Harvest

Vineyard Community Church Laguna Niguel, California, Monday nights.

Captured By The Holy Spirit 

(Lord Send The Fire Today)

This is a message that you are going to want to read over and over again until you get it in your spirit. There is something deep, something apostolic, that is calling out to you today! There is more! God is not finished with His Church, His people.


I know of a few people who were touched by the Holy Spirit at a young age. They actually experienced the powerful presence of God that the Holy Spirit can manifest when He is present.

They became God's hungry children!

Lonnie Frisbee said, "It only takes a one split second touch of the Holy Spirit to change a life. That one touch will do more then years of seminary could ever do."

Some of those who were touched are now caught in a kind of no man's land. They can't seem to find a church or place where the presence of the Holy Spirit is manifested like it was for them early on.

They know what it is like and how it was for them to be touched by the person of the Holy Spirit. Some of them say that they do not like Pentecostal churches but they also do not like dry and boring churches either.

They keep hoping that one day they will once again experience being touched by the Holy Spirit like they first experienced it so long ago.

Some of these people have simply given up, figuring that it was all just an emotional experience of their youth. Others have accepted that such things just do not happen these days and have quit seeking after an experience with God..

There are men who recently had a big gathering to support that such things do not happen today and that in fact those who say they do and who believe they do are evil.

But some men have visions of more about to come. One man, with a prophetic ministry, named Paul has had several specific burdens and prophetic expectations for the Body of Christ today and in the days to come.

 He has had reoccurring visions concerning the end time, which he believes are rapidly approaching. About 30 years ago the Lord gave Paul a vision that has occurred to Paul more than 100 times and still reoccurs to this day.

It is a vision of the last days when sports stadiums all over the United States are filled with thousands of people. In this vision, people are being healed and miracles are happening to thousands in the

name of Jesus Christ.

People are turning to the Lord in droves and the whole nation is in revival. It seemed the whole earth was turning to Christ.

Television news reporters are broadcasting stories of resurrections and miracle healings.

None of the secular reporters could get near the men on the platform. They did not know who the men were. Paul described them as "almost faceless men."

He hears a TV anchorman saying, "There are no sporting events to report tonight because all the stadiums, ball parks and arenas are being used for large revival meetings and are filled with people crying, ''Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord."

In these visions, Paul saw these men minister for three days and nights without food, water or change of clothing. Supernatural strength enabled them to continue for these long periods. In the vision, Paul is standing at the crossroads of life and sees a billboard that says, "Joel's army now in training."

 People are being trained to walk in obedience to Jesus. They have learned patience and endurance, have the power of God and having done all, they know how to stand against the enemy.

"They will have the mind of Christ," Paul said. "They will partake of the heavenly calling and be a new breed, God's dread champions." Those ministries will be filled with such passion for Jesus and the power of the Spirit that the host of darkness will dread their impact.

 Paul said in the midst of the Laodicean church age of lethargy and apathy, that God was preparing in hiddenness an army to pull down enemy strongholds, and go forth in the power of God and have pure and undefiled religion.

 "He's going to do this with a people who have stripped themselves and separated themselves from the world, the flesh and the devil," Paul said. "They will realize the end time is here and that things are in a mess and things at the end time are different.

 Just as it required total sacrifice on the part of the disciples to begin this thing, it will require an equal commitment from us to complete the task in the end times. Joel's mighty army, as described in Joel Chapter 2 is the army of God - not a wicked army, as some have thought.

 They are the ones with 'feet of iron not mixed with clay', with the wisdom of God alone, not imitators of other men of God.

Some of the superstars of the Church will fall. The Lord will have an army of holy anointed vessels to usher in His kingdom so that no one man can take credit for it. It will be to the glory of God alone."

I hear a lot of ministers sharing stuff along these lines lately. We may get jaded and doubt what they are saying. We may just write them off as people simply trying to drum up some excitement in their own ministries etc...

Is there any truth to what they are telling us? Can there be another great out pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the earth coming? Why does the Holy Spirit seem to come and go like the wind?

There is a much bigger picture here.

Let's start from the beginning. The Bible.
Joel 1:1-4

1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
Joel 2:23-32

King James Version (KJV)

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

It  was a wonderful day when God first began to pour out His Spirit as He foretold in these great prophecies of the prophet Joel. It was nearly 850 years after this prophecy was made that God began the fulfillment of it.

Acts 2:1-16

King James Version (KJV)

2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Then Peter quoted the passage in Joel 2:28-32

On this great day of Pentecost, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit opened, and the Church was born in great power and glory.

The book of Acts in the New Testament tells us many stories of the miracles, signs, and wonders which blessed that early Church.


From that day until now, the Holy Spirit has been in the earth bringing to us the blessings of Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord. How great have been the experiences and blessings through the years: salvation, healings, a true New Testament ministry, visions and revelations in the Spirit, and gifts and abilities of the Spirit.

 When that strange happening occurred- 120 Christian believers being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in different languages which they had never learned- no wonder the bystanders were amazed and said, "What meaneth this?"

The verses from Joel, chapters 1 and 2, cover the entire Church age.  Volumes have been written on Church history, yet these few verses from Joel 1:4 to Joel 2:25 cover the entire story of the Church, even the chapters not yet recorded in history and the things that are yet to come.

