PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

August 22, 2005
REVIVALIST TODD BENTLEY



This is a two part teaching entitled Prophetic Evangelism. This week in Part 1, we will define prophetic evangelism. Next we’ll discuss how to come out of our comfort zone and actually begin to walk in prophetic evangelism. As well, we’ll discover how God’s prophetic words will help unlock and soften people’s hearts so they are released to hear the gospel. Next week in Part 2 we’ll discuss what it takes to receive God’s power for evangelism—being distinct and set apart for God. As well we’ll examine the “spirit and power of Elijah.”



PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

BY REVIVALIST TODD BENTLEY
PART 1



To receive and to activate are two different things! We can receive an anointing—a prophetic anointing or a healing anointing—but if we don’t go out and actively put the anointing to use for God’s glory we’ll never actually have the anointing. The substance of the power of God is always connected to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature . . . . and these signs and wonders will follow. . . ” (Mark 16:15-18). We have to actively use what we’ve received from God. Faith without works is dead (James 2:20, 26). So we’re really going to possess the anointing for prophetic evangelism when we go. In fact, evangelism can’t happen unless we go and do!



WHAT IS PROPHETIC EVANGELISM?

Let’s begin by defining: prophetic, prophesy, prophecy [all described in Webster’s New World Dictionary] as well as defining prophetic word and word of knowledge:



Prophetic means: containing a prophecy


Prophesy means: to predict as by divine guidance (verb)


Prophecy means: prediction of the future; something predicted (noun)


Prophetic word or word of knowledge means: pertinent information revealed by God for the purpose of blessing, encouraging or warning.

Next, let’s look at the word evangelism. It means: winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ—Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

So, based on these definitions, prophetic evangelism happens when a born-again believer receives a prophecy (prophetic word or word of knowledge) from the Holy Spirit for someone—that is the “prophetic” aspect—as they seize the opportunity to win them to Jesus Christ—that is the “evangelism” aspect.

The ultimate manifestation of prophetic evangelism is when we’re led by the Spirit of God and we hear the voice of God; that’s Spirit-led evangelism. It’s waiting on the presence of God, asking where He wants us to go and then when we get there, asking God exactly who He wants us to minister to. I believe that if we’d take the time to ask where and who (every time we say, “God, I want to win somebody to Jesus today”), that we would be effective in evangelism.

We won’t accomplish anything of eternal value if we just hear about the anointing and get the anointing, but then do nothing with it. This is the case with just about any anointing that God wants to give us. We need to be willing to go out to the people, and for instance, lay hands on the sick.



BE AVAILABLE AND BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

We have to make ourselves available. It’s not good enough just to have a passion and a desire or good intentions. We need to go beyond our comfort zone if we’re ever going to win souls. In fact, I believe God wants us to go way beyond our comfort zone!

Smith Wigglesworth had such a great passion for souls that he would go looking for the lost in the markets when he wasn’t ministering in conferences and revivals. He would wait in the market, even all morning and into the afternoon, until he saw the person that the Lord intended him to reach with the gospel. His attitude was: Lord, you have one that is ready. You have one that is ripe. Listen. His evangelistic fervor was Spirit-led!

Sometimes we try to be evangelistic but we’re not led by the Spirit of God. We’re just kind of launching out into the dark and hitting anywhere and everywhere with an attitude that says: Hey! We’ll just see what happens and take it as it comes. But we need to ask the Lord where to go and which person is ready. God will lead us to the right person. It might be someone who already has the seed of the kingdom planted and watered in their heart and they’re ready for it to be reaped. Some of us sow; some water and others reap (1 Cor. 3: 6-8). I’m a reaper in evangelism.

Most of us, if we do make ourselves available in evangelism, don’t make ourselves available for prophetic evangelism because we don’t take the time to wait and enquire of the Holy Spirit. He wants to tell us where to go and who to minister to and what to say to someone. Yes, there are times to go to all and just sow seeds, scatter seeds and hand out tracts, but there’s more. Let’s be released in a greater way into Spirit-led evangelism where we begin to hear the voice of God and we move in the word of knowledge.



PROPHETIC EVANGELISM IN ACTION!

So the best way to begin is by asking the Holy Spirit where He wants you to go. It may be the mall, a particular coffee shop, the streets or a park—He’ll nail it down. For me, after I arrive at the place the Holy Spirit designates I may see a crowd or I might just see one or two people. And so I’ll ask, “Who do you want me to minister to?” And the Holy Spirit will highlight somebody and I’ll just go up and begin to minister to them.

Having said that, you might be wondering how the Holy Spirit highlights who I’m supposed to minister to. So I’ll share a few stories that will help you recognize who God wants you to minister to.

After I first got saved I used to hang out with the Christian Biker’s Association in Canada. Once when I was at one of their conferences, it seemed that at every meeting, my eyes would be drawn to someone across the field. I couldn’t help but feel the urge to look over in that particular direction. There was a guy in that section of the crowd that “stuck out” more than anyone else. This went on for three or four days and I found that no matter where I was, whether I was at lunch or in a meeting, my eyes and attention would be continually drawn to this one person.

I didn’t know why, and I had no understanding concerning this until finally one of my mentors said, “Well Todd, that’s the Holy Spirit communicating to you that He wants you to minister to him.” My mentor began to tell me that when he, himself, encountered a similar situation, it was because the Holy Spirit was actually directing him. He said that quite often he would be in a meeting and the Lord would draw his attention to one person or several people, again and again. His attention would be fixed on them to the point that he realized the Holy Spirit was trying to get his attention because He had a prophetic word for them. And that’s how the Lord will use me. I’ll be led by the Holy Spirit somewhere (like the mall and the food court) and I’ll ask, “Lord who do You want me to minister to?” As I wait on the presence of God, He will begin to highlight and lead me and show me the person or the group of people.

I remember one of the first times the Spirit of God began to release me into prophetic evangelism. I had been preaching about the reality of God one night to some young people and we were pretty excited about what God had just done in our meeting. A few Mennonite kids were getting filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and getting touched by the power of God.

Just to give you a little background, although at this point I had never received any teaching on prophetic evangelism, I was moving in a prophetic anointing in the safety of ministering in the church. But the Spirit of God was beginning to challenge me about taking that prophetic anointing outside those walls. I was beginning to get a revelation that if the prophetic anointing could work in the church, it could work with unbelievers outside the church.

Back to the young people! We decided to go to a Subway sandwich place to hang out for awhile after our meeting. Immediately, as we entered the restaurant, I just happened to overhear some talk about psychics. Well, that got my attention right away and it was like the Holy Spirit highlighted the group who were discussing this subject.

Suddenly I felt something begin to rise up within me. I thought: I move in the prophetic! I can hear God! [I realized that when we walk by faith, there are risks involved. And I’ve always been a risk taker! Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen such a release of the power of God these past few years.]

So I just blurted out, “Well, you know what! I have a gift, too. I believe that I can ask God right now for a word and because God wants to reveal Himself to you, He will share something about your life with me. You’re going to know that Jesus is real!” They were really skeptical: “Yeah, right?!”

“I’m not going to ask you for any money,” I said. “This is free. The difference between me and psychics is that I have a gift from God and I give Him the glory. I know Who is speaking! I’m going to ask the Lord for a word right now. I believe that He is going to give it to me because David declares in the book of Psalms: “how innumerable are your thoughts toward us” (Ps. 139:17). That means that the thoughts and the things that God thinks about you are countless.” I was excited because I knew that all I needed to do was to hear God; just get one thought, just one of those “innumerable thoughts” about each of these seven people in Subway.

So I lined them up, including the two Subway workers! I risked. I didn’t have a word at first. God didn’t even tell me to do it—I was just on fire about God. But He honored my efforts to glorify Him because He gave me prophetic words for each one! For brevity’s sake I’ll just share two or three encounters.

The first lady freaked out because God showed me her bedroom and I described it in detail. The Lord gave me the most intimate secret detailed place of her life so that He could move into the secret place of her heart. For the second person, the Lord showed me some things to say about his father and drug addictions. He was absolutely blown away and actually fell under the power of God. Somebody had to catch him right there in the Subway. I went to the next guy and told him about his relationship with his girlfriend and about his hobbies. By then everyone’s eyes were as big as saucers. One guy ended up getting saved in the parking lot. It didn’t stop there because they all went over to a different coffee shop and said, “Come and see a guy who is telling us things about our life that nobody knows.” A whole new group of young people came over!

So there was a real demonstration of the Spirit of God and power, and from that day forward God began to put the seeds of this message about prophetic evangelism in my heart.



STIR UP THE GIFT THAT'S WITHIN YOU

Prophetic evangelism is a exciting! When we get out of our comfort zone and go to the people, it’s great, because we get to see first-hand just how much God loves them. He wants us to bust out of those church walls and get into prophetic evangelism because He wants to reveal Himself to the lost. He’s not going to lead us out and then hide Himself. Like I just said, He wants to reveal Himself to the lost. He’s going to give us words of knowledge and help us share the gospel.

You know, sometimes we feel kind of apathetic, but we don’t have to stay that way! Listen. We can stir up the gifts that God has given us. Look at what the apostle Paul said to Timothy. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim 1:6). I’ve always believed that there is a place in the kingdom of God to stir up the gifts that are within us. We can stir up the gift of prophecy enabling us to prophesy in proportion to our faith (Rom. 12:6). And guess what? A smile is a gift, too!

