Published on January 25th, 2010 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Laurie Daniel on Facebook.

Faith’s Outworking

by Laurie Daniel

The end of a thing is better than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8

We each carry dreams, passions and promises in our heart, both for the things that pertain to this life, as well as to the next. We yearn for realities not yet fully realized or experienced. We live by faith, not by sight. Sometimes our soul doesn’t feel like it, but our spirit is alive with anticipation concerning our future. We have tasted that God is good and faithful and we know that He can be trusted. As Hebrews 6:4-5 says, we were enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.

The world calls us foolish for living by faith. By it we have entered into a relationship with the Heavenly Father. We have been learning His will and how to receive His blessings and admonitions, and we are standing in faith for more Godly desires to be fulfilled. In the mean time, the devil relentlessly distracts, deceives, and discourages. He wrestles with us, hoping he can wear us down to the point of giving up our faith in bitter defeat. But we are not ignorant of his devises, so by God’s grace we get back up and fight the good fight of faith. As many times as we might get knocked down, we keep getting back up. There is a race to run, battles to win, strongholds to overcome, and we desire to finish well and receive the prize.

The majority of us are all too familiar with those chasms of time that exists between standing on God’s promises and the realization of them. During that time period there are shakings within and shakings without. We are challenged on several fronts; finances, time, health, relationships and reputation. Things just don’t go how we had imagined. We become disappointed in our expectations. Doubt and confusion concerning our dreams and visions of the future knock at our door.

These days, most of us are being impacted at a deeper level of just how critically important patience is in our faith journey. Genuine faith cannot be separated from patience. Patience is our outworking of true faith. In Genesis we read about Joseph’s dream and the years of trials that he endured before it came to pass. In Acts 14:22 we read Paul’s revelation concerning the Christian voyage of faith with patience when he said, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” The passage of time proves all things. Our lives are to be seasoned, tried in the fire and purified. It requires time, heat and pressure.

There are numerous biblical, as well as historical figures who demonstrated faith through patience. Hebrews 6:12 tells us to follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience. Hebrews continues about the promise given to Abraham. By faith he obtained it, but not until he had first patiently endured for many years. Through that passage of time, instead of being discouraged, his faith in the Lord grew stronger. Then when the promise came to pass, there was no doubt that the Lord had done it, so that Abraham could not boast in his own abilities or strength.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised. Romans 4:20-21 NLT.

The book of James gives more insight into patience.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord — that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:7-11

God is pleased by our faith and its outworking in patient endurance. It is also a wonderful testimony of Christ’s character. But God is not pleased by “grumbling,” murmuring and complaining. Have you noticed the correlation between our patience and our tongue?

James exhorted the believers of his day, who had scattered due to heavy persecution to:

Count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience. Let patience have its perfect work, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-3

As patience is allowed to have its way in us, we become more spiritually mature in our words and deeds. The epistles reveal the incredible trials of the Apostle Paul’s faith. He grew in patience. Because of this, he had matured to a level where he confidently explained to the Philippians:

I know how to be abased and how to abound, everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:12-13

There are no short cuts or substitutions in growing up in Christ. Anything that is of significant and lasting value does not come quickly or easily. Apparently “blood, sweat and tears” is part of the maturing process. To everything there is a season and a purpose. We are to rejoice loudly and suffer silently. In patience may we possess our souls (Luke 21:19). Paul exhorted the church at Rome to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfast in prayer (Rom. 12:12). Many times we just need to rise up into our spirit-man and engage our tongue in the victory!

Just as in Jude’s day, so we too are exhorted to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). The same truth that the Lord Jesus told Paul holds true for us: My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

By the power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to continue to withstand and endure to the end. So we set our feet to dancing and our voice to singing, because the joy of the Lord will strengthen us! We need to believe that the Lord is right in the middle of our trials with us, leading us into maturity and the reward at the finish line. God works it all together for good. What He started by His spirit, He will complete in us by His spirit as we submit to His work. No striving in our flesh or premature actions will produce good fruit. The attitude of gratitude continues to be a cure for discouragement. Paul’s prayer for the church at Thessalonica should be our heart cry: May the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ (2Thes 3:5).

I am amazed at the simple, yet profound perspective in the classic Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Has there ever been a more crucial time in our lives to cheer lead one another on; to diligently exhort one another to patiently endure; to stir up one another with the hope of Christ?

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:1-3

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT

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Published on January 23rd, 2010 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Wade Taylor at Wade Taylor Ministries.

A Personal Testimony

Wade E Taylor

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect…. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12, 14

A teacher (Walter Beuttler) in the Bible school I attended often spoke of having a “dissatisfied satisfaction.” He was thankful for, and satisfied with all that he had received from the Lord, yet he was dissatisfied as he knew there was much more that could be possessed.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

These “good works” are the things or circumstances that the Lord places in our path for the outworking of His purposes – first within us during our time of preparation, and then through us for the benefit of others. The word “should” is conditional, which means that we have a part in choosing the path that we will follow in the outworking of the Lord’s purpose for us. Because the right choice is usually not the easiest or most convenient, it is extremely important that we choose rightly.

