Month: May 2016

Watching and Waiting

The Cliff

Shortly after The Golden Chain, my wife received another dream from the Lord, warning of a day when many would be deceived by lying signs and wonders.

In the dream she was on a country road with many other people, all travelling the same direction. She and a few others were walking, but most of the people on the road were running.

Ahead, she saw the road lead directly over the edge of a cliff into a very deep chasm. And from the chasm a sound like a mighty rushing wind could be heard. Those who were running along the road were plunging straight over the cliff without any hesitation. But when my wife looked over the edge, nothing could be seen below.

Then off to the right, standing together on a low hill, she saw a small group of people gathered around a very plain looking man. They were not leaping off the cliff. My wife joined them and the dream ended.

We immediately understood that this dream was sent as a warning. In the future a phenomenon will appear that many Christians will run after, unaware of the danger ahead.

The people travelling on the road represent Christians and the path we all are on together. The chasm represents the empty result of false teaching. And the plain man on the hill represents the Word of God.

The walking group and the running group experienced two completely different outcomes. Those running fell into the empty chasm. Those walking were safely gathered around the Word.

The sound of a rushing mighty wind represents a display of lying sign and wonders. The symbolism comes from the description of the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:2. But in the dream, when my wife looked over the cliff’s edge to observe what was drawing so many people, there was nothing to be seen. The sound she heard imitated the gospel, but it was not the truth. It was empty, and came from deep in the earth, not from heaven above.

The issue in the church today leading to the fulfillment of this dream is that many born again Christians and evangelical denominations have departed from the Word of God, and are not aware of it. Consequently they are in danger of being deceived by the Antichrist.

Something we must understand in order to interpret this dream and identify true Christianity is that at the end of time, everything planted in the earth (both good and evil) will be ripe for harvest. (Rev 14:14-20) This means that While God is waiting patiently for the good fruit to ripen, evil will have its fullest expression in the rise of the Antichrist, and his eventual reign as a world dictator.

But the spirit of antichrist was already “planted” at the time of the apostles and has been working within the church ever since. Masquerading as the spirit of Christ, scripture reveals that this seducing spirit has been given the power to conquer many Christians and Christian denominations. (See 1 John 2:18-19 and Rev 6:2)

The Bible has plenty to say about this spirit, but the short version is that those under its influence tragically misuse the Word of God. Specifically they ignore Jesus’ teachings about the cross, or deflect the true meaning of Jesus’ words. Plainly stated, they reject the requirement to lay down one’s life in order to gain heaven and save our fellow man. Under scrutiny, their gospel preaching is carnality thinly veiled in spirituality, but many are attracted by these vain prophets and their empty words.

Added confusion arises because the spirit of antichrist maintains its “Christian” appearance, and can appear extremely successful. But the apostle Paul exposes it completely when he calls it another gospel, about another Jesus, which is not the gospel at all. (2 Cor 11:4 and Gal 1:6)

As the end of time approaches this antichrist deception will escalate, because the false prophet will be given the power to deceive through lying signs and wonders. (Rev 13:12-14)

So perhaps now the interpretation of the dream is clear to you, as it was when my wife told it to me.

Those running on the road will fall to the deception I have described, because they previously rejected the central doctrine of true faith in Jesus. “And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

Following Jesus without embracing the cross is not the truth, it is something else. It is an imitation. To be Jesus’ disciples we must walk exactly as he walked, fully determined to go to the death of the cross.

And to know his power, the same principle applies. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it die, it brings forth much fruit.” (John 13:24)

Cast your life and the outcome of it completely onto God! Trust the Holy Spirit for everything you need now and in eternity. You will gain not only your own life, but others besides!

So many in the church today are baffled that there is no power, so few being saved, so little joy in worship, no shout of victory in the camp, such poor discernment among leadership, and so much fear of what the future holds. It is simply because we are not going God’s way.

Now, before moving on to other things in future posts, can I advise you one final time? Search the scriptures carefully. There is a reason we are instructed to die to self… because it is the ONLY way to be Jesus’ disciple and to experience his resurrection power in the here and now.

Stop trying to manipulate your circumstances. God can change them in an instant, when it’s time.

Rather, let the Holy Spirit lead you through the wilderness if that is what it takes. I am there. All true men and women of God are. It can be a lonely, difficult path, but it is the path to glory and power. And in the midst of it all, God’s word promises joy, peace, and his presence to comfort and to guide. (See John 16:24-33)

Then tell the truth to as many people as you can along the way. Forgive their insults like Jesus did. Pray that the Holy Spirit will turn their hearts and teach them to embrace the cross too.