Paul also wrote to the Corinthians and exhorted them to desire earnestly the spiritual gifts, but especially that they may prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1). Therefore Paul is essentially saying that we all have the opportunity to learn how to prophesy if we desire to do so (of course under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit). The one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation, as well as edifying the church (1 Cor. 14:3-4).

As I studied these scriptures I realized that all of us can hear the voice of God. Also, when I discovered that Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27), I said to myself, “It’s for me!” With confidence I knew that I could prophesy by faith and I started to see that I could move in the prophetic in just about any area I wanted, because the Holy Spirit was the source of revelation knowledge. The Bible says, “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27). Nobody knows the thoughts of God except for the Spirit of God. So I said, “The Spirit of God is in me, and the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God. He has innumerable thoughts about me and about others, so all I have to do at any time is say, “Holy Spirit, just give me one of those thoughts.”

And so I stirred up the gift of prophecy within me and I was released in prophetic ministry. I started to travel in the beginning with Patricia King, Peter Helms and different prophetic ministries and they used to call on me when they sensed that God wanted to release me for prophetic ministry in their meetings. I would lay hands on someone, ask God for one thought, believe that I could hear the voice of God and then I would prophesy by faith.

But listen! The prophetic ministry isn’t just for me. There is a place where we can all prophesy and where we can all learn. We just need to take to heart the words of Paul that I mentioned earlier—“desire spiritual gifts but especially that you may prophesy.”

Prophesying is an important way to show an unbeliever that God is real and that He has His hand on their life whether they honor Him or not. Look at what Paul says:

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you” (1 Cor. 14:24-25).

The prophetic is released to help unbelievers to be convicted and convinced about God. Then they can report that God’s love is being manifested through us and among us. So there is something about that prophetic anointing that brings the fear of the Lord and that convinces and demonstrates. Paul is saying that there is a place to prophesy in the context of unbelievers.

But one of the interesting things about moving in the gifts of the Spirit is that after we stir up the gifts and move in the anointing, as soon as we walk out the church doors so often the anointing shuts off. I don’t believe that God shuts it off. I believe that we shut down. It’s like unconsciously we say that it’s okay to prophesy in church but it’s not okay in a restaurant or on the streets.

Hey! Let’s take it to the streets! I believe we can say, “God, I am about to go into the streets of our city. Please release Your power through me so that the lost will know You are real and be saved.” We can begin to pray in tongues and we can begin to stir up the gifts of God and get ourselves into ministry mode for the unbelievers in the streets and see even a greater release of the power of God and demonstration of the Spirit!

We need a release of prophetic evangelism. And it’s coming!! Stir up your prophetic gift. Exercise it! “Practice makes perfect!”



PROPHETIC WORDS UNLOCK PEOPLE'S HEARTS

Restaurants are such good places for prophetic evangelism because the waiter or waitress is going to come back to your table several times. It’s not threatening. They want a tip, so there’s some sort of communication there!

Once in a restaurant the Holy Spirit gave me and a friend of mine some prophetic words for our waitress that really let her know God loved her. The words were so precise that she was floored. She didn’t want to give her life to Christ at that time but God doesn’t waste His word! I believe that her encounter with the Holy Spirit that day will be used along with other future encounters and she will eventually get saved.

Another time when we had a crusade in Portland we went to the people on the street. There, the Spirit of God gave me a key to open up the hearts of the people we were led to. They were criminals, drug addicts and illegal immigrants (that had come up from Mexico). The Lord told me to tell them something about their Mommas, ask how their family was doing and if there was anything that we could pray for them. They were touched! “Wow! You really care about me? You really care about the things that I care about?” All their “walls” came down. “He’s praying for my momma—let’s do it!”

Maybe initially people don’t want to get saved but you want to open up their heart for the gospel. God will give you the key. “Can I pray for you? You need to give your life to Jesus.”

We just need to be open to evangelistic strategy. More often than not, we’re not going to get too far if we just open up the Bible and start preaching at people: “You’re going to go to hell, you better come all you sinners and repent.” Rather, it’s just as simple as, “Can I pray for you?” Or, “Do you have anything that I can pray for you?” Then pray right there. Don’t just go home and pray. Say, “Let’s pray now.” You ask them to close their eyes and pray with you and then you get them into the presence of God and He begins to open up their spirit.



BE READY

Windows of opportunity, to minister prophetically to people, often happen when you least expect it, so be ready! I say that because during one of our conferences in Canada I was surprised when the Holy Spirit pointed out five young guys having a meal. He said, “I want you to go over and share the gospel with them because one of them is ready. He has had an encounter with Me.”

I got up and went over to the table and I said, “I just felt like God told me that somebody here had an encounter with Him today.” One of the guys answered and said, “I did! Somebody was out on the street and they came over and gave me an invitation to a crusade. They started telling me about Jesus and they prayed for me. I started to fall down and I felt all warm and fuzzy.”

Because the Lord shared with me that one of the guys at the table had an encounter, that information opened a window of opportunity to share the gospel! All five of them (with their beers in their hand) got saved, plus the waiter. And so we left with six souls in 15 minutes because of one word from God that unlocked their hearts! I made myself available to the voice of God, but more than that, God spoke in such a way that I could hear correctly and release a word of knowledge and share the gospel. That’s a great example of prophetic evangelism!

I hope this teaching is wetting your appetite to get out there and do the stuff! Listen. Next week we’re going to discuss how to be in the right position to receive God’s power for evangelism and why it is so important to be set apart and different from the world around us.

























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Investing In Future Generations The Rapture Part 2

INVESTING IN FUTURE GENERATIONS- THE RAPTURE PART 2



Today, we have a group of people who have taken doctrine that was built, not on revelation from God, but a poor reaction to a cold church. They have brought this doctrine into the teachings of today. We hear people preach out of the Book of Revelation and instead of interpreting it in its original format, they create their own interpretations, which are completely false. The result is, we are not evangelistic or involved in the world. Instead of reaching out, we have developed an “escapism” mentality and we are no longer dominant to win the earth.

The reason prophecy doesn’t sit well with certain religious groups, is because it doesn’t fit in with their structured, organized beliefs. They have forced God to stick to a clock, but He lives in the realm of eternity and there is no clock in heaven. God is creating a prophetic move in the earth, but we have to be extremely cautious when listening to people, we must make sure we are truly hearing what they are saying. We have to challenge them. If they are teaching inaccurately, they are not telling the truth. We must ask them where they are getting their information and where did the belief originate. So often, members of a church will just take what their pastor says as absolute truth because he is a pastor. But we should know the true history of our beliefs, and make sure that the truth prevails.

Presently, our obstacle is not the world, but the church. Saul is the one who had these words said about him, “…that rebellion is like witchcraft”, and it was his words that were spoken against David and his attitude in how he tried to lease the people. There is an entire movement within the church today that is interested in pleasing the people, gaining the crowd, manipulating to get your offering and not really caring about you and what happens to you after you leave the conference. The church in America is not being deceived, but rather waking up to the truth.

In 1974, I took a job as a salesman, expecting the impending rapture at any moment. I didn’t care about the future. I took the job, selling furniture, but I was paid on commission. Much to my disappointment, I realized after only selling 1 cushion and a small chair in a month, that this was not my calling.

After that, I went through various jobs. I am not a lazy person, and I just wanted to work so I did whatever came my way. Eventually, I ended up working in a factory for Volkswagen. I was pretty intelligent and I was capable of doing more than I was doing, but that’s where I was at that time. I had worked there for a few months, when one of the directors came into our department with the chairman/president of the company. I think they were giving him a tour of the main office. As we congregated outside, a message came through on the main line. I answered the phone, and the person on the other end asked me to write down a message for the chairman of the company. I wrote the message, and knocked at the door. The secretary took the note from me and gave it to our boss. I could see through the glass that they were handing my note around and I worried that they couldn’t read my handwriting (because it is very artistic). The door opened and somebody asked, “Who wrote this note?” I confessed that it was I, and they asked me what I was doing working there with such beautiful handwriting. I was immediately promoted just because of my handwriting.

What I’m getting at is, a prophetic person is not restricted as much, and doors miraculously open many times for them. You just have to learn to recognize when opportunities present themselves. At the time of my promotion, I did not recognize that. But as time went on, I began to realize that God was opening these doors. Don’t worry about your present position, but ask what God is trying to say and remember that it is all how you perceive things.

So what is wrong with wanting to go home and be with the Lord? God made a means to get to Him through death. There is an unborn Christ in every generation and this is most evident in children. There is an unborn appearance of Christ. The Bible says that there is an apostasy in every generation and they crucify the Son of God, afresh. Therefore, in every generation, there is a crucifixion of Christ. Obviously this is not a literal crucifixion, but rather a move of God that takes place. The “old” generation struggles to accept the move of the new generation because they are satisfied and comfortable. When God does something new and fresh, the religious sector, and part of the church will begin to fight and accuse the fresh thing that is happening and so it has to be crucified in order for it to be resurrected. There is a conflict within the church every time a generation gets satisfied or comfortable. When there is too much prosperity, and we get too comfortable and we think we’ve figured out when the rapture is going to take place, God surprises us with a whole new move of His Spirit.

