 years.

I remember when he was about 12 he started to get really good grades at school. I was pleased - but not really that concerned, as what was inside him and how he treated others was of a greater concern to me. I watched him. He would come home from school - retreat to his room and study. On his own, while my life fell apart almost to the extent where I nearly had a breakdown. He studied. And I continued to pray with him and teach him about our amazing God who cared for me and him and his sisters and who was just and merciful.

All my Christian life I have been ignored and treated like a second class person because I am twice divorced and live in poverty with the poor in social housing - homes the government provide for those who have no money. I have no social standing in the church and therefore my views and opinions have never been heard. I am an undesirable by the churches standards - still.
All the church goers who have treated me like this have been from well to do middle class backgrounds from wealthy family's who raised them to be good Christians (and to avoid people like me) and who sent them to the best schools where they got the best grades and went to Universities like Oxford and Cambridge where they learnt to look even further down their nose at people like me - True!

Now one day 2 years ago my 16 year old son when thinking about applying to go to University said he might try and get into Oxford. I was still reeling from the fact that I could actually have a child that went to University at all!

I think my world stopped in that moment.... and things began to dawn on me.

My son.

And us with no money and no home of our own and no 'breeding' or social standing and him with no well to do upbringing which had trained him from the year dot to get into Oxford etc etc....... I pondered this in my heart and my heart grew. And he applied. And sent off his personal statement - to Oxford University. And my heart leapt inside me. And we waited. He was offered an interview - we screamed together and jumped round the room. He told me things. He told me he wanted to change the world for the better. He wanted to right he wrongs he had seen in his own life and those of others who are forgotten about and mistreated. He told me he wanted to be a voice for the voiceless. He told me he wanted to be a politician - a good one. He had soaked it all in. He told me he would put God first and do as He told him. He wanted to serve God with any opportunity he was given.
The interview was tough. I knew and he did that he did not have the background, upbringing and training to negociate an interview of such a high calibre.
I prayed, he prayed, we prayed together - if it be your will God. By now I was nearly shouting it in the streets.......................


Today I drove him to University for the start of his second term at Oxford. He is studying P.P.E. (Politics, Philosphy and Economics) the course studied by our present and many former Prime Ministers. We walked through corridors walked down by people such as Clement Atlee, William Beveridge, Gladstone and C.S. Lewis and saw them staring down at us from a great height. I helped him unpack in his little room round the back of the old cobbled steets. He and I were quiet together. We didn't need words. He did it. My kid. After all we've been through. This was not even in my frame of reference for what God might do. My son knows God has called him here for a purpose.
We hugged and said goodbye, I walked out into the cold January air. I breathed it in deeply. I looked heavenwards and saw the large tower of Magdalen College rising up into the grey afternoon sky.
I drank it in and smiled. I felt my heart leap inside me as I punched the air (victory!). God caught my attention and said:

'I told you I would repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.'

Perfect timing. I hadn't thought about that for years.

I feel like Cinderella must have felt

when the Princes butlers found her and she tried the slipper on and it fitted and no one could believe it was her!!!!!


N.B. In all the years I've waited for God to intervene and turn my life around he never answered one of my 'big' prayers. I prayed for him to save my first marriage, I prayed for him to save my second marriage, I prayed for him to give me recognition and a ministry in the church so I could be a voice for the poor and outcast. I prayed for a Christian husband. Each of these prayers consisted of long battles, years long. And He did not answer. Instead He gave me the best answer I could dream of - something which cannot be taken away from me. He used my past and all my pain and struggles and turned it round and poured it back into my lap until my cup overflows with JOY. And it came through the vessel of my most dearest and most precious thing - my son.

Glory be to God.
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Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Concentration


I have practically no concentration any-more when it comes to listening to Christians talk or reading Christian books. I cannot listen to online sermons by my fave preachers or follow blogs or websites I have followed for years. I cannot concentrate on a good sermon or have a normal discussion with anyone about God without losing interest in the first few seconds.


And as for church! well. When I realise it's the day for church I sigh a deep bored sigh and I dread it all day. I know I'm gonna have to brace myself for about 2 hours of intense boredom. Listening to people whinge on and moan and berate each other about their 'hard' lives, the oh so typical Bible study. I can predict every discussion how it will start and how it will end. I know what's gonna be drawn from a passage before it starts.


I'm perplexed and a little annoyed with the way I am behaving but I have no control over it. I can't tell the christians how I feel because I will just get marched off for ' prayer' and get the 'how to be a good christian talk' from my pastor and peers which is liable to elicit an even more worrying response from me in some form which will probably see me cast out of another church! I am concerned though - what does it mean? I love God as much as I always have. But I cannot force myself or my children to be with other christians or to go to church. The Pastor said last week that without regular church we would lose our faith we would flounder. He shook his head like he was agreeing with himself that without church faith dies. He knows I've been without church for 3 years nearly..... and my faith is smoking!


The only things I can still do are worship and read the Bible. It's been hard to write this post I had to force it out of me I just wanted to stop writing- having to reflect on christian stuff fuses my brain.


Let me tell you a story...


I work with the homeless. I feel alive and connected to everything when I'm with the unfortunate people I support. So last week I get a new client. He is 54 and his brain is shot from using to many drugs and drinking too much alcohol. So I meet him. I'm slightly wary - he comes from a family notorious for violence in his town.
He answers the door and my heart nearly leaps out of my rib cage. He can't walk without support, he can't talk without slurring, he struggles to sit down and is obvious pain. He is fragile physically and mentally. He is so humble he wakes my emotions and interest up. My heart stirs within me. He asks for nothing - lots of clients demand and expect even on a first visit.
I wanna scream with joy. This guy has nothing from a worldly point of view , but he has everything he needs. He talks to me in a quiet voice looking at the floor alot, but when he looks in my eyes I see my brother - I can't explain it any other way.
He thanks me regularly as we talk. He thanks me when I haven't done anything except tell him how our organisation could help him secure accomodation and help him pay his rent and access grants etc.
I ask him questions many of which are quite personal about his drug and alcohol history and his violent past. He answers every question far more honestly than any church minister I know ever has. He is honest about his failings. Genuine. Tearful and regretful. Totally humble.I'm on the verge of tears myself. We get to the question about religion.I ask him if he has any religious or cultural needs we need to take into consideration. He looks me straight in the eye and says 'I'm a born again Christian' and that's how I've given up my addictions and moved away from my violent family....


And there my friends you have it. For the whole time I was with him you could have heard a pin drop. My concentration was 110% I was transfixed talking to him. I knew - even before he spoke that he belonged to God. So you see I can concentrate, on occasion, when talking about christian things. But I have zero concentration when I'm with middle class, rich, shallow, happy zappy clappy types. They make me wanna puke and run til I can run no more.


Thanks be to God.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

We need to be real by Elaine Waterfield


Facebook on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 at 21:53
Today I went to Crewkerne to Joey Daniels ( who I think is awesome honest and on fire for God) Transformed event and it was awesome to hear Nigel from HTBC talk about 12 step programme . It wasn't what he said about the course but rather about people being real very real. He talked about how many people in the church including pastors were addicted to sex either hooked on porn, down loaded child porn some Christians struggled being transvestites whilst other Christians were addicted to food, booze, drugs and gambling.. its needs being dealt with at the cross as Jesus is the only one who can set us free.



Today most of us become Christians and live in our own world not God's, as we pretend that everybody is good in the hood and all hellos and wonderful and politeness when deep down we can be feeling terrible bogged downed with shame addictions and fears and the only place where I find freedom is with real people and thats been in places like prisons where I helped YO offenders especially in the freedom in Christ course where we had two bits of paper one with who we were and then another for who we are now. They were being totally honest and I found I could be too which made the other easy as God is an awesome God and its he who changes our lives and listening to ex addicts and prostitutes at Transformed ministries and other places. When we acknowledge out sins and let Jesus deal with them we can be so free. I am not condoning addictions but the point is when we are addicted to things and haven't got a great life then when we open up to each other its when we can be real we find a freedom and the truth sets you free then you can deal with them. Dougie March was there too and he spoke about how ex offenders come out of prison and where do they go when they come out? most end up on the streets with no where to live go to church and expect love and concern but many don't want to know as not all Christians know how to relate to ex offenders yet Jesus came for the lost the poor and the needy the broken and the smashed and he came for me and you. Jesus went out and spoke about the Gospel and healed people and cast out demons which is what he asked us to do to love our our neighbours as ourselves.But do we mostly we find it hard we need Gods grace and love and peace. The church needs to be real and act real I have learned that we cant go out and be Jesus on the streets if we see it as good works and a project but see these people as our equals and in fact we learn more from them than they ever learn from us.Why because they are real.Its our responsibility as the children of God to be radical and look after the lost the poor the broken and the smashed and do something about all this need, accept people as they are and love them in the church else they only go back to crime. WE are all ex offenders and offenders before God only through the cross are we made righteous as Jesus paid out penalty for sin and IT IS FINISHED

