Sunday, May 23, 2010

MAY LETTER BY BOB YARBROUGH: "WATCH AND PRAY"

But thanks be to God! He give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” ~1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ . . . ” ~
2 Corinthians 2:14

Dear Followers of the Victorious Christ,

Several of my friends have recently asked my opinion of the rash of prophetic “words” that circulate in Christian circles. I am very reluctant to enter that debate, since I sought to surrender all “opinions,” that are part of my carnal mind, to Christ and to “live by every word that comes from the mouth of God” [Matt. 4:4].

Still, there are, I believe, some general principles that guide my thinking on these matters, that I will share for your consideration.

First, Scripture says “…not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy…” [2 Thess. 2:2]. Also, we are taught, “… do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything…” [1 Thess. 5:20-21].

In our evangelical/charismatic subculture, there are those who portend to bring “prophetic words” to God’s people. After sifting out the larger culture’s “profit” mentality we may test them by the witness of the Holy Spirit given by Jesus Christ to “guide us into all truth.”

Many popular “words” warn of eminent hardships and judgments on our culture’s departure from righteous principles. I don’t think it takes a prophet to know that we should be prepared for such things. We are encouraged “not to be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be over-joyed when his glory is revealed” [1 Peter 4:12,13].

In the normal course of our walk with Christ, we are to have a mindset that accepts as fact that “in the world you will have trouble.” Jesus told us this, He said, “so that in me you may have peace.” Instead of being “unsettled” and “alarmed” by threats of trouble, His word to us is “Take heart! I have overcome the world” [Jn. 16: 33].

It seems to me that those who are, in fact, attuned to heavenly realities are mostly hidden by the Lord, lest their publicized proclamations become the plagiarized corruptions of ego driven performers.

It occurs to me that the Master has put these “hidden ones” in a sort of heavenly “witness protection plan” to come forth at the appointed time when He passes judgment on this present evil. Hiding their true identities, they walk among us as carpenters, farmers and other lowly positions on the world’s scale of importance.

They do not preface their “hearings” with “thus saith the Lord.” They are restful in the authority of knowing that ‘those who know God, hear them.’ They only speak what the anointed of the Lord already know and the Spirit of truth in them bears witness.

These who have ‘not bowed the knee to Baal’ (Cultural gods of pleasure and ease) refuse to play the part of “ticklers of itching ears.” They speak a wisdom that none of the “princes of the world” have known. But among those maturing, “growing up into Christ” followers of the Lamb, the Word of God is alive and active and accomplishing that for which He has sent it.

Finally, we are to concentrate our attention on a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” [2 Cor. 11:3]. Instead of filling our thoughts with speculations about the “times and dates the Father has set by his own authority…” our calling is to seek the power that comes on us by the Holy Spirit to witness Christ’s presence in our world. [Acts 1:7,8].

You may rest in the assurance that if you are awake and alert to His Presence, the “day of the Lord” will not “surprise you” and slip up on you “like a thief.” The reason for this is not that we know all the theories or the latest fad “words” of prophecy. It will be because “you are all sons of the light and sons of the day [and] since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…" [1 Thess. 5:4-11].

“Watch and Pray So That You Will Not Fall Into Temptation” Mark 14:38

What are the deeper, spiritual implications of this exhortation given to Jesus’ “sleeping” disciples on the dark night of his betrayal? The common-sense interpretation deals with keeping an alert mind to “what is happening” in the world of what “meets the eye.” That is, we deal with this on the surface level of the apparent. Jesus warned us to “stop judging by mere appearance and to make a right judgment.” He was speaking of getting the “mind of the Spirit” in order to interpret what simply appears to our natural sight.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” [Romans 12:21]. Everything that God creates is good. Evil is the lie of the carnal mind that something apart from God has power. When we allow that “illusion” to prevail in our outlook, we are overcome by it and fall into the grasp of the tempter. Instead of being part of the Answer, we become part of the problem – we are overcome by evil. It is for this that we must “watch and pray.” We must practice letting our spiritual “eyes of the heart” pierce through the darkness of the lie and behold our Father’s face. Only as His Light shines on us can we “see” how we are to respond to what appears as evil.

Instead of entering the silence to see and hear God, we often walk in our own thoughts and according to our acquired human wisdom. We simply react out of habit to what is suggested by the appearance of evil. We become part of the illusion or dream state that evil operates in. The call to us is, “awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead slumber of illusion, and Christ will shine on us.” Walking in His Light we will not stumble into Satan’s snare.

