Prophetic Events Pointing to the Day of the Lord

The following message was presented at the Hickory, North Carolina, Aglow International Lighthouse on September 12, 2015.

Joel 2: 1-2.

2 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains, a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.

Introduction- The Day of the Lord

Joel gave this prophecy prior to the fall of Jerusalem which occurred in 586 BC when the Israelites were carried off to Babylon into exile for 70 years. Earlier in chapter one, Joel wrote about an actual invasion of locust which devoured all the crops, ruined the fields, the grain harvest, the grape vines and the olives trees. He witnessed how the massive locust plague and severe drought devastated Judah-- as a harbinger of the “great and dreadful day of the Lord” and he called on the people of Judah to repent.  

As a prophet of God, Joel discerned that the plague and severe drought were indicators of God's judgment on the nation of Judah due to their disobedience and falling away from God.

In Chapter 2, Joel tells the people to “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on God's holy (mountain). Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming; it is close at hand. Trumpets were blown loud and long to call the people to a sacred assembly, to fast and to pray. Today many prophets and ministers of God in America are sounding that same alarm.

God had a clear pattern of dealing with the the house of Israel. First, He sends a warning or multiple warnings through His prophets. If the people do not repent of turning away from Him, then comes judgment on the land and the people. When they finally cry out to Him, He brings restoration and blessings.

The Prophetic Events on God's Calendar this fall: 

The Blood Red Moons
The Mystery of the Shemitah
The Feast of Tabernacles
The Jubilee Year

God's Calendar- To understand how God thinks and how He makes His plans we have to use the calendar He gave the Israelites (Ex. 12:2).

Gregorian Calendar- developed by Pope Gregory and based on the cycles of the sun, January- December, dates from the birth of Jesus, 2015.

Hebrew Calendar- based on the cycles of the moon, Nisan (Mar-Apr) Adar (Feb-Mar), dates from the first Passover when the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt. Each new day begins with sundown of the day before. On God's calendar, we are living in the year 5776.

2015 on the Gregorian calendar is actually 5775-76 on the Jewish calendar. The Jews had two concurring calendars which they followed. A sacred calendar for the holy days and festivals begins with the month of Nisan. The civil calendar based on the four agricultural seasons begins with the month of Tishri- which is actually the 7^th month of the sacred calendar.

Three Annual Festivals: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. God instructed the Israelites to travel three times a year to Jerusalem to celebrate these festivals. Passover is celebrated in our spring season in the month of Nisan and Pentecost is 50 days later, similar to when Christians celebrate Easter and Pentecost.

Our focus today is on the final fall Feast of Tabernacles which begins Sept. 14, 2015 with:

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur,  and Sukkot. These Jewish High Holy Days run for the first ten days of Tishri, focus on repentance and are called the Days of Awe. We'll come back to this feast later on.

The Blood Moons- the 1^st prophetic event for 2015.
A total lunar eclipse is called a blood moon. When the earth casts its shadow on a full moon and eclipses it, the moon will take on a reddish glow.

Lunar tetrad- four total lunar eclipses happening in a row. The total lunar eclipses happen six months apart. The dates of the most recent tetrad were April 15 and October 8, 2014- on Passover. April 4 and September 28, 2015 on Tabernacles. The dates coincided with Jewish feasts in these years. There have been eight sets of tetrads since the time of Christ.

Super moon over Greece.

A Blood Moon and “Super Moon” combination will be seen on September 28 for a spectacularly large total lunar eclipse with the moon passing earth at the closest distance all year. It will appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than normal.

Pastor John Hagee wrote in his book, Four Blood Moons, that God is trying to communicate with us. He belives that something historically dramatic will happen to Israel in the next one to two years which will effect the outcome of history.   
 
Biblical references to blood moons are found in Joel 2:28-32 and Rev. 6:12.

 

Joel 2: 28-32 describes the day of the Lord and was quoted by Peter in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.

The Christian Broadcasting Network has a video with Pastor John Hagee talking about the significance of the blood moons. You can see it at: www.cbn.com/tv/3186562378001.

Two examples of blood moon tetrads which effected Israel in recent history.

1948- Israel became a nation when the Queen of England signed the Balfour Declaration. 1967- The Six-Day War Israel fought with six Arab nations. Arab soldiers saw an army of angels protecting the Jewish soldiers and surrendered or ran away. The Israeli soldiers took control of Jerusalem for the first time since 70 AD when the Romans captured it. 

