Living Stones, or Telecommunication Clones? by Traci Carson

The Internet has truly been a blessing. This global system of interconnected computer networks not only has served billions of users worldwide, but has also has been active in gathering the Body of Christ together more than any other resource created by man. There are network of networks of private, public, academic, business, etc. of local to global that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies.

Most traditional communications such as telephone and television services are redefined using the technologies of the Internet, giving rise to services such as Voice over Internet Protocol. Newspaper publishing has been reshaped into Web sites, blogging, and web feeds. The Internet has enabled and accelerated the creation of new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, internet forums, and social networking sites. Wow, what an incredible time we live in!

Although this is indeed an incredible time to live in, it is also a time of increased busy-ness that is overwhelming and wearing out the multitudes. Many things to do, places to go, faces to see, contacts to be made, and so many more foxes that are presently spoiling the vine (Song 2:15). I have often wondered how people get their work done. How do they communicate on face-book, twitter, myspace, dozens of other networks, plus text message their friends and family and function as a responsible employee, let alone have time for the Lord?

It seems most are seeking the internet first thing rather than the Lord. This isn’t everyone, but I dare say most of us have been caught up in this trap from time to time. In seeking the internet we find ourselves comparing ourselves with those who commend themselves, measuring ourselves and comparing ourselves among others causing ourselves to be in great error (2 Cor.10:12).

You and I who are in Christ are a “living stone” being built up a spiritual house, a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden because its on a hill for all to see with such brightness, such illuminating power wherein revealing the Glory of the Lord (Matt.5:15).

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet.2:4,5).

There is a vital part in us being “living stones.” Christians should be likened to a “nuclear” radiation that transmits the presence of the Lord to all who are near. As our very being has the life and energy of the Holy Spirit, we come alive like a transmitter. We affect all those who are near us. What we must understand is this manifest presence “appearing” (Parousia – presencing) of our Lord doesn’t happen without the “epignosis” (experiential intimate knowledge) of Him.

Each individual is different. It is vitally important that we understand what our expression is and not clone another (Please read 1 Cor.12). When we learn to be what we really are and release ourselves with good grace all that we are not, we find ourselves in Peace that is fulfilling and everlasting. The most exhausting tormenting thing in life is being something we were never created to be. We betray ourselves and others around us by what is false within.

Imitating others can be the highest form of honor to those who are being imitated. Apostle Paul said to join in following him as an example, and note those who so walk, as you have us as a pattern (Phil.3:17). Paul wasn’t saying to clone him, or take on his personality and actions. People who clone personalities and anointing rob themselves of God’s gift in them. They are missing the incredible gift of Christ’s expression within themselves that no one on the face of this earth has but them.

It is by coming to the Lord and sitting with Him in silence that the impartation is released. We don’t just function out of the gift He has given, but we minister in and through Christ Himself. Not only is He in us, but we are also to be in Him (John 15:4-9). We can become so entangled in a system which constitutes our ministry that we forget the objective. Christ's image and the effects of His image should always be our goal. It is possible to function out of our gifting, or someone else’s, rather than the Spirit with little to no relationship with our Lord.

“Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast our demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matt.7:22,23)”.

Time of solitude with the Lord is where we come to “experientially” know Him, not just about him, but truly “know” Him. There is a deep relationship with the Lord wherein we experience Christ and His indwelling presence in reality. Not one thing, not any other person, nor any other place can ever increase the anointing than the Anointer Himself. We can have hands laid on us all day long, all week long, we can have people call us, text us, pray for us and write us great prophetic words that will only temporarily refresh us, and I thank God for such times, as I’ve truly needed the encouragement from my brethren, but the only lasting restoration in our life is the aboding habitation of Christ that only comes by spending quality time in Him.

There is a higher dimension of communion with our Lord that He is seeking to bring us into. Presently the Lord is dealing with our willingness to settle for "less" than what He has intended for us. There is a longing in the heart of the Lord for a people who will relate to Him. There is a "deep that is crying out to a deep within us"(Ps.42:7), that He might find the satisfaction which He envisioned when He created us.

There is many seeking a greater, higher dimension in Christ, but not seeking Him to get there. They seek facebook, twitter and other networks to see what are the latest greatest revelations, the latest format, and applicable sensations. It has come down to a pretty big problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time.

www.voiceofthetrumpet.org

Re-Genesis: Spiritual System Restored - by Doug Fortune

"Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8) Those who are familiar with what some are calling the "Third Day" Church are well acquainted with this verse from Peter's writings. It is one of the primary verses upon which "Third Day" concepts are built, as many see us moving into the third prophetic thousand year "day" of Jesus Christ. I do believe this is an accurate spiritual picture, however when it comes to our understanding of "time" there may be more to that verse than meets the eye.