Instead of praying from the horrible pit of problem perception, we are called to wait on the Lord to lift us on to the Rock of revealed Truth. [Review previous teaching on Psalm 40:1&2.] Standing there, we overcome in prayer by agreeing with the Lord and speaking heaven’s Word over what appears. “It is good” is the only Word God speaks over His creation! Everything that appears as evil has no foundation in truth and is therefore temporary and passing. It has no power over the Truth of God. To every threatening appearance we may say, as Jesus did to the proud, presumed authority of worldly government, “You have no power over me, except it were given to you from above.”

So the first step in prayer may be stated in the conclusion of the prophet Habakkuk when faced with the awful appearance of evil in His day. After God reveals to him that He was doing a work that could not be taken into the belief system of his time, even if God himself should try to explain it, the prophet concludes, “I will watch to see what the Lord will say to me.” He is saying, “I must get to a higher point of perception where I can see clearly and my heart can receive the Word of God in this situation!”

This is the “prayer of faith.” This is “praying in the Holy Spirit.” This occurs only after we have heeded the call of the Spirit to “come up here and I will show you the things that must come to pass after this” [Rev. 4:1].

Instead of focusing on “former things” or things that have appeared to our carnal senses, we are to “behold” the “new things” or the things of the New Creation that God has prepared to manifest in our day. Instead of focusing on problems in prayer, we are called to “see” answers and declare them. The “answer” is always there before we call. In fact, the “answer” is eternal and is reality. The “problem” is a temporary appearance that we encounter on the way to the “new heavens and the new earth” that is coming down from God out of heaven.

What a relief this can be to our praying! Instead of trying to meet “evil” on its “home field,” we play the game on our ground! Instead of “resisting evil” in the way it dictates, we declare that Satan has forfeited his control and we are starting a new game based on the “rules of heaven.” When Satan protests, we “resist him steadfastly in the faith.” And after a while, having resisted his attack, he runs away [flees] revealing himself to be the imposter he really is!

Jesus set the example in facing temptation in the wilderness of his human experience. He overcame Satan by the Word of his testimony even in the face of apparent destruction. After his victory, Angels ministered to him, and he “returned in the power of the Holy Spirit” to reap the spoils of his victory.

This is the victory that overcomes the world – this faith in our Father’s authority over every false claim.

Friday, May 21, 2010

HERRNHUT: WINDS OF AWAKENING by Jon and Jolene Hamill

Note: Lampstand Convergence begins Friday, 7pm (1pm est) in Herrhut with James Goll, Jason Hubbard, Paul Wemmer, Jon & Jolene. YWAM Burn worship.

Greetings from Herrnhut Germany! I apologize for not writing earlier. It has been an incredibly busy time—but very rewarding in the Lord. Thank you for your notes of encouragement on this prayer project. We are grateful for the Lord’s impact and are praying for a fresh filling of Holy Spirit as we culminate on Pentecost/the Global Day of Prayer.

Resolution Report
We have had tremendous experiences in God here, which I will share on in just a moment. But first, let me share briefly about Resolution. We had a very weighty time in the Lord, resetting our betrothal covenant with the Lord Friday evening and releasing governmentally the “Great Return” Saturday evening. Here is an encouraging note from Randy Demain to his intercessors:
The betrotahl conference was over the top. We literally felt the shift in the heavens and the earth as we renewed our betrothal covenant with the Lord, the glory was heavy, the presence of angels and the witness of the Holy Spirit was like none other I have ever experienced! The remainder of the conference was great as Jon brought his word and we blessed long time DC prayer saints Dick Simmons and Corinthia Boone who were present. Once again prayer prevailed and a tangable change has been made for the good in our nation!

The Lord has brought us on quite a journey these last few months: from Oklahoma City to IHOP-KC with the student awakening to Washington DC to reset covenant with the Lord, and finally to Herrnhut Germany.

To pray on the same ground where Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian forefathers interceded night and day for 100 years is incredible. From this Moravian prayer movement, God birthed the moderns missions movement and two great awakenings. We have a strong sense that this “tabernacle of David” at Herrnhut is now being restored, in part to bring to maturity this third great awakening regionally, nationally and internationally.

Faithful to our Fathers
As a son of the Pilgrims, it has been so moving to discover the legacy of the Moravians. Both the Pilgrims and the Moravians were religious refugees, fleeing persecution from dictators who ruled both the political and religious spheres of their respective homelands. Their heart and passion was the same: to develop a beach-head for the gospel that would endure generationally and flood the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is so faithful to our forefathers. He is arising in our day to answer not just the cries of this generation, but of countless generations who have gone before us to prepare the way.