After graduating from Bible school, I diligently sought the Lord as to what I was to do, but seemingly, I was not receiving direction from the Lord. I knew about a new school that was about to open. One of their goals was to train students to minister in the Italian language, and I was unable to relate to this, as I am not Italian, nor felt any calling to minister to Italians.

Therefore, I pushed aside the “drawing” that I felt toward this school, and instead, I decided to pioneer a church on Stenton Avenue in north central Philadelphia. On July 4, 1959, I started toward Philadelphia, a sixty mile trip, to rent a store front for the church, and to find a place to live. As I drove south, the feeling that I was going in the wrong direction became stronger and stronger.

I stopped the car and asked the Lord about this feeling. He responded that I was to go to this new school. I had to turn around and go in the opposite direction. I had prayed much about what I was to do after graduation from Bible School, but the Lord waited until I had taken an active step toward serving Him, then He spoke regarding the place where I was to be.

Soon after arriving and being settled in a guest room, I found a quiet place where I could pray, and repeated to the Lord that I did not want to come here, but that I wanted His best. In response, the Lord clearly spoke the following into the depth of my being: “I will allow you to go to Philadelphia, and I will give you a ministry there and I will bless it. But, this is where I want you, as this is My will for you at this present time.”

The next day, I was accepted as a student and moved in. A few months later while alone praying, suddenly I was in heaven, standing in the presence of God. I knew that He was directly in front of me, seated on His throne, but I could not see Him as I was blinded by brilliant glory. I had a sense of holiness that was beyond any ability or words to express.

As I stood there facing the throne, from my left, intense wave-like streams of glory, in brilliant color, began to move slowly toward me and entered into the depths of my spirit. This could be compared to a freight train, with each box-car carrying a cargo that was deposited into my spirit. As each of these entered into me, one after another, I became aware that I was to establish a ministry on this property. It was as if every cell in my body became a sensitized voice box, and I understood the Lord’s desire for a “set-apart place” in which He could both be and do as He desired.

When I returned from heaven to the place where I had been praying, I was so deeply affected by the manifest glory I had experienced, that I had great difficulty in relating and functioning in my normal circumstances. It was two weeks later that I was able to be “normal” again.

I gradually became aware that the purpose of the “ministry” to which I was being called would be to prepare those whom the Lord would send, to recognize and become responsive to His voice and also to have a respect for, and a sensitivity to His manifest presence. This related to those who would be “called apart” to be “made ready” for His end-time purposes.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7

This Italian Assemblies of God school closed at the end of its third year and remained vacant for six years, when in a very unusual way, this property was given to me. While waiting during this period of time, the Lord caused me to know that I was being prepared to be used as an end-time “John the Baptist.” Later, the Lord confirmed this through a Scripture that expresses the deepest irony in all the Word of God.

“Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” Luke 3:2

“Annas and Caiaphas” speaks of the headship and function of the established religious system, which the Lord by-passed. “John… in the wilderness” speaks of an isolated, barren environment, which the Lord used to prepare John for a critical time of ministry.

The Church system was fully in place and functioning. Yet the Lord could find no one within the religious system of that day who had a “hearing ear,” to whom He could impart a “present” word. Therefore, He chose one who was not a priest, and led him into a “wilderness experience” to be trained.

Today also, there are those within the Church who have fully committed the totality of their being to the Lord, and are being called apart to receive a fresh word from the Lord. This speaks of the absolute necessity of our receiving a “present word” concerning preparation (our being an end-time corporate John the Baptist), to become a witness of the Lord’s manifest presence in these last days. Therefore, we must make the right choices to bring this witness into its full expression, first within and then through us.

This religious system, which the Lord by-passed, had experienced the glory of God and had received much by direct revelation from the Lord. However, they became dependent upon past experiences for their present standing with the Lord. The fact that the Lord had moved through them in the past was not enough to equip them for the present need. They were incapable of hearing a present word concerning the soon to appear “Lamb of God.”

During this present time, there are those who are being called apart concerning the soon to appear “Lion of the tribe of Judah.” Therefore, there must be within each of us a present seeking of the Lord, even though we may have received much revelation from Him. Yesterday’s revelation is not enough to prepare us to face today’s problems and pressures.

While I was a student in Bible School (1956-1959), we experienced a major visitation from the Lord which lasted two weeks. We were daily in Chapel from early morning until late at night. In the beginning, there was a time of intense confession and cleansing, after which His “manifest glory” was poured out upon us. Along with this, a “fountain of new wine” was discovered. Anyone who “drank” therein became intensely filled with the Holy Spirit in boldness and power.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

“Being not drunk with wine, wherein is excess” speaks of a substitute for this higher spiritual impartation and enabling power. This substitute (wine) has been used by Satan to wreck countless lives and families. Any seeming “benefit” that comes from it is deceptive, and carries a terrible price tag.

