Note: If you study Bible prophecy always use the months and days from the Jewish calendar when studying events which occurred after the implementation of the Feast of the Lord. These Feast dates are recorded in Leviticus 23. (That's my instruction given to me from Holy Spirit when I first began to study Bible prophecy).

Christmas (December 25) is the time we celebrate the time of Christ birth. However, I believe the keys scriptures and the prophetic symbolism of the Feast of the Lord contradict man’s tradition of December 25 as Christ birthday. I put together a timeline which is made from some key verses which point to Jesus’ birthday being in the fall most like at the Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1).

Month 1: Nisan (Mar-Apr) – Zacharias – performing priestly services. LK 1:8-25 John is conceived during the first month which is Nisan.

Month 6; Elul (Aug-Sep) Gabriel visits with Mary. LK 1-26. Mary informed that Elizabeth is 6 month pregnant LK 1:36 Mary visit with Elizabeth 3 months before returning home in Month 9 which would be the month Kislev, Lk1:56. Hanukkah occurs in Kislev. Mary returned home and most likely conceived Jesus from Holy Spirit during Hanukkah.

Month 9: Kislev (Nov-Dec) Elizabeth gives birth to John. Lk.1:57. This would place John's birth in the month Hanukkah occurs, not Jesus’ birth. Hanukkah is the Feast of "Dedication" or Feast of Lights. John was dedicated to serve God and prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.

Now let's work with the clues in the text to locate the approximate time of Christ birth.

Months Before the Birth of Jesus - Caesar's census decree went out to all the Roman Empire. LK 2:1. It took months for the news of the census decree to travel across the land and then additional time for the people to travel to their birth place where they were counted in the census and paid a tax. I can only assume that the taking of the census went on for more than a year or perhaps even two. However, we do have some clues to the condition of Mary and the season of the year in which they returned to Bethlehem. Mary was about to give birth.

With the decree Mary & Joseph returned to Bethlehem, Jesus is born shortly after Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. LK 2:6-7

The shepherds are in the fields when the angel announces Christ birth. LK 2:8. The shepherds wouldn’t be abiding in the fields in the winter months when the rain and snow fall in some areas. This places the angelic announcement much sooner than winter or the traditional date of December 25.

Tishri 1- Is the Feast of Trumpets established by God. Lev. 23:24. This date is the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Trumpets are blown and the time of the early rains and plowing. It is taught in Jewish lore that Adam was formed on Tishri 1. “So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Cr 15:45

Count backwards 9 months from Tishri to find the month of conception and you get Kislev (Nov-Dec) and Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. Modern astromony software shows celestial studies very well may indicate that a uniques sign appeared in the heavens above Bethlehem during Tishri in 3BC. See the movie trailer http://thestarofbethlehemmovie.com/ . It is an amazing look at the celestial events which were occuring in the heavens leading up to Christ birth.

So I believe it's accurate to say that John the Baptist was born during the month of Kislev and most likely during Hanukkah (Festival of Lights). Jesus was most likely conceived by Holy Spirit during Hanukkah (Jesus, the light of the world JN 9:5). John's birth proceeded and prepared the way for Christ conception. Nine months later Jesus was most likely born on Tishri 1 during the Feast of Trumpets.

Follow the calendar timeline which I have put together and you will see the scriptures point to Jesus’ birthday being in the fall of the year and not in winter. Some people say, "What does it matter anyway when we celebrate Jesus' birthday as long as we celebrate it?" Okay, then when your next birthday arrives how about we skip it for three or four months and celebrate it then.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” Matt. 9:11

And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him.  Mat. 12:10

Anonomous

Below came from an unknown source. I haven’t been able to trace the author of the writing but wanted others to read it and be blessed as I was.

Religion is a powerful influence in human life but its effect varies widely. It does different things to different people. Take, for example, Saint Francis. While still a young man, he renounced his claim to a family fortune and took vows of poverty that he might serve the poor. But he is remembered as a happy man. One of his biographers said: “While other worked at sainthood, Francis played at it.” He preached to the birds and the animals. He sang to the moon and the sun. His name has become synonymous with love and kindness and generosity.

A couple of hundred years later, in Spain, we encounter a totally different kind of man. His name was Torquemada. He was the inquisitor-general of the country. His job was to track down and root out heresy. And he was good at it. In just a few years, more than two-thousand heretics were put to death. 

