Saturday 28 February 2009
Lift Up Your Heads O Ye Gates
This message is very much part of a wider discussion among God's saints that comes up again in Rob Rufus's Grace messages given in January and February this year in Hong Kong City Church International - see link.
What I am calling the third level...is a completely different Christian walk. It is a walk founded on what Christ has accomplished. It is about changing our inward believing. Grace is the butterknife that is currently slicing off at this entire previous false way of existing. This life of works in our own efforts. Rob Rufus is grounding people in grace. Without this grounding you can forget ever building anything of significance...of advancing the gospel in any significant fashion...of building churches that literally take-over spiritually in their localities. This was expected in the apostleship of St Paul. And when it didn't happen, as in the letter to the Corinthians, he took the church to task.
Secondly, in Part 2 of Peter Stott's message we start to see about man's key function in the Earth. How we are to literally open the Gates of the Kingdom that have been shut for generations. It is a further excavation into how we operate as human beings.
A whole swathe of us were swept into a charismatic version of Christianity , many in small revival situations in the 70s and 80s. In my case as an overachiever....in the context of our free state grammar school Dr Challoners. The yearlong depression that resulted, realising that all my efforts counted for very little...ultimately opened my heart for the truth of the gospel through Billy Graham, then opened me to receive the teaching about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
But immediately this thrust me into conflict between what I now call a left-brain academic training as taught in the grammar school and discovering the true tri-partite person that God has made every human-being. In Amersham we were grounded in Watchman Nee's teachings. By the 80s Bob and Rose Weiner, who were converted Jews, and Tony Fitzgerald (an Australian ministry who came out of YWAM to establish his own churches) had got as far as identifying A JEWISH/HEBREW mentality versus our western GREEK mentality. But this did not go back far enough. And I, by means of Norman Grubb and Zerubbabel began to see that the real problem is spelled out in Genesis 3. Over 10 years of being in Havant Church, God has not given me liberty to share anything outside of prophecying, in the church or with leadership. It has been truly fantastic to watch as everything has started to unfold in the church and church conferences. Can you then understand my excitement when Peter brought this message.
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Part One
Before I begin I would like to pray…and with your permission I would like to pray in a particular way…..I believe what the Lord wants to impart today through His Word is actually to change a mindset. Our minds are supremely important. How you think conditions so many things…and I’d like to pray that mindsets would break today…so that we can receive what God wants us to receive…..
Father, we have acknowledged the greatness of our King, and Lord You felt the passion that in our hearts as we were declaring how great You are and we want together as a people to submit to you…submit our wills…and to submit our minds Lord. Lord I want to pray that a spirit of wisdom and a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of You will be ours Lord . I pray for that Lord…Father that with revelation will come wisdom…and Lord in Your Name I tear down strongholds of thinking that have been raised up against a pure Biblical knowledge of You. In the Mighty name of Jesus I break down traditions, I break down mindsets and understandings that we have gleaned from so many different places that may actually stand in the way of us really entering into what you want Lord.
God I want to pray today that You will show us who we are…Lord that we will leave this place as a people convinced Lord of who we are because we’ve had a glimpse of who You are….because we are in Your image and Your likeness. So I pray for that…release your Spirit Lord….and God I just ask Your help…in the jumble of revelation and stuff that’s inside of me somehow something coherent will come out.I ask it in Jesus Name…Amen.
We titled the conference “Who is the King of Glory?” and the kind of strap phrase was “He trains my hands for battle”. And we want to be looking at some aspects of spiritual warfare in this session. and Father I just pray that You’d help us and rid us Lord of some stuff from our history where we’ve perhaps indulged in practices that have not been helpful…and we’ve rejected them probably rightly…but Lord I pray that You would bring a fresh understanding to us Lord.
I want to read a prophetic word. A number will have heard this before. But as one of you shared about Godfrey Birtill’s visit on the first night…how you’d sung things before, but now in their present context they were making a lot more sense. I believe we need to revisit things because when we receive them in a different context we hear them differently and they impact us differently. A lot of you after hearing Clive Jackson (Shaftsbury) on the Fatherhood of God said how much more it had meant to you. Revelation is something that unfolds. God adds glory to glory, He adds revelation to revelation. And anybody who says I’ve got that in the bag…well think again because there is always more. Even what you think you know…about what you know..there’s more to know.
