Desert Ministry
(School Of The Prophets)
The
school of prophets created such a powerful environment that it retarded
the apostasy of Israel for a long time. They moved very much like Body
ministry, and in fact, it is my conviction that the school of prophets
started a great deal of interest in the Kingdom that shows up in later
prophets in the Old Testament. The whole theme underlying them, of the
King coming and the Kingdom and the day of the Lord, largely began with
the school of the prophets.
The
schools of prophets walked in the miraculous. They prophesied a great
thing. They could create unbelievable forces. When Saul sent his hatchet
men to kill David, they passed them on the road, and the force of their
prophesying was so great that the messengers stopped and entered in
dancing and prophesied with them. The second messengers were sent, and
the same thing happened. Saul went himself, and he threw aside his
garments and began to dance and prophesy until they said," Is Saul also
one of the prophets?" ( I Samuel 19:20-24)
The
prophets moved collectively a great deal. They answered to Samuel,
Ramah was the main center of his activities, but Samuel headed up this
school. Long after Samuel's departure , even in the days of Elijah and
Elisha, the school of prophets was still a young force. When Elijah and
Elisha were going down to the place across the Jordan where Elijah would
be translated, they passed the school of prophets, who prophesied,
"Your master will be taken from you today," Elisha answered, "I know it.
Don't bother me." ( II Kings 2:3)
In
this end time God has promised the return of such men. It will not be
just local, though it must start someplace. It will multiply not by
books and revelation teaching alone; it will multiply as the men
themselves come into the ministry and bring forth other men to do the
same thing. Remember the whole purpose of the prophets was the first
hand conveying of a ministry to another person. It was through
impartation more than anything else.
There
are very few casualties, but few successes in the controlled Bible
school system of today. Most pastors know this. We sure did. In the
first place, there are few Bible schools which are really spiritual, and
even when there is such a school, nine out of ten of the students lose
out with the Lord. The principle we follow in the Desert Ministry school
of the prophets is to convey by communication, by direct contact. We
can create a high level of spiritual expression which can literally
sweep people into manifesting the same thing.
Take
brother Ben for instance. He first came out into the desert places with
us and somehow was scared that we were going to kill and eat him.
Seriously, he has a Filipino background and I guess culturally there was
a big disconnect at first. But soon enough he was prophesying and
bringing forth the Word of the Lord with the word of knowledge at a very
high level. One day on our way out to the Salton Sea desert we stopped
at a small market. There was a man loitering in front of the store. Ben
boldly walked up to him and started to 'read his mail.' Ben said, "You
just got out of prison a few days ago and your mother has been praying
for your salvation." The man said in great amazement, "How did you know
that!?" He ended up praying the sinners prayer with Ben and was saved.
There
are certain principles and guidelines which have been laid down over
the last 25 years. God has outlined them for us and it seems to be
right. A Word is given, and fantastic levels of revelation begin to come
up from the young prophets. The presence of the Holy Spirit begins to
manifest more then we experience in any church. There is a true Body
function.
We
have tried to bring this experience to the Bible teaching school but
were driven out over time, so much so that we don't even bother to try
any more. Our vision was to be able to have a group of prophets come in,
not to take over and change a church and usurp the role of ministry and
authority, but to so completely minister to a church that a church
which is moving in the right direction can be enhanced with just a few
weeks of young prophets ministering in their midst. It would be far
better than the old campaigns and revivals and evangelists coming to try
to stir up a church. This is a true Body function. When they are
finished there will be people brought into Christ and moving in the
gifts and ministries.
Out
in the desert I am full on in my dedication, the Lord has lead me by
revelation on every desert trip we have taken over the years. I draw
upon the Lord and the Lord gives me the message He wants me to give. I
do not try to preach difficult, deep sermons, and yet there is a depth
to them that reaches everyone because I look to the Lord for revelation.
I have always preached by revelation over the years. Sometimes the Lord
will keep me up all night talking about something. When I speak it, it
is a fantastic flow that moves the people tremendously because it is
alive, it is real revelation. This kind of ministry shall be reproduced,
but it is not as simple as you think.