Physicist Itzhak Bars, of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California (USC), has an interesting theory. He believes there is another dimension of time (other than the one we are used to) and is conducting research to prove his theory. He explains, “There isn't just one dimension of time. There are two. One whole dimension of time and another of space have until now gone entirely unnoticed by us." Time is no longer a simple line from the past to the future, in a four dimensional world consisting of three dimensions of space and one of time. Instead, the physicist envisages the passage of history as curves embedded in six dimensions, with four of space and two of time.

For many years the scientific community has had a bit of a dilemma, because the theory of relativity and quantum theory do not fit together at all. In other words, the equations used in the study of very large things like planets (theory of relativity) and the equations used in the study of very small things like atoms (quantum theory) are at odds. Some piece is missing in the picture puzzle of physical reality. Itzhak Bars thinks one of the missing pieces is a hidden dimension of time. With two times, Bars believes, many of the mysteries of today’s laws of physics may disappear.

Of course these findings merely reinforce something we have known for many years, because in your Bible there are two different Greek words, both translated as "time." There is chronos time (chronological/ natural), and then there is kairos time. I am beginning to wonder, however, if perhaps there is more to kairos time that just our current definitions as "the appointed time" or the "time of the spiritual realm."

We know that chronos time is linear- a simple line from the past to the future. What if kairos time is indeed more circular or spherical in essence, as implied by the physicist quoted? Recent quantum theory shows additional circular/ spherical dimensions woven within the three dimensions we are used to thinking of. What if indeed, time is the same? This would certainly help explain the following verse that speaks of the way Father perceives things, "Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done..." (Isaiah 46:10 Amplified Bible) I believe this is more than mere prophetic foreknowledge.

Now then, this is all great fodder for contemplation and pontification, but what on earth can it have to do with my everyday life?

When distilled down to its' essence, linear/ chronos time is really the measure of both the growth and the decay of things. Before Adam transgressed, thereby bringing decay and death into all creation, chronos time was basically irrelevant because there was no death and decay. Perhaps Adam lived in an "ever-present NOW" free from the constraints and ramifications of linear time. Perhaps this "ever-present NOW," free from the constraints and ramifications of linear time is where Father wants US to live.

As I have been contemplating this idea of kairos/ circular/ spherical time, words keep coming up in my spirit like restoration and regeneration, or a RE-genesis. This verse is brewing in me, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of RE-GENERATION, and renewing (re-NEW-ing) of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5 my emphasis in parenthesis)

A re-genesis brings a new REALITY. And what is this new "reality" birthed from a re-genesis?... it is a re-ALL-ity! Allow me to explain with a Scripture verse; "...so that God may be ALL IN ALL [be EVERYthing to EVERYone, supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of LIFE]. (1Corinthians 15:28 Amplified Bible) I believe that this new re-ALL-ity is available in the "ever-present NOW" that Christ is calling us to.

His desire is to indeed be ALL IN ALL in us, the indwelling and controlling factor of LIFE that is free from the constraints and ramifications of linear time. He makes ALL things NEW in this dimension of the "ever-present NOW." "And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make ALL things NEW." (Revelation 21:5)

Once again, this is all great fodder for contemplation and pontification, but how on earth can it become a REALITY in my everyday life? I believe that His intention is not to merely patch things up, to make us better people and try to get things running smoothly again. Rather, this restoration/ regeneration/ RE-genesis He is offering circumvents linear time. Perhaps it might be likened to a "restore" point on your computer.

Every time you download or install a new application, or software update, you make changes to your computer. Sometimes that change may make your system unstable. Have you ever wanted to go back to the way it was? With System Restore, you can. You can use System Restore to remove any system changes that were made since the last time you remember your computer working correctly. System Restore basically puts everything back to how it was before any damage happened. In doing so, you do not lose your current data, you are just put back to a point before any harm was done.

As we look at the mess that some of us are in with very "unstable systems," often it is difficult to envision actually getting patched up enough to where we can function normally. When we look at the healing that is needed, and the issues that need dealing with, sometimes it is easy to get bogged down in unbelief. It is much easier for me to believe that Father can set us to a spiritual System Restore point that puts everything back to how it was before any damage happened, than it is to believe that He can fix such a mess.

Whether it is on a personal scale or a global scale, I don't believe He wants to merely fix our mess. He wants to REAL-IZE His glory in us; "To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of realizing (re-ALL-izing) the glory." (Colossians 1:27 Amplified Bible) And how is His glory realized in us?... I believe that we have a part, and our part in re-ALL-izing the glory is seeing with REAL-EYES; "Since we consider and look NOT to the things that are seen but to the things that are UNSEEN; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are DEATHLESS and EVERLASTING." (2 Corinthians 4:18 Amplified Bible) Did you catch that?... the things that are invisible, the things that we must see with "real-eyes" are DEATHLESS and EVERLASTING!

