UK Prophetic Council’s Word for 2013 – introduction to Christian prophecy

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. (1 Corinthians 14th chapter NIV, my emphases)

2013 UK Prophetic CouncilThus, Apostle Paul instructed the early Church in the importance of this endowment of God’s grace to born-again believers. That is, to those who have received the Spirit that bears witness to the truth of Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God. This enables them to attest that “Jesus is Lord”.  Paul had divulged what he’d personally been told by Jesus about the Passover meal celebrated immediately before His crucifixion and resurrection back to life from the dead. Then Paul wrote how Holy Spirit gives individual giftings to each believer for the common good.  But above all of them is ‘the most excellent way – love’.  (For a fuller understanding of this letter read 1st Corinthians chapters 11 to 13 in the Amplified Bible.)  In chapter 14 he provides a protocol for receiving prophetic words.:

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

(Also see brief outline at Prophecies & Visions.)

UK PROPHETIC COUNCIL – WORD FOR 2013

In keeping with these scriptures one of the many groups of UK prophets has released insights which may be regarded as ‘a guide for prayer, teaching and alignment’.  (Four contributors are known to me personally and I bear witness to their gifting.)

These words include and are extra to those transcribed earlier from Sharon Stone (as here), and some were shared at the November mentoring day. They constitute perhaps the most exciting and encouraging promises I’ve read in many years. As stated,

‘2013 promises to be a significant year…a season when we are being drawn to a new glory of the Kingdom of God’, which promises to feature.:

  • A season of distinct contradictions
  • God still releasing us into Reformation
  • The ‘pause’ button is now off
  • See the Kingdom of God present with power
  • Rearranging winds changing the course of nations
  • Storm of heaven
  • A season until 2020 to be known as ‘The Days of Wonder’
  • A national appetite for wholesome things in arts and entertainment
  • Leadership, and Josephs in leadership
  • Natural disruptions and economic opportunities
  • Provision will shift from ‘ravens to camels’
  • Sweeping financial changes in the nations
  • Spiritual warfare – God is a warrior
  • Vision, unity and revival
  • other revelatory topics.

To read the group’s Word click for Glasgow’s easy-to-read onscreen version or, if you’d like a concise printable version, click for CIE’s useful 4-page hardcopy.

Before reading that Word, please note the photo below of HMS Warrior taken during a tour of Portsmouth naval dockyard (a birthday gift) as it is referred to in that Word. In a later post I will make a few comments and outline a couple of connections.

HMS Warrior

I went in response

Amen and thank you Jarrod for this recommendation about ‘nudges’, and which no doubt also indicates how to be in the right place at the right time (click to read blog).

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Amen and thank you Jarrod for this recommendation about ‘nudges’, and which no doubt also indicates how to be in the right place at the right time (click to read blog).

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“London’s burning…”

Nathan 2Thus, proclaimed Nathan Morris on Sunday night as he ministered to the congregation gathered in packed Kensington Temple, the renowned Elim Pentecostal church located in Notting Hill Gate, London.

It could be taken as a prophetic declaration in keeping with Julie Meyer’s visionary song and Bobby Conner’s prophetic reference to a UK ‘Firestorm’. We knew of this only through being on opposite sides of the ‘pond’.

And what a way to travel…no planes, queues, passport control – no delays, no jet-lag!!  We were online in Mobile, Alabama and then z o o m e d  to London within a minute!

That’s how we got 1/4 way around the world without going outside our lounge. For three hours we ‘attended’ Church of His Presence, where pastor John Kilpatrick taught on the realisation of believers’ potential (along with 22 prophetic words). He spoke of unseen connections God is bringing about and opening doors -where’d we heard that before? (here) – doors that have been locked for 20 years! Pastor specifically included on-line members but my wife was unable to hear this because she’d been ‘zapped’. What he’d already said had ‘plugged’ her into Holy Spirit’s power socket – thank you Lord.

Rev John KilpatrickJohn’s homily was God Is Planning Something SO BIG, Even The Devil Can’t Stop It!  His excellent exposition on how the Lord will do this complements Sharon Stone’s prophetic words on ‘perspective’ and God’s provision, as well as those she’s just released this week for 2013 from the UK’s Prophetic Council. (See also, summary with introduction to prophecy.)

In announcing that their English evangelist was away on a home visit, and as a guest speaker at Reinhard Bonnke’s School of Evangelism, John’s assistant pastor said that Nathan had been invited at the last minute to address the evening service prior to the event. And because of the time difference, that service would be happening at about the same time as their own there in Alabama, USA.

So Nina wondered if there may be a live webcast for that London service. As soon as John had finished, I searched for Christ For All Nations’ site but its UK page just refused to load! (Overloaded?)  A quick ‘google’ soon located the hosting church’s website.

So from a 10.30 morning service to a 19.00 evening service was simple as pie, thanks to technology. With laptop hooked up to TV we took part in both services from our own armchairs. YET, a shock was in store for us…

Along with hundreds of online members we like being with the enthusiastic Americans but, ‘arriving’ at 7.30pm in London just after close of worship we landed with a thud!  Here, we found an ordinary, subdued English service even though it was composed mainly of youngsters and many nationalities!

Or, as Nathan had just started speaking, maybe they were surprised at how passionate he is? Definitely not the usual sort of speaker. Being fire-filled he cannot be anything but excited about his Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Nathan gave a brief outline of his past life of deep sin and how the Lord unexpectedly burst into his life, turned him around and set him ablaze. Then followed a couple of videos outlining his remarkable ministry in Africa and India and showing the revival and miracles at the Bay of The Holy Spirit in Mobile.

AN HOUR LATER, ALL CHANGED!  The congregation packing hall and balconies was  mightily encouraged and keen for more. Nathan always preaches the blood and cross of Jesus without compromise and after which signs and wonders follow. Tonight, therefore, the Holy Spirit’s fire fell.  Everyone was up on their feet on fire for and with Him and wanting more when Nathan ministered to almost everyone. Hence, his declaration in view of what was happening, “London’s burning”, as well as the fact that  people have come from all over London and the home counties.

What’s it like being touched by the Holy Spirit?  He affects us in different personal ways. For me it’s like a warmth and glow upon the face and often makes me feel I’m surfing. For those very sensitive to the Spirit the power may make us twitch and/or cry out. And it can happen ‘remotely’, as above whilst watching a live broadcast, or by the laying on of hands, as when Nina felt as though a thunderbolt had hit her when Nathan touched her as he passed by at Hull (account here).

A sample of the morning worship of Phil Wickham’s ‘Cielo’ with Martin Smith’s chorus My Heart Burns For You will help you to soar and appreciate that afternoon-evening. This clip of the same recorded in July features Lydia Stanley-Morrow, who too was in London .:

Click here for video of this morning’s worship led by Rebecca van Dijk and where Rev. Kilpatrick’s message starts at 1hr35min. (Rebecca starts those two songs at 19 min.)

Finally, an interesting start to the day happened in our morning service here in UK, but that’s for another time…(continued here)

First things first…the Good News

Now that we’re into a New Day, let’s consider what the much-admired political blogger Cranmer kicks off 2013 with – in his own inimitable way.:

THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION

Cranmer martyr“There being an interregnum in the See of Canterbury and a vacancy in the Chair of St Augustine, His Grace is back in town. It has been decided (in Twitter conclave) that he will be in charge for the next 34 days (or 80, if one goes by the spiritual Enthronement of +Justin rather than the temporal election according to statute). He was going to (re-)commence his ministry with the abolition of the CNC and much-needed reforms to the General Synod, but (on reflection) it seems wrong to begin another archiepiscopal stint with navel-gazing issues of church governance.

“One must begin with the gospel; the all-sufficiency of Christ’s mercy for salvation…

Click to continue reading his laudable summary wherein he briefly explains…

Behind the doctrine of the all-sufficiency of Christ’s mercy lurks the omnipotence of God in salvation. If humanity plays no part in his own salvation, everything is in God’s hands….

There is doctrinal mediation to be had and theological dispute to be entertained, but ultimately there is One Mediator between God and man, and that is Christ Jesus. It is through His passion that we are saved; not through any pantomime of politics fused with a religious veneer of holiness.

Amen.

AMEN and thank you for this timely reminder Sharanelle. I’m intrigued to have received this just after having commented upon a reader’s query about aligning with Israel (here).

Not Happenin On My Watch | Blog's avatarNot Happenin' On My Watch | Blog

“Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and [that it may be] well with you, and [that] ye may prolong [your] days in the land which ye shall possess (Deut. 5:32-33).”

Many of us want the blessings of the Lord but we don’t particularly want to line up with the Word of God or His will for our lives.  We want to select the areas of our lives that we want to surrender to Him.  How many of us can truly say alignment“for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”  God has allowed us to see a brand new year!  Those of us that have had a relationship…

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Prophetic words for 2013 from Dr Sharon Stone

Windsor 2Forget about the Mayans’ calendar, here’s my transcript of Dr Stone’s revelatory teaching for 2013 given at the Mercure Windsor Castle Hotel on 3rd November. This hotel is close by the world-renowned residence of Queen Elizabeth II.  Built after the Norman Conquest, Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world.

When Sharon receives and delivers words from the Lord she speaks rapidly to avoid the hindrance of mental analysis.  Hence, what He’s saying is brought as clearly as possible. In this first session of the day Sharon had a lot of material to cover as quickly as possible. So it is better to read this transcript as a continuous, whole piece.

Therefore, paragraphs and coloured text have been introduced only for ease of reading. I’ve made only minor editorial clarifications and inserted the first two sub-headings for ease of reference. Sharon’s varying vocal emphases are conveyed by underlined and, where stronger, emboldened text.

Also, except for opening and closing prayers, other prayers, intercession, declaration, impartation, commissioning etc, shown <…>, have been omitted. Those who purchase the CDs direct from CIEurope will be blessed upon hearing the prayers.