It is the only way that you will have the pleasure of snatching them from the devil, and taking them with you to glory.

I know you are aware of the preaching at Times Square Church in New York, but this particular message is especially timely.

Check out         http://www.tscnyc.org/media_center.php?pg=sermons&mi=47133

Watching and Waiting

The Golden Chain

One morning in 1988 my wife received a dream from God as she awoke. I had just finished praying when she came down the stairs. As she described the dream, a vivid picture came into my mind as if it was my own, and with that came the interpretation from the Lord. It all remains as clearly today as when it happened.

In the dream my wife saw a very old, strictly orthodox religious man, leading a woman by a thin gold chain attached to a bracelet on her wrist. The woman was also very elderly, and had obviously been subject to the old man for a long time. The chain however, was extremely thin. She could easily have broken the flimsy restraint, but was thoroughly conditioned, afraid of going beyond familiar confines.

They were walking through a school yard, and as they passed, the old woman reached out, grasping my wife in a desperate embrace around the shoulders. Then like a drowning person, she would not let go. Repeating, “Help me, help me,” she dragged my wife downwards with her.

Almost brought to the ground, my wife pushed the old woman away with all of her might. Now free and leaving them both behind, she was instantly running with great leaps and bounds down a main residential road. As she ran, my wife passed lines of people from many nationalities and religions, all sitting beside the road.

This whole scene took place in the small town where we attended church.

The old man in the dream represents tradition, and the old woman, the church. The gold chain represents the thin thread of lies that keep the church in fear. Running in leaps and bounds represents the joy, liberty, and power we will find when we break free of man-made religion and follow the heavenly man, Jesus. And the people at the side of the road are the nations, who will witness the glory of God as the remnant of God sheds the shackles of tradition and walks in truth and power before Jesus returns.

Religious tradition is one of the cloaks that Satan wears in the church. Listing his many ploys would require a whole book, but his goal is always the same – to replace Jesus as the head of the church.

It is plain from scripture that the church ought to be governed by the gifts of the Spirit, and not by the institutions of man. For when the Holy Spirit is in charge, Jesus is glorified, the church grows in faith, the world sees the miraculous power of God, and multiplied souls enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Every Christian denomination started this way, as men and women were touched by the Holy Spirit and learned to submit to his leading.

But over time, Satan subtly hides behind naturally gifted, self-willed men and women, who love to have the preeminence, who worship the work of their own hands, who use pious, reasonable sounding arguments to lead the church away from a vital, living relationship with the Holy Spirit. Then, not knowing the Spirit, well meaning underlings preach self preservation to the natural man, as the spiritual man who craves to be given for others withers and dies. Finally, gasping, the church latches on to anything she thinks will help, trying to rise above the world she knows is sinking.

So it is with great sadness that God and those who know the Spirit view much of what passes for spirituality in the church today. It seems that the hope of the world is blind and failing at a time when lost souls need someone to show them light and a new way to live.

Jesus wept at this terrible, terrible wrong in his day. He wept because the word of God declares freedom from every doubt and earthly restraint, but instead the people of God willingly maintain the chain they could so easily break.

Now. Can I tell you the secret to a life of power in Jesus Christ, where you can experience the full measure of God’s liberty and joy? It is not complicated. Jesus taught us what to do.

Instead of loving yourself and the world, love your neighbour. Lay down your life, abandon your ambitions, forsake your own comforts and pray earnestly for souls. Can you do that?

I have learned that I am unhappy when I am double minded, and fearful when my eyes are on the circumstances around me.

But when I pray and share Jesus’ love for souls, I see that he is already moving in sovereign power, that many are answering his call, and that soon he will do something the whole world will notice.

In the word of God it is written. God always has a remnant who walk as Jesus walked.

I received a word of knowledge from the Lord in July 2003. “The church is about to have a short period of tremendous success, but then persecution.”

God has been preparing again, a remnant who will fulfill his word in the final days, and there will be a great harvest in every corner of the earth. But it will not be without cost. As revival goes throughout the land, persecution will arise, and a conclusive choice will have to be made. Either forsake your life and follow Jesus Christ to certain death, or choose to preserve your life and fall away to the Antichrist. For many years I have sought a gentle way to say that, but there is none.

It also grieves me to say that the distinction will not be obvious to everyone. Only Jesus’ disciples will have their eyes open. If you take up your cross, you will be his disciple and you will understand. But if you refuse God’s way, you will not understand or be ready for all that happens as the end of time approaches.