What is the translation that is taking place in the Spirit? The fact is, that every generation attacks and comes against any move of God that does not suite their theology or eschatology, and they fight it. They attack it and say, “This is not of God, it isn’t dressed the way it is supposed to, and it doesn’t make the same noises that we made when we were filled with the Spirit”. As a result, they attack something that is about to bring freshness to a generation. But there cannot be a new appearance of Christ unless there has been a death, it has to go into the ground and die before it can bring forth life. In any generation, there is a crucifixion of anything that comes straight from the throne of God, from those who have been satisfied.

Martin Luther came forth and challenged the Catholic Church by nailing his thesis to the door of the religious sector. He pulled from scripture that only by faith, not by works or repetition, will your trust in God bring you salvation. As a result of his actions, a fresh move was born. Many people were crucified and burned because they saw the truth and recognized what God was doing. It is happening again. They may not be able to physically crucify you or throw you into fire, but they use persecution and accusation. If you are in that place, know that there is something in the womb, leap for joy because the best is yet to come. We have not even begun to taste the true plan for us in the Kingdom. The beauty and glory of God is about to come and invade with a glorious righteousness.

John the Baptist rejoiced in the womb of Elizabeth, he leaped for joy at the presence of Christ. There was no record of any miracle in the first 30 years of Jesus’ life, but when John the Baptist pronounced, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”; he boldly, prophetically and with incredible knowledge, attained what was in the womb. The knowledge was not attained by the thirty years of knowing Christ by His performance, but it was his knowledge of Him that was attained when he leaped in the womb. If you are rejoicing and celebrating in something that is going to happen, but has not yet been born, you are celebrating creative truth. When it appears don’t crucify it, recognize it.



Kim Clement

Prepare The Way by Rick Joyner

August 8, 2005


"PREPARE THE WAY"
by Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
www.morningstarministries.org




The greatest sign of the return of the Lord is recorded in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." An acceleration of transformation is now going on in the Church in order to prepare the way for this gospel to be preached and this prophecy fulfilled. The greatest force for truth is now being assembled for this purpose.

There are true, last-day prophets and apostles already living among us. Most are still immature, but they are here, they are maturing, and they will soon be released in power. Their commission will be foretold by the earth itself suffering spiritual contractions, so that all who dwell on the earth will tremble. God is coming to shake things up.


The Revolution

This "gospel of the kingdom" is not the same as the gospel of salvation, commonly referred to as "the gospel" which has been the primary message of the Protestant and the Evangelical churches for the past five hundred years. It is now time to understand the gospel of the kingdom, how it is distinguished from the gospel that has been preached, and how
the message of the church is about to change so that it is preached throughout the whole world.

We also need to examine the way that the gospel of salvation has been perverted in recent times, changing it from Him coming to save His people from their sins, to Him coming to save His people from their troubles. This is why so few remain in the faith after their "conversion." The only true salvation comes from the conviction of our sins and our profound and desperate need for the atonement of the cross of Jesus Christ. Anything other than this is a wrong foundation that cannot stand. He did not come to deliver us from troubles, but rather the opposite. When someone comes to Christ, he or she needs to immediately be prepared for troubles, as the whole fallen world will be against them.


Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming.


Without question, the Christian life is the most fulfilling, wonderful adventure that anyone can experience in this world, but it is also the most difficult life that can be lived on this earth. When people come to Christ, they need to be prepared for battle from the first day. If they are not prepared for this, they are very unlikely to remain in the faith, as the glaring statistics of those who "come to Christ" that are lost again to the
world should boldly teach us.

When we are born, it is not the goal of our lives, but only the beginning. Likewise, to be born again is not the ultimate goal of the gospel; it is the beginning of the greatest quest and journey toward the full maturity of what we are called to be. It is now time for the Church to go on to maturity, and this must begin with our message. It is the greatest message of hope, but also a call to battle.

To preach the gospel of the kingdom does not in any way negate or denigrate the gospel of salvation. In fact, it is the gospel of the kingdom that leads to true salvation, which is why the Lord Jesus Himself preached this gospel, as well as the first century apostles. Redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are all part of the gospel of the kingdom, and these are reasons for which the kingdom is coming. However, the gospel of the kingdom does include more than the salvation of believers -- it is the message that the rightful King is coming to take over.

Those who are born again with the hope of salvation may be changed, but those who are born again in order to see the kingdom will be so changed that they are a "new creation" (see Galatians 6:15) -- which stands out in great contrast to those of the old creation. Just as the first century Christians stood out in stunning contrast to all who lived in their time, the radical faith that is about to be revealed through such radical Christians will cause the whole world to stand in shock and awe.

Recent studies have revealed that modern, Evangelical Christians are really no different from non-Christians in basic moral and integrity issues such as honesty, cheating, and immorality. That is about to change. As the Lord warned in John 15, every branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off. If you receive anything from this bulletin, heed the following clear warning from Galatians 5:16-25:

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

"For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

"Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

Again, we can know for sure that those who practice such things as are listed under the works of the flesh "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The scariest thing in the world should be if we are doing these things and getting away with them. As we are told in Hebrews 12, the Lord disciplines His children, and if we are without discipline, then we are not His.


The Gospel of the Kingdom

The gospel of the kingdom is not just the gospel of our atonement, but it is the good news of the kingdom of God and the declaration that the King is coming to establish it here on the earth, beginning with us. To be saved with a vision of our salvation is good, but it is man-centered. To be saved by a vision of the kingdom is an enlistment into the army of the coming King. This is not a matter of "majoring on minors"; each has very different consequences and different fruit. When the gospel of salvation is preached, we are compelled to "accept the Lord" and, often, it is done as if we are doing Him a favor. When the gospel of the kingdom is preached so that His kingdom is seen, we will bow the knee begging His acceptance.

As the Lord instructed His people to pray for nearly 2,000 years, His kingdom is going to come, and His will is going to be done right here on the earth just as it is in Heaven (see Matthew 6:9-13). This prayer of so many millions for so many years -- the prayer that the King Himself gave us to pray -- is going to be answered. He wants to start with us. That He came to be our Savior is something we will marvel at for eternity; however, He did not just come to be our Savior, but our King . . . There is a difference.

The coming of His kingdom is the greatest hope that has ever been preached on the earth. There is no hope found in any other religion or any philosophy of utopia that is as great as what we have been given to proclaim. As the troubles of the end of this age increase, the light of the hope of His kingdom will shine brighter and brighter. Now is the time to fill our lamps with this oil.

The earth will be restored to its former paradise so that there is no more war, sickness, dying, hunger, or even pain. The lion will lie down with the lamb, children will be able to play with cobras, and no one will hurt anyone else. This is the greatest message of hope that the world has ever heard. The gospel is not just "good news," but it is the greatest news -- the greatest message OF A FUTURE -- that the world has ever heard. Our message must change from proclaiming that the end is coming to proclaiming that the beginning is coming.


He Comes to His Temple First

This is a sure promise, and the time is near for its fulfillment. The kingdom of God is surely coming to this earth, and soon. However, it can come to us today! We can live in the kingdom now, and those who begin to proclaim it will do this as true citizens of this kingdom. As we read in Revelation 3:20, the Lord has been standing at the door of His Church, patiently knocking to see who would open to Him, but the time is near when He will suddenly burst into His temple and take over. His Church is then going to be His body who does His will, speaks His words, and does the works that He did.


Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men.


We may think this is what we have been doing -- following His leading in everything -- but, in truth, few have followed Him in much at all. Many wonderful things have been done in His name, which the Lord has blessed, but He will bless many things that He will not inhabit. There have also been many terrible -- even diabolical -- things done in His name.

Soon we will know the difference between what was truly born in the heart of God, and that which was born in the hearts of men. He is going to cleanse His temple, destroy the idols that have been set up there, and drive out the money-changers. He is then going to rebuild it so His church is, in fact, His church -- His body of which He alone is the Head.

Great changes have been happening deep in the heart of the church for years. These are about to accelerate, resulting in such a great transformation that it will be viewed as the greatest move of God in His people since the Day of Pentecost when He first poured out His Spirit on the Church. Like the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, it will begin with a remnant that has been very close to Him, but it will quickly get the attention of the rest of His people in every nation. These will also begin repenting of their ways that have in fact caused them to reject Him and live contrary to His will. Just as John had to preach repentance before Jesus came the first time, a great repentance is going to precede His second coming.

The sword of the Lord will sweep over the whole earth and remove from among His people all who are not bowing before Him. He will remove the arrogant and the stumbling blocks. When we see this deep repentance even touching the most highly visible and influential leaders of the Church, we can begin to expect a radical transformation of the Church so that true, New Testament Church life as the Lord intended can be re-established on the earth. Then the Church will not be known so much for its organization, facilities, or even its message, but it will be known as the place where the living God dwells. His people will be continually in awe of Him, and the rest will be in awe of His people.


Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted.


Another sign that His kingdom is near will be the mountains being brought low, and the valleys and low places being raised up. Many of the things that have been high and lofty in the Church will be brought down, and things that have been kept in low esteem will be exalted. The message of the cross and the crucified life will be the first to be lifted up. The messages that have promoted presumption, self-seeking, and selfishness will be brought low. The messengers who promote them will likewise follow them.