Report from Lithuania

This post celebrates 60 years in ministry of David Hathaway and in particular Lithuania last year.Those who are regular blogreaders will know about a couple I refer to as Nicholas and Pam.I'm not even divulging if those are their real first names. David Hathaway is unlikely to be aware of this couple either. If you look in the blog label list below they feature many times.
Who are they? They are Melchizedek order Black Ops....or as this is not Tour Of Duty, let's call them White Ops. They go ahead by the Spirit and open doors in intercession for up and coming moves of God. So far they have covered a lot of the Northern territories where there has been little or no moves of God. They spent several years in Lithuania in total, and have themselves been involved in some of the latter harvest. God also sent them unbeknown to them,the very week of the Icelandic Bank Crash into Iceland to pray right round the perimeter of the island. They experienced a bit of what St Paul refers to as "wild animals"....where it seems the demonic seems to get into normally peaceful animals who then go in to attacking mode...always a most odd and quite frightening experience. Odd things quite often occur as we go into warfare in the Spirit.
Because I have been writing about the Tabernacle I want to make it clear that from the moment we enter Holy Place Christianity which is the type of Christianity we're thrust into after being baptised in His Holy Spirit, God knows where we are at, even if we don't fully. He fully knows we are inexperienced, that we fall a lot still, that our walk is unstable, but unlike human training, we are cast in at the deep end. We can see this in the gospels with the disciples. Jesus never waited until they were fully rooted and grounded in Him. He sent them out to the villages to proclaim the good news.

I refer to Holy Place Christianity as 2ndlevel Christianity or as in 1 John 2 "young men" Christianity, but ofcourse not related with age, but Spirit growth. I want to be so clear. Holy Place Christianity is not 2nd rate Christianity.... we begin straight away to minister as full priests in God's Holy Place, in the real warfare and the real purposes of God. The disciples did too. Jesus found it the quickest way to bring people through in the Spirit. This is the method employed by YWAM,by Operation Mobilisation, by Morris Cerullo in his schools of ministry,by the prayer teams that surround Rheinhard Bonnke's work. By the way, I have just learned that just as it was George Jeffries who was kept alive
just long enough to anoint and commission Rheinhard Bonnke....he died hours later......it was George Jeffries who dedicated David Hathaway as a baby.

There are good reasons then for the greater than expected response in Lithuania. A doorway of utterance has already been opened by people sent in like Nicholas and Pam, and the praying inhabitants of the country.
Here is david's newsletter. For more info and pics about David and the crusades visit his website

http://www.propheticvision.org.uk/Biographies/index.asp







Dear Ministry Partner
What a wonderful way to celebrate the New Year – last year was the best year of my life! Now as this latest report indicates, God is on the move in the Power of the Holy Spit-it and we are preparing the Revival Missions for 2011. As you read this independent report below – let us believe in faith that in this New 'fear the Fire, the Power and the Revival will increase!
REVIVAL SWEEPS THROUGH THE TOWNS OF LITHUANIA: A personal report by Vitalijus Rumbutis:
`In October 2010 the people of Lithuania had a chance to hear the Good News from David Hathaway, These 'Days of the Gospel' served as a spiritual awakening to a great number of Lithuanians. It was truly a great blessing for the nation. More than 300 coaches brought those who wanted to come from every part of the country throughout Lithuania to the Siemens Arena – more and more buses were still being booked throughout the three days of the evangelism. All this was paid for by David's ministry in order to guarantee that there were no obstacles for anyone to receive the healing power of the Word of God. Thousands of people received the Biblical message of salvation and prayed the prayer of repentance.
`Because of the efforts of David Hathaway's team, the revival swept through the towns of Lithuania: Kedainiai, Siauliai, Kaunas, Pabrade, Birzai, Lazdenai and others. The number of unbelievers who were invited and joined the local churches and fellowships were ten times greater than the number of church members! In fact, Lazdenai village community brought so many people to the evangelism, that their number exceeded the number of residents of the village several times! This was a true revival, because all the people they took accepted the Gospel with gladness and open hearts. Many repented; many were healed from their sicknesses. The healing was truly immense and touched the masses. The rain of blessings covered Lithuanian transport companies, hotels, and a Christian hostel 'Deirnantas', where people attending the event were staying. A wonderful team of street evangelists, led by Alex Peremot from Latvia and supported by the churches of Vilnius,
preached the Good News of Jesus in the streets of our capital and other towns prior to the celebration. Reportedly, ortedly, in one week alone about one thousand people were touched by the message of salvation and love of God and received the Lord into their hearts.
`The Siemens Arena was too small for all those who wanted to attend, so all its balconies were opened. Thanks to the well organised work of the technical team and the ushers, the audience could both see and hear everything. Signs and wonders, healings and deliverance followed the anointed Word preached by Brother David Hathaway, who despite his age is young in spirit. David Hathaway has remained faithful to the Lord throughout all the years of his life and has proved it by the power of God, sharing the work and grace of the Lord. This power overwhelmingly flowed and filled the arena and all those present with unprecedented miracles of healing. There were multitudes who wanted to tell about what the Lord had done for them during the evangelism, prayer, and worship, but the time was not enough for everyone to speak. People received healing during the meetings, and afterwards on their way home. Many people felt huge relief from their pain, weakness, and illnesses. I, the author of this letter, was a happy witness of a tremendous change and healing in my body some time before the healing part of the service even began.
The special event at the Katrina Cathedral where representatives of the Vilnius municipality, the former mayor,members of the parliament,leaders of religious confessions and influential businessmen were invited was inspiring and gives us hope for our small,God-marked nation. The blessing touched the life and economy of the whole country,newspapers ,magazines,online streaming,televisionand radio programmes broadcast during the days of the evangelism testified to the mighty manifestation of God's power in the Siemens Arena, and we expect the evangelism to continue! The Lord's servant and your brother in Christ'
I want to thank all of you personally who made this happen by supporting this ministry with your finance and prayer. There has never been a Christian event on such a large scale in Lithuania, and it was a clear evidence that it was a real Word from God back in 2008 when 1 had a revelation that all different churches and fellowships —more than 80 — must unite for the common work of the Gospel in Lithuania. This is exactly what happened o as churches, worshippers and leaders of various Christian confessions took part in the preparation and organisation of the evangelism. That was one of the main factors, together with your help, which influenced the success of the work.
We want to assure you that this was worthwhile, you sowed in good soil, and the Days of the Gospel are not over. Now we urgently need the finance for this year's programme. Our problem is that at the beginning of last year we budgeted for an increase of 20% in donations — but actually received 9% increase. Our evangelism last year cost E1.5 million and we were 11% short! Don't be shocked by what I am about to say! I want God to do to our finances what He has done to our evangelism! And this will take the same level of faith and prayer that it has taken to see what God has just done in Lithuania! -1 he challenge for 2011: Blessed is the one who does not regret what he has done! Romans 14:22,
If we receive the first £2.50,000 this month and a further F175,000 each month, we can start in Israel — then continue in the largely Moslem Crimea -- followed by the Ukraine, Poland and then Holland, and include Armenia. But we need to start organising quickly. On January 19th I shall be going again for my week of prayer — to seek the Lord for the financial miracle breakthrough which we so desperately need. It seems that the devil is seeking to hinder us through lack of finance — although income last year was the highest on record. — But as the size of the revival is increasing across Europe, it means that we need our income to increase accordingly! The Bible says `what a man sows, that shall he also reap'. If we sow into the Kingdom of God we shall reap a bountiful harvest! —Which our brother, Vitalijus Rurnbutis, confirms in his report in this letter. Please stand with me as I go on the 19th to defeat the devil in Jesus Name!
As if as an answer to my prayer, yesterday I read the following. 'Beyond Expectations: I am able to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. The more extreme the circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation. Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to ail that I am doing in your life. '
Ephesions 3:20-21; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKIV); Revelation 5:13.
Your praying is as important as your giving — if you cannot give money —then give more prayer!