So I want to re-read a prophetic word that a number of you will have heard because I believe it has a context now that we will understand differently than when we first heard it. This word was given in 1987…it was not given to Derek Prince but it was brought into the country by him believing it to be a word of God to our nation and it was first published in Renewal magazine. When we are talking about prophecies over nations we have to understand that they can be decadal and we really don’t often understand the time context of prophecy. And that’s why we get frustrated and disillusioned often. We need to understand that when God speaks His word is creative and sets something into motion, but it’s time of fulfilment will wait until the context is ready. In other words there is a fullness of time and then God will move.
The years of the unravelling and outworking of prophecy may be decades in the case of nations – but then when the fullness of time is come then we move into a different timeframe….and we come into the “suddenlies of God” and I want to suggest we are getting very close to a suddenly of God.
And so for those of us who have hung in there for revival…and for me God first spoke to me about revival in a Brethren church when I was 9 years old.I’ve hung around for 54 years waiting for this. And I know…this is the season of the “suddenlies”.
But listen to this again and see if you identify any of this in your world.
Prophecy brought by Derek Prince and first given in America
early in 1987 To the Church in America: (and worldwide?).
"The Spirit of God will say to you that the wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing through the land. The Church, however, is incapable of fully recognising this wind. Just as your nation has given names to its hurricanes, so I have put my Name on this wind. This wind shall be named 'Holiness under the Lord*.
Because of a lack of understanding, some of my people will try to find shelter from the wind, but in so doing they shall miss my work. For this wind has been sent to blow through every institution that has been raised in my name. In those institutions that have substituted their name for Mine, they shall fall by the impact, of my wind. Those institutions shall fall like cardboard shacks in a gale. Ministries which have not walked in uprightness before me shall be
broken and fall. For this reason man will be tempted to brand this as a work of Satan, but do not be misled, this is my wind. I cannot tolerate My Church in its present form, nor will I tolerate it. Ministries and organisations will shake and fall in the face of this wind, and even though some will seek to hide from this wind, they shall not escape. It will blow against your lives and all
around you will appear crumbling, and so it shall, but never forget that this
is My wind, saith the Lord.
With tornado force it will come and appear to leave devastation,……………
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Beloved think over your own llife. What has it been like over the last decades. Like Clive was testifying -1991 for him everything in his world fell apart. and I’m looking at people and a lot of the dreams in your world have fallen apart at some point…..
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but the Word of the Lord comes and says "turn your face into the wind and let it blow, for only that which is not of me shall be devastated. You must see this as necessary. Be not dismayed, for after this My wind shall blow again. Have you not read how My breath blew on the valley of dry bones? So it shall breathe on you. This wind will come in equal force as the first wind. This wind too will have a name. It will be called 'The Kingdom of God', it shall bring My government and order, along with that it will bring: My power. The supernatural will come in that wind.
The world will laugh at you because of the devastation of first wind, but they will laugh no more for this wind will come with force and power that will produce the miraculous among my people and the fear of God shall fall on the nation. My people will be willing the Day of My power. In My first wind that ( is now upon you I will blow out pride, lust, greed, opposition and jealousy and '
you will feel devastated but havn't you read "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"? so out of your poverty of spirit, I will establish My Kingdom. Have you not read "The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost" so by My Spirit my Kingdom will be established and made manifest. Know this also, there will be those who will seek to hide from this present wind and they will try to flow with the second wind, but again they will be blown away by it. Only those who turn their faces into,the present wind shall be allowed to be propelled by the second wind.
You have longed for revival and a return of the miraculous and the supernatural. You and your generation shall see it, but it shall only cone by My process. The Church of this nation cannot contain My power in its present form but, as it turns to the wind of the holiness of God, it shall be purged and changed to contain My glory. This is judgement that has begun at the house of God but it is not the end. When the second wind has come and brought in My harvest, then shall the end come.