Mark Biltz commented recently in Prophecy News Watch, “I believe and have always taught these signs in the heavens do not mark the end of the world. My interpretation is that we have at least another 1,000 years (the Millennieum). But I do believe these signs portend major changes, including a possible major war involving Israel and an economic collapse.”

According to Biltz, September is shaping up to be a perfect storm of global catastrophes. He cited several examples from at home and abroad. In the United States, civil order is under assault as police are increasingly under attack, homosexual marriage has been imposed on the entire country and Christians are being sent to jail for their beliefs.

God is giving signs in the heavens through blood moons and solar eclipses appearing specifically on significant dates on the biblical calendar to grab the world’s attention. Biltz argues, “These are not just harbingers of things to come. I believe the heavenly call is going out to all who would come to the Feast.” What feast? The Feast of Tabernacles.

Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2015/September10/101.html#Xk5x21H09moVopzb.99

The Mystery of the Shemitah, by Jonathan Cahn- the 3^rd prophetic event in 2015.

Rabbi Cahn is the founder of Hope of the World Ministry and the Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel, located in Wayne, New Jersey, across the river from Manhattan. He personally witnessed the destruction of the twin towers and observed the building of the new World Trade Center. In his first book The Harbinger, Rabbi Cahn tells about 14 mysteries that indicate God's judgement is coming on America. (Notes below were taken from his book.)

The First Harbinger: THE BREACH or Sign of the Breach: Years before the judgment of a nation there comes a warning, a national shaking. The warning manifests in the form of an attack. The nation’s hedge of protection, its natural security, is breached. 9/11 was America's wake-up call. While watching the smoke rise to the skyline of NYC, the Lord directed Rabbi Cahn to study Isaiah 9 and 10 and there he found a vow pronounced by the leaders of Israel. Later he termed it- the Isaiah 9:10 judgment.

10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

This vow was an act of defiance by Israel. The nation of Israel was saying: “You will not humble us. We will not repent. Rather, we will continue to depart from Your ways. We will rebuild. We will replant. And by our own power and resources, we will come back stronger than before.” In the last 50 years, America has demonstrated the same pride and arrogance that Israel displayed during Isaiah's time. By making this ungodly vow, Israel pronounced a curse upon themselves.

The Shemitah is one of the 9 harbingers that have taken place in our lifetime. To understand completely the revelations given to Rabbi Cahn, you will need to read his book. I have included only a summary here to illustrate how prophecy is coming to past in America.

1. A Blessing. The Shemitah is designed to be a blessing from God. For the nation of Israel, every seventh day was called “the Sabbath.” The Israelites were commanded to keep it separate and distinct from the other six days of the week. It was the Lord’s Day and all regular work and all worldly endeavors were to cease. The Sabbath was the day of rest, to be devoted solely to the Lord.

Lev. 25:1–4  Also every seventh year was the Sabbath year. The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: Six years shall you sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruits; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD.’”

Then in Deut. 15:1–2, we read where the Lord commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release.”

The original Hebrew commands every creditor to make a “shemitah.” In Hebrew it is called the Lord’s “Shemitah” and it took place on Elul 29, the Day of Remission. Jewish farmers who faithfully kept the Shemitah’s requirement ended up with an extra abundant harvest the following year. God blessed them abundantly for their obedience to his commandments. The Shemitah is a reminder that God is the source of all blessings, spiritual and physical alike.

2. A Judgment of God. The keeping of the Shemitah was, above all, an act of devotion and worship, to put God above everything else in one’s life. BUT when God is removed from their life, the removal of blessings will ultimately follow. Instead of having a year of blessing, it can mean a year of judgment on a nation. So the matter of the Shemitah was critical. Upon it rested the nation’s future. God is not waiting for His people to disobey so He can punish them, we bring judgment on ourselves by our choices. Read Deut. 28 for a complete understanding of the blessings and curses God's people bring upon themselves depending on whether they love and obey God's commandments, or if they refused to honor Him.

The Shemitah and World History

The judgment that fell on the land of Israel in 586 BC was a pivotal event in biblical history, Jewish history, and world history. The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and the words of the Hebrew prophets fulfilled. 586 BC was the end of a Shemitah year and the Jews were exiled to Babylon for 70 years. The seventy years of judgment were the seventy unkept Shemitahs from Israel’s past.