Torquemada was a deeply religious man. But the World Book Encyclopedia says of him: “To this day, his name is often used to stand for wanton cruelty.” Two separate lives, as different as night and day. One was gentle and kind. The other was harsh and cruel. And each of them was shaped by religion. 

We see the same contrast in today’s Gospel. Jesus is warm and loving. His first concern is for human needs and how to meet them.  The Pharisees are harsh and rigid. Their chief concern is keeping the Sabbath day and seeking to it that others do the same. If the disciples go hungry and a man with a deformed hand is unhealed, so be it.  The important thing is that the Sabbath not be violated.  If this requires people to suffer needlessly, then they will just have to suffer. 

That is clearly mean-spirited attitude. And it was motivated by a deep religious devotion. 

The worst thing about this kind of meanness is that we almost never know that we are mean. 

I can assure you that those Pharisees did not think of themselves as mean. That was the farthest thought from their minds. They regarded themselves as defenders of the faith.  They were the advocates of civic righteousness.  The observance of this commandment had bonded them together and kept them distinct throughout their exile in Babylon.  To give it up would be a denial of their history and heritage. So these Pharisees saw themselves, not as mean people, but as patriots.  They were defenders of the faith and champions of the nations. 

That sounds noble, but it is a dangerous thing. It is always dangerous when causes become more important than people. From there it is but one short step to cruelty. And the bad part of it is we do not even know that we are cruel.  The Spanish inquisitor, Torquemada, has been dead for centuries. But if he could come back today, he would be astounded to know that his name has become a synonym for cruelty.  When he killed all those heretics, he was not being mean.  He was just a true believer, defending the faith of the church. 

We can see this contradiction in others.  It is much difficult to see it in ourselves.  We can rationalize almost anything to put ourselves in favorable light.  Others may be cruel.  But we are simply doing what has to be done for the good of the cause.  Every mean-spirited person who ever lived has rationalized his deeds with some such argument.  In matter of religion, we can be mean and not even know it, because we call it something else. 

Consider one other thought: When religion makes us mean, it is an indication of confused values. 

We are making something more important that it really is. And we are making people less important that they really are.  This was clearly the case with the Pharisees in today’s Gospel. They may have cared that the disciples needed food.  They may have cared that the man had a withered hand.  But they were more concerned that the Sabbath be kept inviolate.  It was all a question of priorities.  Which are more important, real people and their real needs or the proper observance of a holy day? Jesus came down on the side of human need.  The Pharisees were more concerned with guarding the Sabbath and keeping it prim and proper. 

You and I have to take a position in that dispute.  We must align ourselves, either with Jesus, or the Pharisees.  Our point of contention will no longer be the Sabbath.  We have moved on to other concerns.  It may be some political positions, or some financial objective.  But if we regard anything as more sacred than people, we will end up doing something mean.  And we will do it in the name of righteousness.  We will convince ourselves that God is on our side and  my friends that is a mistaken conclusion.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

The God that has been revealed in Christ is wholeheartedly dedicated to one thing – real people and their real needs.  They are more important to him than sacred days, or sacred books, or sacred sites, or sacred anythings. 

The New Testament makes it clear that one thing was supremely sacred to Jesus.  And that one was a person, any person and every person.  When religion makes us mean to people, we can be sure of this: It is not the religion of Jesus.

Bro. Bill

As you watch the video pay close attention to the part of the activity where the assistant cruise director asked people to try and guess what the ice carver is making. All manner of guesses came from the audience as people thought they knew what the ice carver was making. As the carver continued his masterful job the block of ice slowly begins to take shape and eventually the image became crystal clear just as the master carver saw it.

 Sometimes as Christians we encounter people who think they know who and what we are by only seeing a short segment of our life.

Just remember God’s not through with any of us yet and know that we are all on different paths and have different gifts in the body.  As saints we need to believe the best in one another and treat each other as we would want to be treated.

Mat. 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have continually witnessed how man elevates various individuals as anointed teachers of God. People run to these teachers like a feeding frenzy in order to gain more understanding of the things of God. Often the individuals teaching gain such a following that they inadvertently create an army of followers that “parrot” everything they say without questioning if it is really Holy Spirit taught Bible truth. If there is any one thing missing in the body of Christ it is discernment for the true things of God.