Sunday 23 January 2011

A Highway Instead Of a Crooked and Narrow Path!! by Linda Morrisson

Facebook on Saturday, 22 January 2011 at 08:28

For years we have preached about the “small gate” and the “narrow path” that leads to heaven. However, this is not the message of the Gospel!The narrow path is exchanged for a new and living road! For years we have preached of “the narrow path” and “the small gate” and that “few will find it” from the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:12-14 and Luke 13:23-40.
If we read a little closer, we will see that this describes the Law’s way to salvation. This way was not only difficult but actually completely impossible. But the message is still: “The person who does these things shall live by them.”
The way of the Law was actually narrow and salvation by works was such a small gate that few were able to get through. There were so few that there were actually NONE!
Luke 13:24 says: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Why not? Because they met the stumbling block, Jesus Christ. HE is an open door and a new and living way, so by going through Him the way would have been easy. But because the Jews didn’t want to bend down under the justice of God, they sought to build their own justice. You see, it was the Jews that Jesus was talking to in these messages! (See Matt. 15:24)
If you take a closer look at Luke 13, you will find in this chapter that He speaks of the hardened hearts of the Jews and the salvation of the Gentiles. The way of works was so difficult that those who tried to achieve salvation by it were not able to.
“For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.” (Gal. 3:20)
Salvation by works was completely impossible. It was a small gate and narrow path, full of statutes and laws containing both great and minor details. Not one detail could be forgotten! Therefore, Jesus had to open a NEW AND LIVING WAY when He died on the cross! By the blood of Jesus we have received a completely new way to enter into the presence of God. (Heb.10:19-20).
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)
Paul said: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(Rom.10:13) This is not a difficult path or a small gate.
The Crooked Path is Now Straightened Out!
Jesus came to straighten out the crooked paths that were so difficult to walk on.
Luke 3:5-6 says: “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”
Under the Law “no flesh could be justified,” while now, “all flesh will see the Lord’s salvation.” Talk about a big difference!
The way of the Law was crooked and impassable.
The way of the Law was crooked and impassable. Jesus has now, through His salvation, made the crooked places straight and the uneven roads smooth. Now all flesh can see the salvation of God!
It’s not difficult anymore. Now there is no one seeking to enter in without being able to. Salvation is finished and whoever wants to receive it will receive it for free. Whoever receives Him will be born again. “He justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Rom 3:26) The real tragedy in many Christian settings is that God’s Word has not been studied in this most important area. Therefore, the message of a narrow path and a small gate is still being preached. This makes the Christian walk difficult even though Jesus has said it’s easy!
Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:30)
The Apostolic gathering in Jerusalem passed a resolution to not make it difficult for the Gentiles who turned to God! (Acts: 15:19)
Still there are those who want to make it difficult, so that it only becomes a message for those especially interested. But the Word said that ALL FLESH will see the salvation of God. The angel in the fields of Bethlehem said: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
A Highway, Not a Small and Crooked Path
“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ ” (Luke 3:4-6) This is a prophecy referring to John the Baptist, but even deeper down, it’s a prophecy referring to Jesus.
Look at this picture being drawn: The road was impassable and had to be cleared. The paths were crooked and had to be straightened. The roads were uneven and had to be smoothed out. A bulldozer had to fill in every valley and lower every high point for the roads to be smooth.
Jesus himself cleared the way, straightened out what was crooked and made the roads smooth.
Now the job is finished, Jesus himself cleared the way, straightened out what was crooked and made the roads smooth. The result is a tidy, easy, passable, and smooth way.
The Way
Therefore, it was natural that the first Christians were called ‘The Way’. For the way was now cleared and all flesh could see the salvation of God. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”
The message is: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.” It is about Him and not about a lot of religious acts.
The Prophet Isaiah prophesized of this way: “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
This is a highway, a main road, not a narrow and crooked path.
They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Is. 35:8-10) This road applies now! This is a highway, a main road, not a narrow and crooked path.
A Highway For the People of God
Therefore, it’s a joy to present what the Word calls “A Highway for the Lord!” The highway the Lord has opened is straight with no turns, corners or defects!
No travelers will get lost, and the way has already taken us all the way into the Holy of Holies. (Heb.10:19-20)
By the blood on His cross, He has now joined what’s on Earth and what’s in Heaven. And in His body by death, He has presented us holy and irreproachable and perfect to Himself.
This message is totally different from the traditional message.
We have almost preached the opposite of the perfect work of Jesus.
We have almost preached the opposite of the perfect work of Jesus. We’ve preached of a narrow way and a small gate, crooked paths and uneven roads.
We’ve obviously forgotten that now the way is cleared, the valleys filled, the peaks lowered, and the crooked places straightened out. Now we have a smooth main road - A HIGHWAY FOR THE LORD’S PEOPLE. It’s easy to find and it’s easy to travel on. Even the fool will not get lost.
A highway that’s cleared, straight and even, that’s the salvation for all flesh.
Not a Few, But Many
This is not just for a few chosen anymore. Now it’s for all flesh. The starting point is that He has reconciled the world with Himself and removed all the world’s sins. The sin problem was solved by Him atoning for our sins, not just for ours but for the whole world’s sins. Jesus didn’t come to judge the world, but for the world to be saved by Him. People must hear about this reconciliation; therefore, we have the gift of reconciliation.
Because of the reconciliation, people can now receive and make use of His favor and benevolence and be restored to have His benevolence and grace.
But God has given man a free will; therefore the message is: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Whoever hears it say, “Come! Whoever is willing can come and have the water of life for free!”
This is our great mission - this is our missionary command in the light of the revelation of Paul.
no longer will few find the way and the gate; the Gentiles will arrive “in full number.”
Therefore, no longer will few find the way and the gate; the Gentiles will arrive “in full number.” (Rom. 11:25)
God has a number He’s working towards and we know He wants all men to be saved. Therefore, Jesus has not yet returned. God wants the door of salvation still to stay open. (2.Pet. 3:9 and 15)
HIS house will be FULL of guests. (Luke.22:10)
There will be a great multitude that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people and language… (Revelations 7:9)
All generations, families, languages and dialects will be represented. God wants all men to be saved….
THANK JESUS THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO OPEN A HIGHWAY. A NEW AND LIVING WAY HAS TAKEN OVER THE NARROW PATH THAT WAS BOTH CROOKED AND UNEVEN….
THIS WILL END IN A GLOBAL HARVEST FOR HEAVEN!

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10 people like this.
Richard Epps SO TRUE and SO Blessed by Your sharing GODS WORD OF TRUTH
Yesterday at 08:34 · Like · 1 person
Chris Welch What I've come up with is this Linda.I think when Jesus talks of it being a narrow way,He is talking to "the independent self delusion" that as Proverbs 1 talks about,thinks it can scoff its way through a life of choices with absolutely no accountability.In the law of sin and death wisdom ends up scoffing at the mess of the scoffer.What you are presenting is the Truth of God's life in the Spirit.As soon as we are not talking about the independent self delusion of Genesis 3 we're into a whole new ballpark where everything that Francois and Andre Rabe are digging out of the word becomes true.God Himself by calling and direct mandate laid on the 60s 70s crowd these precise scriptures.Most of these hearers didn't hear in faith and rationalised the highway prophecies into the charismatic experience they'd received.But since that had already happened,that would have required zilch response whatsoever.As we look back now, we see precisely what you have written is occurring.God meant what He said back then.That is what He has done through us.Yes a whole gazillion more have found Jesus,but our generation was targeted prophetically to unearth more of what we're saved to.And if by the Spirit are unearthing a Highway....guess what it's for? Well I guess just to look at and admire I suppose.....NO.......its for the LOADS to come in.The HIgHWAY is not a flesh highway.The Way is narrow for the flesh,the wacky delusions of the "independent self",but we are born again, we have died and are now born again to a completely different HOPE altogether.The other scripture you could have slotted in is when David came through his trials and said "You have brought me out into a wide place and enlarged the steps under my feet.
Yesterday at 09:08 · Like · 1 person
Richard Epps AND Chris,, the best part is IT IS GODS Perfect Plan!!
He chose to do the WORK! AMEN :)
Yesterday at 09:10 · Like · 1 person
Chris Welch Would it be OK to post this on the blog?
Yesterday at 09:16 · Like
Chris Welch Richard,did that come over as if our generation achieved it by our selves.The Truth is we forgot most of the time what He had said and it was Him driving it through in spite of and including our failures...but I guess that's how He was able to show it is not I who live...and Christ living our life becoming more real
Yesterday at 09:21 · Like · 1 person
Richard Epps John 15:27
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Read Proverbs 8 and see that LOVE, came up with the Plan before he created anything at ALL!
Yesterday at 09:23 · Like · 1 person
Richard Epps Yes the TRUTH is,,IT IS ALL HIS PLAN AND WE CANNOT CHANGE ONE JOT OR TITTLE!
Yesterday at 09:24 · Like · 1 person
Bill Paddock wow, amen, love it!!!! this is so liberating!!
Yesterday at 09:27 · Like · 1 person
Linda Morrison Hey Chris sorry its Linda's husband here. We use this account together as i initially never wanted to EVER go onto fb ha ha ha. Then i realized "wow" this is an incredible way to grow with others in Christ. I have loved reading Francois and Andre's writing and resding the blog. God is truly doing an amazing work in His body worldwide. God bless you guys for what you are doing. Love stuart.
Yesterday at 10:12 · Like
Chris Welch that's lovely Stuart. I was exactly the same. My dear Kenya friend said Chris are you on facebook, way back when it was mainly girls. I remember rolling my eyes. I also "missed it" I feel, cos unknown to me the subtext was...in Kenya each email costs so many pence...so this drove Facebook forward there because it was ONE PRICE for all the people you could contact in a time period.
Yesterday at 10:16 · Like
Chris Welch You are the expression of the greatest idea that ever was!
Every invention begins with an original thought. You are God's original thought. You are his initiative; the fruit of his creative inspiration, his intimate design and love-dream.
The first Hebrew word in the Bible, bereshet, literally means ‘in the head.’ You are His work of art, his poem says Paul in the Greek text of Eph.2:10. thru Francois du Toit
Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’Acts 13 :41 thru Cathy Rheeder
Richard said "we cannot change one jot or tittle" The amazing context of all this is our freewill, and "being wooed" by the One who says "Stir not up love nor awaken love til it please."
It's one thing to have all power and by a Fiat declare what will be will be, but only our God can do this in the context of a freewill love relationship.....Kind of....this is what is going to happen folks...and you're going to love it. freewill and determinism together???well yes actually...this is how it works
http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/search?q=cracking+the+Jersak
Yesterday at 10:25 · Like · 1 person
Linda Morrison AAAh Norman Grubb have read a lot of his writings and learned a huge amount from him. Thanks for the link and have a great day, love stu.
Yesterday at 10:31 · Like · 1 person
Richard Epps GREAT WORDS OF TRUTH CHRIS! ROMANS 9:15 SAYS EXACTLY THIS!!
WE ARE GONNA LOVE IT AND NOT BE PERPLEXED IF WE JUST TRUST HOW MUCH GOD ACTUALLY LOVES US. PLEASE ADD ME AS A BROTHER AND FRIEND !
Yesterday at 10:40 · Like · 1 person
John Michaud ‎> is a Norman Grubb student! TY for friend.
Yesterday at 10:53 · Like
Linda Morrison Now we look at this word, beresheet, and recognize that its first consonant is a prefix "b" for "in" and its end is a suffix "it" for the construct "of" — which leaves us with "Rosh" — which means head. Thus Beresheet is "in the beginning" ...See more
Yesterday at 10:55 · Like · 1 person
John Michaud i hope no ufo's show up this year.......He may have had some second thoughts as well....:(
Yesterday at 10:57 · Like
Richard Epps ‎22The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

