Category Archives: Red Letter Christians

Waiting On The Lord, You Know, Just Waiting On Him (Part 5)

The_Thinker,_Auguste_Rodin

Click on the following for earlier articles: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

So, what can a New Testament believer do to help bring a personal prophetic word to pass in his (or her) life?

C. If The Prophetic Words Are Confirmed, Then What? (Continued)

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11: 32-34)

The above verses in the book of Hebrews point out an important fact: obtaining prophetic promises by faith is akin to warfare. It’s a battle.

Now remember: the Lord is not the one fighting us. He wants His prophetic words to be manifested in our lives, especially about our callings. And He will bankrupt heaven to supply us with whatever we need to obtain them.

So, who is the fight of faith with? Demons and ourselves (the flesh).

This is the command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

What does heaven consider a good fight? Winning the battle. Period.

Let’s consider my personal situation in 1987:

I was an unknown nobody in a small Midwestern town. No money. No car. A marital separation. A 1o’ x 8′ apartment. A minimum wage job at a motel. I walked in all types of weather wherever I had to go. No one believed in me or my calling. And I had no open doors to preach, teach or prophesy, as in none, zilch, nada and zero.

Then, what did the Lord do? He gave me a vision that I would eventually preach, teach and prophesy in large cities and large inner cities of the United States; and I believed in the vision.

Now, I could have said, “Okay, God, I’ll just wait and see if You can do this in my life or not. Who knows, right?” But I didn’t. You see that’s not fighting a good fight, that’s sitting on the sidelines, covering yourself with fear and doubt.

So, what did I do?

I hung a map of the United States on the wall with all of the major cities and the toughest inner cities marked on it. Then, each morning, I would get up and place my hand on the map and proclaim, “Lord, I’m coming to these cities. And I command these cities to open up to me because I’m on my way!”

Then, I walked around my small apartment and proclaimed, “Lord, You called me; I didn’t. And Lord,  I’m fully persuaded that You are able to do what You have promised to do. Furthermore, I don’t believe any man or demon can stop You and Your promises. So, unless You kill me, I’m going to preach, teach and prophesy in those cities.”

Nobody heard me or saw my faith while I was doing this. It was strictly between God and me.

I did this for years until I knew that God knew how determined I was to obtain His prophetic promises.

But I did other things, too.

(Continued in Part 6.)

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“My Journey Out” (Part 2)

moses-parting-red-sea

Click on following for earlier article: Part 1.

If you have read my two series, It’s Your Decision…Run or Fight! and Sifting Through The Ashes of A Spiritual Defeat, then you know that 1994 was not one of those years Frank Sinatra sang about in his hit song. It was not a very good year; it was an absolutely, miserable one for me.

And 1995 was not much better.

By early summer, I was just looking for a back pew in a church where I could hang out, keep quiet, and hopefully, put myself back together again. My life and calling were a mess.

A church, thirty miles away, seemed to be the answer to my prayers. The pastor was a man with a shepherd’s heart. Its congregation was around seventy or eighty members in size, and fun to be around. The worship music was awesome. And the meetings were informally held in a school gymnasium.

It seemed the perfect fit for me.

Though giving prophetic words was not what I hoped to be doing, I knew the Lord used me on good days and bad days as a prophetic voice. So, to be safe, I went up to the pastor after the first service. “Do you have any rules about giving prophetic words at your church?” I asked.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, we don’t,” he said. “We encourage people to give prophetic words.”

Over the following four weeks, I broke every rule he said that he did not have. Each Sunday, he was upset with me about something.

“You said there were no rules,” I whispered in exasperation one time.

“That was before I knew you,” he exclaimed. “And I’ve never met anyone like you in my thirty years of ministry.”

Finally, we met for lunch, hoping to settle our differences. It’s not that we didn’t like each other or anything like that. It’s just that he was comfortable with prophetic BB guns and I was an AK-47 assault rifle. We were miles apart in our prophetic thinking.

“Listen,” he said toward the end of our conversation, “why don’t you just submit yourself under my ministry. Then, when the Lord tells me to release you into full-time prophetic ministry, I will let you know. All of the doors of our denomination will then be open to you.”

“What if you don’t hear the Lord’s voice for my calling and life?” I asked.

He blinked. “I had not thought about that,” he replied. His eyes looking down.

The meeting ended with us giving each other hugs and going our separate ways.

The next day, I received a letter in the mail from a member of the church who was not even aware of my meeting with the pastor. She wrote that I was rebellious and needed to submit myself under pastoral authority. And if I failed to follow her so-called godly counsel, she felt my prophetic calling would never come forth. As in never, ever!

I was upset and did what Hezekiah did when he received a letter from an enemy of Israel (2 Kings 19:14). I walked around, reading the letter to the Lord.

“Lord, she says I’m rebellious and that I need to submit under pastoral authority. I don’t even understand pastoral authority, what is it?” I went on and on until finally I had finished.