How does the Shemitah have an effect on America?

Israel was a civilization established on the Word of God, dedicated to His purposes, and consecrated to His glory from its very inception. Only two civilizations in human history were established, dedicated, and consecrated to the will, the word, the purposes, and the glory of God from the moment of their conceptions. The first was Israel; the second was America.

As did ancient Israel, America has progressively redefined what was right and wrong, adopting a new morality to replace the old. It now calls evil “good,” and good “evil.” What it once celebrated, it now condemns, and what it once worshipped, it now reviles.

Just a few examples of what occurred on Shemitah years.

• The Crash of 1916–1917, World War I- 40 percent of the market was wiped out.
• The Crash of 1930–1932, The Great Depression- 86% on the market whiped out.
• The Crash of 1973- 45 percent of the market was wiped out.
• The Crash of 2000–2001 The Dot-Com Crash and 9/11- more than 37 percent of the stock market was wiped out. The crash occurred on the Monday following Elul 29.
• The Crash of 2007–2008, The Great Recession- It was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. 2007- a shemitah year. 50% of the market whiped out.

Only the hand of God could have calculated such complex and precise phenomenon. The mystery of the Shemitah has effected the course of the market, America and countless other nations. 

 

How does judgment come? It can come through another nation or nations. It can come through natural disasters or man-made disasters, economic collapse, attack from terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. Without God, there is no true safety or security for America. Without God's hand of protection over our nation, our enemies will be allowed to come within our borders and attempt to destroy us. Without God, America will collapse.

HOWEVER, God can not be put into a box. Prophecy does not have to happen when men predict it will. It will happen how, when and where God wants it to. Any shemitah year does not have to bring destruction. It is up to God if and when judgment comes upon a nation. We do need to be aware and forewarned of any impending judgment and make preparations. Wisdom says to be prepared for difficult times and don't be caught off guard.

The Shemitah's most dramatic impact leads up to and occurs on or around Elul 29, the last day of the cycle- the Day of Nullification. The shemitah year we are living in right now will end September 13, 2015. Dramatic events associated with the shemitah can also occur into the next year. 

The Feast of Tabernacles- the 2^nd prophetic event of this year. 
Three Events. The following dates are for 2015. To find out dates for another year, you will have to consult a Hebrew Calendar for that year.

1. Rosh Hashanah- Tishri 1 (Sept. 14). The Feast of Trumpets marks the start of the Jewish new year. It is a season of judgment, as well as a time for reconciliation with God. It occurs in the 7^th month of the the Jewish calendar year.
2. Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting and repentance, affording man the opportunity to cleanse himself of his sins and renew his relationship with God. Sept. 22-23.
3. Sukkot- the Festival of Booths (Tabernacles). The Jews camped out under the stars in huts made of branches for seven days to remember that God is our ultimate protection. Sept. 28-Oct. 4.

Jesus- the Fulfillment of the Feasts 
Dr. Richard Booker in his book, Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts, wrote that for 1500 years, the Jewish people learned about the one true God through the religious laws and rituals that God instructed them to perform. These rituals taught them how to know God and walk with Him-- and pointed them to the Messiah. In other words, God's pictures in the Old Testament pointed the Jews to the person of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Jesus fulfilled the first two feast seasons- Passover and Pentecost- at his first coming. He will fulfill the third feast season,Tabernacles- at His second coming.

Passover- the first feast. During the month of Nisan when the Jews were in the temple sacrificing a lamb on the altar for the remission of their sins, Jesus was being crucified outside on the cross on Golgotha. His physical death and resurrection took place on the exact day and hour that the Feast of Passover was being celebrated by the Jews.

Pentecost- the second feast. Traditionally, the Jews celebrated Pentecost as the day God met with Moses on Mount Sinai to give him the Torah- the book of the Law. Exodus tells us it was in the sixth of Silvan. 1500 years later on that same date when the Day of Pentecost came, the Jews were in the temple celebrating. However, on that same day and hour, the Lord's apostles and other believers were in the upper room-- receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.