24When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abou...See more
Yesterday at 10:58 · Like · 1 person
Paul Evans Ndabiah Thanks Linda, the way to the Kingdom is through only Jesus( HE is THE WAY, maybe can be "narrow" since there are others that claim to be ways to th Father) Also John 1:51... but the road in the Kingdom is limitless, soooo broad. Once through th WAY, then no need to bother whether or not you are in the Kingdom!
Yesterday at 11:08 · Like · 1 person
Mindy Thorn AWESOME! thanks much! I reposted. I was tired of hearing those verses abused by legalists. God bless
Yesterday at 11:17 · Like · 1 person
John Michaud The IC teaches Law+Grace all mixed together - confusion! - (Wide Gate) - Grace - simple uncomplicated and certain - (The Narrow Gate)
Yesterday at 11:22 · Like · 2 people
John Michaud Law = Death - of the Spirit.
Yesterday at 11:23 · Like · 1 person
Thomas Chakkalackal Yes Linda, I used to wonder about this narrow path, I got the same revelation like what you have written here. After the Cross of Jesus, it is a high way to heaven, called GRACE HIGH WAY, with a free driver JESUS, who already know the directions and destiny.
Yesterday at 13:05 · Like · 2 people
Elizabeth Lizz Smith ‎@Stu-wow! And 2 think that I wrote a song in 1991 (3years in2 being a believer) called 'The Highway to Heaven'! This I think is y I find it so difficult 2 understand that there r believers out there that still don't get it? Weird....just weird!
Yesterday at 13:26 · Like · 1 person
Andrea Garzón I like your note very much. I thought Jesus meant it was narrow cause we can only enter through Him. We see that people today try to go to the Father through religion, good works, good behaviour, repentance, sacrifices, etc. The "gospel" has become so complicated, they've forgotten Jesus, the only door. I think the gate is still narrow. Lol!
Yesterday at 13:40 · Like · 2 people
Thomas Chakkalackal Yes, the gate is still narrow because of the religious view about God. For us who understand a little bit of Grace, is a broad way to heaven.

The perfect work of Jesus on the cross made the "worst of the world" to be qualified in HIM, at t...See more
Yesterday at 13:46 · Like · 1 person
Linda Morrison Narrow = Jesus + Nothing = Eternal Salvation!!, Wide = Jesus and....or Jesus +.....or Jesus but now you....or Jesus. Jesus + Nothing just seems to simple and thats why he was a rock of offense to the Jews and now to many Gentiles. @ Tom "Grace is a broad way to heaven" amen to that. love stu
Yesterday at 14:14 · Like · 2 people
Andrea Garzón ‎"Grace is a broad gate" I like that!
Yesterday at 14:24 · Like · 2 people
Jeffrey J. Messenger I suppose the tendency, via human nature, is to continually glorify oneself... and "earning" your own way into Heaven (in one's own mind, for we know that no one but Christ was perfect) is just another manifestation of putting ego before Go...See more
Yesterday at 14:31 · Like · 3 people
Jeffrey J. Messenger ‎"If it be possible, let this cup pass me by." This one anguished prayer of Jesus says it all for me... if any possible path, road, moral and religious law, alternative god, or discipline could get man into Heaven...THEN the cross was not a NECESSITY! The only way the cross can make any sense... is if the cross was needed and is the only thing that can pry open the gates of Heaven for imperfect humanity.
18 hours ago · Like · 2 people
Michael Ted Bérichon Thanks so much for posting it Stu,
I receive all correction with absolute joy!!!!
Im gonna share this note if u dont mind :-)
17 hours ago · Like
Linda Morrison Amen Jeffrey, yes there was no other way.....but Jesus DID IT FOR US!!! Thank you Jesus ,You are amazing and Your sacrifice well.... You did it, it is finished!! Thanks for all your comments and WOW what a pleasure to havesuch uplifting and encouraging conversations with brothers and sisters. Bless you all and hope you all have awesome days, love stu.
15 hours ago · Like · 1 person

Saturday 22 January 2011

Specificity and Waggling your arms and hands like Jorge Pradas by Chris Welch

Facebook note on Saturday, 22 January 2011 at 22:53
Following on from Coming into God's House

Well that's a weird header title!

Let's deal with waggling first of all. On a handful of occasions, and there is one I'm calling to mind, Jorge Pradas who was used to lay apostolic Word in Emsworth, got us all waggling our arms and shaking our hands. This will confirm everything this current move think about the predecessor move of the 80s! But no, what he was getting us to do in the Spirit was shake free from all our preconceptions about


what we thought church life was

what the Christian life was

what our own lives were

and allow the Holy Spirit to invade.....to make what was nebulous, fluffy and ultimately just empty religion....specific and defined.



Around 10 years earlier Jorge was staying with his friend and former Brethren pastor Ian McCulloch in Emsworth. He was on holiday. But naturally he got invited to a monthly or weekly charismatic prayer meeting some of them held on Sunday nights. These were people from different churches. So there was Jorge minding his own business, but suddenly kicked to alert in the Presence of God that was evident there.



If God has birthed a ministry in you....it's part of you. There is no holiday. So like a bolt from the blue, this Word came out of heaven through Jorge . "What do you call yourselves?"

"A fellowship."

"What's a fellowship?"

People assumed it was a Catalan/Argentine translation problem probably.

So he repeated. "What's a fellowship? You can have fellowship. Show me in the Bible the word fellowship."

This stunned the charismatics, who were there for mutual encouragement and where they could freely use the gifts of the Spirit.

The Bible only recognises the Church. Are you the Church or aren't you?

That night then, Emsworth Church was born on that word. The church began and fundamental from the outset was that the members believed this was the Church.



Watchman Nee writes....you can have as many local churches as you like, meeting wherever geographically, but they must all be conscious that they are THE CHURCH and that they ARE ALL ONE THING.

Explaining that to the other churches in Emsworth seemed too difficult, so 15 years or so later they reverted to New Life Christian Church, Emsworth.Maybe something was lost in the process. Maybe this was an Ishmael/Isaac battle that was lost here. I am not there, so cannot comment.



I am in Portsdown Community Church. Peter Stott seems clear on the specificity of the church being the Church that happens to meet in the Meridian Centre...but whether it's always the same for all members I don't know.

"Community Church" is the style used in the days of Pyramid Apostle Networking. Their apostle was Tony Morton of Southampton. Community gets over "Redeemed Community". Well you hope it does.



But in all this hand and arm waggling, we have to be shaking ourselves from another of Man's orthodoxies.

Each individual perhaps thinks of himself/herself as two peas in a personal pod. The Old man/New Man rattling around inside. Old Chris new Chris in permanent Romans 7 struggle for identity. There's no personal specificity in the Spirit.