Joel's vision revealed a beautiful, fruitful vineyard which was slowly eaten by ravages of insects and then was miraculously restored by God's hand. What a wonderful picture this is of the Church.

The Church began with great glory and wonderful miracles and signs. The vineyard was then full of fruit. The early Church had the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous divine word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, miraculous faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, ability to speak divers kinds of tongues, and the ability to interpret them (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

That early Church also had the fruit of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22,23).

But God had seen and foretold in the days of Joel that the Church would not remain in its beauty and power. Then came the palmerworm into the vineyard. The diabolical forces began to destroy the miracles and signs, and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and the fruit disappeared.

It was not long after the time of the apostles that a slow deterioration began in that apostolic Church. The locust continued eating. Already the palmerworm had destroyed the fruit, and the locust began to eat what was left.

The locust always eats the leaves and tender bark of the tree. It strips and lays barren all that it touches.

The centuries passed, with the Church being stripped of the fullness of the Spirit and prayer and humility. Formality and sectarianism took over.

Denominationalism and sectarianism have always been an evidence of lack of divine life and love in the Church.

There is not one verse of Scripture in the Holy Bible to authorize the various forms of division which we call denominations in the Body of Christ. Men came, claiming to have the Holy Spirit, who did not have any Biblical evidences of having received, such as speaking with other tongues.

 They had no Biblical evidences of possessing the Spirit, such as the fruit of the Spirit. Then came the cankerworm, eating what the locust had left. The cancerous eating of the vitals of the vine continued until the divine holiness and life-flow into the Church was corrupted and finally died.

The last devastation was to come to the vineyard by the caterpillar. The vine was stripped of its fruit, its leaves and the bark were gone, cancerous holes were in its heart, and the caterpillar nested in its roots and hollows.

Likewise, the Church also came to have its very root life destroyed; the root of the Church is its salvation experience-justification by faith in Christ. When this was destroyed, it signaled the beginning of the dark ages. We call them Dark Ages, and they were dark.

The angels of God must have looked at the Church in that hour and wept; for the light was gone, and the night without Jesus Christ became the Dark Ages.

But weep not for the former glory which has departed, for Joel 2:25 says, I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.


God declared, I will restore, and then came a glorious time in the history of the Church as God slowly

but surely began its restoration. Martin Luther, while doing his penance, heard those heavenly words, The just shall live by faith (Galatians 3:11), and all over Europe men began to turn back to the Bible and to a real experience of salvation.


The first step of restoration had come. The Lutherans and Protestants were persecuted and martyred, but what God had done remained. All the tortures of the inquisition, the maiming and blinding of the believers, the scourgings, and the burnings at the stake could not destroy the work of God in restoring the Church.

The restoration of the Church followed with the work and ministry of great men like John Calvin, John Knox, Fletcher, and hundreds of others. Satan could not hold back God's move to restore in those days, and he cannot stop it now.

 As generations passed, God restored more. The holiness movement sprang forth; that our above quoted prophet Paul was involved with. But always the story was the same: as soon as one church movement grew cold, lost its first love, or fought higher truths, it lost out spiritually.

Often it became highly organized with man-rule instead of God-rule, and the people refused to walk in the light God gave them, and so the Lord God stepped over their little denominational and sectarian walls.

 He left them to their dying forms and rituals and ceremonies and He took with Him a hungry band of believers.

They were the called-out of the called-out. Thus a fresh new step was made in God's restoration of the Church.

O Churches that bear the name of the Lord, do you have a name that you live, but are dead (Revelation 3:1)? Men who are moving on with God marched down through the centuries.

Read of John Wesley who endured bitter persecutions. With every church in England closed to the

word he brought from God, he preached from his fathers's tombstone, the only place left from which he could preach.

 Stoned, rotten-egged, he moved on with God, and another new step in the restoration was made.

Then followed men like Charles Finney and a host of others; but alas, in those very movements the fire began to wane, and they turned to a social gospel.

 With organization, church suppers and programs, they, too, began to erect sectarian walls.

Then came William Booth with the Salvation Army, and it was a great day in his thronged church

when he was called upon to compromise the word of God.

His wife called to him from the balcony, "Say no, William," and William Booth said "No"; and the Church moved on one more step.

History tells us of the power of God in the Salvation Army with its all-night prayer meetings and men and women slain under the power of God.

About half a century ago another movement was born which was much like the story in Acts 2. It is called the great Welsh revival and was initiated under the ministry of Evan Roberts.

 It led to subsequent outpourings of God's Spirit all over the world, with men and women of every nation beginning to

receive the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues.

The rain of heaven was falling on the humble and the empty, and Satan fought it as he had always done before. All of the movements of God which had closed their doors to further revelation fought it too.

Preachers also fought this movement and called it many names.

 It is a tragedy that those who were persecuted for former light a few years before were now persecuting those who were moving on into greater light.

Stepping out of Calvary Chapel came the Vineyard and Shekinah Fellowship.

This new light was but a restoration of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as it was experienced by the early New Testament church.

 As the years passed, those who fought the light began to dry up, and they followed the pattern of the denominations before them. They became strongly sectarian and cast out the new light and all its messengers.

