Monthly Blogs

Christ's first disciples received anointing from Him to heal the sick even before the Day of Pentecost had come (Luke 9:1-2). Let us encourage all of God's people to carry on this ministry.

November 2008 - Behold, I Do a New Thing

Many in the Body of Christ are praying for God to pour out a fresh wave of revival in this hour. This took place somewhat in Lakeland and the other outpourings of last summer. Yet most of us would agree that the Church, and America, need something deeper. While we are grateful for the wonderful blessings we have received, we want something with a far heavier impact.

We often say that we are expecting God to do a new thing, but what we are really envisioning is just more of the old. For instance, we long to see thousands of people saved as in the Great Awakening, the Billy Graham crusades, and the Jesus People Movement. And we want to see people touched by the Holy Ghost's power as at Azusa, in Smith Wigglesworth's meetings, and during the Charismatic Renewal. These are all components of what the Lord will be doing in days to come, because there is still need for them. What will be different though?

Throughout history, every era has been filled with fresh revelations and controversies. Unless we are prepared for Christ's advent, we cannot expect Christianity to look the same in the future as it does now. It changed drastically after Constantine legalized the Faith in Rome, after the Protestant Reformation, and following the Pentecostal Revival. If we are truly interceding for something phenomenal to happen, we are going to have to accept that God may once more require us to stretch our minds concerning some things we believe.

This is not to say that we must be open to every new wind of doctrine that blows our way. Yet if God said, "behold I do a new thing,” then we need to be on the alert for something different (Isaiah 43:19). Like the crowds Jesus preached to, we need to be able to say, “Could this be the Messiah? Is this what we have been waiting for?”

The Pharisees in Israel knew the Word, but they were so limited in their thinking that they could not see when the Law was being fulfilled right before their eyes. We must know the Scriptures as well, and while being able to discern when there are “false messiahs,” we need to be humble enough to recognize the true. This means forgetting about Him looking like all our leaders of the past.

As I see it, our world needs more than a revival or an awakening. We need a reformation. We need something so powerful that it will change the mindset of millions, initiating change on such a level as to shake the globe. It will not just bring us up to the spiritual heights the Church has achieved in the past. It will take us somewhere we have never been before, a land we have never seen (1 Cor. 2:9).

The birth of something like this would no doubt produce great pain. Nevertheless, it could release unprecedented purity and power in Christendom. What could unite the Church in holiness and renewal? It would not be a repeated surge of evangelism. Nor would it be another outreach from Charismatics to those within the mainline churches. Such initiatives have been going on for decades. There must be something in our belief system that is incomplete or inaccurate. We need Jesus to reveal this in order for us truly to break free from the limitations we have been captured by.

Misty Edward's song Baptize My Heart has a line in it that says, “I don't want to be offended when it's all coming down!” The Holy Spirit will never require us to compromise the fundamental truths that have been handed down to us (2 Thess. 3:6). He may make us uncomfortable though. Will we be ready when He comes? Or will we reject the very answer to our petitions.

October - The Gift of the Imagination

As believers we strive to use every part of our being to worship God with. We use our intellect, our emotions, our bodies, and even our finances. But some of us never think to use our imaginations. Second Corinthians 10:5 says we are “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” in our daily spiritual battles. One way that we can do that is to replace our wrong imaginations with good ones.

When entering into intercession and worship, one of the things Mike Bickle teaches his students to do is to imagine the Throne Room as it is described in Revelation 4. Mike teaches what each specific aspect of the Throne Room represents, and how seeing these things in our minds can draw us into the presence of God. This may be one application of what the Bible means when it says we are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” As we reflect upon the Lord's features, we encounter Him on a deeper level than with the conceptual understanding that we hold in our thoughts. We are able to comprehend His nearness even better, and engage in our relationship with Him with a greater focus.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we receive in our hearts “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” (2 Cor. 4:6). My mother recently told me that she has sometimes pictured the arms of Jesus stretching out toward her, coming from a light that shone brightly before her. This is an image she often sees while praying with her eyes closed. Whether or not she is just imagining it or having a vision, she believes it is the true Christ she is worshiping. Once she says that she even felt the hand of God physically touching her face while she watched the two hands there before her in her mind's eye.