So, in your mind’s eye come and sit with me on the back row of upholstered chairs in the hotel’s ballroom. Practically all seats are taken and as the worship leader, his wife and an accompanist leave the stage petite Sharon enters, opens in prayer and makes a few announcements. Her soft American accent adds the charm to clear diction as we  listen carefully and follow her fast-paced teaching.:

2013 – WHAT GOD IS SAYING

Rev Dr Sharon Stone, Senior Minister Christian International Europe; courtesy CIE“Father, we declare that you would open the eyes of our understanding, Father that we may be able to see and perceive the things we could not before.

“Now as we begin to move into revelation it’s difficult not to list it because you’re trying to say so much, so if you’ll give me grace in doing that there’s several things that have to be listed. But, in saying that, I also recognise that you are God’s prophetic people – that you’re hearing some of the same things, or you may be hearing more in one direction than I’m hearing, or even a different area than I’m hearing – and what we want to know is that I do not believe that when I bring forth a prophetic word it’s “the beginning” or “the end” of what The Spirit of God is saying; it’s just my part that God has given me at that time. But I also believe there are different types of prophetic gifting, and I realise that about myself.

“I am not called to deny the darkness, or even the judgement or the shaking that is going on in the earth, but the type of prophet I am is; I am called to be a voice of hope and solution in the midst of the darkness and in the midst of the shaking. And so it is not a denying of the one or the other.

“And so as we speak these things today I think that the season that we’re moving into can no longer be measured by a year: we say “Give me a word for this year”. I believe this is a ‘roll-on’ season for the Last Days and it just keeps rolling forward. And so we cannot any longer say this is where something began or that is where it ends.

“We have a panel this morning and they are going to bring forward some of their revela-tion for the season and I think we’ll find that’s true for their words too; it’s not something that begins or ends with a date on a calendar. It’s a rolling forward of what the Spirit of God is doing…so I’m going to jump right in:

Glory

“On my last trip to Israel I had this strong urge and I kept asking my guide, “Do you think you could take me to the Mount of Transfiguration?”, “Do you think you can find time on this trip to get me there?” You know I’ve studied and know there’s a couple of places that people thought it might be – probably on Mount Hermon, there’s three different summits up there – and you know the Word of God says Jesus took his disciples and they went up on the summit.

“The best we could do the whole time I was there was we could get close enough to see it and we could see the three summits and I wondered when I left, why was this type of urgency in my spirit that I wanted somehow to connect to the Mount of Transfiguration. I’m going to use that as an introduction and a launching point into this season’s revelation.

“In Mark 9.1 Jesus said, “Assuredly I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God present with power”…

“Now we know that it was not unusual for Jesus to speak about the Kingdom of God, so what He was doing here was He was speaking about another dimension of Kingdom revelation, and that’s what I’m speaking over you. Another magnitude of His Kingdom Come – another scale of His Kingdom is here – another level of His Kingdom is with you – a deeper meaning of His Kingdom is at hand – and a greater manifestation of His Kingdom has come. < Lift up your hands in this place. Father… >

“Now, where I read the verses of that scripture, the reason I started with that is that it says they would see the Kingdom of God present with power. Now what most people do is the stop that verse at that point and they begin a different story at verse 2 – “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves and He was transfigured before them”.

“So right after He’s showing them a different, a fresh dimension, or a manifestation, of His Kingdom, He took a few and went up the mountain and there He was transfigured.  And I have to look at those words and I say what does ‘transfigured’ look like? Verse 3 – “His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow such as no launderer on earth can whiten them”.

It was His glory that was evident, of Him being transfigured, wasn’t it? That shining, that brightness, the whiteness that no level of launderer could possibly bring Him.

Now with that in mind, hold this: Romans 12.2 – “And be not conformed to this world but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good the acceptable and the perfect will of God.”

That same word, ‘transformed’, is the exact same word that is used here where it says “Jesus was transfigured”. And I believe that as we’re moving into this season God is saying that He wants to bring His glory upon you, He wants to bring His transformation ability upon your mind so that you can think God’s thoughts and you can think God’s ways and that you can align and that you can partner with them, even in a greater way, proving what is the good, proving what is the acceptable and even proving what is the perfect will of God in any situation.

“And I also believe this: the Lord wants you to be a voice of hope in any situation. < Lift your hands, Father…>”

Perspective

“Now I honestly believe, and I’ll talk more about this in our time of national prayer, I want to talk about this: where you are positioned is what you see and so this evening I want to talk a little about being seated in heavenly places.

“When you pray, from your position in the earth, it’s usually only a prayer of petition because it’s; “O help God, look at this mess and look at all that’s happening in the world, and look at the chaos. Look what’s happening on the news…the abuse that’s going on…the tyranny…injustice… lives that are lost.”

“There’s nothing wrong with praying that prayer of petition…but when you’re seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus and you’re looking at things from a different  perspective, from a fresh paradigm that God is showing you, when you are looking at things from that place there is a different focus, and the Bible says that there will be a day when we will even look upon Satan and say, “That, is the little worm that has tormented the world and tormented the nation? That’s a little worm!”

“What is that? – it’s perspective. He didn’t shrink in size – it’s the perspective of your position! If there is one word I can say covers this season it is:

“Your perspective based upon where you are seated in releasing hope and the solutions of God to whatever you’re facing personally, business-wise, your churches, your ministry, your region, your nation – I don’t believe you need to go in and tell people simply what their problem is…and for so long we have looked at the prophetic as just identifying the problem.

“Now there are times when we honestly don’t know, where we have blind spots, where we just can’t figure it out and we need God to bring clarity, but for the most part we know our problem – what we need is a solution and a hope and I believe that we have entered in the time that that’s what the world is going to start valuing the Church for in a greater way; it’s hope and a solution….

“Now Isaiah 60.2 – you’re going to have to remind yourself of this, probably for the rest of your life! – says, “Behold the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people.”

“What did the Lord just say? He says it’s getting dark and it’s getting darker! It’s going to affect lots of people, but He doesn’t stop there! ‘But the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you!’

“We’re not denying the darkness but the glory of God through you is going to be a solution and a remedy to any darkness around about you. That’s what we’re positioning ourselves for and that is how we’re aligning ourselves, and that is affecting our revelation, our view and our perspective that we be transformed by the renewing of our mind, the Mind of Christ, proving what is the good, the acceptable, the perfect will of God.

“Now in Jeremiah 29.11 – I know we quote this scripture a lot – but I’m just going to stop with this point: the Lord says, “I know My thoughts toward you”.

“Did you hear that? If we start looking at all that is going on in the world, the world is not looking for our opinion or our reflection of what is going on in the world, the Lord says, “I know My thoughts already concerning you!” and He says, “I know My thoughts and they are thoughts of peace not of evil to give you a future and to give you a hope”.

“There, is revelation, there is prophetic solution, there is remedy, there is direction and strategy, there is anointing and there is glory that has the ability to release peace, not evil, and to give a future and to give a hope to people regardless of any other situation or circumstances that are going on.

“Now if you’re not one that has learned to walk in the Shalom of God, if you’re not even one who has learned to war in the spirit from a place of rest… seated together…it doesn’t mean we don’t have war, the Bible says we do…but we’re doing it from a position of being seated together with Him; if you haven’t learned to do that – you’re being fast-tracked right now… because we don’t have a choice. For us to be able to have the right perspective, we’ve got to have the right position to be able to operate in that.

“God says, “I know My thoughts toward you”. <Lay hands on yourself: Father…>”

Hurricane Sandy

“Now all of us had our eyes last week on Hurricane Sandy and I don’t want to make this all about hurricane Sandy, and I’m not going to, but we didn’t have television in our home because we’d just moved into Windsor and we haven’t had phones other than our mobile until yesterday. We have a television system that came with the house and it’s so complicated we had to a have a technician come out and hook all that up and show us how to use it…So we weren’t able to keep up except on the internet with tracking some of the things that were going on in the world at his time.

“So every time I saw a picture of Sandy – and I don’t want to talk about the hurricane only hitting New York – it hit the Caribbean, it hit New Jersey, it hit New York, it went on up into Canada. There were deaths everywhere and so we don’t downsize any of that. In matter of fact, its eye hit actually New Jersey but its greatest amount of damage was done in New York and I think the reason people put the emphasis on that is simply because that’s the financial district, that has the Statue of Liberty, a place of identity for the nation, a place of rule in the nation. And so that’s why I believe people’s focus is upon there, even though that’s not the only place it touched.

“Every time I would see this – I only got to see it once in a while – I didn’t see a flat picture because I wasn’t watching the news on television….and one time the Lord said, “The Hurricane Sandy is punctuation” and that’s what the Lord told me.

“And so when I would see it, one time it would look like a full stop – with the eye in the middle – when I would see it another time with it swirling, it would look like a question mark with the dot – and when I’d see it another time it was elongated and it looked like an exclamation mark with the dot on the bottom.

“And the Lord kept saying that this hurricane and these winds are “a punctuation”, not just in the US but a punctuation in the world. Now a type of punctuation means that it draws the line – and it brings a separation and there is an alteration after that, and this is what the Lord said, He says:

“These are re-arranging winds and they’re changing the course of nations.”

“Anybody here that felt that resound in their spirit just wave your hand…do you see that…you didn’t have to make that happen. This is a “re-arranging winds and a changing of the course of nations” and the Lord spoke this – forgive me as I’m going to read some of this because I want to get the words right:

“The Lord says,

“The Old World’s time has cycled around again to become a New World – we’re part of that Old World, here in Europe – to rewrite history, no longer a Constantine conversion that advances religion without Christ. Hidden winds of change have been developing on the inside of My people and they are now blowing change into the world. The western New World, particularly the USA, will enter accelerated crisis-shaking to hasten their journey to learn that I am their true resource and I am their defender. The USA has been a champion of freedom for much of the oppressed world, but you cannot represent freedom without representing Me, Jesus, Who is the provider and Who can bring sustainable protection to the nation.”

“The Lord says,

“Parts of these winds that are blowing, part of these winds that are bringing a re-arranging, are blowing away what has confused nations of their identity.”

“We’re not the only nation that has been in an identity crisis. I believe that many of our nations have had skewed identity and the Lord is saying this, He says:

“I will bring you out of what you have designed by your own thinking and by your own hands” – listen to that! – “that I may redesign it by My thoughts and by My plans.”

