Kingdom Shifts

Praise Him | Aneta Hume

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:26:00 +0000

He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23 NIV

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:16 NKJ

Praising God is the ultimate end and aim of all we go through. ~Oswald Chambers

Scripture stresses the importance of thanksgiving. Both Old and New Testament emphasizes that above everything else, God wants thankfulness.

We go through our routine of thanking God for our food before we eat; or we may even thank Him when we catch our child as they fall down; or when it stop raining on the day we planned a big picnic; or even during the Thanksgiving holiday we may list out our blessings and reflect on what God has done. However do we really offer the sacrifice of thanks or praise to God continually?

First of all, a sacrifice is something we put effort into—it costs us. I think it means that we are to give thanks in everything, even in a difficult situation when all we want to do is complain and meditate on our hurt or sorrow. The act of sacrificing the thank offering to God, when we do not feel like it at all, will bring forth the“salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23). This “salvation of God” empowers us to overcome selfishness, bitterness or anger; it delivers us from darkness that keeps us trapped. When we stop focusing on ourselves as we lift our face up to look at God to give Him thanks, we are set free from the things that weigh us down. Then we're able to receive the joy that the Lord wants us to have. Giving thanks to Him keeps our focus on God, on what we have in Him, and how blessed we are.

We have to develop a habit of looking around for things that bring us joy, makes us smile; to stop our busy, hectic lives to “smell the flowers” that are around us. Even when it rains, when the first drops touch the warm ground, they bring this special scent that I love. Let us then train our eyes to see beyond the obvious; let us lift our heads and seek God’s beauty in everything.

Oh, there is so much to write on the subject of thanksgiving, but with this short devotional I hope you will be encouraged to be intentionally thankful and in that you will surely be blessed.

Peniel, The Only Way In by | Greg Austin

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:58:00 +0000

“There are plenty of Christians to follow the Lord halfway, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends, and honours, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves.”
(Eckhart, 15th century mystic)

Not every blessing appears in the open. Some miracles are hidden, concealed, veiled.

The blessing of God’s mercy, His grace are often unseen until, unanticipated, Amazing Grace appears in the midst of life’s hard trials. And often, what we interpret as misfortune is, in fact a blessing from heaven.

Paul’s own imprisonment at Philippi would “fall out rather for the advancement of the gospel.” What appeared to be a curse was in fact the favor of God.

When Paul tells the Roman church I have longed to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord, few, if any of those disciples of Jesus would have understood the hidden blessing in Paul’s heart and mind.

The Face of God appears in the mists of elusiveness, mystery and death accompany His holy visage. From his earliest moments on earth, man has desired to “see,” to behold, to look upon that which God declared would produce his decease: You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.

Yet never in history has there been a lack of those who, in spite of the knowledge that looking upon the divine will bring their demise, will cry out with Moses, “I beseech Thee, show my Thy glory!”

And today, in the midst of so much hype & propaganda, the hyperbole of a religious structure that calls itself “the church” but in so many places has become deception personified, in the midst of so many counterfeit tributaries that label themselves as authentic flows the river of God’s presence and His eternal purpose in the earth.

And there are those in abundance who have determined to remain near God, to move with Him, and these must find a way through the lure and the entrapment of carnal, religious Christianity until they find and appropriate for themselves the transforming power of the heart of Jesus.

More than forty years of walking, running, stumbling, falling and getting up to run again with Jesus have taught this writer that it takes more than a sermon to change eternal souls: We are changed by the impartation, by the conveyance of the Spirit of the living God; mysteriously, eventually, immediately, He works His wonder of conversion: He changes us or we are not changed at all.

Spiritual transformation, the amendment from one form and substance to another cannot be the result of study or of learning or of absorbing and performing flawlessly the requirements of a set of religious rules or qualities. Pop Christianity advertises life without challenge, change without pain, transformation without struggle, but the butterfly emerges only after effort; he must free himself of the burden, the dreariness of the caterpillar if he is to put on the beauty hidden and potently, patiently awaiting within.

Challengeless faith, comfortable and therefore impotent faith is not faith at all. Trial and tribulation are assigned purpose. Bad things happen to good people to reconstruct good people into God’s people.

“The Consequence of Impartation is Transformation”

God intends His children to receive the impartation of Himself. Radical impartation is not achieved when a sermon is preached, but when the Word of God is received in the very core of one’s being. Spiritual life does not consist in memorized spiritual-sounding clichés or in whimsical praise or in Three-Step spirituality. Impartation comes when truth pierces the soul and the result of impartation is transformation.

Multitudes desire impartation, but few are willing to endure transformation, since the latter requires the incision, the piercing, the pain.

When we all will stand on That Day before the great Adjudicator of all that exists, we will be judged not by how much we heard, but how much we were changed into the image of Christ.

The great task of evangelism is never simply to scatter seed but to see fruit growing from the effect of the implanted seed. It is a process Jesus identified as “discipleship.”

James encouraged us all to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. He insisted that we become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Impartation comes only as we receive the Word of God as the tree admits the foreign branch to be grafted into its life. The Gardiner gives us the process: to graft another limb to a living tree, he uses the knife to cut into the flesh of the tree and pull open the wound in its side – exposing the cambium, the living, tissue producing cells of the tree.

And the branch is implanted inside the wounded place. The Gardner then wraps cloth around the limb, binding together tree and grafting. Even so, they wrapped His body, both sealing and concealing, bringing us with Him, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

The Cloth is soaked. The tree weeps, its sap, the lifeblood is poured out, but unless it weeps, there will be too little sap to support the life of the newly engrafted branch.

We want to see victory, success, joy, we want to experience the full blessings of God, but so frequently we fail to understand impartation. There must be the cutting, the pain, the weeping, the death if there is to be engrafted life.

In order for Adama to be made complete, to have life, to have companionship, he first must be wounded. Something must be taken from him if he is to enjoy an Eve.

In order for Christ to have a church, He must first be wounded. Blood and water must pour from His side and drain into the earth. He must be laid down in death before He will ever have a Bride.

For impartation to occur, something must be wounded for something else to be grafted in.

There must be travail before there can be birth; loss before gain, death before resurrection.

So God approaches us in our desiring. He answers us in our asking. He comes, and we anticipate, we desire the embrace of heaven, but He comes, not to provide us with a scepter of authority but He comes with the sharpened blade of a knife. He would cut through the bark of our souls, He will saw a gash through the self-protection we have devised to cover, to conceal to shield ourselves. We want to become His righteousness, but first He must pierce through our self-righteousness until He reaches the tender, weeping part of us, that place in our lives where impartation happens. The place where the soul bleeds and where the heart seeps is where God will carve a gorge through which self will escape & the Spirit of God may gain entrance.

“God’s purpose in wounding is invading, entering, becoming from two, one, but the wound is first in Him, and He demonstrates the wound by receiving the first gash.”

God does not create the wound to bring us pain, but it is only through the broken open places in our souls that He can instill His power and plant His purpose in us.

The Genesis account enlightens us. Gen 32:24–32

Jacob is alone; a Man appears, wrestles with him until the breaking of day. And the Man does not prevail against Jacob, so He touches the socket of his hip, “disjointing” Jacob.

