When I ministered at the Embracing God's Glory conference in Temple, Texas last March, the worship was led by Beth Hislop. She did a phenomenal job—her love for Jesus enabled all to focus solely on Him during worship. Honestly I don't think I would've been able to minister at such a high level of the anointing at the conference apart from the worship she led. Without question I came to a deeper appreciation for her ministry during that time—now I know firsthand the value of the heart that she possesses.
I want to stand with her in what the Lord has called her to pursue in this hour. Read on and prayerfully consider standing with her as she stands before God for our Nation.
Dear Friends,
This is an urgent request for prayer and emergency support. I have been asked by Matt Lockett, the director of Bound 4 Life, to come and serve at the Justice House of Prayer in Washington, DC. (http://www.jhop.org/) I believe this is a summon from the Lord for me.
I received a call from Matt last week. Since Lou Engle has asked all of the teams and interns from all of the JHOP’s to go to San Diego for 40 days of prayer and fasting leading up to The Call San Diego and the Elections, Matt is assembling a team to fuel the JHOP in DC. Because of the vital need for intercession to go up in DC leading up to the election, and for the continued presence at the Supreme Court, Matt asked me if I would be willing and available to be on the team for the Facedown 40 and come live in DC starting on September 18th. As the leadership of the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace is releasing me and sending me, I will be joining the team as I feel God is calling me to lay aside that time to serve Lou, Matt, the cause for the ending of abortion and crying out for mercy during the next few months leading up to the elections in November. I believe this is a pivotal point in the History of our nation. I believe that the next 7-8 weeks will shape the course of our history.
I believe that God has summoned me to go, but financially I cannot do it without your help. I am sending this letter as a request for emergency support. God is my provider, and He has shown himself so faithful to me! I had several dreams last night of getting gifts and of prosperity financially, so I know He will provide. With that said, I really felt led to take this step of faith to ask you if you would prayerfully consider donating financially, a one time gift, to support me while I am at JHOP.
Many of you know I am in the process of raising support as I am now on full-time staff with the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace. I will still continue my fundraising for the last months of this year and for next year with the official launch of the Prayer Furnace. However, I do not have the finances at this point to support myself enough to go to DC. Having looked at my finances and needs, I need to raise $800 by Sept. 15th in order to go to JHOP. I will also need another $800 by the end of my time in at JHOP in November.All donations are tax deductible. (http://www.theprayerfurnace.org)/
In 1999 Bob Jones spoke that the next president would come out of Texas and he would be a Burning Bush, and that IF the church would pray, in the second part of his second term he would do more to end abortion, restrain the homosexual agenda and to put prayer back in schools.” Then the word went on to say, “…if the church will pray, we will get eight more years of righteousness.” I believe the time is urgent to pray. We are already in a historical moment with these elections. As our nation decides who will be our next president, we must pray. Also, I ask for your prayers as I enter into this battle. Our team will be small. 12 people. But we will fight in intercession and worship for our nation and for our next president and for the ending of abortion.
Thank you so much for your prayers and consideration. I am so excited about what the Lord is doing and is going to do. I am excited to go fight, for our country and for our leaders, in intercession.
During the 40 days, as a team, we will be consistently sending out updates on what is going on and you will be able to watch video clips of the prayer room online. I will let you know how to access this information once it is set up. If you have a twitter account, we will be sending out updates on that as well.
If you could please consider responding within the next 5 days, And as always please keep me and the team in your prayers. Blessings to you!
I love you.
Bethbhislop[at]theprayerfurnace[dot]org
You can send your checks, made out to: Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace, to:
Beth Hislop
255 Maryfox Rd
Tappahannock, VA 22560
All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt in the mail.
Showing posts with label Lou Engle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lou Engle. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Mantle of Francis Asbury
Please click on WHIRLWINDS, MANTLES & SHIFTING NATIONS to read this article on Brian Francis Hume's new website.
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| I visited the George Arnold Home on March 17, 2006. |
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
TheCall Las Vegas
The Nazirite Uprising: TheCall Las Vegas
Last night, on the eve of 9/11, a young man had a powerful dream:
In the dream, I was sitting with two young men around a table with leaders in the Church. They were talking about methods and tactics of how to grow churches, create programs, and increase their numbers in their churches. Then, I stood up in the dream, and said, “I have something to say!”
At that time, five young men walked in with shaved heads and it was clear that they had consecrated themselves as Nazirites. I spoke with these leaders and said, “We need to learn separation and consecration, then you will see your churches grow. For the next 40 days, you must separate and consecrate yourselves for anything in your churches.”
Lou then turned to one of the young men and said, “It is the Nazirite Uprising!”
This young man who had the dream last night on the eve of 9/11 had no idea that 40 days from 9/11 leads to 10/20/07, which is the date of TheCall Las Vegas.