Dr. Booker explained, that just as the Hebrews received the book of the Law on the original Pentecost, 1500 years later 120 followers of Jesus Christ received the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1 and 2). As Spirit-filled Christians, we understand the importance of following God's commandments in the Old Testament, but we also need revelation and enlightenment given to us by the Holy Spirit. The Law without the Spirit is religious legalism. The Spirit teaches us and empowers us to live under God's grace and mercy. The Spirit of Christ in us transforms us over time into sons and daughters of God.

 

Tabernacles- the third fall festival of the Lord. When Messiah Jeshua returns the next time-- He will return according the Old Testament picture God gave the Israelites- during the fall harvest on the Feast of Tabernacles. Jews from around the world will be gathered together in Jerusalem for seven days to celebrate the Festival of the Ingathering- the final harvest of the year and a time of rest from their labors. It will be a time of great rejoicing and they will sleep in booths or shelters outside under the stars. It will begin on the 15^th of Tishri and end on the 22^nd (Sept. 28- Oct. 4, 2015).

The Feast of Tabernacles represents the complete and final work of God in this present age. We know from Scriptures that Jesus Christ, Messiah Jeshua, is the ultimate tabernacle or dwelling place of God in human flesh. God dwells in our midst through Jesus who gives us His Spirit in our hearts. Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles at His second coming.

Sunsetting over Jerusalem and the Eastern Gate

I can just imagine what that day will look like. One glorious morning Muslims around the world will be facing East toward Mecca worshiping Allah. The sirens from the mosques will be blaring away calling the people to morning prayer. In the synagogues of Jerusalem, Jews will be sounding the last trumpet call with their ram's horn shofars. For the last seven nights, they have been sleeping in booths or tabernacles on the roof tops of their homes. They will look up to the morning sky and see... a strange sight in the heavens.

Messiah Jeshua in all His Father's glory will descend out of heaven with all His glorious saints and a multitude of angelic host. He will land on the Mount of Olives and proceed to take the path that leads over to the Temple Mount-- just like He did 2,000 years ago in the year 33AD riding on a donkey. Read the passage in Matt.21:8-10 for his first entrance into the city of David. 

Except the second time, will be much different. Jesus Christ of Nazareth will make his second triumphal entry into Jerusalem-- with angelic voices crying... “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

This time He'll be riding a white horse with eyes like blazing fire and on His head will be many crowns. He'll be dressed in a robe dipped in blood and out of His mouth will come a sharp sword to strike down the nations. On His robe and on His thigh will be written the words, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Rev. 19:11) Let's give a glory shout!

The Eastern Gate pictured here was sealed in 1530 AD when Muslims conquered the city of Jerusalem (the Ottoman Turks). 

However, one day Jesus will supernaturally pass through the now sealed Eastern Gate just like He did when He appeared to His disciples in His resurrected body and walked through the locked door (John 20:19). Then finally, the world will know that Messiah Jeshua has returned to set up His kingdom on earth. And every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! 

We may not know what year he will return, but we most certainly know what season. And if we understand God's calendar of holy events and are a student of the Word, we will know the day and the hour and the place of His return. Hallelujah! 

Year of Jubilee. Finally, some more good news! The 4^th prophetic event of this year.


Leviticus 25:8-18, "Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9.Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.” (Tishri 10, Sept. 23).

The year of Jubilee is a super Shemitah all year long. Debt was released, the land rested, slaves and prisoners were set free, lost inheritance was returned and people returned to their own families and homeland. The Jubilee was the year of restoration, the year of reconciliation and the year of return.

Israel experienced a Jubilee Year in 1967 following the Six-Day War. The Old City of Jerusalem was one again in the control of the Israeli soldiers. The upcoming year 5776 which begins on Sept. 15 is prophesied to be a Jubilee Year as well. What will it mean for Israel? What will it mean for America? No one knows for sure. But when Christ returns the second time, it will be the Jubilee of all Jubilees! Messiah will come to rule and reign for a thousand years and the bride of Christ will rule the nations with Him.

How Do We Prepare?

How will we react when our nation experiences an economic collapse, a catastrophic disaster or we're attacked again by terrorists? Are we going to allow fear to control our emotional state and decisions? Will we live in fear or live by faith? Are we going to trust in God to take care of us? Here are five ways we can prepare ourselves for what lies ahead.

