This is a re-post of an article I published on January 7, 2008. (I've deleted the original post in order to cut down on clutter.) I believe this is a timely word given the current emphasis on Todd Bentley, "The Florida Outpouring," and the Charismatic Movement in general.

---

Jeremiah 14:14-16--Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve (NIV, emphasis added).

There are false prophets today--and it's a bit of an epidemic here in America. Everywhere you look--especially on the television--we find well-meaning preachers "prophe-lying" ear-tingling words that promise health, wealth, and prosperity to our nation when God is actually saying, "Repent! Turn back to Me! Intercede for America!"

But worst of all, what I learned from the verses above is that God didn't just hold the false prophets accountable--He also promised the same judgment to the people who listened to their words! We MUST be a people of discernment who will hear the Holy Spirit for ourselves and not just take the "holy man's" word for it. We must be seekers of the face of God and learn His true plans through:

• personal encounters with Him,
• the authority of the Bible,
• genuine fellowship with other God-fearing and God-loving believers, and
• accountability to mature believers who have proved by the fruit of their ministry that they truly are messengers of the One True God.

A couple years ago I had a really strange dream. In it, I was at a theme park where they had somehow discovered live dinosaurs. At some point, though, I saw a man dressed in an old sea captain uniform way up high on a pedistol (maybe a hundred feet in the air) with some sort of harpoon gun. One by one, he was shooting the dinosaurs and having them replaced with robotic replicas. I asked someone why he was doing this, and they said, "The robots are safer--no one can get hurt."

"But the real ones are alive!" I argued. My rebuttal fell on deaf ears. Soon, I began to fear for my own safety--not concerning the dinosaurs, but rather the haphazard sea captain and his deadly harpoon. In fact, I looked around and saw several more sea captains on pedistols. So I squeezed through a hedge and found myself outside the boundary of the park in a thick woods. There I discovered a group of people worshipping God, and they had several baby dinosaurs in cages.

I asked someone why the dinosaurs were in cages, and they answered, "They'll get set loose one day, but right now they're being fed and trained. Besides, no one cares to see the real dinosaurs anymore; they want robots. Soon people will realize that the sea captains have no authority, and then they will pay more attention to the value of the real dinosaurs."

That's when I woke up. After writing down the dream and praying about it, I sensed that God was shaking up the prophetic movement in America. I felt He was saying, "There are too many people elevating themselves in the Church and replacing My true, living words with cold, dead utterances. My true prophets are no longer welcome there because they are not considered 'safe.'"

Today there is great value placed on those individuals who do not pose a 'threat' to the authority figure's teachings. The true prophets--who, according to John Sandford, bring blessing, healing, judgment, warning, protection, discernment, and words of knowledge--are being systematically replaced by false prophets with ear-tingling words, empty promises, and great skills in group hypnosis and emotionalism. In so many cases, the prophet has been replaced by the personality.

But I personally believe there was a significant promise in that dream I had. God is raising up true prophets--many of whom are not inside the organized theme park we call "church." He is protecting them from being wounded and snuffed out by those in authority who prefer "robots." (I should add, though, that not all people in authority are like this, so don't let the devil convince you of that lie). God is feeding them and training them in the wilderness as they worship and grow in groups of genuine Christ-followers. Before long, the false prophets will be exposed for what they are, and the hearts and minds of the masses will be stirred for the true word of the Lord.

It's coming! I don't know when, but I think it has already started!

A notable event has stirred up in the little town of Lakeland, Florida. On April 2, Todd Bentley began a series of meetings that have now lasted nearly a month due to the intense spiritual activity taking place. I usually prefer not to write lengthy blog posts, but I believe this is a topic that warrants it.

I have scoured the Internet for credible information on these events, and I find that people seem to be either gung-ho for it or dead-set against it. As you are all aware, I believe very much in the supernatural, but I am also a strong proponent of what is actually true rather than what is counterfeit. Therefore, I want to present both sides of the coin, and then offer what I believe the Word of God has to say about such debatable matters.