The major theme of TheCall Las Vegas will be the calling forth of a resurgence of the Nazirites. I believe that there is a grace for young men and women called to the Nazirite consecration to set themselves apart in these next 40 days (September 11 – October 20, the date of TheCall Las Vegas). We are also calling all those in Las Vegas and those coming to TheCall Las Vegas to consider fasting 21 days before TheCall Las Vegas (September 30 – October 20) to prepare our hearts before the Lord. We are living in a historic hour and it is important that we seize this divine moment for our nation. We are calling forth 20,000 Nazirites to join us at TheCall Las Vegas as we renew our consecration and cry out to God for revival for Las Vegas and our nation.
Visit TheCall for more information. TheCall Las Vegas is FREE, but be sure to REGISTER for TheCall Las Vegas today to ensure your spot in Las Vegas.
Last night, on the eve of 9/11, a young man had a powerful dream:In the dream, I was sitting with two young men around a table with leaders in the Church. They were talking about methods and tactics of how to grow churches, create programs, and increase their numbers in their churches. Then, I stood up in the dream, and said, “I have something to say!”
At that time, five young men walked in with shaved heads and it was clear that they had consecrated themselves as Nazirites. I spoke with these leaders and said, “We need to learn separation and consecration, then you will see your churches grow. For the next 40 days, you must separate and consecrate yourselves for anything in your churches.”
Lou then turned to one of the young men and said, “It is the Nazirite Uprising!”
This young man who had the dream last night on the eve of 9/11 had no idea that 40 days from 9/11 leads to 10/20/07, which is the date of TheCall Las Vegas.
The major theme of TheCall Las Vegas will be the calling forth of a resurgence of the Nazirites. I believe that there is a grace for young men and women called to the Nazirite consecration to set themselves apart in these next 40 days (September 11 – October 20, the date of TheCall Las Vegas). We are also calling all those in Las Vegas and those coming to TheCall Las Vegas to consider fasting 21 days before TheCall Las Vegas (September 30 – October 20) to prepare our hearts before the Lord. We are living in a historic hour and it is important that we seize this divine moment for our nation. We are calling forth 20,000 Nazirites to join us at TheCall Las Vegas as we renew our consecration and cry out to God for revival for Las Vegas and our nation.
Visit TheCall for more information. TheCall Las Vegas is FREE, but be sure to REGISTER for TheCall Las Vegas today to ensure your spot in Las Vegas.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
A Dream Come True
See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse. Malachi 4:6,7
In the past few days since The Call Nashville, my conviction of the need for the spirit of Elijah to be embodied within the generations increased a hundredfold. This must begin with the hearts of the fathers turning to the younger generation. In 1997 the Promise Keepers summoned men together on the mall in Washington, DC to seek God. It appeared that God was indeed doing something significant in turning the hearts of the fathers to the children—yet, we must honestly assess the current landscape today. Have those intentions brought forth fruit on a generational level? Is there an organic movement of spiritual fathers and mothers seeking to raise up spiritual sons and daughters for kingdom impact?
Recently I heard James Goll share that many prophetic voices have spoken for years that the next great move of God would be a move of the fathers. He noted that during the Jesus Movement of the late 60s and early 70s, there were many teachers, but few fathers. Spiritual fathers are paramount to releasing sons and daughters in the Lord that sustains a move of God in the earth today.
My wife and I are extensively involved with the Emerging Generation Ministries (EGM) at our church. Our responsibilities include leading a home group for young adults. One of our young adults, Ronnette Cooper, is a precious woman-of-God who is on the core leadership team for EGM. She is also an instructor for the upcoming Burn Intern that EGM is launching this fall for those who are seeking preparation for future ministry in the house of prayer. She is extremely gifted prophetically as indicated by the dream she shares below. This dream is an encouragement for those willing to pursue the call of becoming spiritual fathers and mothers.
THE DREAM
Ronnette wrote the following in her own words.
Back in early January of 2006 I had a dream. I knew it was one of those dreams. You know the ones where you know it’s not the pizza you had the night before but God Almighty communicating something special with you. It was only a couple days later when I found out how significant the dream was and how intimate it was for the person it was about.
The dream—I was in an Olympic stadium and we were watching a race. The place was complete packed with people. On the field you could see a runner stretching. On the back of his uniform (resembled a football jersey) it had his name on it: SIMMONS. When he went to the starting block beside him was his son, who also had a similar jersey on with his name—SIMMONS JR.
The race started. Although there were other runners, SIMMONS JR and SIMMONS SR were the first across the finish line. JR outran SR by just fractions of seconds. Everyone was so excited but overwhelming amazed at how Simmons Senior celebrated genuinely about Simmons Junior’s victory. There was such amazement that the news crew was focusing on the father’s encouragement rather than the son’s win. Simmons Sr. was hugging his son, saying, “I am so proud of you!”
REAL LIFE INTREPRETATION
Two weeks later, I spontaneously decided to attend a conference hosted by The CAUSE USA. It was there that the dream kept coming to my mind. At this point I was thinking I might need to share the dream with one of their head interns, simply because I felt there was a real encouragement to the older generation that we the younger generation need you. That without your guidance and example and encouragement we will not make it to the finish line.