“…but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19). This is the transforming effect of the real wine of the Holy Spirit. It will release us into a spiritual boldness and liberty beyond that of which we are capable, which will glorify God and enable us to minister in great freedom and power.

However, no matter how tremendous this experience might be, we cannot continue to depend upon the experience of “drinking at the fountain of past visitations.” It is urgent that we begin seeking the Lord to bring us into a fresh new dimension of the supernatural. No longer are we to look back to where we first met the Lord. Nor, are we to tell the Lord how, when, or where the “new” is to come into our lives and ministries (I turned around went north to a place that seemingly did not fit the calling I had received).

We must have a “dissatisfied satisfaction” – our being thankful for what we presently have, but actively seeking the Lord for “more.” There are two sides to a coin. They are different, yet make a singular whole. Our past and present experiences must merge to make a way for us to enter the future.

John’s testimony was that he is the “voice of one crying in the wilderness.” He clearly saw the urgent need of that hour by saying, “Prepare you the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Mark 1:3). The very heart of my calling and ministry is the preparation of a “voice” that can speak in our day, as John spoke in his day, to be available to the Lord for His purposes during this difficult time in which we live.

All this came into being, when, on July 4, 1959, I stopped the car while driving toward Philadelphia, turned around and went in the opposite direction, in response to “a present word” from the Lord. Looking back, I can rejoice in the fact that I made the right choice.

Many years have passed since that date in 1959. There were years of glory, spiritual impartation, and transformed lives. Mistakes were also made, for which I have repented and received forgiveness from our Lord. Now, at this present time while residing in Washington DC, I am receiving a “present word,” and I am again making another “turn” that I might move into a higher outworking of my calling and ministry, which is now coming into its intended purpose and fulfillment.

I pray that you also will look beyond your past spiritual experiences, and your present circumstances, and make the right choice during your critical moment of decision.

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Published on November 22nd, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Francis Frangipane at Francis Frangipane Ministries.

One Message

Francis Frangipane

The Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” – Isaiah 2:11

Normally my Sunday sermon is prepared a few days in advance, but this week was different. All week the heavens seemed like bronze. Saturday morning came and still I was at a loss. Nothing seemed alive. It was now Saturday evening and I was pacing the floor seeking God. “Lord,” I asked, “What is the message for tomorrow morning? What topic should I address?”

A dozen ideas filed through my mind, loitered momentarily in my imagination, and left as unanointed as they had arrived. I went to bed praying. When I woke Sunday morning, my prayer was still on my lips.

A half-hour before I had to leave for church, I had not quit pacing the bedroom floor. For the umpteenth time, I asked, “Lord, what is the message?” when suddenly the electricity to our home clicked off, reset, and then came back on. This, in turn, caused the answering machine on my desk to also reset. Perfectly synchronized with my prayer asking for a sermon topic, the machine replied in its computerized voice: “You . . . have . . . one . . . message.”

When a voice comes out of the air and says, “You have one message,” if your message is not centered upon the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have missed the purpose of Christianity! That morning I preached Jesus. People said there was more fire than ever in my sermon.

The fact is, the church has only one message. The proclamation of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished is the eternal message of the church; it is the only message the Father promises to confirm with power. To reveal Jesus through obedience to what He taught is to bring the life of His kingdom into our world. As we return to the simple “purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3), we will find the most powerful manifestations of the Lord Jesus awaiting us. Indeed, at the end of the age, the church that loves Him will display Him. We will reveal His glory.

The Answer: More of Christ!

When we consider that America is plagued with abortion, violence, pornography, Satanism, drugs, national debt, sexual abuse, and the breakdown of the family structure, it becomes obvious we need more of the nature of Christ!

Indeed, how shall we deal with the terrors that have invaded our world? Should we move to Idaho, stockpile food, and wait for the tribulation? Perhaps we should simply close our eyes to the world and hope for the rapture?

Or should we find out what God is planning to do and throw our lives into His purpose?

My prayer is that God would give you a vision of what He’s planning to do before Jesus comes for His elect. The time is at hand when the works Jesus did, we shall also do, and even greater works (John 14:12). What is coming on the earth is “the day of [God’s] power” (Ps. 110:3). Beloved, think about it: great opportunities are set before those who seek conformity to Christ’s image in this day.

It is a time to simplify our lives and focus on our transformation. We truly have one message!

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Published on October 26th, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Francis Frangipane at Francis Frangipane Ministries.

Come and See

Francis Frangipane

The two sons of Zebedee began their spiritual commitment as disciples of John the Baptist. In fact, James and John had actually been standing near the prophet when Jesus walked by. “Behold, the Lamb of God!” the Baptizer said, and from that moment the two disciples began to follow Jesus (John 1:35-37). This was an insightful account. It is John’s handwritten testimony of how he came to the Son of God. Yet, John has deeper truths to reveal beyond this historic portrayal. He is also going to reveal what we should each ultimately seek when we come to Christ.