So far, the most objective information I've found (although largely supportive of the event) came from Charisma Magazine, which presented this report:

Thousands of people longing for a physical or spiritual touch from God are flocking to central Florida for ongoing revival meetings that some have dubbed the "Lakeland Healing Outpouring."

The services, which are being broadcast live daily on GOD TV to millions of potential viewers, reveal the excitement radiating from this area of the Sunshine State, prompting some people to jump on planes and fly in from across the country and even from abroad.

Todd Bentley, the 32-year-old Canadian healing evangelist with a boyish grin responsible for the meetings, reported on Friday that people’s faith alone has healed them even while they were booking their flights online or boarding planes bound for Lakeland, a city of about 90,000 between Orlando and Tampa along Interstate 4.

The 700-seat sanctuary of host pastor Stephen Strader’s Ignited Church can no longer contain the crowds. More than 1,000 worshipers stood inches apart at Friday night’s service, jamming every aisle and altar area. Their bodies rocked back and forth, and their faces wore peace-filled, lovesick and euphoric expressions.

The cars parked outside were also inches apart, with every grassy parcel of land on bordering properties used for overflow. During worship, song lyrics on PowerPoint were replaced with a warning to drivers parked at a nearby store that their cars would be "towed immediately."

"We are all shocked that each night a minimum of 60 percent [are] first time [visitors]," Strader said yesterday.

Fire marshals locked the church doors at last night’s meeting, forcing 400 people to remain in front of the church. The crowd watched the service on a large TV, and more than 200 waited until midnight for Bentley to come out and pray for them, Strader said....

At Friday night’s meeting, the mother of a 6-year-old girl said her daughter broke her elbow about two weeks ago and was healed after a word of knowledge from Bentley. The little girl told the crowd: “Jesus came out of heaven and touched my elbow.” The girl’s before-and-after X-rays are posted on YouTube [Art: I should interject here that I've seen this video, and there is nothing visible to the poor quality camera--all you can see is a lot of excitement among the people viewing the X-rays. That doesn't mean they're not real; it just means it's not worth looking up].

Amber, a thin 15-year-old girl born with scoliosis, said she was healed and could now carry her schoolbooks as well as bend over and touch the floor, which she did publicly during the meeting. One man said he was healed of Hepatitis C. An elderly woman said she went to the doctor for confirmation first before telling the crowd she was healed of glaucoma.

Others on Friday night said they were healed of rheumatoid arthritis, panic attacks, ruptured discs, deafness, post traumatic stress disorder, cancer, leukemia and emphysema.

After a half hour of testimonials Bentley asked the crowd “to give the Lord the glory.” For at least 40 minutes people continually cried the words “holy” and “glory” in a chorus.

Some worshipers fell to the floor weeping. From behind his keyboard, a blonde-locked worship leader named Roy Fields led the procession, his face beaming heavenward.

“What is happening is so much bigger than anyone in this building,” Bentley said from the stage where he was kneeling. “I hear the angels joining in. … The Holy Spirit is taking over.”....

The meetings have been extended due to swelling crowds. Bentley announced Friday the revival would continue daily through at least May 4. He also said he believes the same revival will hit Kansas City, Mo., next.

—Paul Steven Ghiringhelli in Lakeland, Fla.

Charisma Magazine's perspective on the revival appears to be rather positive. It even had quotes from John Arnott and John Kilpatrick from Toronto, Canada, and Pensecola, Florida respectively. These men were instrumental in big "outpouring" events of their own--and they too were highly criticized and scrutinized for their meetings and the strange things taking place.

As it turns out, there was a well-documented prophecy given to Todd Bentley before the Lakeland events at a meeting in Australia. A pastor from New Zealand, Rob DeLuca, foretold the "healing revival" that would break out in Florida and spread around the globe (the picture to the right was taken while this prophecy was being given). Whether or not this prophecy was actually from God has yet to be seen; but as you'll see in a moment, there is a healthy way we should respond until it is either fulfilled or proven false.