Well I shared the dream. The head intern—Roger Joyner—was flabbergasted by the dream! Immediately he started asking questions. His first question, I must admit caught me off guard: Do you know who Dick Simmons is? My reply was “no”. After several more questions it was quite clear that I was completely ignorant of the significance of the dream to both The Cause and to a guy name Dick Simmons. Roger proceeded to take me up to Lou Engle and had me retell the dream. Lou began to sway back and forth and say in his husky voice…”you have no clue, you have no clue”.
Later in the service, Lou tells the whole conference the dream. And much to my amazement after he tells the dream he says, “Dick Simmons will you come up here.” He was right there in the congregation! Lou proceeded to tell everyone a little bit about Dick Simmons. Dick is an intercessor who has been praying in Washington DC for over 25 years. The Lord spoke to him saying that he would live to see the day where a company of young people would come to DC and pray night and day. This would be the beginnings of revival. (Paraphrased).
I watched at Dick Simmons came up to the microphone and people stood and clapped for his faithfulness in the ministry. I do not know who looked like he was going to cry more—Lou or Dick. Lou looked at me and said, “You don’t have a clue, this man can die with the kiss of God on his life, knowing that what he started will be completed [by his sons and daughters in the spirit”].
When I first heard Ronnette share this dream with me, I knew I had to share it with my readers. The dream highlights what we've been discussing the past few weeks here on this blog. It captures both the need for the emerging generation to humbly acknowledge their need for the tutelage of the older generation—and, it is an encouragement for the fathers not to give up on the younger generation. If you are seeking to raise up spiritual sons and daughters, you can be assured in the Lord that your work is not in vain.
How can you be a spiritual father or mother to those within your sphere? What would the Lord have you do? Please feel free to contact me if you need further clarification on this whole issue. We are all in this together!
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17
In the past few days since The Call Nashville, my conviction of the need for the spirit of Elijah to be embodied within the generations increased a hundredfold. This must begin with the hearts of the fathers turning to the younger generation. In 1997 the Promise Keepers summoned men together on the mall in Washington, DC to seek God. It appeared that God was indeed doing something significant in turning the hearts of the fathers to the children—yet, we must honestly assess the current landscape today. Have those intentions brought forth fruit on a generational level? Is there an organic movement of spiritual fathers and mothers seeking to raise up spiritual sons and daughters for kingdom impact?
Recently I heard James Goll share that many prophetic voices have spoken for years that the next great move of God would be a move of the fathers. He noted that during the Jesus Movement of the late 60s and early 70s, there were many teachers, but few fathers. Spiritual fathers are paramount to releasing sons and daughters in the Lord that sustains a move of God in the earth today.
My wife and I are extensively involved with the Emerging Generation Ministries (EGM) at our church. Our responsibilities include leading a home group for young adults. One of our young adults, Ronnette Cooper, is a precious woman-of-God who is on the core leadership team for EGM. She is also an instructor for the upcoming Burn Intern that EGM is launching this fall for those who are seeking preparation for future ministry in the house of prayer. She is extremely gifted prophetically as indicated by the dream she shares below. This dream is an encouragement for those willing to pursue the call of becoming spiritual fathers and mothers.
THE DREAM
Ronnette wrote the following in her own words.
Back in early January of 2006 I had a dream. I knew it was one of those dreams. You know the ones where you know it’s not the pizza you had the night before but God Almighty communicating something special with you. It was only a couple days later when I found out how significant the dream was and how intimate it was for the person it was about.
The dream—I was in an Olympic stadium and we were watching a race. The place was complete packed with people. On the field you could see a runner stretching. On the back of his uniform (resembled a football jersey) it had his name on it: SIMMONS. When he went to the starting block beside him was his son, who also had a similar jersey on with his name—SIMMONS JR.
The race started. Although there were other runners, SIMMONS JR and SIMMONS SR were the first across the finish line. JR outran SR by just fractions of seconds. Everyone was so excited but overwhelming amazed at how Simmons Senior celebrated genuinely about Simmons Junior’s victory. There was such amazement that the news crew was focusing on the father’s encouragement rather than the son’s win. Simmons Sr. was hugging his son, saying, “I am so proud of you!”
REAL LIFE INTREPRETATION
Two weeks later, I spontaneously decided to attend a conference hosted by The CAUSE USA. It was there that the dream kept coming to my mind. At this point I was thinking I might need to share the dream with one of their head interns, simply because I felt there was a real encouragement to the older generation that we the younger generation need you. That without your guidance and example and encouragement we will not make it to the finish line.
Well I shared the dream. The head intern—Roger Joyner—was flabbergasted by the dream! Immediately he started asking questions. His first question, I must admit caught me off guard: Do you know who Dick Simmons is? My reply was “no”. After several more questions it was quite clear that I was completely ignorant of the significance of the dream to both The Cause and to a guy name Dick Simmons. Roger proceeded to take me up to Lou Engle and had me retell the dream. Lou began to sway back and forth and say in his husky voice…”you have no clue, you have no clue”.
Later in the service, Lou tells the whole conference the dream. And much to my amazement after he tells the dream he says, “Dick Simmons will you come up here.” He was right there in the congregation! Lou proceeded to tell everyone a little bit about Dick Simmons. Dick is an intercessor who has been praying in Washington DC for over 25 years. The Lord spoke to him saying that he would live to see the day where a company of young people would come to DC and pray night and day. This would be the beginnings of revival. (Paraphrased).