Do
you know what I was saying in my heart today? " I wish I knew the Word
better," yet I have studied it all my life. We will never feel we really
know the Word as we should. We must have the basics. We must have the
Word in our hearts. We must hide it there. I am not so much concerned
about reading the Word to create sermons or for devotions, but just
about reading it. We must read it until the Lord makes it alive. Then
when it comes time there is a reservoir that the Spirit of the Lord can
draw from, and it can come forth.
There
is no question about it, if we are to be a prophetic company, the
strength of the prophecy will be our knowledge and understanding of the
Word and our ability to move in revelation and perception. These two
things will be very basic. That is the reason there must be a great deal
of study involved for any who will be a part of the school of the
prophets. That is essential. In addition, there must be a great deal of
teaching and ministry to bring them into accurate revelation.
I
have stood in Austria just before the dividing wall in Germany came
down and I prophesied to the people that God was about to do a great
thing and that there was no one who could stop Him. I have prophesied
over Pat Robertson just before Russia contacted him wanting to put his
program on their TV, telling him, "I believe the Lord would say to you,
The wind of my Spirit is moving in Russia, call my people from her
midst." I have prophesied that rain would come upon the bread basket of
America during a great drought and that very hour unexpected heavy rains
came down, so much so that soybean futures were train wrecked. I have
prophesied to Pastor Chuck Smith years ago that he would see the full
extent of his Calvary Chapel family with his own eyes, and he now has. I
could go on and on, you get the point.
At
the present time the churches are handicapped in as much as the good
ministries of revelation are too limited. This school of prophets at
this time is not an extra boost so the brothers can go around
prophesying; the churches do not have the level of revelation that they
need. There is not enough discernment. There is not enough deep
perception. There is not enough confirming ministries of deep
revelation. Sometimes the ministries pray and get a good witness, but we
need the prophets to speak two or three and let the others judge. If we
have a i Corinthians 14 type service, it will have to be. Every pastor
feels he needs the backing of real prophets who are established. The
whole purpose of the school of prophets is to bring this to pass.
When
we get into the school of prophets, it will take quite a bit of
discipline and revelation. God will give a Word to send ministries into
an area for a few weeks to start working on that area and reproducing
other ministries. It is not to con people or sell them on something, but
until they actually see and hear the ministries in operation, they
don't get a hold of it. A few choice videos could be sent to churches to
stir them up to the school of the prophets and put the burden on them
because they will be called upon to send men to the school. Maybe they
will have to support them for a while. If they come to California we
will try to find a place for them to stay, and the churches can help pay
the rent. We will sacrifice to help them also.
I
feel that the school of prophets will break through to the prophecies
that are about eighteen years old now. Some of the prophecies over the
churches said that there would be a time when their doors would never
close. There would be a continual moving of God. There would be those
who would continually stand before the Lord, for the tabernacle of David
that is fallen down will be restored again. Amos prophesies that for
the end time ( Amos 9:11).
The verse in Amos is quoted in Acts 15:16
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down...
The
gentiles could not enter in to worship before, but in Acts 15 the
Apostle said, "This is the tabernacle of David which was fallen down,
where Gentiles and everyone can stand in the presence of the Lord and
worship." They had accurately interpreted, yet the prophecy in Amos
actually refers to the end time when God would bring this glorious
fulfillment. We will witness in many churches the prophets standing,
praising and worshiping God. The prophetic community will continue on
and on, and instead of a back log of personal ministry that is never
accomplished as in the present time, everyone will have a Word from the
Lord.
It
will be fantastic to see the people come. All day long, all night long
men will be standing, worshiping. When they get tired they will go home,
sleep, and come back- or there may even be places in the church where
they can stretch out on a cot to get a few hours of sleep and get up and
go at it again. I anticipate we get ready for the real latter rain, and
it will lift us a great deal out of scheduling of services that on a
certain day at a certain time we meet.
The
school of prophets, if it comes forth and they really seek the face of
the Lord, will be the thrust that will break through into marvelous
meetings with God. We began simply enough, after waiting upon the Lord
all day we would gather together and we would begin to dialog. I speak
something, and one person after another comes up with revelation, and
each puts things together with real revelation teaching. This is very
important. At the camp we sat around and talked and answered questions.
It opened things up which do not normally come in sermons. The questions
were significant, and the people contributed back and forth. There
really is no better way of teaching, if the level of interest is there
so that they know what to ask and are really concerned. All of this is
embraced in the school of prophets. This burden has not only been mine,
but on others has rested this same burden for the school of prophets.