<Lift up your hands…repentance and in-depth prayer covering all points of that word>

Economics

“People are nervous about the economy but the Lord is saying that there is a sweeping financial change in the nation – turn to your neighbour and say, “No surprise!” – and the Lord says when you look at the USA it’s going to look like economic collapse. Listen carefully, the Lord says,

“It’s not judgement but it is a reaping of what’s been sown through governmental unsustainable spending.”

“Prophetic people, we have got to have our perspective right. It’s easy to say when we see something shaking that “God’s judging that!”. There’s plenty of times in our lives when we’ve been shaken but it’s not been a judgement of God but He’s been shaking things so that that which cannot be shaken remains – or the fact that there’s a greater moulding, or He’s bringing us into a greater focus – the Lord says the Dollar is falling and its falling to what looks like a North American-Mexico new currency. The Euro is weakening also and the Lord said it will fragment.

“Now people have tried to push me to get me to say this before my time – but I wouldn’t – they know that! They’ve really asked me those questions, so let me say it again:

“The Euro is weakening, also it will fragment, and the Lord says it will eventually restructure Europe. Are we listening here? The Lord says,

“Watch Finland, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and possibly France as there is (coming) part of a restructured core group of countries.”

“OK?  That’s why it’s important that you order the recording today. The Lord says we’re still under the topic of economics…

“China’s increasing scope is going to continue in the midst of human rights violations, and because there is going to be economic growth people are going to avoid dealing with some of the human rights violations because of the benefit of the Yuan.

“People are asking about investments and I don’t know that I know anything about investments right now. If you’re wise enough and mature enough that you can hear me when I say I have inklings – you know you can take them that way – but the Lord’s speaking to me about Japan’s currency offering a form of stability at this time, and the Lord started speaking to me two days ago about white metals. I had to go to my husband and ask what would you consider are white metals, and of course the most obvious would be silver. And so I looked up on the internet and this is what I saw:

“Gold is already at 90% of its top value. So that means if you buy gold most likely you probably could earn another 10% over how much time, who knows…but silver is only at 40% and so that means that if it’s one of those things that goes up – and you’re listening with mature, discerning ears – that means the basic statistic is that if it’s going to do its rise now, it’s got 60% to rise, which means that your investment would have greater benefit. Right, does that make sense?

“So the Lord was speaking about Japan’s currency having a form of stability for this time, also for white metals at this time and that we were going to see some blessing upon those things.

“And then the Lord reminded me of things I’ve shared with you for the last couple of months:

“One, ravens and camels. Remember you will want supernatural resources from God but you don’t want the raven dropping them off as that signals you’re in famine and it was only ever supposed to be sustaining for a temporary time. You want the camels coming with an abundance for yourself and the Kingdom of God, and that is what you are looking to, and so we’re not changing from supernatural resources and connecting to God at this time but what we’re doing is we’re changing our areas of alignment and of expectation. I am not looking for the ravens, I am looking for the camels at this time. That means you’re going from surviving to thriving – repeat that after me, you’re going from surviving to thriving – surviving to thriving is where we are going.

“Now I’m going to touch on;

The Weather

“You know the Bible already tells us about the Last Days. It talks about earthquakes, it talks about floods, it talks about famines, it talks about wars, and it says these things must come, and they’re the beginning of birth pangs. So any prophet who says any of those things you have to say “amen” to because it’s already in the written Word, but I believe that there are different focuses for different seasons that we’re in. And this is what the Lord spoke to me:

“The Lord said that we’re going to enter into a season of solar storms that are going to disrupt electronics in the earth and in the sky. I don’t think it’s long term disruption, I think it’s short term disruption. The Lord said there will continue to be eruptions and earthquakes that have the ability to change the axis, just like the one in Chile did (and Japan), you know it actually changed the axis of the earth.

“For those who didn’t know, it actually took away a few – I don’t know how they measure parts of a second – but it took away some time from every day, the shift that happened. I don’t know if you realise this but the magnetic north is moving 40 miles towards Russia, is it every year now? – If I don’t have that right you may read it for yourself – that’s not prophetic word it’s something I read in the newspaper. (RB: as here)

“So things are changing and the Lord says part of this is that we’re going to see the grain reserves in the earth hit a historic low. And that, of course, always affects the poorest nations more (those) that live on the grain and rice. And the Lord says even the heat and the droughts of this year, particularly in Russia, Eastern Europe and the United States was going to be one of the major contributors that are going to bring us into this all-time low in the area of grain.

“Remember, we’re not one that just recognises the problems, we’re ones that every time we see this we say “God, I want a solution to that, I want to be a solution to that, I want to be part of the remedy, I want to be part of the answer in that situation”.

“And then the Lord spoke to me and He said,

“You’re going to have to remember I have I’ve already given you authority over plague but you have to rise up and use that authority.”

“And so what I believe is even in this weather thing that God is saying has affected crops I believe that we will see what some people call a plague, and the Lord say’s this isn’t one for those who say “O come, help God!”, the Lord says,

“I’ve already given you authority over the plagues. You rise up in the midst of that authority.”

“Now I want to look at;

Anti-Semitism

“Several months back we said we have got to switch the way we’re praying for Israel; we’ve got to spend more time praying for how our nation aligns with Israel because how a nation aligns with Israel determines whether it’s blessed or whether it’s cursed.

“I felt that as we’re going into this season that has got a greater emphasis upon it than any other time that I’ve ever known before, because as times get dark and things shake, throughout history there has always been a blaming of Israel. And I believe that there’s going to be people that are going to put pressure on their national leaders to disalign with Israel because of the hard times and wanting to blame shift.

“And you are going to hear the most ridiculous things that Israel will be blamed for. One of them is, Israel’s going to be blamed for the gas price, the oil prices in the Middle East – Israel’s going to be blamed for that! – not the people that are charging it, but Israel! – how that works I’m not quite sure! But you cannot be one that your point of perception and paradigm is moulded by the media but that you hold true to what the Spirit of God is saying.

Government

“Governmental legislative prayer – which we’ll speak a little bit about about tonight – can shift the way earth is structured. That is why when we moved into this year this  anointing of governmental rule, God has been watering that, God has been nurturing  that within you – this is not a Dominionist message like what was presented to the church twenty five years ago – it’s not about, “You were created in His image and now you rule!”.

“No, there is something else that is going on at this time as the Spirit of God is speaking about governmental prayer. He is talking about, listen; the throne of heaven and the court of heaven, I can’t tell that it’s a different place, because wherever Jesus is and wherever He’s enthroned He has the ability to rule from, and so when I look at that we are more ones that are saying “I’m going to enter His gates, and I’m going to enter His throne room and I’m going to worship and do this…”, the Spirit of the Lord says:

“I want you to, but then I want you to partner with me once you’re there.”

“Listen, I believe that worship is not a means to an end but I also believe that it positions you to operate in an authority, a partnership and a co-operation with the Spirit of God that nothing else gives you the right to do! And so once you’re in that throne room, once you’re in those courts of heaven, once you know that you are seated in heavenly places – not just ‘Oh I have faith in my heart’ – from knowing you’re there and it has changed your position, how to see what is going on in the earth, He says,

I am looking for those who are going to governmentally, legislatively restructure the structures of the earth together with me!”

<Lift your hands. Father, I release a commissioning over your people right now….>

“Now I just want to touch on one more thing about government before I go on. You know in this last season we saw with a great shaking that there were several dictators that fell in the midst of their nation. You know how the Word of God says that if you have a victory and you don’t fill that void the enemy comes back seven times worse, and the end result is more negative than the beginning (the first) result? The Lord said we left a void.

“I want you to know cringed when I heard that! Where dictators have fallen in the earth, He says,

“My Church left a void in that place” and He says, “Now you’re going to see nations and new dictators rising up from so many different directions at this time.”

<Father,..> Now we get to the part everybody likes;

Revival

“I do love this part but I’ve got to give you the definition that I’ve been carrying in my spirit for this last season before I go into this.

“I believe that there are currently revival pockets in the earth and I believe that after this year, when the calendar changes, we are going to see what looks like many more revival pockets. And it is not a fairy tale to believe that God is actually looking to world-wide revival – He is. And so you don’t be one that downsizes your hope based upon what you’ve experienced. No, because of where your perspective is you agree with what the Spirit of God is doing. But what I have felt like I needed to pray over so many this last season is if you’re not careful revival is something that you wait for and you pray about for God to do but you don’t know what else to do about. And the Lord said this:

“People do not understand that a new wineskin for revival, so it can be sustained, is an apostolic, relational, reformational, societal wineskin.”

“And that He really does intend for His glory to cover the earth and for nations to come to their desire; Jesus. But right now He is starting the glory spots in the earth and God says He’s been awakening us, awakening us to the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in us and through us, awakening us to new intimacy and encounters with Jesus, awakening us in worship so that we can host the Presence of God.

“But, you prophetic people, He’s also awakening you in the area of revelation because the epitome of revelation is not what you see in each other and not even what you see in the earth but as it says, when He has come, where we have seen through a glass darkly now we’re going to see with an area of clarity. And what are we going to see? We are going to know Him even as we are known by Him.

“That there is a shift here with looking at revival, looking at revival thoughts, looking at awakening, looking at glory spots in the earth, looking at a reformational wineskin, there’s a shifting of perception going on here. The height of what you have to deliver to the earth and to steward the atmosphere with is your revelation of Him. I should have heard a whole lot more amens at that point (everyone was busy trying to jot all this)

“It is your revelation of Him because that is what gives you the clarity of everything else, and you as prophetic people you know you’re made for the weight of God’s words upon your lips, you know your made to handle words of life, you know you’re made to handle revelation, you know that you’re not content to live in the present and judge the future by what the news says.

“You know that you’re called to read the times and you know that you’re called to prepare a people and to make a way, and you are one that God’s eyes look to and fro on the earth and when He wants to speak into the nation He speaks to you because you are married to the land and you have a passion for the purposes and the destiny of a nation and He says the way that this is going to be is that you’re going to see Me! We’re going to see Him! It cannot be separated as a work order or just a description or just a strategy from the connection with him and the intimacy level that brings and the knowing Him, and the authority and the rest that brings to be able to put His pattern, the will of heaven, upon the earth so it becomes the will of the earth.