On that day Jacob becomes Israel and obscure wilderness becomes Peniel, “For (Jacob) saw God face to face, and his life was preserved.”

The change did not appear until an impartation was accomplished that brought transformation, grace, blessing. We call the experience “The dark night of the soul.” We avoid gross darkness, we hide from pain, we delay the appointment, postpone the inevitable, but out of the shaking and the disruption, the pain in our lives, God opens the mysteries of His being to our languishing and thirsting hearts.

Jacob wondered from whence he had been attacked. God’s face remained in darkness. He could not know with whom he struggled. We cannot always distinguish why, who what causes the wounding, yet in the battle we must hold out for the impartation.

Jacob wrestled until he was changed. How many times have we heard the Word of God, yet we were not moved? How many times have we felt the shaking of God’s presence but we refused to tremble at His word? We too commonly allow ourselves to hear enough to be touched, but not sufficiently to be changed.

Intuitively, we know that in order to be transformed, we must be wounded. We long to touch the royal robe of Deity, but we refuse to allow God to come too near, for fear that He may cripple our carnality. And all the while we know that if we desire to save our lives we must lose them; if we want to walk with God, we must adjust our gait to the limp.

The question beckons, as the yawning horizon breaks forth inviting us to come, to immerse ourselves in the mystery, the unknown, the unseen of its atmospheres.

Are we willing to lose everything, everyone in order to await divine visitation that may come in the black night of unknown possibility?

Are we willing to be crippled by the great Healer and to be forever wounded by the touch of the Hand that knew the shrieking pain of Roman nail? Are we willing never to be normal again, embracing all of God until the dawn of eternity, and to allow the impartation to transform our lives forever and for Him?

In our wounding, God will create sensitivity, like the war-wound of the old man who anticipates the coming rain by the pain he feels.

In the touch of God will be planted the branch of His blessing. In the impartation of His life, we are forever changed in beholding His face.

If we are willing to be wounded, if we are unwilling to let go divine visitation until we receive impartation, we will experience transformation.

Jesus said to them, If any comes after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever saves his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

He told us, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Peniel – the Face of God. Jacob’s coming to the end of self – the end of trusting his own wisdom, his own ability, his powers of conniving, manipulating, deceiving.

Confronted with an enemy who swore he would kill him next time they met, Jacob ran out of schemes. There remained no place to run but Peniel, the face of God.

David Heebner | His firm grip

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:52:00 +0000

Clear My Vision

-- A Daily Devotional by David Heebner--

February 19: His firm grip

Isaiah 41:13
(from The Message Bible)

“Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, 'Don't panic. I'm right here to help you.'”

One of the most amazing ways I experience God's presence are the moments when He calms my fear or anxiety. I feel like He is actually touching my heart with a firm grip that holds me up. He touches my emotions without even being physically in my presence.

Prayer: Lord, as I search your scriptures, I am learning that focus comes through experiencing you with all of my senses. Seeing you in your creation, hearing your voice, and now being touched by you, I not only know of your love, but I also feel your embrace.

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Clear My Vision, a devotional with thoughtful insight and biblical wisdom for real life, is authored by David Heebner, LPC.
David provides professional counseling with a biblical foundation.
Please visit www.davidheebner.com to find out more or to subscribe to this publication.
Copyright 2012

David Heebner | His love moves me

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Clear My Vision

-- A Daily Devotional by David Heebner--

February 19: His love moves me

I Corinthians 5:5, 14

(from The Message Bible)

“He puts a little heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. . . Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.”

God's love is all about passion – not about effort or performance. We don't "try" to serve Him. His love drives us to desire to serve. We love Him and others out of the overflow of His love for us.

Prayer: Lord, you are the beginning and the end of my passion for living. I live to serve you and only you. Everything I do is not to perform, but to share in your love for me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Clear My Vision, a devotional with thoughtful insight and biblical wisdom for real life, is authored by David Heebner, LPC.

David provides professional counseling with a biblical foundation.

Please visit www.davidheebner.com to find out more or to subscribe to this publication.

Transformation of a Tribe

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:04:00 +0000

This morning Eric Teitelman of House of David forwarded a video to me that deeply touched my heart. It is a true story of a missionary, Mark Zook, who reached out to the Mouk tribe in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. This is a tribe that had no previous knowledge of Jesus Christ or any teachings of the Bible. Watch how the missionary introduces to them Scriptural truths step-by-step over a period of time even before he mentions the name of Jesus Christ. Make sure you watch it to the end to see their response.

What did you glean from this story that you can apply to your own life?

When is Enough Enough? | Jennifer Slattery

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:47:00 +0000

I want to introduce a guest blogger, Jennifer Slattery, who shares her heart concerning prayer. It will challenge and inspire you to allow the Holy Spirit to direct your times of prayer. Jennifer has also been a great asset as an editor and publicist on behalf of Burning Lamp Media & Publishing. Enjoy!

When is Enough Enough?

Jennifer Slattery

We’ve all had those moments in our life when we’re ready to throw in the towel. We’ve prayed and prayed, fervently and with faith, for something or someone, to no avail. And we’ve all had those moments when God’s Spirit has burned within us so strongly, we just knew things were going to turn around, our loved ones were going to finally take that leap of faith, our house was going to sell, we were going to get that job. Whatever. But then the moment passes, and our loved ones are still headed down a different road, the house continues to sit, and the job we’ve worked so hard and long for is given to someone else. So what do we do? When is enough enough?

I’ve been on both sides of this coin many times. I have moments where my faith is so strong I’m ready to turn mountains into mole-hills and to command trees to uproot themselves and jump into the sea. But I’ve also had many moments, way more than I’d like to admit, where I’ve thrown my hands in the air with a scowl and a vehement accusation hurled at God.

A while back God gave me just a glimmer of His heart, and it overwhelmed me with sadness. I’m not sure if sadness is quite the word. Sadness mixed with intense longing. I couldn’t stop crying, and praying. As I prayed, I listened to Addison Road’s “What Do I know of Holy” over and over. Like OCD over and over. Not sure why, but the song drew me. Even now, as I think about it, tears resurface. What do I know of Holy? What do I know of God? My human mind fails to comprehend. So what do I do? I box Him in to what is manageable, or understandable. In that moment, God shattered my nice little package with an intense, overpowering love.

I understood instantly that what I was feeling was God’s heart for the person He was calling me to pray for. And I have to tell you, my human love paled in comparison to the gut wrenching emotions that swept over me. And just when I thought I was done praying, and ready to get on with my day (the laundry never did get done and that article I keep talking about never did get written) it’d hit me again, like a Mack Truck straight to the chest, and I was back to tears and desperate cries to my Holy Father.

The pain was so intense it frightened me. If God felt such heartache for this person, did it mean that the person I was praying for had walked away completely? Was God in mourning? The thought terrified me and sent me into another tailspin of fervent prayers. I begged God for mercy, for intervention, for nothing short of a miracle. And then I received an email from a fellow writer who had also been called to pray. She relayed to me the words God had spoken to her, and they resonated so deeply, I was instantly reduced, once again to tears. And more prayers. An hour later, I received another email from another friend who was also being called to pray. She, too, provided words of affirmation and encouragement. Through out the evening, my yahoo account lit up with confirmation after confirmation that I was not, was not, was not to give up. Whether it took a week, a month, a year, or even decades.

