This morning I was out uncovering the early spring seedlings (cabbage, lettuce, onions, etc.) that I had tried to protect from a hard frost and high winds. I had grown these seedlings indoors over the winter under grow lights in order to plant them in my greenhouse/hoophouse late in the winter to get a jumpstart on garden veggies this year. The only problem was that after two attempts at covering my hoophouse frame with platic sheeting and having it blown off in very high winds (50+ mph gusts), I decided to try putting my seedlings out in the garden bed under the protection of remay cloth. But again, the wind wrecked havoc with my efforts, and although many of my seedlings have actually survived, many didn't. I have yet to perfect a way to grow early vegetables so that they can survive not only freezing temperatures, but also high winds. The high winds that we tend to get this time of year are by far the bigger challenge than freezing temperatures.
The Holy Spirit is also a wind, as Jesus told Nicodemus, and as the account of the Spirit coming at Pentecost indicates. You may have heard of the book by Mel Tari, LIKE A MIGHTY WIND (which I highly recommend). It is an eye witness account of one of the most remarkable revivals of the 20th century, which took place in Indonesia, and contributed to the beginning of the charismatic renewal that literally swept around the globe and impacted every branch and denomination of Christianity in the 1970's. Here in the Midwest we have what are called "storm chasers" - professional meteorologists as well as average, non-professionals who are fascinated by midwestern storms that so often are the sources of violent, damaging winds and tornadoes. These "storm chasers" literally will drop whatever they're doing and head to the vicinity of where a storm is brewing in order to observe as close as they dare, the inner makings of a tornado.
In some respects I consider myself a spiritual storm chaser. Because I'm married and have a family I can't just up and run to wherever the Holy Spirit seems to be stirring things up. But I did move my family halfway across the country to North Carolina to where I felt God's Spirit was moving in an especially powerful way, back in 1997. When I was in high school in California I especially enjoyed visiting a Jesus Peoples house in the city where we lived, called Home for His Glory. It was a place where I sensed a special, unique moving of the Spirit. Throughout my adult life I have been drawn and attracted to places where I felt the Spirit was moving in a new and fresh way. I longed to experience that abundant life in the Spirit that Jesus promised that those who followed him and obeyed him could experience.
Have I been satisfied that my "storm chasing" has born the fruit I have longed for? Yes and no. Very few literal storm chasers have the satisfaction of finally seeing "the big one" up close. I am no longer wanting to go to some geographical location to experience a "move of the Spirit". But that hunger and longing has never waned within me. I cry out for it almost daily. I believe those who have a proven track record with prophetic words who say that we are on the verge of the greatest move of the Spirit the Church and the world has ever seen. It will be like a tidal wave, carrying to new heights those who are prepared, waiting and ready. If we aren't prepared, that same wave that can carry a surfer so high and so far, can also wreck havoc of our status quo.
I am convinced more than ever that "winds of change" are now blowing across the land and they will only increase in intensity. It is happening in the physical realm to alert us to the fact that it is also beginning to happen in the spiritual realm. There's nothing automatic about catching and riding on the energy of the wind of the Spirit. I believe that the single most important way that we can prepare to catch and ride the wave (or wind) that is coming, is to simply want it more than anything else. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we let other things take first place they will suffer wind damage. I have never surfed, but I do know what it is like to be caught on the underside of a big wave and be tossed and turned head over heels. It's much better to ride the energy of the wave than to feel its destructive power pummeling your body!
There is a mighty wave coming. We must get in the proper place to catch and ride it, or we will suffer loss. I don't know the reference, but there is a scripture that says we can either "fall on the rock (i.e.Jesus)" - and suffer whatever pain that may bring. Or else the rock will fall on us - we will suffer the consequences of going our own way. Are we aware of the way that God is moving in our world today, and are we making the necessary adjustments to move with Him? Or will we be caught unawares?
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Mother's legacy
When my Dad passed away last Fall I posted an open letter to him, expressing my love and appreciation for his life. My mother is still with us and I'd like to do the same for her so she can hear these words while she is still alive.