This is the "extracurricular" activity that the Holy Spirit has been cooking in the last 20 years. If we're not even clear what our church is....what are we believing about ourselves?



The Bible is very clear about the work of the Cross. It's not about to be complete. It's not being worked on. Jesus was quite categoric. "It IS FINISHED"

I have died with Christ. It is now nolonger I that live, but Christ who lives within me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.



It is on this base that I stand individually. I am now Christ in my form. This is a faith stand. It is spiritually defined. It has absolute specificity. And put another group of like believing believers alongside me, and boldly we declare we are the redeemed community, the Church of the Living God.



Waggle your arms again and your hands.....shake off all the old preconceptions. The concept that we are some kind of humanist vehicle for activities such as praise, prayer,preaching and coffee at the top of the Meridian Centre in Havant.

An activity centre that meets 10.30 every Sunday and does more prayer activity at sundry other occasions, and runs a 2ndhand furniture shop to provide for a debt relief advice charity. All these are things. What's the Spirit reality?

Well there is a believing, and there is a Spirit reality, because people comment on it when they come. There are processes happening in peoples lives that Paul would saymatches his phrase: I came that I might find Christ crucified among you.



But I believe the gifts to the church all over the world are tightening up in their specificity. Faith only operates around specificity. In Genesis chapter 1 God never said, Let there be something kind of , I dunno.....like Light I suppose." It was targeted and entirely specific. It's also tougher humanly being specific isn't it?



Abraham knew that confronting 2 kings. He said Sarai was his half sister...actually she was....hummmm....but she was HIS WIFE....and that gets to be pretty relevant if you know someone is after sleeping with her. And not only that but the God of heaven's entire calling on your life is to bring forth a son of Promise through PRECISELY her.



I don't know what's tougher, Abraham being specific about his God Promise/wife relationship or Peter being specific about the exact relationship with

THE RABBI that has placed a specific CALL on your life, that you've been with three gob-opening years, while you watched and personally participated in some stunning miraculous events. And then....no half measures here....complete with cursing....Peter says at Jesus trial "I %^$£*&.. ing never met the guy Jesus in my life!"



My burden here goes beyond this to a specificity in the Spirit. What we're into, to be fully Christian, has to tie in with the heavenlies. In bringing the KINGDOM of GOD to earth. Daniel Yordy and Francois will tell you the KINGDOM is here already. That it's the knowledge of the Glory of God that has yet to fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.



Well some would say Thy Kingdom Come - the prayer....was fulfilled at Pentecost. The Kingdom did come.In Power.

But we are still praying Thy Kingdom Come, in an ultimate restoration of order type sense. This is the sense of the blog series I did on Psalm 24.

What I am steering things to is the prophetic.

This morning I was describing to Allen Mills the acceleration that took place as soon as the disciples received by faith the specific Word and calling that Jesus, operating in the Father brought to them, to make them Fishers of Men, if they

Folowed Him

Now.




We know from Elisha's call through Elijah. you don't mess around when God speaks. You obey. Now.And if you don't, like in the fifth chapter of Song of Solomon....


it's already too late. Jesus has gone.Moved on.



Part of the 1st commandment walk of loving God with all our being is priority. You don't put Him second to anything.And unlike human love for a person making a similar demand, you have the knowledge that God can undergird His call with His Provision.

Half the messes (humanly speaking) that we get ourselves into is that we are obeying a Word before we know for sure where our support will come from. Banks think we are nuts. Other Christians think we are nuts. The rest of our families can think we are nuts. But a call is a call. And the anointing is in that call, and hidden in it too, somewhere in the background sometimes is the provision for the call.



How many ministries have been launched on the back of Peter's walking on Water incident. As an event, it is probably more important historically as a Spirit teaching, than it is for the absolutely earth shattering event that it was. A human walks on water!



So hopefully you caught that. Things only accelerate when a Word comes, but in that Word is also the Power to get it achieved.

1.Churches don't have specificity.

2.Churches chunter along virtually as clubs, without any invasive Word.There has to be a sense of the invasion of the Kingdom into our "norm"

3. The heavenly Pattern

For this one you probably need to shake those arms and hands again, if only to please Jorge, who is now with Jesus thinking....at last....somebody was listening!



The last couple of notes on Facebook refer to the Tabernacle. Nancy Gilmore expressed that knowing the reality of Christ as her, she finds it alien to be thinking about the Tabernacle. I wrote to say the heavenly Tabernacle is the reality. The heavenly reality of this and the 3 Feasts are just how things work. And it is our lack of spiritual eyesalve in these realms that have made our "revivals" so bloomin random.

We are spending all our time building our own earthly conceptions of what revival , and church , and evangelism are.

-So people are all but stillborn

-making up churches that are human clubs

-praying for human concepts of what a revival might be......probably more of the same.



So here in brief is what should really be happening.


People are accelerated into the very Life of God only through the Word, the Living Word...however it comes to them.

This is as true of believers as it is of the living organisms that are the local versions of the Bride, called "ecclesia....called out ones....the Church"


A believer joins the people of God as an individual at the New Covenant equivalent of the brazen altar, the Cross.


They now have a new RESIDENT in their spirit, and fused AS ONE to their spirit; His Name is Jesus. Because Jesus lives there, when they come next to the Laver, they look in its shiny mirror surface and see Jesus.

So the Laver is the washing of water in the Word.... a process that ever continues.The Bible is nolonger a lawbook,but a mirror of the Lawkeeper inside us.

The Laver is baptism in water, which is us saying to God in the Spirit....yes I sign my signature on the dotted line of the New Covenant

This laver experience was something else for Jesus, and can be for us too. Jesus came out of his water baptism, with the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. He was baptised in the Holy Spirit.

We become priests by the Spirit of the Lord. We can enter now into the Holy Place.

Another baptism that is simultaneous to this , which prepares us to function in the Holy Place, is that we are baptised into the corporate Body of Christ. Like Ruth entering as an alien Canaanite into the people of God we say with her, "Your people are my people, your God my God."

Because none of the rest has been true in the lives of other church people, the Body of Christ remains only a somewhat pious concept, having a rather heavy religious atmosphere to it. But not so among those who share these foundations in the Spirit.

The Holy Place or the 2nd Feast experience of Pentecost is meant to be glorious. In the previous post I have described some of the negative aspects which we see manifesting in the disciples' lives in the gospels. This is particularly relevant in our day, because in the Church worldwide we have now thousands of overgrown teenagers who manifest many of the features of "Fatherhood" in the Spirit, but their own innards are so undeveloped, because only a handful of people have known there is a third stage of growth, or third feast experience.



When all functions in the order of the Spirit the "spiritual teenage" or "young men stage" is a glorious affair just as it is in the natural. Get a bunch of teenagers on fire for God even in the natural, and they have a glory all their own....just as newborn babies do. The Holy Place experience in a Living wing of the Body of Christ , the young men stage, IS NOT aligned with an agegroup such as teenage, IT IS a Stage of growth in the Spirit. My hunch is that were we in a culture that just loved Jesus properly from cradle to grave, our stages in the Spirit would be a lot more aligned with the natural growth stages. As it is churches are strewn with 70 years olds still in nappies, being bottle-fed....almost still born actually.



The last Facebook note covered the acceleration in the Holy place. Immature people have their bread cut up neatly for them according to their tribe. On the table of the shewbread in there are 12 loaves all positioned round the table for the 12 tribes.I mentioned that I am not speaking theoretically. I obeyed God's inner call to me to leave University after the first year only and found myself in an early prototype of a functioning Holy Place Community. (click for pics and more history)They didnt know about the 3rd level.They didnt know all the foundations listed above. But we weren't a community by committee either. Stuff was coming to the surface of people's lives as the Holy Spirit would engineer, and the Body would be covering these members and ministering victory and encouragement. In the worst instances of double leukaemia of a son and later his father, this also was dealt with in prayer. It was the first time such cases had survived anywhere in the world, by giving each other their bone marrow. It was all over the television news. This was our experience in Emsworth.



The foundation that we can now add, is a lot more detail as to how the 2ndlevel works, how it is a time of "reckoning" by faith according to Romans 6 and 7. There is an experience of the Altar of Incense, as we, in a manner very similar to old photography are placed into "FIXER".....remember that anyone? The third level is the fruit of this fixing process.

We know we are Christ in our form. We don't "need" meetings to prove this to us. We go into meetings to take them over for Christ. We are now walkers who practice the verse "Just as you received Christ as Lord, so now, walk in Him."



Anyone who has been with men such as Rheinhard Bonnke,Morris Cerullo, Andy Elmes (local to us) knows there is a Fire anointing that compels others to come to Christ. I have written about evangelists' frustration that so few seem to operate with this zeal to reach more for Christ. There's a truth in this. And there is a Holy Spirit fire which so few have. It is what propelled me into being a catalyst for revival in part of our school when I was 13. But as I have said above there is another very serious point to make.



