What a week of prayer decrees and declarations!

Today’s decree, according to our progress through Keep Praying and Bless (outlined in UK/EU in/out #10: Prayer of Protection for Britain), brings a most appropriate decree and blessing to the first official day of New Britain’s new Prime Minister, Theresa May:

I AM THE RESTORER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS He prays to God and finds favour with Him, he sees God’s face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.’ (Job 33:26)

“We decree, ‘God is the restorer of righteousness, justice and integrity to a nation!’

“We bless communities of the British Isles with being restored by God to righteousness, justice and integrity.”

Yesterday David Cameron tendered his resignation to the Queen, who then invited Mrs May to form a government. Our starting script for yesterday was wonderfully apposite in view of Nina having seen “This is MY country” during Trooping The Colour.:

I AM FATHER TO THESE ISLANDS – ‘You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.’ (Isaiah 63:16)

“We decree, ‘Lord, you are Father to these islands and that you are our Redeemer from everlasting!’

“We bless the church in the British Isles with knowing the unconditional, super-abundant love of God the Father, a love that never fails, that always honours, always forgives and always blesses.”

In using the original schedule for cleansing prayer throughout the Olympic flame’s country-wide tour in 2012, those above prayers were specifically for Ealing and for Haringey. The next two days are especially fitting. Perhaps you’d join in and ‘rubber-stamp’ AMEN?

Day 69 – Westminster (residents, workers and government):

I AM THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES – ‘Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil 2: 9-11)

“We decree ‘Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and that His name is above every other name. At His name every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. We decree that the government of the British Isles is on His shoulders’.”

“We bless the nations and islands of the British Isles with knowing and believing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, and we bless them with bowing the knee to the name of Jesus.”

Day 70 – The Olympic Park (we replace by ‘The City of London’):

I AM THE EXALTED HEAD OVER ALL ‘Yours, O LORD is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom O LORD and You are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chron 29:11)

“We decree that ‘You, O God, are the exalted head over all the British Isles and every nation of the world, that Yours is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty’.”.

“We bless the British Isles with knowing that Jesus is the exalted head over all, that He is Almighty God and that His is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty. We bless the people of the British Isles with the joy of knowing Jesus as their personal Saviour.”

Prayer of Protection:

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“Almighty Father, we come to You in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, and in that mighty Name we break the power of every strategy and assignment sent against the British Isles and Ireland – and against ourselves and…. We pray the mighty covering of the Living Blood of Jesus Christ over our villages, towns and cities; over our coastlands, seaports and airports; over our roadways, railways and waterways and traffic thereon – as well as over ourselves and….

“We ask that You release the angelic host to protect us from every terrorist attack and lift each citizen above every circumstance and crisis. We affirm the finished work of Christ over all demonic forces and decree: no weapon formed against the plans and purposes for the British Isles and Ireland will prosper. We also decree: no longer will violence be heard in our land, or destruction within or at our borders. We bless the atmosphere to be charged with peace and order.    Amen.” (Isaiah 54:17 & 60:18) 

Note:

Keep Praying and Bless prayer guide has been compiled by Caroline Anderson (The Well www.houseofglorynetwork.com), Jill Gower and Robbie Bain (Call to Prayer
http://www.call2prayer.co.uk)
Neighbourhood Prayer Network has adapted the guide for use in neighbourhoods with kind permission of Caroline Anderson, Jill Gower and Robbie Bain.
http://www.neighbourhoodprayer.net
It can be downloaded from these websites, and is also available in a format suitable for smartphones. To access this, point your smartphone browser at http://www.call2prayer.co.uk/mobileweb/op.html
There is no copyright so please feel free to copy and forward to others.
Please forward any testimonies you have to admin@call2prayer.co.uk

Putin crosses a line – bans Russians from preaching the Gospel outside churches. Here’s the latest.

This comes with today’s news of Russia becoming the first world power outside the Middle-East to recognise and take military action against the trans-national Islamist peril (Debkafile Russian anti-Isis war from Syria to Caucasus).

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Putin-doorway-Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just crossed a very dangerous line. He has just signed a law making it illegal for Russian followers of Jesus Christ to share or preach the Gospel anywhere outside the walls of their church, or even email their family and friends to invite them to church. What’s more, he has done so under the guise of preventing “terrorism.”

As I have been warning for a decade (see here, here, hereand in my 2006 book, Epicenter), Putin — who is fashioning himself as a rising Czar — is an increasingly dangerous despot. He continues to centralize government power and control to himself. He is trampling over human rights, the media, and NGOs. He is rebuilding the Russian military. He has invaded neighboring Georgia and Ukraine. He is arming and building alliances with Radical Islamic countries, particularly Iran.

Now, Putin is positioning himself as an enemy of Christ and His Church. If he doesn’t not…

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Is Brexit an ‘Act of God’? Yes, but it challenges churches!

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7 NKJV )

Prophetic cloud over Windsor 2011

Cloud seen over Windsor, June 2011. Credit: Alan May

“We now need to recognise the outcome as an act of God – but so much of the future now depends upon the Church’s response”. (Revd Dr Clifford Hill: Deliverance Day!)

A vicar in Liphook, East Hants, spoke about God moving in Reading and said someone who definitely wanted the UK to remain in the EU woke up Thursday morning and heard the Lord tell them to vote ‘Leave’!

Insurance companies class the uninsured perils of that day’s floods as an ‘act of God’. The previous day, Brietbart News predicted a major ‘Act of God’ storm would upset billionaire speculator, hedge-fund player George Soros’ closing play of scaring undecided voters into the ‘Remain’ camp (see Brexit: Soros Defeated by Act of God).

[UPDATE Feb 2018: Soros connivance continues with “secret plot to thwart Brexit” – see Fulfilled Prophecy #26 – Exposed: ‘coup’ threats against Brexit and Trump.]

As you know, that night saw an awesome turnabout. Pollsters were expecting ‘Remain’ to take a lead to victory throughout the night’s results. And so it seemed as the first result was declared and Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independent Party, conceded defeat. But a sudden and against-the-odds unexpected swing in the morning hours led to ‘Leave’ becoming the people’s decision. At over 17 million it was the largest majority ever seen in British electoral history.

As a leading politico-religious blogger remarks in Independence Day UK: Resurgence of Democracy; Restoration of Sovereignty:

‘The whole entrenched elite Establishment – Monarchy, Parliament, Government and Church – has been confronted by an epoch-making movement of ordinary people, including humble, devout and sincere Christians who have been tarnished with the whiff of sin and smeared with racism, all because they believe in democracy, national self-determination, and the ability to sack those who make their laws’.

Credit: Ton Snoei – link to Prophecy Today UK editorial

So what’s a secular, democratic decision got to do with God??  Readers of this blog will know the essential political points as well as spiritual and prophetical case for getting out of the EU, as listed in ‘EU In God’s Face’ (re-titled EU & Brexit).

However, as an intercessor friend witnessed at a weekend event, many churchgoers are very confused over the whole EU-issue and our future!  It begs many questions, the main one: why are church leaders woefully ignorant of the essentials?

Probably the main reason is that most of us are focused upon God’s Kingdom and prefer not to consider – even disdain – earthy politics and its distasteful reputation.

Nevertheless, the turmoil of this deeply divisive referendum presents church leaders not only with an opportunity for ministry and evangelism, but also and especially in the major challenge of why didn’t THEY know the Lord’s heart on this matter!!

For example, Anglican archbishops and theologians stood on and then fell off the wrong side of the fence. Justin Welby is reputed to have said he doesn’t have a direct line to God – why not?  Ordinary believers can and do hear clearly from our Lord, so why doesn’t he? – especially upon such an important issue!

The fact that many gave a clear prophetic direction of proven accuracy for the nation must now provoke leaders and members of all churches to start taking prophetic gifting far more seriously than before. Also, the office of prophet needs to be recognised and re-stored, as well as the extensive teaching, encouraging and manifesting Holy Spirit’s many gifts for the benefit of those not yet saved.

Churches should, therefore, now move powerfully in evangelism by telling how God told His servants a ‘taster’ preview of the EU-Referendum’s outcome – His purpose being to bring millions into the salvation HE purchased for them in His own Son’s blood. That is, it demonstrates God is real and loves them immensely, not wanting any to perish.

Prophetic Words Supportive of ‘Brexit’

So, let’s refresh our minds with a sample of prophetic words supporting ‘Brexit’ as an act of God; that He’s behind, directing and changing our alliance with Europe.:

  • 2005 Vision of Great Britain – Wendy Alec: extensive foliage and deep roots from Brussels overshadow, extract and erode faith and shackle people to ungodliness. The Lord wants us to restore our glorious destiny and awaken the lion’s heart.
  • 2012 Significance of Hurricane Sandy – Dr Sharon Stone: 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; 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 My plans”. (Emphases added)
  • Nov 2015 Prophetic Warning Urges “Come Out”  David Noakes
  • Dec 2015 Nations Shall Be Shaken, But Kingdoms Jolted – John Kilpatrick: the Lord admonished him not to exclude the latter half, because he “will see” it happen!
  • April 2016 Prophetic word & Picture of Britannia – Ray & Ruth Scorey: “Leave! Why? Because of the advance of the spirit of antichrist in the European union and…
  • June: Prophecies for UK’s Critical Time – ‘This is MY country’, The Lion Free to Roar, ‘Hang Him on It’.
  • June: Vision of Battle for Britain’s Birthright –  Veronika West, with many other prophetic visions and words of encouragements, especially The Violent Take the Kingdom by Force on voting day 23 June.
  • June: ‘Declaration of outcome in heaven’ plus words and visions to the network of Prophetic Releasers for UK Revival and Winchester intercessors; eg. here – here.
  • 21st June – ‘We felt the Lord powerfully upon us as I sensed Him say, “Thursday will be a NEW DAY for Great Britain”…’ – Ginny Cryer, Culture Changers.
  • [See fuller listing Prophecies on Brexit; attendee’s Polling Day observations here.]