Dear Mother,
The other day I was having a conversation with a friend and the subject of eating new and different foods came up. He had been to a conference where meals were provided once a day, but he said he didn't care for the food - it was too "weird". Now this was an organic growers' conference so I figured the food was perfectly good and healthy, but because it wasn't the standard American fare my friend had turned his nose up at it. I told him that it was probably the kind of food my family liked to eat! I then went on to explain that I was raised by a mother who taught us that if food was healthy and good for you one could learn to like it. One's tastes could be developed, in other words - not a common American value, but one that you taught me to embrace. A favorite phrase of yours, Mother, was, "people just need to be taught!"
Mother, you were the first and most important teacher I ever had. You not only taught me the value of eating well but also how to prepare foods in as healthy a way as possible ("don't overcook the broccoli!"). More importantly you taught me the critical need to have a vital, living relationship with Jesus. You were a deep believer in prayer and would often respond to needs that would arise with a quiet, but firm statement, "We need to pray about that." It took a long time for that lesson to sink in, but in the last few years prayer has become increasingly important to me. Thank you, Mother, for modeling that value to me. I can still picture the earnestness on your face and in your voice as you raised your concerns to the Father in prayer.
Mother, I can remember an evening when I was with you and Dad at a home Bible Study, at the home of the Waltzes. We had been going through one of the Psalms, having an open-ended kind of a study, and I had felt free (as a high-school age person) to share some insights during the discussion. On the way home, Mother, you were quick to affirm that I had a gift. I don't know if you exactly labeled it a teaching gift, but I think it would have generally fallen into that category. I believe you have that gift and were recognizing it in me. Thank you for that encouragement you gave me way back then. I probably didn't think a whole lot of it at the time, but the memory of that has stuck with me so I know that must have been an important affirmation that I continue to take seriously.
Mother, you are nearing the end of your life. Believe me when I tell you that you have run your course well. I know that at times you have expressed concern that you didn't do this or that right in how you raised me. But I want you to know that there was only one human in history that did everything right - and that's why we put our trust in Him to save us! I have no regrets with how you and Dad raised me. I count my childhood and growing up years at home as very blessed years and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Our faith is in a loving Father who takes even our failures and turns them into opportunities to show His power to transform them into blessings. So be at peace, Mother, as you reflect back on the past. It is His faithfulness that has brought you to this place and has preserved and nurtured all the good seed that you planted, not only within me but within many others as well.
I love you Mother. I bless you for being a blessing to me.
Bruce
Dear Mother,
The other day I was having a conversation with a friend and the subject of eating new and different foods came up. He had been to a conference where meals were provided once a day, but he said he didn't care for the food - it was too "weird". Now this was an organic growers' conference so I figured the food was perfectly good and healthy, but because it wasn't the standard American fare my friend had turned his nose up at it. I told him that it was probably the kind of food my family liked to eat! I then went on to explain that I was raised by a mother who taught us that if food was healthy and good for you one could learn to like it. One's tastes could be developed, in other words - not a common American value, but one that you taught me to embrace. A favorite phrase of yours, Mother, was, "people just need to be taught!"
Mother, you were the first and most important teacher I ever had. You not only taught me the value of eating well but also how to prepare foods in as healthy a way as possible ("don't overcook the broccoli!"). More importantly you taught me the critical need to have a vital, living relationship with Jesus. You were a deep believer in prayer and would often respond to needs that would arise with a quiet, but firm statement, "We need to pray about that." It took a long time for that lesson to sink in, but in the last few years prayer has become increasingly important to me. Thank you, Mother, for modeling that value to me. I can still picture the earnestness on your face and in your voice as you raised your concerns to the Father in prayer.
Mother, I can remember an evening when I was with you and Dad at a home Bible Study, at the home of the Waltzes. We had been going through one of the Psalms, having an open-ended kind of a study, and I had felt free (as a high-school age person) to share some insights during the discussion. On the way home, Mother, you were quick to affirm that I had a gift. I don't know if you exactly labeled it a teaching gift, but I think it would have generally fallen into that category. I believe you have that gift and were recognizing it in me. Thank you for that encouragement you gave me way back then. I probably didn't think a whole lot of it at the time, but the memory of that has stuck with me so I know that must have been an important affirmation that I continue to take seriously.
