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NEW CHRISTIANS-Ideas to strengthen your faith!Posted: 2007-01-04 20:59:01  1. Start learning more about Jesus by reading the Bible, it is the living Word of God. Start with the Gospel of John. The truths in the Bible help strengthen our Christian faith.
2. Pray. It doesn't have to be with fancy words--just talk with God about how you feel. The book of Psalms has many examples of prayer. Jesus gave a wonderful example of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Prayer helps strengthen our relationship with God. God hears and answers heart-felt prayers to Him for ourselves and others. 3. Get together regularly with other Christians to study the Bible, worship God, take communion, and be a spiritual encouragement to each other. 4. Be baptized.  Jesus was baptized and we, too, publically acknowledge that we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior by participating in baptism. 5. We need to tell others about what a difference Jesus has made in our lives. Happy New Year-2007!Posted: 2007-01-04 20:00:00  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 Prophetic Writing-Thoughts for the New Year 2007-by David NelsonPosted: 2007-01-04 19:59:00 The Lord is more interested now in a two-way street of our love shown to Him and His love shown to us. It is no more just us asking for things from Him and Him giving to us, but of us asking what can we do or be that would be giving something to Him. How can we please His heart, how can we do or be something that touches His heart and makes Him glad? Not just something we do, but something well done with a good heart toward Him. Not just doing, but a good (pleasant) and a faithful servant, like when your pet comes and lays faithfully at your feet or in your lap just because they like being near you. What do we need to do each day to give to Him? Think about things to be thankful for and thank Him for these things. Spend time with Him to hear if He has something to say. Think and say good thoughts to Him about His goodness and greatness. What can I do today to please your heart, Lord? Take away and fade away my misguided desires but replace my pursuits with more of what you want, Lord. Also, if we will be more the initiator of kindness to those we see around us, that the flow of light and love comes from us, then we can look for some good responses and some good reciprocation from others. If we don’t get any love in return we will experience much of what God experiences, giving good things to people who do not thank Him or recognize Him. But if we get a response of love or kindness back to us from our efforts towards others then maybe a two-way street will begin with them. The Lord is pleased when we give love to others and when even a relationship begins of a two-way street between you and others you meet. What we need to guard against is being too busy that we don’t have time for the Lord or others because we are doing so much or have so much to accomplish, or our passions and desires are driving us that are misguided. Not so busy with private pursuits but time to be with the Lord and give our thoughts toward Him, and time to touch others with kindness and maybe a two-way relationship will begin with them too. David Nelson Prophetic Word-Get the Word Out-10-3-06-David NelsonPosted: 2007-01-04 19:58:13 Get the word out. God wants his church back. He wants to see his people minister before Him, to each other, with the individual anointings on each one. My people are in captivity and have been held back from doing what I have called each one to do. Let the grandmother go so she can be all I created her to be. Let the young person go to bring forth what I have in them for this hour. Get the word out. God wants his church back. I want to come close to my people as you gather but all that you do gets in the way of what I want to do. There is so much pride and flesh, and backbiting in your hearts, that I cannot come as I would like. But if you desire me to come, and you prepare your hearts, and put away your ideas, your works, your plans, your offerings, negative thoughts about others and welcome the least the same as the greatest, then I will come. But if you want me to stay you must be in a hush as to what I do, and love each one with the deeper love that I will give you, and welcome each one to come forward as I direct, and you will enter a hushed realm of holiness where I speak through each one, you will know my voice in them, you will know that it is I speaking. You will know when I start, you will know when I end, come with reverence to each gathering, look for me to lead and I will. Get the word out. Where I have not come you are wasting your time. You must stop with the old so that I can come with the new. Do you want me to come and stay? I will come where your hearts are prepared and ready to receive me. I want my church back. You will become so tired of the old, for if you want me I will make you tired, bored of all you see, and famished to see and hear me. I am preparing many to speak and share and give forth what is in their hearts, I will have, what I have put there, come forth in one place or another, depending on where I am welcomed and I am free to work through any that I choose. I am ready to take you deeper, to the ankles, to