They see as I do the need for more revelation ministries in the
churches. We have many with a good prophetic flow or psalms. The level
of worship has slowly risen, but we know we need more with a revelation
ministry.
God
brings men under the ministry for a specific purpose. The pastors and
associate pastors are the most important ministries in authority over
the people. When they are in it enough, they will have the vision and
the burden until it becomes a type of missionary enterprise that they
bring it back with them. This is a recycling program, the school of
prophets. If they begin to stagnate, they should not hesitate to say, "
I'm in trouble, Help me, I'm stagnated." Some way will be found, worked
out, so that they can leave their church and have a place to stay here
and come and get back into the flow. The vision is not always sustained
independent of this. Even if you sustain the vision but have been away
from my ministry for several years, a lot of things have happened. Even
if you are walking in more than you had at that level, you may be
missing some important keys which are coming.
The
school is not to train men so that they can flow on and on in just a
glib flow of prophecy. We are seeking something that exalts the Lord and
makes His presence real to the people. This is the key. The
manifestation of the presence of the Lord. That is the whole purpose of
the school of the prophets. Until we break into that our worship will
have restraints on it, our people will have walls when they approach the
Lord. They must have something which breaks that down and God breaks
through on them. The whole purpose is not a glib flow, but His living
presence in our midst.
We
must break through to the next step, and we have to be willing to walk
on. Everything now is based on the presence of the Lord because this is
the beginning of the end. The glorious gospel of the Kingdom of God
being preached into all the world for a witness. We can do it, His
presence is here. It is our unawareness we must break down, our lack of
awareness of the Lord and of His Shekinah presence. How to come into
that is what the school of prophets is all about. I have yearned and
wanted for it and waited for it.
I
know that in the timing of the Lord this should be right on us; this
should have priority. At this present time we look for confirmation for
the Lord to set ministries aside and set them in, and we have amazing
good success, but we have too few men who are really capable of giving
an apostolic company witness from a source out side of the local church.
This
picture is Erik and his truck at Zzyxx Campsite. We never really gave
this site a good name because its not much of a site. Just a dry
riverbed with a ten foot or more bank on one side. But! When we first
camped here we were greeted that night by two ten foot tall angels. It
really happened!!! They put crowns on our heads that we could not see,
and yet we could feel them. The feeling of them on our heads lasted for
weeks afterward. I know it sounds strange but I was there and will
always remember that night. The Roadhog, Wolfman, and Foggy Goggles were
by themselves on this particular Desert Trip. We do not usually tell
anyone this story because of the unbelief in most Christians hearts
towards the miraculous. There is a kind of rationalism which kills
miracles. When miracles are dead, miraculous things cease to happen. We
would receive more miracles, if we stopped insisting that miracles do
not happen, and began EXPECTING THEM TO HAPPEN.
Doug
got so blessed that day. At sunset he requested that we stop the truck
and let him rejoice before the Lord for a few moments. He is one of this ministry's fruit out of many that we are grateful to God for. It truly
is a work of God to see lives changed and ignited for Jesus Christ.
A panorama of Soda Dry Lake
David's favorite spot to wait upon the Lord. No
Bulldog, Roadhog, Mad Scientist and Foggy Goggles
This picture was taken shortly after arrival at what we call "Repentance Point" on Saturday morning. We all go our own ways and get our hearts right with God at Repentance Point before entering the desert to seek His face. After we feel were prayed up we stand by the trucks and wait for the others to return before the next phase of the desert trip which is to wait upon the Lord after group prayer at the Monument.
David's truck 1
This was one of the places we originally considered for the Desert Ministry. But it was to close to the city and a lot of sportsmen would come there for target practice. The noise made it hard to concentrate on the Lord. So we went deeper into the desert in search of the perfect location. As it turned out Roadhog knew of the perfect location and we have been blessed there.
Davids truck
This was taken at our other site "Turtle Shell Camp" by the Salton Sea. There is a whole different personality to this site then the Zzyxx site. Erik and David have had some powerful experiences here with the Holy Spirit. But then so have the others. If you ever come on a Desert Trip with us remember to ask us about the "Space Trash" Holy Spirit detector...LOL
Desert Dudes
This is Saturday morning group prayer at Repentance Point prior to going deeper into the desert at Zzyxx. Usually not much happens here during group prayer because most of us are still not in tune with the Holy Spirit yet and mostly are still repenting and getting prepared to wait on God for the rest of the day.