Mother, you are nearing the end of your life. Believe me when I tell you that you have run your course well. I know that at times you have expressed concern that you didn't do this or that right in how you raised me. But I want you to know that there was only one human in history that did everything right - and that's why we put our trust in Him to save us! I have no regrets with how you and Dad raised me. I count my childhood and growing up years at home as very blessed years and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Our faith is in a loving Father who takes even our failures and turns them into opportunities to show His power to transform them into blessings. So be at peace, Mother, as you reflect back on the past. It is His faithfulness that has brought you to this place and has preserved and nurtured all the good seed that you planted, not only within me but within many others as well.
I love you Mother. I bless you for being a blessing to me.
Bruce
Sunday, March 13, 2016
through the mouth of an ass
This has been a very unusual political season and what has made it especially intriguing to me is what some influential Christians have been saying recently about the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump. Lance Wallnau sees Trump as someone with a "wrecking ball annointing" and compared him to the Persian emperor, Cyrus the Great, whom God used to bring a remnant of His people back from the Babylonian exile. Lance points out that this is the 45th presidential election of our nation, and in Isaiah 45 God says this about Cyrus: "This is what the LORD says to his annointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 'I will go before you and will level mountains, I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, and riches stored in secret places. . . For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me..." (Isaiah 45:1-4).
Nita Johnson, a leading and influential voice in the prophetic community, recently published this word about Trump:
Nita Johnson, a leading and influential voice in the prophetic community, recently published this word about Trump:
"Four years ago the Lord spoke to me and told me that in the next election, He would put a Cyrus in the White House...I have had several dreams and visions about Donald Trump and each time, he seemed to come out of nowhere to take on the establishment! Then it began to happen.
If you want a religious man, you can have that in Ben Carson. He will be good in his place, in the season God has for him. However, God has not equipped him to do what our Nation needs at this time in history. I look for that to come later. If you want a Cyrus that will turn America back to the land of promise and deal with the high-level wickedness, you must look for the one who is anointed for this purpose: Donald Trump. The man at the top does not need a Cyrus mantel to turn America around if he is a spirit-filled Christian. He does, however if he is Trump. It's the mantel of Cyrus that will do the work. The man simply will be a tool in God's lofty and wise hands. I think a great pairing would be Trump as the President and Carson as the Vice President.
Trump may have need of grace in particular areas. Nevertheless, he is not evil like those of the shadow government. He will cause many of their tall and lofty mountains to fall. I promise you, as God is through Trump, doing that very thing. Trump is like a bull out of the pen, he sees red and heads for the target. He is as fearless as a lion being robbed of its cubs. With the mantle of Cyrus and the qualities God gave him, Trump will achieve as much as we, through our prayers, make a way for him to accomplish. It will take the whole team fighting for this nation, for us to win the war.
For our modern day Cyrus to achieve God's design he will need more than just desire. He will need solid prayer covering and divine enablement. The Church cannot keep thinking that the world will take care of us just because we are the Lord's. The world wants their government, not God's. The Church will end up in a den of suffering if we do not fight now through prayer and our actions by voting for God's will.
One person mentioned to me that they thought God could just put the Cyrus Mantel on Dr. Carson. He could, but the Lord does tend to make the personality of the bearer fit the mantel. This being the case, why do we trifle with God's selection? He is so much more than our little, and fearful boxes can visualize."
Does that offend you, that God would choose a morally repugnant person like Trump to do His work? The prophet Habakkuk was similarly offended that God would use the pagan nation of Babylon to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1). And we're all familiar with that Bible story of God using a donkey to rebuke the prophet Balaam. That's what I call an "out of the box" God! His ways are definitely not our ways!
So the question is, how can we position ourselves to be able to recognize what God is doing if He does things so differently than what we would expect? The answer is so simple, yet so incredibly difficult. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." The closer we are to God the easier it will be to recognize what He is doing. But how does one draw near to a consuming fire?! We are as close to God as we want to be. Are we willing to let His fire consume us?