I watched at Dick Simmons came up to the microphone and people stood and clapped for his faithfulness in the ministry. I do not know who looked like he was going to cry more—Lou or Dick. Lou looked at me and said, “You don’t have a clue, this man can die with the kiss of God on his life, knowing that what he started will be completed [by his sons and daughters in the spirit”].
When I first heard Ronnette share this dream with me, I knew I had to share it with my readers. The dream highlights what we've been discussing the past few weeks here on this blog. It captures both the need for the emerging generation to humbly acknowledge their need for the tutelage of the older generation—and, it is an encouragement for the fathers not to give up on the younger generation. If you are seeking to raise up spiritual sons and daughters, you can be assured in the Lord that your work is not in vain.
How can you be a spiritual father or mother to those within your sphere? What would the Lord have you do? Please feel free to contact me if you need further clarification on this whole issue. We are all in this together!
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17
Thursday, May 31, 2007
No Toleration - Lou Engle
No Toleration
“I suspect I’ve got more in common with Jezebel and Ahab than with Elijah. I’m working to build a tolerant, pluralistic society that respects other faith traditions. I’ve devoted ten years of my life to calling the church to repentance and transformation, on account of its homophobia and heterosexism, its narrowness and its prejudice. I don’t have any sympathy for the austere Yahwehism of the prophet Elijah and his quick to kill and “throw to the dogs” invocation of judgment and divine retribution. Elijah would have stoned me without a second thought. Jezebel was an enlightened woman – I reckon she’d give the likes of me a fair go.” Dr. David Bromell Pentecost Sunday Sermon, 1998. Methodist Mission Church, Christchurch.
“Behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6
“Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess. She leads and teaches my bondservants astray so that they commit acts of immorality. I gave her time to repent and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold I will cast her upon a bed of sickness and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with the plague and all the churches will know that I AM HE who searches the minds and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” Jesus Christ, Ruler of the kings of the earth and Husband of a pure bride, Rev 2:20-23
The dream was so vivid. In it, my young friend dreamt that he was about to be married to a well known seductive entertainer. She knew she had him wrapped around her finger. Her powerful spell of seduction began to take control of him. Suddenly he came to his senses. “I know who you are! You are Jezebel!” he shouted out in the dream. The demonic spell was broken. This dream changed this young man’s life forever. He repented from a love for the world and now stands as a holy testimony for God, even as he works in the midst of Hollywood’s seductive entertainment culture. America as a nation must come to such an awakening as this young man.
As it is in America today, so it was in Israel in the days of King Ahab.
Elijah was determined to turn back the nation to God and his message was for repentance from compromise with the spirit of Jezebel. “How long will you halt between two opinions. If Baal is God serve him, but if God is God, serve Him.” Summed up, Elijah’s revolutionary challenge to his nation was, “NO TOLERATION!” The same command of God can be heard 2000 years later where the spirit of Jezebel is exposed in the Church at Thyatira. Jesus dictates a strongly worded letter to them:
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess…” (Rev 2:18-20)
In the midst of a church tolerating sexual laxity and promoting a casual approach to sin, God says, “I have this against you, you tolerate the woman Jezebel who seduces my bondservants into sexual immorality.”
“..the eternal Word specifically described Himself as “He who searches the minds and hearts” (Rev 2:23), for it is in the inner sanctuary of our private soul-life where tolerance to Jezebel begins. It is here, within us, where tolerance must end… This spirit was sitting in the church in Thyatira when it was exposed by the Holy Spirit nineteen hundred years ago. It still has its favorite seat in church. There are respectable men who love God and who seek to serve Him, yet secretly in their hearts are prisoners of Jezebel. Even now, they are deeply ashamed of their bondage to pornography, and they can barely control their desires for women. Ask them to pray and their spirits are awash with guilt and shame. Their prayers are but the whimpers of Jezebel’s eunuchs.” (The Jezebel Spirit by Francis Frangipane)
We all know the story of Jezebel perched in the window with her make-up on, trying one last time to seduce her way out of judgment. (2 Kings 9:30) Jehu looks up at her in the window and commands her eunuch attendants to throw her down! Hundreds of years later, Jesus said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. If someone were to gaze into your eyes, what would they see? Would they see Jezebel and her seductive compromises enthroned there? “Or would they see the burning One with pure blazing eyes of fire and feet burnished with bronze?” (Judah Smith) This is the New Testament description of Jesus when He comes to confront the sexual compromise in the church.
“I will set no vile thing before my eyes.”(Psalm 101:3) “Death has climbed in through our windows… it has cut off our children from the streets.” (Jeremiah 9:21) Our eye windows are particularly vulnerable in this age of technology. We are flooded with images. Most of us take this for granted as a part of daily life, yet we forget that until little more than a century ago, photographs did not even exist and the only visual images people ever saw were those drawn or painted by artists. This severely limited the amount of visual information a person had to process. It also meant that the tide of pornography as we know it today was unthinkable back then. As a generation that has been born in this climate, we hardly even notice the vile thing it is! I am preaching to myself as well as to those who read. The pastors and leaders of this nation are being called to be the first to repent.