I've also found people, like Andrew Strom, who are sharply against what is happening--although this does not surprise me because Andrew Strom has been pointing out fallacies and heresies in the prophetic movement for some time (many of them valid, admittedly, but some of them overblown). Strom asked in a recent e-mail regarding this movement in Florida, "Have we completely forgotten the warnings of 'Lying signs and wonders' in the Last Days?" I believe this is a fair warning, and we would be wise to stay on our guard about such matters, but we have yet to see if this is actually the case in Lakeland.

Strom has a lot of criticisms about Todd Bentley's ministry, but I do not believe this necesarily means God has not been using Todd to perform genuine miracles (see my article titled Spiritual Power and the Nature of Christ). As much as Andrew Strom is doing well to keep our eyes focused on Christ and free from false teachings, he also has issues in his life that could be criticized (though I do not believe it is my place to share these things in a public forum like this without addressing him personally first). The point I'm making is that no one is perfect, and we need to be discerning of what God may or may not be doing rather than judgmental of the individual(s) He might be using to carry out the work.

Finally, as promised, I want to present how I believe we should resond to this activity in Florida.

In Jeremiah 28, we learn about a false prophet named Hananiah who proclaimed, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,' declares the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'" (Jer. 28:2-4).

So the false prophet Hananiah prophesied peace in a time when the true prophet Jeremiah knew better. But what was Jeremiah's response? Did he condemn Hananiah? Did he rebuke the false prophet's words? Nope.

Jeremiah 28:5-17--Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. He said, "Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD's house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true."

Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, and he said before all the people, "This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.'" At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.' "

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.' "

In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died. (NIV)

Three things stand out to me in this passage. First, Jeremiah shouted, "Amen!" to the prophecy of peace and affirmed that he too wanted the word to come to pass. Second of all, Jeremiah makes the point that if a person prophesies war and disaster, that's nothing special; but if they prophesy peace, then they are only recognized as true if their prediction comes to pass. And thirdly, God brought judgment on the false prophet as foretold through the true prophet.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 13:6,7 tells us, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (NIV). If we are truly a people of love, then we should rejoice with the truth...but we should also always trust and hope. In love, I believe we should trust Todd Bentley and hope that this truly is a move of God.

If this current movement is truly from God, then no one will be able to stop it. And if Todd Bentley is a false prophet, then I can guarantee that God will expose him for what he is. But unless this happens, I have to say, "Amen! So be it! May this be the beginning of the revival we've been crying out for! May the healing power of God be poured forth from heaven on a global scale!" If God reveals differently to me, then I will certainly speak out against these meetings, but I will not do so apart from genuine revelation. For now, let's pray that God would reveal the truth of Jesus Christ and save thousands of souls in the midst of what is happening with Todd Bentley in Lakeland.

Why are people so uncomfortable with change? To be honest, I don't think it's in our nature; I think it's in our culture.

Our men's group just finished studying the book Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul, and it was a life-altering study for me. One of the key points is that as men we have a deep inner need for three basic things: (1) an adventure to live, (2) a battle to fight, and (3) a beauty to rescue. Author John Eldredge says that these three things are at the core of who we are as men. Women, on the other hand, have slightly different needs. They want to be captivating, they want to join us in our adventure, and they want us to fight for them.

John Eldredge points out that the American church at large demasculates men by convincing us that we should be passive, nice, and sugar-coated. Contrast this with the Chinese church where the men are encouraged to suffer and die for the sake of the Gospel! Now that's an adventure!

Back to the issue of change (I'll tie this together in a moment).

This past week, my church encountered a change that shook things up quite a bit. We're rather small with an average attendance of 50 people on a Sunday, so this wasn't too dramatic--but it was change none the less! In short, we rotated everything in our main meeting room 90 degrees to the right.