“Ok, so, revival. I believe we’re headed for worldwide revival and I believe in this next season we’re going to see some glory spots increasing but the Lord spoke a couple of issues into it:

“He said, some of the greatest places we’re going to see it is where men and women can work together, where generations can work together. And so what does that mean? It means the old clothes-line religion, the old gender separation of women in governmental authority in the church – where there is a stronghold of that, there’s also a limitation – and so it is something that has to be dealt with. So what do we do? We bind it in the heavens so that it is bound in the earth also.

“Now the Lord also spoke about young leaders. This is a time that we begin, as those that are more mature and have been around a while, we have to embrace and platform (sic) and support young leaders, not making them have our vocabulary but us be willing to change our vocabulary so that we are not obsolete but that we are effective into another generation.

“And I saw where these revival spots were there was a high-level interaction between men and women and leaders of all ages – isn’t that amazing!

“And then the Lord spoke to me about a type of unity that we have begun to think is impossible. The Bible uses the word ‘unity’ in 484 verses – I don’t know if you knew that – let me just mention a few to you: let us exalt His name together; gather My saints together under Me; we took sweet counsel together; break forth into joy, sing together; and all that believed were together; and when they had prayed the place where they were assembled together; for we are labourers together with God; wherefore, comfort yourselves together; not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together; God has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places.

“I believe that there are even some of us sitting here that, as the church was struggling to change itself into the new wineskin, we got ‘excommunicated’ or we didn’t know where we fit any longer, there has become that wonderful emphasis of “It’s Him and me”, “This is it, It’s Him and me” and it IS always Him and you. But what you’re going to affect in the rest of the earth is you and the others that are round about you and how you gather to do that; whether that is in a local assembly, whether that is in a football stadium, whether that is in a prayer gathering or whether that is in somebody else’s home, or whether it’s in a business – I don’t think that is the biggest issue of where it’s at. I believe, though, there is a place that some of us out of self-preservation we became isolated – ok?

“Do you know that in a gathering like this there is no responsibility upon your character? Do you know that in a gathering like this there is no title to be given and so there’s no manoeuvring for that? But at the same time it affects the level of unity you can walk in when you’re forged together and moulded together and you walk through things for each other in victory together!

“There is a place where what you agree on – you see it’s not the fact that “Oh I like what you’re saying so I agree that…” – No, what you agree on, why do you agree? I know this person, I’ve been in the fire with them, I’ve been in good days with them, I’ve been in bad days with them. I’ve seen when hell was breaking loose on their family and they’ve still stood and they’ve got the victory and now when we touch anything and we agree we know what position we’re agreeing from and the Lord says, “There’s nothing that will be withheld from us and that which we pray will be granted unto us. That’s a whole lot different to, “Give me your hand and let’s pray”. Isn’t that right?

“Now where’s the finance for this unity right now? – we’re God’s legislative body and where it talks in Matthew 16.18 of that ‘ecclesia’ we’ve spoken about. You cannot bind and loose and overlap the earth with heaven’s will without being not just legislative yourself, but without being that legislative body that God is raising up.

“Now we’re still talking about revival during this time and so the Spirit of God is saying, “There is a unity that is required”. And so, “Am I in places where we exalt His Name together?…Am I part of the saints that are gathered together?” – and just ask yourself that!

“Now I’ve got two more minutes and two more pages and so I’m going to go quickly….I didn’t know where to put this but the Lord started speaking to me in terms that I’d not heard before. And the Lord said you’re going to see…successful businesses right now are going to be:

Business driven solutions!

“I’m not even sure I have a definition for that so I’m just going to put that out…but I believe that part of that is to bring the impoverished into a new dimension of prosperity.

“I watched, because we had no TV for the last three weeks – it’s really been refreshing – but we’ve watched dvds of Greg’s Chain Reaction movies and at the beginning of this there was a scientist that said, “We have got to develop an energy source in the earth, and then we’ve got to give it away to all the nations and nobody has got to look to be able to gain money from it, otherwise what we’ll do is we‘ll increase wars and the increasing greed will do all this…”. Now I don’t know what else the movie said for the next hour and a half! I just kept hearing that one statement resounding on the inside of me.

“It wasn’t about an energy source. It is about supplying what the earth needs above witty inventions (Proverbs 8:12) supplying for you. It is about supplying the solutions that the earth needs at this time with a generosity of the Kingdom. It is about being a vesselfrom God tobring His way of thinkingthat releases the good, the perfect will in the earth for the things that we could never have thought of or aligned with or even have a way.

“I can’t tell you how many people come to me and say, “I’m just waiting for a backer and banker and then I’m going to have this great wealth and I can give money away”? How about giving your invention away? Listen! Is there a possibility that we could seek first His Kingdom in the earth and, because we do, ALL these other things will be given to us? (paraphrasing Matt 6:33) The Lord said:

“We have entered into that season businesses, churches and individuals are going to be valued by what they give away.”

“So if you’re looking for influence in the earth at this time it has just shifted, it is part of the “winds of change” – it has shifted what gives us influence.

“I’m finishing here: the Bible talks about in Jeremiah 30:7 – “The last day is great so that none is like it and it is a time of Jacob’s troubles but he shall be saved out of it.”

“Repeat after me, “God is reimbursing us for our sorrows”…God says, He’ll give you double for what you’ve been through. We’re not saying what you want, we’re declaring His character in the midst of this. But you’ve got to be careful not to seek to preserve what was, because I believe that what we’re looking at is different and it’s brand new. So, prophetic people, it is so easy to speak and call forth a future and resist change at the same time. We cannot afford to do that. We have got to be ones that can proclaim and create the future and I believe that God is still shaking but, don’t let things be shaken out of you that should not be shaken out at this time because we are growing up in Christ. Have two scriptures to read you:

“Psalm 34:1-10 – “I will bless the Lord at all times” – this is our way to escape from the past. His praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me….etc

“Psalm 24 – “Who may ascend unto the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in His Holy Place?”

“In this holy season we’re going into, who’s going to be able to ascend, who’s going to be able to go in, who’s going to be able to stand? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. First, out of your relationship with God who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, remember Jacob’s sorrows, the generation that seek him, who seek His face. Lift up your heads O you gates and be lifted up you everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, lift up you everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? – the Lord of Hosts.

“The Lord is saying be not anxious and don’t get into fear, cast your burdens upon Him. Yes, some things are judgement coming upon the earth, some of them are not about us, they are not for us and some of them we have an ability to (make a) detour and reduce. So you just have to stay in relationship with God and from this perspective know how to deal with it. I believe that we can still reduce devastation. And so, if we’re in a place of great darkness and in a place of great glory, that means we’re also in a place of trials and triumph!

“And so you’re going to have to look at some things, but where there may look like trouble on every side there is hope from heaven on every corner! Did you hear that? Trouble may look like it’s on every side but there is help and hope from Heaven on every corner. The Word of God tells us in Proverbs 12:13 ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire has come it’s a tree of life’. I believe you’re helping nations come to their desire and the days that we’re living in require a hope. They require a hope within the midst of us and we spoke into that earlier this month when we were together about receiving a hope for what God is doing in this nation.

“There’s so much more I want to share with you but would you stand…..

“Father, in the name of Jesus we thank you that we just prophesy in part and these are such titbits compared to the mysteries that You told us are available to us, and available to our children. So Father, we ask that You would use each of these revelations as a deposit, as a seed, as an investment to open up the hidden things, to open up the mysteries, to open up the timings, to open up the strategies, the solutions and the remedies, Father not only for us but for our nation as well. And Father we recognise that in what is happening right now is we have the ability to change the course of nations and that’s why You have been building us and preparing us in any way. So Father, right now I pray over all these here and over those who will hear this recording, God we say right into their perception, right into their paradigm, God breathe that “wind of change”, Father, that “wind of punctuation” that declares an end and a beginning, breathe it right on the inside of us. Blow away restriction and limitation, Father, that we might rise up and realise we are setting the course of nations, right now. And Father, right now we declare over these people that what You have for them is greater still, is greater still, is greater still, what You have for them is greater still, greater still – in the Name of Jesus….Amen.”

Footnotes:

If you live in Scotland or Northern England you may like to know that Sharon will be in Glasgow 11-12 January at Start The Year Right, hosted by Emma Stark (one of the panelists on 3rd Nov). Details at http://www.glasgow-prophetic-centre.org.uk/shop/

1. For a brief personal introduction to Dr Stone as well as an understanding of the ‘roll-on season’ to which she refers above, see Prophetic Word for 2012.

2. Re.anti-Semitism: should Christians align with the state Israel?  See Thoughts below.

3. A selection of UK-related prophecies may be read in Library of Prophecies.

4. Transcribed with permission of CI Europe and a polite reminder; Copyright applies.

Windsor 3Windsor 1

Revival still burns bright in China

RJBThis exceptional account gives a glimpse of what the Christian church was like immediately after Jesus walked the earth. For Randy Clark it must have been like a trip in a time machine. We’ve been blessed to meet this most humble servant of God in Canada and UK several times. His website is www.globalawakening.com (Some miraculous healings he encountered of disappearing surgical metal parts may be seen here on this blog.) Thank you Tembisa.

Don’t miss the boat!

La NinaHave you ever missed a bus, or a boat? Can you imagine how annoyed people were at not getting on board Noah’s huge boat when mighty prolonged rains brought sweeping, widespread flooding?  But he’d been warning them a long time. All they wanted to do was their own thing and not change because ‘all the people had corrupted their ways’. In fact, ‘the earth was filled with violence because of them’ (Genesis 6).

The only ones to survive were Noah and his family because he had time for God and walking with him. Many moons later a number of his descendants were to again corrupt their ways and, again, only a righteous family escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Lot and his daughters got away but what was wrong with the lot Lot left behind?

In renouncing the abominable sins of Jerusalem the visionary prophet Ezekiel, or rather the Living Lord God, explained what was disagreeable about those ‘losers’:

Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit. (Ezekiel 16:49-50 NKJV – emphases RB)

My previous post referred to Jesus’ prophecy that the attitudes of people everywhere will again be as in ‘the days of Lot’ – and then He will return in all His glory and power in the company of the heavenly host of angels and all saved souls.