“Then he said to me, son of man do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his own carved images.” (Ezekiel 8:12) If God were to dig in the dark room of our own imaginations what photographs would he see there?
I urge you, in the fear of God, to examine your “windows.” What have you been watching? Are you irresistibly drawn to those sites on the Internet that are perverse and defiling? Are you addicted to pornography? Have you been seduced by entertainment and computer games? Let me ask you, “What’s in your imaginations?” The spirit of Jezebel works in the imaginations. Don’t say, “Oh, I can handle this.” Listen, if you let that seed get in your heart, it will kill your prophetic fire with its little compromises. Pornography is toleration. Homosexuality and fornication are toleration. Books, magazines and movies that allure our hearts away from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ are all tolerations. Rebellion toward parents and leaders are toleration. Is this struggle going on in your soul? God wants to set us free! Go and see your pastor or someone in leadership today and confess your sins if you are in bondage to these things. Thank God for his mercy for if God counted sin, then who could stand? I boast alone in the great mercies of God. And may God show mercy to this nation.
“Jezebel’s worst enemies are the prophets; her worst fear is that the people will embrace repentance. Jezebel hates repentance.” (Jezebel Spirit, By Francis Frangipane)
In a culture saturated with sexual sin, Elijah strides onto the stage of history and confronts Jezebel only to find himself under her very spell. On a 40-day fast he breaks the power of that spell and unleashes a new generation of leaders to end her vile reign. If Elijah is coming again before the great and terrible day of the Lord, then we know that Jezebel is coming as well. The 40-day fast is the mighty weapon to break her spell of addictions, sexual bondage, mental torment, suicidal thoughts, disorders and diseases. What would happen in America and the nations if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers, the Elijahs of today, fasted for 40 days intensely repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, addiction to entertainment and spiritual apathy? What if these parents prayed for their children for 40 days to break off rebellion and release revelation of the Lord into their hearts? What if a young generation of Elishas fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, TV addictions, pornography, spiritual mediocrity, and rebellion toward their parents believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit will rest on their lives?
What would happen if tens of thousands would pray Song of Solomon 8:6? “Lord, put your fiery love as a seal over my heart, capture me with your vehement flame of love, a love stronger than the flames of lust. Send this fiery love over a whole generation, a love that many waters cannot overflow.”This is the Lord’s answer! The earth will experience spiritual convulsions, the powers of darkness will tremble and the children of God will break forth with freedom and a great light of spiritual awakening will dawn all over the earth. Lord, right now I release Elijah’s 40-day fast for freedom and deliverance. And may there be a shout in the nations, “No Toleration!”
In Jesus’ name, Amen. Lou Engle
“I suspect I’ve got more in common with Jezebel and Ahab than with Elijah. I’m working to build a tolerant, pluralistic society that respects other faith traditions. I’ve devoted ten years of my life to calling the church to repentance and transformation, on account of its homophobia and heterosexism, its narrowness and its prejudice. I don’t have any sympathy for the austere Yahwehism of the prophet Elijah and his quick to kill and “throw to the dogs” invocation of judgment and divine retribution. Elijah would have stoned me without a second thought. Jezebel was an enlightened woman – I reckon she’d give the likes of me a fair go.” Dr. David Bromell Pentecost Sunday Sermon, 1998. Methodist Mission Church, Christchurch.
“Behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6
“Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess. She leads and teaches my bondservants astray so that they commit acts of immorality. I gave her time to repent and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold I will cast her upon a bed of sickness and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with the plague and all the churches will know that I AM HE who searches the minds and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” Jesus Christ, Ruler of the kings of the earth and Husband of a pure bride, Rev 2:20-23
The dream was so vivid. In it, my young friend dreamt that he was about to be married to a well known seductive entertainer. She knew she had him wrapped around her finger. Her powerful spell of seduction began to take control of him. Suddenly he came to his senses. “I know who you are! You are Jezebel!” he shouted out in the dream. The demonic spell was broken. This dream changed this young man’s life forever. He repented from a love for the world and now stands as a holy testimony for God, even as he works in the midst of Hollywood’s seductive entertainment culture. America as a nation must come to such an awakening as this young man.
As it is in America today, so it was in Israel in the days of King Ahab.
Elijah was determined to turn back the nation to God and his message was for repentance from compromise with the spirit of Jezebel. “How long will you halt between two opinions. If Baal is God serve him, but if God is God, serve Him.” Summed up, Elijah’s revolutionary challenge to his nation was, “NO TOLERATION!” The same command of God can be heard 2000 years later where the spirit of Jezebel is exposed in the Church at Thyatira. Jesus dictates a strongly worded letter to them:
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess…” (Rev 2:18-20)
In the midst of a church tolerating sexual laxity and promoting a casual approach to sin, God says, “I have this against you, you tolerate the woman Jezebel who seduces my bondservants into sexual immorality.”