In arguing my case for Brexit as ‘an act of God’, I’d also submit on the other hand that the exceptional opposition to the surprising turn of events comes from exposing and unseating of satanic strategies against people. In other words, we always know we’re on-track with the Lord and rattling satan’s cage when we’re met with an intensely severe reaction!

The history of lies and deception and post-Referendum sheer hatred, expose satan’s hand in stirring up deep, irrational and venomous opposition – even from clergymen, as blogger ‘Archbishop Cranmer’ encountered. (‘Never in a decade of blogging has so much bile and vomit been spewed in this direction…’!! – this post refers and even in Jan 2017, as here!)

Therefore, let us praise, exalt and glorify our Father, Son and Holy Spirit as He moves in subtle and open power across our nations here and beyond the English Channel.

Lastly, I didn’t look until now at the startling prophetic word received in 2012 by Dr Stone about an exceptionally violent hurricane. It’s surprisingly apt; especially in revealing not only the Lord’s intimate involvement in today’s upheavals but also His redesigning and remaking our national identity – a New Britain!

Furthermore, you may like to read about two amazing prophecies given 3 years ago which predict the timing, purpose and outcome of Britain’s politico-spiritual battle in 2016!

Further Reading

See Brexit, the Bible and Democracy: the Judgement of God is the Voice of the People for a thought-provoking scriptural perspective by Adrian Hilton.

PS – latest: Anglican Clergy Foment Hate Against Brexit Christians -clearly they reject outright Jesus’ command not to judge and thus not in the Kingdom of God. A fulfillment of Separation of the Bride and the Harlot (1993 prophecy of sifting the church!). 

Study finds 10 million Muslims have become followers of Christ since 1960.

Praise the Lord for what He’s doing. (This study shows numbers saved has tripled since I heard about ‘the fall of Islam’ in 1992.)

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

MBBs-graphic-Johnstone

(Washington, D.C.) — An unprecedented spiritual revolution is underway in the Islamic world.

From 1960 to 2010, the number of Muslims who have converted away from Islam and become true followers of Jesus Christ has skyrocketed, from fewer than 200,000 to some 10 million people. Amidst persecution and even genocide, the Church in the Middle East is growing in ways never seen in fourteen centuries of Islam. And there is now scholarly documentation backing up these numbers.

Yesterday, I had the honor of addressing the pastors at the “Watchmen on the Wall” conference organized by the Family Research Council. Tony Perkins, president of FRC, asked me to brief the gathering on the latest on the persecuted Church in the Middle East and it was my joy to do so — especially to share this exciting news.

Here are notes I used for my presentation. You’ll find details regarding the soaring number of Muslim conversions under point…

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Monday newsmix: UK re-awakening and more Muslims looking to Jesus

Hand with News icon - WatcharakunAfter a short break on the coast followed by a weekend course on living in Holy Spirit’s anointing, I trawled through my in-tray and was very pleased with the following good news. Both items are related to visionary and prophetical words, the first comes from our county town, and the second from the wider Middle-East.

Can These Bones Live?

Dr Clifford Hill reacts as follows to what happened during the Pentecost celebrations:

“If anyone thought that Christianity was dying in the traditional churches of Britain, what happened in Winchester Cathedral last week would have shattered their illusions!”

He reports the ancient, hallowed building and grounds were packed out at that evening’s celebration. This was the culmination of nine days of prayer events for the evangelisation of Britain, as invited by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. The Pentecost weekend itself culminated in six ‘Beacon events’ with video links to Canterbury Cathedral where the Archbishop, Justin Welby, gave a message based upon the Lord’s prayer, which he said was “reassuring enough to be on the lips of the dying and yet dangerous enough to be banned in cinemas!”

Read Clifford’s full report here, which closes with his asking,

“Was this a sign that something special is beginning to happen in the old denominational churches? Will the spiritual life of the nation be transformed by a new generation embracing the gospel in their own culture as the Holy Spirit breathes new life into the unchanging message of salvation and “Jesus is Lord!” is once again heard on the lips of children and young people?”

In my humble opinion, “Yes it is a sign” and my initial thought was of the prophetic promise heard at Ffald-y-Brenin retreat centre, as blogged two years ago in Resurrection Coming to the Anglican Church.:

‘The usual morning liturgical prayer time got overshadowed by the Lord, who reminded them of the raising of Lazarus. They were told He’s going to call the Anglican Church out of its grave and bring it back to life!’

Of all the words published in this blog this may be exceptional because it was the first to be severely criticised, as related in this post about our later visit to Ffald-y-Brenin.  Also, this latest event reflects what others have observed of an increasing number returning to the Anglican fold and other churches – yet without denominational divisions as in bygone eras. And, of course, readers of this blog are aware of many prophetic words about a new era in the Church and move of God in the UK; eg, brought by Heidi Baker (with updates).

Intense Persecution Brings Harvest of Muslims

The exciting news continues of many Muslims seriously doubting their faith and looking and turning to Jesus in reaction to it being returned to its original barbaric practices. As blogged about Iran and a significant warning in Mecca (here and here respectively), as well as other posts, this is personally encouraging in view of a vision I had in 1992 on the fall of Islam (see this email).

Another morning email Is There Any Good News From the Mid-East? alerted me to Joel Rosenberg’s latest post, in which his friend Tom Doyle answers,

“Yes, despite intense prosecution we’re also seeing a great harvest of Muslims turning to Christ.”

After providing several wonderful examples, especially of those martyred on a beach in Libya to the shock of the world, Tom asks why is it that Muslims are now coming to faith in Christ in significant numbers? His answer:

One of the reasons is that Islamic terrorists are killing violently for their faith, while followers of Jesus are dying peacefully for their faith. Muslims are watching the violence and it has soured them towards their religion. It has also opened them up to the possibility that there may be something to this Jesus after all. They see hate in Radical Islam and love among the Jesus followers, even as they are taken to be executed. What a contrast.

“Yes, Christians are being persecuted openly in the Middle East. But they are standing strong, and this has served to spread the gospel even more rapidly. In a world of bad news, that is very good news.”

Indeed it is. And as noted in Good News: Christian Revival in N Africa, the Cartheginian early Church author Tertullian observed the same and formulated the famous dictum:

“The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

[Credit: Hand Pressing News Icon by Watcharakun, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

Salvation comes to Hindu and Muslim

As well as circulating email news to church leaders of ‘An Awakening Season’, as in the previous post, Michael Marcel also separately reported how salvation came to two people of other faiths.:

Testimony (email 29th April)
A Hindu woman was walking in Leicester last week. She had struggled with depression for a long time and she saw in a vision a man dressed in white walk up to her and say, “Go to the house on your street with number 2 on it and a woman there will tell you how to restore your heavy heart”.
She went straight home, walked down her street to house number 2 and a Christian lady who has been saved out of the Hindu faith answered the door bell. She told this woman the vision of the man in white, and the lady promptly shared the gospel and prayed for her. She was saved and healed and came to church the following day! She is now sharing her new-found faith with her family; all of them have seen that she is no longer depressed and want to know what happened.
 
God is definitely on the move in this nation!
Another Testimony (email 1st May)
A Muslim man in Leicester had a dream; in the dream he saw a man dressed in white standing next to a cross, the man in white told him to go to the clock tower tomorrow at 12pm and a man who (will be) standing there will tell you what you must do.

The next day he went to town and found a street preacher at the clock tower, he told the preacher his dream and was then saved as a result. The same night this Muslim man had a dream that his sister in the Middle-East had a similar dream, except she was told to call her brother in the evening, On phoning her brother told her what had happened and shared the gospel and she was saved!

Thank and praise you Lord for what you are doing in bringing not-yet-believers into the Kingdom.

The foundational reason for Unity across the Church

Apostle Paul instructs us:

‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience and forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all’ (Ephesians 3:20-4:6)

Lindell_CooleyLast Sunday Lyndell Cooley taught on being one body in Christ and how the above verses are foundational, as well as critical for the future of the Church. Writing from prison, Paul teaches believers how to be real, radical and risky – even dangerous – in our beliefs and the kind of character needed to stand together and to confront the world and persecution.

“IF your Christianity is NOT dangerous you may want to check and see if it really is Christianity!

“If it’s SAFE, it’s probably NOT Christianity, because Christianity IS dangerous!

“Isn’t it amazing that the church is scared to death of the danger we’re facing, which is NORMAL to Christianity – because we’ve become so comfortable (as Americans) being accepted…but the scripture is full of people who live dangerously…”

Lindell then quotes Jesus’ warning at Luke 21:12 of what will happen to His followers. They’ll be taken before courts and rulers for “My Name’s sake – It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.”  So Lindell adds, “You can go to church for 30 years and keep your mouth shut but risky Christianity means you say something!”

He likens the power behind Paul’s words to that we feel upon reading people like Richard Wurmbrand, Lutheran pastor jailed for years by Communists in Romania and founder of Voice of the Martyrs radio. He tells of a paraplegic ex-muslim confined to a wheelchair but imprisoned in Lahore Pakistan for converting to Christianity. When asked how he felt about the possibility of execution, he replied

“If I’m hanged for the Name of Christ, I will kiss my rope but never deny my faith!”

“That kind of talk in prison”, continues Lindell, “Is like a stiff, wakening winter wind in the face of our drowsy, television, internet-soaked, self-pitying kind of Christianity!

“It makes us wake up and get dressed for spiritual winter battle – and that’s what Paul wanted us to have. He wanted us to be awake like that! He pleads us to, number one, preserve the unity of the Spirit…”

Lindell briefly addresses live-streaming online members of Church of His Presence at 1:03:00 on this archived video. That’s where you too can get an overview of his important, deeply rousing and encouraging message on being One Body in Christ and what that means to tell the nations about Jesus. The message in full begins at 1:10:20 and closes with Lindell leading worship.

Be mightily blessed as you read and watch…

Visit Lindell Cooley Ministries Facebook.