So again I ask, when is enough enough?

Never.

And now I’m going to listen to that song again. Want to join me? Oh, LORD, if you touched my face, would I know you? Touch us now. Overwhelm us with Your love.

Jennifer Slattery writes for the ACFW Journal, Christ to the World Ministries, the Christian Pulse, Internet Cafe Devotions and Jewels of Encouragement. You can find out more about her and her writing by visiting her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud. She also works for Tiffany Colter as an editor-for-hire and publicist. Find out more about her services at Word That Keep.

Zeke Lam | subMISSION

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

As many of you know I started Burning Lamp Media &Publishing at the end of 2010. After a year of much prayer and hard work, we finally published our first book—subMISSION: heeding only His voice by ZekeLam. I first met Zeke back in 2009 at the Global Day of Prayer event in Culpeper, Virginia where we were both invited to minister. Immediately upon meeting Zeke, I could see his deep passion for Christ and for those in need of the liberating power of the Gospel message. Over the next 18 months our paths crossed multiple times. Then in early 2011 we had a divine orchestration that would forever alter our paths. Previously we agreed to pray together weekly about a vision to launch The Circuit Riders (a topic for another time!)—however, during a particular phone conversation, I shared that I was going to start publishing Christian books through Burning Lamp. Immediately Zeke confided to me that he was about to finish up a book that he had started called subMISSION. I was intrigued. From that point on the Lord had us partner together to publish Zeke’s first book, which was released on December 1, 2011.

It was a learning experience for us both while also deepening a friendship between us—and our families. My wife adores his wife, and my girls love playing with his rough-and-tumble boys! We know this couple personally and we can attest to their walk of integrity before God—and to the verifiable fruit of a calling as an evangelist. (If you’re looking for an evangelist to come minister to your church, campus ministry, or at a conference—please consider Zeke Lam.)

You can read his bio on our Burning Lamp Featured Author page.

Also I want to give you permission to share our Burning Lamp banners featuring Zeke's book on your blog, website, or Facebook page. On Facebook go to our Burning Lamp Media & Publishing page and you'll locate the three banners that we have available, each with a powerful quote from Zeke's book.

Here are some guest interviews and articles that Zeke has done on various blogs in the past month.

MARY AND MARTHA (Naomi Dawn Musch)

SUBMISSION IN MARRIAGE (Julie Arduini)

GUEST INTERVIEW (Carol Hatcher)

26 Hours to Live

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 03:46:00 +0000

On November 17, 2000 as I awoke that morning, I knew the Lord desired to speak to my heart that day—I felt that it would be quite significant. I was a first year student at Christ For the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. As I ventured through the day I came to a class taught by my favorite instructor—Dr. Larry Hill. I don’t remember now the entirety of the teaching that morning, but I do remember one poignant statement that he made that reverberated in my spirit. As he was passionately teaching (with his arms flailing while his facial expression revealed the intensity of a man consumed) about how we are going to live our lives in the light of our destiny in Christ, he asked the following question, “What if you have…[a short pause]…26 hours to live?”

The force of those words seized my attention. I leaned in as to say, “Lord I’m listening to your voice with every fiber of my being.” As I sat on the edge of my seat, I knew the Lord was clearly speaking to me through this message.

Let me explain.

On that day as I listened to Dr. Hill preach, I was celebrating my 26th birthday. I rose early that morning to seek the Lord’s face in the GLT prayer room. I knew in my spirit that He was going to speak prophetically into my heart. Therefore when my teacher used the same number as my age to describe how many hours left one would live, I was riveted.

Immediately I wondered, “Who in the world uses the number 26 to describe how many hours one has remaining to live?” Normally in such a scenario a person would propose a more standard usage of time such as 24 (is there not a reason that a popular show was called 24 and not 26?). Due to the unusualness of the number selected to describe this scenario, I knew this was the Lord speaking to my own heart. Each year since then I have reflected on this as a reminder of the urgency of setting my heart apart unto the Lord so that I may live my life for His glory.

Life is short. Let us heed the wisdom penned by the Psalmist (Psalm 90:12)—Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Take time today to meditate on that verse. What can you do today to consecrate your heart afresh to Him in this hour? Don't be the couple that John Piper writes about in his book, Don't Waste Your Life. Their sole objective was simply to retire early, move to Florida to live a life of comfort and ease—traveling, playing softball and collecting shells. Don’t waste your life seeking the comforts of life. My heart aches simply writing about this tragic pursuit of the American dream. Heed the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-16—Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

So, if you have 26 hours to live from this moment, what would you do in order not to waste your life?

Your Greatest Need in this Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:48:00 +0000

Recently on Facebook I posed the following question: What is your greatest need in this hour? Many provided their feedback with such answers as patience, love, peace, and stronger faith.

This question was provoked within as I contemplated upon a passage in 1 Kings 3:5-15.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

Note how the Lord asks Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” This is quite impressive (why would the Lord ask a mere man this very question?).

How would you answer this direct question from the Lord if it were posed to you?

Solomon’s response PLEASED the Lord. As I reflected upon this very question for myself, I knew that my own response certainly wouldn’t please the Lord though it would be cloaked in all the right words; and it would appear to be for a cause to further His kingdom (but in reality, it is more fixated upon building my own reputation, career, success, etc.). I became aware that perhaps what I thought was my greatest need in this hour was more of a reflection of my own "desire" versus a true need. Often I think I know what I need, but obviously there's wisdom from above that can shed greater light upon this question for each of us. However, many of us—myself included—are not able to distinguish between what we really need as seen from the Lord’s vantage point versus what we want.

Let me explain.

After investing much thought into this question, I'm more convinced that what I need more than anything else is humility (I know this can sound so cliché within religious circles, which is definitely not my aim here). There is a humility that is genuinely birthed out of a pliable heart before the Lord and it doesn't reek of an old religious corpse—it originates from an authentic revelation of God’s nature and character as revealed through Christ Jesus. It is pride the seeps into my heart that seeks to garner attention, to be successful in my vocation so that I may be deemed as noteworthy (versus a failure). I could ask for favor, but my motivation often is that it would be used to further my professional ambitions instead truly honoring the Lord through my vocational pursuits. We need heaven’s perspective so that we aren’t caught up in pursuing our own vainglory at the expense of the honor that’s due Him—and Him alone.

History & Covenant | Jim Arnold

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:22:00 +0000

I had a dream on 2/22/08 that I want to share with you.

Peter Wagner

Aneta and I were in Colorado Springs. We were in a large room that had both a classroom and a bookstore area. Peter and Doris Wagner are teaching a class over in the classroom section. Aneta and I are off to the side looking at their products. I'm going through these packages that include teaching sets (CDs) with a corresponding manual of sorts to follow. I asked the worker if I could look at the list of all the courses they offered (she had a master list in her hands with all the teachings that they had), but she wouldn't permit me to do so. I could only see what they had in stock there at the store. I see a few by Chuck Pierce and Peter Wagner, but there was one that caught my attention: History & Covenant by Jim Arnold (end of dream).