PRIDE

The unsavoury aspect of this attitude within government has now been reported by my friend Gillan Scott. His blog publishes and comments upon an email from the previous Equalities Minister : ‘Lynne Featherstone proudly takes credit for railroading gay marriage legislation’.

On the face of it her remarks rightly convey a sense of relief in an objective achieved. But this post, which deserves to be read in its entirety, reveals how spiritually dead at worst, or clueless at best, our national leaders really are – and many commentaries lack an appreciation of the gravity of the situation. Our politicians urgently need to be raised to fullness of life in all its abundance because this email shows how this deathly attitude has sought to prevail throughout national life.

Therefore, I added the following to the debate on God and Politics in the UK:

‘The minister’s email conveys the woeful ignorance of the implications and price to be paid. I believe Rev Billy Graham’s late wife said something along the lines that if LGBT agenda becomes legally ‘right’ then God would need Sodom & Gomorrah’s forgiveness!

‘But Jesus said their inhabitants would have repented and lived had they witnessed His miraculous works, whereas His fellow Jews refused. Therefore, He decreed “…it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgement than for you” (Matt 11:20-24).  So, if not just pockets of ‘God’s Presence’ but the wider church starts doing ‘the greater works’ Jesus spoke of, then there will be hope for modern disbelievers awakening to spiritual – NOT religious – realities. (Bless them Lord out of their ignorance of the difference.)

‘The core of the issue is ‘LGBT Pride’, and this arrogant attitude is proudly displayed in the email. Those in Christ know God’s attitude to the proud. Pride was found in the king of Tyre and likened to that of Satan (Ezekiel 28) and is ruled by the Spirit of Leviathan.

‘What the Lord told Job about Leviathan is instructive in implying a link with ‘equality’ : “..Nothing on earth is his equal – a creature without fear. He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud”. (NKJV has ‘king over all the children of pride’) Job 41.34 NIV.’

Does David Cameron’s decision line up with the Bible?

Eagle-eyed, detail therof: John Mark Long propheticartists.comWHAT THREAD links Prime Minister Cameron, yours truly and a revivalist – and scripture? This evangelist’s already arranged funeral was cancelled because he did not die of cancer. His wife had even bought the burial plot!)  To learn more, please carry on reading.

WHICH DECISION? The one to go ahead with redefining marriage to include same-sexes and by a consenting religious organisation (except for specific ones). After Mr Cameron’s decision was announced last Friday many felt angry, deceived and betrayed (see Links below). This will be no small furore. The first casualty is the consultation exercise which totally ignored over 500,000 objections and 64,000 agreements – see Ministers accused of ‘sham’ consultation over gay marriage. The main headline in my Daily Telegraph of 11th December reads, Ministers ‘dishonest’ over gay weddings.

And today’s front page headlines of Gay weddings are not the answer, Cameron told (in MP’s open letter) and The minister and a warning to the Telegraph before expenses story, PLUS editorial and item on the legal challenge and op-ed comment Does he not care who he’s losing? all indicate increasing unease within Conservative  party ranks. I particularly like the ominous warning from the minister ‘for redefining marriage’ over her expenses and implementation of the Leveson Report, ie. gagging the press!! [PS. The investigation continues, as here, and may lead to an interesting outcome, maybe ‘fall’?]

Moreover, is all this going to be part of the ‘holy shaking’; ie. of everything not of God?

Friday

I’ve not taken up time keeping apace of developments, save for occasionally keeping an eye on some debates online. Eventually, I commented on Stuart James’ popular blog upon his item on the PM’s response to Anglican mainstream (see post), and we sent a letter to David Cameron. After learning on Friday about his decision I recalled my unanswered comment, which reads as follows:

“I rarely dip into this topic but would be interested if anyone could furnish answers (on a postcard) to some simple questions:

1: what did Jesus say about marriage? 2: did he define who should be married?  3: on what grounds did he make any comment? 4: what does Jesus have to say about our PM’s proposals? 5: how would the PM respond to these questions? 6: if a Christian, how will the PM respond to Jesus?”

D CameronOn this blog I’ve commented upon Mr Cameron’s support of Christianity and was therefore disappointed to learn about his decision. I tried not to be judgemental towards him or others, or to speculate upon how he’d answer my questions, especially that of accounting for his actions before Jesus Christ. But I considered him to be completely out of order. Were the PM to be given a preview of his judgement as had I, he’d realise the error of his false assumptions and become deeply convicted and repentant about his sinfulness – as indicated in my personal account of this inevitable event awaiting all disbelievers.

How, therefore, could someone who holds his own future life in jeopardy be fit to lead a Christian nation?  And, furthermore, unwittingly would thus bring the consequences of such a governmental decision upon the whole population? David Cameron has, more or less, associated himself with those who stick fingers up to the Holy God and to Jesus Christ, the one He sent to deliver us from such unrighteousness.

Saturday

Early Saturday brought a realisation that, although highly unwelcome, David Cameron’s intention may accord with holy writ – but not as one may surmise. Almost everything of what little I’ve read on this issue is personal opinion and where the Bible is mentioned it’s usually belittled, taken out of context or misunderstood, even by some confused and scripturally uninformed Christians!

Nevertheless, I awoke at peace over this highly contentious issue, as though having an insight from God’s perspective.  I recalled what Jesus said in the Gospels about sifting and the harvest of unsaved souls.

After teaching the public in parables Jesus explained their meaning to his disciples (see Matthew 13). The one about the field of wheat and tares is significant. Tares, or ‘darnel’, are identical to wheat and are indistinguishable until the grain appears. Jesus gave this explanation of that parable:

He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

On the occasion of their eating the Passover meal (‘Last Supper’) Jesus again spoke about sifting to his leading disciple, knowing that one (Judas) had already been sifted and taken by the adversary (as at Luke 22.3):

 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.(Luke 22 vv 31-32 NIV)

John records his master’s reference to the betrayer during an intimate prayer-time that reveals Jesus’ identity and mission (contemplate John 17). In praying for the disciples  the way He spoke of Judas Iscariot strikes the reader with reverential fear of God:

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17.12 NIV – emphasis mine)

Now, that parable means ungodliness is ripening throughout nations at the same time as many are coming to faith in Christ, and that the Church is ripening into how it should display Christ. So the harvest is ripe and will be gathered but only after the ungodly has first been removed and eradicated from within the mixture. Thus, the unwarranted and unauthorised attempts to redefine what God ordained; ie. marriage between man and woman, are leading into – if we’re not already part of – that End-time scenario.

[PS. I’d forgotten all about the prophetic word for 2012 entitled ‘A Ripening Season’ from Dr Sharon Stone, which goes into detail about the developing ‘shaking’.]

The instruction, again with metaphorical reference to wheat, about sifting indicates that God will use whomsoever He will to achieve His purpose – and it could be inimical to our own survival. He’s used many rulers and persons in authority, some of whom came to acknowledge Him, but we have no knowledge that they gained life everlasting. So what of our national rulers David Cameron, Barack Obama, et al.?

But such thoughts were merely in passing as they led into Jesus’ description of what the world would be like just before He returns. Read what the careful doctor Luke recorded of Jesus’ prophetic words, which the New King James Version prints under a sub-head, The Coming of the Kingdom:

The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:22-30)

Now Jesus didn’t refer to people having beliefs or Godly practices but were doing what so ever they desired whilst utterly ignorant of the gravity of their dire situation. Their situations were grave because, in the day’s of Noah, ‘The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time‘ (Genesis 6.5).  In the day’s of Lot ‘ the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous…’ (Genesis 18.29). There was no need for Jesus to spell it out because his disciples were familiar with the holy writings.

Who can deny this is the same today?  ‘Wickedness’…thousands murdered by Islamists just because they’re of a different religion, millions of babies murdered, children viewing and circulating pornographic images as well as committing murder, millions are sexually promiscuous, commit adultery and/or deny or ignore their obligation to their creator…etc etc. In Sodom and Gomorrah sodomy was legally permissible and practised in public and was thereby a societal ordinance, as it has become today.

I think it’s only because of the existence of millions of righteous people (ie. who believe God) around the world that His grace continues, and so we don’t yet receive the penalty we deserve for all our obnoxious behaviour. (Abraham’s pleas in Genesis 18 refer.)

BUT the truly better news is that such undesirable conditions mean Jesus’ promised return is very, very close.  As revealed in January this year,

“…I am setting the stage for that which I have foretold in My Word and it will quickly and swiftly come to pass. For the days are coming when the lawless one shall be revealed and the son of perdition shall take his stand.

“Let my people know that those who are lukewarm, those whose hearts are far from Me, even this year satan will seek to sift you – but they will not hear My voice!… (emphases mine – read full post here.)

See also, Follow-up on recent prophetic words concerning the return of Jesus.

AND the fact this Parliamentary announcement has been made during Advent is also of significance. As noted in my previous post, Advent’s principal focus is upon the Second Coming, or return of Jesus Christ to reign and rule, as well as to judge of the world. So there seems to be a connection with the PM’s decision and what Jesus said about the days of Lot.

FURTHERMORE, the arrangement for consenting (my term) religious bodies to marry same-sex people will greatly facilitate the SIFTING within churches, as considered  above. Thus, ‘churches’ that compromise and are disobedient to Jesus’ commands as in The Great Commission (Matt 28) will no doubt be pruned as unfit to become His Bride.

Sunday

In view of the preceding two day’s events described above, a third day brought more from a totally different source.  We decided to spend the evening catching up with the 5 hour Revival Reunion of leaders and evangelists from the Brownsville and Bay of the Holy Spirit revivals.

steve-hill-portraitSteve Hill, the renowned evangelist from Brownsville days, took the lead speaking upon the effects of living in or near the city of Sodom. Under a strong unction Steve taught about how the Days of Lot apply to today!   This message begins at 3hr 10m here, and in tears Steve explains.:

 Forgive me, this message has never been preached except alone with Holy Spirit…and I have cried and cried and  cried as revelation after revelation was downloaded into my spirit…by the One who wrote these words..