Let’s pick up the account. James and John, having heard and believed John’s messianic proclamation about Jesus, are now walking, perhaps hurriedly, to catch up to Jesus. They are within conversation range.

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see.
—John 1:38-39 KJV

There are many reasons one comes to Christ. We may seek Him for health issues or to possess the keys to prosperity. Perhaps we need deliverance or are burdened with the cares of a loved one. Yet, as the Lord asked John and James, so He asks each of us: what are you seeking in life? What goals compel us? When we approach the final season of our lives, will the things we have achieved be transferable into eternal accounts? Or will we have spent our time and energies on that which is void of true life?

Jesus asks, “What are you seeking?” It is a very important question. The Lord desires that we take inventory of our passions and objectives, and then chart our course toward heavenly values. You see, many say they love Jesus. What they mean is that, in time, they hope to get around to loving Jesus. Right now, however, they barely know Him and almost never spend time seeking Him.

The proof that we love Him is that we keep His commandments (John 14:15). What must He think when so many who say they love Him are, in fact, not loving Him but actually having an affair with this world? May God have mercy.

Yet, this is not the situation with you. In spite of your flaws and weaknesses, you sincerely desire to possess more of God. You have emerged from the difficulties of your past and, though tried in the fire, your heart’s desire is to walk close with the Lord. Indeed, Christ sees this holy desire and, to Him, it is the most precious part of you.

The Lord’s heart is also moved toward those who follow Him, though they may walk limping. To those wounded by injustice or the effects of sin, the Lord’s promise remains faithful: “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish.” Surely, He will bring to victory the justice due you (Isa. 42:3; Matt. 12:20).

Like James and John, we, too, “behold the Lamb of God.” Just as He asked them, so He asks us, “What are you seeking?”

The Dwelling Place of Christ

In response to Jesus’ probing question, the disciples’ answer may seem strange. For they did not ask Him for greater power or one of His many spiritual gifts. Instead, they asked Jesus something more personal, and intimate: “Where dwellest Thou?”

I’d like us to consider the poignancy of their answer. They wanted to know where Jesus lived. There are times when a question transcends the simple boundaries of intellectual curiosity and actually reveals one’s quest in life. Such is now the case: they are seeking to live with Jesus. They are searching for the dwelling place of God.

It is not wrong to desire spiritual gifts or to ask God for special blessings of health and financial prosperity. It is not wrong; it is just not enough. Inside the heart of a God-seeker is a quest for more. We are in search of the “dwelling places” of God. In truth, our hearts have been divinely programmed. There are within us “the highways to Zion” (Ps. 84).

Our destination is nothing less than oneness with Christ. All fruitfulness comes from living in spiritual union with Jesus. In contrast, whatever we offer as service to God that is not the result of our union with Christ, that labor is in vain; it is a weak comfort. For apart from Him, we can do nothing.

John tells us in his first epistle that those who say they abide in Him ought to walk “in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Abiding in Jesus leads to walking like Jesus.

Beloved, there is yet much more to learn and discover concerning our Lord! We must beware of spiritual complacency. Recall the prayer of Moses: At the end of his life – after being used by God to confront and defeat the gods of Egypt, after dwelling in the Lord’s glory and beholding miracle after miracle for forty years – Moses prayed, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand” (Deut. 3:24).

You have begun? No matter how much we attain, no matter what revelations of God’s glory are ours, we have only begun to see His glory.

The disciples answered astutely, “Rabbi, where dwellest Thou?” May this become our prayer as well: Where do You live, O Son of God? Where is Your dwelling place? To all who feel similarly, Christ says to us what He promised them: “Come and see.”

Dear Master, I turn to You now. You are my life’s greatest goal. I desire to live with You, to abide in the wonder of a life united with You.

This chapter has been taken from Pastor Frangipane’s newest book to be released in November 2009, And I Will Be Found By You available from Arrow Bookstore.

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Published on October 14th, 2009 | Articles, Worship

by Charlie Hamilton

During the first century (33 A.D.) there was a religious group called the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the dream killers of their day. This self appointed sect was very quick to point out to everyone that they were the way to God. The Pharisees believed they had the monopoly on worship. They created an elaborate system of dependence upon themselves which only they could fulfill. According to them they had the perfect place to worship and the perfect way to get to God. In order to worship God – all people would need to go through them.

When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” the Pharisees violently rejected Him because Jesus was a threat to their man-made religious system.

After all who would follow them anymore if people started to simply follow Jesus?

In speaking to the woman at Jacob’s well Jesus said,

John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

In this passage the narrative is on “the place” of worship. The woman noted that her ancestors had worshiped God from a nearby mountain. However, the Pharisees insisted that God be worshipped from Jerusalem – in the temple. Jesus corrected those two viewpoints by teaching the woman that “the place” to worship God from was not in a mountain, nor in a building in Jerusalem – but from a place in the spirit within the heart of every person. This is “the place” where real worship begins – the place where your physical body is located on a GPS map is totally irrelevant.