Although it has been over three years since I had this dream, I've mulled upon it many times since. There are times when a particular dream will "stick" over time and seemingly resurfaces at pivotal points. The primary focus of this dream for me has been on the name Jim Arnold—and the teaching, “History & Covenant”. I've been unable to really discern the thrust what the Lord is trying to say through this dream. Yet, I've felt strongly that this person and the teaching, "History & Covenant" is quite significant for this hour.

Let me share a little of the insights I’ve gleaned from this journey of seeking the Lord.

Last summer on June 3, 2010 I got an email from the ministerial association in Culpeper. For sake of time, I usually don’t read the emails unless something in the subject heading captures my attention as it did on this day—“Death Notice: Jim Arnold”. Immediately my mind went back to the dream I had previously concerning a Jim Arnold.

I was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of this man due to a tragic accident. Yet I was encouraged to read that he was active in his church in Culpeper, New Beginnings Worship Center (the pastor, Paula Jones, was instrumental in leading two dear friends of mine in the baptism of the Holy Spirit). Also Jim Arnold was an educated man: he graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Electrical Engineering and from the renown MIT with a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

A week later I was with my family on vacation at the Outer Banks along with my parents. Out of the blue my dad mentioned that an old colleague of his had recently passed away tragically. Without missing a beat, I blurted, "Jim Arnold?" My dad was somewhat surprised. Indeed it was this person. They had known each other years before when their paths crossed. I was taken back that my dad knew this guy.

This whole ordeal inspired me to search more on Jim Arnold and I came across history books by an author of the same name written about the Civil War. These are books for children and early teens—and are quite well done. I ordered three copies (although there were more books).

Divided in Two: The Road to Civil War, 1861—This theme of division and union has captivated my thoughts in the past few years. Years ago the Lord sent me in August of ’08 on a prophetic assignment to anoint the headwaters of the Mississippi River and it entailed a whole learning process through the Scriptures concerning division and union.

On To Richmond: The Civil War in the East, 1864-1865—Richmond has been frequently mentioned in my dreams; plus this book focuses a lot on Virginia, including the Battle of Bull Run. My prophetic mandate is somehow intricately tied to this historic Battlefield, which is why I relocated my family back to this area in ’09. God is bringing together a white man and a black man to pioneer an apostolic equipping center in the very area that judgment manifested 150 years ago this summer (July 21) at the Battle of Bull Run!

Lost Cause: The End of the Civil War—As I write this I’m reminded of a previous dream with Lou Engle back in ’04 prior to his visit to preach at the first Awaken the Dawn conference. In the dream I told him I’d been praying about a book to get for him called “LOST CAUSES” by George Grant—we walked together into the book store to retrieve it; however, I couldn’t find it and Lou was fixated upon another book about the history of our nation with the subtitles, “DEFINING MOMENTS”. When I awoke from the dream I went to the store to buy that book to give to him at the conference.

Obviously the Lord has given me much to chew on. Yet I've felt led by the Lord to share this dream on my blog, which isn't the norm for me. I think perhaps it will bring greater clarity as I'm able to hear from others. Feel free to share in the comments any thoughts you want to communicate.

God bless you!

An Unexpected Surprise at Eggspectation

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:30:00 +0000

This past month—May 12 to be exact—my wife and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. From the beginning we dreamed of grandiose plans of a romantic getaway to celebrate such a milestone: a location only reachable by plane; warm weather; opportunities to splurge on fine cuisine; time alone to…ah, talk like newlyweds (cough, cough) while reminiscing upon the memories of our honeymoon. But as the date drew closer, the reality of such a dream-like getaway became obviously just that—a dream.

With my wife’s parents in Poland we were left with only my parents and older sister as resources to help assist with our two precious daughters. However, with my mom’s shaky health, it became increasingly clear that it would not be possible to have my parents watch them especially the younger one on the verge of crawling.

With plan A clearly on the backburner, we went to work on plan B. Possibly we could figure something out that would at least give us a few hours together of uninterrupted time. Granted, it would not be quite the extravagant plans we had previously conjured; but nonetheless, we could celebrate together!

Secretly we hoped that perhaps my family would offer to watch our two girls for a few hours since it was our ten year anniversary. As the weeks passed by and no offer made, we went to work to figure out who else within our circle could take on such a task (an energetic 3 year old coupled with an 8 month old who required ample attention). A dear lady from our church, Ann, came to mind—a kind, thoughtful, cheerful woman, one who was a youthful 60. My wife called her and she graciously accepted the challenge to watch our two girls for four hours on the date of our anniversary, from 2-6pm.

We were elated! All Aneta could talk about for a week leading up to May 12 was our anniversary date—it would be a time of bliss. Questions constantly poured forth: where would we go, what restaurant would we select, what food would we order, would we be able to walk around a historic area? The more we talked about it the more the anticipation grew. I could see the excitement in her eyes, a sparkle of hope. We both love our two precious daughters, but we were looking forward to our time together—alone, uninterrupted for four hours. We were dying to embrace the romantic within as we renewed our commitment to one another on this special day. This would be a time of rejuvenation.

On Wednesday, May 11 Aneta received a phone call from a person with a somewhat hoarse voice. Ann had somehow come down with a severe cold and was sent home from work; however, she assured us that she could still come over the next day to watch our girls. Although we were appreciative of her willingness to do so under such circumstances, we declined simply because our youngest had pneumonia and the last thing we wanted was for her weakened immune system to be exposed to further germs.

We were crushed. What could we possibly do now to plan for our long awaited anniversary celebration?

That morning I called my mom to see what they could do and she offered to watch Simone, our oldest daughter if we took Eliana with us. At this point we had exhausted our short list of trustworthy candidates who could possibly watch our youngest daughter.

Honestly, we were bummed. A lump of frustration persisted in my throat for the majority of the day. Without going into all the details, we just felt frustrated that our family could not do more to help us celebrate this special day. And I felt guilty for feeling this way as my negative attitude persisted.

Perhaps we had placed too much stock into the sentimental values of celebrating our anniversaries on the actual day that they transpire (we have a few different “milestones” throughout the calendar year that we intentionally celebrate as a means to honor Christ and to strengthen our marriage).

And as our day unfolded, many of the minor details were not coming together—simply reinforcing that negative jive within. “Oh great,” I retorted, “How am I going to make this day anything worth remembering on a positive note?”

Finally we dropped off Simone at my parents’ house with Eliana in the backseat. Our plan was to go first to the jewelry store. I had previously purchased a necklace that I felt would be appropriate to commemorate our anniversary. However, it was not quite what Aneta had in mind so we went back to Macy’s so Aneta could select one more to her liking. Our time was short since we had to get back home to put Eliana down for her afternoon nap for an hour. Aneta found a necklace that enthralled her! We raced home to put down a crying baby since we were well behind her normal sleeping pattern.

However, she never fell asleep as she was too overworked.

Finally we grabbed her and sped to the closest restaurant to us—Eggspectation in Gainesville. We had been there before and we both knew exactly what we would order, which would cut down on the time: Aneta ordered her favorite new grilled chicken and fruit salad (with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries); meanwhile I ordered the Eggsuberant (eggs, pancakes, turkey bacon, potatoes, and fruit). We arrived at the outdoor patio with perfect weather. We plopped Eliana down who was in her seat as her eyes took in the change of scenery (thankfully she probably did not realize that she was technically the third wheel on our 10 year anniversary celebration!).