Erik ministering
This is a typical ministry time on Saturday night at Zzyxx Campsite. After dinner we usually minister to one another in personal ministry. This is where God meets most people's needs and encourages them. In this picture Erik is looking for a particular scripture to minister to Dr. Scott.
Erik tshell
This is Turtleshell Campsite. Erik is hauling in some firewood for the evening meal and ministry time. Now old timer desert rats would tell you not to camp out in riverbeds, its wisdom. But we usually are there when its not raining and there is no rain in site, so we camp out there because its the perfect flat location for our sleeping bags. The sky is always great to look at here due to the high clouds that tend to sweep past this place. Near by is the navy airbase and on occasion we have been kind of buzzed by their latest jets. Not very often though. Oh ya, this is also near their laser guided bombing runs in the Chocolate Mountains. We have never been there during their practice. And another thing, there is Gold around here. There is an old story of a discovery nearby, around some redsoil etc...that an old Desert Magazine story revealed.
David's favorite spot to wait upon the Lord. No
This picture was taken shortly after arrival at what we call "Repentance Point" on Saturday morning. We all go our own ways and get our hearts right with God at Repentance Point before entering the desert to seek His face. After we feel were prayed up we stand by the trucks and wait for the others to return before the next phase of the desert trip which is to wait upon the Lord after group prayer at the Monument.
This was one of the places we originally considered for the Desert Ministry. But it was to close to the city and a lot of sportsmen would come there for target practice. The noise made it hard to concentrate on the Lord. So we went deeper into the desert in search of the perfect location. As it turned out Roadhog knew of the perfect location and we have been blessed there.
This was taken at our other site "Turtle Shell Camp" by the Salton Sea. There is a whole different personality to this site then the Zzyxx site. Erik and David have had some powerful experiences here with the Holy Spirit. But then so have the others. If you ever come on a Desert Trip with us remember to ask us about the "Space Trash" Holy Spirit detector...LOL
This is Saturday morning group prayer at Repentance Point prior to going deeper into the desert at Zzyxx. Usually not much happens here during group prayer because most of us are still not in tune with the Holy Spirit yet and mostly are still repenting and getting prepared to wait on God for the rest of the day.
This is a typical ministry time on Saturday night at Zzyxx Campsite. After dinner we usually minister to one another in personal ministry. This is where God meets most people's needs and encourages them. In this picture Erik is looking for a particular scripture to minister to Dr. Scott.
This is Turtleshell Campsite. Erik is hauling in some firewood for the evening meal and ministry time. Now old timer desert rats would tell you not to camp out in riverbeds, its wisdom. But we usually are there when its not raining and there is no rain in site, so we camp out there because its the perfect flat location for our sleeping bags. The sky is always great to look at here due to the high clouds that tend to sweep past this place. Near by is the navy airbase and on occasion we have been kind of buzzed by their latest jets. Not very often though. Oh ya, this is also near their laser guided bombing runs in the Chocolate Mountains. We have never been there during their practice. And another thing, there is Gold around here. There is an old story of a discovery nearby, around some redsoil etc...that an old Desert Magazine story revealed.
This
was a site we only visited once. It was during a 113 degree day in the
summer. Notice the standard summer set up, an umbrella! This is David
and his truck again. We had crossed the rail tracks at Zzyxx and went
deeper into the desert just to see what was over there. In this pic we
are about to explore on foot. We had one dude on this trip who was in
his 60's who had never been away from the city his entire life. He
stayed by the trucks and was panic stricken with the thought of being
away from civilization.He called for help on the CB radio and the CHP
sent a Helicopter out to investigate. The chopper didn't land but just
did a fly over. We found out the story when we returned and the dude
confessed. Yes some people have never been out to the desert and panic,
But this was the only time it got out of hand on one of our Trips.
Wait...there was the time Ben thought we were all cannibals out to eat
him...lol...that's another story...