Can you worship God when you are physically on a mountain? Yes.

Can you worship God when you are physically inside a building? Sure.

But keep in mind that worship begins in the heart of every person regardless of where you are physically.

If Dr. Seuss wrote a poem on worship, it might go something like this…

Can You Worship Here or There?

Can you worship on a bus?
Can you worship in a rush?
Can you worship on a train?
Can you worship on a plane?

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Published on September 29th, 2009 | Worship

Here is my new t-shirt design… n 2 me c (Intimacy)

I might also get some done in pink.

What do you think?

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Published on September 26th, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts

This guest post comes to us from Wade Taylor at Wade Taylor Ministries.

Divine Delays

Wade E Taylor

“But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Most all of us have received a word, or an indication of something that is to take place, but somehow is delayed, and we wonder why?

The word “after” tells us that there is something between the promise, and a productive life experience. “After” speaks of a “divine delay,” until certain conditions are met, and the Lord is satisfied to release the needed “divine enabling” (power) for the fulfilling of the promise.

This “process” can be seen in the life of Jesus, when He was baptized by John in preparation for His ministry.

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up immediately out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

During the baptism of Jesus, as He came up out of the water, the heavens opened, the dove descended to rest upon Him, and the Father spoke: “This (explicitly) is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus had now received the Spirit without measure, and a confirmation of the “approbation of God” (divine favor) resting upon His life.

It would appear that Jesus was now ready to begin His ministry. Instead, He was immediately led into the wilderness, where for forty days, He suffered hardship, hunger, and temptation. It would have been easy for him to doubt, or to discount what had happened at the time of His baptism.

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing: and when they were ended, He afterward hungered.” Luke 4:1-2

The “wilderness” is a barren place, where there is nothing – no divine favor or blessing, no one to seek out for help, or to give a word of encouragement. Instead, when Jesus became intensely hungry, the enemy came and reminded Him that He, being God, could easily feed Himself by turning stones into bread. Jesus refused to satisfy His hunger with anything less than the provision of His Father.

“And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If You be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:3-4

It was in the place of hunger and privation, rather than in the place of blessing, that Jesus received the ultimate blessing. He had to go through a time of processing (wilderness time) in order to enter the higher purposes of God.

“And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee….” Luke 4:13-14

Notice that Jesus entered the wilderness in the “fullness of the Spirit,” but He came out in the “power of the Spirit.” Between the time of His receiving the blessing of the Father, and His receiving the enabling “power” for the outworking of His ministry, there was a delay – a time of testing during which Jesus suffered intense hunger.

In relation to us, this “wilderness time” is an “indeterminate” span of time during which a particular purpose is accomplished. Our self-dependence and self-centeredness must come to an end through an experience of “utter dependence” on the Lord. When we are tested, we will either pass the test as an “overcomer,” or we will come short of gaining a victory over our self-life, and will need a further time of preparation.

We tend to measure our spiritual attainment with the “blessings,” or the “giftings” that we have been given. However, these are only the beginning. We must go beyond these (what we do), to a change in our nature (what we have become). Therefore, by divine arrangement, the Lord will place us in situations where there is no available means of satisfaction (wilderness), that a higher purpose might be accomplished.

Because the Lord is more interested in what we have become, than in what we are doing, there are “divine delays” that we must face in the outworking of our spiritual development.

Especially at this present time, there is a call to come “higher.” If we desire to go beyond the level of our present spiritual experience, and “apprehend” the higher calling and purpose of our Lord, we will be taken through a difficult time of testing and proving in order to become a part of the “corporate” Jesus (He is the head, we are the body) that is about to be revealed in His coming “Parouisa” (the manifestation of His end-time glory).

Jesus will again do all that He did in a single body, through a corporate body.

“Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father.” John 14:12

The “greater works” – all that Jesus did in His first coming in a single body, are now about to happen again, but through a many membered corporate body. For us to have a part in this, we must be prepared, as He was prepared.

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven…. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2

In the message to the seven Churches, each “door” led into the next period of Church history. At this present time, there is something different, because we are living toward the end of the Laodicean Church Age, and there is nothing further. There is a door that is to be opened, but it is not a horizontal door that will lead into another aspect of the Church, rather, it is a vertical door that leads upward to the throne.

For those who are ready, there is a progression that is about to take place, from the pulpit (Church) to the throne (Kingdom). This spiritual hunger, the stirring and searching that is taking place within us today, is happening because the Lord is knocking upon the door of our heart, seeking entrance within our lives, due to the urgency of the hour in which we live.

Jesus said:

“If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” John 14:23

The word “abode” in John 14:23, and the word “mansion” in John 14:2 in the original text, is the same word. Jesus is saying, “I will come and make My abode in your present life experience.” Another way to say this is, “In My Father’s house are many levels of relationship.”