Thank God that His truth is marching on! Nothing can stop the rain. Calling names and becoming angry will not stop the rain from falling. You cannot sweep back this mighty tide with a little broom.

Now in this day, God has begun another move. Strange things are happening again.

 God is moving on His people to restore the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the fruit of the Spirit.

God is moving to complete the final steps for restoring the Church in these last days.

For 450 years, from the days of Martin Luther,

God has been moving to restore, and He will not cease to move until the miracle power and glory of the Church is greater than that of the Church in the New Testament days.

It is sad but true, that those who received the Holy Spirit and even spoke in tongues are now fighting the present restoration of the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the ministries, and the spiritual authority of Christ in the believer which are recorded in Ephesians.

Many of those truths will be found only in a New Testament church. God is moving again in the earth. Hear Him and rejoice. Receive this illumination from God's Word and walk in His new light.

The glorious Church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27) will soon come forth again in the earth. God said,"I will restore all the years..."

Take care that you do not follow the crowd and speak

evil of what God is doing today, as the multitudes in the church have done in former generations.

Evangelical Fundamentalist, listen! Holiness people, listen! Pentecostals, listen! God is moving on!

Will you move on with Him, or will you in unbelief raise your man-made denominational walls a little higher and sink into the pits of formality and deadness like the denominations before you?

Jesus People are you listening? Firefall People are you listening? God will surely step over your walls, just as He did in other generations; and He will lead His people, the hungry and humble in

heart, on into His new day.

Press on into every scriptural New Testament church experience and endowment of the Holy Spirit.

 Put away your doubts and fears, and dare to walk on with God, even at the cost of persecution and man's disfavor.

It is better to please God than to please man. Take care, lest it be said of you as the prophet Isaiah wrote: "This is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses; they for a are prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, none saith, Restore. Who among you will give ear to this? Who will harken and hear for the time to come?"
Isaiah 42:22,23.

This is a day of restoration, the restitution of all things (Acts 3:21). This is a day He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28).

To speak truths and to know we speak the Word from God is a great blessing to us. The prejudices and sectarianism of the multitudes will never stop God's hungry children from moving on with God.

One small chapter in the continuing move of God in the earth. 

Do you want to march on with God? Are you willing to give up your preconceived notions of what a move of God should look like and be like? Are you willing to open up and receive of the richness that the Holy Spirit can bring?

Cry out! Yearn! Desire for the move of God in this your time. 

The story is vast and great and impacts the life of many upon the earth.

I am hungry for something from God!
Lord send Your fire today!

Vineyard Community Church in Laguna Niguel, California with pastor Mike Hudgins on Monday nights is a great place to start. The family of God meets at 7:15 PM and worships God together then things start to happen. People have had prayers answered and have had physical healings etc.

If you are hungry for God and want to sit under a powerful experienced leader who knows and under stands the move of God then by all means attend this incredible gathering of the saints. You will not be disappointed! I highly endorse this mighty man of God!

Here is an audio from long ago that few people have heard. It starts off simple but builds to the point that if you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit you will come under the power of God and tears will flow...

What Controls You?

CAN A CHRISTIAN BE DEMON POSSESSED?

A demon can attach itself to a Christian to the point of controlling them and even oppress them to the point of suicide without ever really possessing them.

 Those who justify their sin and continue a sinful lifestyle open themselves up to a satanic bondage that will eventually end up in judgment.

 The wages of sin is death, and for the sinning Christian: the loss of life and their rewards in heaven. If they were ever truly saved, they will enter heaven bankrupt and ‘by the skin of their teeth.’ The apostle Paul called it being given over to the destruction of the flesh that their spirit might be saved.

We are warned not to give place to the devil. Ecclesiastes warns, if you break a hedge a serpent shall bite you. The scriptures also teach, he that seeks to hide his sin will not prosper and to be sure your sins will find you out.

 You reap what you sow. Paul said I will not be brought under the power of anything. When a thing tells you when and where, you are in bondage to it and become its slave.

 Obeying the lust of the flesh invites evil spirits to participate with you which will inevitably involve demonic activity in your life to the point of manifestation.

 This condition is often confused with demon possession because it is so closely related to it. We are bought with a price by the blood of Christ.

We are not our own, nor can we belong to another. We have been paid in full, no demon can lay claim to our soul. A Christian cannot be a demons possession but they can become somewhat of a trophy to their destruction.

Pastor Tilson Shumate

Always Pressing In

Always Abounding

1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

If you are going to have God's victory, you must begin with the deep dedication that makes you a steadfast believer.

The next word is immovable. This speaks of your faith; your steadfastness has to do with the dedication and the love that you have for the Lord, but to be immovable deals with your faith.

 

 You must have the kind of faith that cannot be moved by circumstances. Neither can it be moved by relationships or people. You say, like Paul the apostle, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I must finish my course with joy...Acts 20:24. He knew that within him was a faith to believe nothing could move him.

When you add steadfastness to immovable quality, you have an attitude like the three Hebrew children; they were told to bow down when music played, or into the furnace they would go. They said, "We don't know whether God is going to deliver us or not. But one thing we do know: our faith is immovable; we will not bow down." Furnace or not, it was an immovable faith. Nothing was going to move them (Daniel 3).