We must see with "real-eyes" His glory being REALized in us, NOT in the future, but in the "ever-present NOW." This is appropriated by FAITH... not just any kind of faith, but NOW-faith; "NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]... By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we SEE was NOT made out of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:1, 3 Amplified Bible)

I love that! What a concept... faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses! More than a concept, it is TRUTH to live by! What is visible to us now, what we SEE, did not start out that way... they were NOT made out of things which are visible!

Jesus said of us, "They are not OF the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16) This does not merely mean that we are not "worldly" in our behavior. It means that we can operate outside of the constraints and ramifications of linear time in an "ever-present NOW," operating from a spiritual System Restore point.

So, what does all this have to do with prayer? There is a secret found in Matthew 16:19. I believe that Young's Literal Translation says it well, "And I will give to thee the keys of the REIGN of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth SHALL be HAVING BEEN bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth SHALL be HAVING BEEN loosed in the heavens." Firstly, the "Reign of the Heavens" is what we are establishing upon the earth. Now then we come to such interesting wording- "shall be having been." It almost sounds like a contradiction. "Shall be" sounds like something future, and "having been" sounds like something past. Within the limitations of a "linear time" mindset, this cannot really be reconciled. However, when we shift to a circular/ spherical time of the "ever-present NOW," it makes perfect sense.

I believe that our prayer can be what activates a spiritual System Restore point! Our binding prayer is what takes things back and binds them to a point before disorder occurred- that is the "having been" part. Our loosing prayer is what looses or removes any limitations and ramifications of what the damage/ disorder could have produced- that is the "shall be" part. It is as if our prayer goes "Back to the Future."

"And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make ALL things NEW." (Revelation 21:5) I must allow Him to sit upon my "throne" and make all things totally new, a re-genesis of a new reality. The word translated as "new" in this verse is kainos in Greek. Its' meanings include- new, recently made, fresh, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of. Father desires to make US a new kind!... unprecedented!... novel!... uncommon!... unheard of!...

"And I SAW a NEW heaven and a NEW earth..." (Revelation 21:1) What do WE see? Do we see with REAL-eyes, and REALize His glory? I believe it is time to step into a NEW heaven and a NEW earth... it IS available as we move into the spherical time of the "ever-present NOW!"

http://www.inchristinternational.com/

From Gimmel to Dalet, From Warrior to Farmer - by John L. Moore

"I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit."

Amos 7:14

"But he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth."

Zechariah 13:5

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks..."

Micah 4:3

From Gimmel to Dalet, we are passing through Great Doors, from Warrior-Prophet to Farmer-Soldier

The change of seasons taking place in the spiritual is going to have a significant impact upon the Body of Christ as the Lord Jesus shifts His emphasis on our training from that of a soldier to that of a farmer.

The warrior anointing has been on the Church for about 20 years. This modern militant period, though it has had its excesses, has been good as the Church learned the disciplines of warfare: when to march, when to charge, when to take a stand. Intercessors earned new respect and prophets were instrumental as “scout-snipers” that went ahead of the praising Army, spying on the land and taking out key spiritual strongmen.

Warriors are peacemakers. Through warfare they liberate a people in bondage. Warriors do not make good peacekeepers. Warriors are trained for war and anything less than action, adventure, and adrenaline, bore them to tears. I typify this, I thrive on warfare. My training in the natural and the spiritual is in hand-to-hand combat. A warrior finds no greater peace than stepping into the cocoon of life-and-death conflict where senses heighten and time slows to a crawl.

Warriors take the land but they do not keep the land. The land is occupied by those who settle it, till the soil, plant the seed, tend the plant, and labor in harvest. In other words: Farmers.

Warriors live for conquest and travel. Farmers live for home and hearth.

Warriors who war too long do not recognize their own weariness. They confuse their malaise for a lack of action and start seeking new battles.

In Deuteronomy 20:19-20 the Lord warns His people:

“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy cut down, to build siege works against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.”

In other words, the fog of combat can so cloud our senses that we destroy our fruit.

A key to wise warfare is to use the proper wood in constructing your war engine to fight the enemy who “makes war with you.” The Body of Christ has wrongly followed a scorched-earth policy in recent years. Much spiritual warfare is not warfare at all, nor is it necessarily spiritual. Much of it resembles psychological “transference,” the trait of transferring your pent-up emotions and needs against a substitutionary foe. This is simply self-generated terrorism within your own vineyard. When all chest-pounding, drum-beating and saber-rattling is over, the soul feels relief because the flesh is exhausted but the garden is in ruins.

Mercenaries have a commitment to war and the study of war but they do not have a commitment to land.

