Monthly Archives: July 2009

July 6, 2009 · 11:03 am

Swimming Upstream: “Will You Ever Quit Prophesying?”

wasp

Let’s say, somehow, someway, you have decided to obey 1 Corinthians 14: 39, and be a prophetic person which the Holy Spirit can use to speak to His people.

Good decision, but let me ask you a few questions, okay?

At what point will you quit prophesying?

Will you quit if you prophesy about a person on her deathbed that she will live and not die; and yet she dies?

Will you quit if a prophet calls you out in front of a crowd and prophesies that you are not called to prophesy?

Will you quit if all of your family thinks you’re a nut?

Will you quit if all the pastors in a city think your prophecies are in error?

Will you quit if you prophesy that a man will win the presidency; and he doesn’t?

I’ve gone through all of the above and more, and I can tell you, it was unpleasant. In fact, a part of me – each time – felt like crawling into a cave and never ever walking out again. You know, loving the Lord from inside my little cave, just me and Jesus.

One memorable morning, after receiving a blistering rebuke from an internationally-known prophet, I was standing on a ladder, wondering about my calling. Was it really worth it?

As I dipped my brush into a paint bucket, I looked up. There right above me was a gigantic yellow-jacket wasp. Without provocation, it swooped down and stung my forehead.

Ouch! Double Ouch! It was unbearably painful.

And guess what? Then, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said:

“Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead, do not be afraid…” (Ezekiel 3:9)

You need to make up your mind that once you put your hand on the prophetic plow, you never look back (Luke 9:62). Just keep on prophesying. If you make mistakes, ask forgiveness, learn the lessons, and then, keep on prophesying.

And if you can’t do this, ask the Lord to give your prophetic anointing to me. I have countless believers I am praying for, they will use it.

Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.

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Filed under Christianity, Christians, Church, church planting, Emergent Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, Home Church, jesus, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy, Red Letter Christians, reformation, Religion, spiritual warfare

July 4, 2009 · 7:07 am

Proud To Be an American

A Civil War officer had disobeyed an order. “I believe I’ll sit down,” said Secretary Stanton, “and give that man a piece of my mind.”

“Do so,” said President Abraham Lincoln, ” write him now while you have it in your mind. Make it sharp. Cut him all up.”

Secretary Stanton did not need a second invitation. He left and returned later with a “bone-crusher” of a letter that he read to the President.

“That’s right,” said Lincoln. “That’s a good one.”

“Whom can I send it by?” asked the Secretary.

“Send it!” replied Lincoln, ” send it! Why don’t send it all. Tear it up. You have freed your mind on the subject, and that’s all that is necessary. Tear it up. You never want to send such letters. I never do.” (The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, 1994, Barnes & Nobel Books)

I’m proud to be an American.

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July 3, 2009 · 9:22 am

Swimming Upstream: “NUTS!”

Anthony_McAuliffe

The improbable happened on December 16, 1945, as German panzer forces and infantrymen surprised Allied forces in what is now called the Battle of the Bulge.

It ended up being the largest battle fought by American forces in World War II with over 600,000 troops involved. The Americans lost 81,000 troops killed, wounded or captured, and the Germans lost 100,000.

Two days into the battle, the 101st Airborne at Bastogne was completely surrounded and cut off by the Germans. Medical supplies and personnel had been captured. Food was scarce. Ammo was limited to ten rounds per gun per day. There was little hope for survival.

The German commander von Luttwitz sent the Americans a surrender ultamatum. To which, General Anthony McAuliffe sent back a single word reply: “NUTS!”

The 101st held off the German assault, and their stubborn refusal to surrender helped turn defeat into victory for the Allied forces.

So, in remembrance of the grit displayed by General McAuliffe, I declare the following on the eve of our Independence Day, 2009:

To our Federal Government, who desires us Christians to sit down, keep quiet, pay soaring taxes, accept “Hate Crimes” legislation and act like lemmings on the way to a free-fall dive into the ocean, I say, “NUTS!”

To cities, like San Francisco, who declare Christianity guilty of “Hate Crimes” because we believe homosexuality and abortion are sins, I say, “NUTS!”

To the media, who states that America is a “Post-Christian” nation, I say, “NUTS!”

To all the African-American church leaders, who have sold out their callings for thirty pieces of silver to President Obama and his loony administration, I say, “NUTS!”

To all the churches, who would rather have peace through compromise than unity via a messy reformation, I say, “NUTS!”

To every Islamic Jihaddist, who believes Allah is mightier than Jesus, I say, “NUTS!”

And to all the Christians, who are wavering now, or may be wavering sometime in the future, I say:

…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…(Joshua 24:14)

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July 1, 2009 · 5:56 am

Swimming Upstream: “Don’t Forget The Geezers!”

fern “I’m going to shoot your mom,” I said to Honey as we slipped into bed at the end of a long day.

“Sweetheart, what?” she replied, her eyes blinking in unbelief.

“After, I shoot her, I’m going to hang her by her neck, and then, drop her off a cliff,” I continued on, dredging in the same cesspool of thoughts.

“Dear – that’s not like you at all,” she said. “You wouldn’t hurt anyone, especially not mom.”

“After today, I’ve changed my mind about a lot of things; and I’m going to shoot your mom right between the eyes,” I said.

Then, we fell to sleep.

This conversation actually took place in Glidden, Iowa, when Honey and I were staying with her mom on Fern’s five-acre farm. At the time, Fern was seventy-eight years old, but don’t go thinking she was a weak link, not pulling her own weight around the farm. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Everything had been great between Fern and me up until that week. She was bright and fun to be around. But all the warm fuzzies ended when sweetcorn season arrived.

Now, let me set the stage. It was late July. The temperatures were in the upper-90’s. Humidity was somewhere in a tropical rain forest range. No air conditioning. Ten zillion, pesty, ornery farm flies. Three acres of sweetcorn.

At the time, Honey worked for a company in Carroll, Iowa, and I had just finished detasseling seed corn. So, when Fern asked, “Larry, would you like to help harvest some sweetcorn?”

“Sure, of course,” I said.

The four days were an absolute “Hell on Earth” for me. The heat, humidity and flies took their tolls, but what pushed me over the edge was Fern constantly saying, “Do this. Don’t do that. Be careful. Watch out. Grab this. Let go. What’s wrong with You?”

Now, I’m not silly; I knew I had a problem. So, long before sunup the next morning, I crept out of bed and went down to the family room. There I dropped to my knees. “Lord, what’s my problem? Why do I want to kill a sweet, seventy-eight year old woman?” I prayed.

A long time later, the Lord spoke to my heart. “You’ve given up on senior citizens. You think they just want to collect their social security and sit on a porch, taking it easy until they die. You don’t believe I will use them in a move of My Spirit in America,” He said.

Then, He added, “I haven’t given up on them; and neither should you. So, repent of your attitudes.”

Once again, I’m not silly. I repented right then and there.

So, when I read where believers are asking the Lord to move on young people here in America and wherever, I want to shout aloud: “Don’t forget the geezers! God wants to use them, too.”

Fern Fielder, a great mother-in-law (1920 – 2008)

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