the knees, to the waist and to swim in my presence. These are deep waters, do not be afraid, I am deep and I call to the deep in you to come. When the hush of my holiness comes you will know it. It is what you have longed for. It is what you were made for. Come, my beloved. My table is ready. You have been waiting for this and I too. It is the time. Come. Get the word out. Make a place for me to come; where hearts are prepared, where they reverence my presence, where I am the king, where I can do as I please through anyone in the room. It is the time to gather. Great darkness is over the earth but I will make “light houses” in many places with my presence and fire. David Nelson Quote by Leonard RavenhillPosted: 2007-01-04 19:58:11 "The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of theChurch...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God. We live in a generation that has never known revival God's way. True revival changes the moral climate of an area or a nation. Without exception, all true revivals of the past began after years of agonizing, hell-robbing, earth-shaking, heaven- sent intercession. The secret to true revival in our own day is still the same. But where, oh, where, are the intercessors?" - Leonard Ravenhill Prophetic Ministry News-January 2007Posted: 2007-01-04 19:58:09  LOCAL MEETINGS:
UPCOMING EVENT(S):  Perryville, Missouri Prophetic Christian Gathering January 26, 2007, 7p January 27, 2007, 9a-5p (break for lunch) January 28, 2007, 9a-5p (break for lunch) E-mail info@propheticministryiowa.com for specific map directions to meeting Des Moines, Iowa Prophetic Forum February 24, 2007, 9a-5p Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, 1350 NW 118 St, Clive, IA 50325 515-223-9254 Main Meeting Room NEW CHRISTIANS-Basics of Discipleship-True Repentence-Part I-by David NelsonPosted: 2007-01-04 19:58:03 BASICS OF DISCIPLESHIP-True Repentance-Part I Scripture verses referenced in this study: Matthew, Chapters 1-4 True repentance has to do with a walk of repentance that starts at salvation. It starts at the gate, when we first enter into the gate, and enter into a relationship with Jesus and become part of His kingdom and are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; that first entrance took repentance. If we were to go back to the first century church, the basic doctrines of the faith would be very stabilizing and would give us a good direction of how to walk in this Christian life. In Hebrews 6, verses 1-3, it talks about the basics of discipleship and it says, “Let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity and it sets forth the elementary doctrines as, repentance from dead works, faith towards God with instructions about baptisms and laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. So, we are studying some of the basic doctrines, to help us build a good foundation in the word of God (using both Old and New Testament scriptures as they apply). One of the basic doctrines is, “repentance from dead works.” What is repentance? What are dead works? What are true works? What is faith towards God? The writings below are for any Christian who wants to learn more about the basics of discipleship. True repentance starts at the door of salvation, when we first enter the door. Peter asks in Acts, the 2nd chapter, Do you want to be saved? Do you want to know Christ? Do you want to know that he is your Lord and Savior? Do you want to become a Christian? Do you want to flee from the wrath to come? Do you want to be saved from the wrath that is yet coming? Do you want to be in God’s kingdom? Do you want to go to heaven? The first word that came out of Peter’s mouth was REPENT and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and you will have your sins washed away—you will be forgiven of your sins and you will receive the Holy Spirit and so on. He said, “Repent, and be baptized.” Repent means to turn around and to go a different direction. A good definition is that we must make a 180 degree turn. We were going down the “broad road that leads to destruction” and we were going nowhere, we were going to an end that is a dead end street. We were going to end up in hell, which is the broad road of selfishness and just living for self. You might be a very moral person but if you have no relationship with God and you are just living for self and pleasure and so on, that is the broad road—it is the easy road. The narrow road is the road where we turn 180 degrees and we decide that we are going to go with God. Instead of going down this broad road we are going to turn around, 180 degrees, and go on the narrow path and serve Jesus and love Jesus and do His will and desire to be like Him. So, that is what repentance means. That all started when we first became a Christian. When we first became saved, we asked Jesus to come into our life and He began to change us and to make us want to go down a new road. We decided to turn away from the old ways and go toward His new ways. Jesus says, in Luke 13:3, “Unless you repent, you will perish.” With repentance, there is a change that comes in your life where, at one time in your life you were living a human way according to human nature. Let’s say you are an oak tree and every acorn that falls from the oak tree, if you planted it, would grow into another oak