1. Humbling Ourselves in Prayer

2 Chronicles 7:14. if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

In order to be in right standing with the Lord, we have to come before Him humbly and acknowledge that we have sinned. We ask the Lord to forgive us for how we have fallen short in our obedience to His Word. We spend time asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas in our heart that are not completely surrendered to Him.

Psalm 139:1 Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

That is one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins. Ask the Spirit to show you anything that you need to get rid of and anything you need to be filled with?

James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."


2. Repentance
Revelation 3:19- Jesus warned the lukewarm church at Laodicea, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”

To repent means to turn away from sin, to feel genuine sorrow or regret for our past behavior, to have our conscience so stricken with remorse that we vow never to do that again. We go before a Holy God and ask for forgiveness for how we have sinned against others and against Him. Repentance means getting rid of everything that interferes with having an intimate relationship with the Father. Not trusting God is the #1 problem among Christians and fear is the #2 problem. Fear is a sin against God, because it means we are not trusting Him to take care of us, to meet all our needs or to have a plan for our future. Fear is the #1 way Satan attacks the children of God. You can't walk in fear and faith at the same time.

3. Circumcised hearts and flesh 
Ezekiel 11:19, 36:24-27, 44:7-9. Three times Ezekiel prophesied to the house of Israel that God would remove the heart of stone and put a new spirit in them. Hebrews 8 explains that Jesus came to fulfill the New Covenant by taking out of us the heart of stone and replacing it with a heart that is pliable and teachable. He came to give us a new, regenerated spirit by filling us with His Spirit. Gal. 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.”

Ezekial 44: 7-9 tells us that the Lord rebuked the Levites saying, “No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary.”  

Have you circumcised your heart and flesh so that you will be acceptable before the Lord? Do you want God's will in your life over anything else? Have you died with Christ and your life is now hidden IN CHRIST?

4. Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:4- All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Matthew 25- The Parable of the Ten Virgins.

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps (but) took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps...6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” When the bridegroom came, those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

We need to be prepared for Jesus' coming by keeping ourselves “continually filled with the oil of the Spirit.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit we received 20 years ago may not be enough to get us into the wedding supper of the Lamb tomorrow. The oil we received last year, a month ago or even last week will not get us through the days of chaos and destruction that are coming on the earth. 

Like the five wise virgins, we need to be continually filled with the Spirit of God AND carriers of His Presence so we can do the works He created for us to do. We need to be ministers of Light which lead others into a saving relationship with Christ. We need to be manifesting both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit in our walk with God.

5. Being Sensitive to the Voice of the Spirit.

Seven times in the book of Revelations, Jesus said to the churches, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” I am concerned so many westernized Christians in the church have ears that are dull of hearing and eyes that are blind. They would not recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit- IF He tried to speak to them. They have a form of religion, but deny the power of the Spirit. Have you quenched the voice of the Spirit trying to speak to you? Have you refused to yield your temperament and behavior to the Spirit of God?

 

During difficult seasons or tribulation, we have to know how to draw near to the Lord. We have to know how to practice His Presence and recognize when the Spirit is speaking to us. He will give us instructions and speak words of comfort to us. When we obey His leading, He will provide for all our needs. We have to have spiritual eyes and ears to follow the leading of the Spirit of God. Our natural mind and logical thinking can even get in the way of hearing the voice of the Spirit tell us something important to do for our safety or well being.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything that is hindering your hearing?
  

• Repent and ask forgiveness; get healing or deliverance if needed.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the divine enablement, the supernatural grace be more sensitive, and willing to listen and obey.
  

The Feast of Tabernacles- A summary of the significance of the season.

Tishri 1 begins Sunday evening at sundown. The first 10 days are the High Holy Days, the “Days of Awe.” The sounding of the shofar is a “wake up blast” to remind us that the Day of Atonement is near. To remind us that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was the atonement for our sins. It is a time to make amends for those we've wronged, to ask forgiveness for any vows we may have broken, and to ask the Lord to forgive us for any way we have sinned against Him. It is a time to make restitution to those we have sinned against. Of course, as New Testament Christians, we are instructed by the Word to do these things all year long, not just during Tabernacles.

Feast of Trumpets- a time to draw close to God
The Day of Atonement- a day of fasting & repentance
Tabernacles- God is our ultimate protection and provision. Jesus Christ will return one day to fully dwell in men.