“O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth; And I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.” Ps. 71:17

Who is to be teaching and instructing the believer?

The prophet Jeremiah correctly prophesied the time would come when it would be no longer necessary to have someone teach the believer how to know the Lord.

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. V34. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ “for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jer. 31:33-34

When in meditation I was conversing with my Father and I said in a contemplative manner, “Lord, there are so few anointed leaders, teachers, pastors in the body of Christ and the people suffer because of it.” Immediately, I was strongly reproved by my Father when He responded resolutely with “Second Timothy Two Fifteen!”

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15

I felt terrible for what I had just said and quickly repented for my error in thought. There is no excuse for the true believer not to know and understand His word. The responsibility falls directly upon every believer to press into God and to be taught by Holy Spirit the truth. God requires each believer to be thorough in gaining true knowledge of Him through the rhema (revealed) word of God for themselves so they are able to accurately separate falsehood from true Christ doctrine. A word from God, which you hear for yourself, is one of the greatest things in the walk of faith. You know that you know and that is the Rock on which the called out ones build their foundations. Holy Spirit can make the written word come alive as your mentor if you are seeking truth from a sincere heart. You won’t be disappointed for truly the Father will reward those who diligent seek Him.

And without faith it is impossible to please {Him,} for he who comes to God must believe that He is and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  Heb. 11:6

What did Jesus promise?

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26

John 14:26 clearly instructs the believer that Holy Spirit is your teacher and that He will teach you all things. This means Holy Spirit will teach you things about God and everything in between, which includes things for your employment and challenges you encounter in your daily walk.  The Greek word for Holy Spirit is parakletos (par-ak’-lay-tos) which means an intercessor, counselor, advocate or one who comes along side.  I have great faith in Holy Spirit to help me understand God’s word, to help me in my daily walk as well as to help me in my secular or domestic tasks. It’s very exciting to have Him teaching us about all things!

God wants to remove false knowledge from the believers.

When Jesus encountered the Pharisees (religious minded) they knew scriptures but didn’t know the heart of God. They knew the legal aspects of the law and used it to lord over the Jewish people. The Pharisees added many other requirements such as washing of hands, cups, pitchers and copper pots which were according to the traditions of the elders and not Moses’ law.

“This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from Me, but in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7: 6-8

Jesus speaking to His disciples said permission has been granted for the believers to know mysteries.

“And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.  “For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” Matt 13:11-13

The “whoever does not have” refers to “does not have” God’s revealed truth. They have a doctrine which was created by their own prideful intellect and people will defend their doctrine vigorously as perceived truth out of pride. Pride will blind us from knowing and growing in the truth of God. Prideful knowledge creates a filter as we study the Bible so we only see things written in a way that reinforces what we already believe to be truth. Our own confidence in our knowledge will prevent us from seeing greater truths in His revealed word. Only those who remain humble and are truly seeking truth will receive it from God. God opposes the proud but comes near to the humble.

But is this truly God’s plan to have man teach man the things of God?

It is my observation that believers who rely only on man to teach them remain immature in Christ and fail to mature in the things of God. A baby will stay a baby if the parents don’t train the child to hold the spoon and feed themselves. This is the parent’s responsibility not the child’s. Sure it’s messy at first but any responsible parent knows it is necessary in order for the child to mature. The child needs supervision and encouragement for a time as they learn to manage the process of self-feeding but it isn’t long before they are normal, healthy, maturing children.

We have no excuse for remaining babies in Christ. The only reason we will remain a baby and not mature is that we are dependant on someone else to feed us God’s word. In the natural, if we eat only one meal a week will we grow up a healthy maturing individual? Of course not! A weekly sermon that many so depend on to keep them going could be their stumbling block to maturing if it’s the only time of the week they give time for the things of God.  Are they not being spoon fed what someone else has cut up, chewed on and put in their mouths? Remember our accountability to God according to 2 Tim. 2:15.

For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Heb. 8:10-11

Do you truly believe that Holy Spirit is your teacher as it says in 1 John 2:27?