Patricia King encourages people to imagine being in Heaven in order to experience the reality of sitting together with Christ, according to Ephesians 2:6. We may not literally be transported to the Third Heavens when we engage in this activity, but such a practice can at the least help us to visualize the reality of our position of oneness with God. Like the use of art and cinematic films, images in the mind can be a way to “take” someone to another place, good or bad.

The Word commands us to “set [our] minds on things above.not on earthly things,” (Col. 3:2-3). We are to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:1-2). My friend Chelsea did this last year after she gave her heart to the Lord. We were at a Baptist youth conference, and she had just prayed to receive Christ as her savior. Then the speaker leading the event told everyone to picture Jesus sitting on a chair in the middle of the stage, and respond as they felt was proper. Chelsea went down on her knees, and expressed that this was one of the most real experiences she had ever had with God. She told her mom later that she had really seen Jesus. With her fresh conversion, I believe that she truly had.

The imagination has so many useful purposes. Christians often sing, “open the eyes of my heart, Lord,” and if we really mean it, I believe there is much that the Holy Spirit can show us through this gift He has created. Whether it be in prayer, Bible reading, or simply contemplating our future in Christ, our creative mental faculties can be instrumental in conncecting with our Maker.

August 2008 - Revival is Spreading

Lakeland, Florida is not the only place that revival has hit in recent months. I have also wrote about the outbreaks that have come to a Southern Baptist group in Jena, Louisiana, and Rick Joyner's church in Fort Mills, North Carolina. But lately the reports have been increasing in number of mighty, extended meetings that are drawing crowds. Across the United States and the world churches and ministers are beginning to hold month long revivals, with hundreds gathering at each event to receive a fresh touch from God.

Charisma magazine has reported on many of these recent outpourings, such as the one that lasted 52 days led by an Amish man in Pennsylvania. Steve Lap, who was kicked out of his church for practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, actually led a 52 day revival three times in three years. The meetings consisted of 24/7 intercessory prayer, and personal ministry time available for people in need of healing. The official services ended last May, but Steve continues to travel regularly throughout his local area holding renewal meetings.

Another awesome story is that of a Minneapolis revival that has been going on for six entire months. Doug Stanton, an Australian revivalist who had ministered often in the Minneapolis area, decided last winter to plant his work in one building instead of visiting other churches. The new Minneapolis Revival Center is open five nights a week, and draws people from about 45 congregations on each evening. The people know that Doug is truly anointed, for he lead a five-month breakout in 1995 that involved at least 300 churches. Doug believes that now the revival is established in a single location, it will be better able to grow and spread without being limited to specific churches.

Also exciting to hear about is the revival taking place in Newman, Georgia, at Coweta Community Church. The pastor, Pete Mullins, has been “tilling the ground” in prayer for something like this to come for years. He first mobilized local congregations to unite in prayer for an outpouring eight years ago. He has since then sent his own people to 107 other churches each Thursday to pray a blessing over them. Then on June 1^st the church started hosting a revival with evangelist Frank Seamster, and to their surprise, it never ended. The gathering has been going on for at least 33 days, and nobody plans on stopping it.

Also worth mentioning is that besides where it has spread to Rick Joyner's church, the Lakeland revival has been released in Belfast, Ireland. Members of Belfast's Elim Christian Center visited the Lakeland Outpouring earlier this year, and after returning to their home church, revival has been going on there for over 50 days. Amazing testimonies have been coming forth, including that of a teenager who was raised from the dead. He had been lying lifeless on a hospital operating table for 16 minutes, until he received prayer from someone who had been soaking in the revival meetings. A similar Lakeland offshoot has been taking place in Dudley, England.

I believe America is really entering into a third Great Awakening, and the renewal spirit is spreading around the planet. Revival is becoming so common, it is going to take something very unique to catch the world's attention again like the Toronto Blessing did in the 1990's. It is truly coming to pass what Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Praise God for the marvelous thing He is doing!

July 2008 - The Christian "Anti-Religion" Movement

Last month in my church's bulletin I wrote about religion, and how many Christians perceive each other to be too legalistic and powerless. Looking at the two dominate movements going on right now within the Body of Christ, it seems as though they both could be linked together as being attempts to cleanse the Church of religiosity. The Emergent Movement seeks to squelch religious ultraconservativism, and the Prophetic Movement is fighting against the religious spirit that limits people from experiencing the supernatural. In many ways, these two movements are over-lapping and working together.