As our waitress took our order, we made mention to her that we were there to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Immediately, she enthusiastically congratulated us.

A cool breeze could be felt as we sat at our table in the shade. Aneta checked to make sure Eliana was properly clothed. I assured her that Eliana would be fine. We both slumped in our chairs. We were somewhat tired as we had been going nonstop for most of the day; yet, we were trying to enjoy each other’s company, but our attention was fixated on Eliana. Aneta started feeding Eliana her dinner so that she could focus on the meal once it was served. As Eliana swallowed her last bite, the waitress brought out our meals. Simultaneously another woman arrived at our table congratulating us on our anniversary. She commented on how cute our little girl was while asking, “Can I pick her up?” As we started eating our dinner this unknown lady walks around the patio with Eliana in her arms. It was obvious from the beginning that she had a knack for little ones.

Aneta and I glanced at each other as our eyes communicated, “Who is this lady?” I figured she either worked there or was a very good friend of the waitress.

As she walked around with Eliana, Aneta learned that she was a mother of two and a grandmother of three.

Finally she brought Eliana—smiling, and cooing with glee—back to her seat as someone from inside requested out to her attention. We thanked her profusely for giving us a few minutes with each other as she entertained Eliana.

The waitress came back to the table as we finished up our meal. She informed us that they were going to bless us with free desserts: one for each of us! We were taken back, shocked by their kindness. A few minutes later they brought our desserts to us just as the sweet lady returned.

“Maam, do you work here?” Aneta asked. “Oh yes,” she replied, “I’m the manager here.” Furthermore we learned that her name was Joe (at least that's what I understood she said).

She proceeded to pick up Eliana once again to entertain her so that we could enjoy our meal together.

Without question we were touched deeply by the generosity of this woman who blessed us above and beyond our expectation. She was a ray of sunshine bursting through a cloudy day. Humbled, we again expressed to the manager our deepest appreciation. Although our previous expectations for this day of celebration fell short, this act of kindness on behalf of the manager at Eggspectation helped us to enjoy a moment together while reminding us of God’s goodness towards us (and reminding us not to allow unfulfilled expectations to dictate our mood and attitude!).

Well, in closing I want to say, "Thanks Eggspectation and Manager Joe and the kind waitress at the Gainesville Eggspectation!"

MUCH HARM from FALSE MAY 21 PROPHECY? | Andrew Strom

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Fri, 27 May 2011 03:06:00 +0000

I would be interested in your comments on this. Of course, the liberal media took great delight in ridiculing the whole of evangelical Christianity over this - even though very few took part in it. Harold Camping's false prophecy of the "End of the World" gave great cause for unbelievers to mock. But will there be any long-term effects? I was interested to read the opinion of 'Tula' one of our readers below:

"I am getting a lot of comments from family and other contacts about 'the end of the world' Harold Camping thing. My mum said her whole office was laughing about it and its been all over the media here in the UK. I am not bothered that people are laughing and mocking about it, as they would when it did not come true. A couple of things come to mind, that it did shake people up enough to think about it deeply. Also that when it does come they will have been 'de-sensitised' and will have put most of us Christians in the same camp..."

What are your experiences with others over this?"

Andrew Strom invites you to participate in discussions at his website (click here).

IS YOUR HEART SMOTHERED IN BROWNIE BATTER?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Mon, 23 May 2011 01:33:00 +0000

Do you enjoy brownie batter more than the actual baked brownie? Yep, I do! For me, a plain brownie that stands alone is just that—plain, nothing special. Plain brownies tempt me, not! I bypass without hesitation. However, you stick a bowl in front of me oozing with fresh brownie batter and it’s a different story.

Growing up I always had a knack for showing up in the kitchen just when my mom finished pouring the batter into the pan prior to the heating. Being the thoughtful and helpful lad I was, I grabbed the bowl to clean it thoroughly with a good spatula. (It was always messy, but licking good!) Definitely well worth the sacrifice to ensure the bowl was spic-n-span. Needless to say, I’ve continued the habit to this day, to my wife’s delight (what wife wouldn’t want a husband who helps around the kitchen!).

Recently my wife and three year old daughter baked some brownies with some extras like crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (and other healthy goodies!). As I entered the kitchen that day, my eyes scanned the countertop for the bounty—the treasured brownie batter bowl. I was hoping for dear life that the “unlicked” bowl did not meet an immature and senseless demise in the sink baptized in soapy water.

Off to the side my eyes caught a glimpse. Ah, my heart leapt!

The bowl glistened, undefiled. Untouched, it stood with an inviting allure. My wife noticed my gawking. Being the wise woman she is, she immediately handed me the bowl smothered with batter.

(However, I must state, proudly so, that I decided to set it aside for dessert since dinner was only 30 minutes away. I can’t eat a dessert or snack right before the main meal—my mom taught me well!)

As you may have taken note of, I enjoy—immensely so—brownie batter!

I have a question for you: What is the brownie batter that God unrelentingly seeks after?

Just as my eyes scoured the kitchen for the prized brownie batter, the eyes of God scan the landscape for one thing so dear to Him—namely, your heart of devotion to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 states, “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (NASB).

Ah, a heart that is “completely His”—it is like a heart smothered in brownie batter that the eyes of God cannot resist! Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 11:3 precisely this brownie batter smothered heart as “the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” A heart truly devoted to Christ is to be treasured above all else.

Is your heart like a bowl smothered in brownie batter waiting for the taking? Will the eyes of the Lord find your heart as one devoted to Him, one that is “completely His”?

News for Kingdom Shifts!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Fri, 20 May 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Please take a moment to go to our new Facebook page to "LIKE" it so that you can join our interactive dialogue with others. CLICK HERE.

Also what do you think of our new logo for Kingdom Shifts?

J. Lee Grady | Why I Don't Buy the May 21 Prophecy

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sun, 15 May 2011 00:49:00 +0000

Here are three reasons why Harold Camping's end-times prediction should be ignored. (Click here for link to article on Fire in My Bones.)

J. Lee Grady

I spent the past week in Guyana, a South American nation where the people are friendly, the food is spicy and churches are growing at a healthy pace. But Christians there face a serious challenge because of the sad legacy of Jim Jones, the American cult leader who ordered his followers to drink poisoned Kool-Aid at their compound in Jonestown in 1978. The mass suicide, which killed 909 people (including Jones), went down in history as the world's worst example of religion gone wrong.

"Even today, the Jim Jones tragedy poses a problem of credibility for us," one pastor in the city of Corriverton told me last week.

You can imagine my dismay when I arrived in Guyana and learned that groups of Americans were combing the streets and passing out literature claiming that Jesus will rapture the church on May 21. These Christians apparently are so convinced of the prediction that they traveled to the only English-speaking country in South America to deliver a last-minute warning.

This outbreak of rapture fever originated with Harold Camping, 89, a California-based Bible teacher who says he figured out the date of Jesus' return by studying the book of Daniel and other biblical texts. Never mind that Jesus said no one would know the timing of His return (see Matt. 24:36). And never mind that Camping has a bad track record—he previously set Sept. 6, 1994, as the date for the Apocalypse. Many gullible Christians are still willing to trust Camping’s instincts.