And finally…”And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him who abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27 (keeps us from being deceived by false doctrine as mention in verse 26)

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:11-14

First of all, these are not offices in the body of Christ as many would have you believe. Many use this verse to promote their influence and power just as the Nicolaitans (means conquer of the people) used their titles to conquer and control the people and make believers subordinate to a clergy hierarchy system after the original apostles died off at the end of the first century. Apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastors and teacher are ministry gifts (read the context verse in Eph 4:4:8) that flow according to Holy Spirit’s direction to equip the body of Christ, until we all attain unity of the faith, maturing daily in the things of the Lord.  

1 Corinthians 12:28 clearly places these as ministry gifts and not positions in the body of Christ.

“And God has appointed in the ekklesia (which means the called out ones) first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.” 1 Cor. 12:28

Are we not to have teachers?

If I listen when an anointed gift is flowing through a person I will certainly be taught some things by the anointing that quickens the truth in my spirit. The one teaching must realize that the gift isn’t flowing in them all the time as some would have you believe. I have learned some valuable tools from people when a ministry gift is flowing through them and they are speaking about a subject that Holy Spirit has made rhema to them. However, at other times I have seen the same individuals teaching in total error on a subject using their own prideful intellect because that they just wanted to speak about a particular subject without truly understanding God’s rhema truth in the matter.

Summary -

It is my sincere appeal to all who read this that you humble yourself before God and surrender at His feet everything you have been taught, all knowledge, all doctrine, all understanding and ask Holy Spirit to teach you all truth. If you are one who believes you have an appointed office then you need to truly get before God and seek His face in the matter and take the message given by Jesus about self-promoters to heart.

On August 28, 2001 Holy Spirit gave me to read Matt. 7:21-23 and then I heard the Father say, “It’s about relationship.”

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” Matt. 7:21-23

These individuals (ministers) were using a ministry gift to promote themselves and were not in a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  John 14:15.

How do we get to know someone?

We spend time with them, we converse together, we learn all you can about one another and we share our heart’s most intimate feelings. It’s not about building up a ministry. It’s not about building facilities. It’s about building a relationship with the living God. If you are sincere in wanting to know truth, to know your God, then you will run and get on your knees and surrender to Him and trust Holy Spirit to teach you all things.

It is very difficult and uncomfortable to let go of ‘our’ knowledge because knowledge puffs up an individual’s ego. It requires much more work to present ourselves before God continually seeking His understanding of the scriptures than just trusting what man teaches or what you can understand using our intellect.

“If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that it is difficult to let go of the comfort and warmth of what we think we know, for a journey of naked hope. But there is no other path.” St. John of the Cross

Are we so confident in what we know to be God’s truth that we can’t strip ourselves bare of our intellectual understanding? We must allow Holy Spirit to begin to lead us into deeper understanding of the things of God. Indeed if you humble ourselves, we will find that Holy Spirit is truly our Teacher and we will begin to journey into what He wants to teach us individually about Himself. Then, we will begin to truly discover His heart. It’s His promise to us.

Bro. Bill

Anonymous–

The prophet in his day is fully accepted of God and totally rejected by men.

Years back, Dr. Gregory Mantle was right when he said, “No man can be fully accepted until he is totally rejected.” The prophet of the Lord is aware of both these experiences. They are his “brand name.”

The group, challenged by the prophet because they are smug and comfortably insulated from a perishing world in their warm but untested theology, ;is not likely to vote him ”Man of the year” when he refers to them as habituates of the synagogue of Satan!

The prophet comes to set up that which is upset. His work is to call into line those who are out of line! He is unpopular because he opposes the popular in morality and spirituality. In a day of faceless politicians and voiceless preachers, there is not a more urgent national need than that we cry to God for a prophet! The Function of the prophet, as Austin-Sparks once said, “has almost always been that of recovery.”

The prophet is God’s detective seeking for a lost treasure. The degree of his effectiveness is determined by his measure of unpopularity. Compromise is not known to him.

He has no price tags.

He is totally ”otherworldly.”

He is unquestionably controversial and unpardonably hostile.

He marches to another drummer!

He breathes the rarefied air of inspiration.

He is a “seer” who comes to lead the blind.

He lives in the heights of God and comes into the valley with a “thus saith the Lord.”

He shares some of the foreknowledge of God and so is aware of impending judgment.

He lives in “splendid isolation.”

He is forthright and outright, but he claims no birthright.

His message is “repent, be reconciled to God or else…!”

His prophecies are parried.

His truth brings torment, but his voice is never void.