tree; then that new tree would grow new acorns. Every cell in that acorn, as it breaks down and becomes a little tree, a little plant, and then a little tree, every cell that multiplies tells that tree that I am going to be an oak tree, I’m going to have oak-shaped leaves, I’m going to grow acorns some day—this is what I am. Well, maybe, at one time we were just an oak tree and all we could produce was acorns, but when God comes into our life, he makes us a fruit tree or an apple tree or something that is going to bear fruit. If an apple seed is put in the ground, it sprouts up and it grows into a little tree and it has a different shaped leaf than the oak and every cell in that little seed, and every cell in that new, tiny tree says “I’m going to produce applies, I’m going to produce applies, that’s what I was made to do.” When God comes into our life, He starts producing the works of holiness, the works of heaven, not worldly works or dead works or works that are just earthly or human nature, but God’s nature is going to begin to sprout forth from us. We are going to become an apple tree—we are changed from an oak tree to an apple tree. Repentance is when we truly want to go down this road, we give ourselves to Jesus and He begins to change us on the inside. This beginning repentance means that we will not perish, because we have come into his kingdom BUT there is a continuing walk of repentance that is needed. So, true repentance is not just the repentance at the beginning but a continuing repentance through our whole life where we come to know the Lord. Maybe, we slip away from Him for a little bit or maybe we do not know exactly what he wants us to do and then he reveals to us, this is what I want you to do, and we say, we are going down the wrong road, we need to repent and go this way. The Lord continually works in us, over and over again, a turning back to Him, a coming back onto the path. As we veer from the path or we don’t know the way down the path, he will show us the way. There is a continuing changing in our life where we continue to repent through our whole life. Have you ever, if you have been a Christian for 5 years or 6 years or 10 years, had to repent after you have been a Christian for years, because you have been going down the wrong way and you had to turn back—that is another 180 degree turn, you were going down the wrong way in a particular area of your Christian life, and you had to turn around and go a different way. Maybe there was a lack of prayer in your life and you had to change to go in the direction of more prayer in your life. True repentance is not just at the beginning of our Christian walk but continues through our whole walk. In Luke, chapter 3, verse 8, John the Baptist had the message of repentance, he shouted out in the desert and in the wilderness, “Repent, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, prepare the way of the Lord, repent.” John the Baptist had this message but also Jesus had the message of repentance. If you were to read the first few chapters of Matthew, up to about chapter 4, it says, also, that as Jesus went forth in his ministry he also preached a message of repentance, the exact verse is Matthew, chapter 4, verse 17, it says,”From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” So, this message of repentance is a true message. When John the Baptist went on in Luke, chapter 3, he says “Who warned you, you brood of vipers, to flee from the wrath to come.” He also said in verse 8, “Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not begin to say to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father, for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the tree, every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” What John the Baptist was saying is bear fruit that befits repentance. You can’t just say I have repented at the alter; I became a Christian and I repented once. You have to bear fruit that befits repentance. John the Baptist would not tolerate that you said you repented but you didn’t really change. We must begin to have a changed life. We must begin to produce apples. Show me that you are an apple tree. Let me know that Jesus lives in you. Even Paul said in Acts 26:20, “The gentiles should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.” So, he was saying to these gentiles, you need to repent, you need to turn around, turn from this world and from serving the prince of this world, who is Satan, and serving the desires of mind and body and flesh. Turn to God and perform deeds worthy of your repentance. This has to be created by God. He will change our nature. He will give us a new nature and we will begin to perform deeds worthy of repentance. This is necessary to bear fruit; otherwise, the tree will be cut down. In Luke, chapter 3, verse 10, John explained what the fruit would be like. “The multitudes asked, OK, What shall we do?