Personally, I have to admit that I was a little annoyed because it became a lot more restricting. Everything was closer together because the room is narrower in this direction. Everyone was seated closer together, and all our musicians were squeezed together too.

But I also have to confess that the Lord used this whole scenario to reveal to me an area where my sinful nature still had not been dealt with. After the meeting, several people came up to me and made comments on how they weren't especially thrilled with the new setup, and I just said, "I'm not going to say anything now because I need to make sure my heart is right before talking about this, but I'm not particularly thrilled with the changes either."

Then the Holy Spirit started working on me, and I thought, "What is there in me that would make me a point person for all this murmering?"

I realized that my own heart was resistant to the change and was upset because it didn't facillitate my own agenda. I like having the chairs in a half-circle rather than two columns because it makes things more interactive. I like having the musicians spread out because we have more room. Furthermore, I didn't like that the change made us look more like a traditional church.

But instead of just recognizing these personal feelings, I became passive agressive. I burried my feelings and pretended to be cordial with the people who petitioned for the change in the first place. Their reasoning was that we can fit more people, folks won't have to walk accross the front of the room to enter or exit, and people are less disctractable. Why should those things bother me?

Because I had my own agenda and couldn't handle things not being the way I like them. I had been instrumental in moving the sanctuary to the less traditional position, and so this felt like an attack on me! But it wasn't--it was a change being made for the sake of functionality and building the Church! I had formed a judgment in my heart that these people couldn't break free from the traditional church model, when in actuality, I was the one who couldn't break free from my own favorite model of church! I was guilty of the very thing I was judging them for!

Romans 2:1--Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things (NKJV).

I think our resistance to change is not a matter of "not liking new things;" I believe it is that we like what we have, and we've begun to personally identify with these things. Be careful how you judge the viewpoints of others, because you who judge are guilty of the same things!

Returning to Wild at Heart, I believe there is something to be said about how the Church should handle change. Our men need to be adventurous enough to embrace change and daring enough to lay down our personal agendas to walk in unity. With this in place, our women can more easily feel secure enough to join us in the adventure. That's not a husband/wife issue--it's how males and females in general can function together in this spiritual family we call "the church."

Any time you struggle with change in the Church, examine yourself and see if it's just your personal preference that's bothering you. Be daring enough to die to self! I say this because I sense that the Lord is bringing some significant changes to the American church over the next few decades. I'm writing a book about these changes right now entitled Wildfire Christianity, which should be complete some time within the next six months. For now, though, my challenge is this: Get ready for change!

Today I was watching "Animal Planet" and they had a special about a wildlife preserve where the young bull elephants started brutally killing the rhinos. The solution was to bring in an older, more mature herd of elephants to model appropriate behavior for the younger ones and hopefully provide some sort of behavioral infratructure that would help tame the younger animals. It worked.

In the church, we need to have a similar principle; but we must be careful with the way we put it into practice. My pastor tells a story about when he was first saved, he met with the elders of his church and passionately shared his testimony and some of his ideas. The elders looked at him blankly and one said, "Don't worry, in a little while you'll calm down and be just like us."

"God forbid!" he replied (though he admits it was more in pride and disdain than in love).

In contrast, take a look at Esther 4:10-16. King Xerxes ordered that all the Jews be annihilated (if you've ever seen the movie 300, yes, that is the same Xerxes that was attacking the Spartans). Esther was a jewish woman who had been taken to be his queen. The following story comes in where Esther's cousin Mordecai (who had raised her) has suggested that she appear before King Xerxes. Esther then sends one of the king's eunuchs named Hathach to her cousin Mordecai:

Esther 4:10-16--Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions(NIV).

Esther, here, is the younger generation, and Mordecai is the older. Do you see the magnitude of what took place in this story? Rather than Mordecai telling Esther to "calm down and wait this out," he called forth exploits. Not only that, but Esther relied on him for spiritual support by asking him to fast for her and gather others to do the same. And Mordecai agreed!