Winds at the Watchtower
On Tuesday, a group of us made our way to the legendary watchtower and cemetery on the Herrnhut grounds. Three nations are in view from there—Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. For a decade I have studied the precious encounter that prophetic statesman James Goll and team experienced with the Lord. Where suddenly a rushing, mighty wind came in concert with their prayers.

To my surprise, our team had much the same experience! We prophesied the release of the Ezekiel 37 “winds of awakening” securing for Jesus the Great Return. We prophesied the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David at Herrnhut. As we prayed, the force of the gusts literally began to accelerate. I remember three specific times where the wind picked up as we were praying, and then subsided as we paused.

Releasing Awakening
I shared briefly on the 11-11 awakening at IHOP, about James Goll’s commissioning to restore and release the global Moravian lampstand, and his experience over Purim where a scroll appeared to him with the words written in amber that declared “The Third Great Awakening has begun.” This was similar to James’ prophetic experience where James heard the Lord say, “I commission you to restore and release the global Moravian Lampstand.” He then saw amber letters that formed the words “Prayer Storm.”

And wow how storm winds were blowing! On the watchtower in the natural, a few of us had an unusual sense of being elevated in the spirit over the entire region as we began to pray. It was as though we became a corporate shofar, German and American, to thunder over Herrnhut and the region that “THE THIRD GREAT AWAKENING HAS BEGUN! THE THIRD GREAT AWAKENING HAS BEGUN!”

Date with Destiny
Our prayer session at the watchtower was followed by an absolutely unprecedented time of spontaneous worship at the Jesus Haus prayer room in the afternoon. Four women and a young man from Germany, who had never sung together, began to release heaven’s travail for Israel. They sang together in English, German and even Latin. This was interspersed with high, multilayered praise in antiphonal tongues. It was the unity of harmony. As they sang, God’s emotions were literally imparted, with many weeping and in travail over God’s covenant land.

As they were singing, I began to ponder how such a strong grace was upon us throughout the day. A conversation we had with Sue Ekenberg on the way to the airport flashed through my mind. And I suddenly realized that on the Jewish timetable we had just entered into Shavaot… PENTECOST!

“When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in prayer. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

Joining Covenantal Legacies
In the evening meeting, our friend Winnie Bauer shared a vision on God’s desire to link Germany and America in Jesus Christ. Another spontaneous time erupted from the heart of God. We Americans repented to our German brothers and sisters of our pride and arrogance. We prayed for the Father’s blessing in the Fatherland, and asked the Lord to join together the covenantal legacy of America, represented by the Pilgrims, with the covenantal legacy of Germany as represented by Herrnhut and the Moravian prayer movement.

This may be a stretch, but I had a tangible perception that a great cloud of witnesses had somehow joined us, with Zinzendorf and Bradford and countless martyrs praising the Lamb of God. We had come into agreement with their very prayers. And we all had the honor of being convened to see heaven’s response in this sacred time.

Song of Unity
Our 24 hours of Pentecost ended with a remarkable revelation by our friend Shannon from Bellingham WA. While leading worship, the Holy Spirit began to unveil further secrets of Christ’s redemption on the cross. How in His hour of agony, Jesus called for Mary to become John’s mother, and for John to care for Mary as his own.

What does this mean? The spirit of adoption was released by Jesus even as He died! She then saw how blood and water flowed together from Christ’s side. Shannon began to sing, “Jesus died for a unified bride! Flowing as one river, flowing from Your side…”

Let this sink deeply into your heart and spirit. Christ’s body and blood have secured not only our redemption, but also our unity. One with Christ, and in Him, one with each other. Echoing Zinzendorf’s prayers… may the Lamb of God receive the full reward of His suffering!

Blessing from Herrnhut
I am convinced we are living in an unprecedented hour of history. Sounds trite to say, but I truly wish you were here. We are praying for you to receive a mighty impartation of the Holy Spirit, for Throne Room winds to awaken and refresh you. May a supernatural synergy be imparted to you as you stand in your identity with others of like precious faith. And we are praying for the new sounds of high praise to be released into your life. May the eyes of the Lord be continually on you. Covenant blessings to each of you from Herrnhut!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Prophetic Article by Jon & Jolene Hamill

FIREBALL IN THE SKY

Yesterday we shared on the shift from Baal to Jesus, and chronicled a prophetic word by Bob Jones about a comprehensive move of the Holy Spirit, an “exodus” that would usher God’s people from slavery to freedom.