Saturday, March 5, 2016
s.b.p. IV
A question that may have occurred to some of you, as it has to me, is, why would God bother to give us a sign like the Panthers winning the Super Bowl to indicate that revival or awakening had come to America? Wouldn't it be self-evident if revival was truly happening? Maybe not.
I've heard it said that Andrew Murray, a true man of God from South Africa, had prayed for years for God to send revival to his country. According to the source I heard this from, God sent John G. Lake to South Africa where He had a remarkable healing ministry and planted hundreds of churches. Was this the answer to Andrew Murray's prayers? If it was, Mr. Murray did not recognize it as such, presumably because Mr. Lake's ministry was not what he was looking for or expecting.
An even greater and more obvious example of a God-sent revival happening and most not recognizing it for what it was, was the coming of Jesus. As long-awaited as this present-day coming revival is, it pales in comparison to the long-awaited and much prophesied coming of Israel's Messiah. But when the Messiah finally came, he wasn't recognized! John the Baptist, the very herald of Christ, had his own doubts and had to send some of his disciples to ask Jesus up front, "Are you the One, or should we look for another?" Jesus' own disciples were filled with doubt when they saw their hopes for him dashed by the crucifixion.
When one studies the history of major, genuine moves of God, one finds that these moves are always "out of the box" and are therefore always resisted, if not outright persecuted by the status quo church.
Have you heard the saying, "God will offend our minds in order to test our hearts"? The spiritual elite of Jesus' day were offended that a carpenter's son from the sticks [Nazareth was literally a town built on a chalk hill, and the province it was in was derogatively called "Galilee of the Gentiles"] would consider himself as sent from God. Amazingly, many of them seemed able to accept that as strange a fellow as John the Baptist was, he was sent from God. But Jesus was just too offensive to their spiritual/religious sensibilities.
Are we any different? Would we accept a move of God if it were led by a Southerner speaking like a hillbilly? ...or by a black Pentecostal preacher? ...or by a woman? ...or by someone out of the L.G.B.T. community? We have a hard time realizing how offensive Jesus was to the religious leaders of his day, but he was just as offensive as any of the categories I just suggested. He surrounded himself with "sinners (i.e.harlots, tax collectors/thieves, etc.)" and used a despised Samaritan as a hero in one of his parables. He truly did not act or speak like the kind of Messiah the Jews were looking forward to!
Are we prepared to have our minds offended, to have our hearts exposed, by this coming move of God? Revivals are messy things, not neat and tidy like we would like them to be. A lot of garbage has to come to the surface for the cleansing to happen. Those who are not offended by the smells or the sounds or the sights of dirty people coming clean will be the ones to embrace this kind of "out of the box" move of the Spirit. God have mercy on us, that we might be among those who will embrace and not reject what He is about to do. I guarantee, it will not be what we are expecting!
"Truth is stranger than fiction, for fiction is limited to what we can imagine, and truth isn't."
- Mark Twain
"When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen." (Mark 16:9-14)
I've heard it said that Andrew Murray, a true man of God from South Africa, had prayed for years for God to send revival to his country. According to the source I heard this from, God sent John G. Lake to South Africa where He had a remarkable healing ministry and planted hundreds of churches. Was this the answer to Andrew Murray's prayers? If it was, Mr. Murray did not recognize it as such, presumably because Mr. Lake's ministry was not what he was looking for or expecting.
An even greater and more obvious example of a God-sent revival happening and most not recognizing it for what it was, was the coming of Jesus. As long-awaited as this present-day coming revival is, it pales in comparison to the long-awaited and much prophesied coming of Israel's Messiah. But when the Messiah finally came, he wasn't recognized! John the Baptist, the very herald of Christ, had his own doubts and had to send some of his disciples to ask Jesus up front, "Are you the One, or should we look for another?" Jesus' own disciples were filled with doubt when they saw their hopes for him dashed by the crucifixion.