The true citizen/soldier, the farmer/patriot that built this nation, has a commitment to the land. He fights for liberty, he goes to war to defend friends and family, but he instinctively sees his land as a garden not a battleground. He has a pastor’s heart because he is concerned for the pasture. When all is said and done and the battle is won, he knows he must still feed the sheep.

The hope for our nation, the world, and the Church lies in returning to common sense. Common sense has best been taught primarily through two sources: The Bible and Nature. The more our Nation turns away from the Bible and the more we embrace urban (unnatural) environments the more evil our culture becomes.

Warfare will continue until all Kingdoms are put under His feet. But warfare for the sake of warfare is not warfare at all. It is foolishness and insanity.

Warfare in the Kingdom is not determined by who claims the field, but by who plants it.

www.johnlmoore.com

Do Not Fear the Winds of Change - by Traci Carson

Stepping out in to a new place can be nerve wracking. It's the realization that we are about to enter the unknown without really knowing the outcome. Faith and Hope into the unseen is the Lord’s creative vision for our life in the future (2 Cor.4:18). If we remain in the known zone we will not go any further.

The Lord’s Comfort Zone is most often expanded through discomfort. Living in the name of comfort has killed more dreams, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined.

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters... Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Is. 43:16,18-19)

The Lord is calling those with the spiritual receptivity to "a way where there is no way outside of Him." It is His ultimate purpose in these last days that we enter into that which the Lord has purposed to do in the Millennial age that is before us. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord declares that He will do a "new thing" in the earth. He is seeking out a people today who are also seeking Him and allowing Him to reveal Himself to them, and then bring forth this "new thing" through them.

We shouldn’t be dismayed by the opposition that comes against us during this time of pressing through this narrow place that is set before us. This path is not wide, but narrow and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13,14). Those who find this path are ones who understand “Grace” and “Mercy” and walk in the Righteousness of Christ. Self-righteousness will destroy ones true walk with the Lord. It seduces people who seek certainty, seek approval, seek and love to flatter. There has never before been a time as we are in now where seeking approval has been more temptuous.

These times are in the Lord’s Hand; the way is open before Him and He has it all under control in spite of what others may think or not think. We do not all have to be clones. What our brother and sister is doing down the street at their local fellowship may not be the same function or expression that we are doing. I really don’t know how long it will be before the Corporate Body of Christ “get’s” this liberating revelation.

As I was sitting in the Lord’s presence in almost complete despair at the pressure of deep darkness that was attempting to overtake us, the Lord spoke great wisdom to me. He said that His people must learn to rest and be at peace in the battle. The battle will not go away, but the turmoil and fear of the battle will if we learn to rest and be at peace through it, for in and through Him no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Is.54:17).

Through these winds of change there are obstacles that many of us have thought were the adversary and it is the Lord Himself. He is protecting many of us from ourselves – praise Him! This is where discernment comes in, where we must know His voice, know His hand and therefore not move against His workings. The Lord’s winds are not always favorable, for it is the winds that bring forth the changes necessary for the Kingdom age that we are entering.

As we press into the wind I sense there are many who are discouraged, despondent, and depressed about their present condition. Beloved ones, listen to me, the Lord encourages you to comprehend His truth spoken through apostle Paul; that He chooses the foolish things to confound the wise, and the things which are nothing to crush man’s pride in those things that he has built himself (1 Cor.1:27).

Be diligent, but be patient. I honor My Word, and will honor those that exalt My Word and make it the final authority to settle all challenges that confront them. My Word never returns void. It shall accomplish its purposes through a people who don’t look for an escape route, but press on and into me no matter the fierce opposition (Is.55:11; 2 Thess.1:10).

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Is.41:10)

www.voiceofthetrumpet.org

A Present Word - by Wade Taylor

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.

“ And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 3:20, 4:1-2

The door upon which Jesus is knocking is at the end of the message to the seventh and last Church. It relates to the time of transition from the Church Age into the Millennial Kingdom Age. All that precedes these words, “after this I looked” concerns the Church. All that follows relates to the Kingdom.

Jesus said that a right response to His knocking on the door of our spirit will lead us into an active, personal relationship with Him, and will result in our having a part in the establishing of the Millennial Kingdom.

Notice that the door opened when John looked. This requires our having a present “upward gaze” toward the Kingdom - “I looked... and behold, a throne.” It is in direct relationship to our ability to hear spiritually – “the first voice which I heard.” This speaks of our spiritual ear.

“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” Revelation 3:22

This “voice” has a very particular quality. It is as a “trumpet that is talking with me” - a quickened revelatory word of direction and purpose. It is being imparted to those, who as overcomers, have cultivated their ear to hear. These are receiving an understanding of all that is about to take place in relation to the closing out of the Gentile Age and the establishing of the Millennial Kingdom.