Morris Cerullo and Rheinhard Bonnke minister unfailingly on the "outward means of growth". They so well know how to minister in the Old Covenant Law of doing Christian things to somehow grow in God. As true fatherhood 3rd level ministries we ARE NOT CALLED TO DO THIS. We impart the New Covenant by the Spirit. We continually impart the foundations above. God's children become young men (understand this is both sexes) who in turn become fatherhood ministries. People who are obviously utterly saved have a testimony to share, they are that Testimony, who is ofcourse Jesus established in us. The thought that this won't have impact is unthinkable. A thirdleveller immediately gets noticed.

In fact in times past, when there were so few, if they wrote books, they'd automatically be high on the Christian bookshelves. Corrie Ten Boom,Oswald Chambers,Spurgeon,John Wesley,Madame Guyon,Dietrich Bonhoeffer,Watchman Nee,Mother TheresaJohn Wimber,Mother Basilea Schlink....the list goes on and on.



I want to temper comments about generals like Morris Cerullo,Benny Hinn and Rheinhard Bonnke with respect for all the ways in which the Holy Spirit has used them to bring a harvest. This has to be weighed in the Spirit with the thousands of believers that are running as fast in the opposite direction from such men. You see apart from individual growth in Christ there is another aspect to the 3rd level Body that was pioneered by John Wimber, and particularly later in 2008 in Lakeland.



If saints have proper Spirit foundations they are catapulted forward in growth. But more than this the BODY BUILDS ITSELF IN LOVE, at apace that is frankly FRIGHTENING. If you could really understand and appreciate what is happening on Facebook and blogs internationally, you would be stunned. But no man has the overview. And that's the point.Morris Cerullo's phrase was always "This is not the Work of a man, but the Holy Spirit." (And by the way, this is an example of specificity in the Spirit."

The problem with Morris - even though he does invite in 12-15 other extremely anointed platform ministries-

it's still Morris Cerullo Ministries.

The true 3rd level stuff is FACELESS.It's going on internationally non-stop around the clock. You can see from my 1989 message that I have been prophesying this but had no clue about Facebook. No man is in charge. Jesus is doing it.

So,we've covered 2 of the points.

People will nolonger be stillborn, but will grow right through to maturity.

The church will not be religious clubs, because they have living stones, and an unimaginable variety of matching wineskins. So much easier to reach people with churches of people that don't have dummies sticking out of their mouths.

But the last point is revival.



Ofcourse Morris,Benny and Rheinhard have to run round at HUUUUGE Kingdom expense like headless chickens. They are not preaching the right gospel. It's hugely incomplete. Nobody can grow. It's not new Covenant, apart from depositing an anointing of the Spirit on their heads, they then dose them up with tons of laws of what a Christian looks like.

BUT a Christian doesn't look like anything. He is Christ in THAT PERSON'S FORM! What's all this external stuff about then? it's the very opposite of what James spoke, that's what it is:
Acts 15:9 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. "

The Feasts describe the revival cycles that we see at the very outset of the Church.Not only are we growing, individually and corporately , but as natural as waves on the sea, or birth contractions in childbirth, we learn to move with the Spirit's Harvest cycles over localities. The 3rd Feast , Tabernacles,has its own massive Feast of Ingathering built in.

Ingathering follows Trumpets and Atonement. This is typified in Joel with the priests flat on their faces.

Here's a 1960s picture:

Graham Pulkingham, brought to the end of himself on the crypt floor of the Church of the Redeemer Houston for 3 solid months. (His Day of Atonement)

This intercession birthed a whole community that brought thousands into the church, and ultimately affected my life as the whole group moved to England and ministered into places like our school after our revival.Graham was a 3rd leveller bringing forth a group of 2ndlevellers who surrounded him, who in turn would have gone off and done the same.



Are you getting the picture how we have totally missed it? Of how wrong Benny Hinn's,Rheinhard Bonnke's, and Morris Cerullo's pattern is, as we mature into a really Living version of the Body of Christ. We don't have to wander round like a corpse Zombie anymore. Havant doesn't need to have half of its members dosed up on medications in depression, and the rest sick as dogs, all staring at you with bleary eyes. (Slight exaggeration) But you get what I am saying. Enough of this half-gospel,half-church,half-Life. The heavenly Pattern is there for everyone to see. Quit fighting the Spirit, and just do things His way. I mean our way has sure worked well hasn't it? Just read God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

Thursday 20 January 2011

Coming Into God's House by Chris Welch

First appearance as Facebook Notes Part One and Two, with an excerpt from Daniel Yordy .

In the last supper,Jesus girded Himself like a servant,bent down and made to wash Peter's feet. "No,no,no,master."Peter was horrified. Peter if you dont allow Me to do this, then you'll have no part in Me." "oh well, do all of me."
We're one day away from the Big "B" in Peter's life. "B" day. Peter , within hours, is going to experience one of the biggest "Breaks" in a psyche that any man at any time has had. He is going to be confronted with his independent self!!!!
Until then....until true Spirit definition begins to nail him in the coming days and weeks, he is much like you and me.Up one minute, down the next.Super holy, and doesn't need help.....overly zealous and religious and grovelling the next.

So the problem in entering God's House, both in our lifelong experience, or in say, some individual meeting, or coming to know Jesus in the first place, isn't a problem with
God's grace
God's protocolls
God's expectations
God's commands.
It is entirely OUR PROBLEM. We don't know who we were....before the Cross changed our identity....nor AFTER.
So it doesn't matter how God lays it out for us....
in all the books of the Bible
through all the most anointed people preaching on the Earth today
through friends who break through religious men's ceilings in order to let their beloved crippled friend down safely at the feet of Jesus.
Things JUST WONT WORK FOR US.....or let's rephrase that....some things will work some times. But here's a fantastic truth.....EVEN the failures are all taking us somewhere. Jesus life in us WILL GET US where we want to be if we just refuse to give up, and carry on believing ON HIS LIFE, and its power to get us there. This is what we mean by Grace. And what we also mean by grace, is that while God is making this life work in us....from the outset His grace is also covering us...at all times. How fantastic is that? His life in us is enough!!!!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
So as grace believers we can come into God's Presence, and continue to grow exactly as we please, because He is going to cover us. Nope. This is the SAME God that surrounded Himself with such terrifying holiness at Sinai, that the people all spoke unanimously.....we don't want any of that....it absolutely freaks us out....you go up Moses!!!! The same God.
Now in Hebrews it says we have not come to Sinai, but to Zion. So we gaily skip in then. We create a temple of our choosing. With steps. With the hoops and hoopla of our choosing.
Nope. Again nope.

We throw away the paraphernalia of the tabernacle of the OT then? And just do our thing?
Nope. Here is the secret. The earthly tabernacle never had any value in itself at all. Even when it was standing as a picture, by God coming to presence Himself within it, He was saying even then..."Even now, this is not the reality. I am the reality, and the True Tabernacle is even now in the heavenlies."

So, in the New Testament, yes we throw away the sacrificed animals and all the tent paraphernalia....to forever forget about it?...like they do in Baptist churches and Quaker meeting places, and Methodist Churches? No. Denominations are totally off their rocker here....or worse still, like the Catholics, they virtually rebuild the whole outer sequence of the Tabernacle again IN THEIR CHURCH BUILDINGS. What's that about?

Nope. Neither is accurate.
From the moment you meet Jesus in truth. You do not decide how you will enter God's house, God does. You are not the Lord. He is. You do what He says, by faith. You don't argue. You don't shout. You don't reinvent the wheel. You don't create the new Electronic pulpit Denomination. You sit down. You shutup. And gradually, as the Holy Spirit reveals to your innards....(just like David who said he meditated in God's courts....ie. it takes a while to twig)
your jaw begins to drop
and you begin to see
that little old you
are to be presented, by means of the Holy Spirit
and by following the steps of all the other saints
into a position that you can be entrusted
alongside your elder brother Jesus
with co reigning and co ruling
the very Universe!

Beats just going to church! Doesn't it?
But much more than this. As if this wasn't amazing enough.
You will learn that God chose you from the beginning, before time
to be Eternally wrapped up in
totally in love with, and receiving love from
His Bridegroom to be
JESUS.

So yes, God is particular. You bet He's particular! It's because He has to...He wants to
MAKE YOU LIKE HIMSELF, mature and lacking nothing....but IN HIM , not as some independent myth of a being,
which is the lie the devil spins.

The Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses was the cardboard cut-out model of the ETERNALLY existing NOW reality of heaven. For the latter see the book of Hebrews, for the former see Exodus 25.
Every single bit of furniture or object has a LIVING spiritual counterpart in the heavenly places and NOW in your spirit, which is the dwelling place of God if you are born again.
The other thing Moses Tabernacle is , is a photograph in time, a slow-motion play-(forward)....not playback...it was constructed before Jesus came,remember?
of Jesus death,resurrection and ascension. A microcosm of ALL that was going to be accomplished at the Cross.