Foggy on top of Turtleshell campsite
We have experienced incredible spiritual activity out in the desert. The power of the Holy Spirit moving upon us is so very good. Most Christians have no idea what it can be like. This picture was taken during one of those moments.
Ging
This man is one of the most sensitive men to the Holy Spirits voice that I have ever known. His physical presence is far over shadowed by his spiritual presence. And yet he got lost out in the desert on his first time out with us because he felt that he had the needed skills to wander far from the campsite. Fortunately David and Erik heard God's voice telling them to lift up a lantern high on a stick so Ging could follow the light back to the camp. Lol...even spiritual men need to understand that it takes a lot of practical training before you can actually wander far from the campsite. The desert is deceptively hugh and there are a lot of skills needed to know just where you are in it. It is easy once you know what to look for.
Mike and truck
This is the Road Hog sleeping like a baby on Sunday morning. The Road Hog is a genuine "Desert Rat". I know of no one with the internal navigational skills that this man has. When your with the Road Hog you are never lost in the desert. He must have an internal GPS receiver in his head or something. He is the only member of our core group who can wander far from camp and return on time. He has brought back to camp a lot of interesting things that he finds on his journeys. Mostly what he titles "Space trash" which seems to be parts of blown up military stuff of no value. The Road Hog has shown us a lot of secret paths to places we would have missed had he not been with us. Mad Scientist sometimes gets resistant to some of the Road Hogs choices of what to explore due to the fact that they may be off the beaten path so to speak...LOL The Road Hog is the King of the desert! That is his 4x4 in the picture. Oh...and notice his excellent sleeping arrangement...He is the expert in desert comfort!
Mike relax
This is the Road Hog relaxing under the shade of a bush during summer heat of 113. This location is one that we have only been to once. It had little to offer, but we stayed there for a while to explore it. It was rejected as a spot to use for the desert ministry. With the Government closing down most of the desert to us its not easy finding places where we can camp and seek the Lord undisturbed. Most open desert locations that are legal are also used by other individuals who shoot guns or ride motor cycles and make a lot of disturbing noise, so we are always open to find newer and better locations as our regular locations get invaded or just shut down by our Government. Its not an east task putting together this ministry. But some how The Road Hog manages to pull it together. Gods man!
Mike wave
Now here is The Road Hog waving to me from on top of the hill. This picture was taken during one of our exploratory journeys. We were scouting out locations for the ministry. I liked this spot but there were way too many shooters and motor cycles around it. So we rejected it. I have come to this particular place a couple of times on my own. It is definitely not Desert Ministry land...lol... I almost got shot! Don't be alarmed...we only function as a ministry in very safe locations. we have never once had a mishap as a ministry in the desert. God has been so good over the many years of this ministry.
Doctor Scott
Doctor Scott is our worship leader. He is a mellow guy who everyone gets along with. He is married to a prophetess and is a prophet himself. They have two daughters who also are prophetess. Quite a family! We are so blessed to have the Doctor as part of our core group..."Doc i gots this pain right here...see...wat cha think?"
Relaxing
You know there is nothing better than men of God hanging around a desert fire discussing the things of God. No interruptions by pagers or cell phones, no meetings to attend, and no "honey do" list to perform. Just blissfully hanging by the fire enjoying the people of God.
Pastor Jim
Pastor Jim is ministering to the Sunday Morning coffee pot. We enjoy our morning coffee on Sunday as we discuss the minutes of the current Desert Trip. Often times the Holy Spirit surprises us with a visit on Sunday morning and we just might stay a little longer than we had planned so as not to miss out on any blessings.
A typical Saturday night dinner set up
Unfold the fantastic engineering marvel of a plastic table that seats four. (We have had many a conversation over this.) Lay out the steaks, chips and dip, and other wonderous culinary delights and you have an instant kitchen. There is something about a steak cooked over an open flame of desert wood. Yum! The Road Hog used to bring some awesome meat from Brawley. But all that has changed since he relocated to Oregon...Dang!
The Road Hog
The Road Hog with his big mug on Sunday morning. Notice that sign. It says, "Warning laser weapons area". We have a camp on the outskirts of the bombing range. Its a very safe area since they have yet to practice on weekends. And we only go there on weekends.
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday morning prayer at the monument on Soda Dry Lake during the winter. This was the only time we ever camped out at the monument. Today we have a secluded private property location for camping. The monument gets to much traffic since the government declared it an off road park...wow how time flys by and changes do take place...
