Saturday, June 27, 2009

Andrew Strom | HOW FLEETING IS LIFE

Most of you will have heard the sad news of the passing of two pop icons in one day yesterday. Farrah Fawcett was 63 and died after a long battle with cancer. Michael Jackson the "prince of pop", aged only 50, died in even sadder circumstances. How tragic that even the vast machinery of fame cannot shield its many lost sons from a lonely, miserable existence and an unhappy end.

No doubt Farrah Fawcett could look back on the glory years when young women around the world imitated her hairstyle and her "look". I can remember as a kid watching "Charlie's Angels", though I have to admit far preferring "The Six Million Dollar Man" as a 10-year-old. She will be remembered as a battler to the end, an icon of her era. But oh, how fleeting is life. And oh, how empty is fame. And oh, how pointless is earthly success when eternity stretches before all.

Michael Jackson could have looked back on years of pop gloryand superstar fame - when his dance moves dazzled the whole world. But then came the surgeries, the bizarre behaviour, the ugly allegations, the court cases, the hundreds of million$ of debt.

Like another famous "prince" of pop (actually - his father in law -Elvis Presley), he seemingly died unhappy and alone, his "comeback" unrealized, his fame a chain around his neck, his death a shock in one still so young. Elvis died at 42, and now his son-in-law Michael at 50. Fame seemingly does not take good care of its own when they pass their "use-by" date. And so the ephemeral idols of our shallow culture continue crashing down."

"For what is your life?" asks the apostle James. "It is a vapor thatappears for a little time, and then vanishes away."

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity... All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."

If it is one thing we can learn from the life and death of every 'icon'on this planet, it is that we all must live with eternity in view, not the fleeting charade of this present world. As Leonard Ravenhill so eloquently asked, "Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for?"

A sad day.

Send feedback to - prophetic[at]revivalschool[dot]com

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Writers Workshop by Francis Frangipane

Writers Workshop
July 21 - 22, 2009

Join Francis Frangipane and Arrow Publications for a writers workshop July 21-22, 2009 at River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, IA. Pastor Frangipane will share insights on various aspects of the writing process.

Topics will include:
• Do you have something to say?
• Writing the vision: the power of anointed words
• Go with the flow
• What to do when the flow itself goes!
• Perfecting your writing style
• Releasing your passion into words
• Hiring an editor
• Pros and cons to using a publisher, co-publisher or self-publishing
• The joy of having to do a rewrite

There will be plenty of time for questions and answers with each session.

A new generation of writers are being raised up. So, do not despise the day of small beginnings. The Holy Spirit is raising up individuals with something important to speak to the body of Christ. Your arena may be books or articles, plays or movies, or even music, but your experiences with God are important. You can help others through their difficulties by writing how the Lord helped you through yours.

Please consider joining Pastor Frangipane and River of Life Ministries here in Cedar Rapids, IA.

God bless you!


Workshop Dates: July 21-22, 2009
Information:
• To carpool to Iowa or share hotel accommodations, visit our Message Board.
• We cannot provide childcare for this event.

Workshop Location:
River of Life Ministries
3801 Blairs Ferry Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

Registration fees per person: $45.00; $70.00 with audio CDs Please note that payment must accompany or be submitted with your registration form in order for you to officially be registered.
• Register Online (link provided at the bottom of this page)
• Mail Printable Form or Fax - 319-395-7353 If signing up more than one person, please print out this registration form for every person registering.

Writers Workshop
Arrow Publications, Inc.
125 Robins Square Ct
Robins IA 52328

All registration forms and fees must be received by July 16.

Media: Audio (CD) recordings will be available by pre-ordering or at the seminar.

Check-in: Check in time begins 5:00 p.m.
Session Times: (projected) The first session will begin Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. and the final session will end at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Accommodations: Cedar Rapids Marriott, 1200 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 524021-800-396-2153.
We have a block of rooms at the Cedar Rapids Marriott reserved at a group rate of $74.00 per night through July 7, 2009 (does not include tax). This is a beautiful hotel with an indoor pool and whirlpool, fitness room and a restaurant located in the hotel. Please use the reservation Group code incinca to receive this special rate. You can use this direct link to the Cedar Rapids Marriott. Please select the exact dates you will be staying and number of guests.

Camping: Camping is available at Pleasant Creek State Park - 9 miles from the church
Meals: A light lunch will be provided Wednesday (freewill offering). A list of area restaurants will be provided at the seminar.
Airport Information: The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is only 15 minutes from the church. If you will be staying at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, contact them for free shuttle between the airport and hotel.