He is the villain of today and the hero of tomorrow.

He is excommunicated while alive and exalted when dead!

He is dishonored with epithets when breathing and honored with epitaphs when dead.

He is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, but few “make the grade” in his class.

He is friendless while living and famous when dead.

He is against the establishment in ministry; then he is established as a saint by posterity.

He eats daily the bread of affliction while he ministers, but he feeds the Bread of life to those who listen.

He walks before men for days but has walked before God for years.

He is a scourge to the nation before he is scourged by the nation.

He announces, pronounces, and denounces!

He has a heart like a volcano and his words are as fire.

He talks to men about God.

He carries the lamp of truth amongst heretics while he is lampooned by men.

He faces God before he faces men, but he is self-effacing.

He hides with God in the secret place, but he has nothing to hide in the marketplace.

He is naturally sensitive but supernaturally spiritual.

He has passion, purpose and pugnacity.

He is ordained of God but disdained by men.

LET HIM BE AS PLAIN AS JOHN THE BAPTIST…

Jounal Entry: 12/18/2009 1:15AM
I was in a dream where the spirit of Dagon was trying to over power the leadership and the saints. Dagon appeared to be suspended on the wall like a picture. When  I passed by it I felt its power and I fought to resist it because it is powerful. Dagon can subdue  nations, governments, religious minded souls and indeed wants to for the purpose of warring against God’s people. Right at the peak of resisting the spirit’s power I heard three powerfully loud knocks in the spirit that came from the direction of under my pillow, directly to my head, startling me awake at 1:15 AM. I had just been rescued and defended by Holy Spirit from the power of Dagon. The reason behind this is I just released a new blog exposing the Dagon spirit and it is obvious that the evil Dagon didn’t like it. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered a ruler spirit. They rule over cities, regions or nations and each encounter has ended with Holy Spirit coming to my aid. I love Holy Spirit!

The Spirit of Dagon

I received a phone call from a brother in Christ one afternoon; he named a preacher and wanted to know what I knew about him. I told the brother that I didn’t know anything about the preacher nor had I heard of him, but I would check and see what he was preaching and let him know if it seemed safe to listen to him.

I searched YouTube and quickly found his sermon part 1-8 on the “Ecstasy of God.” I began watching and listening as the man took terminology of the drug / alcohol world and incorporated it into his sermon. Repeatedly he demonstrated that “if you do this” or “you do that” in your spiritual walk with Holy Spirit you would “get high and God would promote you to the next level in the supernatural presence of God.” He used terms like the godka of God, the Crown Royal, the Jehovajuanna, Ecstasy of God, drunken glory of God and so forth in his message.  As he taught, he walked around acting like he was high on God.

The large auditorium where he was preaching appeared to be filled with many young people who were taking notes and listening intently as he carried on and on with his drug phrased preaching. He mentioned many well known classic saints from the 1600s who had many supernatural experiences but failed to mention that their experiences came out of the death of self and an enduring love relationship with Jesus Christ. Such saints as Brother Lawrence, Madame Guyon, Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila were not seeking an experience; they were deeply in a love relationship with Jesus Christ. The preacher’s message glorifies the seeking of God for the experience rather than seeking God for relationship.

It was very disturbing to me and I began to ask God to show me what spirit was behind this man’s preaching. After continued persistence to understand,  while in quiet time the next morning, I heard the Lord say one word, “Dagon!”

It is the spirit of Dagon; Dagon was the principal deity of the Philistines and was imported to the region from Babylon. What Dagon looked like is truly not known to us today nor is it important; however, what the Dagon represents does matter. Dagon was primarily worshiped in Gaza and Ashkelon regions as the God of war. This region was known to have many giants in it. The spirit of Dagon is at war with the saints and wants to subdue the holy things of God.

“Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.” Judg 16:23 NAS

“ The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.  But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.” 1 Sam 5:2-5 NAS

The Philistines captured the ark of God and placed it in a submissive place in their temple of worship before Dagon as a gratitude offering and as proof their god was greater than the Hebrew God. God showed the Philistines that their god Dagon couldn’t stand over Him. God will not be manipulated by man; God will not be subservient to man’s will or his desire. God will not be reduced to a crazed drug culture comparison of being bonged out into drunken glory all the time.