What is “The Gospel of The Kingdom”? (Matthew 4)

Interesting that Richard, too, is focusing upon meaning and timing of the Kingdom’s recognised presence on earth – I’ve sometimes heard of this preachers’ perplexity: “Kingdom Now but not yet!” His conclusion points to what some prophetic folk are hearing and declaring. (Also see What is the “Gospel of the Kingdom”? by Nelson Walters.)

Blog anniversary: ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’

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Funny the way things go but I didn’t realise ’til yesterday, when I started blogging more on the current theme, that a year ago today I introduced ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’, an e-book by my namesake Richard Barker.

Even ‘funnier’ are the facts I’m uncovering whilst trying to continue from what I’d jotted as of last night.  I was researching scripture and drafting a post to continue and conclude my current thoughts on the Kingdom, especially about the ‘mysteries’ Apostle Paul mentions. I’d previously checked last year’s piece and found the link to Richard’s book is no longer valid. Upon updating it yesterday I found his blog Fellowship of the Secret and decided to ‘follow’.

NOW, it’s getting much ‘funnier’ – even startlingly weird and very uncanny!…(and my email provider’s playing up and not failing to connect and download! So something’s afoot).:

Fellow WordPress bloggers are familiar with our administrative screen’s options of using either ‘My Site’ or ‘Reader’, which displays the latest posts of blogs we follow on WP.

For some purposeless reason I don’t recall, soon after starting this blog I went back into an open tab and opened up Reader – LO and behold, right at the top is one from Richard timed about the same time I started this post – UTTERLY EXTRAORDINARY. It reads:

‘The Fellowship of The Secret – Introductory Essay

‘Having completed my series of posts in which I have been commenting on Old Testament passages that particularly came to my attention during the writing of my book, I have composed an essay which will replace the preface in earlier editions of the e-book and the paperback version.

‘It sets out the background to the later edition and provides more insight into what I believe the process I am involved with is leading to. It will either whet your appetite for the book (e-version now free) or put you off entirely, since it challenges virtually everyone to review their current understanding of the Apostle Paul’s writings and that of their tradition.’ (emphasis added)

To read the latest from Richard click/tap Update for Revised Edition.

Finding it far from easy to think, because I’m ‘God-smacked at nature of this ‘coincidence’! The sheer serendipity demonstrates the LORD’s HAND MUST SURELY BE IN THIS – and is perhaps answering reservations and questions over what I propose writing on the ‘mysteries’ and recent posts. IN FACT, I extracted references on Richard’s book for this post from yesterday’s draft because the book seems especially significant at this time and needs announcing once again!

So, I’m SO stunned and left feeling sluggish with heavy limbs, like when Holy Spirit falls! Have had to take a break and share with Nina and visiting friend.

MOREOVER, a year ago my coverage of Richard’s book was surrounded with several God-incidents, as in God-incidents Validate Cycles… and Surprising Endorsement of ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’. The first introduces my namesake in some depth and then describes ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’ as follows:

‘(Richard) describes it as identifying, “the key that unlocks an age-enduring  mystery surrounding the apparent disconnection between OT prophecy and the out-working of the Church/Gospel age.” 

‘This claim, however, is not so new or surprising to those who study prophetic scripture outside the confines of the Catholic or Reformed churches, especially in view of the latter’s wide consensus on the cessation of Holy Spirit’s activity after the 1st Century.

‘In the overview of his e-book Richard focuses upon Paul’s statement in Ephesians 3:8-11 about his personal revelations. I especially appreciate this conclusion regarding the mutual failure in Jews and early Christians to understand one another:

“…Christendom’s part pertains to a failure to grasp the “the fellowship of the secret” – its implications to broader providence and God’s as yet unfulfilled terrestrial promises to the nation He first chose for Himself.”

‘Dipping into the extracts Richard’s put online, I like his hammering home on what the Church has lost and missed, and especially note the following from the first chapter ‘The Hidden Dispensation’ of ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’:

“The New Testament “elephant in the room”: the biblically unexplained and largely undebated non-fulfilment (or subversion) of scriptural prophecy regarding the terrestrial and political aspects of the Jewish apocalypse pertains to a secret disclosure, revealed to and through Paul of which I was previously unaware but now realise is the key to understanding Old Testament prophecy…”

‘Preceding that section Richard’s remarks are of direct relevance to recent posts on this blog about keys to and unsealing of the Book of Daniel, with emphasis added:

“In the religious sphere an on-going learning curve has been guaranteed through the intentionally cryptic profundity of Holy Scripture that was never intended to be entirely unravelled until the end of the age, for it contains at least one significant mystery (or secret) that was not to be disclosed until such a time (Dan 12:1-4 & 7; Rev 10:4,7)…”

‘I suspect that those who love to sink their teeth into a theological treatise topped by a prophetical icing will gain by reading my namesake’s e-book – especially in broadening  our own understanding of End-times. I certainly will.’

WOW!

What is the Lord saying to us and about to reveal? I suspect it may be quite startling and take the Church into greater depths of intimacy and of revelation upon re-instating its full nature and purpose. After writing this I note Richard’s remark in the first paragraph of his Update (emphasis mine):

‘A more serious consideration reflected on during the Christmas/New Year period (2015/16) is that whatever anyone else may currently think I perceive myself to be involved in a sacred task – to make known to as many Christians who will receive it, what I understand to be God’s intentions for the currently scattered assemblies of Jesus-followers in view of what (I merely surmise) He intends to bring about within our generation (cf. Acts3:21 Greek). So in effect, the book is an expansive “prophetic insight” in which its author came within a matter of a few days to a quite new understanding of certain biblical passages and events within Church history…’

We’re getting closer to the prophesied return of the Lord. Watch out world!

Unity across churches manifests God’s Kingdom

Puzzle Globe and Book by ThanunkornHere I share more insights gained since Holy Week, citing an example to prove this post’s title and looking at early church history. First, listen to Jesus in prayer:

“Father, I pray for those who will believe in Me..that they may all be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me.” (John 17:20-21 NKJV – emphasis added)

Is Jesus’ prayer about to be fully answered at long, long last? Especially for the sake of saving lost souls?

Sixty years ago many Christian denominations had scant tolerance for one another, even though a large percentage of Britons attended church regularly or, if not, would at least go for Easter and Christmas. Those who didn’t were religiously well-informed – unlike today’s spiritually unwashed masses who are religious illiterates! As a youngster I was subject to some most unexpected personal animosity between Protestants and Catholics – despite their claiming to believe in the same God!

Thus, disunity was one reason for my rejecting Churchianity and seeking truth beyond science and religion in metaphysics and mysticism (the Eastern and New Age variety).

As well as ignoring Jesus’ expressed desire for unity and command to love one another, believers weren’t doing what Jesus did – and more – as He foretold:

“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 NKJV)

History demonstrates churches across the East and West hadn’t complied with Jesus’ desire. Moreover, it seems God didn’t answer His Son’s deep prayer request!  Mankind’s free-will and Satan’s steering were determined to prevent its fulfillment at all costs.

Heavenly Father can ensure Jesus’ prayer gets met. No doubt He’s waiting for the right time and conditions for inspiring believers who are responsive to His Spirit; rather than to make them comply. He didn’t create robotic automatons. First, however, we need to want and allow Holy Spirit into our lives rather than deny, quench or grieve His gracious ways.

Re-born Into Christ

Consequently, it was an extremely pleasant surprise to find after being born again in 1989-90 those antagonisms had disappeared. When I was baptised in Holy Spirit in 1992 I saw Jesus healing people and so I wanted to associate with the group who’d organised that day’s event. That Circle of Prayer for Healing in the mid-Thames Valley was a mixture of Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists and independents – and all charismatics!

Thus, spiritual unity of that small group enabled Holy Spirit to flow in power and manifest the presence of the Kingdom of God – praise You Lord. Hopefully we may expect a much larger manifestation now we’re 25 years further down the road…

An increasing emphasis from those with prophetical voices and gifting is indicating Holy Spirit wants to inspire, infuse and direct our hearts and minds with Jesus’ love for fellow Christians, and to express that as a Unity of spirit and action – so the world no longer sees believers as squabbling hypocrites and realise who Jesus is and that we really do have the answers they’re desperately needing and seeking spiritually.

Hence my enthusiasm towards unity in belief and action (with the caveat of obedience to Jesus’ instructions) throughout Christendom  – no doubt the intensification of secular and terrorist persecution is drawing us out of our shells and making us stand up!

So, let’s remind ourselves of recent ‘God-incidents’ focusing on Unity (as here and here).:

  • Extraordinary vision: “I watched as these fiery, burning and anointed ones moved together in PERFECT UNITY”.
  • Revelation from the Lord about angels of Revival being released and that “The body of Christ is coming alive in Jesus, in purity, in life, in love, in UNITY”.
  • Obedient response to: “The Rhema Word God has had for me the past few months is UNITY”.
  • Writing a new book for which “The major outcome theme…is Unity”.
  • Three years’ preparation for church-wide act of unity across the UK.

The details of the last from Malcolm Duncan warrant brief re-iteration:

Revd Malcolm Duncan“I lead Spring Harvest and for three years I have been working on an act of unity across the United Kingdom that will see all…evangelical bible conventions and celebrations declaring that, whatever our theological differences are, we are one in Christ Jesus. It is going to involve 130,000 Christians from March (Spring Harvest) through to October next year with the Festival of Life…perhaps the biggest demonstration of Christian unity that we have seen in the evangelical church in the United Kingdom for almost two hundred years – and they’ve all said “Yes” – there’s the miracle! They’re all on board, and I am sure the Bible says,

“Where the brethren dwell together in unity, the Lord commands a blessing.”

Seventeen months ago Heidi Baker brought a word about ‘A New Move of God in the UK’  which prophesied about Unity as follows (underlining added):

Heidi at CTF Wembley“…There’s going to be a movement of unity in the UK that’s going to shake the world, says the Lord. I hear the prophetic word of the Lord. It’s going to flow through the universities and the colleges of the universities. It’s going to flow through denomination and the non-denominations. There’s going to be a move of unity within the Body of Christ.