We are to progress from one level of relationship to another level. During each upward step in this progression, there are dealings – things that the Lord must do in order to prepare us for the higher level. If we are not careful, we will misunderstand and misinterpret these things.

In the Song of Solomon, the Bride said:

“It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found Him whom my soul loves….” Song of Solomon 3:4

It was “but a little” that I passed from them (our dependence on hearing from the Lord through others), that I found Him. This is a “wilderness time” (time of testing), in which we are separated from the spiritual womb where we have been very comfortable, into a new place and level of relationship and attainment. Our tendency, rather than to wait and allow the Lord to bring the adjustment, is for us to go back to the place where we were comfortable.

I received a “word” directly from the throne of God in 1959, that I would have a ministry to prepare “overcomers” for the end-time purpose of the Lord. This visitation was so powerful that I thought it would begin within a few weeks. As time went on, things would happen that would cause me to think that this ministry was about to begin. The next thing I knew, it all fell apart. This happened several times.

The excitement came, and then all at once I was saying, “Lord, what happened?” I sought out and tried all that I knew and understood, but none of it worked. Finally, I said, “Lord, I give up.” Within a short time after I said this, it happened. I then realized that it could not have happened sooner, as there was a much deeper working of the Lord that first had to take place within me.

“Divine delays” stretch our patience. “…I sought Him, but I found Him not” (Song of Solomon 3:2). Why? The Lord has something better for His Bride. He is waiting (divine delay) so He can take us further, but there is a price that we must accept.

The “sermon on the mount” is the “key” to a Kingdom life.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

“Blessed” are all those who have come to the end of their abilities, into abject poverty and utter dependence – those who have come to the end of self, and trust the Lord, leaning heavily upon Him, “for theirs is the Kingdom.”

We have discovered “methods” in our spiritual life experience with which we are comfortable, as we know how these function. When we do certain things, we experience a certain response. If we are to go further, we must enter into a time in the “wilderness,” where we can be separated from these dependencies. In order to go higher, we must move into a place that is unfamiliar to us, leaving the familiar behind. We must be careful to “stay” in the wilderness for the full appointed time, as we tend to say, “I am going back, as I felt much more comfortable there, and I knew what to expect.”

The Lord is seeking to bring us out from the familiar, into the “ways” of the Spirit. Here, His voice is becoming as the “voice of the trumpet” with a present word for us.

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2

It is not easy for us to move from the familiar, into a place of dependence, where we become available for the Lord to speak through us, as He may desire.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out, not knowing where he went.” Hebrews 11:8

Abraham went out not knowing where he was going, as the future was veiled. There is a purpose in our wilderness experiences, as the delays and reductions that we experience have a higher purpose. We are being brought into the place of total dependence and obedience in which we will receive – “after.”

“And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments, or no.” Deuteronomy 8:2

The delays of God reveal our true motives and intents that correction might be made, and that we might be brought up into a higher level of relationship and experience.

“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was. Then after that says He to His disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” John 11:5-7, 11

Martha (service) and Mary (devotion) were attempting to get Lazarus (adamic nature) healed.

“Then said Martha to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother had not died.” John 11:21

Jesus stayed away “two days” (divine delay). Lazarus (adamic nature) is now bound up, and has become so dead, that he smells. In the “fullness of time,” Jesus came and said, “Lazarus, come forth.” Later, Jesus is sitting at the banquet table with Lazarus (John 12:2). The delay was to bring forth the higher, because life comes out of death. Unless we go through this time of processing, we cannot receive the word to “Come up” (Revelation 4:1). Service and devotion (religious activity) will hinder, if they possibly can.

There is a purpose in the Lord seemingly discouraging us. This short time of discouragement will only make our roots go deeper, and cause us to push all the harder.

“…The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12

Mark 7:25-29 is the story of a certain woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, will you heal my daughter?” He answered, “This is for the children, the chosen, not for the dogs.”

In other words, Jesus said, “you are a dog, you cannot have this.” She replied, “The dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” Jesus said, “For that saying, your daughter is healed.”

This Greek woman knew what she wanted, and she refused to be insulted. Blessed are the bankrupt, the “poor” who will give up the right to their own lives and become a part of the expression of His life.

“Let us not be weary in well doing (our present level of believing in hope of receiving): for in due season (there is an appointed time) we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 (comments added)

The Lord may allow a “divine delay,” as we wait for our “appointed time.” If we will patiently endure our “time in the wilderness,” and move past our expecting a quick response, we will receive the reward, as the present word of the Lord is, “come up.”

If we do not weary in our waiting in hope, then in “that day,” at the appointed hour, the body that is veiled (that which all creation is groaning for – Lazarus being called out of the tomb by Jesus), will be called to come forth to be unveiled and empowered, for the outworking of the end-time purposes of the Lord.

“Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us; in the third day, He will raise us up and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

“Come… He has torn, and He will heal us.” As we submit to and are patient in the times of processing, then the Lord, in His time, “will raise us up and we will live in His sight.”