Here we see generational unity. Like the elephants in my opening example, it's not so much a matter of the older generation "calming down" the younger as it is the older generation providing a scaffolding for the younger to flourish within! Mordecai suggested that Esther risk her life for the sake of God's people, and he stood by her with prayer and fasting.

There is a strong Biblical precedent in both the Old and New Testaments for generational unity, mentoring, and spiritual fathering/mothering. If you're young and you do not have a mature spiritual mentor who challenges you to acts of faith, the I would recommend you get looking for one! Otherwise, you might end up like those young bull elephants being destructive rather than productive (I've been there, and it truly does take spiritual mentoring to help us gain focus and direction for our lives).

And if you would consider yourself one of the older generation, then I call for you to take us youngsters under your wing and call forth great exploits for the kingdom of God! We don't need you to calm us down or tell us how to "play it safe." We need you to fast and pray for us so that we can fulfill the purpose for which we were born and help reveal our Father's Kingdom in the earth! We need you to be our "Mordecai" and speak identity into our lives. We need you to challenge us in faith--not fear--and call forth exploits!

In the name of Jesus, I challenge each reader to bridge the generational gap and demonstrate unity in the Church no matter your age. The Lord has promised that in the last days He would send forth the spirit of Elijah to call the hearts of the fathers to their sons and the hearts of the sons to their fathers. Now is the time--more than ever--that we need unity among the generations!

Today I came accross some nuggets of wisdom in one of my all-time favorite books, The Heavenly Man: By Paul Hattaway. It's a biography (written in the first person) of "Brother Yun" who has been instrumental in multiplying and unifying the underground Church in Communist China. Yun has faced imprisonment, severe torture, and ultimately exile over the years; and yet his resolve for Christ stands firm. His life is marked with one miracle and spiritual encounter after the next, and he has the "fruit" in his life to confirm it: thousands of new converts, secret missionary training schools, hundreds of thousands of missionaries who are presently giving their lives for Christ throughout Muslim-dominated countries, and much more.

Anyhow, on pages 296 and 297 of the book, Yun is quoted as saying:

When I'm in the West I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive equipment, plush carpets, and state-of-the-art sound systems. I can assure the Western Church with absolute certainty that you don't need any more church buildings. Church buildings will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more posessions will never bring revival. Jesus truly stated, "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his posessions." Luke 12:15.

The first thing needed for revival to return to your churches is the Word of the Lord....Not only is knowledge of God's Word missing, but obedience to that Word. There's not much action taking place.

When revival came to the believers in China, the result was thousands of evangelists being sent out to all corners of the nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. When God moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His presence and blessings too long, and build an altar to your experiences....All genuine revivals of the Lord result in believers responding with action and soul winning. When God truly moves on your heart you cannot remain silent...

I've seen people in Western churches worshipping as if they're already in heaven. Then someone invariably brings a comforting message like, "My children, I love you. Don't be afraid, I'm with you." I'm not opposed to such words, but why is it that nobody seems to hear a word from the Lord like, "My child, I want to send you to the slums of Asia or the darkness of Africa to be my messenger to people dying in their sin"?

...Just because you have a church building doesn't necessarily mean Jesus is with you. He is not welcome in many churches today. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Often this verse is used as an invitation for salvation, but actually the context Jesus was speaking in was very different. He was standing outside the door of the church in Laodicea, knocking to get in!

I would strongly recommend this book--these paragraphs only scratch the surface of what Yun has to share about his visits to the Western churches (that's us, by the way). Many people in my small group (myself included) have been stirred deeply by the Holy Spirit as they read, and it has revolutionized the way we practice our Christianity. Here's a link to buy it from Amazon.com, which I've found is the best price anywhere.