When Steve drew to a close, hundreds of Christians attending the Reunion had come to deep repentance and a personal re-commitment to their Lord. Thus, it was necessary to cleanse and purify the Church by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

To sum up, a scriptural appreciation of current events suggests that David Cameron’s decision on redefining marriage does line up with the Bible, BUT not how people would think!  However, as he has no mandate whatsoever from the people or his party for his actions, he has assumed personal responsibility for them with all the consequences that ewill bring – a most invidious position.

After a ‘coincidental’ walk-through of pertinent scriptures on subsequent days, it appears the Lord is indicating that the Church needs to be aware of the full implications of living in the Days of Lot and of Noah and to seek His face, as well as to intercede for our leaders and nation.

PS. Please read Steve’s account of his miraculous recovery from terminal cancer – and his very recent vision about a warning for the Church at this hour, which opens.:

This is coming to you from a man who has just passed through the valley of the shadow of death. Since my close call with eternity just a short while ago everything has become clearer. I can hear His whisper. Unabated obedience has become my mandate. That is why I’m writing this word from the Lord…(cont’d in The Spiritual Avalance)

Note: in view of its great importance in the light of debates within the Church and in the blogsphere over the recent vote in Parliament, I have ‘re-blogged’ the full article here.

A few good links:

echurch – a good introductory overview that refers to the legal implications

Cranmer – Roman Catholic Church to Cameron: “You are out of your depth”

Cranmer – Cameron not only redefining marriage, he’s constricting Conservatism

God & Politics – Gillan Scott’s first comments on Cameron’s decision with debate

God & Politics – Today is the day Government seizes control of marriage

God & Politics – A prayer for marriage

2/12, 1st Sunday in Advent 2012

WHAT A DAY, WHAT A DATE!  And what a story; whether it be past, present or future version, each strand links into the grand theme. As some say, history is His story. So today’s post is more an illustrated short, but true, story.

In western churches Sunday 2nd December 2012 marks the beginning of Advent – the weeks of expectant preparation leading into celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem. For too many weeks, however, shops have displayed the tacky commercial side of the season.

So it is interesting to note Wikipedia’s entry on Advent, and I was especially surprised upon its emphasis being not upon Jesus’ birth, but upon His return, viz.:

Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming. The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent….

Readers familiar with my personal story may recall Advent’s significance in this blog’s raison d’etre (details at close of this post).  And once again I’m astonished by something relevant, and which I hope will be an encouragement to readers seeking God or already walking with Him. So let your imagination follow me in what happened…

Last Sunday

‘On a roll’ getting off to church I realised I wasn’t carrying my hefty New King James study Bible so, approaching our front door, I grabbed my old New International Version Insight Bible. After scraping thick frost off the car’s windows I drove off. It’s an easy 22 miles via the 1-year old Hindhead Tunnel, and bursting through into brilliant sunlight brought splendid views over the Surrey hills.

Tunnel - Surrey side

A mother and baby were picked up en-route and, arriving later than usual at a school cafe outside Godalming, there was time for a quick coffee before the service started at Well Church International. The young chap on guitar leads those gathered in worship of the Living God. As everyone focuses upon Jesus, however, “John 13” pops into mind. So I pick up my Insight Bible from the table and check it out, trying not to distract others.

My old, floppy paperback Bible is well-worn, some verses covered in yellow highlighter and marginalia jottings on teachers’ remarks, and my own thoughts, as seen below…

John 13-14Is there something specifically for me to read in John13, Lord?”  The headers therein are ‘Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet’, ‘Jesus Predicts His Betrayal’, ‘Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial’. Nothing stood out other than verse 13, “A new command I give you: Love one another….By this all men will know you are my disciples” Then it leads into chapter 14 where Jesus tells them not to be troubled about what’s going to happen, that He’s going to, “Father’s house…to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the place to where I am going…

Thomas butts in, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way there?” Jesus answered him with that well-known personal attestation,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:6-7)

I notice my annotation in red made during a conference 7 years ago, then ponder if any of this may be of signficance – and what that may be!

John 14 notePutting my Bible down I get back into worship – only to pick it up minutes later to focus upon those verses. A few minutes later young Danny motors straight into a new song about the door into heaven – and my jaw drops. I’ve just read that in my jottings!

Seven years ago a teacher said verse 14:6 means, “I am the doorway into Father’s throne-room; I open heaven” (see note in red in image to left). A couple of minutes later I go to the front and read this scripture and refer to my explanatory note to encourage everyone.

Mmmm very interesting, especially in view of what had happened only last week.

Later, sitting at the table and completing our offering envelope I question myself about the date. “Yesterday was Nina’s annual spiritual birthday party, that is 1st Dec so it’s 2nd”, I thought. THEN, the moment I start writing ‘2/12…’ I’m hit by that number. [For her birthday card I’d wanted to quote the opening lines of Psalm 91 and took out an old NIV of hers only to find she’d annotated it’s start with ‘God our protector’. So I used those words for her card. As evident from these two events, it’s clear that He knows our jottings!]

I’d had occasion to discover ‘212’ again just before writing about this blog’s anniversary, as here.  Last December I’d been impressed with the possible connection of a house number with the new year of 2012.  After all, it’s just any old house, any old number. Yet between then and now a tiny thought had made me wonder if it may be something to do with an actual date in 2012. Then I completely forgot all about that!  Until now, that is.

But that was nothing to what was to follow…

Our minister Lindi Masters had returned home to South Africa for Christmas but not without printing December’s diary sheet. Copies of this were on each table and I’d not had chance to see it until after our visiting German pastor’s message.  After he finished I took the sheet and turning over was stunned!

Dec 2012 reverseThere, on its reverse, is a copy of the latest news-letter from Paul Keith Davis but abridged to make ‘The Open Door’ its leading sub-header!  AND it just so happens I’d received my own copy of his newsletter only three days earlier – AND during that very night, whilst wide-awake, I’d already been blessed to see the door to which he refers!  As I’d lain awake in bed but eyes closed, I sensed in the middle of darkness an open doorway, but devoid of door, and beyond which was nothing but gentle light. (Click on image to read, and for full content Paul Keith’s newsletter click here.)

No wonder I was utterly stunned in amazement by these three ‘coincidences’ on the ‘open door’!  Is it all a ‘sign and a wonder’?  Bemused, I next recalled that the ‘212’ house number of my childhood home was affixed to the top of the front door. So could the insertion of a zero suggest an open door, or portal, indicating that 212 could become 2o12?  This speaks to me of two kinds of home addresses, one earthly and the other heavenly. I wonder…

Note: the date of my Bible’s note is ‘3.3.5’, which is exactly 7 years 9 months ago, or 93 months ago. Although not into detailed numerical anlysis I can’t but help noting these digits total 12 (9+3=12), and we’re in the 12th month of the 12th year of this century.

All told, an exciting start to Advent. What could it portend?

Further reading:

An urgent prophetic word / prayer request for President Obama

This is perhaps fitting for this blog’s 200th post…Wendy Alec wrote the following in an email I received on Thursday.:

“This is a short note from me to share what I’ve sense the Father put so strongly on my
heart concerning the recent elections in America. I have sensed this since the night of our live broadcast from Washington DC on election night, 2008.

“I sense that the Lord has been very grieved by the flow of criticism by the Church concerning Barack Obama these past four years. Instead of fervent prayers for the President of the United States, many times it has been criticism instead that has risen  to His throne.

“In fact beloved, I sensed that the Father said that our words as Christians have in fact somewhat imprisoned President Obama….”

To read the full text of this important word and promises of transformation click on Obama Prophecy and Prayer.

Amen, and thank you for this rebuke Lord.

Note: Wendy and her husband Rory are founders of God TV and her earlier works were published in The Journal of The Unknown Prophet – see also About Wendy Alec.

ALSO, see next post which covers an interesting development on this same day.

PS: read further developments in February 2013 by clicking here, a reference in March here and the shift in US policy during Obama’s Jerusalem visit here. See also Joel Rosenberg’s report on their post-UNGA meeting at The White House 1 Oct 2014.

UPDATE Mar 2015: Obama prophecy fulfilled? Netanyahu speech to Congress.

Good news from Egypt!

Intriguing, especially as I’ve little time at present to blog – I keep getting ‘server error’ when trying to get an update via Google from Open Doors USA on the following. Christian Post reported on a massive prayer gathering in Egypt and quoted an anonymous source as saying:

“There is no doubt that God is moving in Egypt and showing Himself in mighty  ways to many of His children, and to many who are seeking to know Him,” the  contact said. “The hunger to know about Jesus and to get to know more about the  Christian faith is phenomenal…

“…we Christians of Egypt are realizing more and more every day that God is  visiting our country with a powerful divine presence, and that the things He is  going to do in our country are beyond imagination. This is what we pray for and  this is what we are waiting in faith to see happening.”

Read full report here as well as this from Open Doors about 10,000 youngsters who met earlier in October. Also, President Obama has congratulated Egyptian Christians on the election of a new Coptic Pope. This news is a welcome follow-up to last November’s encouraging news, as covered here.

Good news indeed…

Colours of God

Reblogged from The Lady Journal – superb shot with poem by Samantha Hardcastle, who describes herself as “A lady keeping it classy, while crazy for Christ”. Psalm 19.1:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

In a moment’s breath, I taste the color of life

I taste it in beauty, I taste it in strife

In the blink of an eye, I feel the color of sorrow

I feel it in my chest, I’ll feel it tomorrow

In the swiftness of a run, I hear the color of victory

I hear it in the wind, I hear it in His story

In the sweetness of grace, I smell the color of love

I smell it in the air, I smell it from above

In a gaze toward the universe, I see the colors of God

I see it in the stars, I see it in Heaven’s applaud

Samantha Hardcastle
Colors of God
October 28, 2012

Back to school / college / uni – part 1

“Richard, you’re here!” Turning, I find a friend from Bath beside me in the short queue for morning coffee.

“Good to see you Richard” – I grin – “Thought I’d spotted you by the windows”.  So we catch up with one another’s news.