Bob prophesied to Mike Bickle, then only 27 years old, that he needed to call a citywide fast in preparation for this move. And that on the first day of the fast, a comet previously undetected by scientists would flash across the sky as confirmation. On May 7, 1983, the first night of the 21 day fast, a comet previously undetected flashed across the sky. Many see that night as the beginning of what has now become the IHOP movement.

Over the next few days we’re going to further explore what this new move looks like. And we’ll look at a few confirmations of these prophetic perceptions, signs that cannot be manufactured or manipulated by the hand of man. Lets begin with a fireball that flashed across the skies of Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana only a week ago.

Fireball in the Sky
On Thursday, April 15, Jolene and I were enjoying our second night at the IHOP youth awakening, which began on November 11, 2009. Over the past few days, we had spent much of our time in meetings, where we were honored to share insights the Lord had given us over many years on 11-11 and awakening.

The primary article we shared, called Covenantal Awakening, was originally posted on the Elijah List in November 2005. The article began by recounting how a fireball flashed across the sky on October 31, 2006 as a confirmation of a prophetic word on revival given at our church.

When we returned to our room Thursday evening, news reports began to filter in of a massive fireball, accompanied by sonic booms, seen that night in Missouri and four other Midwestern states!

In both cases, the fireball in the sky was a meteor. It was as though God was using very personal language to confirm that the move we’ve all been praying for is truly now at hand. We are so grateful to the Lord for this!

With this we present to you the word “Covenantal Awakening.” Note that the word includes Jolene’s dream about the revival being “bigger than Finney.” We close the insights by exploring two primary covenantal legacies with Christ upon which our Nation has been founded.

Covenantal Awakening: Fulfillment of Prophecies Point to New Season of Revival
By Jon & Jolene Hamill
November 11, 2005

In writing this prophetic perspective, I am keenly aware that we "see in part and prophesy in part." So let the witness of the Spirit guide you as we examine together recent events that indicate a major shift into a season of national awakening and revival.

In mid-October, Kim Clement prophesied there would be an "unusual occurrence" on October 31, which would be followed by a four year season of harvest and the greatest move of the Spirit our nation has ever seen.

Kim prophesied this word at a conference with Cornerstone Fellowship in Frederick, MD, where Jolene and I serve as prayer coordinators. After talking with our pastors, we decided to pray as a church through the evening of October 31, standing for the Lord's promises to be fulfilled.

Just after 9:00 p.m., while we were worshipping and praying, we experienced an "unusual occurrence." A few of the intercessors saw a huge fireball passing through the skies of Frederick!

Television news reported that the fireball was actually a meteor, seen from Philadelphia to south of Washington, D.C. Local 911 emergency centers were overrun with calls, and in the metro D.C. region, many reported the fireball was so bright it lit up the insides of their homes. One NASA scientist told a DC television station that "this is a rare event," and that he couldn't remember seeing another meteor this big in the past 12 years.

Confirming the Word

In line with Kim Clement's word, the fireball was definitely an unusual occurrence. I believe this was a sign from the Lord that the awakening we've all been praying for is now at hand.

During the conference, Kim also reiterated a prophetic word he shared early in October that America would be mourning on October 31 and that within the dates of October 31 through November 1, our nation would be moving from death to life. He also prophesied that the breath of the Spirit would be restored in the northeast, with the eventual release of an anointing to even raise the dead in the greatest move of the Spirit our nation has ever seen.

Kim's word on the wind of the Spirit is remarkably similar to a prophecy given by Chuck Pierce in Vermont, on October 9. On that night, Chuck prophesied that the awakening of the nation had begun and that the "north winds of awakening" would be released from Vermont, across the northeast and the nation.

Later in the article, I'll share how these prophetic insights relate to America's covenantal heritage as a nation of awakening. But first, lets look at two significant events related to Kim's word that came to pass in Washington, D.C. on October 31.

More Confirmations on October 31

First, America truly mourned on October 31-- though not due to a terrorist attack or a hurricane. Instead, America mourned the loss of the great civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. A devoted Christian, Parks' act of gentle defiance brought new meaning to our pledge of "liberty and justice for all." As one political leader noted, Rosa Parks wasn't just the mother of the civil rights movement, but she was "the mother of the America we grew to be."

Her passing was bittersweet. From October 30 through October 31, Parks became the first woman and the second African American to lie in honor in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Also on October 31, President Bush nominated Samuel Alito to serve as the next justice on the Supreme Court. Many speculate that Judge Alito, who currently presides over the Third US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, could be key in overthrowing legalized abortion in our land.