In summary, 25,000 people come to Christ every day in China alone while we struggle to hold on to the one or two people a year who raise their hands in our church meetings. American churches (in general) have plenty of posessions, rituals, and professionalism, but very little of God's Spirit. It comes as no surprise to me that the economy of China is booming right now while our own dollar is plummeting. We need to return to God as a nation!

Yesterday was Christmas. And as much as the bulk of American Christian voices out there like to complain about how Christmas is suppressed and Christian values are in peril, I want to share a different angle. Namely this:

Christmas happened. That's right! The "liberal media" didn't get their way and destroy our celebration of Christ's birth; the atheists didn't burn down our manger scenes; and the pagans didn't toilet paper our Christmas trees. Nobody marched into our churches and shut down our gatherings. No one was hauled away and tortured.

No one, that is, in our country at least. The most recent issue of Voice of the Martyrs Magazine (Christmas 2007) had a story about Iranian Christians in a secret meeting huddled around a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Christ. In Iran, Christians are heavily persecuted and risk imprisonment, torture, and even death for their beliefs.

All over the world--in 51 different nations--Christianity is illegal. Christians in these hostile areas don't waste their time with petty protests and boycotts. They just keep spreading the Gospel like wildfire. In fact, in the same magazine I just mentioned, it was reported that the lowest statistical conversion rate of people in Iran accepting the Gospel after hearing it is 70%! In countries like Iran, the Church faces a harsh, heartless government who is convinced that Christianity will undermine their rule. And they also face the Islamist extremists who hold the belief that "Christian pigs must be slaughtered."

But in America, it seems our greatest threat is that Lowe's is selling "Holiday Trees." What a great wave of persecution it is that we are facing! And what's this? The city won't set up a nativity scene on their public land? We're doomed! And, oh my! The restaurant we're in will only play "Frosty the Snow Man" and "Rudolph." What an assault on the Church!

I think not. To be honest, there are times when I wish there were more persecution in America. Then we would see more real Christians spreading the Gospel instead of spreading propaganda and aggravation. We would see Christians shining shamelessly for Christ rather than standing up glaringly for their religion's posterity. It appears that America uses our "freedom of religion" as freedom to be religious.

So next year, America, feel free to boycott all the companies that don't support Christmas. That's your right. Feel free to write your city a heartfelt letter about how much you would like to have a nativity scene in front of City Hall. And by all means, crank up the volume on your favorite Christ-centered Christmas CD and roll down your windows (no matter how cold it is)! But don't waste your time complaining! That's against the Bible, and it is anti-Christ.

Philippians 2:14-16--Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...(NIV, emphasis mine).

Jesus is not revealed when we become obnoxious protestors. He is revealed when we reveal Him! People won't get saved because they see a nativity scene; but they will fall to their knees and repent if they start encountering the supernatural in our midst!

1 Corinthians 14:24,25--But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" (NIV).

What will you put more emphasis into in the coming year? Convincing the world to let you be a Christian, or convincing them that they should know Christ too? Is it more Biblical to ask God for the "gift of protesting" or the "gift of prophecy?" What will be your response?

I want to personally repent on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Christ who have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Not that Christ was born, but that He lives TODAY and His Spirit is alive TODAY because 2000 years ago He came to the earth, died on a cross, rose to life, and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father! I don't care how much you fight for the Christmas traditions to be maintained--if you're not living in unity with Him today, you have absolutely nothing.

As much as Christmas is a time to come to terms with the miracles surrounding the physical birth of our Lord and all the prophecies that He fulfilled, it is also a time to recognize that He is still alive today and has given us His Holy Spirit. It's more important that we reveal the current Christ than it is that we reveal the infant Christ. That's not to say that we shouldn't celebrate His birth; but it is to say that our complaining stands in direct opposition to His nature. It's okay to stand up for your beliefs, but don't try to take the speck of dust out of your brother's eye until you've removed that big ugly plank from your own eye!