Jesus entered this world as a baby to become the “Lamb of God,” and died on the cross to pay the full penalty for our sin.

“Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him.” Hebrews 5:8-9

He is again coming, not as a lamb, but as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.”

“His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.” Revelation 1:14-15

We have come to the “fullness of times” and Jesus is taking His place as our head for the outworking of all that follows. Therefore, His voice has become as the “sound of many waters.” This is the “voice of the trumpet.” Like the mighty Niagara river which flows over the Falls in a narrow channel in order to produce power, this corporate voice is beginning to function as one body under the direction of One Head, which all will be saying and doing exactly the same thing.

The present exhortation of this voice is for us to “Come up... and I will show you things which must be hereafter.” This refers to those who have rightly responded to the promise given in Revelation 3:21:

“To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”

When John heard this heavenly call, he was able to say, “Immediately, I was in the spirit.” The Lord is presently separating us from earthly things, in order for us to become more perceptive to spiritual things.

When John looked, he said, “Behold a throne.” This is “governmental” and speaks of authority. It relates to the restoration of the “dominion” that Adam lost, which will operate during the present time of increasing tribulation, and will have a part in the establishing of the Millennial Kingdom.

This end-time “dominion” will be given to an overcoming people who will have been lifted up into “apostolic authority.”

“And he that overcomes, and keeps My works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron….” Revelation 2:26-27

These overcomers are presently being dealt with by the Lord in order to be prepared to become an end-time “apostolic-prophetic” witness and ministry.

As a part of end-time ministry, there are apostles and prophets whose purpose is to impart into and perfect the Body, lifting those who respond from the gift and office realm, into the higher spirit realm. Thus, the apostle imparts apostolic enabling and anointing into the Body. The prophet imparts prophetic enabling and anointing into the Body.

At this present time, there are those who are being called to “come up” in order to become an apostolic-prophetic people who will begin to function as overcomers with Jesus taking His place as their Head - “if any one hears My voice... I will come into him.” This is beyond, and more than the present understanding that most have.

The Lord is becoming the active Head of those who have unconditionally submitted the totality of their being to Him. These are being called apart and “made ready” to function in spiritual authority - the word with “consequence,” which will affect both the Church and the Nations.

This will enable Jesus to again live His life through these submitted ones as an end-time corporate witness – “the voice of many waters.” This will require a high level of submission and integrity, as these will hear directly from the Head and function in obedience to His word. The five-fold ministry is being dealt with to recognize this new end-time relationship, and allow it to function in its full purpose and outworking.

Therefore, it is imperative that we spend quality time “waiting” in the presence of the Lord with an upward gaze in expectancy, that we may be able to hear and rightly respond, in order to become a part of this desperately needed end-time ministry.

www.wadetaylor.org

Why Pray?... Why Now?... by Doug Fortune

I guess I was under the impression that God is sovereign, that He holds the destiny of all things in His hands. It appears that He has a purpose and a plan, and He is going to do what He is going to do. In fact, some of us are beginning to gain a deeper understanding that He has ALREADY done what He is going to do; "Declaring the end and the RESULT from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I WILL DO all My pleasure and purpose..." (Isaiah 46:10 Amplified Bible), "Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to PERFORM it." (Jeremiah 1:12 Amplified Bible)

If then, this is indeed the case, why on earth should I pray!?! Perhaps it is just a good exercise?... perhaps something to keep me busy so I don't get into mischief? Why on EARTH should I pray if Father is sovereign?

That is the key... it is because we are on EARTH; "The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the EARTH hath He GIVEN to the children of MEN." (Psalms 115:16) The wording translated as "hath He given" is nathan in Hebrew. It's meanings include- to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, requite to, put upon, appoint, assign, designate. Yes, Father is indeed sovereign, but in His sovereignty He has entrusted the affairs of the EARTH to US.

With this in mind, there is much talk in the Church these days about going to the next level, the next dimension in God in order to impact the earth. If we are going to the next dimension in God, then let's ask the question, What IS IT and how do we get there?

What Is It?-
Some have called it the Third Day, Beyond the Veil, the Kingdom Age, the Holy of Holies, Mature Sonship, the Deeper Life, the Christ-Life, the Parousia, the Feast of Tabernacles, the Melchizedek Priesthood, etc. All of these terms point to the same basic spiritual principle. Personally, I like the analogy of the Tabernacle and going Beyond the Veil into the Holy of Holies, as it is easy to understand.

The Outer Court of the Tabernacle, containing the Brazen Altar and the Brazen Laver, speaks of our initial salvation experience in God, as it is all about the shedding of blood, dealing with sin, and washing in the Water of the Word. This could be likened to the Evangelical experience. This experience could also be foreshadowed in the Feast of Passover.