Through the coming repentance, a great and profound maturity will come to the Church. It will be such a radical change that Christians will claim that they have begun to see the kingdom of God and even the King for the first time. To a large degree, this will simply be the result of getting our eyes off of ourselves and turning to Him. Instead of the Church being so focused on building itself, it will begin to focus on preparing the way for His kingdom. This reorientation from self-focus to that which is greater will, in fact, do more to build the Church than all of our self-focus was ever able to do.

Even so, this great repentance will result in a great pruning of the Church. Many will not be willing to make these changes. The recent split of many denominations around basic issues is but a small foretaste of what is coming. Those who are more devoted to institutions or organizations than to the Lord will have a hard time, and many will not make it. Even so, those who do must press on.

In a relatively short period of time, the Church will become more brilliant and powerful than it has ever been. The branches that are cut off from it will wither and die very fast. Do not die with them. Our allegiance must be to the Lord and His kingdom, which is bigger than any denomination or movement. When denominations turn from the Lord and His Word, it is time to turn from them.


From Control to Authority

There have been many messages that have come proposing to be the gospel of the kingdom, but, as Robin McMillan observed, most of these messages have somehow been about how to control people. Indeed, a control spirit has not only entered into many of these teachings, but has sat in the seat of authority in much of the Church since the first century. There is still a great deal of confusion in the Church on the issues of authority, but that will soon change as a true authority is raised up.

Obeying the Lord and His delegated authority is important. The Lord Himself explained that if we call Him "Lord," but do not do what He says, we are building on a foundation that will surely collapse (see Luke 6:46-49). Therefore, obedience to Him as the King is crucial for being a true messenger of His kingdom.

However, the way in which the Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom actually said very little about authority and obedience, but rather He demonstrated their power over the conditions on earth.

For example, when the Lord saw a cripple it was as if He said (I am paraphrasing), "You know, there are no cripples in Heaven, so watch what happens when the kingdom of Heaven touches this cripple on the earth." Then the cripple would be made whole.

When He saw a multitude hungry with no food, it was as if He said, "You know, there is no lack in Heaven, so watch what happens when Heaven touches these few loaves and fishes . . . "

The condition of Heaven would touch the circumstances on earth and prevail over them. In this way, the authority of the kingdom of Heaven was demonstrated to be greater than any authority or condition on the earth. He told His disciples to go and live the same way so that they could preach the same message.

He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain . . .

It is noteworthy that when the Lord turned the water into wine or multiplied the fish and loaves, He always made too much! Of course, He did this purposely to demonstrate the abundance of His kingdom. He did come to give abundant life! He promises those who are faithful to bring the whole tithe into His storehouse that He will pour out a blessing which they cannot contain (see Malachi 3:8-12). Likewise, the apostle Paul affirms the same in II Corinthians 9:6-8:

"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.

"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."

Life in the kingdom is one of abundance, having "all grace" abounding to us, "all sufficiency in everything," and "an abundance for every good deed." However, this is not just for our consumption, but for service. It is also in Spirit and power, which is why the apostle Paul wrote:

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

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

The message of the kingdom is about the King. The office of king is obviously about authority, but the authority of the kingdom of God is not about beating people into submission. In John 18:36 the Lord said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom is from above and, in many profound ways, not like the kingdoms of this world. Most of the doctrines concerning the kingdom, and even those which have been declared to be the gospel of the kingdom, are very hard to distinguish from the kingdoms of this world; they have very little evidence or demonstration of being from the realm of Heaven. What is coming will be different.

The foundational purpose of the coming gospel of the kingdom will not be about getting people to line up and obey. It will be about healing them, feeding them, and transforming their minds by such demonstrations of the goodness of God that people begin to love Him, His truth, His righteousness, and His justice . . .




by Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
www.morningstarministries.org

Testimonies Of Dead Raised

"With tears running down my face, I placed my hand on the mans chest, right over his heart. I prayed, Lord, I don't know who this man is, but you do. I ask that you move in mercy and Great Grace on his behalf, Father raise this man! I felt extreme heat go into my shoulder , down my arm and out my hand. The dead man's chest swelled up as if someone had blown air into his lifeless lungs. Color started coming back to his face. People in the crowd gasp, and did a very peculiar thing, they ran away!! You heard me....they ran away!" Smith Wigglesworth

Baby Raised from the Dead

10/31/02

I have been privilaged to see Jesus Christ raise a baby from the dead in Nigeria.

An unsaved ladies baby had died in her womb. The child was full term and had been dead for about 3 - 4 days. The lady was booked into a local hospital early in the next week to have childs body removed from inside of her.

A christian friend told the lady to come to church and be prayed for, as no harm could be done by this. The lady agreed to come to church, still planning to keep her appointment at the hospital.

We were in the church when the lady was brought for prayer, and everything that follows next we watched. As soon as she was prayed for in the name of Jesus, she instantally went into labour and within in minutes she delivered a baby boy right before us. But the baby came out stone cold dead. It's body was a strong yellow color from top to toe, due to the fact that the child had been dead for days and it's body was going toxic. The umbilical cord was a vivid, bright yellow. The baby was slapped and pinched but it did not revive. The senior man in the church came and prayed again. He stretched out his hand, and simply said "In the name of Jesus Christ - LIFE", and I watched as that babies face turned from yellow to pink and the child cried. There would of been about 20 on lookers that could all confirm this report.

Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday and forever, and to Him belong all the glory. Amen

Testimony from Mark

Railroad Engineer Raised from the Dead

Dr. Charles A. Blanchard, late president of Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, is the author of a blessed book, 'Getting Things from God,' a book on prayer. The book is published by The Moody Press, of Chicago. Dr. Blanchard gives in his book the remarkable story of a railroad engineer raised from the dead in answer to his wife's prayer. Dr. Blanchard says:

A Railroad Engineer Testifies

'I was a few weeks ago in the Eighth Avenue Mission in New York. On the platform by me sat a gentleman, to whom I was introduced, but whom I had never before seen. When the meeting had progressed for an hour or so, Miss Wray, the superintendent, called upon him for a testimony. He said: "Friends, about two and a half or three years ago I was in the hospital in Philadelphia. I was an engineer on the Pennsylvania Lines, and although I had a praying wife, I had all my life been a sinful man. At this time I was very ill. I became greatly wasted. I weighed less than one hundred pounds. Finally the doctor who was attending me said to my wife that I was dead, but she said: 'No, he is not dead. He cannot be dead. I have prayed for him for twenty-seven years and God has promised me that he should be saved. Do you think God would let him die now after I have prayed twenty-seven years and God has promised me that he should be saved. Do you think God would let him die now after I have prayed for him for twenty-seven years and God has promised, and he is not saved?' ' Well,' the doctor replied, 'I do not know anything about that, but I know that he is dead.' And the screen was drawn around cot, which in the hospital separates between the living and the dead.

'"To satisfy my wife, other physicians were brought, one after another, until seven were about the cot, and each one of them as he came up and made the examination confirmed the testimony of all who had preceded. The seven doctors said that I was dead. Meanwhile my wife was kneeling by the side of my cot, insisting that I was not dead--that if I were dead God would bring me back, for He had promised her that I should be saved and I was not yet saved. By and by her knees began to pain her, kneeling on the hard hospital floor. She asked the nurse for a pillow and the nurse brought her a pillow upon which she kneeled. One hour, two hours, three hours passed. The screen still stood by the cot. I was lying there still, apparently dead. Four hours, five hours, six hours, seven hours, thirteen hours passed, and all this while my wife was kneeling by the cot-side, and when people remonstrated and wished her to go away she said: 'No, he has to be saved. God will bring him back if he is dead. He is not dead. He cannot die until he is saved.'

'At the end of thirteen hours I opened my eyes, and she said: 'What do you wish, my dear?' And I said: 'I wish to go home,' and she said: 'You shall go home.' But when she proposed it, the doctors raised their hands in horror. They said, 'Why, it will kill him. It will be suicide.' She said: 'You have had your turn. You said he was dead already. I am going to take him home.'

'I weigh now 246 pounds. I still run a fast train on the Pennsylvania Lines. I have been out to Minneapolis on a little vacation, telling men what Jesus can do, and I am glad to tell you what Jesus can do."'

Dr. Blanchard was a great educator, a man of national prominence, a scholar, as well as a devout Christian. It was not hard for him to believe that God had answered the prayer of a wife for her unsaved husband, and that he was brought back in order that he might be saved. And if it is hard for you to believe, then I ask you in the words of Paul the apostle, 'Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?' (Acts 26: 8).

If such an occurrence is rare, then it is equally rare that a woman should pray like that and believe God. God still answers prayer for those who trust Him." (John R. Rice, "Prayer--Asking and Receiving," Wheaton, IL: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1942, pp. 269, 270.)

The book by John R. Rice is one of the best I ever read on prayer. Although he was a fundamentalist, Baptist evangelist, he yielded no ground to the idea that the days of miracles had passed. Some of his best chapters are titled: "Big Prayers to an Almighty God," "Does God Work Miracles Today?" and "Miracles Today, Cont'd.

Horace S. Ward, Senior Pastor
Maranatha Church of God
Post Office Box 31149
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420-1149

FINLAND - BOY RAISED FROM THE DEAD


For nearly three years invitations had been coming to Brother Branham to conduct a series of healing meetings in the Scandinavian countries. Various circumstances had hindered him from making such a journey, although from the beginning he felt assured that these calls were of God. Therefore, in January, 1950, he called on Bro. Gordon Lindsay to make arrangements for the trip to Finland.