A closing prayer for today. 
Ps. 139: 23-24 says, "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."

 

Additional Scriptures to declare over youself, your family, your church and community during times of trial or tribulation.

Psalm 23 A psalm of David.
1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 27:1 A psalm David wrote while hiding in a cave from King Saul.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? (or what event)
The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (or what situation)

Psalm 32:7- You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Psalm 91- a prayer for protection and provision.

Psalm 112:7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Isaiah 12:2- Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Isaiah 60:1-5. Speaks to us of the future Glory of Zion.

60 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come."

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

 

The Great Disconnect

 Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (KJ version)
 

Receiving water baptism in the River Jordan, Nov. 2012

 Pentecost was truly a phenomenal, supernatural occurrence which took place 50 days after Christ ascended into heaven to be with the Father God. It was the fulfillment of Old Testament scripture and the beginning of the church age. The book of Acts provides us with numerous examples of what took place at that time in Israel and what should take place again and again in the kingdom of God as the church advances through history. Jesus Christ is our head and we, the universal church, are His body. We are commanded to WAIT until we receive power from on high to do the works of God and to establish His kingdom.

Unfortunately, we have not been successful at doing that and many local churches (not all) have experienced a disconnect from the Head. Today the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit available to the early church are woefully absent from our gatherings, our personal lives and ministry for the Lord. Some denominations even teach they are not evident today, because they weren't necessary after the establishment of the early church. We are a mere shadow of what used to be, or maybe never was in the first place in some modern churches, because the traditions of natural-minded men took over the management of church programs and services. What once was a genuine move of God gradually becomes another denomination or network of churches bent on doing their own thing.

The congregation shows up on Sundays and Wednesdays, expecting leaders to perform up to their expectations and present a quality program that includes all the usual elements of “church.” So we throw in the scripture, “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am also,” making the great assumption that God is going to show up and be in charge. The potential is found in scripture, but the actuality is often not what takes place. When the Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit is not yielded to, then men fall back into performance orientation, because “the show must go on.” Remember how the disciples went right back to their fishing when Jesus left to go be with the Father. They went back to what they were used to doing naturally when His Presence was no longer there to guide them. What was the solution? Pentecost! Pentecost should be celebrated every day in the life of a true Spirit-filled believer. Even if we are not a member of a Pentecostal denominational church! Since when did the things that took place at Pentecost become invalid and unnecessary in today's world?

  

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When believers receive the Holy Ghost (KJ), they are also offered another unique gift- the supernatural ability to speak in another, heavenly language. This is different from the gift of tongues for use in the congregation to deliver a rhema word from the Lord mentioned in I Cor. 12: 7-11 which requires an interpretation. Tongues are given primarily as a private prayer language to each Spirit-filled child of God. This is a Holy Spirit enabled prayer language we can use to build ourselves up in the Holy Spirit, to strengthen our own spirit, to stir up other gifts (word of knowledge, discernment, wisdom, prophecy), to put our natural thinking on hold while we try to hear clearly from the Lord, or to worship God in a heavenly language. Often our natural language fails to be adequate to express our love and devotion. There are times when the Holy Spirit wants to intercede through us, using our tongue to effect change in the heavenlies. This is the gift of praying in the Spirit and being enabled to sing in the Spirit referred to in I Cor. 14 and Eph. 5:18. 

Praying corporately and quietly in the Spirit during gatherings should be encouraged in order to yield to the Presence of God in the service and see His gifts manifest in the members of his body. Praying in the Spirit enables us to stay focused on God and what He wants to accomplish. It translates us out of the natural realm into the spiritual realm where God is. It enables us to tune in on His radio frequency. The gift of tongues is used to deliver a “thus saith the Lord” word to an individual or a group, whether those words are used or not. Praying in the Spirit enables us, like Jesus did, to look into the Spirit realm and see what God is doing and saying so we can release that into the natural world. When that occurs there should to be someone available to give the interpretation. If that gift is truly being activated by the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit will have someone there ready to give the interpretation. The group then waits quietly for it to come forward. The key here is to WAIT to see what the Spirit of God wants to say through the body, not just proceed with the programed agenda. If after a few moments no one speaks out, then you move on with the service.