Nina and I hadn’t been to Bath since last year, when Richard had mentioned a meeting in the Midlands. (I’d intuitively known it was important for me to hear its teachings, and it proved so – see Glory stories.) Today, however, we are in  Windsor for Christian International Europe’s Annual Conference. It’s an easy 33 miles drive there to Dr Stone’s monthly meetings, but not  for my namesake and Richard asks, “Where do you live?”  We laugh upon discovering that he knows of the locality and says it’s like the area around Bath. (Our low hills and woods are in the South Downs National Park – take a peek.)  And next, two interesting points follow…

I outline to Richard some of what happened last month and that Nina had been strongly impressed last December that September 2012 would be significant in some way. (This was connected with her seeing an unusually special Christmas picture in a newspaper. The impact was so great it inspired her to ask at ladies’ breakfasts she speaks to, Are You Ready?  Nina starts these talks by saying the Lord had given her the full content in connection with “this picture”, which she displays, and its subtly implicit message – see image He’s On His Way at close of this year’s first post Points to ponder 2011-12.)

“Others have said the same about September”, is Richard’s immediate response! AND as though to confirm both Nina’s impression and Richard’s remark, the guest speaker will briefly speak on that topic in the very next conference session!!

So exactly what is it about September 2012?

First, let’s go to its lead-in: the end of August with its inevitable ‘back to school’ theme.  We’re not normally faced with that, yet our two youngest grandsons were about to start pre- and primary school, and the oldest at his new school in early September.  But that wasn’t why this theme had my attention. It had been on my mind all month!  Why? An ancient ember deep within me had been fanned by a commentary by the leader of Bath City Church, Stewart Keiller. He writes about the fourth chapter of St Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church and his post is entitled:

School of Jesus

I hope you, dear reader, believer or no, will click on that title to consider carefully, even digest, Stewart’s pithy style of excellent teaching. He writes about ‘the old man’, ie. the lifestyle we had before being ‘born anew’ (my term) to become a new man/woman, and then ‘let’s go to school,’ wherein he describes what ‘the School of Christ’ is like, viz:

You learned him (Greek) ‘emathete’, how do we learn a person?  The first lesson in this school is its about a relationship, you get to know Jesus by being with him and spending time with Him in your day to day life (John17:3). <my emphases>

You heard him ‘ekousate’, you hear through the Spirit and Word.  The Spirit is at work in you to speak to you life, you need to tune into him.  This is not some theory class, this is a learning to tune into the very speaking spirit within.  But we get tutored in the word of God, the word on paper becomes the word in Spirit, this is not just subjective feeling it is supernatural reality at work.

You are taught by him ‘edidachthete’, actually the word is “in him”, Jesus is the atmosphere in which we are taught.  This is part of the theme ‘in Christ Jesus’, the immersion into Jesus.  Its why baptism is such a great description of the reality of our faith, we are immersed into the life of Jesus.

When Jesus Christ is at once the subject, the object, and the environment of the moral instruction being given, we may have confidence that it is truly Christian. For truth is in Jesus. (John Stott)

“So what is our response to school?” asks that writer, before covering what it produces.

“What is your response?” I ask you, my reader.

May I suggest you run off a hardcopy of that 4-page piece, weigh its words and chew its scriptural content? Then, next week we may be able to appreciate my response and an account of what happened this September and, keen as I was, why this had to wait until after last weekend – as well as to read about the 2nd point in 2 Richards’ chat 🙂

…continued in part 2

Thank you for this inspirational piece Shenine, and to Tembisa for drawing my attention to your encouraging blog. May you bless many readers for, as you say in your profile, “God is amazing”…

Israel v. Iran – possibility of breakthrough?

Someone has observed that when a nation is attacked then internal divisions disappear and its people act in unity against the aggressor. (If you know the reference source for this remark, please refresh my memory.)  By this principle unscrupulous leaders, eg. of  totalitarian regimes, have been known to provoke conflict with another nation in order to distract their public from severe internal issues that bring a great risk of internal unrest and rebellion.  Perhaps that’s now the case with Iran?

Last weekend brought Israel close to the brink of war as over 55 missiles and mortars were fired into Israel from Gaza and an Iranian unmanned surveillance helicopter flew over highly sensitive installations. The Israelis conducted cyber-warfare against it and it was shot down. Debka reported the barrage was the outcome of a new Hamas-Iran accord (see Is the Mid-East coming to the boil?) and in several reports that Israel has been highly embarrassed by the deliberate act of Iranian belligerence.  On top of that, Hezbollah was so confident of success that it published plans to attack Israel from the Golan and Lebanon. Then came speculation of an American and Israeli ‘surprise’ this month!

Amidst all this will be lots of disinformation, but Iranian leaders have promised to be taking action soon. But could all the above-related events be a distraction to provoke Israel into attacking Iran as a knee-jerk reaction and thereby uniting the Iranian public?

There have been reports of public protests and demonstrations in Tehran because of the severe economic downturn the country is suffering. It is on the verge of collapse, and nothing could definitely divert the people’s attention like a ‘jolly’, ‘holy’ war!  The people have experienced tough suppression a couple of years ago and if they riot this time would be determined not to lose again – maybe the mad–mullahs will be over-thrown?

Mike Evans has reported this week that these developments are being given serious consideration.  Dare we hope for a non-violent solution to this situation – one in which the hand of the Lord is seen?  Here’s food for thought from Mike’s valued insights (also see my postscript comment):

The Power of Prayer is Working
Dear Richard,
During my recent trip to Israel, I met with over 41 leaders in the nation. Afterwards, I flew to New York to defend Israel at the UN and confronted the Iranian leaders that were raging against the State of Israel.
Israel’s leaders were fully prepared to courageously attack Iran’s nuclear reactors. Some of the top leaders in the Jewish state told me that the attack was already scheduled between September 15th and October 15th . In the midst of this, the amazing has occurred: Iranian people are rising up, and the economy of Iran is on the verge of collapse due to international sanctions. Because of these events, Israel will not attack before the end of the year.
From my perspective, this has been a direct result of the power of prayer. An attack before the US elections would have resulted in Israel being blamed, and would have placed the nation squarely in the crosshairs of every legislator in the party that loses the election. It would also have created a global economic crisis because of oil flowing through the Persian Gulf. Liability would have fallen on Israel.
The key to understanding Israel’s actions can be found in II Samuel 11:1: “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel.”
If Iran experiences a “Persian Spring” much like the Arab Spring, and Admadinejad’s regime is overthrown, Israel will not attack. When Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke courageously at the UN concerning the “red line,” his team was negotiating with Great Britain, France, Germany, and the US, asking for new sanctions against Iran. The top European leaders agreed and will make proposals in the areas of finance, trade, energy, and transportation in Brussels on October 15th. I’ve been told by the highest level of officials in the Israeli government that Iran’s loss of income is between $40 and $50 billion.
The last time this occurred, the Shah of Iran was overthrown. That was confirmed when I interviewed all the top leaders of the country, including Empress Farah Pahlavi and Ambassador to the US, Ardeshir Zahedi. The Iranian rial has lost 80 percent of its value in twelve months. The bazaars in the nation are going on strike, and the people are demonstrating. I can tell you firsthand that not all the top Iranian leaders were given visas to enter the US in September. I am referring particularly to the mullahs who run the country. In addition, Iranian spies who have been meeting in the hotels for the past four years were not in attendance this year. I believe many have been arrested.
Perhaps one of the most telling examples are the Iranian women. In past years, they have gone to the top stores in New York City to shop. That did not happen this year. Instead, the men would return from pharmacies and hardware stores with purchases including boxes of over-the-counter drugs.

The amazing beginnings to…

In the midst of a sequential graphical calendar of major football and rugby events on Wembley Stadium website appears this unusual page devoted to the National Day of Prayer and Worship. It describes the amazing beginnings of this event as follows.:

Several years ago, Jonathan Oloyede, a convert from Islam, had several vivid visions of renewal, revival and transformation coming to the UK. These included graphic pictures of Wembley Stadium filled to capacity with worshipping and praying Christians (emphases mine, RB).

The inspiration which sparked him into action was a vision of people all over the four Nations praying the Lord’s Prayer at the same time; in pubs, churches, schools, offices, homes and on the streets. As the Christians prayed in one accord, Light and Healing spread across the British Isles.

His vision will be realised on September 29th with The National Day of Prayer & Worship, a once in a generation gathering at Wembley Stadium that will unite the church across class, colour, creed and culture.

The website concludes by quoting Jonathan,

Wembley 2012 will be an historic opportunity for the church as thousands across the British Isles converge in unity and prayer. We invite Christians, churches and delegates from every village, town and city to come for an unforgettable occasion.

Thank you to Wembley Stadium for being so helpful and supportive of Jonathan’s work, and to you for that splendid mission Jonathan. Amen to your prayers and may the Lord powerfully bless and work through the marvellous legacy of this project > What Next?

[My personal impressions are on previous, updated post.]

National Day of Prayer & Worship

A night very wet with wild winds belies the morn’s destiny to be the  third consecutive Saturday of warm bright sunshine!  The morning view atop Worldham Hill t’wards far hills of Surrey hints at autumnally tinged trees. (‘Neath the top of far ridge a long hole unblocks a once heaving road over its crest, linking London with ancient, naval Portsmouth.)

A fortnight ago today was my birthday ‘on the town’ in Trafalgar Square, where we went to practise healing on the streets.  And a week ago today we were at Wembley basking under its open-roofed stadium – reminded me of an ‘open heaven’. Arriving as the gates opened at half-past midday, we found our seats only nineteen rows from the lush-green turf and directly across the pitch from the musicians’ stage.

Within minutes the various bands, choirs and well-known worship leaders greeted us with worship songs and a tremendously uplifting day commenced. As may be seen from the programme below, it focussed upon various national and international needs and went by far too quickly.  Some time was spent in repentance in accordance with the out- come of the ‘Listening Hour’ in Parliament on 12th June (click for brief summary).

Click to read this brief report how Wembley was submerged with waves of prayer and praise and flick through this photo gallery to get a glimpse of what was going on. Also,  read about the amazing beginnings to this event in my next post.