Trucks at Zzyxx
Now is not that a beautiful site! Does a man's heart good to see real trucks off road. God has blessed us so much! If you want to come with us we usually can make arrangements to bring you, but it's even better if you have an off road vehicle.
Turtleshell Campsite
The dudes posing at Turtleshell Campsite. That's The Road Hogs truck "The Great White". No other truck has gotten a nick-name but this one.
Zyyxx camp
A photo from the bank top at Zzyxx campsite. Looks to me as though it were Sunday Morning. You can see the sunlight coming off in the distance. The campsite is in shadow as the sun first comes up. We put up this tiny cross when we first found this site and are amazed that no one has ever taken it down in all the many years it has been there. Our big Monument cross we erected was taken down with in weeks and yet this one still stands!
Erik
This is the young man Erik. Erik is a prophet who has the ability to see future things. Prior to the Gulf war "Desert Storm" Erik saw scud missiles intercepted by American weapons in a vision and then it shortly came to pass after he had declared publicly his vision. We want to see more young men like Erik come to the desert to be trained and raised up as prophets.
Johnny
This is Johnny the man of God. Johnny has a unique prophetic flow that is always on the move. His style of prophetic delivery is very enthusiastic and inspiring. We are blessed to have Johnny in our midst. There is a lot of depth to this man of God. If you were to come to the desert with us you are sure to get a Word from God through this prophet!
Paul Cain
This is a man of God with a mature gift of prophecy. You would be surprised if you knew how many well known people in ministry he has touched. Being a prophet he has come under major attack from outside the Body of Christ and from within. And through it all he still stands and delivers for the Lord. This man knows Jesus Christ... He prophesied to a young Chuck Smith, way before the sixties, that he would be the youth pastor of thousands and thousands of young people.
Matthew 10:41
Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
The
young prophet Erik with the old prophet Paul Cain. When old prophets
impart their wisdom and knowledge to the young prophets it is a very
great thing indeed! Paul Cain was Pastor Chuck Smith's (of Calvary
Chapel) ministry partner in the days of their youth. Paul had a healing
ministry where Chuck was in charge of setting up the tent and leading
the worship service back in the day.
The men of God honoring the prophet Paul Cain during one of his birthdays. They laid hands upon him and prayed over his life.
Paul's Birthday
Table display at Paul's birthday. If you look real close you might notice some very interesting photos (Click photo to enlarge) from Iraq...See Paul shaking some one's hand in the picture on the table. Apparently President Clinton had asked Paul to visit in Iraq to see what he thinks about weapons of mass destruction...Paul was well received at that time and invited to preach the gospel message in Iraq in Babylon. You can also see a picture of Benny Hinn and Paul.
This is a pic of Benny having a deep conversation with our Shekinah Fellowship's pastor Tilson Shumate.
Pastor Tilson and his wife with Benny.
Prophets
get sent to a lot of people...God moves through them and speaks through
them. The modern day church needs more prophets in their midst. But
Bible teaching schools do not produce or train up prophets. Nor do they
produce many men of God in ministry. Don't believe me? Ask yourself just
why it is the same old names keep popping up for every conference and
Christian gathering together? Over the last 40 years or so the same old
names will be advertised as the guest speakers at my local Bible school
teaching church. Wouldn't you figure that the Bible teaching school
would have produced a lot of new names, young men in ministry? But nope,
only the same old same old. FAIL!
Something is very wrong. Where are the men in ministry that are being produced? I know of one young man named Joshua who got the call to ministry. He was very anointed and very motivated. The Bible teaching school did not give him any opportunity to serve. He eventually went back east to serve in a church, they marginalized him instead of encourage him. He suffered shipwreck in his faith and fell away.
Our own pastor Tilson tried to serve in the Bible teaching church. He was told to just sit in the back and observe for a year. After a year he was allowed to move up a bit closer but still not allowed to pray with the men of God. Soon he too was discouraged and went else where.
Something is very wrong with this picture. where are the up coming young men of God in ministry? How come year after year it is the same old tired names in ministry that are being advertised as the "guest" speakers. Where are the fruits of ministry being kept? Where are the "Timothys?" Don't they love their Timothys? Don't they give them opportunity to serve in their ranks? Don't they watch over them? Don't they include them in ministry? Paul the apostle did!