Until the American Church repents for all the complaining, angry letters, strife-building e-mails, and judgmental exclamations that we spread around like dung every Christmas, Jesus will remain hidden and persecuted by those who claim to support Him most: you and me. But if we will cease from these sinful reactions, turn our hearts toward God, and start walking in true Christianity, our words will be effective and our actions will have the power of God to back us up. Why would we settle for anything less?

Friends,

I came accross this vision on another e-mail list and have permission to post it here. Now, I want to preface this by saying that I'm not a fan of "doom and gloom" messages, but it is true that God's judgment is very much real. And just because I don't enjoy these messages doesn't mean they aren't true. I want to encourage you to take the same perspective and see how God might be speaking through this person's vision.

So when you read this, you'll have a choice to make: Either discredit it as heresy and take your chances that you're right, or choose to repent on behalf of our nation and pray for God's mercy on His people.

Also, some of you may not be familiar with the word "Interceding," which appears a few times in this vision. The word literally means to "go-between" or "mediate." In Christian-lingo, we use this term to refer to praying for someone else. In line with this, an "intercessor" is one who prays for another...or even for a whole nation or people-group. And the posture of an intercessor is one of humility because the true intercessor has a healthy fear of God and does not take their audience with the King lightly. Yes, God has called us to be His friends, but that does not mean that He isn't also fearsome and righteous. Listen to the podcast titled "The Truth about God" if you have questions about this.

Without further ado, here's the vision as it was relayed to me:

VISION: "PROSTRATE UNDER SACKCLOTH - The Only Safe Place"
-by Rosie Lovejoy.

"This is the vision I had during Praise and Worship on January 4th, 2003, the evening we were praying for a Pastor and his wife's departure to Israel...

It began with a vision of a huge lion, about ten to fifteen feet high. He was suspended about two to three feet off the ground. He was not a "cute" lion, rather His mane was large and shaggy, and He looked very virile and powerful. During the entire vision He was walking levitated two to three feet above the earth. The lion turned to me and thundered: "DO NOT MY PEOPLE KNOW THAT the TIME and the SEASON HAS CHANGED?" (I remember thinking that His grammar was odd, and that is not how we usually say things.)

After thundering the question to me, He breathed, and flames of fire came out of His mouth. I heard the words "LION OF ZION" reverberate through my Spirit. The lion began to walk, suspended above the ground, breathing fire. The fire that was coming out of His mouth was not the refining fire we have been taught about, rather a fire that destroyed and burnt up all in its path. I knew in my spirit that it was a fire of judgment.

I next saw a view of a downtown business district of a large city. I think it was New York City, but I cannot be sure. I saw a building that resembled the Empire State Building, and a few buildings that surrounded it, collapse. The image was similar to the collapse of the Twin Towers. I screamed in my spirit, "No LORD!! NO!!!!!"

As I was screaming, I saw the rubble and smoke from the collapsing buildings arise into a cloud that resembled a mushroom cloud. I do not know for sure if it was a nuclear mushroom cloud or a cloud of debris from the building. I was horrified and weeping in my spirit.

The lion reappeared and again turned His head and spoke to me. In a mournful voice He asked: "HOW ELSE am I GOING TO BRING IN the HARVEST?" (I instinctively knew that as a nation and people we are totally pre-occupied with our little lives and situations, and nothing short of calamity was going to bring us to question our existence and purpose for being. I knew it would take something of this magnitude to bring us to repentance.) The lion then spoke again: "I HAVE USED BABYLON IN the PAST to JUDGE MY PEOPLE, and I WILL USE BABYLON AGAIN to JUDGE MY PEOPLE."

The lion began to walk, and I saw groups of people standing and talking, some were joking with each other. Others were buying new cars and houses. Others were plotting financial gains and what to do with their assets during these uncertain times. I knew that this was the Church in America. Most were erect and oblivious to the approaching lion. A few were face down on the ground weeping and interceding. They were each covered with a coarse, brown cloak. There were very few on their faces.