Worship was woven so well between all the prayer strands and took us all soaring as we approached the close. The rousing chorus to There’s a Battle Raging Over This Land, sung by Godfrey Birtill, left most folk humming all the way home – so listen/join in to get a feel for the day through this song.:

“Just one touch from the King…changes everything!”

Our deep gratitude goes to Fleet Baptist Church and their secretary’s skills in organising a couple of coaches packed full with those wanting to attend this stirring event.

THEN, next day at church we found the following prophecy from 2010 about Wembley had been submitted and printed onto the new schedule for October: a God-incidence?

AMEN to all the above!

Some insights into God’s action plan

Soon after my birthday trip to Trafalgar Square with Healing On The Streets, as here, I was blessed with a greater under-standing of God’s action plan: getting the full Gospel message in all its power into the public space. So I want to encourage fellow believers as well as stir those who are not yet Christians to discover more about our faith.

Insight 1

Knowing about God’s action plan gives impetus to our realisation of the spiritual contest going on within society to manipulate people’s thoughts and beliefs away from God.

This has been observed not only in the HOTS v ASA saga but also other spheres of UK government action. Thinking they’d curtail prayers in public for physical healing, the ASA banned HOTS leaflets but this blew up in their faces when the public’s attention and that of Parliament turned towards the issue (as here and here). Also, a substantial flaw was found in the ASA ruling.  So, we can perceive the Lord’s hand in these events.  However, the issue with the Equalities & Human Rights Commission about keeping religious beliefs well behind church doors, as summed up here by Gillan Scott, still bubbles away.

That struggle is also why Christians are in the European Court, Strasbourg, standing  against governmental rulings (see here, here and here). We can understand that the spiritual enemy does not want anything Jesus did in public to be done in public today. Thus, he will attempt in every possible way to thwart God’s plans for returning Christian beliefs and activity to the public sphere.

On this issue political blogger Cranmer has rounded upon confused comments coming from Baroness Warsi, minister of State for Faith and Communities and Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, that the British Government is proud to do ‘God’.  His Grace writes:

It is ironic that this ‘Senior’ Minister of State…should boast that the UK Government ‘does God’ while their lawyers at the European Court of Human Rights have made it clear that the position of HM Government is that Christians should ‘leave their beliefs at home or get another job’.

David Cameron – like Tony Blair before him – appears to mistake freedom of worship for freedom of religion. The Baroness apparently grasps the difference, and yet she is part of that government which is arguing in Strasbourg that there is a ‘difference between the professional and private sphere’.

Whatever the Baroness may spout at the UN, the UK has seen a gradual shift from ‘freedom of religion’ to ‘freedom of worship’. The whole narrative surrounding religious faith has gone from being ‘in the world’ to the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque.

Insight 2

Sunday morning’s service at Church of His Presence had a late change in its schedule.  Pastor John had to be away and Jan Painter spoke on what the Lord’s saying about His plans for revival and taking His presence outside church walls. (Jan prophesied a fresh but return of the glory of God after that of the Brownsville revival.)

For well over an hour Jan conveyed her grasp of the Lord’s words and amongst several gems was this one:

“In God’s presence we become aware of Him, but He wants you to be aware that He is aware of you“.

Wow, how this adds another deeper dimension for our ministering healing!  It seems, in my opinion, a lot of what she says about God’s work through The Bay Revival may well apply to HOTS because that team is also part of God’s worldwide action plan to get the full Gospel outside church walls.

Indeed, the Lord’s rebuke that Jan conveyed about believers letting a spiritual weapon  fall into disuse also applies to all on-fire churches. (Ephesians 6:10-18 refers.) This is extremely relevant teaching and as the service closed most of the large congregation, no doubt plus online members, started practising this holy gifting.

Join this exceptional service by playing the above video. There are testimonies from deaf and blind folk being healed before Jan starts speaking at 1hr30min. [Takes few seconds to start but play can be advanced along the loading gray buffer bar.]

Insight 3

How can I convey what followed the previous two within days?  At the first home group we attended of our new church the preacher brought a powerful text for discussion – the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

I received a ‘download’!  It was almost visible!  My New King James Study Bible heads this chapter as The Mystery Revealed, with sub-headings Purpose of the Mystery and Appreciation of the Mystery.  I n t r i g u i n g ! 

As the chapter was read aloud and certain Greek words in verses 16 to 20 discussed, I grasped its direct relevance to all I’ve written above and in the preceding posts about HOTS.

All I can suggest for the earnest Christian is to meditate upon and ‘chew well’ the extra-ordinary depths of this whole chapter and ask for revelation.  This Bible Gateway link to  Ephesians 3 gives the Amplified Bible’s translation, thereby offering a good glimpse into the meaning of Paul’s apostolic teaching.

Just savour these verses then, along with the rest, chew and swallow the whole chapter and then the rest of this short letter:

10 [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

11 This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear). – – – – –

16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

AMEN!

H.O.T.S. now H.I.T.S. – part 2

In Part 1 I started a ‘taster’ of our day with Mark Marx, founder of Healing On The Streets (HOTS),  when he taught on praying for healing in public. Over a hundred delegates then went to Trafalgar Square to pray and were bathed in warm sunshine.  Part 1 asked, what does Mark teach and is it different to prayers in church?

I’ll attempt an answer below with some subsequent insights all of which, I submit, will be of interest and application not only to readers in the UK but also to those overseas.

First, however, have you heard about the Alpha Course? This friendly and very social course is a means of introducing non-believers to the history and beliefs of Christianity.  The course started in Holy Trinity church in Brompton, London, and most branches of the worldwide church now conduct an Alpha course – for more see website.

It is now reported that Healing On The Streets is growing even more quickly than Alpha!

So what does its founder Mark Marx teach?  This very brief overview is my own, not official, but HOTS’ scriptural found-ations and most of the principles are similar to those taught in Christian ministries. HOTS’ especial emphasis is upon expressing God’s compassion and love in the market place, whatever the weather and, thereby, enables the church to connect directly every week with the community it serves.

The secret of HOTS’ success

Mark describes HOTS as ‘a stepping-stone’ in God’s action plan to get the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, outside the church walls.  Therefore, as such it is a model only for it will probably become modified as believers learn to move increasingly in the  fullness of their authority in Jesus Christ; for He promised,

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.(John 14.12)

Thus, we should seek God for a personal revelation of who we are in Him and of what He has given us.  Even so there’s something more and, in view of my previous posts on the Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival and the teaching of John Kilpatrick and evangelist Nathan Morris (here and here respectively), this particularly grabbed our attention.:

HOTS’ ‘secret’ is not truly such, for it is Christianity’s special feature that distinguishes it from every other religion; it is the presence of and our reliance upon God’s Holy Spirit. This is something even those who are not Christians can sense, and which they can therefore physically experience and react to; e.g. “This is weird but I’m feeling…”.

For example, in making a brief mention of HOTS’ work across London at last month’s Revival Alliance Gathering in Birmingham, Gerald Coates referred to that special effect upon a completely uninterested passer-by. This man turned upon the team to accuse them of having pushed him – but they were busy praying for someone!  They told him it was the strength of God’s presence he’d felt. So, even if someone doesn’t receive any prayer it’s likely they’ll be affected. Anyone who misses this could be completely closed off to God; maybe that’s why they’re known as ‘the lost’?

The Muslim passer-by returned with his family and they all knelt and gave their lives to Jesus Christ!  Praise you Lord, keep blessing them and their friends.

In quoting a scriptural principle to back up his statements about the presence of God, Mark used one I’ve never heard any preacher mention in this connection. BUT it is one I became personally aware of in a most dramatic way – AND with being in the very same connection as Marks’ explanation!  So that served to validate his teaching.

[Mark was speaking briefly about the possibility of demonic manifestation during prayer time and referred to the account of the Israelites’ Ark of the Covenant that had been captured by Philistines and placed in their pagan temple. Now the Ark was where the Living Lord would manifest within the holy temple and the Philistines returned twice to their temple only to find its idolatrous statue broken by God’s power!  Read about this in prophet Samuel’s first book at 1Sam 5:1-5.  The Lord had given me those verses to read aloud during ministry time when a lady was prowling around like a panther. She stopped immediately and stared wide-eyed at an open vision of the satanic temple used by her ancestors for child sacrifices – she watched it being well and truly trashed!  “Just like watching a video”, said she, now freed from oppression and praising the Lord.]

One of the other distinguishing marks of HOTS is to convey the ‘compelling love of Christ’ to everyone so they may sense his peace, even in the busiest environment.

Healing in Trafalgar Square

courtesy Supranatural Life FbookTeam members  take this atmosphere they carry wherever they go. It has been found kneeling brings more of this. So they kneel at a place until God’s presence becomes tangible. Thus, as we arrived mid-afternoon by the steps leading up to the National Gallery the group knelt down, as here>(courtesy Facebook/ Supranatural Life -see posts dated 3 -26 September.)

Consequently, everyone who came by would be attracted, affected – or even repelled! – by the spiritual nature of what we were doing.  As the Apostle Paul explains,

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

 For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

 To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. (2 Cor 2:14-16 Amplified Bible)

The truth of that scripture cannot be denied but it brings sadness to each believer for the lost and their future. Whenever Mark cited cases of medically inexplicable healings arising from HOTS ministry I often recalled the obduracy of atheists I’d encountered on several blogs this year. Their mindsets seem to be encased in ‘concrete’ that prevents them from rational examination of evidence. For example, the lady who complained to the ASA about HOTS in Bath and, in Trafalgar Square, a young man strode past me to get away from the large gathering and remarked to his girlfriend, “It’s a scam!”.  Mark had told us to watch people’s body language and make good eye contact before trying to hand out a leaflet and invite them to receive prayer – so this couple were avoided.

Our group was sandwiched between two other public offerings – ‘free hugs’ and a few men performing dance and acrobatics to pop songs.  Nina reminds me how appropriate it was to hear them singing, “I believe in miracles”!!

With about a dozen chairs, or ‘hot-sits’, quite a number of people received prayer and after an hour or so we returned to base and were pleased to learn of how successful our endeavour had been. (Some may be found on Facebook/Supranatural Life.)

It was a most memorable occasion and I’ve since received a few insights into God’s action plan, which I’d like to share in another post – click here.