—you say bear fruit that befits repentance—what shall we do? John said, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none…He who has food—let him do likewise.” The fruits of true repentance is a heart that becomes giving, for instance, sharing a coat, sharing extra food, etc. For the early disciples in the book of Acts, when the church was first birthed, no one had to tell them that they should have everything in common. But no one cared about anything that he owned, because they just loved Jesus so much that nothing else seemed to matter to them. That is the birthing that comes in our life, a life that says, “I don’t care if something is taken away from me.” In Hebrews, it says, “They joyfully accepted the plundering of their goods—knowing that they had a better reward.” They were persecuted, they experienced suffering, but even when things were taken from them or they suffered or they wanted to share their goods with others or have things in common, they didn’t care that much because their mind and their hearts were not set upon these things. So, when John says, “He who has two coats give to him who has none, he who has food do likewise,” he is saying that this is what will be birthed in you; this life of good fruits will be birthed in you and as God begins to deal with you that you are not all that you ought to be, as you read the Word, you will become convicted and you will have to work at whatever He is showing you and become repentant and go down the path that He shows. This is the continuing work of repentance that will come in your life. There is more to be said about the works of repentance.
NEW CHRISTIANS-Discipleship Basics-The Word of God-Part I-by David NelsonPosted: 2007-01-04 19:55:00 Part I Scripture verses referenced in this study: John 1:1 II Tim. 3:16 says, “All scriptures are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” When it says, “all scriptures”—that means the writings. God has decided to put his truth into writing. Now, much of his truth also comes through just Spirit inspiration—that we can receive through a revelation in our mind, heart, or our Spirit. He wrote down so much of his truth in the word of God, the Bible, that we can check any revelation that we have against the truth of the Bible, for he has given us a complete, full record of his truth. The Bible, the writings of God, are inspired by God, that means they are God-breathed. God breathed these writings. I don’t care whether it is Moses or Isaiah, Matthew, Peter or Paul, whoever is writing the scriptures, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. This means the Holy Spirit breathed these truths into these men and then these men breathed out these truths and wrote them down. That is what the word “scriptures” means, it means “writings.” They were breathed by God. They are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness; that the man or woman of God may be complete, equipped, for every good work. The word of God is our tool to be fully equipped for every good work. The word of God is our armor, our weapons, everything for us to be totally equipped for every good work. Some people get very spiritual when they talk about healing or casting out demons or they talk about doing miracles, or speaking in tongues, or whatever. What I want you to know is that if you want to be fully equipped for every good work, which would include healing, casting out of demons, doing miracles, raising the dead, speaking in tongues, whatever, you must know the word. Then, you will be fully equipped to do every good work. How are you going to cast out a demon if you do not know the word? Yes, you may be able to do it as a young Christian or you may be able to do it as an ignorant Christian but God puts no premium on ignorance and he wants you to be intelligent in the word so that when a spirit comes to you and brings some lie or twist of the truth, you know how to answer him with the word. Jesus used the word as a weapon. It is called, in the Scripture, the sword of the Spirit. In Matt. 4, when Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness, when Satan came to tempt him, I tell you with all my desire, he answered Satan every time with the word and I don’t mean this in a loose, meaningless way. In Matt. 4:3, when the devil came to Jesus and said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread…” but Jesus answered, “It is written…” (the Scriptures). God has breathed the Scriptures and Jesus quoted a scripture from Deut. 8, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” So, as Satan came to tempt and twist him and torment him and to sidetrack him and to try to deceive him, Jesus answered Satan with the word. Jesus lashed back with the sword of the Spirit to conquer this devil with the word of God that would sweep the devil back, drive him back. The devil could not stand before the word. Every time the word was given, Satan had no answer, because he has nothing to say, unless he is trying to twist the word in the wrong direction. But, if we know the word, we can fight Satan. In Rev. 12, it says the accuser of the brethren, Satan, that liar, has been cast down to earth—he knows he has a short time to work. He is going to try to deceive Christians and the world, but it says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” We can overcome Satan by the word of our testimony. We can overcome him by the sword of the Spirit. This is very powerful. It says that the “man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work—equipped to cast out demons, equipped to do miracles of healing, equipped to be sensitive to God and to have that word coursing through our Spirit at all times, so that we are able to be wise in God. NEW CHRISTIANS-Discipleship