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If we were to track that and try to put some kind of time context to it. I would believe that we are in the kind of vortex of the two winds changing.And there is a wind that is blowing right now. it’s the dust storm – the gold dust of God’s glory blowing towards Europe. We’re at the swingpoint of that prophecy. And when we put up that thing about Wembley stadium, my heart leapt because I thought…thankyou God that Wembley Stadium has been built for the glory of God.And I prophecy to you that Wembley Stadium will be filled again. Yes?!!
D’you know that in London in 1954…It was in Haringey and I went there with my Dad, sat on the platform and watched what was going on. And there was a move of God in 1954 6 weeks in Haringey…20,000 people came to Christ . And my Dad said to me all through the tubes and buses of London there were the praises of God being sung. Can you imagine it now? And I said to God why did it happen there? And he said “It happened because two things came together. There was a convergence. The nation was ready and the anointing came in. We were bankrupt after the war.We were still on rationing. There was so much grief because of men who’d been killed on the warfronts of the 2nd World war. And God brought a young evangelist who was criticised to death because he wore bright ties and was a bit flashy. Heard of that before??? Why not a few tattoos or whatever he has (Todd Bentley)…I couldn’t care less. God brought this flashy young American into London and what happened was the anointing hit the national psyche and I prophesy to you It will happen again.Because God is setting up this nation not for 20,000 in London..but He is setting up this nation for a national move of the Holy Spirit and the difficulties we’re going through as a nation – and believe me the economy has not seen anything yet…..( NB spoken May last year remember…before September’s slide in the UK)…because God will break every idol that needs finance to support it and then the Church which is now being renewed will stand up in the GLORY of God …and it will be thousands who come to Christ …why? Because God has been preparing the Bride, and God has been preparing the nation and there will be a convergence and the two will come together. Eh?? That’s what we were born for!! (Cheers) So God we prophecy over Wembley Stadium and we thankyou that you raised up men to build that edifice for their own glory…But Lord we claim it now and we say that Wembley is going to be for YOU LORD GOD!!! (tongues under breathe) I believe that we are on the swing…on the change…in the the vortex as the wind is changing.
I want you to notice the name of the 2nd Wind. It is called the kingdom of God.
And I believe that we are going to hear again teaching and preaching about the Kingdom . There’s been an awful lot of teaching about me and my….and I am not gainsaying any of it …but I tell you there is something greater : there is the purpose and the cause of the King in the earth…
And so the Kingdom as it says in the prophecy will bring in the Power of God and the Glory of God
and so God is going to be changing our thinking to become Kingdom People.
The Kingdom of God is the Will of God being done on the Earth as it is in heaven.
And the connection between Heaven and Earth will begin to make sense. Because
what is happening in Heaven will begin to be happening on Earth…ie it’s not just a matter of simple obedience to what God is saying although that is implicit in it, it’s far more than that…it’s the dynamic of heaven which will touch the Earth.
Hey! Read the book “When heaven invades Earth” ( Bill Johnson) I’d love to teach on it but we haven’t got time.
And do you know a few months ago God sent out a dove over the dark waters of our continent, just as Noah sent out a dove over the troubled waters in his day. And the dove has been watching and waiting for places to settle. Places where the glory of God can come down to the Earth. And He’s found one in Lakeland Florida. And he’s preparing them all over this nation. There are wells in this nation where people have never given up, they’ve dug in, they’ve cried out and they’ve said God we believe You for something we’ve not yet seen. And there’s a load of us here this morning who are sitting in that bucket…yeah?
Well I’m telling you ..the Paloma..the dove…she ‘s flying and she’s waiting and watching.