Then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Too much pastoring in the church.”

(Continued in Part 3)

Larry Who’s writings and teachings appear on this 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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Waiting On The Lord, You Know, Just Waiting On Him! (Part 4)

The_Thinker,_Auguste_Rodin

Click on following for earlier articles: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

So, what can a New Testament believer do to help bring a personal prophetic word to pass in his (or her) life?

C. If The Prophetic Words Are Confirmed, Then What?

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11: 32-34)

Chapter Eleven of Hebrews is a “Hall of Fame for Old Testament Saints.”  In it, we read that mighty men and women of God, such as Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and others had testimonies which pleased God.

What was it they did?

They acted and persevered by faith. In fact, the phrase, by faith, is mentioned nineteen times and is the underlying emphasis for the forty verses of the chapter.

And why were these mighty people of God exercising their faith? They had prophetic words for their lives.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. (Hebrews 11:1-2)

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Our faith must be in God and it must be exhibited before Him. And whether or not, anyone else is able to see or understand our faith, is not important at all for the fulfillment of our prophetic promise.

You see, our approval comes from God, not men. He is the One who brings our prophetic words to pass, or rewards our faith and faithfulness.

For myself, I knew I was called to preach, teach and write within a few weeks after my salvation on May20, 1985. It came through a nighttime vision which I never mentioned to anyone for years.

But even as a young, know-nothing believer, I knew enough that I needed to prepare myself for my calling. I prayed. I studied the word. I listened to hundreds of tapes. I read hundreds of books.

Also, I rearranged the priorities in my life. TV, entertainment,  sports, career, many relationships and whatever became secondary to my pursuit of  God and His calling for my life.

Except for my family, no one knew anything about my spiritual discipline. I was an unknown in a small town. And there were no open doors for me to preach, teach and prophesy. As in none. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Yet, I did things to show my faith to God.

(Continued in Part 5)

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“My Journey Out” (Part 1)

moses-parting-red-seaIn the late 1980’s, I had a nighttime dream in which I was standing in the middle of a palatial ballroom. All of my precious Christian friends were there with me.

At the front of this gorgeous ballroom, a worship team was singing. The music was Holy Spirit inspired and awesome. Everyone was having a great time worshiping the Lord and fellowshipping with one other.

As I stood there, I looked around and thought, “It can’t get any better than this, can it?”

But as dreams often do, the scene changed. The crowd off to my right parted and I could see through some double-doors leading out of the ballroom and into a large hallway. The hallway itself was magnificent with a lush carpet, expensive wallpaper and gold-leaf moldings.

Because of the angle I was looking through the doors, I could see a large gold-leaf mirror at the far end of the hallway. The mirror’s reflection was not of the hallway, but instead, it revealed a glimpse into another ballroom just across the hallway. The glimpse came about because one of the double-doors for the other ballroom was partially opened.

What I saw in the other ballroom stirred an immediate and deep hunger within me.

Now, there was nobody in the room; and the room itself was not as magnificent as the one that I was standing in. But it had an overwhelming presence of God in the room. So much so, that there was an intimidating holiness about it. A holiness which I knew would result in my death if I ever walked into that ballroom.

But I did not care because  I absolutely wanted to be in that ballroom.

As I stood there, I knew what was required of me to get into that ballroom on the other side of the hallway. I had to turn my back on all my friends, many of my teachings and walk out the double-doors into the hallway.

This dream so effected me, that for years, I prayed, “Lord, I want to be in  that other ballroom and I’m willing to pay whatever price You may require of me.”

So, after all my praying, you’d think I would have been prepared for the Holy Spirit’s statement to me in the summer of 1995, but I wasn’t. His words:  “Too much pastoring in the church.”

(Continued in Part 2)

Larry Who’s writings and teachings appear on this 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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Swimming Upstream: “Can Old Dogs Like Me Learn New Tricks?”

dogMy biggest struggles over the last ten years have been the unlearning and relearning processes I have gone through since Honey and I left the traditional church system.

Now, if you know me (or if you read my stuff on FaceBook), you’d understand that I’m not the type who changes easily. I stubbornly hold onto old things and am not quick to try new ones.

And you’d think that I would be the last person in the whole world the Lord would try to change, especially considering I’m 63 years old, right?

But my quirky wrinkles have not bothered the Lord in the least. He just used His special steam-iron to press everything out of my life. And to be honest, it’s a  very, very hot steam-iron.

So, starting next Monday, I will disclose the changes and the processes I have walked through and undergone since hearing the Holy Spirit say, “Too much pastoring in the church.”

The reason I’m doing this is that I feel Christianity is in the time period when the prophetic words spoken to Mike Bickle in 1982 will be fulfilled. The words were:

“I [the Lord] will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation.”

If you are interested, stop back on Monday.

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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Swimming Upstream: “Will Christians Ever Unite To Change America’s Ways?”

flagIn today’s edition of World Net Daily, the main article is entitled, “Why Can’t Christians Unite to Change America’s Ways?”