“..the eternal Word specifically described Himself as “He who searches the minds and hearts” (Rev 2:23), for it is in the inner sanctuary of our private soul-life where tolerance to Jezebel begins. It is here, within us, where tolerance must end… This spirit was sitting in the church in Thyatira when it was exposed by the Holy Spirit nineteen hundred years ago. It still has its favorite seat in church. There are respectable men who love God and who seek to serve Him, yet secretly in their hearts are prisoners of Jezebel. Even now, they are deeply ashamed of their bondage to pornography, and they can barely control their desires for women. Ask them to pray and their spirits are awash with guilt and shame. Their prayers are but the whimpers of Jezebel’s eunuchs.” (The Jezebel Spirit by Francis Frangipane)
We all know the story of Jezebel perched in the window with her make-up on, trying one last time to seduce her way out of judgment. (2 Kings 9:30) Jehu looks up at her in the window and commands her eunuch attendants to throw her down! Hundreds of years later, Jesus said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. If someone were to gaze into your eyes, what would they see? Would they see Jezebel and her seductive compromises enthroned there? “Or would they see the burning One with pure blazing eyes of fire and feet burnished with bronze?” (Judah Smith) This is the New Testament description of Jesus when He comes to confront the sexual compromise in the church.
“I will set no vile thing before my eyes.”(Psalm 101:3) “Death has climbed in through our windows… it has cut off our children from the streets.” (Jeremiah 9:21) Our eye windows are particularly vulnerable in this age of technology. We are flooded with images. Most of us take this for granted as a part of daily life, yet we forget that until little more than a century ago, photographs did not even exist and the only visual images people ever saw were those drawn or painted by artists. This severely limited the amount of visual information a person had to process. It also meant that the tide of pornography as we know it today was unthinkable back then. As a generation that has been born in this climate, we hardly even notice the vile thing it is! I am preaching to myself as well as to those who read. The pastors and leaders of this nation are being called to be the first to repent.
“Then he said to me, son of man do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his own carved images.” (Ezekiel 8:12) If God were to dig in the dark room of our own imaginations what photographs would he see there?
I urge you, in the fear of God, to examine your “windows.” What have you been watching? Are you irresistibly drawn to those sites on the Internet that are perverse and defiling? Are you addicted to pornography? Have you been seduced by entertainment and computer games? Let me ask you, “What’s in your imaginations?” The spirit of Jezebel works in the imaginations. Don’t say, “Oh, I can handle this.” Listen, if you let that seed get in your heart, it will kill your prophetic fire with its little compromises. Pornography is toleration. Homosexuality and fornication are toleration. Books, magazines and movies that allure our hearts away from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ are all tolerations. Rebellion toward parents and leaders are toleration. Is this struggle going on in your soul? God wants to set us free! Go and see your pastor or someone in leadership today and confess your sins if you are in bondage to these things. Thank God for his mercy for if God counted sin, then who could stand? I boast alone in the great mercies of God. And may God show mercy to this nation.
“Jezebel’s worst enemies are the prophets; her worst fear is that the people will embrace repentance. Jezebel hates repentance.” (Jezebel Spirit, By Francis Frangipane)
In a culture saturated with sexual sin, Elijah strides onto the stage of history and confronts Jezebel only to find himself under her very spell. On a 40-day fast he breaks the power of that spell and unleashes a new generation of leaders to end her vile reign. If Elijah is coming again before the great and terrible day of the Lord, then we know that Jezebel is coming as well. The 40-day fast is the mighty weapon to break her spell of addictions, sexual bondage, mental torment, suicidal thoughts, disorders and diseases. What would happen in America and the nations if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers, the Elijahs of today, fasted for 40 days intensely repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, addiction to entertainment and spiritual apathy? What if these parents prayed for their children for 40 days to break off rebellion and release revelation of the Lord into their hearts? What if a young generation of Elishas fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, TV addictions, pornography, spiritual mediocrity, and rebellion toward their parents believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit will rest on their lives?
What would happen if tens of thousands would pray Song of Solomon 8:6? “Lord, put your fiery love as a seal over my heart, capture me with your vehement flame of love, a love stronger than the flames of lust. Send this fiery love over a whole generation, a love that many waters cannot overflow.”This is the Lord’s answer! The earth will experience spiritual convulsions, the powers of darkness will tremble and the children of God will break forth with freedom and a great light of spiritual awakening will dawn all over the earth. Lord, right now I release Elijah’s 40-day fast for freedom and deliverance. And may there be a shout in the nations, “No Toleration!”
In Jesus’ name, Amen. Lou Engle
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Call to Sacrifice
We are coming upon a critical juncture in our Nation: The Call Nashville. This clarion call for a massive prayer and fasting to be mobilized prior to the solemn assembly on 07-07-07 has the potential to bring about a shift. It is the shift of the hearts of men and women coming into alignment with the will of heaven. In essence the shift represents a generation after God’s own heart. Lou Engle is calling forth the young and old to embark upon a forty day fast (May 28-July 7) that will precede this holy convocation. The culmination of this fast will take place in LP Field, a stadium in Nashville.