When one studies the history of major, genuine moves of God, one finds that these moves are always "out of the box" and are therefore always resisted, if not outright persecuted by the status quo church.
Have you heard the saying, "God will offend our minds in order to test our hearts"? The spiritual elite of Jesus' day were offended that a carpenter's son from the sticks [Nazareth was literally a town built on a chalk hill, and the province it was in was derogatively called "Galilee of the Gentiles"] would consider himself as sent from God. Amazingly, many of them seemed able to accept that as strange a fellow as John the Baptist was, he was sent from God. But Jesus was just too offensive to their spiritual/religious sensibilities.
Are we any different? Would we accept a move of God if it were led by a Southerner speaking like a hillbilly? ...or by a black Pentecostal preacher? ...or by a woman? ...or by someone out of the L.G.B.T. community? We have a hard time realizing how offensive Jesus was to the religious leaders of his day, but he was just as offensive as any of the categories I just suggested. He surrounded himself with "sinners (i.e.harlots, tax collectors/thieves, etc.)" and used a despised Samaritan as a hero in one of his parables. He truly did not act or speak like the kind of Messiah the Jews were looking forward to!
Are we prepared to have our minds offended, to have our hearts exposed, by this coming move of God? Revivals are messy things, not neat and tidy like we would like them to be. A lot of garbage has to come to the surface for the cleansing to happen. Those who are not offended by the smells or the sounds or the sights of dirty people coming clean will be the ones to embrace this kind of "out of the box" move of the Spirit. God have mercy on us, that we might be among those who will embrace and not reject what He is about to do. I guarantee, it will not be what we are expecting!
"Truth is stranger than fiction, for fiction is limited to what we can imagine, and truth isn't."
- Mark Twain
"When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen." (Mark 16:9-14)
Monday, February 15, 2016
s.b.p.III
To say it as clearly and concisely as I can, if God is telling us to prepare for what is coming, it is because that is precisely what He is up to at this present time. He is preparing us! The question is, are we recognizing what He is trying to do in us and properly responding to that?
One more thought. In my first s.b.p. post I mentioned that it was important to be forewarned about the good that is coming, not just the bad. Back when the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land God gave Moses a song for him to teach the people that was a prophecy of how the very blessings they would enjoy in the Promised Land would be a test to see if they would continue to faithfully obey God or be turned away to serve false gods. It predicts that they would flunk the test, turn to false gods and end up serving their enemies rather than serving the true God who had blessed them so richly to begin with. And this has been the history of God's people ever since! Will there ever be a time when God can pour out His blessings on His people and they will continue in those blessings, passing those blessings on to the next generation as well? Satan has a boast that although God can save people from hell, he is still more attractive than God because invariably the people that God has saved will lose their initial love for God and turn back to Satan's enticements. But this will end! God will have a people in the end who, as Revelation tells us, will "follow the Lamb wherever He goes, who will not love their lives unto death." If you are a true believer, a true seeker after God and a lover of the truth, understand that everything that is happening in and around you is designed to achieve this very thing. Every trial and every blessing is meant to achieve the same thing - to draw you closer, to become joined to Him who alone is Life in such a way that we will never again even be tempted away from the one and only true Love. In the end the bride will indeed have made herself ready and will indeed be dressed in a spotless wedding gown.
So, to make the point as clear as I can: if God is still withholding blessing (revival) it is because we are not yet ready. There is a time for everything, and now is the time for preparation. God is the one preparing us, but we need to recognize that this is what He is up to and live in agreement with what He is doing. Otherwise the coming glory (like I learned as a painter) won't "stick". So embrace the present trials (and blessings!), for they are all training tools designed to prepare us to fulfill the greatest command of all (which sums up all the others): Love God with all that we are, now and forevermore!
Sunday, February 14, 2016
super bowl prophecy II
Another key thought came to me in regards to what I wrote in the last posting that I thought was worth devoting another whole post to. The message that I felt God was speaking to me after the Panther's loss in the Super Bowl was, in a nutshell, "PREPARE!" It certainly would have been more exciting to have seen them win and expectantly look forward to the revival/awakening breaking out. That will happen soon enough. What's most critical and important now is to be prepared for that time. Much could be said about how to prepare. One book that I could recommend along these lines is Rick Joyner's recently published book, ARMY OF THE DAWN. Also, his book entitled, THE HARVEST I would highly recommend.