April 6, 1950

On this date at three o'clock in the afternoon, the party boarded the large overseas airliner, Flagship Scotland, and took off for London, England. It was on April 6, 1909, that William Branham was born. April 6, 1917, was the day that America relinquished her historical isolationism and entered the European War. Historians tell us that it was on April 6, in the year 30 A.D. that Christ died on the Cross. Perhaps the members of the party might be excused for thinking that April 6, is a day of significance.

En Route to Finland, Brother Branham the and ministers who travelled with him spent a few days of relaxation in London, England and two days in Paris. After two days in Paris they continued their journey to Finland via a Scandinavian airliner. On the 14th of April, the group landed at Helsinki where we were met by several ministers including Pastor Manninen, who had given us the invitation, and Sister May Isaacson, our American-born interpreter, whose knowledge of the Finnish language contributed greatly to the success of our meetings in Finland.

The first service at the Messuhalli witnessed a crowd of 7000 in attendance. After that, several thousand waited outside all afternoon, standing in a line four deep and a half mile long, so that they might be assured of a seat in the largest auditorium in Finland.


She Only Touched His Coat

During a five day interlude, when the auditorium could not be obtained, the Evangelistic party went north to Kuopio which is not far from the Arctic Circle. Faith was very high in this city and some marvelous miracles took place. One of these was the healing of little Veera Ihalainen, a war orphan, whose photograph is shown elsewhere in this book. She was marvelously delivered from wearing a brace and using crutches, after she had, in faith, touched the coat of Brother Branham as he passed by.


A Young Finnish Boy Raised From The Dead

This is one event, which will never be forgotten by the members of the party, and others standing present at the time. God fullfilled a prophecy he had given to Brother Branham about two years previous. He had told his church and many others, of a vision that the Lord had given him of a little boy being raised from the dead. He even described the clothes which the boy was wearing which indicated that the vision would not be fullfilled in America.

According to the vision the boy would be killed in an Automobile accident. Two boys would be involved - one would be killed instantly and the second would be critically injured and taken to hospital. When Rev. Gordon Lindsay had first heard Brother Branham relate the vision two years previous, he wrote the details on the 'fly-leaf' of his Bible.

One of the finnish Pastors who was travelling with the party was Vilho Soininen, of Kuopio. He related what happened on that day:



"On Friday afternoon a remarkable and startling incident took place which meant much to Brother Branham and to those of us who happened to be its witnesses. Three carloads of us made an unforgettable trip to nearby Puijo Observation Tower situated on a beautiful scenic elevation. The outing was one of the most precious I can remember, because of the blessing of God upon us.

Then as we were returning from Puijo, a terrible accident occurred. A car ahead was unable to avoid striking two small boys, who ran out into the street in front of it, throwing one down on the sidewalk, and the other five yards away into a field. One unconscious boy was carried into a car just ahead of us and the other, Kari Holma, was lifted into our car and placed in the arms of Brother Branham and Miss Isaacson who were sitting in the back seat. Brothers Moore and Lindsay were in the front seat with me.

"As we hurried to the hospital, I asked through Miss Isaacson, the interpreter, how the boy was. Brother Branham, with his finger on the boy's pulse, answered that the boy seemed to be dead, since the pulse did not beat at all. Then Brother Branham placed his hand over the boy's heart and realized that it was not functioning. He further checked the boy's respiration and could detect no breath.

Remembering the vision, he asked Bro. Lindsay to look in the 'fly-leaf' of his Bible and see what the vision said about 'a little boy being raised from the dead'. It was discovered that the description of the boy in the vision was exactly like the boy placed in Bro. Branham's arms. Then he knelt down on the floor of the car and began to pray. Brothers Lindsay and Moore joined in prayer, too, that the Lord would have mercy. About five or six minutes later, As we neared the hospital, I glanced back, and to my surprise, the boy opened his eyes. As we carried the boy into the hospital, he began to cry, and I realized that a miracle had taken place.

"The other boy had been brought in a little earlier and was still unconscious. As I was taking my guests back to their hotel, Brother Branham said to me, 'Do not worry! The boy, who was in our car, will surely live.'"

"At that time Brother Branham had no assurance that the other boy would live, but on Sunday evening he assured me on the basis of a vision which he had seen early Sunday morning, that he, too, would live. At the exact time that Brother Branham was telling me this at his hotel, the boy lay dying at the hospital. The boy, who was in my car, Kari, was dismissed from the hospital in just three days.

"In the Friday evening service Brother Branham told us about the vision which he had seen in America two years ago, and which had been fulfilled that afternoon when he had prayed for the dead boy. Two years previous he had told the vision to thousands in America. Now it was fulfilled. Brother Branham's coming to Kuopio was in the eternal plan of God! We of the Kuopio Elim Assembly wondered why the Lord was so good to us that He granted to just us the gracious privilege of receiving His servant."


Brother Branham Explains The Incident

Standing yonder in Finland that day, and that little boy laying there, dead. He'd been dead for a half hour. I started to walk away, Something put their hands on me. Turning around, I thought, "What was that?" And I looked at the site again. I thought, "Wait a minute!" Bro. Lindsay looked back there on the flyleaf of his Bible where it was written, "And it shall come to pass, a little boy about nine years old, he will be killed by an automobile. There'll be a long strip of evergreen, rocks lapped in there; the car will be laying across the road, wrecked. He will have on little stockings like, up high; a cropped haircut; and his little eyes will be turned back, the bones in his body will be broken."

I said, "Stand still, all of you!" The mayor of the citythere. I said, "If that boy isn't on his feet in two minutes from now, I'm a false prophet, ride and run me out of Finland." Certainly! "But if he is, you owe your lives to Christ." That's right. They stood still.

I said, "Heavenly Father, across the sea yonder, two years ago, You said this little boy would lay here..." According to the vision the boy was raise from the Dead.

Did you ever think about when someone was raised from the dead, what happens? Did you ever think in Finland there that time that little boy was raised from the dead? His spirit was gone from him. Now, the Word has to go out through into space yonder, and pick up that little soul, and bring it right back. See? How can It do it? It's the Word: heal the sick, raise the dead. See? How is He going to do it? It has to come by a watered Word. He'd showed the vision, and it has to happen. There laid the boy, there was everything laying there just the way He said it two years before, and there it laid. That's the reason I say about The Bear coming down the hill, whatever it was. It's got to happen, it's got to be so. See?


HIV/AIDS TESTIMONYIESWe had in the past three years, three people were tested AIDS (HIV) positive, healed by the Amighty Hand of God in South Africa.

In Canada a brother was told by his doctor he will die in 1997. This brother was HIV/AIDS positive. The Amighty God heard his prayers after the pastor prayed for him. He went back and see his doctor this year 1998. His doctor cannot understand what is going and why is he still alive. The Amighty God has healed him from this HIV/AIDS and this brother still live today for the glory of God.

A young boy who died in a car accident in 1990, was raised to life after our Pastor touched him. Who did it ? Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. He is still God.

There are also several cases of cancer i.e. lung cancer, breast cancer, and various other types and degrees of cancer which were all casted out. We believe, as Bro. Branham used to say, that all these illnesses are demons which were given scientific names by doctors.

All these testimonies are a sign of water that does not stagnate, but that is moving all the time. The Bible says that THESE signs shall follow them that believe. You come and see it for yourself.

Paul said that he did not come with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost. Come and here Prophet Branham meassge and get into the Spirit of God.

Four sisters whose wombs were dead, received fertility after the Spoken Word went out to them. As you know, the Spoken Word is very sacred and is like God taking contol of His vessel, using the mouth of His vessel and speak WORDS OF LIFE through him. This is just one of the dozens of testimonies regarding the ministry of the bride of Jesus Christ in this age.

Playing Church is over, now we are moving forward to take control of the promise of God to his bride in this age. Speak the WORD AND IT WILL COME TO PASS. The bride of Christ shaking this hour. Thanks be to God for his Prophet in this last days. What are you waiting for come and see the pillar of fire among us. We've THUS SAITH THE LORD.

Brother Darren Gertse was healed by the Spoken Word instantaneously. He suffered from a severe pain in his ears. God used the Pastor and he used the words: "Darren, hear the Word of the Lord: Pain disappear.I give you your healing, thus saith the Lord"

Sister Bywa's high blood pressure was brought back to normality by the Spoken Word. These were the words: "High blood pressure, go back to normality." The Pastor also said that we're not going to lay hands today. We're on the third phase.

Brother Ben Kennedy testified of his healing when the Pastor laid hands on him a few weeks ago while he was hospitalised in Paarl. His whole body was swollen after receiving the wrong injection and he was in a critical condition. The doctor declared him disabled to work for the rest of his life. (he could not walk or use his legs and hands).Today, after prayer, the doctor was proved wrong by the Lord Who took away his disability. A growth on his palm disappeared after anointed hands touched it. HALLELUJAH.

5. Pastor was preaching on the subject "Can these bones live?". Then he mentioned that the same Spirit that was upon Ezekiel is on him today (1 March 98). That caused the Fire to fall on many Believers. A young sister saw the Pillar of Fire hanging over the pastor and Fire coming out of his eyes. People were healed without laying on of hands. Others were slain to the ground. The scene was like that of a battle field. Three newly converts were baptised with the Holy Ghost. Four believers were baptised the same afternoon.