I believe one of the key issues of the Kingdom as far as the Church…(you and I) is concerned..is an understanding of spiritual authority. The Key issue in spiritual warfare is authority. And jesus made some incredible statements over us. He said ALL authority in heaven and on Earth is given to Me. Go ye therefore!!! And I give you authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions and over ALL the power of the Enemy. And I give you authority over ALL kinds of sickness and ALL kinds of disease. That’s Kingdom language. That’s a delegation of authority. And this revival will not be great names…yes there will be firestarters..but it’s going to be every man woman and child who takes on the culture of the Kingdom…who begins to understand their authority in Christ and who moves out and sees the glory of God in their shops, in their offices….whooaoo! this is a grassroots revival. For what God has planned it cannot possibly be done through a few anointed evangelists. They may pave the way. They may pass on anointing. BUT THEY AIN’T GONNA DO IT.
So it’s very important that we understand who we are.
Having put that in as background can you now turn to Psalm 24 please. Pause. Laugh.
I find it uncanny that guys from this area are up in Wembley today (Portsmouth in the FA Cup 17th May 2009…they won!!) It’s like first in the natural. Does God have favorites???
Thursday 26 February 2009
News from Nicholas and Pam
It looks higgledy piggledy. Often last minute notice. But they are meeting people God wants them to meet. So keep praying.
In the February newsletter, they have specifically requested that because of sensitivity we respect certain privacies.
So to summarise what has been going on in the country of operation, two amazing strands have occurred. Christians "on the ground" have been literally tugging at them from all sides to get them to come and lead other family members to Christ. These concern small family meetings or small house meetings , or meetings in their own apartment.
In Parliament various MPs of significance have been giving their lives to the Lord as Nicholas and Pam have been sharing. That is all I can share I am afraid....
but this is what they say of your prayers, and ours here and wherever Nicholas and Pam are known..........
Through your prayers we have experienced a level of favour in the last six months that has been amazing. ..............We write these things not to put the spotlight on us, but on Jesus, who has given us unprecedented doors of opportunity to walk through. ............. The gospel in essence is simple, but what has been amazing is the boldness and strategy with which to communicate with people their need of God and His salvation. The truth is that other Christians have done the hard work of preparation through prayer in the parliament and we have had the privilege of reaping an easy harvest.
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Shout Out to Shawna
Hey Chris............this has nothing to do with your post.......I was listening to Sarah MacMillan a singer whose music SHAWNA recommended to me, and I thought of our dear Shawna and began to miss her........so, have you heard anything from her of late? Here's a shout out to Shawna - I MISS YOU!!!
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I am preparing stuff for posting. You will understand why it took so long when you see it...but I believe it is one of the greatest unsung messages from last year and needs transcribing. It is a message from Peter Stott, and I fully expected God to arrange for him to share the same thing from the Florida platform when he went there. I felt it opened into things that I've only really heard Norman Grubb touch...but this was new...and it bridged the Thy Kingdom Come message of Ern baxter and the present day....more soon
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Lydia Joy and I are reading through the new Arthur Blessitt book on his 38 year Cross Walk and have been sharing notes on Facebook...more soon
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The practical ramifications of theis 3rd level walk are so different from what we have known before...in a way Rob Rufus' recent messages see Hong Kong City Church archives....tap in to some of this...so I wanted to give some practical examples that people are walking out...more soon
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People on Facebook know that I have been away for a week restoring a grand piano, which finished well I believe. I discovered my mobile could just about handle Facebook...so I felt less cut off from everybody. ....In amongst all the inanity, it can be a useful tool and some inanity is fun. I would urge everyone that wants to to discover it's positive capabilities.My friend Paul Noble has just started a Facebook group called "Prophetic Voice" for example.
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SHOUT OUTS Work.!!!! Shawna's reply at 2nd March in the comments section
Monday 9 February 2009
Revelation 3:20 Prophecy and "Dust Cloud of Glory"Prophecy.
These are three excerpts from the Portsdown Community Church Conference last year in May 08. This is a word I was given,which was for the whole conference....but especially for those hidden soldiers who have been pressing on through for as many as 30 or 40 years...upon whose progress the current generation is building.
This is a comment by Peter Stott on the last prophecy, but also far more than that in describing where we find ourselves now.
This final excerpt is a prophecy given to Peter Stott just before the Conference, but spoken in the Conference, about the cloud of glory he saw coming to Europe.