The article is based on findings from a new study conducted by the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics in partnership with Public Religion Research. The study was a survey of 3,000 political activists who associated themselves with the religious right and the religious left.

It’s an eye-opening and discouraging article, one that will cause you to wonder if the Body of Christ will ever walk in unity again.

Whether you take the time to read the article or not, what do you think? Will Christians ever unite to change America’s ways?

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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Swimming Upstream: “Are You Hanging On Or Letting Go?”

bad_economics

I remember a story about an early Pentecostal who wanted to speak in tongues. His church prayed for him as he tarried before the altar.

As he waited on the Spirit,  he listened to what people were praying over him. Half of them prayed, “O Lord, help him to hang on” while the other half prayed, “Lord, help him to let go.”

His mind raced back and forth, wondering which prayer he should listen to. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit arrived on the scene and took over.

This story illustrates the dilemma most believers who live in Western nations, especially America, are faced with right now. Massive government deficits. Home foreclosures. Shrinking retirement funds. High unemployment. Still more bad economic news on the horizon. Terrorism. Illegal immigration. Confused politicians in all parties. On and on it goes with no rhyme or reason.

So, what do we do? Hang on or let go? What do you think?

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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Waiting On The Lord, You Know, Just Waiting On Him! (Part 3)

The_Thinker,_Auguste_Rodin

Click on following for earlier articles: Part 1 and Part 2.

So, what can a New Testament believer do to help bring a personal prophetic word to pass in his (or her) life?

B. If The Prophetic Words Are Not Confirmed Right Away, Then What?

Many years ago, a pastor stated, “If a prophecy is not confirmed by the Lord in a quick fashion, just place it on the shelf. Eventually, the Lord may confirm it.”

At the time, I thought what the pastor taught was wisdom, but since then, I have changed my mind. His words are not only unscriptural, but they are also foolish.

Are you shocked?After all, isn’t this an example of waiting on the Lord?

For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

The Apostle Paul preached the gospel to the Corinthian Church; he was their spiritual father. When Paul states that his preaching was a “demonstration of the Spirit and power“, he is talking about the gifts of the Spirit and prophecy. Who do you think first taught the Corinthians about the gifts of the Spirit? Of course, it was Paul.

So then, prophecy and the gifts of the Spirit are a part of the kingdom of God benefit package for us believers, okay?

But Jesus made an important point about the kingdom of God when He said:

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. (Mark 10:15)

Now, let’s say, you tell your four year-old son that you are going to give him a new bicycle. What will happen next?

Your son will start pestering you and asking questions. “When can we go? Can we go now? Why not? Let’s go. Can I have a red one? Aren’t the stores open now? Why can’t we go now? Huh? Huh?”

He will continue until you either take him to buy one or tell him he can’t have a bicycle. He is not going to allow your words to collect dust on a shelf and just wait for some time in the future. He wants action now!

This is the attitude the Lord wants us to have with unconfirmed prophetic words. He wants us seeking Him until we know the answer.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek , and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

(Continued in Part 4.)

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Swimming Upstream: “Does It All Pay The Same?”

money“In the Kingdom of God, it doesn’t matter whether we are raising the dead or taking a nap because it all pays the same, if we are in the will of God,” said Bob Jones many years ago.

If you have ever heard Bob Jones speak, you are instantly aware of two things: Bob is an Arkansas country boy without any pretense of urban sophistication, and he is a profound prophet and seer.

So, what do you think about his statement? Do you believe 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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Waiting On The Lord, You Know, Just Waiting On Him! (Part 2)

The_Thinker,_Auguste_Rodin

Click on following for earlier article: Part 1.

So what can a New Testament believer do to help bring a personal prophetic word to pass in his (or her) life?

A. Confirmation of True Prophetic Words by the Lord.

And He has confirmed His words… (Daniel 9:12)

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. (Mark 16:20)

The Lord is not an idle babbler. His words spoken through a prophetic voice to you have a purpose behind them. So much so, that He will confirm them to you in His own perfect timing.

Biblically, there are four possible time periods in which the Lord will confirm every true  prophetic word to you:

(1). The personal prophecy could confirm what you have already known and heard via the Holy Spirit through an earlier dream, vision, another prophetic word, prophetic impression or by hearing the voice of the Lord for yourself.

Except that the Holy spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. (Acts 20:23)

(2)  The personal prophecy may be confirmed to you at the moment it is spoken to you. Maybe, you’d say, “My spirit really witnesses with this prophecy.”

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

(3)  The personal prophecy may be confirmed to you after it is spoken to you. It could be days, months or years later.

Jesus prophesied to Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan, has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22: 31-32)

(4)  The personal prophecy could be confirmed to you after your death.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)

At some point, you can be assured that the Lord will confirm His true prophetic words spoken to you via prophetic voices.

(Continued in Part 3.)

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