But the thought I would like to expand a bit on here has to do with how one responds properly to any command that God gives. If God is speaking to us at this time to "prepare for the coming harvest (which is now imminent)", what do we do? I would like to suggest that God's commands are themselves a form of prophecy. In one of the Gospels Jesus says, "the law and the prophets prophesied until John." Did you catch that? The law (i.e the commandments) are actually a prophecy! When God gave His people commandments to obey He knew good and well they were not capable of obeying them. So why did He give them?!!! First of all He wanted them to try and keep the commandments on their own so that they would learn that human flesh cannot do it. But once that became clear, those commands would become indicators that whenever they were observed as being obeyed/fulfilled, we would know that it was indeed God at work here, not merely human will. When we observe in someone else, or in one's self, the ability to truly and genuinely obey one of God's commands, it is an indicator that God is at work, He is present, He is fulfilling His
own word in us. When God commands us to love Him, or to love our neighbor (especially our enemy), it is a prophecy that when we find ourselves actually able to do that from our heart, it will be a clear indication that this is a "God thing" that is happening, not a human thing.
So, if God is speaking to us that we need to prepare for a coming move of His Spirit (call it what you will - revival, awakening, harvest), we need to increase our awareness (through prayer or any other means that will help us increase that awareness) of what God is actually doing within our own hearts and minds as well as in others around us. One of the most often repeated prayers of mine is, "Daddy, help me to be aware of what you are doing within me and around me. I want to be working with you and not against you!"
One last thought. Another way that one can prepare for revival/awakening is to learn about past moves of God in history. You will discover how unprepared God's people typically are! When God moves in new and dramatic ways it is invariably "outside of the box", not like what we would expect. In fact, this is so true that these moves of God stir up great controversy and divisions within the status quo Church. And there is probably a lot of that "status quo" within all of us that needs top get shook
up and disposed of before the Spirit will have the freedom to do His thing.
The following is a good illustration of how God both commands and enables us to obey his commands (an Old Testament professor in college put it this way: "God's commandments are His enablements"):
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God...High above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire; and brilliant light surrounded him...This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD [YHWH]. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you!" As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me... (Ezekiel 1:1,26b-2:2)
Prepare (be aware of how He is speaking and working in you)!
But the thought I would like to expand a bit on here has to do with how one responds properly to any command that God gives. If God is speaking to us at this time to "prepare for the coming harvest (which is now imminent)", what do we do? I would like to suggest that God's commands are themselves a form of prophecy. In one of the Gospels Jesus says, "the law and the prophets prophesied until John." Did you catch that? The law (i.e the commandments) are actually a prophecy! When God gave His people commandments to obey He knew good and well they were not capable of obeying them. So why did He give them?!!! First of all He wanted them to try and keep the commandments on their own so that they would learn that human flesh cannot do it. But once that became clear, those commands would become indicators that whenever they were observed as being obeyed/fulfilled, we would know that it was indeed God at work here, not merely human will. When we observe in someone else, or in one's self, the ability to truly and genuinely obey one of God's commands, it is an indicator that God is at work, He is present, He is fulfilling His
own word in us. When God commands us to love Him, or to love our neighbor (especially our enemy), it is a prophecy that when we find ourselves actually able to do that from our heart, it will be a clear indication that this is a "God thing" that is happening, not a human thing.
So, if God is speaking to us that we need to prepare for a coming move of His Spirit (call it what you will - revival, awakening, harvest), we need to increase our awareness (through prayer or any other means that will help us increase that awareness) of what God is actually doing within our own hearts and minds as well as in others around us. One of the most often repeated prayers of mine is, "Daddy, help me to be aware of what you are doing within me and around me. I want to be working with you and not against you!"