I have briefly described "Key of David" meetings . If you did not see this post, you will find it helps clarify a bit of their function.
Peter Stott has taken a team from our church of all ages, sex and giftings to the Key of David Conference in Madrid this weekend. To give you a flavour here is their fresh report.
Thank you all for praying for us in the Key of David conference, here, it has been a powerful time and we believe many folk have gone through a time of real heart change as we looked at the "Father's heart". The Lord was dealing with issues of shame and ungodly beliefs - this teaching is one of the most effective things we have found to see real and lasting change in people's lives. It is also (perhaps inevitably) one of the most contested things we have seen - so your praying and covering these trips is ever more needful. Thank you.
One of you shared a word with us before we left about remaining focused through the time and not being deflected. This was such a reality - and there were various times when the conference could have been taken off course and it took quite a determination to keep it on track with creating tensions.
Ever, God was faithful and His presence this morning with us all was almost tangible - it is in that dynamic which He moves in power and revelation.
One excellent feature of the time was the way our team flowed together - there was such a complementing of gifts and of age and everyone felt free to contribute. It was quite amazing and an expression of the values we have been working on for years. Thank you team!
We are now at Madrid airport awaiting departure and praying that UK weather will allow Gatwick to remain open and snow free!
Much love to you all,
- Peter
Here are some features representing the DNA here.
- No one is more special than the other
- Everyone is expected to hear God and minister
- they are in Madrid as a disparate crew of all ages and experiences to facilitate what is going on in the Madrid Christians..not to build their own thing
- they are not there to build fresh walls and structures
- a whole Body ministry picture is built as each joint supplies
- Apart from one recognised international minister (Peter) no one else has any recognised standing - but their ability to move in love one with another means that they are able to import a Powerful Presence of the Living God
- This was what so blitzed me all those years ago when Graham Pulkingham and the Fisherfolk came to Dr Challoner's School in Amersham,nr London.('73)
- This is exactly the pattern that Jesus used, moving around with the 12 who were learning while they did stuff. It worked then and it works now.
- Notice the stuff that God is bringing is all about relationship, the Father...and taking away shame!!
Wednesday 4 February 2009
It's here we planned world takeover....
The period when druggies would meet here over a coffee. We however were trying to reach them. A lady from Old Town Baptist church called Olive (around 40) and me (14). She read me this passage over some coffee.....
Isaiah 41:1-5
1"(A)Coastlands, listen to Me (B)in silence, And let the peoples (C)gain new strength; (D)Let them come forward, then let them speak; (E)Let us come together for judgment. 2"(F)Who has aroused one from the east Whom He (G)calls in righteousness to His feet? He (H)delivers up nations before him And subdues kings He makes them like (I)dust with his sword, As the wind-driven (J)chaff with his bow. 3"He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet. 4"(K)Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? '(L)I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last (M)I am He.'" 5The (N)coastlands have seen and are afraid; The (O)ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.
and then she asked
Why do we not see this?
Why are we not there?
How do we get there?
So in our little way we plotted world take-over that day. Before that time, it was not a concept. After that day, the pigeon-hole had already been created for Ern Baxter to slot his teaching into.
And ofcourse, we are still asking this. Rob Rufus. Terry Virgo, who actually came to Amersham at around this time. Many others.......
Part of the answer came in 1972. A few months later. Not an obvious answer to left-brain English people. This came through Merv and Merla in a Fountain Trust Conference.
Praise.
Olive taught loads of us youngsters about it after she got back. We had no idea that it was a gateway to so much.
Then came the vision of the Kingdom.
A vision of the Church
The structure of the church - giftings and ministries
Then I left the area, and learned about seeking God through Ed Miller and Jorge Pradas.
How meetings can be run in the Presence of God.
But even this, wasn't really getting to it. The early blogging in Dan's Vaults talk about how I then met up with Norman's crowd and learnt the specifics of "Alphabet Soup".
See, growing up in God is not obvious. Not from a left-brain point of view. Quite how I got to Emsworth, from the campus of Exeter University wasn't obvious either. But I did.