I believe that this prayer and fasting movement is quite significant. I had a dream in 2005 that speaks of prayer and fasting:
I was playing a real football game in a stadium. At one point, my opponent became stiff, statue-like, without any hint of life before regaining movement. I noticed that his pupils were dilated and I mentioned to him that he needed to see a doctor. It seemed that he was looking far off to the horizons behind me. When I turned around, I saw what looked like a gigantic generator what was being carried by several helicopters in the air. Mayhem broke loose as people became fearful that it was an atomic bomb. I started running up a hill praying for my wife. As I reached the top of the hill I realized that it was not an atomic bomb as people misconstrued. Revelation came to me as I started prophesying: “This [generator] is the atomic power of praying and fasting!” Faith rose in my heart as I made this prophetic declaration.
How can you participate in this?
I believe God is calling the generations to engage this call to prayer and fasting. Although we ourselves have no ability to generate authentic change in of ourselves, we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bring forth the Father’s will. A generator is someone who originates or causes or initiates something. What does the Father desire to generate through your life during this 40 days of prayer and fasting? What are the tangible results that you believe God wants to birth through your life? What shift does God want to bring about in your life?
Remember that this call to sacrifice through prayer and fasting is not about us. It is about the ultimate Sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave us – His very own life. We can only sacrifice because God sacrificed His Son – the perfect Lamb of God – on the Cross so that we may have life through Him. Meditate on the following verses:
I John 4:10 – This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
v. 19 – We love because he first loved us
We must focus on Him during this time of fasting. It isn’t about us or even our “sacrifice” that we make during these forty days of fasting. Our hearts must be steadfast in His Sacrifice. We cannot love God within our own abilities – rather, we must allow the Lord to embed deep within His love for us.
So, if you are participating in this fast, I would like to present a question: What is your motivation? I like what Stephen Arterburn writes in Surprised by God:
“We can only love, the Bible tells us, because we were first loved by God. Unfortunately, when we obey God’s call to give ourselves away, it is often because w e feel that we have to, or because we want to portray the image of a good person, or because that is simply what a Christian is supposed to do. This is lifeless, joyless obedience. Unless our obedience springs from knowing God’s deep love for us, we will simply be going through the motions of keeping rules.”
Hmmm…lifeless, joyless obedience…for forty days!?!
I read a story recently in Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms, a Christian hedonist. In 1972 he married his bride Ann. After a short honeymoon, they returned to Norman, Oklahoma to work and to finish their last year of college. In order to make ends meet, Sam was working as a headwaiter at a local steak restaurant. Prior to getting married, Sam’s Friday night routine after work consisted of playing poker with the other co-workers at the owner’s house until about five or six in the morning. However, since he was married he thought it would be wise to call his bride at 12:00 to let her know that he would be home soon. Finally four hours later Sam was tiptoeing into his apartment when his wife broke the stillness as she shouted “Where have you been?” “Soon” meant to her 30 minutes at the most. She had been frantically driving around town trying to find him because she was worried about him. From that day forth, Sam quit gambling immediately although he enjoyed the thrill immensely. He was motivated to stop because of love. Sam Storm writes – “The joy I felt in feeling her delight in me and my delight in her was worth any sacrifice I might have to make.”
Any sacrifices we make during this forty day fasting must be grounded in love: Affirmed in Christ’s love for us while reciprocating that love back to Him. Our sacrifice(s) for Him should be motivated by love because His sacrifice was “generated” by love for us. If we fail to understand this, it could hinder the overall release of the “atomic power of praying and fasting” during this critical season.
I want to close with the love passage in I Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see buy a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith , hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Go, and fast in love!
I believe that this prayer and fasting movement is quite significant. I had a dream in 2005 that speaks of prayer and fasting:
I was playing a real football game in a stadium. At one point, my opponent became stiff, statue-like, without any hint of life before regaining movement. I noticed that his pupils were dilated and I mentioned to him that he needed to see a doctor. It seemed that he was looking far off to the horizons behind me. When I turned around, I saw what looked like a gigantic generator what was being carried by several helicopters in the air. Mayhem broke loose as people became fearful that it was an atomic bomb. I started running up a hill praying for my wife. As I reached the top of the hill I realized that it was not an atomic bomb as people misconstrued. Revelation came to me as I started prophesying: “This [generator] is the atomic power of praying and fasting!” Faith rose in my heart as I made this prophetic declaration.
How can you participate in this?
I believe God is calling the generations to engage this call to prayer and fasting. Although we ourselves have no ability to generate authentic change in of ourselves, we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bring forth the Father’s will. A generator is someone who originates or causes or initiates something. What does the Father desire to generate through your life during this 40 days of prayer and fasting? What are the tangible results that you believe God wants to birth through your life? What shift does God want to bring about in your life?
Remember that this call to sacrifice through prayer and fasting is not about us. It is about the ultimate Sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave us – His very own life. We can only sacrifice because God sacrificed His Son – the perfect Lamb of God – on the Cross so that we may have life through Him. Meditate on the following verses:
I John 4:10 – This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
v. 19 – We love because he first loved us
We must focus on Him during this time of fasting. It isn’t about us or even our “sacrifice” that we make during these forty days of fasting. Our hearts must be steadfast in His Sacrifice. We cannot love God within our own abilities – rather, we must allow the Lord to embed deep within His love for us.