For instance, in both movements individuality is highly valued. Emergents value individuality for the sake of people discovering their own understanding of truth, rather than following a certain creed. In the Prophetic Movement individuality is valued because worshipers want to hear God on their own, instead of waiting for a prophet or anointed minister to usher them into a supernatural experience. Both put a strong emphasis on one's “personal relationship” with God, rather than belonging to a church or leader's oversight.

Another area of common ground between these two movements is that both are promoting the use of group leadership in churches more. Emergents do this to decentralize the government of a body, and prophetic people do it to make room for Prophetic and Apostolic clergymen to function in a church. Both have resulted in the five-fold offices being restored to local fellowships, though emergent prophets and apostles generally do not practice the gifts of the Spirit. They are simply there to provide moral guidance and an entrepreneurial role to the churches.

Still another similarity between these two movements is that mystery is something being focused on. Emergents focus on mystery because they want people to be comfortable having questions about faith, rather than acting like they know it all. Prophetic people hold that mystery is a way to explain ecstatic revelations and behaviors, saying God speaks to His people in ways that may be difficult to interpret. In both camps this focus on mystery versus a clear, solid understanding of God's Word has become something signature.

The term “mystique” has been used to describe the unclear nature of doctrines held within the Emergent “conversation,” and prophetic people sometimes have proclaimed themselves as being “the new mystics.” Both movements have experienced a great deal of controversy as a result of their lacking clarity.

While certain aspects of these two streams of faith may be very unsettling to outsiders, and even those operating within in them, they are each necessary for the Church's complete growth process. I believe the Holy Spirit is moving in both the evangelical and Pentecostal churches to bring about the same result – a cleansing from impure religion. For too long evangelicals have gone into legalism in their attempts to condemn sin, and many Christians have been hesitant to receive full-blown revival because of the Spirit's strange, illogical ways of manifesting. But both of these things are quickly changing.

In dealing with these movements, which are really one and the same, let us heed the words of Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” In this we will find true balance.

June 2008 - “Your Life Message”

Every person has a distinct message that they were created for sharing with the world. John the Baptist's was repentance. Jesus' was the kingdom. Paul's was salvation to the Gentiles, and even people in modern times have unique messages. Joyce Meyer's ministry is marked by a focus on right thinking. Kenneth Copeland's is on faith. Patricia King's is on valuing the supernatural, and Joel Osteen's is on positivity. Everybody has a unique personality, with things that they value more than others and things that they take to an extreme.

The Bible says in Genesis 1:27 that we were created “in the image of God,” meaning that we bear the characteristics of our heavenly father. When Jesse Duplantis was taken to Heaven he said he saw angels flying around God's head, crying “holy” nonstop because of the traits they discovered with every inch they flew past. And then the souls of children were birthed out of the mind of God, each created to reflect a unique aspect of that vast, divine personality. We are those souls, and like snowflakes, no two people are exactly alike. We each have our giftings and each has a calling unlike any other.

The Bible describes God's people as a “body,” with each organ and extension playing a special and necessary role. We cannot reject any part of the Church without losing something vitally important to our over-all health. Some people may not like Billy Graham's emphasis on evangelism, but nevertheless it is needed. No matter how far their message is taken, every Christian is a messenger that should be received, at least on some level.

I think of the recent revival in Florida, led by Todd Bentley. He has an eccentric excitement about revival, constantly screaming over miracles and repeating testimonies of what God has already done. He loves to laugh, sing, shake, and shout. And I believe this is exactly why he is being used so powerfully in this current movement. Some people may think he is too much of a character to listen to, but he is the one that God has chosen.

I know in my personal life I have a strong tendency to focus heavily on details. Whether it be about someone's doctrines, morals, politics or background, I can often notice things in people before anyone else does. And I am also likely to put way too much into the decisions I make, whether it be determining my own beliefs, or simply communicating to people exactly the message I want to get across to them. Analyzing situations is my greatest ability, but also my greatest weakness.

Whatever someone values the most in life, whether it be boldness, humility, prudence, or freedom, that value is likely to be something they will take too far as well. And this makes it easy for one to determine what aspect of God's heart they were created to share with others.