“You’re going to fill Wembley Stadium. You’re going to fill stadiums, stadiums, with worshippers of the living God. And there’s going to be this holy affection where people come before the Lord. They’re not going to even know who’s speaking in the stadium, they’re not going to even know the name of the preachers, because they’re coming fixing their eyes on Jesus. It’s going to shake the nation, says the Lord.

“There’s going to be a unity even between Scotland and Ireland and the UK, that’s going to SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE. There’s going to be a shaking that’s going to bring a unity, says the Lord. There’s going to be something that the people of other faiths are going to see in this nation, as believers come together in radical love…”

Amen to all the above.

The Early Church on Jesus and Unity

My meditations have been based upon Apostle John’s understanding and revelations of the glory and nature of His dearly beloved rabbi, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This meant musing upon, seeking the Lord and researching into what the disciples may have learned after the Resurrection; ‘To whom’, the physician and chronicler Dr Luke records that Jesus, ‘also presented Himself alive after His sufferings by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and (His) speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.’ (Acts 1:3 NKJV)

[THUS, after that privileged private teaching they logically concluded the Kingdom was going to be restored to Israel. That’s clearly the Lord’s action plan – they just wanted to know when to expect its execution. Had that not been a legitimate request they’d have been rebuked. But Jesus told them that’s not their – OR His – concern because it’s The Father’s prerogative! Jesus had another plan for them: transmitting the Gospel with all the consequential signs and wonders: ie. fulfillment of John 14:12 – see Acts1:6-8.]

MBarkerWebPhotoScriptural meditations encouraged me to re-read The Hidden Tradition of the Kingdom of God – an exceptionally informative book by the Methodist Bible scholar Margaret Barker, whose Doctorate in Divinity was conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury, ‘in recognition of her work on the Jerusalem Temple and the origins of Christian Liturgy’.  (It is designated, ‘Temple Theology’.)

Dr Barker’s significant new contribution to the understanding of the New Testament opened up important fields for research.

In checking out her website I found the paper ‘Jesus the Nazorean’ most illuminating and confirming my thoughts on Paul’s many references to the ‘mysteries’ of God. On page 9 therein lies a useful insight into our consideration of Unity in the Lord (emphases mine):

“Theodotus, the second century teacher whose work survives only as quotations in Clement of Alexandria, was condemned by later generations as a Gnostic. He taught about Jesus’ role in restoring the unity, just as John’s Jesus did in his final prayer after the last supper. This is what Theodotus said:
They say that our angels were put forth as a unity and are One in that they came out from the One.
Now since we existed in separation, Jesus was baptised that the undivided should be divided until he should unite us with them in the Fullness, that we, the many, having become one, might be mingled with the One which was divided for our sakes.’

“And this is what John’s Jesus said:
”[I pray] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. (John 17.21)
Restoring the unity was a sign of divinity. But John’s Jesus also brought judgement: ‘[The Father] has given all judgement to the Son’ (John 5.22).

“Theodotus is not telling us anything different from what Paul said in his message to the
Ephesians:
’For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth’ (Eph.1.9-10).

“So too in his letter to the Colossians, Paul said that Christ holds all things together (Col.1.17).

“The secret of the kingdom was the secret of unity, restoring all things to their unity with God, and so Paul saw the future as the Son of God bringing all things into the kingdom – he called it subduing all things, the judgement – ‘that God may be all in all’ (1 Cor.15.28).”

Therefore, in my humble opinion, this information is well-worth mulling over. I’m especially pleased Dr Barker refers to and stresses Ephesians 1:9 (see my covering intro to God’s Eternal Purpose – and reference to Unity therein). This reinforces my interest in what Paul knew by personal revelation from Jesus Himself, as well as gained when he was caught up into heaven.

Thank you Lord that Your Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation brings knowledge of You (Eph 1:17).

Footnote:

In discussion with a leader at a local church we visited recently I queried his opinion upon the source of Paul’s knowledge of the Last Supper and the Resurrection. He was keenly recommending a new devotional book, 40 Days With Jesus by Dave Smith of New Frontiers church. In considering the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, the leader echoed Smith’s citing ‘compelling evidence from 1 Corinthians 15 (as) important because not only was it…written early [in 55AD] but (also) Paul’s evidence would have come from meetings with the other apostles that took place only a few years after the resurrection itself’.

This book’s a useful adjunct to my meditations, but the above remark may be playing fast and loose with scriptural data!!

Paul’s letter to the Galatians may be dated 6 years earlier, depending upon which of two groups he was addressing, or else contemporary with that sent to the church in Corinth. In stating how he changed from being a severe persecutor of believers to becoming an on-fire believer and preacher, Paul writes (Gal 1:15-16 NKJV):

“When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.”

In about 62 AD, Dr Luke completed his careful investigations of early church history. He wrote, ‘In his account to King Agrippa Paul states, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first to those in Damascus…(to) repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:19-20). Earlier, in recording post-conversion events of Paul in that city, where Paul regained his sight through Ananias, Luke states ‘Then Saul spent some days with the disciples in Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in synagogues…’ (Acts 9:19-20).

Therefore, if Saul didn’t receive full revelation personally about the Last Supper and the Resurrection whilst blind, then wouldn’t he have got the basics from Ananias’ group?

Further reading:

[Credit: ‘Puzzle Globe and Book’ by Thanunkorn, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net ]

‘How the Church lost The Way…’ – book review

The following information received today is very useful preparatory reading for my follow-up to The Four Faces of God and Unity. It appears courtesy of PROPHECY TodayUK (click for original).

Paul Luckraft reviews Steve Maltz’s ‘How the Church Lost The Way…And How it Can Find it Again’:

How the Church Lost the WayIn this engaging and entertaining book, the author is very clear about his agenda: “to restore the understanding of the Hebraic roots of Christianity that has been lost, since the early days of the Church” (p 43). Equally clear is that in this book he has succeeded in making a considerable contribution towards what is an immense but vital task.

Maltz’s style is chatty, but not trite. He pulls no punches – he admits he may not just be upsetting the occasional sacred cow but disturbing the whole herd – but his aim is analysis, rather than attack. Certainly at every point he makes you think, and feel, and search for a proper response.

His title is apt in two ways, suggesting a straying from a correct path, but also reminding us that the early Christians were originally called The Way (Acts 9:2, 24:14), rather than the Church. Maltz points out that there has been a process of stripping out every trace of Jewishness from the established Church, starting early in its history and developing over time. The Body of Christ was meant to be One New Man (Eph 2:15) with both Jewish and Gentile elements in balance, and without this it is greatly diminished and largely unfulfilled.

How We Wandered

In Part One, the author tells ‘a tale of two summits’, taking us to two important councils: Jerusalem in AD 49 and Nicaea in AD 325. In an entertaining fly-on-the-wall (or rather peering-round-the-pillar) account, Maltz contrasts these two occasions, the former advocating the inclusion of Gentiles into the Church, the other the exclusion of Jews.

The most telling quote is from Constantine’s letter circulated to churches throughout the Christian world concerning the timing of Easter: “Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews” (p48).

In chapter 2, Maltz provides a fascinating potted history of the main Greek thinkers: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, highlighting their ‘big ideas’ and the equally big consequences of those ideas on Church history. He demonstrates how the early Church fathers reconstructed Christianity in Platonic terms, mixing the Bible with Platonic thinking.

As we are shown the long slide away from our Jewish roots into Greek dualism we are given excellent summaries – neither too long nor too short – of Philo (and allegory), Origen, Augustine, and Aquinas. In each case there is just enough detail to convince us that “the great doctrines of Christianity had become a philosopher’s playground” (p42).

This may only be an introduction to a very large topic, but the main point comes across clearly. The Church is “far more Greek in its outlook than people could ever imagine and this is not a side issue, but very much a key battleground for the truth” (p60).

Reclaiming Our Heritage

Part Two is largely comprised of a series of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the Hebraic worldview that we need to reclaim.

Maltz starts by looking at the Bible itself and how it should be interpreted from a Hebraic perspective, and then goes on to examine the Hebrew language, family life and marriage, the Sabbath and especially the Jewish festivals and calendar. This latter section is the longest and most informative. The Jewish biblical festivals are “so instructional, so rich in meaning, so bursting in Jesus, that it can do us nothing but good to be aware of them” (p106).

Part Three revisits the idea, mentioned earlier in the book, that the body of Christ is meant to be One New Man. Here is a fascinating discussion on what this should entail, namely a balance between the two distinctive elements of Jew and Gentile. Not a blurring into one but a partnership, and a preparation for heaven!

No Apology Needed

At one point towards the end the author seems to apologise that he has meandered all over the place (though he adds hopefully, not randomly). In fact, there is no sense of meandering as you read through this book. It can be taken as a whole, or in parts. Although there is no index, there is an appendix of recommended further reading, helpfully arranged to coincide with the chapters of this book.

It covers its main themes well, and also ends with a plea for each Christian believer to take personal responsibility to examine the Bible through the eyes and experiences of the early Jewish believers, rather than the contact lens of Greek philosophy. (Amen: emphasis RB)

If we all individually re-evaluate our image of God and attitude to worship and fellowship then, as the subtitle suggests, the Church can find The Way again.

God's Signature - cover‘How the Church Lost The Way’ (190 pp, paperback, £10) is the first of Steve Maltz’s three books on the state of the Western church which are available from Saffron Planet Publishing. His website is Saltshakers. (Update: see Comments re availability on Kindle.)

Steve’s work will be featured in Prophecy TodayUK over the next few weeks. For more about Steve on this blog see my introductory remarks about ‘God’s Signature’ in Holy Treasure of ‘The Open Door’ (reading from sub-heading ‘A Deep Insight From Hebrew’).