If this message finds a place in your heart, I feel confident saying that you have probably been mourning the same things I am writing about. But rejoice now, for during this difficult wilderness God has been teaching you to trust him, to follow Jesus without qualification or fear, and soon he will release you into his new work.

Are you ready? Embrace your cross and carry it to the end.

GOD will take care of you. He will make you stand, and not fall.

Watching and Waiting

GOD IS STILL SAYING SOMETHING! From Lagos, Nigeria

Prophetic word re-posted from

Jesus Teaching Ministries International, Lagos, Nigeria

GOD IS STILL SAYING SOMETHING!
There is still hope for the church even in this season of persecution and seeming hardship.
I have heard from so many, and also read many articles concerning the plans of Islam and all their threats but no one seems to go beyond that to tell us the plan of God and what He is saying to the church.
Everyone seems to entertain a deep fear for now and the future. I wonder why!
But as I waited on the Lord, I keep hearing words of HOPE. The Lord also revealed His victory strategies for the church.
We’ve heard about the church in Turkey and Europe generally and all these stories seem to convey, is FEAR.
But God is still saying something today. Open your spiritual antenna and get it.
“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT”.
The Lord made me realize that, we have hijacked the church from HIM. It’s no longer HIS church. We call ourselves PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER…. We refer to the church as MY CHURCH… and to the congregation as MY SHEEP…. MY CHILDREN.
As long as it is not the Lords church, then certainly, the gates of hell will always prevail against it.
This is what we must do.
(1)We the Senior Pastors and Bishops must deliberately repent and hand over the church back to the OWNER. We must throw away all the title that rob us of the presence of God.
NONE OF US IS QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF ANY CHURCH.
We must resume our basic functions as APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS AND TEACHERS.
As simple as this may sound, it makes us to switch places with the Lord and give back to HIM what was HIS in the beginning.
(2) None of us own any ministry. It is the ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT.
(3). We must be Humble. Today, most Ministers get highly offended when they are not introduced in certain ways and by certain titles. That’s idolatry. Today, the shepherd is so far away from the sheep. We had more power when we all called ourselves simply as BROTHER or SISTER.
A strange spirit has overtaken us. We think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We fence ourselves from our members with very heavy security and bodyguards. Just to create a false sense of importance. Our Lord Jesus was so HUMBLE AND DOWN TO EARTH.
We have reversed the protocol of the KINGDOM of God. The GREATEST must be the SERVANT of all.
(4). We must LOVE EACH OTHERS AS OURSELVES. We must be sensitive and responsible to the needs of others, who are the HOUSEHOLD of faith, we must attend to them as if they were ours(Psalm 133; Acts 2 and 4).
This is the kind of church JESUS BUILT. This is the church that even Hell cannot prevail against.
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD? 2 Chronicles 7:14.
1. HUMBLE THEMSELVES.
2. PRAY.
3. SEEK MY FACE.
4. TURN AWAY FROM THEIR EVIL WAYS.
Then the Lord promised to do this.
1. HEAR FROM HEAVEN.
2. FORGIVE THEIR SIN.
3. HEAL THEIR LAND.
We need to follow God’s order of priority.
HUMILITY IS THE FIRST…. not prayer.
GRACE HAS CHARACTER. It is expressed as HUMILITY, LOVE, FELLOWSHIP.
When we all repent and walk in love and humility and care for one another.
THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST US.
It’s time we start looking for those who offended us and tell them, “I FORGIVE YOU”.
Don’t wait for them to come to you.
THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS IS AFRAID OF A UNITED CHURCH.
This is the word of the Lord”.
Abundant grace be with our spirits. Amen. Enjoy your weekend. Shalom!

Watching and Waiting

Work Out Your Own Salvation

After six months in our new apartment, we needed to move again. This time God provided a house in the country. We lived there for about three years, but were not well off and only had one car. This left my wife alone with our children and no transportation while I worked very long hours away from home, often six days a week. They were not easy days for her, but she gave herself for our children, God blessed her in many amazing ways, and through it we learned that he is our portion.

I was young and not always wise, and our marriage was relatively new. Things did not always go smooth and we had many things to work on. But we prayed together constantly, even when we were upset with one another. We learned that in the Spirit it is impossible to accuse another at the throne of God. In the presence of God, one is literally caused to look inside oneself. This settled many issues that might have spun out of control.