God is creative, and therefore nobody but Jesus will be perfect standing alone. But as we come together and grow closer in love, we rub off on each other, and sharpen each others' wits (Prov.27:17). This is all a part of God's plan to bring us into the unity of the faith (Ephesians 4:11-16). Let us rejoice in our individuality, but recognize our faults, and seek to be encouraged in greater godliness by those around us. We all have our struggles, but what causes us to struggle is often what causes us to excel. May God reveal to each of us the message He has sent us to bring, and help us to pursue balance at the same time.

May 2008

“Our Eastern Religion”

In the Western World, we often think of Eastern religions as foreign, mystic, and unorthodox belief-systems. But we often forget that our own faith has its roots in the Orient. Christianity was birthed in the land of Israel, and the first places it spread were those now known as Armenia, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. And, though few people realize it, all seven of the first ecumenical councils, which practically decided what Christians would believe for the rest of history, took place in the Eastern world. The bishops present at these meetings were predominantly from the East as well.

For centuries the Church has been divided between the East and the West, with several Orthodox churches in the East, and Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations based within the West. How this division came to be is somewhat debatable, with many attributing it to a slight change in the language of the Nicene Creed made by the Roman Church. But there were really many factors that attributed to the Great Schism, as it is called, and the breach between East and West actually developed gradually over several centuries.

While Catholics may expect the Orthodox to first accept the Pope's authority, we all need to be in prayer for an end to the separation between the Eastern church and the Western. Those in the East have long felt abandoned and even persecuted by Westerners, with good cause. There is much healing that needs to be done.

One of the most traumatic memories Orthodox Christians hold from their relationship with the West is when we attacked and conquered Constantinople, the capitol of the Byzantine Empire, during the Fourth Crusade. And not only that, but we often overlooked their plight when Muslim invaders subdued their nations and broke down the Christian strongholds established in the Middle East. This area might have been a predominately Orthodox region today if we would have helped, rather than a place full of Mosques and terrorist camps. And in fact, the same Orthodox denominations from centuries past are still fighting for their rights in these countries now.

In the evangelical community there has been a lot of focus on “returning to our Jewish roots,” and even some on returning respect to liturgical (Catholic, Anglican) forms of worship. But our background as an eastern Church is often over-looked, and because the Orthodox have so little influence in today's world, we do not recognize the historic value they add to our identity. We often equate them with Catholics, and have no concern with learning about their unique traits.

For instance, a lot of Westerners do not know that the Orthodox practice anointing the sick for healing, and that they believe in being immersed in water during baptism (rather than sprinkled). They also do not have a pope, but are rather divided under the authority of bishops (or apostles) similar to the way the Early Church functioned. And rather than emphasizing the importance of Christmas as a holy day, Easter is the celebration held most central to the Orthodox.

As Christians, we are often criticized for trying to push our Anglo-Saxon, European culture on other people groups during our missionary outreaches. If we can, by God's Spirit, reconcile with the Eastern church, it may actually help us to relate better with people in foreign countries. And who knows, we might learn something about God from each other, too!

April 2008

“Corporate Growth Spurts”

If one were to look at all the current trends taking place within the Body of Christ, it may seem somewhat confusing as to which direction the Holy Spirit is leading us into the future. There is a movement to define this era of Christian history as “postconservative.” There has been a resurgence of Calvinism throughout the evangelical community. Many Charismatics are now calling themselves the “new mystics,” and the leaders of Christianity Today magazine are promoting a return to liturgical worship. Also, with the house-church movement and the “Apostolic Reformation,” many Christians are advocating a form of ecclesiology very anti-institutional in nature. It seems as if multitudes of people are seeking to redefine Christianity in a radical way.

While I thank God for each of these movements within His house, and see that He is sovereignly using them all to bring greater revelation and balance to His people, there is still a lot of extremism within these new circles.

Some are advocating Protestants return to Catholicism since great changes have been made within that denomination. Some are teaching that all believers can take trips to Heaven at will by faith, and others are saying we all should stop focusing on issues like abortion and gay marriage in our political activism and instead get involved with pacifism and environmentalism. Still others are claiming that both denominations and the local-church structure are old wineskins incapable of receiving what the Holy Spirit is doing within this hour.

In Hebrews 13:7-9 we are warned concerning new teachings being passed around in the Church, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.” So we need to be careful when it comes to fresh revelation that we do not fall into excess in the changes we start making, contradicting the historic Biblical traditions that have been handed down to us by our forefathers.