When you have these two things that do not alter, that steadfast quality of your love and dedication, and that immovable quality of your faith, then you come into the end time ministry which God is really looking for: always abounding in the work of the Lord. 

 

Abounding is a special word we do not use anymore. "Always abounding" would be that leaping forward, like race cars roaring out of their pits to run a race, going until they literally tear their tires to pieces, driving around every curve relentlessly, knowing that it is all a matter of time. http://youtu.be/7MaNiV7Kwe4

And that is the way it is in this day. We are not under the old strain of legalism or dead works, but something in us longs to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). That is why we must commission and thrust people forward into the ministry God has for them. We do not have that much time to waste one minute of it.

You have to always abound. You might become weary and give up, or have moments of discouragement, unless you have that steadfastness and immovable quality. But when you have that, you will be...always abounding in the work of the Lord (that is so important), knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58. When you reach this in your dedication, nothing you do seems to be unavailing.

People sometimes tell me that I prayed for them five or ten years ago, and it finally came to pass. What happened in the meantime? Well, the word was there, but they had to live with that word and go through changes within themselves. 

 

God was constantly working on them, and the word came to pass. I do not think God wastes as much time as you think. You may have the impression that God stalls around because He has eternity.

God makes a promise to Abraham and then forgets him, he and Sarah are very old before God gets around to fulfilling it. I think God moves just as fast as the human heart will open up for Him to move; I do not think He intends to waste your life. 

 

Delays are a result of the process of our submitting to what He is trying to work out in our lives and to what the word is. It takes a while. He has to produce that steadfastness and immovable quality within us.

Often times someone knows he has a call from God to pastor, and he wonders why God does not thrust him out. Some brothers are thrust out soon, and they come back after a rough experience. 

 

Nevertheless, God is doing a quick work on the earth. It is a fine balance. I do not think that anyone is completely ready when he is untried and unproven. You can only prove a soldier, no matter what his basic training is and how well disciplined he is, by putting him into battle with live bullets whistling over his head. While it is true that you have to get out in the battle, you cannot go until that steadfastness and immovable quality has been worked in you.

"Do I just sit here waiting? I can't see why God is wasting my life." Let God first work that quality in you to be steadfast and immovable, and soon you will find yourself wishing for a few days to sit down, wait on the Lord, and take it a little easier. That always abounding in the work of the Lord will hit you. WHAM!

I know the responsibility that comes with a ministry. God will thrust you into it as soon as you are able to take it. At first you cannot live with it all the time. It was too intense when God first laid this ministry before me. I felt as if I had to get off once in a while and do something else and relax. I could be a ministry unto the Lord most of the time, but every two or three weeks I went off to relax where I could forget everything.

You may take a little coffee break from God, because He is dealing with you so intensely in putting you through circumstances, but usually you come back and say, "Well, Lord, now I'm ready again." And He is ready to put you through it again. But what He really wants is for you to come to the place where He can lay responsibility upon your shoulders for the house of God, even as the government is upon His shoulders, and for you to bear it with steadfastness and immovability.

There is not going to be a turning away from it. That is not an easy place to come to. How many times have you squealed under the responsibility when it was unrelenting? You had to meet it even though the last ounce of strength was gone. It is not a matter of dead works; the Lord is thrusting laborers into His harvest field, and they are always abounding in the work of the Lord. We cannot draw back.

Peter and John were told to stop speaking any more in the name of the Lord, and they said, For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20. There was an inward compulsion. Christ felt it, and He said, I must work the works of Him that sent me...the night cometh when no man can work. John 9:4. That driving force of always abounding in the work of the Lord is what Paul felt. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. II Timothy 4:7.

He exhorted young Timothy to meditate on the prophecies, and give himself wholly to them, so that his profiting could appear to all ( I Timothy 4:15).

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency, in all things, may abound to every good work. II Corinthians 9:8. If we want to be always abounding in the work of the Lord we will have to get to the place where all grace is abounding toward us so we will have all sufficiency in all things to abound to every good work. It is beyond human endurance, beyond human strength, and beyond human wisdom. We will never be able to be what God wants us to be in ourselves.

There has to be a rhythm of ministry. You cannot breathe out without breathing in. Even the Lord learned how to constantly go before the Father, continuing all night in prayer, then going out to minister. 

 

That is exactly how we must function. All grace is abounding toward us, and then we are abounding in every good work, pressing into it with all our heart. It cannot be done in the flesh; it cannot be done in the natural. The things that are going to come to pass in the churches will be accomplished by the people learning to draw the grace of God. Draw on that grace and then enter right into it.

This is a very simple message; nevertheless you will think about it, and it will begin to work on you until you realize this is what you have needed.

 

 You will think, "I haven't really been steadfast, because of the wavering in my love and dedication to the Lord. This has been the reason I couldn't abound in the work of the Lord. And as far as being immovable, I have been movable. With every tide I have shifted; I haven't been anchored as I should have been." 

 

But when you get down to the basic repentance and seeking of the Lord, you take care of your dedication, and God begins to really deal with your heart. Then you start abounding in the work of the Lord.