The presence of God is wonderful. A new believer will encounter it for the first time and their flesh may shake, spasm or fall-out during the experience. However, the more time one spends soaking in the presence of the Lord, the more adjusted you become, in other words, the anointing that knocked me down yesterday will not knock me down today. How can we ever minister under a strong anointing if we are prone to falling-out or rolling on the floor? When we come into the presence of the Lord, we should be eternally changed. God can over power any human with His unveiled holiness; just read the book of Daniel to get an idea.

 Dan 8:17
“So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face.”

Dan 8:27
“ Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.” NAS

Know that yesterday’s miracle; yesterday’s manifestation doesn’t carry me through today trials and tribulations. I must have a real relationship with Him and a fresh anointing of grace each day to fulfill what he has called me to do. I love the tangible presence of God but I don’t seek God for it. I seek God because I want to be known of Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.

Matt 7:22-23
 ”Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” 

There are many false and counterfeit anointings in the world. Some pulpits are occupied by imposters who preach under a false anointing and do not lead people to a relationship with Christ but rather to themselves and the church system. How can they lead someone to a place they haven’t been themselves?

In my early days after repenting and rededicating my life to Christ, I experienced His Holy anointing that would settle on me so heavily that it was awkward for me to stand at times. These experiences came out of an ever-growing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, not from seeking the experience. He was washing me, He was soaking me in His love, He was filling me full of His Holy anointing and immersing me in the Holy Spirit.

These experiences weren’t about growing in Christ as much as establishing a love relationship with the holiness of Christ. It was out of the excitement of getting to know Jesus that these experiences kept coming on me. After a period of several months the season ended and God began to grow me up in the things of Christ. I would never mature in the things of Christ if I was seeking Him for the feelings of His presence. He purposely will remove them to teach us to walk by faith and not by our feelings.

We mustn’t seek experiences or the “high” but we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things are added unto us. To seek God for any reason, other than to know Him and be known of Him, is no different than the crowd who followed Jesus for the fish and loaves.

Matt 6:33-34
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  NAS

Dagon is the spirit behind this man’s teaching and yet I can honestly say that I felt a sincere love for the man who was preaching. He did not set out to deliberately deceive people, in all honesty and truthfulness, he is deceived himself. He has been beguiled by the spirit of Dagon and doesn’t even know it. Deceived people don’t know they’re deceived, if they knew, well they wouldn’t be deceived. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines deceived as, “to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” We need to pray that his eyes be opened to truth and that Satan’s kingdom no longer blinds him from the truth.

The Dagon spirit is at war against God and His saints and wants to take them captive. It is fleshly, sensual and filled with the acts of human accomplishments. This Dagon spirit wants to make Holy Spirit respond to the believer based on seeking the experience just like an addict which seeks to get high from taking a drug. An addict isn’t seeking relationship with a drug but only to get high. I don’t doubt the man is under the influence and is feeling high but the high is not coming from Holy Spirit but from the Dagon spirit.

Unfortunately, in these last days many false teachers will emerge in the body of Christ. They will most likely have had a history of teaching sound doctrine, but now due to impure motives and unresolved character issues, they have been deceived by false a anointing.

False Teachers -

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;  and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” 2 Peter 2: 1-4

“ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;  and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Tim 4:3-6 NAS

Deception –

“ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Col 2:8 NAS

“ And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truthso as to be saved.  And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” 2 Thess 2:8-12 NAS

“But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them;  and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:13-17 NAS

“ To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.  They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed”. Titus 1:15-16 NAS

I pray you will be studying the word and praying for discernment in the things of God.

Be Blesses In Your Service To Him,

Bro. Bill Nelson

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Come let us reason together, for I have graced you in many ways and indeed you truly walk in them. Although it isn’t understood by many, my paths are difficult to tread, even on a good day.

Breezes blow and then they’re gone.  In the wind there is hope for a season of change. Light will once again shine upon you from out of the darkness; you will come to see more light. Dark times are necessary to teach you to appreciate the good things of life all the more; few can truly understand this principal. For to be able to see light and glory and hope while in the darkest of times, will be essential in the days ahead. It is vital to have “hope” when it appears to be hopeless.

Trust in Me and I will deliver you from the hands of those who are at odds with you, they are as a vapor to Me and will not stand in truth before Me. Between now and tomorrow I will deliver you from them. It will occur and the wind will cover your face. Let the word settle in your heart.