So, if you are participating in this fast, I would like to present a question: What is your motivation? I like what Stephen Arterburn writes in Surprised by God:
“We can only love, the Bible tells us, because we were first loved by God. Unfortunately, when we obey God’s call to give ourselves away, it is often because w e feel that we have to, or because we want to portray the image of a good person, or because that is simply what a Christian is supposed to do. This is lifeless, joyless obedience. Unless our obedience springs from knowing God’s deep love for us, we will simply be going through the motions of keeping rules.”
Hmmm…lifeless, joyless obedience…for forty days!?!
I read a story recently in Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms, a Christian hedonist. In 1972 he married his bride Ann. After a short honeymoon, they returned to Norman, Oklahoma to work and to finish their last year of college. In order to make ends meet, Sam was working as a headwaiter at a local steak restaurant. Prior to getting married, Sam’s Friday night routine after work consisted of playing poker with the other co-workers at the owner’s house until about five or six in the morning. However, since he was married he thought it would be wise to call his bride at 12:00 to let her know that he would be home soon. Finally four hours later Sam was tiptoeing into his apartment when his wife broke the stillness as she shouted “Where have you been?” “Soon” meant to her 30 minutes at the most. She had been frantically driving around town trying to find him because she was worried about him. From that day forth, Sam quit gambling immediately although he enjoyed the thrill immensely. He was motivated to stop because of love. Sam Storm writes – “The joy I felt in feeling her delight in me and my delight in her was worth any sacrifice I might have to make.”
Any sacrifices we make during this forty day fasting must be grounded in love: Affirmed in Christ’s love for us while reciprocating that love back to Him. Our sacrifice(s) for Him should be motivated by love because His sacrifice was “generated” by love for us. If we fail to understand this, it could hinder the overall release of the “atomic power of praying and fasting” during this critical season.
I want to close with the love passage in I Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see buy a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith , hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Go, and fast in love!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
A Time to Be Born...
There are exciting times in life when God seems to bring forth many things at once. Such a time is now as the Lord has directed us to pursue His purposes for our lives in many various avenues. One being is the timing to start a family. Yes, Aneta is pregnant! She is now almost 13 weeks into the pregnancy! We are so excited, and desire to share this good news with those who frequent our blog!
Interestingly we found out on the first day of spring, (March 21) after we had our first TNT (The New Thing) home group meeting in our home. Another couple who have also started a TNT home group for young adults are also expecting! They are about three weeks ahead of us. Our due date is November 26. Overall I am quite excited about becoming a father.
As the Lord leads, please keep us in prayer during this transitional season. Obviously we will be giving birth to our first child. And, at the same time we will be giving birth to a ministry that the Lord has called us to pursue. My contract work for DTRI will be completed at some point this summer. I am hoping to be able to travel within the state of Virginia to minister to the emerging generation in a manner that awakens both the slumbering church and the spiritually dead. The times are urgent. We desperately need to see God do both an igniting work and a sustaining work: In essence we need Him!
We are also presently making plans to attend The Call Nashville on 07-07-07. Although one doesn’t necessarily have to be in attendance to participate in this solemn assembly, I think it is advantageous for those whom the Lord is singling out to attend. Is God calling your to be a part of this gathering? If so, do whatever it takes to be there. I know for many people it won't be "convenient" or easy due to work schedules, finances, and travel - but, if the Lord is calling you to be there, by all means obey the Lord!
My heart burns to see the generations come together to seek God’s face for His mercy for our nation. There really is something that the Lord is birthing in our midst. This isn't the time to hold back. Go for God with all of your might in the grace that He supplies! I’ll write more on this in the days to come.
Blessings,
Brian & Aneta
Interestingly we found out on the first day of spring, (March 21) after we had our first TNT (The New Thing) home group meeting in our home. Another couple who have also started a TNT home group for young adults are also expecting! They are about three weeks ahead of us. Our due date is November 26. Overall I am quite excited about becoming a father.
As the Lord leads, please keep us in prayer during this transitional season. Obviously we will be giving birth to our first child. And, at the same time we will be giving birth to a ministry that the Lord has called us to pursue. My contract work for DTRI will be completed at some point this summer. I am hoping to be able to travel within the state of Virginia to minister to the emerging generation in a manner that awakens both the slumbering church and the spiritually dead. The times are urgent. We desperately need to see God do both an igniting work and a sustaining work: In essence we need Him!
We are also presently making plans to attend The Call Nashville on 07-07-07. Although one doesn’t necessarily have to be in attendance to participate in this solemn assembly, I think it is advantageous for those whom the Lord is singling out to attend. Is God calling your to be a part of this gathering? If so, do whatever it takes to be there. I know for many people it won't be "convenient" or easy due to work schedules, finances, and travel - but, if the Lord is calling you to be there, by all means obey the Lord!
My heart burns to see the generations come together to seek God’s face for His mercy for our nation. There really is something that the Lord is birthing in our midst. This isn't the time to hold back. Go for God with all of your might in the grace that He supplies! I’ll write more on this in the days to come.
Blessings,
Brian & Aneta
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