God's righteousness is not just to make you a  lovely looking individual, a showpiece on some shelve. Some want to excel in the Lord for their own glory among others. No, the righteousness of God for the work of God in your heart are for a very practical purpose: to bring forth the perfect will of God in your life, to bring that end-time witness for the glory and the praise of the Lord.

Many people are ready for commissioning You may be ready for that kind of prophesying over you that has revelation, that identifies your ministry, and identifies the gifts of the Spirit you are to move in. Get into the Word, read it, pray about it, appropriate it.

 

 Start moving in what god has for you as fast as you can. You are ready for it now. For you to sit idle any longer will mean that you will go backward instead of going forward. The time is on us now to take the next step in god. We must enter into the full expression of ministry in every area. You are ready for it.

We cannot be without the Holy Spirit's illuminating and making alive this word that is coming now. This is the commission of the gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. This is the world's last witness and the gathering of the precious fruit. Something has to make us realize we are ordained of God for this purpose, and that it is now.

I rebuke the darkness of the enemy that would hold it back, and I believe for it to take hold and possess us deeply, not with a carnal enthusiasm but with a deep revelation of the Spirit that will know no end in its fulfillment.

If we set about to pump up inspiration and enthusiasm we will be right back in old order. This must be led by the Spirit of the Lord. It must be a deep revelation. In this, our walk with God will deepen tremendously  because we will be drawing constantly, appropriating and becoming in tune. It will be the beginning of a miracle walk.

It is in us, but it cannot come with fanfare and pumping up. We almost have to understand it. We know that this step is necessary: the gospel of the Kingdom has to be preached to all the world for a witness. This gospel is going to be preached by the people who believe in Jesus Christ. And the Kingdom is Him; He is King.

 

 Whether you expect rapture, or however you expect the coming of the Lord, no matter how you envision the events of the Parousia, this gospel of the Kingdom has to be preached first as the witness in all the world ( Matthew 24:14 ).

Do you feel as if you can hardly wait for the Lord to begin to use you? Without seeking numbers and saying, "Look at all I did," do you really want to be a channel, to be able to look around through the churches and see people who have come in because God gave you a living word that was flowing?

God's Joy Is You

Leadership From God's Perspective

John 3:16 - 18

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

I'd like to emphasize here and now that for the Christian, the issue of forgiveness is forever settled ...

Christ settled it on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead guarantees our own resurrection unto life eternal.

 Condemnation therefore is not an issue with the genuine believer.

 But what about the discipline of the Lord?

 I believe that there is some confusion nowadays concerning His rebuking of His own. There is something presently existing in the Church today concerning the chastisement of God that I believe flies in the face of His own intention.

 We must always remember that God LOVED His fallen creation, and didn't stop loving us when we fell. He gave us His Son to not only take away our sins, but also raised Him from the dead, so that we could have eternal life! Christ's resurrection guarantees our own...

The thing that is so missing in today's Church is the RESTORATIVE aspect of the Lord's rebuking of His children. There is always a divine purpose in Godly rebuke.

 It is never to bury us in our own guilt- just imagine how easy that would be for Him to do if He didn't love us with an everlasting love!- but rather, God's chastisement always has in mind the intention of bringing us OUT of our present defeated condition, and- here it is... restoring us in PRACTICE what is already POSITIONALLY ours!

You might never know this from some who might want to use their 'authority' to CONTROL those whom God has placed under their care. This must be addressed and corrected immediately!

 Those whom God has placed in authority over us in a pastoral or leadership sense, have the God-given responsibility to lead us in the way of godliness and righteousness- never for their own ends, never to lord it over a person or group of people, or to further his own agenda, but always for encouraging the sheep entrusted under his care to follow the Savior with all of their hearts.

 Coertion and intimidation are never God's way, and anything or anybody that would steer you away from seeking the Lord FOR YOURSELF via prayer, reading His word, and worshipping Him and Him only, should be avoided.

Again- God does and will rebuke and chastise His own (Proverbs 3:11 & 12- "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction; For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." and Hebrews 12: 7 & 8 "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards, and not sons."

 Do you see the restorative nature in God's discipline?

 It is always done in love, it is always for our highest good.

Why?

Because He loves us with an everlasting love! Beloved, do not ever let condemnation- regardless of the source- grab ahold of you- in any manner shape, or form...

You, Christian, are His joy, and His shining pride- Never forget that!

En Agape, pastor Jim

A Word From Tilson

When God is speaking something to you and you share it with others who God is speaking to, you will all leap within your faith (jump for joy) at the marvelous things that God is doing.

 

 There is wisdom and safety in the fellowship of others who bear witness with you in hearing the same things from the Lord as you have heard.

My wife and I are hearing the Lord say that he is moving us to a new place of ministry. We don’t know where that place is, or who the people are. We just know that He wants us to pastor a church somewhere. 

 

God is preparing all of our hearts and I believe we are going to meet together very soon. The minute we meet, we will all know that I am to pastor that church.

 

 It will be the Holy Ghost witness.

When God called Abraham, he obeyed being faithful to his calling not knowing where it was he was going. 

 

By faith Noah prepared the Ark, even though it had never rained.