One last thought. Another way that one can prepare for revival/awakening is to learn about past moves of God in history. You will discover how unprepared God's people typically are! When God moves in new and dramatic ways it is invariably "outside of the box", not like what we would expect. In fact, this is so true that these moves of God stir up great controversy and divisions within the status quo Church. And there is probably a lot of that "status quo" within all of us that needs top get shook
up and disposed of before the Spirit will have the freedom to do His thing.
The following is a good illustration of how God both commands and enables us to obey his commands (an Old Testament professor in college put it this way: "God's commandments are His enablements"):
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God...High above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire; and brilliant light surrounded him...This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD [YHWH]. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you!" As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me... (Ezekiel 1:1,26b-2:2)
Prepare (be aware of how He is speaking and working in you)!
super bowl prophecy
Those of you who have been reading my posts over the past year know that I highly value the prophetic. I agree with the teaching that Scripture is the standard by which all else is to be judged. But the prophetic gift is given to encourage and clue us in to what God is up to in the present. As Amos 3:7 tells us, "Surely the Sovereign LORD [YHWH] does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets." If you check out both Biblical prophecies as well as non-Biblical ones you will notice that some of them don't fit into any neat category of how we think God should speak (once a friend responded to my telling him about a prophetic word by saying, "God doesn't talk like that."). The following may seem that way to some of you, but it has served to stir up some helpful insights which I'd like to share.
About 20 or so years ago one of the most respected of modern day prophets, Bob Jones (not the founder of the university with that name), who is no longer with us, said that the Lord told him that when the Carolina Panthers won the Super Bowl it would be an indicator of the beginning of a new Great Awakening. So you can imagine my interest in the Big game between the Panthers and the Broncos was quite high. And my emotional state was quite low at the Panther's loss. As I mulled over what significance to put on all this, if any, I was pleased that the following insight(s) came to me.
First of all it must be noted that there have been many, many prophetic words given over the last quarter century about a coming great revival/awakening that will usher in the final harvest of souls before the Lord's return. It will eclipse every previous revival/awakening in church history, including the first century one. None of these previous moves of God fulfilled Jesus' own prophecy that those who believe in him will be able to do even greater works than he did. This last move will also fulfill the prophecy that Jesus' first miracle (changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana) spoke of - God is saving His best wine for last. Nothing has grabbed my attention or fueled my passion more than to read and hear about (and of course, want to participate in) this last and greatest move of God's Spirit.
So, if this long awaited and longed for event has been postponed for at least another year, what am I to do in the meantime? The answer to that question is "preparation!" My take on this super bowl prophecy about the Panthers and their loss is that it was a reminder that Jesus' prophecy that "the harvest is the end of the age" is very close and God wants us to be aware and prepared for that time. Both Biblical and contemporary prophecies are given, not to stir up our curiosity and prove how cool God is to foretell the future. No! God wants us to be ready, to be prepared for what He is about to do.
As disappointed as I was that the Panthers lost the Super Bowl, once I began to think more deeply about it and ask God the meaning of it, I actually began to feel not so bad about it because I saw that indeed I and most others are probably, indeed, not prepared for what is coming. We tend to think that we just need to be forewarned about bad things that are coming. But in actuality we need to be forewarned just as much about the blessings that are coming or we would be in the greatest of danger of either missing them altogether (because they probably will not look like what we were expecting), or of squandering those blessings - not treasuring and handling them in an appropriate way.
Years ago God spoke to me as I was working as a painter, spending a lot of time trying to get a door ready for varnishing that had some cat scratchings on it. I was rather peeved at the time that it was taking to get this part of the door smooth enough and looking just right so that when the coat(s) of varnish were finally put on it would look just right. Even though I didn't hear these exact words (it was more of an impression), in essence what God said to me was, "Bruce, just as you as a painter are wanting to do good work, taking however long is necessary in the preparation part, so that the finished product will be of the highest quality, so am I spending a long time in preparing my people to be able to receive my glory." Any painter worth his salt will tell you that most of his work is taken up in preparation. The actual putting on of the paint is relatively easy and quick. If the preparation part is done too quickly and not carefully enough, the danger increases that the paint will either peel or simply not look as nice as it could have. The lesson I learned was so clear and equally applicable in the spiritual realm as in the physical: if you want something to last, to have enduring qualities, as well as to truly shine (radiate glory), devote the time necessary to preparation. God wants us ready for the awesome move of His Spirit that is coming! We have no time to waste. We cannot get sidetracked by things that are not in the flow of His moving. Our focus must be on drawing closer to Him every day, hearing His voice, and being quick to obey. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. If we lose our proper focus we are in danger of missing out (maybe not totally, but to some degree) on what will be the greatest move of God in history - the harvest, which is what will bring this present age to an end.