The Holy Place, which contained the Golden Candlestick, the Table of Shewbread, and the Golden Altar of Incense, speaks of our being baptized in the Holy Spirit. In this dimension we come into the revelatory realm (the prophetic, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, etc.) through the illumination of the Golden Candlestick, which speaks of the Holy Spirit. As we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive a new "language" for prayer, which the Golden Altar of Incense speaks of. One of the things the Table of Shewbread speaks of is our receiving a revelation of divine healing as the "children's bread." These are experiences we come into in this dimension of the Holy Spirit. This could be likened to the Pentecostal/ Charismatic experience. This experience could also be foreshadowed in the Feast of Pentecost.

This is where many Christians have come to rest in their spiritual growth. We know however, that there is another dimension in the Tabernacle- the Holy of Holies. There is another feast- the Feast of Tabernacles. There is something beyond the Pentecostal/ Charismatic experience in our spiritual growth that we are moving into. This is the next level, the next dimension in God that is to impact the earth.

The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant. This was the place of God's manifest Presence, His Shekinah Glory; "And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." (Exodus 25:22) As we experientially move into this next level, this next dimension in God, it is His manifest Presence, His Shekinah Glory in a people that impacts the earth.

How Do We Get There?-
In keeping with our analogy, since the Golden Altar of Incense was located in the Holy Place, it would seem that prayer falls in the dimension of the Pentecostal/ Charismatic realm. There is a verse we need to consider, however; "But [inside] beyond the second curtain or veil, [there stood another] tabernacle [division] known as the Holy of Holies. It had the golden ALTAR OF INCENSE and the Ark (chest) of the Covenant, covered over with wrought gold." (Hebrews 9:3-4 Amplified Bible) This verse clearly states that the Altar of Incense was in the Holy of Holies, but we know that the Altar of Incense was in the Holy Place. Either we have a contradiction or there is an explanation for this discrepancy.

For the explanation, we must refer to the Mishnah, which is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the Oral Torah. According to the Mishnah, the Golden Altar of Incense was taken into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. This is the ONLY piece of furniture in the Tabernacle that was moved from one part of the Tabernacle to another. On the Day of Atonement, the Golden Altar of Incense transitioned from the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies. It transitioned from one "dimension" to the next... are you beginning to get a picture? It is also significant that the Day of Atonement happened right before moving into the Feast of Tabernacles.

I believe that if we are truly going to impact the earth by moving into this next "dimension" in God, foreshadowed by the Feast of Tabernacles and the Holy of Holies, there is one thing that will serve as the catalyst to transition us there- PRAYER! Prayer IS the Golden Altar of Incense!

Yes, we have talked about going to the next level, transitioning into the next dimension in God for a long time, but I don't know that we have seen a great deal in the way of results! Why is that?... because talking about it won't get us there. Prayer is the KEY!... and not just any kind of prayer, either.

The incense in this Golden Altar was lit on fire by coals that came from the Brazen Altar, and the fire came out from God initially to light the sacrifice on the Brazen Altar. This fire that originated with God was to be kept burning continually; "And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be allowed to go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order upon it and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall be burning continually upon the altar; it shall not go out." (Leviticus 6:12-13 Amplified Bible) These coals from fire that originated with God were used to light the incense; "He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the [bronze] altar before the Lord, and his two hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil [into the Holy of Holies], And put the incense on the fire [in the censer] before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon [the ark of] the Testimony, lest he die." (Leviticus 16:12-13 Amplified Bible)

Just as with the natural incense in the Tabernacle, the "incense" of our prayer must be lit with a fire that originates with Father. The prayer that will transition us into the next dimension must be the "prayer" that is burning in the heart of God! How many times have we come before Father with our list of things we want Him to do? Perhaps it is time to declare the "prayer" that is burning in Father's heart!

I believe we are living in the fulfillment of this Day of Atonement and Father is beckoning us inward, as the Golden Altar of Incense transitions us into a new dimension! We can continue to talk about it with little results, OR we can enter into His plan and become that moving Altar of Incense!

So, why prayer?... because is Father's PLAN to transition us into the next dimension! Why now?... because it is TIME to transition into the next dimension!

www.inchristinternational.com

Your End-Time Lense - by John L. Moore

"O that Christ crucified were the universal burden of men of God. Your guess at the number of the beast...your conjectures concerning a personal Antichrist -- forgive me, I count them but mere bones for dogs; while men are dying and hell is filling, it seems to me the veriest drivel to be muttering about an Armageddon...I would sooner pluck one single brand from the burning than explain all mysteries."

