Category Archives: reformation

“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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Swimming Upstream: “Want To Reap What You Sow?”

reapingOnce, I heard Lester Sumrall say, “I don’t always need a prophet to tell me certain things.”

I agree with Lester. After all, scripture states that “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9).

With this in mind, it does not take much thought on our parts to realize jobs could be a major concern for our neighbors and ourselves in the near future, especially in Western nations and America.

My city – Temecula, California – has a current unemployment rate of 15%, with no new employment opportunities lurking on the horizon. And according to the Labor Department, it could get much worse in the months ahead.

We need jobs. Period.

A loss of jobs will cause friction and despair in households which will cause marital problems which will cause children problems and on and on and on.

To counteract this trend, I have prayer walked my neighborhood and I am now prayer walking past businesses. As I walk by, I mention the name of the business and cry out to the Lord for His mercy on the business and for Him to create new jobs in Temecula.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

My opinion is that the Church needs to be on the offense and not sitting in pews. How we handle our current circumstances will determine what we reap in the future.

So, 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 1)

The_Thinker,_Auguste_Rodin

“Larry, you told me the Lord was going to give me my own business,” she said, her eyes locking on mine. “So, where is it?”

This is the situation we prophetic voices absolutely hate.

On the one hand, we need to boldly speak by faith what we feel is a prophetic word to a person. But then, on the other hand, we have to recognize we can make mistakes.

“Well,” I replied, “what do you think? Was my prophetic word about the Lord giving you a business a true word or not?”

Her eyes blinked. “At the time, I really believed it was from the Lord,” she said. “But now, after all this time, I’m not so sure.”

“Okay, what have you done to bring this particular prophetic word to pass in your life?” I asked.

She sighed. “Well, I’ve been waiting on the Lord, you know, just waiting on Him.” Her eyes narrowed a bit, daring me to say something.

In my twenty-plus years of speaking prophetic words to people about their callings or their ministries or their businesses or prospective marriages or having babies or whatever, I have heard this answer countless numbers of times. In fact, I’ve heard it so much that I have to quell a scream from spewing out of my mouth whenever I hear it uttered.

What most Christians think waiting on the Lord means, compared to what Scripture actually reveals it to be, is about like the difference between night and day. Or in the case of New Testament prophetic words, it’s the difference between having a prophetic word coming to pass or one that fails.

A young Roberts Liardon said, “I knew that I was called to preach so I went out to meet my calling.”

Liardon’s words may sound brash to many believers, but they are scriptural.

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

(Continued in Part 2.)

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Swimming Upstream: “What’s On The Back Of Your Vehicle?”

bumperDelivering pizzas allows me to spend an inordinate amount of time gazing at the bumpers and rear-ends of vehicles. I’m amused, and often amazed, at what I see and read.

A few vehicles still sport Bush-Cheney 04 bumper stickers. Then,  of course, since this is California, there are myriads of Obama 08 bumper stickers.

Camp Pendleton Marine Base is only thirty miles away, so there are lots of My Son Is A Marine and Not As Lean, Still As Mean, Always A Marine bumper stickers.

Not to be outdone, Christians have all sort of bumper stickers and signs on the backs of their vehicles. The most popular ones in my area seem to be: Not Of This World, Got Jesus?, JOHN 3:16 and Forgiven.

There are various bumper stickers supporting athletic teams, honor roll students, hobbies, dog breeds, political beliefs, energy drinks, musicians and so forth. Everyday there is something new for me to look at and enjoy.

So, what bumper stickers or signs do you have on the back of your vehicle?

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: “Want To Be A Peacemaker?”

divisionThroughout my Christian journey, I have failed often and made numerous mistakes. Some of my errors have been catastrophic in size.

But usually, after my failures,  I have met people who felt led by the Lord to pray for me during my struggles.

I refer to these intercessors as peacemakers. It was their prayers, along with the grace of God, who prayed me through stormy seas into peaceful, calm waters on the other side of my problems. Without them, I have no doubts I would have ended upon the shoals and rocks, bloodied and destroyed.

Now, America is sailing through stormy waters which could easily scuttle our nation onto the trash heap of forgotten powers, such as Greece, the Roman Empire and the British Empire. To think otherwise and view our political situation as just “politics as usual” is naive and shortsighted.

When George Bush was President, the favor of God was upon him. Yes, he was hated by many; yes, he was victimized by the media; and yes, the church let him down with her faithless praying. But God’s favor bridges over what the enemy dishes out and where saints fail.

Our nation has had no terrorists attacks since September 11, 2001.  Period. Enough said, okay?

Now, we have President Barack Obama who has thirty to forty percent of the nation idolizing him and the media bowing down before him. But unlike President Bush, Obama does not have the favor of God upon him.

And what good is man’s favor upon our elected leader when our nation is facing enemies who are backed by demonic powers? Zero! None! Nada! Zilch!

We Christians need to lay our ideological opinions down and begin praying with fervent love and passion for President Obama just as if he were our son. We need to shut our mouths and pray!

It’s a new day in America. And we can no longer depend on a few Houses of Prayer and individual intercessors to carry what is supposed to be a corporate burden for our nation’s welfare. To continue relying on just a few doing the work for all the rest of us will invariably result in dead bodies covering the streets of our cities.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

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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