About 20 or so years ago one of the most respected of modern day prophets, Bob Jones (not the founder of the university with that name), who is no longer with us, said that the Lord told him that when the Carolina Panthers won the Super Bowl it would be an indicator of the beginning of a new Great Awakening. So you can imagine my interest in the Big game between the Panthers and the Broncos was quite high. And my emotional state was quite low at the Panther's loss. As I mulled over what significance to put on all this, if any, I was pleased that the following insight(s) came to me.
First of all it must be noted that there have been many, many prophetic words given over the last quarter century about a coming great revival/awakening that will usher in the final harvest of souls before the Lord's return. It will eclipse every previous revival/awakening in church history, including the first century one. None of these previous moves of God fulfilled Jesus' own prophecy that those who believe in him will be able to do even greater works than he did. This last move will also fulfill the prophecy that Jesus' first miracle (changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana) spoke of - God is saving His best wine for last. Nothing has grabbed my attention or fueled my passion more than to read and hear about (and of course, want to participate in) this last and greatest move of God's Spirit.
So, if this long awaited and longed for event has been postponed for at least another year, what am I to do in the meantime? The answer to that question is "preparation!" My take on this super bowl prophecy about the Panthers and their loss is that it was a reminder that Jesus' prophecy that "the harvest is the end of the age" is very close and God wants us to be aware and prepared for that time. Both Biblical and contemporary prophecies are given, not to stir up our curiosity and prove how cool God is to foretell the future. No! God wants us to be ready, to be prepared for what He is about to do.
As disappointed as I was that the Panthers lost the Super Bowl, once I began to think more deeply about it and ask God the meaning of it, I actually began to feel not so bad about it because I saw that indeed I and most others are probably, indeed, not prepared for what is coming. We tend to think that we just need to be forewarned about bad things that are coming. But in actuality we need to be forewarned just as much about the blessings that are coming or we would be in the greatest of danger of either missing them altogether (because they probably will not look like what we were expecting), or of squandering those blessings - not treasuring and handling them in an appropriate way.
Years ago God spoke to me as I was working as a painter, spending a lot of time trying to get a door ready for varnishing that had some cat scratchings on it. I was rather peeved at the time that it was taking to get this part of the door smooth enough and looking just right so that when the coat(s) of varnish were finally put on it would look just right. Even though I didn't hear these exact words (it was more of an impression), in essence what God said to me was, "Bruce, just as you as a painter are wanting to do good work, taking however long is necessary in the preparation part, so that the finished product will be of the highest quality, so am I spending a long time in preparing my people to be able to receive my glory." Any painter worth his salt will tell you that most of his work is taken up in preparation. The actual putting on of the paint is relatively easy and quick. If the preparation part is done too quickly and not carefully enough, the danger increases that the paint will either peel or simply not look as nice as it could have. The lesson I learned was so clear and equally applicable in the spiritual realm as in the physical: if you want something to last, to have enduring qualities, as well as to truly shine (radiate glory), devote the time necessary to preparation. God wants us ready for the awesome move of His Spirit that is coming! We have no time to waste. We cannot get sidetracked by things that are not in the flow of His moving. Our focus must be on drawing closer to Him every day, hearing His voice, and being quick to obey. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. If we lose our proper focus we are in danger of missing out (maybe not totally, but to some degree) on what will be the greatest move of God in history - the harvest, which is what will bring this present age to an end.
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