Charles Spurgeon as quoted by J. Lee Grady in Charisma

As most of you know, Montana has been in the news a lot lately because of the private prison in Hardin. When news about the arrival of the prison's private security force first hit the internet rumors of the wildest source abounded. Suddenly Hardin, Montana was an occupied city with roadblocks on the town entrances and stormtroopers in black uniforms going from house to house confiscating weapons and herding residents into the prison for forced Swine Flu inoculations. I received a number of emails and phone calls from people, some bordering on hysteria, asking: "What's going on in Montana?"

It turns out there was no government conspiracy. The situation in Hardin was caused by poor small-town governance and the gullibility of local residents.

Which leads me to this, which end-times worldview is the lens through which you are looking? Are you staring through "darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples" or through "Arise, shine, for your light has come?"

The lens on spiritual eye determines our perception of reality. Fear, doubt, and despair is the product of a dark lens. The lens of His glory produces brightness and a clear eye.

We are in a winnowing time. We are passing through a narrow gate as we move, as a Body, from the Feast of Pentecost into the Feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost represents the harvest of barley and wheat. Both barley and wheat must be thrashed to separate the kernels that can be ground into flour.

The Feast of Tabernacles, the seventh of seven Biblical feast, is the final harvest, the harvest of fruit. Fruit is simply plucked from the tree.

Pentecost is the only feast of the three main feasts (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles) that allows for leavened bread. Hence, in Pentecostal experiences, there is always a mixture.

Tabernacles is a feast of unleavened bread and a time when God's people dwell in a "sukkoth" with Him. We are to tabernacle with the Father in our little organic hut under an open heaven. (In Jewish tradition the three-sided hut was lightly thatched so the roof would provide some shade but one could still look up and see the stars.)

At the end of the book of Ezekiel, where "Ezekiel's temple" is described, it is interesting to note that the feast of Pentecost is not mentioned. Passover (salvation through the lamb of God) is celebrated. Tabernacles (being a living temple of God) is celebrated. But the feast that allowed for leavened bread is not mentioned. Pentecost is a feast of temporary gifts, trial-and-error practice, and the placing of a down payment on a permanent habitation. Tabernacles is the promised possession.

As we transition from Pentecost to Tabernacles many will try to cling to the old for the old always represents security. Let go. There are things to be realized which have not been seen before but only hinted at through the deep mysteries of the Word and the vaporous desires of our longing hearts.

Many of us have been through years of testing to prove ourselves as true prophets. We have been tested as well to be proven as true priests. We are now in a season of kingly refinement. Which king is enthroned in our hearts? The King of Kings or the king of self?

The King of Kings says all things will be put under His feet. The king of self fears the passing of our own pitiful little kingdom.

www.johnlmoore.com

Divine Division = Divine Collision - by Traci Carson

(written May 3, 2008)

It is our second day in the beautiful and rugged mountains of the Mount Hood National Forest where Gary and I are celebrating our anniversary. The view of these mountains is magnificent. We are staying in a cabin that is about 50 feet from the river. There are two Rivers called the Sandy and Salmon that come together here. We can hear both rivers rushing by from all rooms of this cabin.

Wow, what a Master Artist our Lord is. He makes no idle strokes in His creation. His every move reveals His Glory and the excellence of His Majesty. I am in complete awe of His ingenuity.

In the upper level of this cabin it over looks the Salmon River and in the distance I can see the Sandy River as it meets with the Salmon. The windows are open and I can hear the roar of the rivers as they collide. As I watch these two rivers come together my thoughts go to the verse in Genesis 1:6-8 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament and it was so. Then God called the firmament heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.”

The above verse symbolically represents the separation of the heavenly and earthly. There are a people who have allowed their God to sanctify them as a holy people (1 Pet.1:16). Though the waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling – there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the Holy Place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved (Ps. 46:3-5).

We have been in preparation for the return of Christ. This is why so many people are looking for His return in the natural. They look at the conditions of the world and cry out and look for His return to be soon. Christ is returning there is no doubt, but first and foremost He is returning in and through a people who have prepared themselves.

As nations rage and kingdoms are moved, His kingdom is about to be exalted among all other nations. You see we will not go out as cowards looking for a way out of this world, but we come into the world with and in the fruition and power of our King Jesus. The second day of natural creation was a day of separation. We see this spiritual significance throughout the word of God.

This division is Divine and for those who have allowed themselves to be separated from the influence of the earthly they have and are entering into the third day with spiritual receptivity that clearly understands they were created for God’s good pleasure and not their own. They were not bought without a price (1 Cor.6:20; Eph.1:9-,10).

The first day was without form and void. Just as God’s spirit hovered over the face of the deep and over the face of the waters on the first day of natural creation, so the Holy Spirit has hovered over the Church. There was and is a “deep” within us that is capable of responding to an eternal desire that is within our Creator. Spiritually speaking the creation of the Church began the day Christ resurrected from the dead.