Basics-Disappointments-by David NelsonPosted: 2007-01-04 19:50:36 Dealing with disappointments—Don’t give up! Scripture verses referenced in this study: II Cor. 12:9-10 Satan wants you to give up and stop being a Christian. He is called the accuser of the brethren. He not only accuses others in your ears but he will accuse you, too. He does this by telling you that you are too sinful or that you fail too much, and that God really cannot use someone like you. He makes you feel that you’re not going to make it as a Christian, it’s too hard of a road, no matter how hard you try you’re not getting anywhere; you might as well hang it up and just live for the world. Satan wants you to quit. He wants you to say, “I’m too weak, I can’t make it.” We can be disappointed in our circumstances because things often happen that we didn’t expect and didn’t want. We will always be disappointed in others because people fail us, and they don’t always match up to our expectations. And we will always be disappointed in ourselves because we try to match up with what the Lord wants and we try to please him, but then we fall short of what we had hoped to do. We must recognize that we are weak. I don’t mean for us to use that as a shallow excuse but it is still true. The apostle Paul recognized that he was weak, he said, “I am weak, but I will rejoice in my weaknesses, because I am not looking to myself or my own abilities, but I am looking to God.” (II Cor.12:9-10). My confidence is in God; God is the one at work in me who will create the good in me. Phil. 2:13 says that “God is at work in us, both to desire and to do his good pleasure.” Many times in my life this verse and the truth of this verse has given me strength. When look at myself and say, “Dave, look at how you are failing, you might as well give up and go whole hog back into the world, you are not worthy of God or worthy to be called his servant, look at the areas you are failing in.” It’s at these moments that Satan will zero in on a few areas of our life and make us feel a lot of guilt. Yes, we should feel guilty about sin in our lives but not to the point where we stop being a Christian over it. That’s why Phil. 2:13 has been such a comfort to me, it says, “God is at work in us, both to desire and to do his good pleasure.” God will put the desire in us to do what is right (Has he not given us a new nature that longs and desires to do what is right?), and God will also make sure that we actually do that which we desire, for he will give us the strength to defeat sin in our lives. God is at work in us both for the desire (we must want to do right), and he knows how to do the accomplishing through us also. God is the one, he is our righteousness. Another verse that should give us confidence in the Lord is I Cor. 1:29, where it says, ‘No human being will be able to boast in the presence Of the Lord.” No human being will be able to stand in the presence of the Lord and say, “Wasn’t I strong for you, didn’t I go out and try to win the lost, didn’t I serve you, didn’t I do this and that for you” because it was God at work in us to desire and to do his good pleasure. God gave us the desire to pray, and then he moved in our hearts to actually go and do it. That’s why, when you look at yourself and your own failures, you are going to be disappointed, but when you look at God you should say, no one will be able to boast in his presence; he is the source of our life in Christ Jesus( I Cor. 1:30), he is the source of our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption; “therefore as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.’” (I Cor. 1:31) If we look at ourselves too much, we have missed the point concerning who is the source of our righteousness. The whole book of Job is based on the fact that Satan wanted to prove that Job was more sinful than he actually was (or at least he wanted God’s creation (Job) to fail and God’s name to be tarnished). Yes, Satan may say absolutely true things to us or about us, but he may also add untrue conclusions, like, “You’ll never be able to overcome that sin.” But God says, “I am at work in you, both to desire and to do my good pleasure” and there is no sin in your life that I (God) cannot defeat, in time. The three or four men who came to talk to Job while he was sick, and after all his calamities, thought that his troubles were caused by sin in his life that he was not owning up to. These men were trying to tell Job why they thought he was being punished by God for something he had done wrong. They were trying to tell him he was sinful, but God said at the beginning of the book of Job that Job was righteous and blameless, and God said at the end of the book that these men spoke what was wrong concerning Job, and that Job spoke what was right (Job kept saying to them that he had done nothing to deserve what he was getting, and God said Job was right). Do you see how Satan accuses us, and tries to get us going in the wrong direction, and how Satan can even use other people to accuse us? These men were very eloquent and their words sounded kind, considerate, and reasonable, they were not mean, shaking their fists in the air, they sounded plausible But isn’t that just how Satan works, not obvious, not strong enough to scare you away, very subtle. Satan says, “Job, why do you think this has come upon you, do you think there might be something wrong with how you have been doing things, could it be a little pride that is causing you to think that you do not deserve this?” Satan wanted to get Job’s eyes on himself, so that he would feel defeated. But Job was not defeated, he came through all his trials with God’s approval, at the beginning of the book and at the end of the book. Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:2, 2:10. Job 38:2 (God said concerning Elihu). Job 42:7, 8 (God said to Eliphaz). God said that all these people who told you that you must have sin in your life for God to allow this to happen to you, they were wrong. God said. “I did not do this to correct you or punish you, but my final answer as to why I allowed all this to happen I have chosen not to reveal to you at this time. So, do not let Satan’s reasonings sidetrack you from God’s Word or God’s steadfast love for you. God is the author and finisher of our faith. He started us on the path, he knows how to keep us on track, and he knows how to finish the pottery he is working on till it is just the way he wants it. But you might say, “Can’t we willfully walk away from God, can’t we be uncooperative and ruin some of God’s plans for us?” Yes, we can walk away from God, but we must not fall into Satan’s trap and walk away from God because we are disappointed in our own performance before God. God said that he would help us overcome sin in our lives in his time, as long as we don’t try to hide sin from God or hide from God ourselves, but we confess our sin, walk in the light (not hiding from God), then he will stand by us and forgive our sins in the blood of Jesus, and he will work in us both to desire and to do that same good that we desire. Can we slow down or ruin some of God’s plans for us? I believe that it is possible that we can choose some detours that lead to dead ends, but who is to say what purposes God might have in our experiences that God might use them to perfect us, and how God can work all things together for good in the end. The final word is that God is at work in us, and that we should not let Satan fool us into leaving this God who is on our side, and who wants us to trust him to produce his righteousness in us. Let us not look at ourselves and our failures too much, but let us long for his purity, let us look unto the Lord. Remember that the opposite of faith is being troubled? Well, if you are troubled about your own spiritual progress, or troubled about your own ability to overcome sin, is that not a lack of faith in God? Did he not say that he was at work in us to overcome sin? The only question is when is he going to do it. The Word says that he is at work in us. Have you not seen some changes in your life that shows that God’s hand is with you? Yes, there have been some reversals and some downfalls that you thought you would never come out of, but is this not exactly what Job went through? Was not Satan at work to destroy him, and did not Job have to fight the battle with the shield of faith? He had to believe that God was for him even when it seemed that God was coming against him for no cause (God was allowing Satan to come against him for no cause (Job 2:3)). Can we believe God, too, even when the righteousness we long for is slow in coming, or the trials we suffer don’t seem to go away, or seem to have no rhyme or reason? God is our source; we shall look to him, and believe him. Excerpts from-the crucified ones-by Charles E. Newbold, Jr.-calling forth the end-time remnant 1990Posted: 2007-01-03 17:38:27 Excerpts from “the crucified ones” by Charles E. Newbold, Jr. Calling Forth the End-Time Remnant 1990 (3-10-07) Intro. I would like to explain the new thing God is doing today. He is bringing forth a new order of Christians who are of the John the Baptist (Elijah) anointing, preparing the way of the Lord—the end time remnant. They are forerunners to the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. I call this new order of Christians “the crucified ones.” I do not capitalize their name, for to do so would violate their very nature and purpose in the world today. This study is given to identify these crucified ones. Chap. 1 Why are there 3 courts in the tabernacle of Moses and Solomon’s Chap. 2 The crucified ones have come to the end of themselves (perhaps through much discouragement, disappointment, frustration or suffering)…, and now the only true life (that God is longing for in us) comes forth at the loss of their own self-life. Jesus is the only issue in their lives, all the great truths (we hold as the foundation of our faith) will keep us from heresy but they do not want to be argumentative or let them become dividing issues. (Yes, there are heretics and non Christian cults that we must recognize and be separate from but their main focus is knowing and walking with the Lord in the context of correct Biblical doctrine. Again, their main focus is relationship with the Lord with all of Scripture keeping the parameters.) They want the headship of Christ as king, (with the headship of man not being stronger that it was meant to be), rather a submission to one another (even the least of the gifts being respected as necessary). They are willing to do their service in secret not seeking for themselves “a