1 Corinthians 4:17
For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Corinthians 16:10
When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.
Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons :
Philippians 2:22
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
Colossians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 Thessalonians 3:2
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
The next time you hear an advertisement for some Christian activity and the guest speakers are announced, pay close attention to who the guest speakers are. Nine times out of ten it will be the same old names you have heard year after year. Where are their Timothys?!
I know where of I speak because I once was a once a youngTimothy, a Timothy that got marginalized and cast off as of no use to the point that I too got discouraged and left their ranks. Something is not right in the Bible teaching schools.
We have experienced incredible spiritual activity out in the desert. The power of the Holy Spirit moving upon us is so very good. Most Christians have no idea what it can be like. This picture was taken during one of those moments.
This man is one of the most sensitive men to the Holy Spirits voice that I have ever known. His physical presence is far over shadowed by his spiritual presence. And yet he got lost out in the desert on his first time out with us because he felt that he had the needed skills to wander far from the campsite. Fortunately David and Erik heard God's voice telling them to lift up a lantern high on a stick so Ging could follow the light back to the camp. Lol...even spiritual men need to understand that it takes a lot of practical training before you can actually wander far from the campsite. The desert is deceptively hugh and there are a lot of skills needed to know just where you are in it. It is easy once you know what to look for.
This is the Road Hog sleeping like a baby on Sunday morning. The Road Hog is a genuine "Desert Rat". I know of no one with the internal navigational skills that this man has. When your with the Road Hog you are never lost in the desert. He must have an internal GPS receiver in his head or something. He is the only member of our core group who can wander far from camp and return on time. He has brought back to camp a lot of interesting things that he finds on his journeys. Mostly what he titles "Space trash" which seems to be parts of blown up military stuff of no value. The Road Hog has shown us a lot of secret paths to places we would have missed had he not been with us. Mad Scientist sometimes gets resistant to some of the Road Hogs choices of what to explore due to the fact that they may be off the beaten path so to speak...LOL The Road Hog is the King of the desert! That is his 4x4 in the picture. Oh...and notice his excellent sleeping arrangement...He is the expert in desert comfort!
This is the Road Hog relaxing under the shade of a bush during summer heat of 113. This location is one that we have only been to once. It had little to offer, but we stayed there for a while to explore it. It was rejected as a spot to use for the desert ministry. With the Government closing down most of the desert to us its not easy finding places where we can camp and seek the Lord undisturbed. Most open desert locations that are legal are also used by other individuals who shoot guns or ride motor cycles and make a lot of disturbing noise, so we are always open to find newer and better locations as our regular locations get invaded or just shut down by our Government. Its not an east task putting together this ministry. But some how The Road Hog manages to pull it together. Gods man!
Now here is The Road Hog waving to me from on top of the hill. This picture was taken during one of our exploratory journeys. We were scouting out locations for the ministry. I liked this spot but there were way too many shooters and motor cycles around it. So we rejected it. I have come to this particular place a couple of times on my own. It is definitely not Desert Ministry land...lol... I almost got shot! Don't be alarmed...we only function as a ministry in very safe locations. we have never once had a mishap as a ministry in the desert. God has been so good over the many years of this ministry.
Doctor Scott is our worship leader. He is a mellow guy who everyone gets along with. He is married to a prophetess and is a prophet himself. They have two daughters who also are prophetess. Quite a family! We are so blessed to have the Doctor as part of our core group..."Doc i gots this pain right here...see...wat cha think?"
You know there is nothing better than men of God hanging around a desert fire discussing the things of God. No interruptions by pagers or cell phones, no meetings to attend, and no "honey do" list to perform. Just blissfully hanging by the fire enjoying the people of God.
Pastor Jim is ministering to the Sunday Morning coffee pot. We enjoy our morning coffee on Sunday as we discuss the minutes of the current Desert Trip. Often times the Holy Spirit surprises us with a visit on Sunday morning and we just might stay a little longer than we had planned so as not to miss out on any blessings.