We also submitted every decision about raising our children, dealing in business, or any issue we could not agree on, to the Word of God. In fact we did not consult any other source but the Bible for many years. We also learned the importance of digesting and knowing scripture in order to discern the safety and validity of other sources of information. Again, we were not always right, but because we threw away every “back-up plan” and depended on God completely, the Holy Spirit taught us. He truly made every crooked path straight.

God also began speaking to us about the idols in our hearts, and about the idols in our home. I remember my wife throwing a number of things out of our home after God showed them to her in prayer.

Eventually we started praying about our television, and we read where Jesus said that the light of the body is the eye (Matthew 6:22-23). In those days TV content was tame compared to now, but even then it was already clear that TV was being used to trick Christians into passively participating in murder, rape, divorce, homosexuality and every other act abominable to God.

Then one perfectly sunny Saturday afternoon, as I sat playing the piano with our eldest daughter on my lap, a single cloud in the sky with no rain in it came over our house. Lightening from that cloud struck our house so hard that it destroyed the tube in the TV set, and blew the telephone off the wall. About 20 minutes later, an electric utility service truck passed our house looking for damage to the power lines. We took that event as a cue from God and gladly disposed of that TV at the dump.

About ten years later, on another Saturday afternoon, we decided we were tired of the isolation, and took the family to pick out a new television. After purchasing and loading it into the car, we started to drive home. We did not proceed one mile before the fear of God came down so powerfully on every individual in the car that even our children were begging my wife and I to return the new TV to the store. The salesman looked at us a bit sideways when we told him God made us bring it back, but we were glad to get our money and leave it behind.

Some things God led us into seemed hard at the time, but we quickly saw the benefit, and today there are absolutely no regrets for having obeyed his voice.

Very difficult times were about to come to us. We made some mistakes (as we all do), and the enemy took advantage of that (as he always does), but eventually God helped us miraculously.

And we can say now, that God never once failed to go ahead of us. Other Christians were praying for us, and we got through it all because of the foundational lessons (and others besides) that I have described.

We stood on God’s word, it proved to be the Rock as promised, and today we’re so grateful.

God Is So Good.

Watching and Waiting

The Church Edifying Itself in Love

After moving from the city to the small town, we joined a nearby church, became friends with some other young couples, and started meeting for prayer in various homes.

One night at our home with approximately four other couples, we started to pray. After about half an hour, several individuals received the knowledge that Jesus wanted to baptize one of us with the Holy Spirit. Eventually someone had the courage to act on this knowledge and interrupt the prayer. Then after a brief discussion, we discovered that we agreed about the Lord’s direction, and gathering around the individual we laid our hands on her and began to pray.

Within 5 minutes the Holy Spirit came down, she was filled with the presence of God, and began speaking in tongues. It was a night of tremendous joy, except later her husband confessed his upset that the Holy Spirit had been given to her through others and not through himself.

Perhaps we should have known better and put him in charge of the prayer for his wife. Or perhaps God had to use others.

Either way, I’m thankful that the Lord teaches us gently and forgives our mistakes when we lean fully on him.

Watching and Waiting

Plain Instructions From God

I hope to re-emphasize that my experiences with God are evidence of his great love. Certainly if he responded in kind to my poor efforts to please him, it would be a sad situation. Fortunately, God is love and everything he does demonstrates that.

From our human vantage point, we call it a blessing when his love is sent in our direction. But when it happens, we should not be surprised or exulted as though something special has happened to us. (See Luke 10:20). God simply does all things well, and sends good at every occasion. He is always ahead of the game. We may view circumstances as an indication that God has changed, or that God has reacted, but that’s just our limited view of things.

I had been saved about 2 years, it was early November, and my wife was expecting our second child, however we lived in an adult only building. No one was complaining or asking us to leave. But we knew we could not stay there much longer.

In prayer one morning, not thinking or praying about our housing situation, God said to me, “by April 1st you will be living in _________.” It happened to be the town my wife spent her teenage years in.

Getting up from prayer I told her about this word of knowledge from the Lord. But there was a problem. We did not want to move to that town. I had just begun working as a tradesman in the city, and after many months of searching we had finally found a really good Spirit filled church. Counting the time before and after we married, we had both lived in the city on and off for approximately six years, and did not want to leave the things we enjoyed or the things we were learning. And we certainly did not want to move back to a small town.

So we continued throughout that winter, looking for a house or apartment to rent. I took a college night class and joined the church choir. My wife was raising our daughter and pursuing her interests. Evenings and weekends we would visit the markets and enjoy the things that only a large city can offer. But we still could not find anywhere affordable to live.

