A Time to Pray

While many people are gearing up for a weekend of candy, parties, and costumes, the Church is being summoned to pray. Much of the world has been deceived into celebrating October 31st as Halloween – a day glorifying the work of the devil. But as believers we recognize and observe Reformation and All Saint’s Day. Let us redeem this historic season in church history when Martin Luther(1517) boldly nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg church door and the Holy Spirit fell in Wales with Evan Roberts (1904). We are hungry for another mighty move of God in our land!


This is a pivotal time for our country. Midterm elections are next week and many people have become disillusioned by the promises of hope and positive change on which Obama campaigned. Again, I don't believe the answer will necessarily come about from voting in different leaders but rather by praying for the transformation of hearts towards the Lord. The main issue for many is the struggling economy. However the root issue is our nation's distorted moral compass. Greed, deception, lies, infidelity, and a confusion of what is truly right and wrong are the reasons why we are faltering. Jesus has the power to heal our land. May we intercede for this nation to see her destiny fulfilled as a beacon of freedom, righteousness, and hope. Let us pray and hunger after revival!

"Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field." Zechariah 10:1 (KJV)

Cholera Outbreaks

Haiti has recently come in the news again after seemingly losing its public attention from the devastating earthquake that occurred in January. At least 280 people have died in a cholera outbreak and thousands more have been affected. Now there are reports of an even bigger outbreak in Nigeria as the UN is reporting over 1,500 deaths and 40,000 cases from this deadly disease. I have not found a reliable organization to support Nigeria yet but if you would like to make a donation to Haiti click here to go to the Mercy Corps website.


Sickness and disease are from the enemy so let's pray against his plans to steal, kill, and destroy human life. Father, we say greater is he who is in us than who is in the world. We declare an end to this cholera outbreak and the suffering it is causing. We pray for the conditions that enabled this disease to spread to be transformed. May there be an end to corruption, apathy, and evil and an increase in righteousness, love, and justice.

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22

The Unaborted Life

Throughout history, society has gone through periods of great deception concerning the sanctity of human life. Slaves were viewed as less than human and treated like property. Native Americans were considered savages and killed like wild animals. Jews were exterminated by the millions because people were indoctrinated to believe they were an inferior race. Thankfully the majority of the world now recognizes the depravity and horror of such beliefs. Unfortunately another deception is still blinding the eyes and hearts of billions of people around the world. It is the lie that a baby in the womb is not a human life.

According to the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, there are approximately 42 millions abortions performed each year worldwide. That is over 115,000 abortions each day! The reason why this atrocity occurs is because people have been deceived from the truth that a human life resides in the womb of a pregnant woman. Can you imagine someone in America today possessing a black slave or killing a Native American? Not too long ago this was an everyday reality, today it would be a prosecutable offense. There will be a day when abortion will be viewed the same way. In order to get there we need people fighting and praying for the truth to be revealed.

Most people don't really consider that the millions of babies killed in the womb would have grown up to be part of society. In recent times, some well-known individuals have made a case for the unaborted life. Susan Boyle, the star of Britain's Got Talent, has revealed in a new autobiography that doctors had told her mother to abort her because they thought the pregnancy was risky. They recommended a “termination” to Bridget Boyle because they feared physical complications. Mrs. Boyle rejected this advice because of her Catholic faith. When Susan was born by emergency c-section, doctors did not congratulate her mother but took a dismissive view of Susan's life – especially when they suspected brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. “‘It’s probably best to accept Susan will never be anything,” Boyle recounted the doctors telling her mother. “‘Susan will never come to anything so don’t expect too much of her.’”

College football star Tim Tebow (now in the NFL) revealed that doctors recommended abortion to his mother after she became sick in the Philippines. Tebow’s story was featured in a 30-second ad spot purchased for last year's Super Bowl.

Italian singer Andrea Bocelli also revealed that doctors recommended abortion to his mother after she experienced an attack of appendicitis, making it likely that her son would be born with a disability. Andrea may be blind but his voice is angelic.

As these individuals testify, human life is worth fighting for. May we be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves and defend the cause of life!

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." II Corinthians 10:3-5

The Power of Our Words

There is a clever childhood phrase that seeks to protect the hearts and spirits of anyone who has ever been made fun of, belittled, or unfairly criticized:

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”

But, as many have realized, this simply is not true. Words do have the power to harm. Nearly all of us have been hurt or have hurt others by what was spoken. In fact, the Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 in The Message translation puts it plainly: “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.”


It is easy to observe the power words have in our relationships. We are naturally drawn to people who are positive and encouraging. They seem to nurture and uplift our spirits whenever they speak. Their words literally energize us.
On the other hand, it is challenging, difficult, and even painful to be in the presence of negative and critical individuals. They are physically and emotionally draining. Life and death are truly in the power of the tongue. May we choose to promote life in others through what we say!

"Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers." Acts 15:32

Declarations

The power of the spoken word is universally recognized. It is part of what makes us human. For the Christian, we know it is also a reflection of the Divine. God speaks and it comes to pass. Jesus, the King of Kings, makes decrees and they are backed by heaven. We are taught, authorized, and empowered to make declarations just like our Father. I will expand on this idea in the coming days but prophecy is the art of making declarations. Our words have the power to change the world and advance the Kingdom. We just need to believe it.

Isaac is learning about declarations and enjoys coming up with new ones each day.
Here are some amazing declarations he has made already.

Isaac: "I declare that..."

God is always good.

Everyone we pray for will get healed.
There is no sickness in our house.
I will be the fastest runner!

Isaac, I declare you are a favored son of God who will heal, deliver, and love countless numbers for Jesus!

"Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds." Psalm 71:17

My Favorite Preacher

My son is attending school (pre-K) at Bethel and loving it! We are so thankful because last year he did not want to go. Now he enjoys telling us about all of his classmates and the new things he learns. Apparently his favorite friend is a certain young girl. His mother is not too happy about that...

Anyway, they recently had a class activity where they made a "Dream Tree" which included a picture of each student on a paper tree with what they want to be when they grow up. When I visited the class for Back to School Night I naturally looked for Isaac's picture.

Tree of Dreams




Isaac's dream

My little guy declared he wanted to be a seed-planter! I was so proud. When Isaac was born I knew he was going to grow up to be a minister. I believe this is a prophetic declaration of his future destiny as one who preaches the word of God. The Father has implanted gifts of truth, righteousness, holiness, freedom, and humor in Isaac's heart. My son is already my favorite preacher. I am excited for his dream to come true!

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9-10

Good News!

In a world so filled with bad news it's always nice when there is a good story to rally around. The 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped in an underground mine 2000 feet below the surface with 100+ temperatures for 69 days were finally rescued on Thursday. The entire operation took over 22 hours and was completed in front of a jubilant crowd of about 2000 people. This news took center stage throughout the world as a triumph of faith, persistence, and hope.

The last miner to be rescued, Luis Urzua, centre, gestures as Chile's president Sebastián Piñera, right, looks on. Photo: Alex Ibanez/AP

Part of the reason why this story strikes the heart of so many is because it is a symbol of our spiritual reality. Humanity was condemned to an eternity in hell, trapped in the fiery belly of the earth, desperate for freedom. The God who loves us worked tirelessly to rescue and lift us out of the pit of despair. Through Jesus Christ we have been saved from our prison of sin and death! Those who have been redeemed are now charged with the task of helping those still trapped. The global celebration for the Chilean miners is just a small shadow of what lays ahead when Christ returns.

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13-14

Worship Is Intimacy

Growing in our ability to hear from God starts with worship. Worship is not limited to sanctuaries or praise music. It is the intentional turning of our hearts and affections towards the Lord. Communicate your love, adoration, and praise to Him in your own special way. It is impossible for your Daddy not to respond.

My daughter has a habit of telling secrets to me. She will say, “I have a secret for you”. Then she gets really close to my ear and whispers, “Love you, Daddy”. It gets me every time. I thank her and then do the same thing to her. Then she wants to do it again and this goes back and forth for a couple minutes until we are laughing, snuggling, and kissing. This is the heart of worship. When we come to our Father as a little child, He is naturally drawn to us and eager to whisper secrets in our ear.

"Love you, Abigail!"

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4

The Best Dad

Why does hearing God seem so difficult for people? One of the reasons is because there is someone trying to keep us from doing so. The primary objective of the enemy is to steal, kill, and destroy. The father of lies looks for every opportunity to deceive and keep us separated from God. I have believed or heard others say the following things:

“I don’t hear from God.”

“Only super-spiritual people hear God.”

“The Bible is all we need as Christians.”

“God doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“God has more important things to do than to talk with me.”

“Only crazy people think they hear from God.”

“It is my own voice and not God’s in my mind.”

“God wouldn’t say that or ask me to do this.”

“Satan is trying to deceive me.”

Some of these statements actually possess elements of truth. The enemy attempts to seduce and distort our beliefs so that a real relationship with God seems out of reach. The truth is Jesus Christ. He is perfect theology. He not only demonstrated that an intimate relationship with God was possible, he taught us it should be the norm. God is not only our Heavenly Father but our Abba or Daddy. The relationship a child has with his or her father is a shadow of what is available to us with God. It would be unthinkable for me not to communicate with my own children. It would be considered neglect and an unloving practice. God is the best Daddy ever and He loves to interact with His children.

Let us fight past the lies and declare the truth that we truly have the best Dad in the whole world. Faith is the foundation for our relationship with God (cf. Heb. 11:6). When we approach Him believing that He is good, it is an open door for the Father to prove our faith true.

Sing along to this song by Rick Pino and declare what every Christian should know!