So you enter the Courts of the Lord at the brazen altar. The different sacrifices here represent the different aspects of the way Jesus has dealt with you!!!!. His blood was shed to cover your sin for all time.
There were two goats to get over the two aspects of Jesus dealing with sin. The goat burned on the altar, was like Jesus offering His whole life, His last drop of blood to cover our sins.

The second goat was driven away into the desert. This is the little understood BODY DEATH of Christ.....the Bread part of the communion. We are primarily spirit, who have souls and a body. So when we bow to the Lordship of Christ, and ask for His Spirit to come in....He DOES....as OUR SOLE new identity. Like the goat, our old man...the sin spirit identity...was driven away at the Cross. Or more accurately, Jesus became our Sinspirit container, and like a rubbish bin, took our totally lost identity, our fallen identity into death with Him....and left it there at the Rubbish tip of hell. Just like the goat,driven into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Then the Holy Spirit did not leave Jesus in the grave, but resurrected Him
and more incredibly still
US in HIM
so that now our lives are hidden with Christ in God!!!!!Forever.Faith takes this as fact, and forever we are changed on our insides. Born totally new. The old HAS PASSED AWAY. Dave Bilbrough's song WAS completely accurate!!!!

THEN, WE GET WATER BAPTISED,TOTALLY IMMERSED TO CELEBRATE THE FACT
that like the Israelites through the Red Sea, who lost all their Egyptian pursuers in one swoop,
we are cut off from all the spirits of hell trying to haunt us. They have no part in us. It is true deliverance.
Now Jesus, who knew no sin, did not have the equivalent in his spiritual experience of some brazen altar. HE JUST HAD NO NEED. But interestingly He was immersed totally in the Jordan to fully represent, as NEW FEDERAL HEAD of what was about to happen. And the clarity of this is only coming now as I write.
He was stating, by His Body action, something prophetic and something new in the Earth.

All through the Old Testament, the corporate Body of God....Israel, had operated spiritually in the confines of the
OUTER COURT of redemption.....matters concerning forgiveness...and a "distant knowledge of God". Matters concerning the brazen altar, and washing in the 2nd item there, which was the laver. The laver stands for washing in the Water of His Word. It stands for the initiation and deliverance of baptism.
Baptism is us signing our signature on God's brazen altar signature....of God's Covenant. For 30 years,Jesus had lived in these corporate confines....but suddenly at 30 , he left His secular activities, receiving the ministry call on His life,He "stepped up to the plate" in Jordan , being baptised by John....

AND THIS WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE SPIRIT, when Jesus was baptised in the Holy Spirit, in the very same way that you or I get baptised in the Spirit....

He was opening the DOOR for the Body of God in the Earth to the Kingdom
But now a KINGDOM of POWER
A KINGDOM in the HOLY SPIRIT
where ALL are now made priests. We are now a spiritual priesthood.
He was opening the DOOR in heaven corporately, that had never been opened since the Fall, to THE HEAVENLY HOLY PLACE. The middle area in the Tabernacle.He as the Forerunner, as the one injected into the line of Adam, in the LIKENESS of sinful flesh, yet knowing no sin,had stooped down from heaven...to this moment in Jordan

where he was taking the corporate Body of God onto a new trajectory. The LIFE of the HOLY PLACE. A life in the Holy Spirit. A life where man would manifest the supernatural powers of the age to come.

But at the Laver, before entering quite into the Holy Place, something else is true. Something that is really being spelled out in Francois Du Toit's Mirror translation of the New Testament. The Laver was a brass shiny bowl. It was highly reflective. This is important...but only if the two goats experience at the brazen altar has truly happened. When we look into the laver Mirror Word...we now nolonger see condemnation. We now nolonger see impossible demands made on us by the Law. We see Jesus in us. We are ONE spirit with Him. We are one spiritual identity with Him.
HE IS NOW THE LAW KEEPER IN US. Our task: to believe His Word. To believe ON the LAWKEEPER who indwells us.

From now on, we leave natural daylight. We receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our dealings with God, functioning as priests, are uniquely by the Power of, in the flow of, in the timing of the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Place is the candlestick, representing this anointing. We see light in His Light....not in the light of our own previously humanistic understanding. Our priesthood is by this Light, not by our clever lists of drawn up agendas and schedules. We are beginning to be conformed to His full image in us. His ways of working and living in us. This is like the corporate charismatic experience the world church has now been familiar with, particularly in the last 100 years. In the next part we will continue on into God's House, also deriving clarity from a section of writing Daniel Yordy posted recently.
Part 2 is below
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Cathy Rheeder, Nancy Gilmore and Ole Henrik Skjelstad like this.
Chris Welch thx Ole....I like it too...or rather what God has done!!!!I think it's amazing.
10 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Eve Lao Amen! Thanks God for HIS amazing love!
7 hours ago · Like
Cathy Rheeder Thanx chris,excellent!blessed.
6 hours ago · Like


The Holy Place - the most dangerous place on Earth
You'll have heard that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The Holy Place is dangerous for this reason. We are. In the Holy Place we are armed...but still dangerous. We, ourselves are still " seeing" more than God. Give you an example:
some of the disciples were fishermen. While they were on the beach, mending their nets, or in their boats catching fish, they were not particularly dangerous. They were ordinary Jews. They knew about things like God, things like forgiveness, although unlike a modernday believer who knows he has asked Jesus into his or her life, they only later knew that "inner" knowing of Holy Spirit confirming to spirit that they were born again from the inside. This happened not in Acts 2 at Pentecost, but when Jesus "breathed His Spirit " upon them before ascending to the Father.

Having left their nets the disciples became dangerous. Living like we do after the Star Wars films were made we would say that Jesus taught them the ways of the Force. They were introduced to things like the Presence of God falling on a multitude. They were introduced to power manifestations. Of healing. Of totally unexplicable things. Miracles. For these, as forerunners of what we have experienced in the last 100 years in the charismatic movement, were being inducted into a whole corporate realm in God, that previously had been enjoyed by individuals, and rarely. Like prophets. Where you believe for things and they happen!

But if you are still seeing more than God this is dangerous. You see Jesus said quite openly and transparently, I only do what I see my Father doing. In another place, I must still work because I see my Father working still. But the disciples saw a whole lot more than what the Father was doing. Understand the word "see" in this context is an inward seeing. A set of internal thought processes that are like an operating system chuntering along underneath our conscious thought.This is where we do our "faith" seeing. But if like it says in Ezekiel 10 :8, the inner walls of our thoughtlife, our Temple life are scrawled with hateful things, with unclean things.....THIS DOES NOT MEAN our internal FAITHING mechanism, our "believe" machine will cease to operate. Now you're beginning to understand why the Holy Place experience is so dangerous.Exactly!

The disciples start to call down fire from heaven on a little village that has failed to receive them. Have you ever wondered what that meant? Maybe every where else received the Word but had offered them a cup of tea? Perhaps this village had not offered any drinks?

We do not know all the details of the offense....but Jesus neither endorses nor negates what they take offense in....what we do know is the FATHER is not pouring out any fire today....so ....seeing "more than God" falls into the territory of another spirit....a spirit from hell. Jesus was not sent to judge at this point. He was sent to preach. Whoever did not receive Him had Jesus withdraw and move on.

Having power but seeing more than God is like the sin of witchcraft. Dangerous. And sinful.
An evangelical. A denominational man. Perhaps a "burnt out" free believer, withdraws at this point. Too dangerous. Let's go back fishing.

That's not correct either.

The Purpose of the Holy Place
If it was correct the whole shape of the gospels would be more like a modernday theological seminary. A dry and waterless place where theories about an" out there God" are taught in a pretty abstract fashion. No, the things I am telling you are drawn from scripture, but are drawn also from my life experience. They are NOT dry and waterless theory. So in both what I "see" from scriptures in my innards, and what I have lived I can teach with some authority.
(But you don't have to submit to my pyramid if you don't want to.Sorry had to throw that one in. Me and pyramids don't like each other)

The HOLY PLACE is the nearest in God terms that you get to modern physics. It is a particle accelerator.
It is a WAY to the TRUTH machine. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. You can also express it in linear terms as He is the WAY to the TRUTH about you and about God; having been impacted at the base of your system,you're in a shape to now RECEIVE HIS FULNESS of LIFE in a complete 24 hour form...not just a "meeting" form.