Today, I felt God want to use me to encourage people. And as if to confirm that, the new Arthur Blessitt book came and sure enough it was the same sort of theme, in his background. More about that later, when I've read it and compared notes with Lydia Joy.
I want to encourage you all, with me to say...the same Jesus who lives in the greats we read about...lives in you and me. If you like, we are Big Name ministries...why? Because the One with the Big Name (Jesus) lives in us and ministers through us. As I wrote before...no matter what sort of stage we're at Christianwise....right now...today....a full-grown 33 year old Jesus, lives inside us by the Spirit....and we can operate today in the same order that He runs everything in...The Melchizedek Order.
Today, He can speak through a child who cannot talk yet...and say something like "You must love Jesus." This actually happened in Waterlooville, Portsmouth, in a tuning customer's house, a few days before I was tuning there. It blew my atheist customer away!!!! So if He can do that He can use you to full capacity,whenever He wants!!! I was 19, when he blasted epilepsy through my forefinger out of a French lady's life,instantly and completely John G Lake style, while we were having breakfast. (But there was a cost to this, and a price I paid, before this stuff started...more another day)
But I wanted to encourage us all again with these verses. The very things the devil hits us over the head with to condemn us...are the very things that Jesus said would be so. READ THIS.
Luke 17
7"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'?
8"But will he not say to him, '(J)Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'?
9"He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?
10"So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"
Similar to this in the Psalms of Ascents (which we need to look at some time) Ps 120 - 133 there is this Psalm ...
Psalm 131
Childlike Trust in the LORD.
A Song of Ascents, of David. 1O LORD, my heart is not (A)proud, nor my eyes (B)haughty; Nor do I involve myself in (C)great matters, Or in things (D)too difficult for me. 2Surely I have (E)composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned (F)child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. 3O Israel, (G)hope in the LORD (H)From this time forth and forever.
And this follows 2 very tricky psalms, 129 and 130. But now there is a quieting. A humility. An interest ONLY to get involved with what Jesus is actually doing through you
whether its Baked beans
or raising someone from the dead
or cleaning up someone who is in a right smelly state...
What it is is now irrelevant. Just the joy of knowing, right now, in my little body, the King of the Universe is doing this through me.
Such a far cry from Genesis 3:5 - You don't want to do that!!! You want the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!! You want to be gods in your own right. You want to be doing anything and everything, running yourself ragged, having the weight of the universe on your shoulders...because you are so important as independant gods in your own right!!! I thought so. Here's your death stamp ! Blam! Got you!
How different is Psalm 131. and the attitude of the servant in the above parable in Luke 17.
Jorge Pradas and Ed Miller taught us this parable in the context of praise and worship. We serve the Master until He is ready. Praise waits for you O Lord.
Praise and worship is the practice run!!! In the 3rd Level we dice with our lives. We risk our lives on Him, knowing if He doesn't show up....we're kind of stuffed...up the Swannee!
And during the period when the servant is tempted to think that nothing is happening....actually the devil is telling us complete porkies!!!! because in that precise instant miracles are being birthed in the Spirit....a Spirit Highway is being created in the heavenlies for us of the works destined for us and only us, from before the beginning of time!!!
With this in mind it is good to read John Stevens' comment to Alphabet Soup Part 2 (Alpha and Omega) without getting too bogged down.
Jesus ministered at 4 or 5 levels simultaneously ...more in future posts. But what it shows us is
- He can take a multitude and address them from scratch
- He can speak more directly to all His followers
- He can take 12 every day Joes and (Josephines) and reproduce His life more exactly in these specific few...more about this in a minute
- Then further to this I want to explore the Prophetic events. The times when the Spirit blurted out through Him....You know this is the Feast of the Pouring of the Water...well I am the Water of Life. These type of prophetic fulfilment events are recorded frequently in John...because more than the other gospel writers, he was a prophet...so particularly picked up on it.
- The last level was ofcourse the one-off events that He particularly came for, that no man will ever do again....die on the Cross to save everyone who believes on Him, ascend into heaven, then begin the whole operation again by pouring out the Holy Spirit. This level of Ministry is unique to Jesus.