I cringed when I heard that Americans were telling Guyanese people they have two weeks left before Jesus arrives to take all true Christians to heaven. Camping's followers also believe the world will end in October. I've learned in the last week that many believers have jumped on this bandwagon; they've put up billboards, purchased TV ads, painted warnings on rooftops, issued radio alerts and flooded nations with printed warnings.

I can't compete with this doomsday madness, but I can offer an appeal for sanity. Here are three reasons why we should not spread Camping's prediction:

1. It is a false prophecy. How can I say this with assurance? Because Jesus Himself said all end-times date setting is strictly off-limits. He told His disciples on the day He ascended: "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority" (Acts 1:8, NASB). If it is not for us to know, then how does Harold Camping know? Is he God? Only the worst form of spiritual pride would lead a person to claim such knowledge.

2. Failed date-setting has discredited Christians many times before. Why can't we learn from history? William Miller, the father of Seventh-day Adventism, was convinced that Jesus would come back in 1844. When his prediction turned out to be bogus (a moment known as "the Great Disappointment"), many disillusioned “Millerites” abandoned their faith.

Jehovah’s Witnesses taught that Jesus would begin His millennial reign in 1914. When that didn't happen, they pointed to the outbreak of World War I and began teaching that this was the "beginning of the end." A few years later they moved the date to 1925. Nothing happened that year, but more than a generation later they circulated the prediction that the world would end in 1975. (They also taught that only Jehovah's Witnesses would survive a global holocaust.)

Recent history is littered with more of these embarrassing predictions, including Jim Jones’ claim that the world would end in nuclear war on July 15, 1967. Jones was a communist who believed he was the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha and Lenin, so Christians didn’t take him seriously. But when a Christian layman, Edgar Whisenant, wrote 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988, millions of believers bought it. You won’t get much money for that book at a garage sale today.

3. End-times date-setting hinders the cause of Christ. Just imagine what will go through the minds of unbelievers on May 22, 2011. Christians told them Jesus would return, but He didn't. This will make followers of Christ look silly and unreliable.

As sincere as Camping's devotees may be, sincerity is no excuse for theological error. It is wrong-headed and irresponsible for any Christian to tell an unbeliever when Jesus is coming back or when the world will end. That is not the message we were commissioned to preach. Dates and deadlines do not have the power to save souls—only the gospel can do that.

When we share Christ with others, we don't need to provide a date for His Second Coming. Instead, we tell them about the miracle of Calvary and remind them: "Today is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). No one knows when he will die; every new day could be his last. And every person will stand before God when this life is over.

There is urgency in the gospel, for sure, but it is not about a countdown to the rapture. Hundreds of thousands of people die every day without Jesus, whether or not He returns in their generation. This alone should motivate us to avoid foolish distractions and false prophecies so we can get busy with the task of genuine evangelism.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter.com leegrady. His newest book is 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House).

Dr. Tom Dooley | Ministering in Manassas, Virginia

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:17:00 +0000

This Sunday, May 8, my good friend Dr. Tom P. Dooley will be ministering at New Covenant Fellowship in Manassas. The service starts at 10am and I highly recommend that you visit NCF if you are in the northern Virginia region. Click here for directions.

I have known of Tom since 2004 when a former disciple of mine was working for Destiny Image Publishers and he mentioned a book that was creating quite a stir in the office. Obviously that is the kind of book I want to get my hands on! This ripple-effect book was Praying Faith by Tom Dooley (since then he’s written two more books: Half-Truths are Lies; Hope When Everything Seems Hopeless). Within a few days I purchased my copy and I was not disappointed! I reread the book in ’06 and at that point I felt something stirred in my heart about connecting with Tom—I had a “knowing” of sorts that he would be a pivotal part of what God had called me to do in this coming hour. I finally made contact with him in January of ’07. We met face-to-face a month later when he was on a prophetic assignment to Washington, DC. Since then we have spent time together on multiple kingdom assignments from the Lord throughout the United States. I am also in my third year of serving on the board of the ministry that Tom founded—Path Clearer Ministries. Click here to visit the website.
Without question I have been immensely blessed by Tom’s friendship, wise counsel, prophetic insights and tenacity of faith—he is a friend whom I consider to be trustworthy. He has profound stories of God doing supernatural, miraculous orchestrations through him on his journey in multiple, diverse settings: from the Pentagon to a platform in Nigeria before one million attendees to a television studio in the UK ministering the word of the Lord.

As you can see, Tom is also quite successful in the marketplace (www.tomdooley.org):
- PhD biomedical research scientist
- Ran as a Republican nominee for Alabama State Board of Education, District 4.
-Entrepreneur & businessman
- Former professor
- Inventor with multiple patents
- Author of 65 scientific publications
- Outstanding communicator (syndicated radio, TV, & print media)
- Chief Scientific Officer - MediQuest Therapeutics Inc. (2004-present)
- CEO & Founder - IntegriDerm Inc
- CEO & Founder - ALtruis LLC

I hope you’re able to join us this Sunday at 10am!

National Day of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Watch LIVE tomorrow (Thursday, May 5th) from 9:00am - 12:00pm ET as prominent leaders from around the country gather on Capitol Hill for the 2011 National Observance. CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE.

Program highlights include:

•Keynote - Joni Eareckson Tada, 2011 Honorary Chairman.

•Other speakers include: Dr. and Mrs. James C. Dobson, Congressman Allen West, Chaplain Barry Black, Justice Paul Newby, Captain Ryan Voltin, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, and more.

•Special Musical Guest - Ginny Owens.

•Worship Leader - Jared Anderson.

Special thanks to GodTV for partnering with us to broadcast this special event around the world via DirecTV channel 365 and Webcast.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE...

Although the 60th Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer is tomorrow (Thursday, May 5th), it's not too late to host/find an event. Just this week, there have been thousands of new events posted on our Web site. Now is the time to visit us online and find an event in your community or post the event that you are planning. The searchable event listing is the most popular page on our Web site - posting your event information on www.NationalDayofPrayer.org helps increase both awareness and attendance. The posting process is simple and only takes a few minutes. CLICK HERE to post/find an event now.

Tom Corcoran | Prayer: Secret or Public?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:27:00 +0000

Once again the National Day of Prayer is upon us. This year the theme is: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" (Ps. 91:2). Some believe that gathering together to pray is not in keeping with Scripture (Matt:6:5-9). I admit I'm uncomfortable praying with others. Jesus taught us how to pray. Prayer is not an obvious or natural activity or it wouldn't have had to be taught. We pray because we are followers of Jesus and have fellowship with God. Jesus is our mediator so that our prayers afford direct access to God. Dietrich Bonhoffer wrote: "True prayer is done in secret, but this does not rule out the fellowship of prayer altogether, however clearly we may be aware of its dangers. In the last resort it is immaterial whether we pray in the open street or in the secrecy of our chambers, whether briefly or lengthy, in the Litany of the Church, or with the sigh of one who knows not what he should pray for. True prayer does not depend either on the individual or the whole body of the faithful, but solely upon the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows our needs. That makes God the sole object of our prayers, and frees us from a false confidence in our own prayerful efforts." I share that sentiment...on May 5th whether you are planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, be busy at work/home, or gathering to pray with others, spend time in Scripture; hear God speak to you.