While I believe God wants to bring His children to a whole new level of understanding and knowledge of Him, and take us into a place of unprecedented unity, purity, and power, I think we need to be careful that we do not start moving ahead of the Holy Spirit in trying to implement these massive changes. We take it too far when we realize God is wanting to change the whole of Christendom and we expect it all to happen at once.

I do not limit God to do only what He has done in the past (Is. 43:19), or even to repeat the works He performed in the Scriptures (John 14:12). But I see it as very important to seek balance on all issues and to make sure our beliefs are in line with the nature of God as revealed in the Bible. Otherwise we are destined to fall into error and cut ourselves off from the mainstream Body of Christ.

One cannot expect a person to experience great growth without undergoing growing pains and being disproportionate at times. This is exactly what the Bride of Christ is going through right now. Let us make it our prayer that we be both understanding of one another during this time, and to walk in discernment to avoid making mistakes as we pass through this season of rapid change. And thank God that we are still maturing!

March 2008 - “Judging the Church”

In First Corinthians 4:3-5, Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.”

As the Body of Christ I think we can often be too judgmental of ourselves. We are sometimes too quick to state that Christians have given themselves a bad wrap. But this passage teaches us not to judge ourselves. Yes, I think it is important to do a little self-analysis every once in a while. But many times the greatest critics of the Church are believers themselves.

I think of the recently released book titled “unChristian,” by the Barna Group. This work presents a collection of studies about how non-Christians view the Church, and discusses some possible responses to that research. To sum “unChristian” up, God's people are basically living just like the world. Or worse, in some cases. Yet this has not always been my experience in the realm of Christendom.

Yes, there is a great deal of immorality and insincerity amongst some so-called Christians. But the genuine can usually be picked out from the false. The real problem, as I see it, is a lack of spiritual hunger amongst the general public. I believe that the reason most people do not go to Church or do not like Christians is because most people do not want God in their lives. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” and Matthew 7:7 says that whoever seeks for something continuously will find it. So we know that if unbelievers really wanted the truth they could find it even amongst an apostate church.

Some people may claim that the mainstream Body of Christ is full of ultraconservative, unloving, irrelevant religionists. Or renewalists may claim that there just aren't enough Spirit-filled people and preachers operating in the anointing. But as someone involved in a Southern Baptist ministry, a Pentecostal denomination, the prophetic movement, and who has close friends in the Roman Catholic Church, I see the Holy Spirit moving throughout the spectrum of Christianity. And I think we are being too hard on ourselves for the world's rejection of our message.

Bill Hybels is considered by many to be the leader of the “seeker-sensitive” movement, which aims to make church-life attractive to nonbelievers in a very non-confrontational way. After completing a recent study to determine the spiritual progress of people within this movement, Hybels was humble enough to admit “We made a mistake” at the August Willow Creek Association Conference this past year. Bill said we should have been teaching people to be “self-feeders” instead of only trying to get them involved with our programs.

I believe all Christians could learn from Hybel's example and realize that no matter how much we try to reach out to the lost all around us, they will have to take some initiative themselves. Though the Church has much growing to do, let us not criticize ourselves for others' mistakes.

February 2008 - Reclaiming Our Heritage

Over the past 500 or so years, the Church has matured a lot in theology and practice. We have experienced reformation, awakening, revival, and renewal, and we have gained an immensely greater revelation of who God is along the way. With the Pentecostal/Charismatic branch of Christianity now having half a billion people in their ranks, believers are walking in greater power, character, and knowledge than many of the Church's authorities did in ages past. But while we have gained so much, we may have lost a great deal as well.

During the Protestant Reformation, much of the respect for forerunning saints was lost, as people rightly directed their attention on Christ as the only intermediary on their behalf. Today our history books give little recognition to the men of God honored by the Catholic Church, while Martin Luther, John Calvin, and George Wesley are given great coverage. Protestants also quit teaching that God could be encountered in a powerful way during communion, because they did not want people to be decieved into thinking the bread and wine would literally turn into Christ's body. This was a good move, but some could argue that communion has been stripped of all its value and merely become a symbolic religious ritual.

The same loss of value happened in the Holiness Movement, when “new light” Christians often rejected the spiritual disciplines practiced by mainliners, preaching that devotion to God excluded any service to Him that was not driven by passion. Seeking to turn from a form of godliness devoid of power, some overextended and taught that emotional zeal was necessary for doing all good works.