God is strategically placing each one of us for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Revival days are on there way; a total restoration of all the things that God has ever spoken since the world began. He will dot every I and cross every T.

Jesus Wasn't Crucified? Well There Is One Theologian Who Thinks He Wasn't.

Let me set the table for what follows with these Scriptures

John 3:14


And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

John 12:32


And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Matthew 10:38


And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Matthew 27:32


And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Matthew 27:40


And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

There is this fellow who disputes that there even was a cross.

 Jesus wasn't crucified?  is his claim, at least not on a cross.

http://theweek.com/article/index/204596/jesus-wasnt-crucified

Even Though It Seems Darkly Hopeless

Satan's Future...

The destiny of Satan is as sure as his past. God has pre-written his end. There seems little doubt that in the closing days of this present age of grace, the devil's pernicious activities against the cause of God will be increased greatly (Rev. 12:12).

Not only does Satan continue to direct the vast network of anti~God control over the world with its manifold ramifications, but his particular animosity is expressed against the Gospel of Christ and those who proclaim it (II Cor. 4:4).

Satan's supernatural, uncanny and penetrating knowledge should never be underestimated. His special delight is to bring about the falling into sin and consequent uselessness of the Christian worker.

Knowing full well that within Christians there remains the old sinful Adamic nature, the devil uses this means of leading the Lord's people into compromise and sin.

 No Christian in himself is a match for this sinister enemy.

With regard to most of the world's activities, that enormous breadth of endeavor and accomplishment, Satan's plan has been that of substitution. He has used the great advances of science and other achievements. Education has come under his special favor. The emphasis has been upon man's accomplishments without regard to God's enablement.

Man's selfish pride and love of self have been encouraged to the full. Anything and everything which contributes to man's self~praise and self~worship have been given wide publicity and acceptance.

 On the other hand, anything which would tend to show sinful character of the human heart, and the desperate need of the saving grace of God, has been sidetracked, soft-pedaled, and mocked by the devil.

It is well to repeat: 
Satan still has access to the very throne of God in heaven. Frequently he goes there to accuse the saints of unrighteousness (Job 1:6-10). Notice Revelation 12:9,10, wherein is described the great accuser's eventual fall:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven. Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

Satan's warfare against believers is unceasing. Were it not for the defense of our great Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian's position would be in jeopardy (Heb. 7:25).

To Believe and Receive or Doubt (Gr:Apistia) and Reject?

I just typed a post on one of the blogs that I like to visit frequently that I want to share with you. I think that it speaks to all of us Christians.

***

"J.U.

You may like a book that has been revised and updated by Josh Mcdowell. It is called The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

This book is incredible in it’s research and support of the evidence for the authenticity of the Bible being the Word of Almighty God.

Here is the best price for it that I could find just now: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2691637120773?r=1&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book_15To24-_-Q000000633-_-2691637120773

I once had a conversation with Oden Fong, a Bible teacher and a personal friend i highly respect, about ‘hearing from God.’

He told me, “David I listen to everyone because I have found that God will unexpectedly speak to me through both small and great. And I do not even want to miss it.”

There are those that God will use to speak through to us directly at times. I like to call it the ‘high lighting’ of the Holy Spirit. One of the languages of God is this high lighting for me personally.

For instance, one day my son and i were talking together in my vehicle. We had just mentioned a biblical topic when my son excitedly exclaims, “Dad look” as he pointed at the license plate frame of the car in front of us as we pulling up to it at a stop light. 

It was a Bible scripture that perfectly fit into our conversation. As if God were putting His stamp of approval on our conversation and confirming what we were discussing.

The license plate frame was ‘high lighted’ by the Holy Spirit.

Then a day or two later I turn on my radio and low and behold the voice on the radio is teaching on the very topic my son and i had been discussing.

The school of the Holy Spirit?

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.
Matthew 10:41
 
What could possibly be the reward of a prophet if I receive him as such?
Well for one thing a prophet speaks forth the mind and heart of God to us, that is if we do not reject him in doubt but receive him in faith.

Recall:

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith (or unbelief). Matthew 13:58

Here Jesus is in their midst, but he couldn’t give out what he was capable of bringing to the table because they doubted him.

When i receive a prophet, one who is capable of sharing the mind and heart of God with me, then I get the reward of what he is capable of bringing to me. 

And when i reject a prophet in unbelief and doubt, then I rob myself of what I could have had from the lord through his ministry.

1 Corinthians 12:28
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

“God hath set.”

There really are people in our midst who are prophets who we can get communication from God through, that is if we are able to receive them.

Unfortunately it has been my own personal experience that the church does not want them around. The church only accepts pastors and teachers and evangelist.

Even in this place I have read things from some that indicate a closed mind to what i am sharing with you now. Those people will never get a prophets reward because of their own “apisita” unbelief and doubt.

Oden Fong told me that at times God has spoken to him through the most unlikely sources. He never discounts anyone. He weighs in the balance what is said, ever alert to the eventual “high lighting” of the Holy Spirit alerting him that God is in it.

The problems that have arisen from some who proclaim that they are prophets or prophetic when they are certainly not is very messy. So understandably pastors and Church leadership gets jaded and wants nothing to do with such things. And throws the baby out with the bath water.