The overall GOAL

Misconceptions

Denominational religion and especially Catholic religion has so confused the world as to what coming into God's House is for.It's made such a big thing of the Chasm between mortal humanity and a Transcendent God, that in this mindset, it has filled its church buildings with"Tabernacle reheated" paraphernalia. It's tried to yank Jewish Tabernacle furniture into a New Covenant context, but behaving in a Jewish Old Testament way...except the Jews had the actual Cloud and Pillar of Fire realities of God...oh.....and tons of sheeps and bulls.... Catholics say they have the "reality" of Christ in the "Transubstantiation" of the Bread and the wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus....but you only have true believers word for this. By far the majority of Catholics have no knowledge of being born again and baptised in the Spirit. The realities of which the Catholic structure speaks are not realities for the average Catholic.
So denominational religion leaves us with the idea that a select few go into the inner inner sanctums to fellowship there with the UNKNOWABLE GOD.

What the Tabernacle is really

Denominations haven't a clue that the Tabernacle is about you. God doesn't need a Tabernacle. He is Light. He is Life.He is joy. He is Love. He also doesn't need a house for you to approach Him. He needs a tabernacle for YOU to fuse with Him. For you to become like Him. So that YOU know that you know that you know (3 times for the 3 sections) that you have LIFE in HIM...and that you'll never LOSE it...oh....and that you know how to operate in it...

AS He is .....so are we in the world.

Jesus is the firstborn.........of many brethren. He though being divine, and for the joy set before Him, of having an innumerable company just like Him, operating just like Him,
spoke an eternal yes to the Father's intent when He said
Today I have begotten you.

What does begotten mean for an Eternal Person of the Trinity that has always existed. It means He has delightedly said yes to being BEGOTTEN in another format, forever. Human. Flesh and blood. Though for a while made lower than the angels....this format would change in the manner of the acacia box in the Holiest Place. Acacia is pretty ordinary looking like our humanity.
It is also a BOX. A container.
A container for God. God's glory.
Gold glory on the inside. Gold glory on the outside.

So all the time, these stupid church buildings ermmmm....built for the "glory of God"
WERE ABOUT YOU
being like HIM. Bone of His bone.Flesh of His flesh.

Yes, the holy place is dangerous....but is also the quickest,slickest means of getting God's life in you fully operational in.....well it took the disciples 3 years. Because we're coming out of a time in the 60s where Bishops were announcing the Death of God, it's taken us decades to retrace all the steps, and clear away the weeds
and do what our generation was called to

build a highway in the desert.
Raise up the former devastations....
enlarge the border of your tents......what? Beyond the charismatic movement? What could possibly be beyond that?Surely we'll fall off the edge of the known world. This way tharre be drrrragons!!!Arrrr!

It seems so stupid now that we thought Benny Hinn stadium meetings were the edge of God's purposes this side of eternity.There are still people on the earth that are convinced "the Land" is over the Jordan of Death.
That the Feast of Tabernacles sole fulfilment is some "marriage supper of the Lamb" in some future glory.

So running side by side are the two heavenly pictures for us, both for us corporately and individually.
The three places in the Tabernacle
The three Jewish Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Now these feasts are all about the stages of harvest. Or what Ezekiel calls "wheels within wheels". You see one person's , or one corporate move's Tabernacles is going to be another's "entry point" or Passover and Pentecost. I puzzled over this for years. The clue is this.
Acts 2 was Pentecost for the 3000.....but for the apostles, who called themselves forerunners....it was their Tabernacles. One of the things that happens in Tabernacles is the Feast of Ingathering. More corn coming in. More harvest . More people.

On the one hand it is good to have evangelists preaching in and out of season. They are built that way....and they impart that spirit to the whole Body of Christ.It is a ministry gift anointing that resembles the huge arm of a combine harvester. "In you come folks". Deluge , deluge.....

On the other hand they are like headless chickens running around with this chip on their shoulders that nobody is helping them. Absolutely unaware...blissfully unaware...that the Lord of the harvest has everything in hand...and if they'd only teach the actual gospel a bit more
then all the harvest cycles would actually happen
the Kingdom leaven would spread in a seamless flow
and people would actually look a bit more saved in their lives than they do in our church, where half are on medication for depression, the other half are desperately sick. The overseeing pastor was clobbered in his knee as he was getting into a car...someone drove off too soon....and he goes to Bill Johnson's church to learn more about healing, and half loses the sight in one eye.

Saints...there's more to life than charismatic bubbletown living...like little Eden Project bubbles all over the world...cut off from normal life....and frankly walking a bit weirdly.....sort of charismatically. Until you've been out a few years, for me it was 10....you won't have a clue what Im talking about....for you it's still all great.
Stopping at charismaticville, or the Holy Place is the most dangerous place in the world.

A person will say to Jesus " Look, I did all these things in your name. i prophesied in your name."
Jesus will look Him straight in the eye and say
I never KNEW you
I never FUSED with you
I never Altar of INCENSED you to bring you into a permanent version of what you only knew in an external way in the charismatic movement
I tried to reach you from outside of your Eden Project Charismatic bubble, but you weren't having it,you never came out to join me
So sadly I say, Depart from me you unbeliever.
Whatddya mean unbeliever....I'm a man of faith....signs are following me everywhere
The One SIGN I asked you to believe for, you never believed
What sign?
That you would be a SIGN of my indwelling Life...Me fused as you.The Father at home in Me, now both at home in my Spirit in you.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and My Righteousness...Me living as you
and ALL these things.......

Daniel Yordy describes our passage through the Feasts this way:

The central word of the first feast, Passover, in its fulfillment in the life of the church, is grace. The central word of the second feast, Pentecost, is power. The central word of the third feast, Tabernacles, is authority.
Grace is the Greek word, charis, which means gift. Grace is God Himself present with us as our life as a gift to us. The blessing of the beginning of the Christian life is that God is now with us, we are no longer alone.
But the presence of God with us was knowledge only. We did not know that God impacted the physical world. Therefore we put everything off to a someday "heaven."
Then God brought us into the experience of Pentecost and we received power. The purpose of power is to be a witness of Christ. That is to show by demonstration that God Himself is present in the human, physical experience. We experienced the Bible becoming a new book to us, we saw miracles take place in physical bodies; we experienced supernatural provision and guidance - all means of God present with us more than just as an idea, but in outward demonstration of reality.
But both the knowledge that God is with us and the experience that He is with is in power all came to us as immature believers who did not know what God is doing. We knew that He is taking us on and up, but too many re-defined that upward call to mean "going to heaven" after physical death.
In the first feast, we lived in the outer court of the temple. We talked often about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross - the brazen altar, and we pursued 'Bible study' - the brazen laver. When we heard there was more, we pressed on forward to enter into the Holy Place.
In the second feast, we lived in the Holy Place. We enjoyed the bread of truth, that is, the Bible as a living word; we walked in the light of the Spirit of God in ways we had not known in the outer court. But we heard there was more, so we pressed forward to the altar of incense, desiring to be consumed by its flame that we might rise up and enter into the Holy of Holies.
In moving out of the outer court into the Holy Place, we left many of our brethren behind who were quite content with the outer court and had no desire for anything more from God in this life. In moving towards the altar of incense, we left many of our brethren behind who were quite content with the Holy Place, with the bread and the light, the provision and the joy, and had no desire for anything more from God in this life.
But the altar of incense itself can be a place that many choose to set up their dwelling place, convinced that the entrance into all the fullness of God revealed in us will not actually happen in this life and on this earth. They are content to wait until their physical bodies perish and go into the grave before they enter into the Holy of Holies.
The third feast is entirely different.
In the first feast, God with us was a nice idea, but kept in a distant sort of way, back then, up there, some day. In the second feast, God with us became much more relevant and real to our daily life. But still, we were one and God was another. We saw ourselves separate from God, and we saw 'God with us' in only a limited way.
To enter the third feast, to enter the Holy of Holies, we must become the smoke of the incense, that is, we must disappear into God. To enter the third feast, we let go of any claim to a 'self' identity , to being some person, separate from God's person. We now see that we are one spirit with the Lord, that He carries every part of ourselves inside Himself and that He lives in every part of us, right now, as we are in this world.
But in entering the third feast, we do not 'leave behind' any part of the first or second feasts. Rather, those things pertaining to those two feasts, the elements of our salvation and the power of the Holy Ghost, are raised into a closeness and personal-ness beyond what we ever understood before.
Here is what is different about living in the third feast.
We are no longer going forward into God. Rather, we are seated upon the mercy seat, the throne of God, and we are looking out towards His creation, seeing now with His perspective, seeing all things as He sees them. God with us has swallowed us up completely and now it has become that we are with God. Now we are caught in the passion and power of His determination. He moves through us to prove His will in the earth.

The rest of the article describes what we are moving into authority for....to speak the Word and address the last Enemies. http://www.dyordy.com/Archives/AndTheyShallNourishHerThere.html
Related to this is the series we have both contributed to describing our Psalm 24 mandate to speak to the Ancient Doors
http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/2010/09/recent-history-of-psalm-24-part-1-first.html