Unfold the fantastic engineering marvel of a plastic table that seats four. (We have had many a conversation over this.) Lay out the steaks, chips and dip, and other wonderous culinary delights and you have an instant kitchen. There is something about a steak cooked over an open flame of desert wood. Yum! The Road Hog used to bring some awesome meat from Brawley. But all that has changed since he relocated to Oregon...Dang!
The Road Hog with his big mug on Sunday morning. Notice that sign. It says, "Warning laser weapons area". We have a camp on the outskirts of the bombing range. Its a very safe area since they have yet to practice on weekends. And we only go there on weekends.
Sunday morning prayer at the monument on Soda Dry Lake during the winter. This was the only time we ever camped out at the monument. Today we have a secluded private property location for camping. The monument gets to much traffic since the government declared it an off road park...wow how time flys by and changes do take place...
Now is not that a beautiful site! Does a man's heart good to see real trucks off road. God has blessed us so much! If you want to come with us we usually can make arrangements to bring you, but it's even better if you have an off road vehicle.
The dudes posing at Turtleshell Campsite. That's The Road Hogs truck "The Great White". No other truck has gotten a nick-name but this one.
A photo from the bank top at Zzyxx campsite. Looks to me as though it were Sunday Morning. You can see the sunlight coming off in the distance. The campsite is in shadow as the sun first comes up. We put up this tiny cross when we first found this site and are amazed that no one has ever taken it down in all the many years it has been there. Our big Monument cross we erected was taken down with in weeks and yet this one still stands!
This is the young man Erik. Erik is a prophet who has the ability to see future things. Prior to the Gulf war "Desert Storm" Erik saw scud missiles intercepted by American weapons in a vision and then it shortly came to pass after he had declared publicly his vision. We want to see more young men like Erik come to the desert to be trained and raised up as prophets.
This is Johnny the man of God. Johnny has a unique prophetic flow that is always on the move. His style of prophetic delivery is very enthusiastic and inspiring. We are blessed to have Johnny in our midst. There is a lot of depth to this man of God. If you were to come to the desert with us you are sure to get a Word from God through this prophet!
Paul Cain
This is a man of God with a mature gift of prophecy. You would be surprised if you knew how many well known people in ministry he has touched. Being a prophet he has come under major attack from outside the Body of Christ and from within. And through it all he still stands and delivers for the Lord. This man knows Jesus Christ... He prophesied to a young Chuck Smith, way before the sixties, that he would be the youth pastor of thousands and thousands of young people.
Matthew 10:41
Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
Table display at Paul's birthday. If you look real close you might notice some very interesting photos (Click photo to enlarge) from Iraq...See Paul shaking some one's hand in the picture on the table. Apparently President Clinton had asked Paul to visit in Iraq to see what he thinks about weapons of mass destruction...Paul was well received at that time and invited to preach the gospel message in Iraq in Babylon. You can also see a picture of Benny Hinn and Paul.
Something is very wrong. Where are the men in ministry that are being produced? I know of one young man named Joshua who got the call to ministry. He was very anointed and very motivated. The Bible teaching school did not give him any opportunity to serve. He eventually went back east to serve in a church, they marginalized him instead of encourage him. He suffered shipwreck in his faith and fell away.
Our own pastor Tilson tried to serve in the Bible teaching church. He was told to just sit in the back and observe for a year. After a year he was allowed to move up a bit closer but still not allowed to pray with the men of God. Soon he too was discouraged and went else where.
Something is very wrong with this picture. where are the up coming young men of God in ministry? How come year after year it is the same old tired names in ministry that are being advertised as the "guest" speakers. Where are the fruits of ministry being kept? Where are the "Timothys?" Don't they love their Timothys? Don't they give them opportunity to serve in their ranks? Don't they watch over them? Don't they include them in ministry? Paul the apostle did!
1 Corinthians 4:17
For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Corinthians 16:10
When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.
Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons :
Philippians 2:22
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
Colossians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 Thessalonians 3:2
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
The next time you hear an advertisement for some Christian activity and the guest speakers are announced, pay close attention to who the guest speakers are. Nine times out of ten it will be the same old names you have heard year after year. Where are their Timothys?!
I know where of I speak because I once was a once a youngTimothy, a Timothy that got marginalized and cast off as of no use to the point that I too got discouraged and left their ranks. Something is not right in the Bible teaching schools.
Where are the prophets?
David Sloane
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