Then in the Pentecostal Movement, when believers discovered that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was a second grace given to men (following salvation), they often began to lose their emphasis on the need for sanctification. It was almost as if their experiences falling to the ground in the conviction of sin were not as supernatural as speaking in unknown tongues.

And now, during the Charismatic movement, many “Spirit-filled” Christians no longer value the gift of tongues like they once did. Where healing and prophecies abound, very few people regularly practice using their private prayer language. And beyond tongues, neocharismatics are often afraid to manifest the power of the Holy Ghost in any way that would seem disorderly, such as the wild and spontaneous dances often performed in old-time Pentecostal churches.

With each step of progression the Body of Christ has taken, we seem to have responded in negative ways to our past. We have recognized our former excesses, and in attempt to move past them have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. All of our history is not full of darkness. God has always been moving in the Church, even while we were participating in crusades and witch-hunts (Matt. 28:20). It is time to re-dig the wells of our forefathers, and receive the wealth of wisdom we have forgotten was there (Genesis 26:18, Isaiah 12:3).

January 2008 - The Resurrection Restoration

Every restorative move God has done in the past has affected its proceeding tradition in a significant way. The Protestant Reformation sparked the Counter Reformation, in which the Roman Catholic Church received improvement. The Great Awakenings brought new light to many old, mainline denominations, which are now nearly indistinguishable from “awakened” evangelicals. And the Charismatic movement has brought a new respect for freedom in worship to the rest of the Church, as well as a sensitivity to God's voice. The only “gap” I see where one movement did not have a major affect on its predecessor is between the Great Awakenings and the Azusa Street Revival. Few holiness/evangelical Christians have received an appreciation for the gift of tongues, or have accepted that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is separate from God's work at salvation or sanctification. This has, in my opinion, divided the Church between the “Spirit-filled” and the "non-Spirit-filled.”

It is often said that Catholics and Lutherans are “basically the same.” And the same could be stated of mainline-Protestants and evangelicals, or Pentecostals and Charismatics. But rarely will one point out the similarities in classical evangelicals and Pentecostals. There was a bit of a “jump” between one restoration and the other.

I believe God is getting ready to bring the Church to another place of redefining our faith. No longer will the term “evangelical” be our standard description, and neither will “Spirit-filled.” A reformation is coming in which the Christians who emphasize the Word and those who emphasize the Spirit will come together, and they will put aside their sectarian titles to walk in the oneness God has desired for them. And as the Body of Christ comes together, just like the bodies that reattached in Ezekiel Two, God's resurrection power will be released in a way like it never has been before. We will finally realize the truth of the fifth “principal doctrine” that is listed in Hebrews 6:1-2 (KJV).

Ephesians 2:15-16 tells us, “[God's] purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility,” (NIV). As the both Charismatics and their more traditional brethren come together in unity, God will help them crucify their hostility, and they shall be resurrected as the powerful Church that does “greater works” than Jesus. They will finally begin to fulfill the prophesy of John 14:12 on a widespread scale.

December 2007: Praying for Inner Healing

There is a new practice that is quickly becoming popular in the Church. Called “healing prayer,” or “theophostic [God-enlightening] prayer, ” and it is simply a formalized process of ministry given to people with emotional wounds. The recipients of this form of “therapy” sometimes are encouraged to remember any traumatic experiences they have had, and are then told to “let Jesus speak” to them about it. They regularly report having visions (word pictures or mental images) in which Jesus appears in their memories, displaying that He was and is in control of all situations. The wounded may also receive a word from the Holy Spirit that delivers them, or in some cases, a word of knowledge by the ministers facilitating the the prayer sessions. However the hurting person receives their breakthrough, they seem to receive it just as easily as the physically impaired receive healing in their bodies.

It seems as though God is giving a deeper revelation of His will to heal people on a psychological level. There have always been people who've been touched by God's Spirit on an emotional level, but with this formalized format for receiving the healing, people now have a point of contact for their faith. As they put their trust in Yahweh Raphah, the God-who-heals-you, they see His Word coming to pass. Just as Isaiah 53:5 declares, “ the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” May we all be able to receive the great blessings God has for our souls.

November 2007: Current Moves of the Spirit

Possibly the most dominant moves of the Holy Spirit in the Church today are the Prophetic/“Kingdom” Movement and the Emerging Church Movement (Missionalism). The Prophetic Movement, with leaders like Bill Hamon, Rick Joyner, and Bob Jones, is a movement that reinforces the need for a prophetic dimension to the ministry of the Body. It also brings with it a new understanding on the need for intercession, the office of the apostle, and the believer's responsibility to spread God's kingdom in each sphere of influence.