Although I haven’t yet read this book on the Church I’m sure it’s as easy, enjoyable reading as ‘God’s Signature’.

PS: see also Jeff Benner’s brief intro’ on errors in Bible translations, About the Ancient Hebrew Research Centre (thank you Nelson Walters at The Gospel in the End-Times).

7th April: The Four Faces of God and Unity

Flying puzzles - Nokhoog Buchachon

A week ago today things happened that have since made me think, “Could Jesus’ prayer for all believers, as in John 17, at last be answered in our day?” Perhaps Father is already releasing indicators on this by scattering pieces of a puzzle for us to complete. As with most jigsaws it’s best to find and lay corner pieces and edges before tackling the larger picture, especially when the full picture isn’t as clear as we’d like it to be. But we can at least make a start on this ‘invisible jigsaw’…

After days of enquiring about overseas deliveries and as told in my footnote to this post, I was informed on 7th April that a copy of the out-of-print book ‘The Four Faces of God’ had been dispatched. It so happens – definitely not a coincidence – last Thursday, the 7th day of the 4th month of 2016, brought a quadruple focus upon a very specific theme.

First, two sisters in the Lord published related prophetic words from the Lord on 7th April.:

1 > Veronika West on the ‘Emerald Isle’ had a vision of ‘A Firestorm, Four Whirlwinds and Four Faces of God’ and in which she describes how it progressed:

“…I watched as these FIERY, BURNING AND ANOINTED ONES MOVED TOGETHER IN PERFECT UNITY, there were none greater than the other, shoulder to shoulder, and shield to shield they advanced and moved forward as ONE MIGHTY ARMY…” (emboldening added).

(Upon learning about the ‘God-incidence’ between the date she posted it on Facebook and the book’s despatch, which was absolutely nothing to do with her, she wrote that she was “truly blown away”.)

2 > For some ‘strange’ reason I got TWO copies of an email notification of what had been written earlier that day around the world and ‘down under’ by Lana Vawser:

‘While I was in the USA the Lord spoke to me about the visitation of a REVIVAL ANGEL that is being released across the earth that is marking the season we are in. We are in a season of revival and it is beginning to build and sweep across the earth. The Lord was certainly highlighting the magnitude of the revival that will be seen on a global scale, yet I felt a real emphasis from the Lord on the body of Christ and individuals. As I sat with the Lord pondering what He spoke about this angel of revival, I was surrounded by the need for reviving, refreshment and rejuvenation within the body of Christ. As I sat with the Lord He spoke to me about encounters with the angel/s of revival that is going to increase more and more in this season, where the Lord is going to send these angelic hosts to minister to the people of God. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) We do not worship angels, we worship Jesus, but we must recognise that angels are ministering spirits that are sent to us. As I saw this angel of revival that had been sent to the earth, there were many, many other angels who were accompanying him and they all had clocks in their hands. When I looked at the clocks all of them were at the same time “midnight”. As they came into the lives of believers they all sang in one accord “It’s time! It’s time! It’s time! It’s time for the GREAT REVIVE! It’s time! It’s time! It’s time for the GREAT REVIVE!”...'(read Here it Is…The Angel of Revival!!’)

I noticed the full message’s closing words have this line

‘The body of Christ is coming alive in Jesus, in purity, in life, in love, in UNITY.

3 > A regular reader of this blog emailed on 7th April about the Lord awakening her in the middle of the night on Easter Sunday about the church she and her husband are to attend:

‘He woke me, and said: “It’s time to GO!”…(email closes) The Rhema Word God has had for me the past few months is UNITY.’

4 > Did you notice ‘Unity’ is the focus of Malcolm Duncan’s March Message, ‘Watching What’s Happening in the Church’? – about which I blogged on 7th April:

“I lead Spring Harvest and for three years I have been working on an act of unity across the United Kingdom that will see all of the evangelical bible conventions and celebrations declaring that whatever our theological differences are, we are one in Christ Jesus.

NEXT (and fifth instance), upon his return from Spring Harvest my Dorset friend and author William Smith caught up with those blogs and emailed me about Malcolm,

“…The theme of Spring Harvest next year is unity. Unity, as you know, is the major outcome theme of my new book. I love such confirmation.” (emphases added)

SO we have ‘four corner pieces’ of a jigsaw puzzle displaying ‘UNITY’ in the Lord. Could they in any way be related to the four faces of God?  I humbly submit how this may be so:

Four Faces image

  1. dramatic vision of fire, whirlwinds and God – symbolic of the Eagle’s vision
  2. word from the Lord about angelic release – symbolic of the Lion’s rulership
  3. act of obedience to Lord and pastor – symbolic of Bull’s sacrificial service
  4. noticing and writing about theme – symbolic of Man’s anointing and calling.

Lastly but not least, lest we may forget, there’s this blog’s ‘blockbuster’! – the prophetic word Heidi Baker brought in late 2014 on Unity in ‘A New Move of God in the UK’ (the statistics of that post blasted through the ceiling!).

FOR SOMETHING TO BE STRESSED 5 TIMES ON THE SAME DAY MUST MEAN THE LORD WANTS OUR ATTENTION, AND IS POINTING OUT UNITY IS VITAL!

Next, we’ll look at scripture on this and an illuminating insight from early church history.

[Credit: ‘Flying puzzles’ by Nokhoog Buchachon, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net ]

Lana Vawser: new alignments, assignments & power stations – globally!

World In Fire by Danilo Rizzuti

This message was in my in-tray first thing and reinforces the vision of Veronika West in yesterday’s blog, and other prophetical voices on shifting, shaking and on re-alignments. 

New Alignments, New Assignments & Power Stations Being Set Up Across The Nations (issued 13/04/16 at 08:25)

LanaVawserAs I sat with the Lord today, He was highlighting ALIGNMENTS to me again. He was speaking to me about the SURPRISE ALIGNMENTS that are taking place right now in this season. There is a deep shifting and shaking of alignments taking place. In this “shifting and shaking” of alignment, the Lord is creating new bridges of connection and networking in the body of Christ. In this “SHIFTING AND SHAKING”, He is “MOVING AND SHAKING!”.
We must be leaning in, in this season to be following where the Spirit of God is leading in the aligning and the networking. He is establishing alignments that we have only ever dreamed of, and He is shaking alignments that He has not established.
All of the “SHIFTING AND SHAKING” of alignments right now is not a bad thing, it is to position us as the people of God in our God given destinies for the “NEXT STEPS” that He has for us and the strategic people and alignments that we must be standing with in this season as we act as catapults and bridges for each other. He is establishing and re-establishing healthy networks in the body of Christ.
As this “SHIFTING AND SHAKING” of alignments is taking place I saw GLORIOUS NEW ASSIGNMENTS being established and SUDDENLY birthed. In the “joining” of these new alignments the Lord was releasing an increase and promotion in assignments.
BE OKAY WITH “DIVINE INTERUPTIONS”
I heard the words “Be okay with DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS”. The Lord is bringing DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS in this season. Be okay with the divine interruptions, if He goes in a completely different direction to what you were expecting, embrace it, embrace Him, follow Him, because He is leading you into MO
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY IN THESE ALIGNMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS!!!
In these new alignments and joint assignments I saw the Lord releasing a “key” to MAKING ROOM for Him and instantly I saw what looked like an “upper room” and there was a lot of prayer, intercession and waiting on the Lord taking place. I then heard the Lord say “In these new alignments and joint assignments PRAYER MUST BE the PRIORITY.” There was such an increase in prayer the Lord was calling His people to, as they “joined together” there were SUDDEN visitations and explosions of His power on a level that has NEVER been seen before.
I then heard Him speak again:
“As you pray in these alignments and assignments” I am moving and shaking by the power of My Spirit and making room to SET UP POWER STATIONS ACROSS THE NATIONS”
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence” (Isaiah 64:1)
The greatest illustrations and demonstrations of His POWER were going to be displayed through these POWER STATIONS. His POWER is falling and going to continue to fall and increase in SIGNIFICANT ways as we stay attuned to His Spirit and His leading. I saw His power falling like lightning, His voice like thunder and lightning but there was NO FEAR. NO FEAR but a release of the AWE OF GOD in these POWER STATIONS across the nations where the people of God fell before Him shouting “Glory, glory, the God of glory!”
“The lightning-fire flashes, striking as He speaks. God reveals Himself when He makes the fault lines quake; shaking deserts, speaking His voice. With fear and trembling man and beast are jolted with His voice like thunder, forests are laid bare. While in His temple all fall before Him each one shouting “Glory, glory, the God of glory! Above the furious flood, the Enthroned One lives, the King-God rules with eternity at His side. This is the One who gives His strength and might to His people. This is the Lord giving His kiss of peace.” – Psalm 29:7-11 (The Passion Translation)
AWE! AWE! AWE! AWE ALL AROUND!
INCREDIBLE demonstrations of the power and Glory of God are upon us that are going to wreck us in the most glorious way, like we have never been wrecked before by the power of God and it is going to leave a HOLY SILENCE in many places as He COMES in POWER!!!!!! AWE! AWE! AWE! AWE ALL AROUND! He is breaking out of boxes displaying His incredible power.
“Things are about to get divinely MESSY as I lead My people deeper into the glorious undoing of who I am and My love. Some will feel completely out of control and on the outside it will look messy, but it is a PERFECTLY ORCHESTRATED HEAVENLY MESS as I BREAK boxes, limitations and expectations.”
These POWER STATIONS across the nations ranged from churches, to home groups, to married couples and families praying, friends praying together, the invitation was open to ALL. The key was to LISTEN to where He is aligning and STEP IN and make ROOM for Him!!!
These power stations were seeing the power of God fall so incredibly, the people of God were being transformed, shining with His Glory like never before, activated in giftings old and new with significant increase, signs and wonders were exploding ALL AROUND and HIS POWER was exploding out of these places and bringing EARTHQUAKES in the spirit of BREAKTHROUGH to individual lives, cities and nations. The hardest of ground being BROKEN OPEN by the power of God testifying that it is NOT by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6)
People coming in and out of these “power stations” were being healed, set free and delivered in an instant by the power of God. These “power stations” were seeing the power of God released into other networks, activating them and setting them alight and positioned into their destiny.
The power of God is being demonstrated in unprecedented ways right now, and it is about to increase in explosive ways. Get ready to be undone by His power, His goodness and love in unprecedented ways.
We are about to truly see… “THE KING IS HERE!”