Ten souls came to the Lord following this combined service, accepting the Message of the Hour; they are awaiting baptism.

South Africa testimonyies was brought by our Brother Jacques. Canada testimonyies was brought by our Brother A.A. Thomas

E-MAIL TO Bro. A.A. Thomas: lord@megaweb.ca

Resurrection: Child in Texas

We had a bonafide resurrection (restoration) to life here in 1989. The infant son of our children's minister died of lung congestion, and was dead for 90 minutes. The child was in a hospital trauma room, and the physician came into the waiting room where the mother, father, another of our pastors and I were waiting, and informed us the child was dead: lungs collapsed, no self-generated heartbeat, etc. As the mother, other pastor and I prayed, the father went into the trauma room. We had a powerful release of faith to command the mountain of death to be removed. Meanwhile, unknown to us, the father was laying hands on the child, and asking Jesus to restore the boy. The father then came back into the waiting room with the rest of us. Within in a minute, the trauma room doctor came into the room and told us that for reasons he didn't understand, the child's heart was beating again. The length of time the child was dead caused some physical symptoms to remain. But the child is alive to this day. His name is Timothy Williams. His dad is Brandon Williams, pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas.

Wallace Henley
Senior Pastor
The Encourager Church
Houston, Texas





Resurrection: Child in Texas

We had a bonafide resurrection (restoration) to life here in 1989. The infant son of our children's minister died of lung congestion, and was dead for 90 minutes. The child was in a hospital trauma room, and the physician came into the waiting room where the mother, father, another of our pastors and I were waiting, and informed us the child was dead: lungs collapsed, no self-generated heartbeat, etc. As the mother, other pastor and I prayed, the father went into the trauma room. We had a powerful release of faith to command the mountain of death to be removed. Meanwhile, unknown to us, the father was laying hands on the child, and asking Jesus to restore the boy. The father then came back into the waiting room with the rest of us. Within in a minute, the trauma room doctor came into the room and told us that for reasons he didn't understand, the child's heart was beating again. The length of time the child was dead caused some physical symptoms to remain. But the child is alive to this day. His name is Timothy Williams. His dad is Brandon Williams, pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas.

Wallace Henley
Senior Pastor
The Encourager Church
Houston, Texas

http://www.fireonthealtar.com/

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Faith To Raise The Dead By Todd Bentley

FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 1 of 3

Today is the Day

John 11:1 5 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary and Lazarus.

He emphasizes it twice. Jesus loved Martha, loved her sister and loved Lazarus. He was passionately in love with Lazarus. He cared about all the needs of his life. When He heard that he was sick, about the depression, the impossible circumstances, and the impossible needs of Lazarus, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Lazarus was not just sick; He was on his deathbed. He did not need Jesus tomorrow; he needed Jesus yesterday. We are talking about an impossible circumstance.

There are dead ministries God wants to raise. There are dead visions that God wants to raise. There are people who are dead in their bodies with sickness and disease. God wants to raise the dead.

There are those who are giving up in their hearts right now. They are on the verge of financial breakthrough. Some who are called are giving up right now in the area of ministry in the vision of God and are on the verge of one of the most glorious days and releases of the anointing that they would ever walk in. How do we know that today is not the day for our miracle?

How do we know that the sun is not going to rise tomorrow? How do we know that today, for the infirmity that someone has had for thirty-eight years, will not be the day that God says, "Be made whole?"

We need to live every day of our lives with new mercies. We need to live every day of our lives as if today is the day. Today could be the day that He says, "Do you want to be made whole?"

Have you been in that place in your life where just when you thought the light and the breaking of the dawning of a new day was coming, and it could not get darker, it got darker? The car broke down, you lost your job, and you went, "That's ok, I've got some money in the savings account". And you got home and said, "OK Lord, if anything else is going to happen, I'm going to absolutely snap". Then you find out that the other vehicle you had, your son crashed, and the washing machine broke down, and somebody robbed your bank. Your money is gone and they do not know if they are going to be able to get it back. It always seems like it gets darker before the light comes. Just when you think the light is going to come and that it cannot get any darker, all of a sudden it gets more impossible. Another hardship and another trial comes, and you say, "God I'm not going to be able to take any more". The pressures of life mount up even more. Do you know what I am talking about? Are you at that place? Do you need something raised from the dead? Do you need a spiritual breakthrough? Are you ready for the release of resurrection power?

Jesus' Perspective

John 11:7-15 Then after this He said to the disciples,

"Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him."


Do you notice something about the perspective of Jesus? Lazarus was dead, but Jesus said he was sleeping. Was Jesus lying? God does not see our circumstances the way we see them. God does not see cancer and incurable diseases the way that we see them. God does not see the impossibilities of life the way that we see them.

In your heart, you may think your marriage is dead, your finances are dead, your ministry is dead, the anointing is dead, or your reputation is dead. You may have a vision in your heart that has died. There may have been a time when you dreamed about great exploits, and now your hope is dead.

The Lord said, "It is not dead, it is sleeping". The perspective of God sees our present circumstances and needs different than we do. And if it is sleeping, "I go, that I may wake it up." We need to speak to our situation and say it is not dead, it is sleeping. Though we have backslidden sons and daughters, and unsaved family, it does not mean that they are dead. To God, they are sleeping.

There is something about the heart of God that likes to move in the impossible. There is something about the heart of God that likes to move when something is dead. There is something about breakthrough and the dawning of a new day that comes when you are so dead and hopeless that you do not know if anything is going to be able to happen. That is when God is going to come. He said, "Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there." Why am I glad for your sakes? I am glad for your sakes that you might believe.

Every time that you are in a place where you no longer have the strength and the ability in your own giftings and theology, and you have come to the place where you are so empty and broken that you cannot move, say, "God says it is opportunity. That which is dead is opportunity for resurrection." Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." She said, "I know You are the resurrection and the life. My brother is going to rise. I am going to see him again at the Second Coming. I am going to see my brother again in heaven." And Jesus said, "I AM!". "I AM!" . "I AM!" Today He says, "I AM, right now, I Am the resurrection of that which is dead. I AM. Not, I am tomorrow. I AM the resurrection and the life." And she said, "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

Just like you and me. It is easy whenever we have victory under our belt. We are walking in the victory of God, or we are in the mountain of breakthrough. There is faith and assurance. We are speaking to the mountain and it is moving. Breakthrough is in our life. We are overcoming. We say, "God, whatever You ask, I'll believe it. Lord, I have faith right now for the impossible. I have faith right now to move mountains. I can raise the dead!"

Have you been in the place where just when you have victory under your belt, the phone rings? Lazarus is dead. All hope that you had for your circumstance is dead. And God says, "I am glad". Because it is not dead, it is sleeping. And if it is sleeping, I go that I may wake it up.

Martha said, "I know, even though I know my brother is dead, whatever You ask of God, He will give it to You. " He said, "Your brother will rise again." He said, "Let me see if you really believe what you say you believe. You say that whatever I ask of God, He is going to give it. Let me just test this thing and say, 'Your brother is going to rise again'."

We take the Word of God and put it in the future. " I am going to be healed." "I am going to die and go to heaven. Everything is always tomorrow. I am a "now" kind of a kingdom guy. Today is the day of salvation. If I saw it in the Word of God, it was yesterday, and I should have applied it already. I live in the place that if it is there, I am going to have it now. And that is why we have been able to come to where we are so quickly. We refuse to wait. I believe in the patience of God, and the timing of God, but there are certain things that I refuse to wait on. If I know it is "now", if I know it was "yesterday", I am not going to wait. I am going to have it today. I am going to do everything that I can to lay hold of that which Christ has laid hold of for me, until I see it.

If miracles are now, then I am going to have miracles. I am not going to wait. You are never going to have a healing ministry. You have a healing ministry. You are never going to have an evangelism ministry. You have an evangelism ministry. You are to win souls now. Too many evangelists I know in the body of Christ do not even remember the last time they prayed and led anyone to Jesus. And you are an evangelist? How can an evangelist not win souls? Whether you are an evangelist now or an evangelist in ten years, you were an evangelist when God ordained you in the womb. So start acting like one. I have this "Now, Kingdom" kind of idea. And we need to lay hold of that which God has laid hold of for us.

Jesus reached the tomb. Lazarus was dead for four days in the grave, and his body had begun to smell. "Jesus wept." Do you know why Jesus wept? Some people believe that He wept because He had such a heart of compassion for Lazarus. He saw Martha, He saw Mary. He wept because He was grieving and mourning because Lazarus was dead.

Jesus was not weeping because of compassion. Jesus groaned in His Spirit and wept because of the state of unbelief of His people. When it really comes down to where the rubber hits the road and the Lord says to us, "I AM the Resurrection", it is always tomorrow. We cannot lay hold of what God has for us now. But faith lays hold of the promise NOW!

"I hope I get healed." "I hope its coming". "I hope this is it, Todd" "I hope that was the word of knowledge." God wants us to have hope. But do not allow your hope to be defined as "not until tomorrow." Faith lays hold of things now. Faith takes it as if it is yours, even if you do not see it. That is the substance of faith.