The first day God said, “Let there be light, and there was light”. And God saw that the light was good, and divided light from darkness.” This is the spoken word of life for the sinner, and ever since that glorious day of His resurrection we have moved forward into the second day, and now the third. Gary and I are not 100% sold on all third day theology, but we do agree that we have moved into the third day. There is great understanding if we can grasp the revelation here because it explains why Christ has not returned yet, and why He is not returning the way so many think He is returning.

“And He said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”

As explained by Apostle Peter, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day (2 Pet.3:8,9). Peter was speaking prophetically of the Church age (two thousand years). The third-day however is the Millennial Day and it is here that the Body of Christ (which is exactly that – His body) will be perfected. This perfection that Christ spoke of is that of His body and His head coming together as one. For two thousand years Christ has looked for a place to rest His head.

“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no where to lay His head”. (Luke 9:58)

As we are entering in to the third day since the resurrection of Christ and about to see the birthing of the seventh day (millennial / the seventh day since creation) we shall have a deeper revelation of His “rest”. Just as people are looking for Christ’s return because they feel His return is very near, they are also sensing a need to enter into His “rest”. Again, there is a misunderstanding as they attempt to make this “rest” a place in the natural. Many have recently chosen to gather together for worship on Saturday because they are sensing the need to enter into the “Sabbath” place. This is not a natural place, but a spiritual place. This rest is called the “abiding” (John 15).

“For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, this is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing. Yet they would not hear”. (Is.28:11-12)

There is a spiritual rest that God has commanded us to enter into (1 Cor.14:21; Hebrews 4). This place of rest is the abiding in Christ wherein we are no longer working our way to heaven as we are already there in Christ seated in the heavenly places (Eph.2:1-10). We have moved from an outside God mindedness, to an inside God mindedness (Gal.2:20; Col.1:27).

In Christ we can “rest” in Him as we move, live and have our being in the enveloping presence (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ. The “parousia” (life in the presence of God) is what we are to depend upon to “catch us up”. This being “caught up” is living in the heavenly places with Christ.

I would like to reiterate that there is a literal return of Christ. However, firstly He is coming bodily for the appearance and presence of Himself in His Body. He is coming to be glorified in and through His saints (2 Thess.1:7-10). He has come to His people. He is come in His people. And He is coming through His people. To, In, and Through. We have and continue to move from outworking to inworking. From glory to Glory. From ever learning about Him to experientially living in and through Him (John 15).

As I am writing and looking out at the two rivers coming together I see prophetically Genesis 1:9 coming into fruition. “Then God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place… and the gathering together He called seas. And God saw that it was good…”

The waters (two rivers) are symbolic of the nations of the earth; restlessness, under-currents, cross currents as the nations rage and are moved. As the waters come together (symbolic of eternal life through Christ), there is resurrection life (on the 3^rd day he was raised up from the dead), the manifestation of Christ in and through His people. But just as the two rivers come together there is a raging sound, turbulence, and a powerful force that creates such violent pressure that anything that is feeble will be destroyed.

Just as the two rivers that I described to you (Salmon and Sandy River) come together, one is overpowered by the other river so it is with the Body of Christ. The Sandy River overtakes the Salmon River. It’s no longer the Salmon River; it is now the Sandy River. As the Body of Christ manifests itself in the world she shall overtake the world by the powerful presence of her Lord. No longer is it the earthly, but the heavenly in the world. Death is now at the brink of being swallowed up by the life of Christ as we are awakening to this reality (1 Cor.15:51-55).

“To you it has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables… He who has an ear (spiritual receptivity), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes (complacency, doubt, unbelief, false comfort, negative thinking, etc) I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Mark 4:11; Rev.2:7)

Glorious things ahead for the Body of Christ. Incredible insight and knowledge given with the experience to follow. There are a people who have and are allowing God to break through their fallow mindset. We are in the age where satan is raging as he has never raged before.

God has and is raising up an army who will not break rank. They don’t push each other. Everyone marches in their own column (Joel 2:7). They don’t look at others and wonder why they are not doing what they are doing because that is what God is doing and if others are not doing what they are doing then surely others are missing God – Ugh! Dear saints, if we were all the hands and feet of the body how in the world would we eat without a mouth to give strength and nourishment to the body? If we were all eyeballs how would we walk to what we are seeing (1 Cor.12:12-31)?

Dear ones, this is the most important time in your and my life. This is the time to press through humiliation, to press through false accusations and criticism, to press through defeat, to press through pain and allow God to reveal Himself in a manner that is quite un-familiar to most Christians. We are not being taken out of this world. We are living in this world with a heavenly mindset that overcomes the earthly. O’ Glory to God! - We have been given the mind of Christ! (1 Cor.2:16).

www.voiceofthetrumpet.org