LINK: http://www.frangipane.org/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/applogic+ftcontentserver?GXHC_gx_session_id_FutureTenseContentServer=fa2d30f08184f9ea&pagename=faithhighway/10000/1000/728/2008page13

Monday, June 22, 2009

WHO IS the GREATEST PROPHET?

WHO IS the GREATEST PROPHET?-by S. Hill

Would that be Ezekiel due to the intensity of his visions? Would that be Isaiah due to the accuracy of his revelation of Jesus? Would that be Daniel due to his wisdom and ability to interpret dreams that kept him at the power centers of two world empires? Would that be Enoch who had such a powerful encounter with God that he literally was not here anymore?

According to Jesus the greatest prophet was John the Baptist who came preaching "repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand". So far as we know John never had a vision, dream or angelic encounter. Yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet!

How many prophets do you know who are preaching repentance?

It is difficult for them to preach repentance from the practice of casual divorce and remarriage since such would close "ministry doors" to them and offend folks who pay for their conferences and buy their books. But Jesus did so in Matthew 19:9!

It is difficult for them to preach repentance from selling the gospel and making merchandise of the people of God since most have embraced the same values. But in Matthew 10:8 Jesus commanded us to freely give as we have freely received. In II Corinthians 11:5- 21 Paul said that the difference between the true and the false was not in message, anointing or gifting but in how they related to the people and money!

It is difficult to for them to preach repentance from self promotion, the love of position and title since most have embraced celebrity status but Jesus did so in Matthew 23:1- 12.

It is difficult for them to preach repentance from seeking special experiences and angelic encounters since those experiences are their tickets to "prophetic" status in a world that values experiences above obedience. But Paul did so in Colossians 2:18- 19.

You cannot preach repentance from inside the camp! You support the camp. You can only preach repentance from outside. The court prophets support the court. The prophets from the wilderness are free to preach repentance. That is why Hebrew 13:13 calls us to follow Jesus outside the camp.

Jesus said that "the pure in heart shall see God".

The result of true repentance should be a pure heart to see God. Once you see God the claims for revelation from the prophets will literally be seen in a different light. Once you see God all dreams, visions and words will take their proper place. That some talk about third heaven experiences as casually as a trip to Pizza Hut and claim to be able to teach others how to have them, shows that they have never been farther than their own imaginations.

Maybe the fascination of the general church world with the supernatural experiences, dreams, revelations is simply because few of them have ever seen God? Maybe we put prophets in a wrong place because we do not have God in the right place?

Maybe we would be less fascinated with "supernatural experiences" if we understood the vision of God that Jesus presented to us? Yes, He came to show us the Father but He also said that if we served the least, we served Him.He placed the face of God on every suffering child.

The pure in heart will see God and when they do the whole religious game of status, money, recognition, book sales and numbers will fade away. They will see God and they will see His face as the face of human need and they will serve.

Jesus is the greatest Prophet!
Hear Him!

SOURCE:
www.harvest-now.org

Monday, June 15, 2009

Matt Sorger | Just Show Me the Stuff!

Just Show Me the Stuff!
Personal Reflections by Matt Sorger

I am witnessing an alarming trend in some of our charismatic circles and services. I travel full time on the road all across the United States and other parts of the world. Each week I am ministering in another state to a new group of hungry believers wanting to live in the fullness of God’s Spirit. Several times in the last few months I have encountered a disturbing and grievous observation. Before I share it with you, let me give you some of my personal background.

A FIRM FOUNDATION

I was saved at the age of 14. I am thankful to have been raised in a solid Bible preaching, Spirit-filled church. The word was always given a priority. An understanding of living a holy, sanctified life was always preached with conviction. I took my first steps of walking, living and ministering in the Spirit there. As a young pastor I was given some room to begin to spread my wings as the anointing and power of God began to move through my life. I took full flight when I launched out from pastoring six years ago to travel full time in a “prophetic revival” ministry.

My years before pastoring were spent seeking God as a young person, spending time in personal devotion and study of the word, as well as nearly four years in a great Bible school in Rhode Island where I served as class president during my time there. Upon graduation I stepped into the pastoral ministry. I learned many valuable things during those years that I carry with me to this day. Life experiences have a way of shaping you into the person God has called you to be.