"And do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." Matthew 23:9

The Voice of God

As a child I was constantly exposed to classical music because my family loved it. Whether at home or in the car I would beg my parents to change the radio station because I thought classical music was so boring! When we went to symphony concerts I would usually fall asleep because it all sounded the same to me. Thankfully, my parents persisted and I started playing the violin and joining orchestras. I began to learn the subtleties of the music. Whereas before I would hear a jumbled mess, I was developing an ability to identify specific instruments, follow the rhythm, embrace dynamic nuances, and experience the heart of pieces. Today classical music is my favorite genre. I am moved, inspired, and uplifted by its beauty. It speaks to me. In the same way, God’s voice is like high art. Unintelligible and strange to untrained senses, those who are willing to pursue Him will soon become more adept at listening and understanding.

Too often people get frustrated and stop trying to listen for God’s voice after many seemingly failed attempts. My encouragement is do not give up! It is easy to get discouraged and start believing that God does not communicate clearly or that you are incapable of hearing Him. Faith is then reduced to one-sided prayers and obedience to a set of religious principles rather than a relationship based on love and communication. Make it a priority to get to know the Good Shepherd's voice. We are merely wandering without it.

"...his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:4

Fall Is Here

The season definitely has changed. The days are getting shorter in terms of sunlight, the leaves are turning colors, and the weather is colder! Just in the past week we had a drop of about 30 degrees in the high temperature. My wife even wondered if we should turn on the heater this morning.

Normally, the end of summer is a depressing event for me because I love sunny and warm conditions. But I am choosing to enjoy the shift because of its beauty and timelessness. It is a reminder that God loves change and diversity. May this be a blessed season of joy, love, and growth in the Holy Spirit!

In honor of Fall, here is a video of Antonio Vivaldi's "Autumn" from his Four Seasons. The sand animation is performed by Hungarian artist Ferenc Cakó. Truly amazing!

"I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil." Deuteronomy 11:14

The Necessity for Prophets in the OT

Prophets are intermediaries or spokespeople between God and humanity. Prophets were not always present in human history. There were no prophets in the Garden of Eden because the Lord spoke freely with Adam and Eve. It wasn’t until they sinned and became separated from God that prophets were needed to bridge the gap of communication. A key example of this is in Exodus 19 and 20. After the miraculous rescue of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 20: 18-21 reads:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.


Reminds me of Mordor

The Israelites were so afraid of God’s manifest presence that they did not want to have direct fellowship with Him. They thought they would die if God spoke to them so they told Moses to be their representative. Fear destroyed the opportunity for personal intimacy with the Lord and in one sense elevated prophetic ministry over individual communication with God. Thankfully through Christ, the veil has been torn and we now have fellowship with the Father in the Holy Spirit. Prophets and prophecy still exist but they are not our sole nor primary means of interaction with God. A shift has taken place from the necessity of prophets in the Old Testament because of fear to willing prophetic ministry based on a loving relationship with the Father.

Got Prophets?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “prophet” or “prophecy”?
Many people think back to ancient times where special individuals hear something from God and relay the message to others, often in regards to future events. There is a section in the Old Testament specifically organized by major and minor prophets. These include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. The designations of “major” and “minor” refer to the length of the book not necessarily the importance of the prophet. Common perceptions of prophets may include being super holy, ascetic, reclusive, judgmental, moody, and downright strange.

Often our knowledge of prophets is relegated to Sunday School stories and an occasional sermon referencing a passage from one of these books. Growing up in the church, the only understanding of prophets and prophecy I acquired was a mysterious and almost mythical perception of prophetic ministry isolated to a time period before Jesus. Special characters were chosen to interpret dreams, predict the future, and perform bizarre symbolic acts as instructed by God. After Jesus was born it seemed that prophets were unnecessary and God discontinued this method as a way of communicating with people. This erroneous thinking was strengthened by a misinterpretation of Jesus’ own words that the “Law and Prophets were until John”. (Matthew 11:13; Luke 16:16) Jesus said he did not come to abolish the Law and the prophets, he came to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). I falsely believed there were no more prophets because they were no longer necessary. The truth is that prophetic ministry is still necessary and is meant to be carried on until Christ returns. God raised up prophets after Jesus ascended to heaven and He continues to do so even today in order to proclaim his Kingdom and guide the Church into the fullness of her destiny.

"It is you who are the sons of the prophets..." Acts 3:25 (NASB)

Beginning in the Prophetic

Here is an excerpt from the book!

The Apostle Paul makes a clear and intriguing statement in I Corinthians 14. On the heels of his classic passage on love, he writes, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy” (emphasis added). Out of all the gifts of the Spirit that Paul mentions in his letter to the church in Corinth, he highlights prophecy as the gift which should be highly sought after. Although the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, tongues and its interpretation, discerning of spirits, healings, and even miracles are amazing graces given to the body, prophecy was something that all believers were to covet. What is it about prophecy that prompted Paul to issue a command and not a suggestion for its acquisition?

Moses a prophet and friend of God

This book is meant to help introduce the prophetic ministry to those who have had limited or no experience with it. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will encounter you in these pages and open your eyes to the importance of prophecy. May you eagerly desire the prophetic gift and receive it with gladness. I declare you are part of a prophetic generation that will boldly speak the words of God to hearts who desperately long to hear from the Father!

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." I Corinthians 14:1