The other movement going on, often called the “Emerging Church,” is a movement that counters the extremism of some fundamental groups by encouraging a completely opposite lifestyle. Followers of this trend emphasize the appreciation of mystery, using dialogue in evangelism, and being free from legalism.

These movements are both a part of God's continual work to develop a fully mature Bride which He can return for. We should seek to be affirming of anything He does, while striving for personal balance in our own views as well.

October 2007: The Restoration of All Things

The Scriptures say in Acts 3:21 that “[Christ] must remain in Heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” What are these things God has to restore? Hebrews 6:1-2 reads, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” These are all truths that have been restored in the historic moves of God, or are yet to be restored.

In the Protestant Movement we learned about repentance from dead works (salvation), and in the Evangelical Movement we learned about faith towards God (with good works following). The Pentecostal Movement restored the doctrine of baptisms (in blood, water, and the Spirit), and the Charismatic Movement restored the practice of laying on of hands (this practice was not common before the 1950's). Now, we await a time when a widespread understanding of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment will be restored. Then, as the Bride of Christ we will finally be able to move on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1), and “when the perfect comes [Jesus], the partial will be done away,” 1^st Corinthians 13:10. No longer will we need to have prophets give us partial revelation, for we will be ready to receive the revelation of Christ Himself from Heaven.

September 2007: The Values of the Churches

The Historic Church (Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, ect.) has maintained a value for tradition, without which Christianity would not have been preserved throughout history under the attacks of pagans and heretics. The Mainline Protestant Church (Lutherans, Presbyterians, ect.) has held a value for theology, without which the Church would never have been reformed and loosed from the misconceptions it taught before the late 1400's. The Evangelical Church (Baptists, Methodists, ect.) has developed an appreciation for devotion, without which believers would have no motivation for evangelism and proclaiming the authority of the Bible. The Classical Pentecostal Church (Assemblies of God, Church of God, ect.) have a great appreciation for power, which has brought the preaching and praise of believers to a whole new level. And the Charismatic Church (Faith churches, Kingdom churches, ect.) has developed a deep appreciation of freedom, which has brought God's people out of legalism and into a safe environment for the gifts of the Spirit to be practiced. Let us be appreciative of all these different churches and their values, and “be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” as Ephesians 4:3 says.

August 2007: The Exodus of the Saints

The history of the Church can be compared to the journey of the ancient Hebrews from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Protestant Movement was like the Passover, in that it brought a form of salvation from death to God's people. The Holiness Movement was like the passing through the Red Sea and coming to the waters of Marah, because this movement taught the need for going through water baptism and receiving physical healing. The Pentecostal Movement was like when water came from the rock to supply the Israelites, because the living water of the Holy Spirit was poured out from Jesus, the rock of our salvation. Finally, the Charismatic movement of recent history was like the Israelites' encounter with God at Mount Sinai, in which great expressions of God's power were revealed to the people. The Israelites had to wait there for an entire generation to pass until they would be cleansed of their old “Egyptian” religious mentalities.

Now, it is time for a company of prophets to rise up and stir the people to spread God's Kingdom on earth. Like Joshua, they are declaring “Let us go in and take possession of the land the LORD our God is giving us for our own!” (Joshua 1:11)

July 2007: A Sign of Christ's Coming

Bill Hamon stated in his book Prophets and Personal Prophecy, "Those who look at the Church for the signs of the nearness of the return of the Lord can proclaim the restoration of the prophet ministry as the greatest sign of the nearness of His coming of the century." The increase in prophetic revelation is truly a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Joel 2 says, "In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy." With the rising number of prophetic leaders like John Paul Jackson, Patricia King, Dutch Sheets, and James Goll, it is clear that we are living in the last days.

Not only is God bringing complete restoration to the Office of the Prophet (1 Cor. 12:28), but He is also speaking to the Church saying, "You can all prophesy..." 1Cor.14:31, and "desire earnestly to prophesy," 1 Cor. 14:39. Moses said in Num. 11:29, "Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" This has happened, and Jesus promised, "My sheep [shall] hear My voice, and I [will] know them, and they [will] follow Me," John 10:27.