Perhaps the person with the interpretation was too timid or unsure to speak it out. Or perhaps the inexperienced person with the gifts of tongues missed God. It can happen when first learning how to cooperate with the Spirit and there should be no condemnation for messing up. How will we learn unless we are provided a safe place to practice our gifts. If some stranger comes into a gathering of believers and begins to disrupt the flow of the service with tongues out loud, then elders may need to attend to that problem. God is not the author of confusion and if that happens the person may need to be corrected, or escorted out graciously. Of course, none of the above happens in a service unless the leadership promotes the gifts and provides perimeters for them to function orderly. See I Cor. 14:26-40.

 

Therefore, tongues given by the Holy Spirit is a gift which can be manifested privately for one's benefit, or publicly for God's glory. There are times as well when a group of believers can pray in the Spirit out loud or sing in the Spirit simultaneously as an expression of worship. This usually subsides after a short duration and the service continues. Often this is the time when the group WAITS on the Lord to receive direction for the service, to see the various gifts manifest in the group, or to see believers come forward with a testimony that gives glory to God. Corporate singing in the Spirit is a marvelous experience which draws the body of Christ into greater unity and intimacy with the Lord. On occasion the Spirit of God has been known to “sing” His love song back to the body through a willing and yielded believer experienced in doing that.

Now if someone doesn't want the gift that is offered by the Spirit of God, is afraid of it, is afraid of what others may think about them, then they won't receive the gift. They may receive more of the Spirit, but not the gift of tongues. The Spirit of God does not force His gifts or fruit on anyone. They have to want the gift as much as they want the breath of life. Also the person may need to be delivered first of some demonic spirits before this gift is manifested. Sometimes demonic spirits in a person, like doubt, unbelief or occult spirits controlling the person hinder their ability to manifest the gift of tongues. The Spirit of God does not give His gifts to persons not capable of handling them rightly, or using them for God's glory. See the illustration below with Simon the sorcerer. 

  

Tongues is also a gift that is usually best “caught” rather than “taught.” Learning how to release your natural tongue to be used by the Spirit supernaturally can be problematic too when we can't get our mental activity out of the way. Often children receive tongues more easily than adults do with their child-like faith. So one can have prayer to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the laying on of hands, but their comfort and freedom to pray in the Spirit may come later on. Let's use the analogy of learning how to ride a bicycle for the first time. There is a learning curve of maintaining speed, balance, coordination of eyes, hands and feet that has to occur to be successful.  So it is with receiving your prayer language. For some people it comes immediately and for others it can take some time of seeking and believing for the manifestation.

Usually, there is a very good reason why someone does not have this supernatural ability. That reason becomes a hindrance which has to be repented of, or over come first. Perhaps they have formed a hard judgment against tongues (tongues are of the devil), judged others who have the gift as “less than” or inferior to them spiritually. Pride is a huge hindrance to receiving the gift of tongues! God knows the heart of a man and does not bestow His gifts to someone who doesn't want them or will misuse them. 

 

Many people believe the gifts of tongues is the primary way we know someone has received the Holy Spirit. It is the primary evidence, but not the only way we can know. Many anointed preachers, teachers, missionaries and ordinary Christians serve God passionately and love God with their whole heart, soul and mind. We can see they are filled with the Spirit by the evidence of their dedication, good works, and the fruit of the Spirit in their nature and character. These people could also receive the gift of tongues if they wanted to. But if they don't believe they need the gift, or don't believe it is important to have a prayer language, or are not “waiting on God” to receive it, then they don't get a prayer language. Some people will say, “If God wants me to have tongues, then he'll give it to me. If not, then he won't.” Thereby putting all the responsibility and blame on God for not receiving tongues when the problem lies within themselves.

 

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

God wants every believer to have this very special Gift, the indwelling power of His Spirit. John 14:15 tells us that Jesus said “If you love me and obey what I command, then I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of Truth.” He was going away and wanted to leave us with the Spirit of truth, the Comforter, the Paraclete to live inside us. Emanuel, God in us! Too many Christians don't wait for the Gift, don't even know the Gift is available today, or think they have the Gift already when they DON'T. Therefore, they live far below their potential in Christ and miss out on the plan, purpose and destiny God has for them.