(Emphasis added – Maranatha!)

Note: the references to ‘power stations’ echo ‘Phase 2’ of the thrice-repeated vision of 1967 that blessed Jean Darnall. After Phase 1’s ‘glowing fires’ she saw lightning strikes hitting them, some explosively – see Words of Our Time.

[Credit: ‘World on Fire’ by Danilo Rizzuti, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

2017, the significance of 70 years and Smith-Wigglesworth’s vision

Upon reading the full transcript of Malcolm Duncan’s message it resonated deeply within my spirit – as well as directly relating to personal experiences. Please bear with me as some of it necessitates reiteration.

Revd Malcolm DuncanWe should note Malcolm’s reservations mirror those of Wigglesworth’s contemporaries over his unorthodox, questionable ministry methods – but whatever the Lord wanted to heal or expel got accomplished. (Bobby Conner recounts his astonishment at seeing a dubious church leader in Jesus’ presence but being rebuked because he’s the Lord’s servant!)  Malcolm’s remarks upon weighing what the Lord may be saying is an object lesson in the prophetic. NB:

“…Denis shouted “And brother I came into the kingdom in 1947” and the minute he said it I thought, “I think God is saying something to me”.
“I think Denis…he used you as a prophetic voice…So what came into my head was “the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy of 1947”.
“I turned to Pauline and said, “Did Smith Wigglesworth prophesy his prophecy in 1947?”, and she said, “I don’t know but I was born in 1947”.
“But as soon as I heard Denis I thought of the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy, which was very unusual for me and made me think, “What are you saying Lord?” I went back and I read it again and thought – “There is something stirring in my spirit here.” (Emphasis added)

Pauline’s reaction is mine too for I always recall that vision’s year is my birth year. Also, the timing of 50 years until my witnessing his prayer partner’s ecstatic joy at also seeing what will be happening across the British Isles is etched in my memory, as told in the previous post.

Yet there’s another reason – and it connects into Malcolm’s thoughts on 70 years as being significant. AND I can offer what he doesn’t – a confirmatory explanation! He said,

“2017 is 70 years after the prophecy was given. 2017 is also 50 years after Jean Darnall’s prophecy, which was given in 1967, when she saw little fires across the UK ablaze and then a river flowing through the UK and into Europe…

“Is God saying something with these two things? The 50th year after Jean Darnall’s prophecy, a year of jubilee. The 70th year after Smith Wigglesworth prophecy, just like there were 70 years of captivity for Israel…I feel like Daniel must have felt like when he found Jeremiah’s promise after 70 years and said, after 70 years I am going to do something.

NOW, this leads into something I’d intended to finish relating to revelations upon timings received last April.  I will be more concise than when I was trying to formulate and clarify what I was learning.:

Charlie ShampOn Good Friday 2015 Charles Shamp taught on the coming September’s fourth blood-moon as marking the beginning of the time of the Army of God. He believes it starts a two-year period that’s open for all believers, but especially for a glorious company praying things from the Age to Come. Thus, the two years until September 2017 will be an extra-special period, not judgmental and destructive.

The details are recounted in A Scriptural context of…the Blood-Moon Tetrad; and under ‘2015 Feast of Tabernacles Blood-Moon’ header in its follow-up post I reported Charlie’s reasons. Those posts were written last September, but the first ones on that Passover-Easter conference appeared a year ago this month. Furthermore, I blogged about the personal significance of 40 and 55 year periods in ‘God-incidents’ Validate Cycles and Point to Near-Future.

70-Years Period

I didn’t, however, explain the personal relevance of 70 years to 23rd September 2017.

As in those posts, Charlie relates that date to the prophet Daniel’s forecast and bequest to the Magi of his revelation on ‘The Star of Bethlehem’; a reappearance of which is expected in astronomical stellar and planetary alignments of 23.9.2017 (note: not astrology!). More specifically, this future event relates to Revelation 12:1 – John’s vision of the woman clothed with the sun. (For more read Nelson Walters Who Is the Woman of Rev.12?)

My reaction was – “My 70th birthday’s the day before!”.  So the 23rd September 2017 will start a new 70-year period for me.

70 is a biblically sacred number the two factors of which are perfect numbers, 7 and 10 representing perfection and completeness respectively. As such, it symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all power, and can also represent a period of judgment (courtesy BibleStudy.org, which gives other examples to those Malcolm cites). Also, Jewish scholars teach that ‘The Torah has 70 Faces’, or levels of interpretation!

Last year saw 70th anniversary celebrations over the end of World War II, and other occasions. 2017 will be the 70th anniversary of crucial events in the birth of the state of Israel. In A Few Thoughts To Mark the Occasion of the 67th birthday of that state, Joel Rosenberg writes about a critical occasion in 1947 on the UN Partition Plan for Palestine upon the British withdrawal from that Mandated Territory, as follows:

‘To succeed, the Partition Plan needed a two-thirds majority vote of the U.N. General Assembly. With just days to go before that historic vote on November 29, 1947, however, supporters of the plan were still three votes short. Some have suggested that President Truman personally called leaders of other nations to encourage them to support the American position. Others say he didn’t but that staff in his administration did; the record is not clear. Either way, most historians—including David McCullough, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his extraordinary biography Truman—acknowledge that Truman wanted the plan to pass and played a role behind the scenes. In the end, Truman got his way. The Partition Plan dramatically passed at the last moment, thirty-three to thirteen, with ten abstentions’.

2017 – Unity

Malcolm Duncan gives his reasons for 2017 being a significant year and seeing a move of God in the UK, for which he believes God is asking us to get ready in many ways. I will cover this essential aspect in another post…

By the way, Erik Hadik, the financial analyst I occasionally blog about, gave this forecast last June on 2017:

‘The culmination of so many diverse cycle in 2017 keeps receiving powerful validation. For instance, the convergence of 8-year, 17-year and 40-year cycles – all related to China – have been forecast to accelerate into 2017.’

We shall see what we shall see…

Smith Wigglesworth visions of 1939, 1947 and 1997(!) plus related ones of 2015, 2018

To continue from the previous post on Malcolm Duncan’s reference to Wigglesworth this post expands upon the entry in Library of Prophecies for UK and my email of May 2011.:

WigglesworthBorn in 1859, Smith Wigglesworth was an unschooled plumber by trade living in Bradford, England. In Great Revivalists my friend John Peters writes,

‘While in purely human terms he would be viewed as entirely unimportant and insignificant, he was spiritually a giant in every sense o this word…

‘All that mattered to Wigglesworth was listening for and to the voice of God’s Holy Spirit: it is hardly any wonder this ministry had such powerful anointing…

‘He conceived of revival in typically robust terms: that it can only come when we are prepared to die to self and human striving. Alongside this was his teaching that Jesus must occupy the foremost place in our hearts and lives.’

For a brief background see Jonas Clark’s Smith Wigglesworth: The Apostle of Faith, or visit the Revival Library’s dedicated website for full biographical accounts and materials.

Before ‘going home’ on 12 March 1947, Wigglesworth prophesied about major moves of the Holy Spirit coming to the UK.:

TWO DISTINCT MOVES

‘During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it and will be characterized by a restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches. In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say “This is the great revival”. But the Lord says “No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it”.’

[Both have started happening for we know many have left churches that were not teaching and moving more fully in what’s promised and expected in the New Testament.]

WORD AND SPIRIT
Smith Wigglesworth‘When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidenced in the churches something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the Word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit.

‘When the Word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest movement of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed the world, has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and the Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the UK to the mainland of Europe, and from there will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.’

[It should be noted that in recent years the Baptist Union of Great Britain recognised the necessity of working with the Word with the Spirit and His gifts in equal measure. See, for example, their Vice-President’s Daring Greatly Through Spirituality AND Malcolm’s own sensitivity as a theologian to the Spirit’s directing his response.]

A THIRD WAVE

According to Revival Prophecies for the British Isles, more insight on the above was to come later from one of his disciples, American evangelist Lester Sumrall (known as ‘Father of Christian TV’, who died 1996). Gary Carpenter’s website reports Sumrall’s meeting as taking place in 1939, the essence of which he reports as follows:

‘Wigglesworth cried saying, “I probably won’t see you again now. My job is almost finished.”  As he continued to pray, he cried “I see it, I see it!”

‘Brother Sumrall asked, “What do you see, what do you see? He said, “I see a healing revival coming right after World War II. It’ll be so easy to get people healed. I see it! I see it! I won’t be here for it, but you will be.” And there was a healing revival right after the war.

‘He continued to prophesy, “I see another one. I see people of all different denominations being filled with the Holy Ghost.” That was the Charismatic Revival. God raised up people during that era, like the Full Gospel Businessmen.

‘Then Brother Wigglesworth continued, “I see another move of God. I see auditoriums full of people, coming with notebooks. There will be a wave of teaching on faith and healing.” We did experience that wave he saw, and we call it the Word of Faith movement.

‘Then he prophesied, “After that, after the third wave,” he started sobbing. “I see the last day revival that’s going to usher in the precious fruit of the earth. It will be the greatest revival this world has ever seen! It’s going to be a wave of the gifts of the Spirit. The ministry gifts will be flowing on this planet earth. I see hospitals being emptied out, and they will bring the sick to the churches where they allow the Holy Ghost to move”.’

[For full copy of the above visions, including those of Jean Darnall, see WPC file.]

1997 – NORMAN JAMES’ VISION

In April 1997 I was privileged to meet 80 years old Revd Norman James from the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough. Norman had been the prayer partner of Wigglesworth. This occasion was a weekend meeting convened at Hothorpe Hall in Leicestershire to celebrate the Welsh Revival and pray for revival.