I want to define to you what I consider “prophetic revival” ministry. For me “prophetic” means hearing and then declaring a true word from God, either through preaching and teaching God’s heart as revealed in His word, or declaring and speaking forth an unctioned word from His heart. But even that kind of prophetic word will be solidly rooted and grounded in scripture. “Revival” holds a dual meaning for me. I see it as stirring up the church for a deeper passion for God and learning to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and then seeing that passion overflow through the lives of believers into the world around us. The power of God in the life of the believer cannot be contained by oneself. It must overflow and impact the world around us.

AN ALARMING TREND

Now I must share with you an alarming trend I have witnessed taking place. I have even experienced it in my own meetings! Because this is hitting so close to home I can no longer be silent. I am a man of deep convictions. And it is time for me to share them with you. Recently, after a meeting I was standing near my resource table greeting people. A woman approached me to share of the wonderful overflow of the Holy Spirit she had experienced from the meeting the day before. She could sense a whole new level of God’s presence with her. It was clear she had been deeply touched. But she proceeded to share something with me that caused me to raise a “red flag.”

She said, “You know, when you started preaching, I thought, I have heard this before. I really came looking to hear something I had never heard before. But the presence of God in the meeting did have a profound impact on me, and I am not the same.” I rejoiced over what the Lord had done for her, but at the same time I grieved.

That same week a pastor I was having lunch with shared with me his thoughts concerning the meetings we were holding. We had only finished one day of meetings when he shared his thoughts with me. The night before I had preached a word the Holy Spirit had placed on my heart. After the preaching of the word I proceeded to be led by the Spirit in calling some folks out from the audience and prayed for them with a clear demonstration of God’s presence and power. I left the meeting rejoicing.

The pastor didn’t quite feel the same. He said to me, “You know, if the preaching of the gospel could have gotten the job done, it would have been done a long time ago. What we need are the signs. I just want to see the stuff. I don’t want you preaching. Preach just a few minutes. We want the miracles.” Only once before had I had such pressure put on me to “perform." It became apparent very quickly to me that what they were really wanting was a charismatic show. They wanted the “signs following” with no preaching of the word. I’m sorry; but I am making an announcement to the world. I am a WORD preacher.

I see an alarming trend. In the prophetic movement, it seems we may be unintentionally cultivating a mindset where the truth of the power of the cross and blood of Christ are no longer good enough. We need signs, signs and more signs. A life transformed by the power of God’s amazing word is no longer enough. “Let me hear and see something new. Something I have never heard or seen before, something that will wow me!” So we have hundreds of hungry believers fascinated by and following stories of supernatural encounters that have been, at times, exaggerated by charismatic personalities. Trust me when I say I have seen stories stretched and exaggerated to be something they never originally were. And I have seen people eat it up like popcorn and cotton candy. I want you to hear my heart in this. I am all for supernatural encounters. I have had many myself and I know of others in ministry that have had some beautiful, real, life-changing supernatural encounters with God. But I am not into charismatic hype or manipulation. Just say it like it is. Don’t exaggerate, add to or blow something up just to make a good story or to sell a bunch of CD’s. I am not being negative. I am seeking to bring balance back into a movement I am so proud to be a part of -- a movement that didn’t just want to hear empty words, but wanted it backed up with real substance, power and glory.

I want the real thing! I want the real manifest presence of God. I want the real miracles, the real signs and wonders, the real angelic encounters (as God chooses to give them to me.) I don’t want a hyped-up version. I don’t want to just hear something new and different, just for the sake of hearing something I have never heard before. I want my everyday life encountered in a real way by God’s word and anointing. I want to hear something that I can apply to my life. I want the fullness of God’s word to renew my mind, change me from the inside out and fill my life with real power and glory.

People who only want to hear something they have never heard before are in serious danger of opening themselves up to a gospel that is different from the one we find in scripture. If you are running around only looking for a new revelation without first putting into practice the hundreds of revelations given to us in God’s word, you are looking in the wrong direction. God has not called us to be flakey. He has called us to be solidly grounded in Him, to preach the gospel in season and out and to impact the world around us as salt and light.

I love the prophetic. I love the supernatural. But the moment we start wanting signs without the word of God, we are in trouble. And this is what I have been seeing. Recently I had two pastors in different parts of the United States both proceed to tell me that they wanted the preaching of the word to be kept to a bare minimum with an emphasis placed on the signs and the wonders. I need to set the record straight. Signs FOLLOW the preaching of the word. If you become a sign seeker apart from the word of God, you will become ungrounded and will reproduce that in your ministry. It will build an unhealthy and weak foundation in people’s lives.