city, a tower or a name.” (Gen. 11:4) They are not interested in building churches or membership for themselves, they have no ambition for power, position or riches. They do not desire programs or want titles. They want no agendas for themselves but only want and pursue and ask, what does God want. They see whatever happens to them as the sanctification work of the Spirit not the destructive work of the enemy (although they realize the tricks of the devil who is trying to stop and destroy them), they still see all things (even the bad things) as working together for good to those that love God and to them that are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28) The crucified ones are non-religious, non-institutional and they see the difference between religion and relationship. They are non-materialistic. As Paul said, I have learned in whatsoever state I am in to be content. (Phil. 4:11) It doesn’t matter whether they have or have not. Their confidence is in their God who provides. The gifts of the Spirit are tools but they are no longer the main issue with them, but tools to move them on in the Lordship of Jesus Christ over them. The Pentecostal experience is not the end but the means toward the higher goal of attaining Him. They would rather have more holiness and closeness to the Lord than manifestations of miracles or healings. But in the long run greater and truer signs will follow them. They are patient to wait upon the Lord, rest, wait, listen, and then and only then, to do. The crucified ones are the church without walls. They have gone outside the camp with Jesus, and they will bear His reproach. (Heb. 13:12, 13) Zech. 2:5 says, “I will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her.” They dare not attempt to own anyone or to be owned by anyone except Him. Yet they belong to each other in the deepest spiritual sense of the word. They appear to be mavericks but in fact they are the opposite. No rebellion is found in them for they hear one voice, the Lord’s. (And so they are kindred spirit with many). The gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit will emerge and flow together without walls (or with walls wherever the freedom of the Holy Spirit is allowed). The Lord will be manifested in the emerging corporate son (sons) throughout the world. They are living epistles. (II Cor. 3:2, 3) They are the oracles of God. (I Pet. 4:11) But we cannot attain any of these things in our own strength. If we want any of these things He is showing us that we must get Him, He is it! We are to reach for more, into the higher realm of Tabernacles even before all that Tabernacles entails has been fulfilled. (This progression into all that God has planned for us can be seen in Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles without negating any part of them, only to fulfill all that the Lord has planned to unfold all along, even now for our day). Let me stress again, this is available to every hungry, seeking disciple. (This is not elitism, do you want more, God is calling His bride to more). Chap. 4 The equipping, gift ministries, apostles, prophets, etc. are to perfect the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the Body of Christ—they will not always be needed. (Eph. 4:11, 12) Chap. 5 Speaking of a higher realm of relationship with the Lord (the baptism of fire or suffering), Jesus says, “Will you drink of the cup I drink of or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? Yes, we can.” Jesus continues, “Yes, you will indeed drink My cup and be baptized with My baptism.” (Matt. 20:20-23) “They loved not their lives unto the death.” (even here in Rev. 12:11 we see a progression where three aspects are needed, “They overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb (similar to Passover), the word of their testimony (truth given with the anointing of the Holy Spirit), for they loved not their lives even unto death (the baptism of fire, death, and suffering, following the Lamb wherever He leads). In I Jn. 2:12-14 it mentions children, young men and fathers. Could there be a progression of maturity that leads from children looking for things for themselves, sons who may be centered on pleasing the Father, and fathers (who have had worked into them the Father’s heart) and who now are focused on helping the children? (children as more self-centered, sons as more father centered, and fathers as more children centered?). Passover portrays the cross, Pentecost speaks more of the Holy Spirit and walking in Jesus’ Lordship, and Salvation is consummated in Tabernacles, of which we have yet to see the fulfillment. Chap. 6 The crucified ones preach the crucified lifestyle and they live it. No one can really talk about this realm until they are walking in it. Chap. 16 All through the Scriptures the relationship of husband and wife is spoken and used as symbolism. (Adam and Eve, God and Chap. 17 There is a restoration of the prophetic ministry today. Some “prophets” encourage with personal prophecies and some accurately predict situations (future events), the true prophet is also going to be speaking words from God that call His people to repent, to come out of Babylon, to come to Zion, to holiness. He will call forth the Bride. Like John the Baptist as one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” |