When this small group stood in a close circle to pray, Norman was less than a yard in front of me.  As he was quite short my eyes opened to gaze fully into his face and so I couldn’t help but notice his eyes alight with excitement.  A huge, beaming smile – he was radiant!

Norman could hardly speak, save to whisper, “I’ve just seen what Wigglesworth saw – Britain in revival, on fire for the Lord!”

Ever so briefly he explained that in Wigglesworth’s 88th year the Lord had given him a vision of a future revival in Britain. He knew it would happen decades ahead but he so desperately desired to see such days. Thus Norman confided, “No wonder he wanted the Lord to keep him alive!. But he couldn’t find the words to describe its wonder.

WOW! Something for us all to pray into and look forward to. The timing of this prophetic impression upon Malcolm Duncan follows enquiries via LinkedIn about this event from a reader researching Wigglesworth’s vision.

2015 – ‘ENGLAND ABLAZE’

The theme from those visions of the 20th Century for the 21st Century have been carried ‘beyond the Pond’. Tony Puccio of Tucson, Arizona, blogged in My Dreams and Visions:

I saw a vision of the country of England as I was driving today 08/16/2015 (16th August).  What I saw was a topographical map of England. In what looked like the uppermost right hand corner of the county I saw a small fire begin. What came to mind here is what the Lord told me a while ago which was don’t despise small beginnings.  I saw a mouth blow on the small flame and the flame grew to a fire and the fire eventually engulfed the whole of England.

Along with this vision I saw a country(ies) in the same way I saw England which was a topographical map. I saw deep cracks which I saw as division in the Land and got the sense that healing will be forthcoming as well of these lands. The lands were related to England.

This morning, 08/17/2015 (17th August), am adding to the vision I saw yesterday. In today’s vision I saw many many row boats, note that I said row boats and not ocean liners, leaving the shores of England for other parts of the world. Each of the boats had a small crew and I only saw one person rowing.

See also Bobby Conner (2008) “A holy, unstoppable firestorm is coming to the UK” and Lydia Stanley on 2 July 2016, “Epicenters of rivers of God’s glory”.

Next, in 2017, The Significance of 70 Years and Smith-Wigglesworth Vision we’ll look into a couple of Malcolm Duncan’s other points of his reminiscence upon the visions…

PS: 2018 – THE CROSS VISIBLE IN ENGLAND

Tony Puccio reports again on 21st November 2018:

‘I had a dream where I saw a huge cross that seemed to have been buried for a while unearthed. When it was unearthed and placed upright I could see the imprint it from whence it had been unearthed. When stood up you could see it for miles. In fact, I saw a ship out at see coming towards England and the cross was visible to those in the ship.

‘This means that England will be a beacon of Christianity as the cross in my dream was a beacon.’

Good Friday insights

The Cross at Ffald-y-Brenin, situated as directed by the Lord.

Reflections upon the events of Jesus’ betrayal and execution whilst we were on a Quiet Day’s ‘Appointment in Jerusalem’, added to my ongoing meditation upon His prayer made not in the garden of Gethsemane, but after Passover in the upper room and offered up for Himself, the first disciples and every subsequent believer (John 17).

So my thoughts meandered around Jesus’ praying to Father that He’d “manifested Your Name” and for His disciples to see the glory He had with Father before the Beginning, as in my footnote to the word on Preparation for Enlargement.

Our modern concept of ‘name’ doesn’t convey the depth of meaning appreciated in biblical times. I recalled Hebrew and Semitic studies scholar Dr Michael S Heiser (bio) on Exodus 23:20-23 reference to the Angel of the LORD as having ‘Yahweh’s “Name” in him…which gives a glimpse of the Hebrew Bible’s ‘Name Theology’ in which reference to “the Name” actually refers to Yahweh Himself…Thus, ‘Yahweh indicates He is in the Angel…yet in other passages, Yahweh and the Angel can be simultaneously – but separately – present (Judges 6:11-26) [Old Testament Godhead Language].

That’s remarkably similar to the principle of quantum entanglement as noted On Engaging Time – yet is in the Bible!  He goes on to say the divine “Name” represents His presence, which is also God’s “essence”.

So over silent lunch with mind in ‘neutral’, an insight suddenly occurred to me and I noted it afterwards as an equation in my Bible’s rear fly-leaf.:

‘GOD’s NAME = HIS GLORY = EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM (KNOWN & UNKNOWN)’

Also, the last part is equivalent to:

‘NOT YET KNOWN  BUT BEING REVEALED IN &  ACROSS (ie. A +) TIME’

Now please note: in my mind I was going to write “in and throughout” but actually found myself writing “across”, which doesn’t make as much sense when considering the full continuity of time – BUT this change directly relates it to the Crucifixion.

From my earliest days of being ‘born again’ I’d heard about the Cross being pivotal in, and thus central to, human history. Now, however, I understood it’s existed throughout history from the very Beginning, and connected into the ‘mystery’ of ‘Fathers Own Objective’ that Apostle Paul revealed to the Ephesians, as noted in my intro to God’s Eternal Purpose.

I imagined the Cross’ horizontal beam s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g…r-i- g-h-t…a-c-r-o-s-s…t-i-m-e.

Next, I scribbled a cloud shape with arrows poking out of it to represent different epochs and wrote within its curvy outline, ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ (as in the title of the medieval book of Christian contemplative mysticism on the being and nature of God – see Wikipedia).

THEN right after jotting those notes and awaiting the first session after lunch, this famous Welsh hymn was played and I was transfixed by the chorus line,

“He can never be forgotten throughout heaven’s eternal days.”

Now, as I blog and search on Hebrew name theology I find an informative article on ‘Ha Shem’ at Hebrew4Christians, to which is added this postscript:

‘The point of all this is to demonstrate that the “Name of the LORD” is none other than Yeshua (or Jesus). Yeshua = YHVH…The idea of “Name” means more that mere phonetics; it has to do with the deeds, acts, power, reputation and glory of God. Those who do not honor the Son do not honor the Father who sent Him (John 5:23). Denigrating Yeshua by even hinting that He is less than God Almighty is to desecrate the Name of God…’ (Divine Names Theology?)

All this reminds me of another aspect of the Lord’s name relating directly to the Crucifixion that I was contemplating, about which I’ll tell another time…

God’s Eternal Purpose

Mike’s title is similar to the pencil note in my study bible’s top margin ‘FATHER’S OWN OBJECTIVE!’ for Ephesians 1:9-10 – ‘…having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.’ (My emphases are highlit yellow and continue for later references to ‘dispensation’, ‘mystery’ ‘wisdom’ and ‘revelation’.) So thank you Mike for helping us move into our role in the Lord’s purpose. (Those keen on the supernatural aspects of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church may also wish to read Management of the Miraculous: Ephesus Is Taken by Keith Lannon, as recommended in http://wp.me/p1Y1yB-78x)

Freedom ARC's avatarSons of Issachar

Mike Parsons
with Jeremy Westcott – 

multicoloured jewel “The manifold wisdom of God is like a multi-faceted, multi-coloured gem.”

…for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).

Our destiny is to have access to heaven, where the Father is, and to have relationship with Him.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22).

We are to be fellow-citizens with all those who have gone before us, that cloud of witnesses in heaven. Like them, we are citizens…

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Jesus is alive – back to life from death! Alleluiah!

At this time every year Nina creates a tableau for contemplating Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. She’s inspired about what items to collect and arrange, usually including a rock with a central hole eroded by the sea and which we found on a beach. It serves as both the ‘skull’ and garden tomb of Golgotha. For example, the above display has a scarf as a ‘river of life’ flowing out of the empty cave/tomb below the cross. (In 2012 it gave an insight that I’ll share below.)

A slightly different display is set up each Maunday Thursday, the night of which Jesus and the twelve leading disciples ate Passover Seder early (see video explanation). Following the meal, one disciple betrayed Him by leading Temple guards to capture Him at night for trial by a ‘kangaroo’ court of Jewish leaders.  It was a foregone conclusion that they would demand authorisation of His death from Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect, or governor, of Judea.

If you’re unfamiliar with this true story and how it led to Jesus’ gruesome torture, death and burial followed by his amazing bodily resurrection and appearance to His disciples, read doctor Luke’s investigative account and the personal account of Jesus’ closest disciple John. (Later, a Jewish leader violently opposed to them but who encountered Jesus en-route to Damascus would write He was seen simultaneously by over 500 – 1 Cor 15:6)

A Bit of Theology

Jesus Christ died so that each of us may be forgiven for our sins. As a result of this new status, we now have direct personal access to God. As the Son of God, He suffered on our behalf as our ‘scapegoat’.  That is, Jesus took the place of death that we deserved because of our sinfulness, for the shedding of a sinless one’s blood was the only way our status could be changed for us to gain personal salvation. Apostle Paul put it thus to the Romans:

8But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11, NIV, see whole chapter.)

Now, when I was a new Christian I found that rather hard to understand – but it works! The theological term is ‘atonement’, or ‘substitutionary atonement’.  In bringing forgive-ness to the guilty, however, this can cause deep problems for those who’ve been the victim of crimes. After all, why should a killer find forgiveness by God? And what about the victim’s families, or the victim of abuse? They find it very hard if well-nigh impossible to forgive.

In 2012 I heard a Portsmouth prison chaplain address this issue with a concept taken from the criminal justice system: restorative justice. This involves active dialogue between victim and offender, plus reparation.  And it has a sound basis in  theology. How?

Jesus was a guiltless victim, directly of those who wanted Him killed, and indirectly of everyone’s ‘fallen state’ of sinfulness, which could only be rectified by His death.