Is it possible that, on October 31, Bush nominated a man called by God to shift America from a legacy of death to the empowerment of life? His very name caught our attention, as we had been praying for a nominee with the qualities of the biblical Samuel, who served in Israel as both prophet and judge.

Down in Texas, Cindy Jacobs ended 40 days of prayer and fasting for the release of a new season of miracles in our land. Coincidentally, the last night of Cindy's fast was October 31 -- the day Rosa Parks was honored, Judge Alito was nominated, and a meteor blazed across the D.C. skies.

New Season of Awakening and Justice
Clearly, we have entered into a season where a "Third Great Awakening," promised by the Lord, is now being released. Jolene woke up from a dream this morning repeating the words "Bigger than Finney, bigger than Finney." Charles Finney was the primary catalyst of America's Second Great Awakening. Perhaps the Lord is saying that what's now at hand is even bigger than the Second Great Awakening, which Finney himself described as the greatest outpouring since the Book of Acts.

Interestingly, Charles Finney was a passionate abolitionist. The Republican Party was birthed in the embers of the awakening as an anti-slavery party, with Abraham Lincoln as its presidential candidate.

But in truth, he could have been a Democrat. I believe that the Democratic Party was originally offered a mantle from the Lord to abolish slavery. When the mantle was refused, a new party was raised up out of the Democratic Party to shift America into this facet of God's justice.

Today, you won't find a Democrat with a pro-slavery platform. Instead, the Democratic Party has been a champion of civil rights for all. And fifty years from now, as the blemish of abortion is cleansed from America's soul, I prophesy that neither Democrat nor Republican will want to reinstate this practice because eradicating abortion is not a party issue -- it's a justice issue.

At the outset of this Third Great Awakening, the Lord wants the governmental leaders of America to fully understand. He wants justice at our gates. We do not understand the consequences of ignoring this trumpet call. When the awakeners of Finney's era called for repentance, leading to a peaceful end to slavery, their plea was ignored. That's when the Civil War began.

Now, America is again divided over the issue of civil rights. This time it's the civil rights of the unborn. Will we pick up the mantle of justice, or will we retreat into division and see the reaping of the death we have been sowing as a nation? Truly, it is time for us to come out of our chambers and weep between the porch and the altar.

The Pilgrims Covenanted with God

When our forefathers stood against injustice, a nation of awakening was birthed. The Pilgrims set out for the new world to establish a land of religious freedom. On November 11, 1620, they signed the Mayflower Compact, entering into covenant with Jesus Christ by dedicating our land and government to "the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith."

During both the first and second Great Awakenings, we saw two dimensions of this covenant with the Lord in manifestation. We saw God's glory -- the tangible manifestation of His presence and power -- across the land, resulting in societal transformation. And we saw evangelism -- the advancement of the Christian faith -- as unprecedented numbers of people turned to Jesus Christ.

The Huguenots Covenanted with God

Before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, another weary group came to America seeking religious freedom. Led by Jean Ribault, the Huguenots established a settlement in Ft. Caroline, Florida, again with the hope of reaching nations with the gospel.

The Huguenots at Ft. Caroline were martyred at the hands of Spanish conquistadors. Jean Ribault died chanting Psalm 132, literally begging God to make this nation a dwelling place for His presence. But instead of praying, "Lord remember the afflictions of your servant David," he prayed, "Lord remember the afflictions of your servant Jean. How he swore. . . not to give rest to his eyes, nor slumber to his eyelids, until he found a dwelling place for the mighty God of Jacob."

God remembers the cry of His friends. Part of this Third Great Awakening is that covenantal blessings aborted in previous seasons will find life and expression at this time.

It is interesting to note that, centuries later, another forerunner was gripped by Psalm 132 and the dream in God's heart for our land to be a dwelling place for His presence. At the outset of his ministry, Mike Bickle came into covenant with the Lord, according to Psalm 132 -- a covenant that eventually brought forth the 24/7 International House of Prayer.

Prophecy Fulfilled: A Comet Across the Sky
This is where we come full circle. The IHOP movement began in 1983, when Bickle called a 21-day solemn assembly after receiving supernatural confirmation from prophet Bob Jones. Bob shared with Mike that the Lord was releasing a great move of the Spirit across North America and that a comet would flash across the sky on the day he started his fast. This comet, undetected by scientists, would be a sign from the Lord that revival was coming. Mike arbitrarily picked May 7 to start the citywide solemn assembly, and on that night, a comet previously undetected by scientists flashed across the sky!

Jon & Jolene Hamill
Lamplighter Ministries
lamplighterjon@earthlink.net