J.U.
 I certainly hope you would be able to open up to what i am attempting to share with you. Ask God to illuminate these things and bring along more information to you on this wonderful experience of having God speak His mind and thoughts through another human being directly to you.

But we all set the pace, if we reject we get nothing, if we receive in our hearts we will indeed get the reward for having done as such.

How this is rejected or received determines the outcome doesn’t it?"

Walk The Path Of God

This is what people say.

"God, He's the God of love. He is for us
and loves us. Why is He allowing this kind of
hardship to befall us? Why is God allowing
me to go through this kind of tribulation if
He exists? Where is God? I lived so honestly,
but why do I have to go through this?"

If we objectively think about this, we see
that people think that they are walking
God's path because they read the Bible and
give offering, regardless of the fact that
they live following their own thoughts
without knowing the precise will of God.

How could that path be the same as God's
when they do not have ears to hear the
voice of God and do not know the deep
heart of God? That is why God leads us.
What happens when a fish is caught in a
net while it is swimming in the sea? It becomes
entangled. "What did I just run
into?" It turns around and swims and it is
okay.

.
Then again while it is swimming
around, it runs into something. Then the
space becomes smaller and smaller, and
eventually it is captured. God puts us into
His net and leads us into His world. That is
why we run into things as we go on to do
something. When we turn around from the
frustration, it seems for a little while that
things are okay, but we crash into something
again.

It is because we are in God's
net. Our lives become much better when
we fully understand this.

Spiritual life is believing in
God. To have faith, we have to first realize
that our methods are wrong.

When you become
freed from your ways, you are able to
have the faith to believe in God. Right then
God works with power inside of us.

Regardless
of how your thoughts have been until
now, empty all of those thoughts and listen
to the Word God speaks to you. Incline your
ears to the voice of God. If you hear the
voice of God, it is no longer the path you
go. It is the path God takes.

Through hearing
the voice of God, Noah started to build
the ark, Abraham gained a son, and Moses
went before Pharaoh. They were not paths
of their own, but paths God showed them. I
hope that you will not take your own paths,
but walk the path of God.

Who Knew?

I remember when Yahoo and Google first were appearing on the scene. Most of us thought that they were funny names and wouldn't make it. Now they are household words that no one gives a second thought to.

"Slate's has a long, detailed story about how Larry Page founded Google, how he struggled with its growth, and ultimately how he came back to reinvigorate it. 

The story recounts fascinating details about Page's relationship to Sergey Brin, the combative culture Page fostered in the company's early years, his resistance to having engineers managed by non-engineers, the company's struggle through its rapid growth, and how Page once even wanted to hire Steve Jobs as Google's CEO."

***

"Ars Technica reports, 'Technology giant Google has been delinquent on its tax payments in France for the past few years, to the tune of more than $1 billion in missed payments, and it now may be hit with a sizable tax penalty by the French government.' 

 Google asserts that it has operated within the law in France, but the French government has reason to believe that in order to avoid French taxes, Google has been passing off some of its business contracts as Irish rather than French."

***

"One of the most infamous urban legends in video games has turned out to be true.

 Digging in Alamogordo, New Mexico today, excavators discovered cartridges for the critically-panned Atari game E.T., buried in a landfill way back in 1983 after Atari couldn't figure out what else to do with their unsold copies.

 For decades, legend had it that Atari put millions of E.T. cartridges in the ground, though some skeptics have wondered whether such an extraordinary event actually happened.

 Last year, Alamogordo officials finally approved an excavation of the infamous landfill, and plans kicked into motion two weeks ago, with Microsoft partnering up with a documentary team to dig into the dirt and film the results.

 Today, it's official. They've found E.T.'s home—though it's unclear whether there are really millions or even thousands of copies down there." 

***

 If you choose to not get involved, all of this will come to an end

"Stopping the recently announced plan by the FCC to end net neutrality is going to require a significant outcry by the public at large, a public that isn't particularly well versed on the issue or why they should care.

 Ryan Singel, a former editor at Wired, has written a thorough and easy to understand primer on the FCC's plan, the history behind it, and how it will impact the Internet should it come to pass.

 It's suitable for your neophyte parent, spouse, or sibling. In the meantime, the FCC has opened a new inbox (openinternet@fcc.gov) for public comments on the decision, there's a petition to sign at whitehouse.gov, and you can (and should) contact your congressmen."

 ***

 "The folks at Ars Technica have discovered evidence that Netflix is actively researching the possibility of using peer-to-peer technology to stream its videos to its customers. 

The evidence: a one-month old job listing seeking a software engineer with extensive experience developing and testing large-scale peer-to-peer systems.

 In addition: Netflix's admission of wanting to 'look at all kinds of routes.' A recent blog post by BitTorrent's CEO explains how, in a peer-to-peer architecture, 'Netflix traffic would no longer be coming from one or two places that are easy to block. 

Instead, it would be coming from everywhere, all at once; from addresses that were not easily identified as Netflix addresses — from addresses all across the Internet.'"

In other Netflix news, the company has "reached an agreement with three smaller cable companies that, for the first time, will let U.S. subscribers watch the streaming video service’s content as though it were an ordinary cable channel."
 