He groaned in His Spirit because of the unbelief. They did not recognize the power that Jesus had over that which was dead and impossible. He looked at Martha after He had raised Lazarus from the dead and He said, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would have seen the glory of God?" But you did not believe what you said you believed. So, I am glad that Lazarus is dead. Because now the deadness in Lazarus' body is an opportunity for me to show you that what is impossible with man is not impossible with God.

Levels of Healing Anointing

About three years ago, I started to get real excited about miracles. I had visitations from the Lord that lasted at times up to twelve hours with me on the carpet. I started to have trips in the Spirit. Out of that season, the word of knowledge and healing began to be released.

When I first began to be released in healing, I had faith for backs. I had a little faith for pain in peoples' bodies. So I began to lay hands on the sick and pray for backs to be healed and for pain to come out of peoples' bodies. As people got healed, I gained authority for the backs. I grew in a place of faith and confidence for the back. So you can kind of say that in the beginning of my healing ministry, I had a back-healing ministry.

I said, "God, I am ready to see a few more miracles. I want to see a little bit more of the creative. So the Lord began to give me faith for limbs, legs or arms that were a little bit shorter than others, to grow out a couple of inches. I got excited, and started to pray and believe for stomach conditions. I started to have faith for different categories of sickness and diseases. We like to categorize some things as harder than others. We think it is harder to heal cancer than asthma, and it is harder to heal cancer than backs. It is not true, but that is what we do.

So then, I started to have faith for cancer. I said, "Now I am going to get some authority in the Spirit over cancer, and the devil is going to know and I am going to know. I am going to walk in a new place and be able to get people healed of cancer.

I began to birth these levels of miracles. Then the Lord said, "Todd, I want you to birth the deaf now." I thought, "Oh God, the deaf?" "The deaf?" He said, "Yeah!" So I put my faith out there and began asking all the deaf to come up to the front. I really did not have faith worth a hill of beans that anything was going to happen. But all the deaf would come up, and they began to hear. So, I gained victory. See, He birthed each level. He birthed different levels of authority and power and confidence, and I grew in that anointing. About 90% of the deaf that we pray for are have their hearing restored. Then He said, "Now the wheelchairs." We have had about five cases of people who came out of their wheelchairs. I am still not satisfied. I still want more paralyzed bodies.

Then, I started going for the blind. We have had over ten cases of blindness healed in the last month alone, and it is growing. I am ready to pray for all the blind and deaf. My problem is, I cannot get the blind and the deaf in the meetings. Where are the wheelchairs? Where are the crippled bodies? Where are the deaf and blind? We need to compel them. We need to grab them and pull them off of the street. Then we can have the manifestation and the power of the Lord to heal.

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FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 2 of 3

Warring and Contending for the Miraculous

Mark 5:21-23 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him. And He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."

Here is perfect faith. "Come lay your hands on her and she will live." If I can get a hold of you now, God, she will live. I have perfect faith and confidence.

Why is it that God likes to come through at the last minute? When I get to heaven, I am going to ask God about this. Why is it that God is never early, but He is never late? Before the breakthrough comes, we think He is late. Then we see it come and realize how perfect He was. Then we vow, next time, next time, and next time I am going to have faith. God is never early. Why can He not bring breakthrough early to those who are living by faith? What is it about God and the last hour? What is it about God with the dead? What is it about God with the impossible? What is it about God that He hears about the circumstances of your life and He waits two more days? Why does He bring you to that place? "Because I am glad for your sakes that you might believe because I want you to conquer some things. I want to put some levels in your Spirit."

Mark 5:35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?"

He was still giving the confession of faith. He was still in a place of confidence. He said, "Whatever You ask of God, He will give it." If you will come now, God, I will have my breakthrough. It will happen, Lord. If you lay Your hands on my daughter, she will live. Have you been there? "My breakthrough is coming. I have got hold of God. I can feel it. I have it in the Spirit. The victory is coming. And then all of a suddenWhile He was speaking, one of the rulers came and said, "Your daughter is dead". Pop! There goes the balloon of your faith, enthusiasm, and excitement. When you thought it could not get any more impossible, it got more impossible.

And God says, "I am glad for your sakes." Because, that which is dead is opportunity for My resurrection power. We need to get excited about that which is dead.

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."

This man came to the crossroad of faith. God said if a miracle is going to happen, I must keep this man in faith. I must keep him believing that it is just as easy for Me to heal his daughter now, even though she is dead as it was for Me to heal her when she was alive. I must move My church into the place where they know that it is just as easy for Me to heal a blind eye as it is for Me to heal a back condition. I must bring My church to a revelation that it does not take more sweat to stretch forth My hand and heal somebody in a wheelchair than it does for Me to heal somebody's stomach condition. I must keep him in that place where he is going to believe. Because faith is going to release this miracle.

He said, "Only believe". If you can still believe the way you believed a moment ago, even though it seems even more impossible now when she is dead, I can still release your miracle. But it is so important that you only believe.

Only believe. That is easy to say, isn't it? Only believe. I mean, let me make it simple. Only Believe. You do not have a choice. There is no other choice, friends. Only Believe.

Do you know what the Bible gives you? The Bible gives you these three things; faith, hope and love. You do not even have the right to choose to be discouraged. You do not have the right not to believe. So you might as well just purpose in your heart today that you have faith, hope, and love.

God did not require anything of you except to believe. How long must I believe for my healing God? It has been twelve years. Benny Hinn has prayed for me. Kenneth Copeland has prayed for me. Kenneth Hagan has prayed for me. The church has prayed for me, and I am still not healed.

God did not say ten years, twelve years, or thirty-eight years. He said, "Many died not yet having received the promise". That means that you must war for what God wants to give you. If you do not have it, you war for it until you get it, or until the day that you die. You must war for it until your last breath. There is nothing else but faith, hope and love.

You just might as well make a purpose in your heart today that you are going to have to war. We are going to have to contend. We have to get excited about that which looks dead and say, "It is not dead, it is only sleeping."

The Faith of Abraham
Do you know why Abraham is known as the Father of Faith? The Bible says in Romans 4 that Abraham called forth those things that were not as though they were, and believed that God could give life to the dead.

God told Abraham as He tested him, "I want you to bring your only son and kill him. I want you to give me Isaac." Abraham was like you and I. He probably laid up all night and thought, "How am I going to tell Sarah that I have to take Isaac and kill him? What are the neighbors going to think? How can I justify taking the son of my own flesh? How am I going to take Isaac up there? How am I going to tie him up and take that knife and kill him? What if I have to stab him three times? What if he doesn't die right away? What if it hurts and I miss the fatal organ or something? That cannot be God. God said that in me all of the nations of the earth were going to be blessed. Isaac is the only natural manifestation that can even possibly help me get from point A to point B. If I take him out of the way, then what God promised cannot happen. So, this cannot be God."

He probably started to reason. And you better believe that he was like you and I. I mean, he loved his son. And he may have laid there all night long thinking about that. But, let me show you what happened.

Abraham counted God as a God to give life to the dead. Somewhere along the line, Abraham saw himself kill Isaac and saw God raise him from the dead. He knew that even if he brought Isaac unto that mountain and took his life, God would just raise him from the dead. And when he actually got up on the mountain, God said, "Because you already saw it and you already did it in the Spirit, it is as good as done."

Your miracle begins in your spirit. You need to see it. As you see it as done, it will manifest. You need to see it as finished. Abraham thought, "I already see Isaac killed, dead, and raised up. God gives life to the dead and calls forth those things which are not. If I bring him up there and kill him, God will resurrect him".

We must see it in our Spirit. We must catch a vision and revelation of what Jesus has already done. We must see ourselves healed. When I first started to store up the gifts of miracles in my life, I would lay in bed and fantasize until 2:00 am. I called them "Holy Ghost fantasies". I would see blind people in Africa coming to the altar. I would see myself put my hand on them and say "In the Name of Jesus, blind eye open!" I would see their eyes pop open and I would watch their face and watch the crowd. I would run over and say, "You deaf mute, hear and speak!" Then I would watch them hear. It would be 2:00 am, and I would be entertaining thoughts of preaching to thousands, and of thousands coming to the altar. Have you ever done that?

Some would say it was pride. They might say, "Who am I to ever think such great things? He is not going to do that with me. Lord, I ask you to forgive me. Who am I to think like that, God? " But God wants to move in the imagination of your heart, even above that which you can imagine. He wants to release that place of dreaming in your spirit. That is how I got started in the ministry.

Six years ago, I was in Africa. I was in Africa on my bed every night. I was in Africa last March, but I was there six years ago! My first miracle was in my bedroom. Why did Billy Graham preach to the trees? Why did Rodney Howard-Browne lay hands on his dolls? Why did the men of God preach to walls? What is it about seeing yourself do it before you do it? When you see that you have done it, it is as good as if you have done it, and then you act it out. You must have a dream and a vision of resurrection miracles in your Spirit. It is O.K. I release you to lay in your bed and fantasize about great exploits for God.

There came a place where I got so much confidence and so much excitement about seeing so many people healed in my imagination. Where I gave Him Lordship, God birthed.