Pat getting baptized in the River Jordan by Perry Stone

 Act 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Act 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Act 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

Act 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Simon is a great example of a “believer” in Christ who did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 8: 9-13 we see Simon was a magician who boasted of having great power and who amazed people with his sorcery and occult powers provided by demonic spirits. People were following Simon around amazed by the things he could do supernaturally. Simon then heard the gospel message, believed on Christ and was baptized in water for his sins. He then began to follow Philip around astonished by the signs and miracles he saw the apostles do. He witnessed the fact that Peter and John laid hands on people to impart the Holy Spirit to them. 

Still being spiritually ignorant and blind, because he did not receive the fullness of the Spirit at his conversion, Simon tried to buy the baptism from them. He was still operating in spiritual darkness even though he had confessed his salvation through Christ and received water baptism. Peter rebuked him for trying to buy the gift of God and told Simon to repent of the wickedness in his heart. This water baptized believer was still “full of bitterness and being held captive to sin.” (verse 23). Today someone like Simon would need to receive deliverance from the occult gifts and spirits he had allowed to posses him before he could receive the Holy Spirit and the gift of a heavenly prayer language. Now some will debate that Simon must have not been "saved" in the first place, but there is no specific verse that tells us that. In fact it is written that he accepted Christ, was water baptized and was following the disciples trying to learn all he could about this new power of God. Of course, we realize the Christian life is all about having a relationship with God first, then the power will come.

Another example of converts to Christ who evidently did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 5:1-11. Here we have the story of Ananias and Sapphira who sold some property and came to the disciples to give their offering. Peter full of the Holy Spirit and by the gift of a word of knowledge knew that they were being dishonest by holding back some of the money. “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit...You have not lied to men, but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down dead. Three hours later the same thing happened to his wife. Lying to the Holy Spirit has dire consequences for Christians! 

 

Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. 

 

This passage sites a very unusual situation which most modern churches have not experienced in their services, although individual believers have reported their conversion in this manner. Peter was sharing the gospel message to a group of Gentiles gathered at Cornelius' house. He told them “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power” and how he went about healing all who were under the power of the devil. While Peter was speaking to this group the Holy Spirit suddenly came on all who heard the message. Once again Joel's prophecy was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit was “poured out” on the Gentiles in that room and they began to speak in other tongues, praising God. (an example of corporate tongues glorifying God in a gathering of believers). Peter who was rather astonished-- immediately agreed that since they were already filled with the Spirit they needed to be baptized in the Name of Jesus with water for the remission of their sins. For this particular group of unconverted men and women, they experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit FIRST, and then were granted salvation in Christ SECOND, not at the same time. Here we read where the baptism in the Spirit was a separate experience for this group. A similar experience is reported in Acts 11:12-18.

Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 

Praying for a greater infilling of the Holy Spirit

 

 

      These examples from the book of Acts prove beyond doubt that Christians, whether they are Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal or Church of God, can not put the Holy Spirit in their doctrinal box and expect Him to do the same thing every time in every place, because we think we have figured out how the great mystery of the kingdom of God is suppose to work. Salvation first and filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time, or subsequently as a separate and distinct experience (if it ever happens at all), represents the traditions of men for most church leadership in modern America. And when God wants to break out of that doctrinal box which we put Him in we say... 
“Oh, but we've never done it that way before.”

God is sovereign and can do what He wants to do IF AND WHEN we learn how to get out of His way, unafraid to let Him be in control of our lives and services. Until then we are setting our natural limitations on the ability of the Lord to have His way in us and through us. The modern, traditional church needs to learn how to YIELD to the Spirit of God in our services and let Him have His way among us. Until then, we're simply going through the traditional modes of operation void of God's dynamic Presence and power. God's will is for church services, home group meetings and family life to be a dynamically powerful, transformational experience where people come to meet with God and see Him face to face manifested THROUGH the people of God! And the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the gift of speaking in tongues is a prerequisite for all this to happen! The great disconnect will disappear and the body of Christ will be functioning in union with the Head. When we learn how to Welcome the Holy Spirit acknowledging Him as LORD over our gatherings, and WAIT upon Him submitting to His Leadership, then we can truly say, “The Presence of God is in this place.” 

Scriptures are copied from E-Sword, King James Version.

(The author would like to say that she has not accomplished perfectly all that she writes about, but views these ideas as goals that must be sought after and attained if at all possible in order to be obedient to the Scriptures. She realizes in many cases she is "preaching to the choir" as well and that many of her readers are walking in much of the revelation shared in these articles.)