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Published on September 22nd, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts, Worship

This guest post comes to us from Francis Frangipane at Francis Frangipane Ministries.

Love Me Where You’re At

Francis Frangipane

I have discovered that, as we seek the Lord, our most difficult periods can be transformed into wonderful breakthroughs into God’s love. For me, one such season occurred during the years 1979 to1981. The association of churches with which I was aligned had fallen under spiritual deception. Not only were its core doctrines increasingly seeded with New Age influences, but immorality crept in, and key leaders began leaving their wives for other women. I could no longer remain silent. As a result, in 1979 I left my congregation in Detroit, Michigan, where I had served as pastor, and traveled to the organization’s regional headquarters in Iowa. I came to plead for repentance. However, after meeting with the senior leaders, I was asked to leave the group.

So here we were – we had left our church, we had no money, and we had four little children and couldn’t afford even basic housing. Desperate for anything, we finally found an old farmhouse in rural Washington, Iowa. The home was over a hundred years old, but it actually looked much older. After negotiating with the landlord, we were given a year of free rent provided I did basic repairs to the house, such as cleaning and painting.

Even so, the house needed more than I could provide. The furnace did not work well, so we installed a wood burner stove in the kitchen. That first winter, it turned out, was one of the coldest in Iowa’s history. Frost formed on the inside walls, spreading a foot or two around each window; wind chills dropped to 60 below, and even colder, on several occasions.

To keep warm each night, the whole family cuddled tightly on one large mattress on the dining room floor, about 18 feet from the wood burner in the kitchen. A fan behind the stove nudged warm air in our direction. My nightly project, of course, was to build enough heat in the stove to keep us warm until morning.

While I worked the fire, I also would pray and seek God. The wood burner became a kind of altar to me, for each night as I prayed, I offered to God my unfulfilled dreams and the pain of my spiritual isolation. Yes, I knew the Lord was aware of our situation. Though we had virtually nothing, He showed Himself to us in dozens of little ways. I just didn’t know what He wanted of me.

As the seasons came and went, another child was born, and then we fostered a young girl from Viet Nam, giving us six children. Still, as the family grew, the little area around the wood burner became a hallowed place to me. Even in the summer, I would sit on the chair next to the stove and pray and worship.

I would like to say I found the joy of the Lord during this time, but in truth, though I gradually adjusted to my situation, I felt an abiding misery in my soul. Our deep poverty was an issue (I barely made $6,000 a year), but more than that, I felt like I had missed the Lord. My continual prayer was “Lord, what do You want of me?”

Three years of seeking God passed, and I still carried an emptiness inside. What was God’s will for me? I had started a couple Bible studies and spoke a few times in churches, but I so identified with being a pastor that, until I was engaged again in full-time ministry, I feared I had lost touch with God’s call on my life.

In spite of this inner emptiness concerning ministry, I actually was growing spiritually, especially in areas that were previously untilled. I went through the Gospels hungry to study and obey the words of Christ. Previously, I had unconsciously defined a successful ministry as something born of my performance. During this time, however, the Lord reduced me to simply being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Indeed, a number of things I thought were biblical I discovered were really just religious traditions. The Lord desired that I take inventory of my heart and examine those few truths for which I would be willing to die. He said the truths for which I would die, for these I should live.

Frankly, things like the timing of the rapture or nuances about worship style or spiritual gifts dropped in their priority, though I still considered them important. Rising to the top of my focus was a passion to be a true follower of Jesus Christ – to obey His teachings and approach life not merely as a critic, but more as an encourager. I also found myself increasingly free to enjoy and learn from Christians from other streams and perspectives.

Yet, these changes, though deep and lasting, occurred slowly, almost imperceptibly. They were happening quietly in my heart, and only in hindsight did I see what the Lord had done. Throughout this time, I was preoccupied with feelings of detachment from God’s will. My prayer to know the Lord’s plan for me continued daily.

The Breakthrough

One day, as I stood in the kitchen pantry, I repeated again my abiding prayer: “Lord, what do You want of me?” In a sudden flash of illumination, the Lord answered. Speaking directly to my heart, He said, “Love Me where you’re at.”

In this time and season, remember, I was not a pastor or minister. I was a television repairman doing odd jobs on the side to provide for my family. I hated what I was doing. In my previous church I taught against TV and now I was “laying hands” on television sets and raising them from the dead! The Lord’s answer cut straight to my heart. I was awed at its simplicity! I asked, “Love You where I am at? Lord, is that all You want of me?” To this He responded, “This is all I will ever require of you.”

In that eternal moment peace flooded my soul, and I was released from the false expectation of ministry-driven service. God was not looking at what I did for Him, but who I became to Him in love. The issue in His heart was not whether I pastored, but whether I loved Him. To love the Lord in whatever station I found myself – even as a television repairman – this I could do!