There came a time when I said, "God, it is not good enough anymore to see them healed. I want to actually do it. I do not just want to fantasize anymore, I want reality." There comes a place where you get tired of dreaming. You get so stirred up about what you have dreamed that you cannot help but go and do it. You need to dream about healing. You need to dream about miracles. You need to dream about God using "little ol' you". You need to dream about laying hands on the sick and seeing them healed before they come to the altar. Release that confidence in your Spirit.

That is how I began to get released into healing. Then I put my faith out for one level, then another, and the Lord has brought us to the place where we see every kind of sickness and disease healed. And we are saying, "Lord, more!" It is the release of the miraculous. It all started with a seed in my Spirit. It all started on my bed. It all started with me seeing it as done. It all started with fantasy, with thought and imagination in the place in my heart where I allowed Jesus to rule and reign as Lord.

FAITH TO RAISE THE DEAD
By Todd Bentley
Part 3 of 3
It Begins with a Seed

II Kings 4:14 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.

And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. "Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there. And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman". When he had called her, she stood before him.

And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She answered, "I dwell among my own people."

So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old." So, he said, "Call her". When he had called her she stood in the doorway. Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant".

See, there was such hopelessness; such despair in her heart because she had tried for so many years to have a child. So many healing evangelists had already prayed for her that she did not want to hear something that sounded too good to be true. She said, "Lord, I have heard this too many times. Do not lie to your maidservant. You do not understand the woundedness in my heart. God, I am tired. I have been battling this a lot of years."

She did not get excited and say, "God said it and I believe it. Whatever you ask of God, He will do it. Whatever I ask in prayer believing, I receive it, hallelujah. I lay hold of that promise. It is mine. I am talking as if it is mine before I even have it." But something happened. This is what happens to you when God does what He says He is going to do. It releases confidence and faith.

II Kings 4:17 But the woman conceived and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

She had the manifestation of the promise of God. Have you ever had the manifestation of what God promised and the very thing that God gave you was taken away? And you said, "My God, I thought it came from You. I do not understand. I thought you were the One who led me to plant this church and now it is dead. I had the Word of God and saw the manifestation. I walked for a season in that gift, but now it is dead!"

II Kings 4:18-20 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "carry him to his mother." When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

I can see the transformation of the spirit of this woman. "No, Man of God, do not lie to me. Do not tell me things that are too good to be true. I have had so many prophecies. I do not want another prophetic word." But there was a transformation that happened in her heart.

II Kings 4:21-23 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run unto the man of God and come back.

So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."

Every time you purpose to believe God, every time you purpose to run to the man of God, every time you purpose to lay hold of the promise that God spoke to you, somebody will come to you and say, "Why are you going after the man of God today? It is not God's will. How do you know that God wants to heal you? God does not want to heal all. I have tried to get healed for twelve years. What makes you think that you are going to get healed? You have the same affliction as I. I am more righteous than you. There is more sin in your life. I have not gotten healed. Who gave you the right to expect to get healed? Come on, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath." There is always some voice, some preacher, some family, and some friend that cannot see it the way that you do. See when you have something in your spirit; nobody can have it except you. Nobody can understand where you are going except you.

How could I go in just a few years from being a drug addict to doing crusades all over the world? I had something in my spirit. I saw Pat Cocking call me out into the ministry that morning in my bedroom before it happened. The Lord visited me and said, "Tonight I am going to speak to Pat Cocking in the conference and tell her to take up an offering and call you out and ordain you into the ministry."

I went to that meeting having seen that, and nobody knew it except God and me. And it happened. But it was in my spirit first. Nobody will be able to understand what you've seen in your spirit. Nobody will be able to understand the vision or the dream that you have. You need to be careful sometimes with that of which you are fantasizing. Keep it between you and Jesus.

See, something happened to this woman. She believed the Word of God and she went after the man of God. "It is well. He is not dead, he is sleeping. I cannot see it now, but it is well."

II Kings 4:24-27 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; do not slack on the pace for me unless I tell you. And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!" "Please run now to meet her, and say to her, "Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?" And she answered, "It is well." Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me."

Elisha said, "I am a prophet, but the Holy Spirit has shown me nothing about the deadness of her son. I know nothing about the impossibility of her circumstance." He does not know that her son is dead. The Lord has hidden it from him. Yet, the very thing that God tells him to ask that woman is what God heard her say moments ago at her house. See, God is listening to what we say with our mouth. And there is always going to come a place where He is going to challenge us to see if we really believe what we say we believe. Because, Martha said, "Lord, whatever You ask of God, He is going to give it. He said, "Oh yeah? Your brother will rise again." She said, "I know, one day" He said, "No! I am the resurrection and the life!" And until the Word of the Lord comes to pass in your life, the Word of the Lord will test you. When you have a confession of faith, you better get ready for everything in hell to come against what you say and that which you have seen in your spirit. It is on the way.

God heard the woman say to her servant, "It will be well." I believe a miracle is on the way. I purpose in my heart and refuse to allow those discouraging voices to say, "It's not the time, it's not the new moon, it's not the Sabbath. No I have seen it in my spirit and I'm going after the Word of God. The Word of God is my answer. The promise of God is my answer. God is my answer and I'm going to lay hold of God and I'm going to be urgent about it.

Now she is in her trial for a while. She has had time to let it sink in that she is in an impossible circumstance. Her son is dead. So the Lord wanted to say, "Do you still believe the way that you believed moments ago?" He said, "Is it well with you?" It is like He was saying, "Only believe. Do you still believe it? Is it well with you? Is it well with your child? Is it well with your husband?" She said, "It is well." And she lay hold of the feet of the man of God and said, "Did I not tell you not to lie to me?" What she did was lay hold of the man that represented the Word of God and she said, "Have You not said, God? Does not Your Word declare, God? Have You not promised, God? Is this not Your Word to me? I got hold of You and I'm not going to let go, regardless of what I feel or see. I believe if You spoke it, it shall still be. And it will be well, though I don't see it now, though it's dead now, it's only sleeping. And if it's sleeping, I go that I might wake it up. It's not impossible. It just looks impossible for the moment. But I am glad for your sakes, because that which is dead is an opportunity for you to reach the realm of the impossible, the miraculous and the resurrection power of God.

II Kings 4:29-31 Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if he greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.

And the mother of the child said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore, he went back to meet him and told him saying, "The child has not awakened."

There was no voice. There was no hearing. I went to the Benny Hinn crusade and believed God. I got excited months before I got to that crusade, and hands were laid on me. I felt nothing. There was no change. There was no voice. There was nothing. I left the same as I had come. I came four nights to that miracle crusade, and I still left sick. People have prayed for me for ten years. There is still no voice. There is still no hearing.

Elisha sent this man. Think about the expectation, the faith and the excitement of that woman's heart. The prophet gave the word. This is Elisha. The guy went with the staff. She could just about taste her victory. And then he came back and said, "Oh, nothing happened. Might as well go home. Didn't get healed. The best of the best have prayed for me. I'm still sick. I might as well give up."

God gave us faith, hope and love. Many died not yet receiving the promise. There is no other choice in the kingdom but to believe and war until we are dead! So just purpose in your heart now to say "no" to hopelessness and discouragement. Just purpose in your heart that you have no other choice but to hold on to the Word of God and the promise of God or die. Which one is it going to be? Die or believe God?

II Kings 4:32-34 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.

The prophet prayed two times. He still did not get raised from the dead. So Elisha jumped up off of his bed and prayed a third time. And he stretched himself out over that boy again and said "life". After the third time, the boy was raised from the dead. It happened to Elijah too. The third time that Elijah prayed for the widow's son, he raised up from the grave.

Miracles did not just happen for me. I had to war, contend, conquer, war, contend, conquer, put my faith out, and I am still not where I am going to be in the miraculous. But I am still contending. I am still saying, "My God, I'm not satisfied. I'm putting my faith out there for more." I am still giving myself to praying for the impossible and I am still warring, contending, and pushing. I have a level, but I am not satisfied.

You may receive in a conference the seed of healing. It is the beginning of the manifestation of your miracle. But it is going to be released. Your flesh might get warm and you still might not be healed. Someone may lay hands on you and there may be no voice, no hearing, and no sign that anything has happened.

My message is a little bit different. It is okay to fight. It is okay to contend. It is okay not to be healed. It is okay not to be fully manifested in your miracle. The prayer of faith is "birthing it".

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He did not have to lay hands on the dead. There was authority in the Word of God. What is dead? Maybe your faith is dead. Maybe your relationship with God is dead. Maybe your marriage is dead. Maybe your body is dead. Maybe your church is dead. Maybe your ministry is dead. Maybe your children are dead. I want you to stretch yourself out in the spirit over them. I want you to see it, and command resurrection power to be released.

Why are you disquieted within me, oh soul? Why are you cast down? I do not have any other choice! I will hope in God! Who are you, soul, to rule me? Rule your soul! Why are you cast down in me, my emotions, my will, and my mind? It is hope or die. So be renewed in faith. Let your faith be resurrected. Let warfare, the release for warring and contending for miracles be released in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let your vision be resurrected, let hopelessness and despair GO in the Name of Jesus! Because, it is well. It is well!


Fresh Fire Ministries
PO Box 2525 Abbotsford, BC . Canada

Web: http://www.freshfire.ca
Email: toddbentley@home.com
Tollfree: 1-866-853-9041

Snail-mail: PO Box 2525, Abbotsford, BritishColumbia, Canada V2T 6R3