Friends Tell Friends Not To Text While Driving And They Enforce It!

 

North Carolina woman killed while driving moments after posting Facebook message with cell phone: 'The happy song makes me HAPPY'

 When i was just 16, before computers or cell phones were even known about, my driving instructor told us to always keep our eyes on the road because it only takes a few seconds to get in an accident. He was adamant about it.

Now I look in my rear view mirror while in bumper to bumper freeway traffic and see  young people behind me looking down for a few seconds and looking up for a few seconds repeatedly.

I also see others in lanes along side of me doing the same thing

All of them are texting!

It just well may be their very last text on this earth...

 

I listen to these guys all the time

Old Post But Still Worthy

Chuck Smith has released a book championing the KJV Only position.

Greg L

Greg Has Acheived His Teenage Goal Me Thinks

And now he can hardly go anywhere that people won't recognize him...

Half million view Anaheim crusade — 404,222 online, 115,000 in person.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2011/08/half-million-view-anaheim-crusade-404222-online-115000-in-person.php#ixzz1VNyJDoi4

All Too True

Pastor Anton Bosch is the pastor of the Sun Valley Community Church in Southern California, but he is a long-time Bible teacher and apologist who used to run an apologetics ministry in the U.S. and South Africa called Plumbline Ministries.

He has seen many so-called "discernment ministries" up close, and he doesn’t like a lot of what he sees. At the same time he absolutely sees the necessity of defending the Christian faith from false teachers from within and without, and he correctly believes in naming names of those who mishandle the Word of God and teach error. 

"Unfortunately, it has been my observation that many (not all) who get involved in apologetics ministries are not skilled at teaching.

 They live in isolation since they believe that they alone have the Truth. People like this often find it hard to relate to other people, let alone impart wisdom to others.

 Thus many of them sit in their glass houses, discern error and point fingers at those around them.

Let me be very clear on this: No one who is not involved in a local church (no matter how small), and who does not regularly teach the Truth, has the right to teach against error."

Sanity:


http://www.antonbosch.org/

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=818

http://herescope.blogspot.com/


http://www.antonbosch.com/

Distortion of the Gospel Message

Greed And Corruption Of Mind

"Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."



There is a movement in the midst of Christendom that deeply disturbs me, not just because I believe that it is based on a couple of false premises,but because it seems that so many people are slipping into its clutches.

 

 I have seen a number of once passionate Christians fall prey to this false teaching, though it would seem that any believer with the slightest bit of discernment would see right through it.

It has been called the 'word-faith' movement, the 'prosperity' movement, the 'name it-claim it' or 'blab it and grab it' doctrine, and more.

 

 It certainly appeals to the flesh, but it will be of no interest to a believer who truly desires to follow Christ, unless and until that believer begins to lose his or her passion for the Savior. Jesus said, in Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

This flies right in the face of perpetrators of the word-faith teaching. They will tell you that it is your right as a Christian to always be healthy and to prosper financially.

 

 I heard a preacher friend of my brother-in-law tell him, "I'm making more money now without trying, than I ever did before, no matter how hard I tried. I've got a nice new car, and I never plan on being sick."

 

 He went on for a while, but not one word in that long conversation came out of that man's mouth about sin, heaven, hell, or the precious blood of Christ.

 

 So much for denying one's self and taking up his cross, and FOLLOWING Him...but as deceiving and damnable as this teaching is, it doesn't end there. 

 

They also teach that faith is a force, and that your words are vehicles of that force. I actually heard a well known preacher say, "you'll think twice before saying, 'that scares me half to death'!" 

 

Ridiculous!

 I was a short-term recipient of a form of this perverted teaching many years ago.
Some of the people in the church I attended would warn me, "Watch what you confess! The devil can hear you, and you don't want to bring bad things on yourself by confessing negative things!"

 

 I wasn't a victim of that mentality for very long.

 

 As I studied the bible, I'd read, among other things, about David's pleadings with the Lord in the psalms, about our Savior prayer to the Father in the garden, and I realized then that I was free to 'let loose' with the Lord.

 

 That I could tell Him when I was afraid, when I was lonely, sad, or whatever, and not only would He NOT rebuke me for being 'negative', but He would actually welcome and comfort me in whatever I was dealing with at that particular time!

 

 Believer, God knows everything about you- the good, the bad, and the ugly, and there's nothing that you can't verbally share with Him- joy, sadness, frustration, spontaneous praise, it doesn't matter! 

 

There's nothing that He doesn't want you to be open with Him about. He wants an intimate love relationship with you and He wants you to trust Him with your deepest thoughts and concerns...

Do you now see how the enemy of your soul attempts to sneak in and steal your joy, to keep you from being open and honest before the Lord?

 

 Do you see how he will pervert the gospel and try to entice you to believe lies, and then to pass it off as the gospel? And doesn't that make you mad?....

As for the purveyors of this damnable heresy, shame on you!

 

 Return to the Lover of your souls and and repent now.

 

 Christ died to save you from your sins,and rose again from the dead to give you eternal life. Take up your cross and follow Him...

 

 Now, to those believers who want Christ more than anything, be 'wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16)'. 

 

God bless and be with you-
En Agape,

pastor Jim Ewing