__________________________________________________

This portion was derived from an email newsletter of Multi Church DC, which was written by my friend Tom Corcoran. I thought it was an interesting perspective on prayer that I would share with my readers. Please feel free to leave any feedback on your thoughts.

Here is Tom’s Twitter account info; take a moment to follow him on Twitter: @multichurchdc

Washington, DC | Cindy Jacobs

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:23:00 +0000

On Easter Sunday, April 24th at 10:30am, Cindy Jacobs is scheduled to speak at the Newsong Church in northern Virginia during her strategic trip to Washington, DC. For those in the region, I'd strongly recommend you attend this service if you are able to do so.

NEWSONG Church
8200 Bell Lane
Vienna, Virginia
www.ournewsong.com

Cindy Jacobs is a respected prophet who travels the world ministering not only to crowds of people, but to heads of nations. Perhaps her greatest ministry is to world influencers who seek her prophetic advice.

Her first calling is and always will be prophetic intercession. Ever since the Lord called her with the scripture, “Ask of me the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the world for your possession,” she has taken that calling seriously. She describes her call to the nations “an inverted homesickness.” Each year she travels and has spoken on nearly every inhabited continent to tens of thousands. Yet, in her heart is the memory that Jesus left the ninety-and-nine to go to the one. Today, in spite of a demanding schedule, she is willing to go for the one lost soul.

Among other things, she is listed in the Who’s Who Among American Women, has written for such publications as Charisma, Ministries Today, Spirit-Led Women. She is a frequent guest on Trinity Broadcasting Network, The 700 Club, and now one can watch her on the God Channel. The television show from her ministry, God Knows, is on nine networks in six languages.

HIGH and LIFTED UP | Homer Owen

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 04:15:00 +0000

This is an awesome week for all of us who have chosen the Son of God as our Savior. We are living in the time when our God is bringing forth a greater revelation of Himself along with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I pray that we have a desire to know them all better and allow the Holy Spirit to open up our hearts to receive all that He has for us in these exciting end days.

“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:12-15

We are told that we must lift up the Son of Man as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness if we are to have eternal life. Eternal life is for us right now. Paul tells us that we should know Him in the power of His resurrection. Jesus told Mary and Martha that He is the resurrection. This was before He had been lifted up on the cross. We will all be resurrected with Him in Glory one of these days – but we are to experience His resurrection today in our daily walk with Him.

It is a real challenge for all of us to live in heaven at the same time we are living on the earth. What a glorious salvation that we have been given by the risen Christ, we are to live with Him in Glory land at the same time we are to live here on the earth. As we sit with Him we will be illuminated with His Glory so that we can bring forth light into the dark places here on the earth.

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3

Lord, we are thanking you today for your rising over us with all your glory. Cause us to walk forth in the dark places and expect your light to dispel the darkness. Praise you for so great a salvation. Not just for glory land in the future but right now. We give you all the praise and glory for being who you are.

Be blessed in these days as we mediate on Him being lifted up. May we all kneel at His cross and give Him thanks with grateful hearts for coming forth to redeem us.

Homer Owen

www.homerowen.com

Daddy’s Love Hugs | Bruce Aspgren

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Sitting at a table at the local homeless shelter park, a mother with 3 children asked for prayer.

After praying one of her sons came over to me, he looked me in the eyes and asked me, "Are you a daddy?" I answered yes.

His next words touched deep within my soul.

He asked me, “Can you give me a love hug like a daddy would?” I looked to the mother and she had tears she nodded yes. I reached out and placed him in front of me on my lap and wrapped my arms around him. I can't tell you any more of a reason why I am a minister—I too remember that a daddy should come to the park and give love hugs.

brbruce

Bruce Aspgren
PO box 211, Caldwell, Texas 77836 -0211
http://www.rockingaministry.com/ website
Bruce Mary Aspgren on Facebook
jesusspokenhear on Twitter

ALERT! APRIL 20 AND BEYOND | Jon & Jolene Hamill

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Randy Demain stopped right in the middle of his message. We had rarely seen him so serious.

We were at opening night of Lampstand 2011 in Seattle, and Randy was sharing prophetic insights for 2011 and beyond. He gave a strong warning about April 20 for both the east coast and the west coast, and called everybody there to prayer.

I’m extending our audience for his message. Here’s our policy on this. You read… you pray. OK? We feel we need to pray from Passover, April 18, through April 23.

When Randy shared this alert, he had no idea that Cindy Jacobs and the RPN/HAPN networks were scheduled April 21-23 to pray for President Obama and the nation in Washington DC. I have to say, I have had more grace by the Holy Spirit to pray for President Obama than ever before. Let’s take advantage of a window of mercy opened by the Lord at this time to intercede!

Warnings of Peril: East Coast, West Coast

Because Randy saw two things on April 20—for the west coast, he warned of some kind of natural disaster occurring. Much of his overall message warned of potential earthquakes and volcanoes along the Pacific Rim and especially along the Cascadia range in the Pacific Northwest.

And for the east coast, Randy warned specifically of a man-made disaster in the political arena. Randy wasn’t specific on this. But it’s important to understand that Randy gave a prophetic warning against assassination attempts in Arizona the night before Kathleen Giffords was shot.

Columbine April 20

It’s important to note that the tragic massacre at Columbine High occurred on April 20, 1999. This date was Adolf Hitler’s birthday. People in the occult, as well as neo-Nazis, apparently see this date as significant for their purposes.

I will never forget the 1999 School of the Prophets, where Cindy Jacobs warned of attacks against students. She then ministered in that very area, calling for 24/7 prayer immediately to avert tragedy. The warnings were partially heeded—and as tragic as Columbine was, the disaster could have been much worse.

Obviously God has a reason to call us to prayer at this time. Please take this project seriously and engage. From this time forward, let’s focus intently on intercession to counter any acts of sabotage on April 20. Let’s continue praying through April 23 for this team of intercessors in DC. Cindy is obviously very accurate on timing, so if she’s calling our nation’s top intercessors to gather and pray for our nation on this date, there’s a reason for it. OK?

Stewarding Divine Intelligence

I’ll close with this—then let’s pray. Five years ago, while working as a contractor for the Department of Homeland Security, I had the honor of attending a speech by renown intelligence expert Charles Allen. His CIA career spanned the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, Viet Nam, etc. President Bush had just recruited him as Director of Intelligence for DHS.

Allen related how he had spent most of his decades-long career striving to keep top secret information from getting out. Now, Allen said, things have changed. In the post-9/11 world, his most important responsibility was to get top-secret, real-time intelligence out, and into the hands of first responders and emergency personnel who could make a difference.

As one who deeply respects this principle, we are choosing to get this Holy Spirit intelligence out to you as a “first responder” in prayer. Praying through by the Holy Spirit is our best hope at restraining the enemy’s capacities. Please take this seriously—and again, PLEASE PRAY.

Fasting & Prayer April 18-23

So—please join us for an awesome time of fasting and prayer leading to April 20-23. We need to cover this time NOW in prayer. Further, on April 18-20, we are partnering with Bev Klopp, a prayer leader in Washington State, for a special Esther Fast over Passover. You will hear more about this tomorrow. Let’s keep the press by praying in the Spirit intensively through this time.