We honestly had put God’s instruction completely out of our minds, when early in March, during prayer again, God spoke to me, reminding me about moving by the 1st of April. Getting up from prayer I said to my wife, “You’d better get in the car, drive to ________, and look for a place.” She did, that morning, and late that afternoon called me. In spite of almost zero vacancies, the main floor of a house was newly advertised that day. She had met the owner and placed the deposit. The new apartment was empty and available for April 1st.

Our landlord in the city forgave our lease, returned the last month’s rent without any dispute, and on April 1st we were sitting in our new apartment, in the town God appointed, on exactly the day he said.

At the time I was too immature to realize that God had gone ahead of us, and just how wonderfully he had provided. In fact I am only recognizing the depth of it for the first time now as I write this. That he would be planning every detail, ahead of our need, without being petitioned. That’s amazing.

Oh, if we only knew how much God loves… then I believe we would find rest.

He is so good, and I feel so encouraged writing about this. I hope you are encouraged too.

Watching and Waiting

Prayer and Fasting

Immediately after filling Jesus, the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness to fast and pray. Fasting, as a biblical discipline, is practiced primarily to increase faith (or dissolve unbelief, see Mark 9:29), and is mentioned repeatedly in scripture for that reason.

When fasting is ignored, a great disservice is done. Since our battle is against principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness, we need every spiritual weapon offered to us. The amount of scriptural evidence for fasting should convince Christians everywhere to practice it.

I have encouraged you in previous posts to allow the word of God to wash away all of your doubts. But now, also let the word of God completely transform your view of things. We see men, and the effect of their unbelief as sin dictates their actions. But we need to see beyond that, to spiritual realities. The forces who originated this rebellion against God must be dealt with, we cannot avoid it. And whether or not we understand how power over Satan is obtained through prayer and fasting, we need it, and should trust and follow Jesus’ example and instructions.

In my experience, practicing fasting is far more important that understanding fasting. You don’t need to answer every question regarding how and why. Simply believe, Jesus said. Every example of prayer and fasting in the Bible demonstrates that faith increases, power increases, and victories are won. And that is all you need to know.

It should be acknowledged that fasting is easy for some individuals, difficult for others, impossible for some people, and also impossible in certain circumstances. No one should ever be proud of their ease, or embarrassed by their struggle when fasting. Neither should anyone feel guilty if they simply cannot fast. Although it is very valuable, fasting is not obligatory. God gives different abilities to each of us, and His plan includes times and seasons for everything. And fasting has absolutely nothing to do with punishing or buffeting the flesh, there is enough adversity in everyday life for that.

So, learning to fast one meal or two in the beginning, and extending the length of time as spiritual hunger increases is recommended. Keep in mind that God is more than patient while we learn, and if we think we have mastered anything, we have not. God looks on the heart, sees our spiritual hunger, and guides us every step of the way. Learning the faith building, power producing practice of fasting is no exception.

Fasting is by definition, “to not eat food,” and there are two main types of fasting in the bible.

  1. A Public or Proclaimed Fast called for in times of national or spiritual crisis and entered into by the entire, repentant, congregation.
  2. A Personal Fast performed simply out of an individual’s hunger for God, with the power obtained having a great variety of personal and corporate manifestations.

Then there are three methods of fasting.

  1. Partial fast – John Wesley (for example) would eat nothing but bread for various periods of time. In captivity, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ate only pulse and water. At the end, the king of Babylon “found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.” There are no health concerns restricting the length of a partial fast.
  2. Normal fast – Luke 4:2 “And in those days he did eat nothing.” Jesus had no solid (or liquid) food, only water. A normal fast should not extend beyond 21 days (the time when excess fatty deposits are all used up and the body starts to convert protein and muscle, harming the body).
  3. Absolute Fast – In the Book of Ester they fasted from food and water for three days. An absolute fast should never extend beyond three days.

Although Moses, Elijah and Jesus experienced miraculous 40 day fasts in the bible, a normal fast should never extend beyond 21 days.

Fasting, like praying and giving, should be a private matter between you and God. (Matthew 6:18)

A highly regarded, expert resource for biblical fasting is Arthur Wallis’ book, “God’s Chosen Fast.”

And an excellent video teaching is available at http://media3c.tscnyc.ws/2016/04/10s2/20160410s2.mp4

Fast and pray… you will not be disappointed.