And Almighty God, the Father, is a victim too. How? He’s victim of humanity’s rebellion against Him. For example and especially over the way religious leaders murdered His son – how they seethed with rage when Jesus denounced them! (read Luke 20:9-19).  So, every victim can find an identity and affinity in both God and Jesus Christ in their situation. Hence, they can receive God’s own ability to forgive because He will help them choose to forgive those who’ve harmed them. [Lack of forgiveness may be the only thing that hampers God – see Matt 6:14-15]

A Tableau in Time

During contemplation upon the tableau illustrated above, an insight dropped into mind that the Resurrection created a distinct point in the flow of, or perhaps even a change in, time itself. That is, the now termed ‘common era’ calendar is the medieval Christian one that counts years from the approximate birth of Christ as ‘anno Domini’. But in fact, a more powerful one would be the point at which things in heaven changed and thus affected our lives on earth and its ultimate role in God’s scheme of creation. This took place at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His revival to life from death itself.

That such a concept may be valid can be found in the discoveries about the material of the shroud in which Jesus was thought to have been carried and covered during His interment, known as ‘The Shroud of Turin‘. It is of astounding significance when examined from an understanding of quantum physics!  It can actually be regarded as a ‘singularity’, which is the term used for the starting point of the creation of the universe, or ‘Big Bang’. Don’t take my untutored word for this but consider particle physicist Isabel Piczek. She is also a monumental artist and award-winning figura-tive draughtsman. Consequently, her very detailed analysis of theories about how the shroud’s image was formed is fascinating and authoritative (see first of several detailed articles here).

This scientist’s conclusions about how the image was formed are astounding – it seems that the image of Jesus can only have been created by its hovering equidistantly above and below his reclining corpse. And furthermore, this necessitated the body’s levitation – perhaps not an impossible feat during the moment of resurrection power-blast? After all, the disciples had witnessed Jesus walking on water!

Dame Isabel succinctly summarises:

We have a piece of cloth and it leads us to a mysterious gate which opens for us, and it lets us see a completely different world, an extraordinary world with extraordinary laws.

You can consider these claims by watching this 19 minute video extract from the DVD The Fabric of Time (please bear with initial advert).

PS: the republished version of this post closes with a fascinating update and another investigation: He IS RISEN! Surprising Scientific Facts of Jesus’ Burial Shroud.

Upwelling spiritual water from unblocked wells in UK

Flying puzzles - Nokhoog BuchachonLike snowflakes three more pieces of the ‘invisible jigsaw’ gently waft down, yet remain unsuspected. They’re noticed only when they settle and although single, sit side-by side as though fitting like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Saturday: Dominic McDermott commented as follows on the re-post of Patsy Southway, Re-opening the Wells:

‘I have heard “unblock the wells!” a number of times from the Lord over the years but recently especially in relation to the Celtic anointing that he poured on these British Isles around 1700 years ago. We are a small lay community in the Catholic church looking to express some Celtic elements of our spirituality. I work/minister in a prison and a few years ago on a lawn there God had spoken about some new grass shoots springing up which will become a whole lawn of new things in the land, but these shoots had in reality only grown poorly through lack of water.

‘Then on 6/10/15 the grass there began to spring up tall and lush as an underground pipe had burst under the lawn and watered it and ran off down the hill as a stream down the road up to the prison. The Lord called me to go and look at this leak as contractors had dug a hole to expose the pipe so it could be mended. What I saw was a 1.5 metre deep hole which was now a pool of crystal clear water roiling slightly in the centre over the hole in the pipe. The water had washed away all the dirty water and continued to flow down the hill.

‘I understood that this represents the Celtic anointing which had been poured out to evangelise these once pagan islands and which has been buried for centuries but is now being released for us again now that the land has returned to a new pagan darkness. This clear and fresh revelation and anointing will see many new communities spring up with a Celtic spirituality, with an understanding and wisdom coming from the north of England where this anointing has first been released as the Upper Springs and we as the Nether (lower) springs (Judges 1/14-15) and will spread quickly into Europe as a source of revival of the ancient and dying churches.’

waves-circles-pixabay

This is particularly interesting in view of a dream signifying a connection between the ancient Celtic foundations of the church across Britain and a renewal of belief within traditional churches (Confirmation of 2016’s Prophetic Words for a New Season).

Sunday: Arriving late by agreement from a pre-arranged event we quietly enter the chapel where holy communion and anointing of celebrants is taking place. It is no normal service but part of a weekend course exploring Christian healing, thus training some for this foundation’s ministry team. The Holy Spirit’s powerful presence can be sensed right away – and I almost see the presence of some holy witnesses from time immemorial. I’m reminded of when we visited the lower chapel of St Basil (‘The Great’ 4th Century Cappadocian Father and doctor of the Church) in Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges and I almost went back centuries to Jerusalem; Nina wept in the power from centuries of prayer vigils focussed upon The Passion.)

Monday: From Glasgow I receive today’s Lion Bite!:

SPRINGS OF LIFE

‘I am releasing my springs of life in the dry place. Where you sought to establish my kingdom and have dug a well in a desolate place, but have found rock instead of water and death instead of life, I am now causing my springs of life to bubble up and begin to overflow in these wells.

‘With my springs of life will come abundance and blessings and you will see breakthrough. My kingdom will be established in these formerly desolate places. Watch and see as my grace begins to overflow and see my glory abound more than you had ever hoped for. Blessed are you that dug deep in my name, your faithfulness shall be rewarded.’

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry place; I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring and my blessings on your descendants.

NB: in my opinion, timing and similarity of topics between both words, as well as the resonance between the contrasts stressed, clearly indicates the Lord’s drawing our attention to what He’s saying and doing.

In particular, Dominic’s encouraging insight contrasts with prison authorities’ outrageous censorship of minister Barry Trayhorn’s biblical teaching within a prison chapel AND of BBC’s wicked slandering of scripture and scandalously reprehensible treatment of Revd Trayhorn, as reported here by Christian Concern.

Confirmations of 2016’s prophetic words for a New Season

A week ago this morning, last week got kick-started before I was even awake! It was an eventful dream, which I’ll relate shortly.

In fact, someone had already tried getting in touch in connection with the dream! That may seem astonishing but this sort of coincidence isn’t at all unusual. ‘God-incidents’ always make me rejoice for we have a God of surprises.

When I got around to checking the weekend’s email one near the top of my in-tray was from the senior leader of Falkirk Full Gospel Church in Scotland, Thomas Harry. In view of what I’d dreamt his message stunned me!…It reads:

church

‘URGENT: Word for 2016 – New Season – Building on the Apostolic & Prophetic’

“I have attached an urgent word from the Lord that has had an overwhelming number of confirmations…regarding the new season we are in and ensuring we build on the biblical foundation of the Apostles and Prophets found in Ephesians 2:20.

“It has been confirmed by respected Christian leaders globally and the document includes 10 confirmations including from Catherine Brown, Sharon Stone, Cindy Jacobs, Peter Wagner & others.

“This will affect us all one way or another, so I felt it was vital I shared with someone like you. Most of us realize there’s a great move of God coming and the Lord wants to ensure we have our foundations and houses ready for this …’

“I believe it signals the biggest shift in the church since the reformation…”

I agree with Thomas that this prophetic consensus warrants church-wide circulation to leaders and congregations for serious consideration and weighing with the Lord.

To read the full document use this link to ‘Word for 2016…’ and scroll for downloading it as a Word or pdf document. More easily, however, read it courtesy of James Bailey with extensive comments on his Z3News by clicking here.

Thomas’ document begins:

‘The Lord has confirmed that the church as a whole has shifted to a new season and consequently we must build on the Apostolic and Prophetic foundation laid out in Ephesians 2:20. The attached document has been collated by Thomas Harry, through the leading of the Holy Spirit in order to communicate this word to the global church. Due to the urgent nature of this word, please circulate this to believers and leaders both here in the UK and beyond. I urge every believer and leader to take the time to read through this as it is certainly one of the most important words for the church in many years.’

I’m grateful to Thomas for kindly quoting a couple of items from this blog. Furthermore, we know from recent posts there are many more confirmations than those he quotes. (Not to mention the content of daily Lion Bites from Glasgow Prophetic Centre.)

Moreover, this blog’s A New Era for the Church lists over 40 prophetical promises made before November 2014 and building up over the following year; presumably leading to a tipping point!

A Revival-related Dream

The dream I’d had a few hours before reading his email was this.:

A crowd that I supposed had come from a church were milling around and confused. One man of some standing sharply accused me, “You’re not a Christian”.  Upon my addressing that issue the scene changed and time seemed to pass, as though the dream’s earlier part was about historical events.

At one point my spectacle lens is about to fall out and so I use my special screwdriver to adjust and tighten it. (This symbolises a change in clarity of vision in order to understand the dream’s meaning – and what was about to unfold!)

Then I find I’m looking into large hall inside a building – the ceiling’s not visible but I sense it’s open to the heavens(!) The distant walls resemble many side chapels in a large cathedral. One is noticeable and commemorates the period of Celtic saints in pre-Catholic British church.

Heather ClarkAnd NOW – actually whilst typing – I’m getting distinct ripples and chills down my neck as Heather Clark sings, “For the Lord our God He is holy…holy, holy, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…” in her distinctive rendition of Exalt The Lord. (‘Glorious Praise’ cd.)

The hall in my dream is jam-packed with excited believers, quite the opposite of the earlier scenes. Someone nearby holds his Bible to his mouth (signifying not only he will speak in accordance with scripture but also as led by the Lord; ie. with full prophetic anointing).  And so I understand he’s going to preach with a holy unction….

But then the alarm goes off!

The dream’s impact left a lingering impression. So I chuckled upon reading our morning prayer focus from Keep Praying and Bless. The day’s scripture is 1 Chronicles 16:29,

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His Name!

We decree that a day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

After the daily prayer of blessing for our family, friends, locality and that day’s particular city came its specific blessing:

“We bless the nation to receive a spirit of worship, to give glory and honour to Almighty God, that His Glorious Name be praised by all men.

How appropiate – even more so when I read Thomas’ email.

May you too be mightily blessed…