Prayer Points

Father God we thank You for covering our nation with such diligence and care. Thank You for mercy! We ask that You go before us to prepare the way for breakthrough in Washington DC and Washington State. We ask for Your hand to avert natural disaster in the west coast, and political crisis on the East Coast. Spirit of God, please empower us to pray!

Further, we ask that you completely counter and reverse all plans of the enemy to sabotage our nation on and around April 20. We set the watch of the Lord NOW for this time period from April 18-23. Expose and overthrow all planned acts of terrorism from internal and external sources. Release Holy Spirit alerts to the intelligence community, to state and local police, etc.

Lord please cover and protect all who are coming to pray in Washington DC April 21-23. Grant Holy Spirit breakthrough that will benefit and bless our leaders, from President Obama to the government employees and contractors who keep DC running. We declare Your covenant protection and provision, in Jesus’ Name!

WHAT HAPPENED to THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT? | Wayne Greulich

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:26:00 +0000

A number of people have decried the Pentecostal/ Charismatic movement as being the doorway through which the current corruption has entered the modern church. There is an element of truth in this, but it is not entirely accurate.

I was born into a Pentecostal church 56 years ago, was raised there, was educated in one of their colleges, and pastored 3 of their churches. I think this gives me a degree of knowledge and familiarity with the movement and its history... I also had the privilege of meeting with and conversing with some of the Pentecostal pioneers while they were still alive. In addition, I have owned a number of Frank Bartleman’s books for years. This is not to put myself forward as an expert, but to let you know that what I say next is not said from a vacuum of ignorance, assumption, and speculation.

The Pentecostal movement was born out of the holiness movement. Many of those who were involved in its birth were people of holiness who had died to self, had picked up their crosses and were following Jesus Christ as He directed them by His Spirit and His Word. The multitudes of transformed lives, the miracles, and the persecution were very real. We can thank God for those pioneers who – under the move and hand of God – paved the way for a renewed freedom and move of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s Church. The problems which arose were not with the move of the Spirit or with many of those who sought the Lord and came into the Baptism and life of the Spirit. Mostly the problems arose – as they do today – from those who wanted to avoid the cross. These were people who wanted the blessings of life in the Spirit, but who did not want to die to sin, flesh, and themselves.

As early as 1907, Frank Bartleman wrote of his dismay over these types of people who infiltrated the Pentecostal movement. Many flocked to Pentecostal movements all over the continent seeking the blessings of the spirit, but not wanting holiness, confession of sin, brokenness before the Lord, and taking up of the cross. We have the same root problem with us today. The modern church is filled with selfish, sinful people who want God’s blessings, but who do not want to go the way of the cross.

The problem has been further compounded by those false preachers, prophets, and teachers who refuse to preach the cross and what it costs to be a follower of Christ. Instead today’s “Christian” heaps to himself preachers, teachers, and prophets who tickle his flesh and make it feel comfortable – those who have become experts at creating a brand of “christianity” which seems to marry the flesh with the Spirit. This CANNOT be, however, since the flesh and the Spirit are enemies against each other. Scripture makes it clear that one must follow one or the other – God or mammon.

It is the shame of many Pentecostal/ Charismatic churches – although, not all (... the mistake of generalizing) – have abandoned the preaching of the cross, holiness, separation from the world, and the true full Gospel. Much of the modern church has abandoned the Christ of the Bible in favor of a “new and improved Christ” who has no cross, but only “love;” who has no holiness, but only “grace;” who has no justice, but only “blessings;” and who is not Judge, but merely a cosmic Santa Claus.

How we need those who will die to self, take up the cross, and be witnesses of the true Christ! How God longs for those who will live godly in Christ Jesus – in spite of the persecution! How we need those who choose to reject the world, who hate sin, who fear none but God; those who will do what He wants, speak what He says, and be molded into the image of Christ by the Word and the Spirit that Christ may have human representation of Himself to a lost and dying world. This is the Church of Jesus Christ.

May God help us. Brothers and sisters, work while it is yet day, for the night is coming when no man can work. Labor faithfully with Him. Fear not what man thinks or what man can do unto you, but fear Him who is your Redeemer and your King.

This article can be viewed also at www.johnthebaptisttv.com

What Does the Name Brian Mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:34:00 +0000

I like my name, Brian. This was not always so in my early days as I perceived it to be somewhat bland, and so uninspiring. However a few years back I decided to research the original meaning of the name to see if there was anything insightful about what Brian meant. Several words emerged such as honorable, noble, strong, high, strength; etymologically speaking, it is believed possibly to derive from Old Celtic, to refer to a hill as in a lofty place, an exalted place. Interestingly during that season in my research via the Internet and in books, I kept coming across the following two words linked together in the following phrase: Strength and Honor.

The original movie poster.

Immediately upon that discovery I thought of the scene in the movie Gladiators at the beginning prior to the Romans’ confrontation with the barbarians. Maximus—the revered commander of the Roman military—valiantly inspires his troops: “Strength and Honor. Strength and Honor. Strength and Honor…Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.”

“Strength and Honor” was used in the movie as a means of reminding each soldier of their code of conduct even in the face of death. I am unaware if it is historically accurate, nonetheless I found myself stirred all the more to become a man of strength and honor. It has significant implications about living a life of courageous faith and inner fortitude of character that emanates the life of Christ. When others call my name, it is a constant reminder: In Christ you exude STRENGTH and HONOR!

In closing I want to pray a blessing over all those who have been given the name BRIAN.

Father, I thank you for those of us that you’ve bestowed upon the name BRIAN—for this was not by accident. And I pray in this forthcoming season that there would be an IGNITING work of your Spirit in our lives so that we may seize the full prophetic implications of our namesake: “STRENGTH and HONOR”.

Ignite us Holy Spirit even in our weakness before you so that we may demonstrate your STRENGTH that confounds the wisdom of this world. Ignite us O Lord as we kneel before you so that your HONOR would go before all mankind.

I declare this day that those named BRIAN will be a part of the army of the Lord and go forth in STRENGTH and HONOR.

Amen!

The Book That Made Your World | Vishal Mangalwadi

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Francis Hume) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Vishal Mangalwadi sent out an email earlier today with some highlights that I want to share with you. Firstly he stated that his Op Ed piece, “Does the Bible Matter in the 21st Century?” has been published in the Opinion section of foxnews.com. Click here to read it.

Furthermore he has a forthcoming book due out that I mentioned in a previous blog posting (read this posting to learn who has endorsed Vishal's new book). Now he is offering a great deal on his new release for a limited time only.

“LIMITED OFFER: You can get a signed (postage free) copy of “The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization” for $15 only (retail $22.99) from www.RevelationMovement.com. A box of 24 copies can be purchased for $340 (postage free in America). The books should be mailed out by this weekend.”

I signed up tonight to join the Revelation Movement and was able to order my book in five minutes with relative ease (I used my Facebook account to sign on, but you can also sign on without using Facebook). I’ve read Vishal’s last book and I strongly recommend his writings. I’m very excited about this forthcoming book and it should be in my mailbox next week!