THE MOST PRECIOUS SIGN

The sign I am most after these days is the sign of a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to see people hungry to truly apply the word of God to their lives and not just want to hear something new, but put into practice what they already know. I want to see people walking in love. I want to see people living righteously. I want to see people knowing who they are in Christ so the devil can’t continually beat them up. I want to see people experience the abundant life Jesus came to give them. I want to see people preaching the gospel in power, laying hands on the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. But we can never forget that the power of the gospel is revealed through the foolishness of preaching. Not just preaching our good stories, but preaching the word of God with power and authority. A sign without the word points nowhere.

I want to encourage the body of Christ in these days to evaluate everything you have believed and be sure it is pure gospel. Go back and read the New Testament from cover to cover and ask the Holy Spirit to write upon your heart the full counsel of God’s word as revealed in the New Covenant. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and to be sure your foundations are strong and solid. Never neglect God’s word. It has the power to change your life. As you soak in God’s word and in His presence, you will truly live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life that will make a real difference in the world around you. Go and be the salt and light God has called you to be. And always remember, there is power in God’s word and in the Holy Spirit to give you power for life!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Che Ahn: No Shortcuts to Character

This is a brief article by Che Ahn on Ministry Today. In light of all that we've experienced in the charismatic stream in the past year, this message is critical for all to embrace. This especially needs to be heeded by those of us who minister frequently in the power of the Holy Spirit in a context that is visible to others. Read on...


Integrity is one of the permanent foundations of ministry

Recently I was asked to contribute a chapter for a book compendium by various authors. The subject was “power ministry.” I was thrilled. There were so many stories I could tell of the Holy Spirit’s working in my life!

Then I asked the Lord what He desired for me to write—and the whole scenario changed. The chapter instead explored the permanent foundations of power ministry: prayer, humility, and—most important—character and obedience.

As leaders, the impetus is on us to set these examples. That’s why I’m writing this column.
Billy Graham once said the three greatest areas the church needs to work on are: (1) integrity, (2) integrity and (3) integrity. In strict dictionary terms, integrity is the “quality or state of being complete; an unbroken or perfect condition; wholeness, soundness, entirety.”

I went on to investigate honesty—the synonym of integrity. It’s a mammoth word, meaning: “Respectable, creditable, commendable. One that will not lie, cheat or steal. Truthful, trustworthy, straightforward. Upright, and free from deceit. Genuine, pure, frank and open. Honorable and reliable.”

That mouthful being said, think how most leaders are introduced: “So and so pastors a 1,000-member church”; “This woman has a TV show, is the author of five books and travels extensively”; “Our distinguished guest today has a Ph.D. from ImaStar Seminary.” But could you imagine if we were introduced solely by our character traits?

I stay in reverential fear of the Lord at how easy it is for us to deceive ourselves and nurture hidden indulgences or sin. I run to those I am in covenant relationship with at the first sign of a satanic trap to bring me down. I don’t trust my flesh as far as I can throw it. None of us should.
We are in an hour now when God’s glory is being displayed in increasing power and majesty. His reputation is at stake, not just ours. We have no right to do what we please. Truly, we are not our own (see 1 Cor. 6:19-20).

It’s all wonderful and exciting when we give our lives to Jesus or receive an ordination. Yet it’s just like a marriage or any valuable long-term relationship. As the years go by and we are pressed time and again, the truth of who we are and what we will choose to do and be when under pressure will come to the surface.

It has been said that “what you do in secret shows who you really are.” We may pursue some kind of sinful behavior and think no one notices. Even if it takes the outside world a while to pick up on it, “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing” (Eccl. 12:14).
There are no shortcuts to character. If there are areas in your life that need special attention, humble yourself and seek healing or restoration. Confess and repent. Seek wholeness in your life and relationships. Allow the Lord the time He needs to build you so you will not fall.

Likewise, if you know a brother or a sister headed toward or fallen into sin, then “hold them back,” as Proverbs 24:11 (NASB) says. Warn them. Help them. It is a “truthful witness [that] saves lives,” according to Proverbs 14:25 (NASB). We’re all in this together.

When the day is done, forbidden pleasures do not last. They may bring sickness and even death (see Ps. 38). How much better to hear Jesus say for eternity: “Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward.” That’s my heart’s desire.


Ché Ahn is senior pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, Calif. One of his greatest joys is simply joining the Father in what He is doing today.