There are on the Earth right now very charismatic leaders like Rob Rufus, like Andy Elmes here in Portsmouth, like Morris Cerullo, like Rheinhardt Bonnke, those associated with Hillsongs.
They have all touched heaven. Andy Elmes put everything aside to join a prophet called Vaughan Jarrold (Londoner)in New York and Upstate New York...to seek God. And He caught something there, that he continues to minister from. Morris Cerullo was caught up into the heavenlies and saw footprints through which he could see people in hell....his very steps were going to be rescuing untold multitudes. And this is a true vision. After 60 years continuous ministry. Arthur Blessitt had Jesus walk with him in the late 60s and his face glowed, such that his wife knew who he had been with. When I was baptised in the Spirit, nothing happened for ages, while everyone else began to speak in tongues. I was told prophetically to act in faith, believe that I had received...and as soon as I did that things started to happen. But at that point I was given a choice. It was like another level or stage. But the obedience the Spirit was demanding was to shout at the top of my voice...Hallelujah. I'd never done anything like that...and I sensed the entire pressure of the comfortable realm of London Middle-Class Suburbia pressing down on me, telling me not to be such a fool. But in the moment I obeyed...it was like another level of fire. I became instantly utterly paralytically drunk and had to be helped downstairs. This fire and shaking continued for hours. And in the power of that anointing I went into school with others and we began preaching and turning things upside down for Jesus.
OK....got all that.....
But somehow all these people...including myself...never knew how to reproduce more than people who know how to get baptised in the Spirit. Which is kind of cyclic.But Jesus did. He knew how to minister in the 3rd level, and reproduce fathers after His own kind. Yet all the while encouraging people to move in the 2nd level of giftings and empowerings.
So let me repeat an earlier post. I am not against warehouses of Christians who are Spirit-filled. All the above ministries have the charisma to produce these. What I am saying is....while doing the warehouse thing....Jesus was also moving in these other levels also. Nor am I saying ...only move in the 3rd level....cos not everyone is ready for that level yet. What Jesus showed us is that it is possible to minister at all these levels simultaneously. And He came as a man to show us how. By the power of the same Holy Spirit.
So what is wrong with warehouse Christianity is not the thing itself....it's where it is going. If you are running 2nd level operations...that's fine...but where is your arrow pointing? If your direction is towards the 3rd level...that's fine. It doesn't matter that you are not there yet...all that matters is that you are at least heading that way. Jesus operates His Church in the order of Melchizedek. We may have structures, which change from year to year. Jesus doesn't even see those. He sees the direction arrows pointing out of people's hearts. "Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose hearts are the Highways to Zion."(Ps 84) No, what is wrong with warehouses, is if the direction arrows are only pointing to the roof of the warehouse, or for a bigger warehouse, or stadium. Paul said I come amongst you only to sense Christ crucified among you. It has an aroma in the Spirit. All these people learning Christ in them as them. How it works...individually, corporately. Anything else is stagnancy....Pretty songs...good preaching from one charismatic speaker around whom the whole great pyramid is built...a few good healings here and there.
Is that what you want guys? Obviously this blog is not for you. But if , like me, you're greedy and want the lot...well I'd encourage you to keep reading. I think God gave me this 2 week taste of 3rd level Smith Wigglesworth/John G Lake living when I was 19 just to encourage me....to impress on me that it exists...... I think a lot of the interim has been discovering the mundane bit of 3rd level life....the sort encountered by the servants in Luke 17. It's given me time to hunt down the 3rd level and hopefully pin it down a bit....like hunted quarry. But I believe Florida showed that the time for a 3rd level fully functioning worldwide corporate expression of Christ is really only seconds away. I want to be a part of it.
In the next post is a prophecy given to me in the last Portsdown Community Church Conference in May 2008 which is particularly relevant to this "lost" generation of seekers. Not lost in the sense of unsaved...lost in the sense that they disappeared from view suddenly...and never ever really emerged out the other side.