THE LION THEN ROARED, and flames came out of His mouth, and burnt up the Christians who were standing. They became ashes and were no more. Horrified, I realized that I was standing to watch the unfolding scene, and I dove towards the dirt, skinning my chin as I landed. I was immediately covered from head to foot with the same coarse, brown cloak the intercessors on the ground were covered with. I raised my head to look out, and witnessed more and more erect Christians being burnt to a crisp.

It was clear to me that the only safe pace to be was on my face, in the dirt, interceding.
The Lion of Zion then turned to me again, and spoke. "DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I will KEEP MY HAND of PROTECTION OVER YOUR NATION, WHEN it is WILLING TO DIVIDE MY HOLY CITY, JERUSALEM?" I knew in that moment that YAHWEH was lifting His hand of protection from our nation, and that judgment had begun. I clung to the ground, as the lion walked over me, and those of us who were prostrate on the ground, still breathing fire. By this time, the worship music had concluded and the Pastor's wife was speaking about the offering, and how giving our tithes and offerings was a joyful act of worship. Again the Lion thundered: "ARE my WAREHOUSES FULL? NO!!!! ARE MY PRIESTS TAKING CARE of MY WIDOWS and ORPHANS? NO!!!"

I then saw men I knew were pastors and priests, standing tall and erect. Some were standing in front of Mercedes, others in front of large, expensive churches. The Lion spoke again: "MOST OF My PRIESTS DON'T CARE ABOUT My WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. THEY CARE About THEMSELVES, THEIR CARS AND HOUSES, and the CHURCHES THEY ARE BUILDING.
THEY CARE About THEIR MINISTRY, NOT MINE."

"Oh no!" I thought. "These ministers are goners…" The Lion then opened His mouth and roared. Fire came out and consumed the "priests" who were standing beside their new cars and large, expensive churches. They became a pile of ashes on the ground next to their possessions. Many, many were consumed.

The Lion continued to walk, breathing fire. Anywhere Christians were standing, rather than prostrate on the ground in sackcloth, they were consumed and turned to ashes....."
{-PROSTRATE, INTERCEEDING - the only safe place to be amid the coming judgments....}

Giving the Holy Spirit Room to Move Supernaturally

My girlfriend Robin has a double major in computer programming and sign-language. They're diverse fields, but they fit her personality really well. Anyhow, she was asked to translate a children's Christmas production at a little church in Taylor, MI; and this morning was the day. This being her first "gig," I went along to support her.

It was a small church as far as the building was concerned, but the sanctuary quickly packed out to capacity as the meeting neared its start time. The band started their first song, and everything seemed really traditional. I didn't see people closing their eyes, raising their hands, dancing, or otherwise posturing themselves for worship, but they sure did sing! With passion!

And then I was taken by surprise--before the last song was sung, a whole line of white-haired men in suits lined up across the front of the room, and another gentleman came to the microphone and read a series of profound scriptures about Jesus Christ. Then he invited everyone in the congregation who was sick or otherwise in need of physical healing to come forward for prayer while the worship team sang the last song.

And so, there was James 5:16 in action--people who were sick were going to the elders of their church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of Jesus Christ. It was awesome to see!

Now, admittedly, it's not like I saw people jumping out of wheelchairs; and I was a little bothered that the man who was deaf (who Robin was translating for) remained in his place. But it appeared to me that this was a regular thing they did at this church--and chances are that if the prayers were ineffective, the place wouldn't have been packed out like it was.

How often do we read something in the Bible and say, "Yes, that's what a Christian ought to do," and then we just keep doing things the way we've been doing them? This church read something in Scripture and applied it right there in their Sunday morning meeting! Now, I don't want to sound hard to please, but I've got another bone for you to chew on: what about the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians where He says, "You may all prophesy." Or what about all the other supernatural gifts of the Spirit of which "all of these must be done..."? Is there a way to implement more than just healing in a church service? Or is this just further proof that "church" cannot be confined to a Sunday morning meeting?