A deep and remarkable transformation occurred in me. My identity was no longer in being a pastor, but rather on becoming a true lover of God. Having settled my priorities, amazingly, just a couple days later I was invited to pastor a church in Marion, Iowa. In spite of all my previous anxiety about returning to ministry, I did not jump at the opportunity. For I had found what the Lord truly desired of me. Though I eventually accepted this call, my focus was not merely on leading a church, but loving God.

What God Seeks

More than one’s ministry, God seeks our love. His great commandment is that we love Him, ultimately, with all our mind, all our heart, and all our soul and strength. If we love Him, we will fulfill all He requires of us (see John 14:15). And it is as we love Him that He orchestrates all things to work together for our good (see Rom. 8:28).

Beloved, loving God is not hard. We can fulfill any assignment – auto mechanic or housewife, doctor or college student – and still give great pleasure to our heavenly Father. We do not need ministry titles to love the Lord. Indeed, God measures the value of our lives by the depth of our love. This is what He requires of every true God seeker: to love Him where we are at.

Lord Jesus, the revelation of Your love has swept me off my feet. Lord, You have drawn me and I run after You. Master, even in the mundane things of life, I shall express my love for You. Consume me in Your love.

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Published on September 9th, 2009 | Technology, eBooks

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Published on September 5th, 2009 | Articles, Guest Posts

This guest post comes to us from Francis Frangipane at Francis Frangipane Ministries.

The Silent Harvest

Francis Frangipane

A few years ago, I had a dream in which I found myself inside the mind of a dying man. The man had been in a coma for some time; his family had been praying, but they did not know whether or not he had accepted Christ. All they were sure of is that, throughout his life, he had resisted their efforts to lead him to Christ.

In the dream, I became so acutely aware of the man’s state of mind that his thoughts, feelings and struggles almost seemed my own. Although his eyes were nearly closed and his vision clouded, he could see his loved ones at his bedside. I watched as he tried to reach toward his family, but outwardly his arm never lifted. Perceiving his thoughts, I heard him speak their names, but no sound whispered through his lips. A loved one holding his hand asked, “If you hear me, squeeze.” He heard and pressed his fingers against hers, but no movement was seen; his hand clearly remained limp. He was conscious, he could hear their prayers, he felt the warmth of their kisses on his face, but was perfectly incapable of responding.

The pride and isolation that had, throughout his life, stood guard over his heart were gone. A physical catastrophe had overtaken him. Death approached, and he knew he was unprepared for eternity. Submerged beneath his motionless exterior, a war had raged for his soul, which the Lord won. Subdued by the relentless force of God’s love, he was finally at peace. It was during his time in the hospital that he had silently prayed and accepted Christ as his Savior. I was watching his last effort to tell them as life ebbed out of his body.

Suddenly, monitoring alarms ripped through the muffled silence of the room. His heart beat one last time and I found myself looking down at the body of a man who had just died. The room was buzzing with nurses, while his family huddled in a corner, grieving. The idea of their loved one dying without receiving Christ was more devastating than the reality of death itself. I stirred and then woke. Yet, just as I left the dream, the Lord spoke to my heart: “Tell them he’s with Me.”

God is Good

Although some time has passed since I first had this dream, I am increasingly aware that many of God’s people carry a deep abiding heartache concerning the death of an unsaved loved one. Obviously, this dream does not apply to all, but there are some for whom this experience is divinely directed. Thus, I submit this to you in a general sense, because the Holy Spirit has assured me He will bear witness to your heart that this word is for you.

I have also felt an urgency to pass this dream on to you. The Lord has an important work for you. However, the enemy has used this unresolved loss to sow doubt into your soul. Not only are you troubled about your deceased loved one, but you are carrying doubts about God’s love, and you doubt also the power of prayer. Your confidence in God has been compromised. Yet, it is precisely at this time that you need to stand without doubt for other members of your family.

Beloved, though there are many questions about the mysteries of life, we must not let the unknown obscure the face of the known: God is good. We know God loves us because He sent His Son to die for our sins. Indeed, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). When we look at Christ, we see God, and we know that God cares.

Additionally, some of us have lost loved ones in sudden tragedies, where they seemingly had no time to repent or turn to God. Let me remind you of those who have faced near-death experiences. They tell of seeing their “life flash before [their] eyes.” Indeed, they say that time itself seem to stop or move into slow motion. I believe that, even in what seemed like a “sudden” death, time slowed to a crawl. According to their testimonies, evidently, there often is enough time in this altered state to see and ponder one’s entire life – and to make a decision or even call upon the name of the Lord.

In spite of what we do not know about life’s many mysteries, one thing remains eternally true: God is our loving Father. He does not desire that any man perish, and He will fight to save us, even to the moment of our death. Let us, therefore, cast our burdens upon the Lord, for He genuinely cares for us. And let us again run with endurance the race set before us, for He has promised that even for those “sitting in the . . . shadow of death, upon them a light dawned” (Matt. 4:16).

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Lord, there are many issues I do not know, but I do know that You are good. Those things I do not understand, I give to You. I trust You with my life, and I put in Your hands the care of those I love.

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