I am able to deliver you. I have a plan. I have a purpose. Come let us reason together. Light comes to you in the darkness. Light covers you in darkness. It is the way of the Lord.”  -Journal Entry End –

When my wife and I entered this season of walking blindly in the darkness, it just seemed crazy to think of God and to think of darkness. What was God saying to us…see in the dark!?

His Glory -

“Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.  Ps 97:2 NAS

“He bowed the heavens also, and came down

With thick darkness under His feet.

And He rode upon a cherub and flew;

And He sped upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness His hiding place,

His canopy around Him,

Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,” Ps 18:9-12 NAS 

After entering into this season of testing, while in my quiet time, my eyes were closed and I was meditating on Him.  I saw a dark shadow in a robe, shaped like the Lord, slowly pass between my head and the lamp sitting on the table to the right of my chair. After He passed, I opened my eyes and saw nothing nor did I sense anything there. I believe it was God showing me that His glory and presence can be as thick as darkness.

Then the LORD said, ‘Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.’” Ex 33:21-23 NAS

“Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. I have surely built Thee a lofty house, a place for Thy dwelling forever.” 1 Kings 8:12-13 NAS

“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze, and cut through their iron bars.  I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden wealth of secret places, in order that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.” Isa 45:2-3 NAS

Our God is ever teaching those who will follow Him in truth, new dimensions of Himself. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

I pray this often, and I like it when God is revealing more knowledge of Him to me in dreams, visions and prophecies. I like serving God when His glory and His tangible presence are upon me. I like it when He seems so near to me and the anointing of God is so strong that I feel purposed in Him for great things. Who wouldn’t love that?

However, God wants us to see another side of Him that is vital for the days and the years ahead and it is vital for the Bride of Christ to arm herself with this knowledge. God wants us to learn about seeing Him in the darkness. I know what you’re thinking that God is light and there is no darkness in Him, which is true but I’m talking about finding Him in the trials, insults, distresses, persecutions and in the most difficult of times, in the delay, in everything! We must learn to see God where He can’t easily been seen. As it is said, “There is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every event under heaven.”  Eccl 3:1 NAS

Paul wrote, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Cor 12:10 NAS

“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:11-13 NAS

Paul said I have learned the “secret,” …which was seeing God in the darkness! He could see God when in abundance or when suffering need or filled and going hungry, he was content because he knew how God saw it, He allowed it.

Its human nature to want things to be easy, but God knows that isn’t the best thing for us. How can we learn to trust God unless we are placed into situations where we (or anyone else) are unable to deliver us? Years ago, I was in the attic of our home, when my eye caught some weight lifting equipment lying on the floor. I heard Holy Spirit say, “It’s the resistance that makes you strong.”  

God allows the darkness to come with the trials and the testing. Jesus told Peter that Satan had demanded permission to test him and it appears that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit agreed it was a good idea. Peter was tested, and even denied Jesus, but He had already prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, go and strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-33 NAS

When I asked, Lord how do we learn to see You in the darkness?  He reminded me that the human eye must acclimate when going from light to dark or visa versa in order for us to be able to see. During times of adjustment, we are helpless and feel vulnerable until our eyes have fully accustomed to the situation. Fear desires to grab hold of us when we can’t see. The correct thing for us to do is to walk blindly and to trust the fact that your steps are aligned with God and knowing that He sees clearly.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,”

Even the darkness is not dark to Thee,

And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to Thee.” Ps 139:11-12 NAS

Thinking too Much -

Don’t think too much, it is possible to think ourselves right out of the plan of God. God is working on our behalf whither we realize it or not and regardless if it’s day or night. When we are in the period of darkness, God is working.

Find Contentment -

When we are in the darkness, we must become content with the darkness of unknowing and obscurity. We must learn to walk in pure child-like faith, relying on the Father and the fact that He is extremely aware of our plight. Eventually we will move from unknowing to knowing. We don’t have to understand why, we just have to believe!

The Purpose –

I believe that God is preparing people to train the bride of Christ. In order to properly undertake this responsibility, we must be purged, purified and refined just as the bride of Christ will be. The darkness and its process is part of God’s greater plan. The darkness is full of tilts, of topsy-turvy and of rollercoaster events which are meant to bring the believer into a place of insight, humility, and child-like faith.  The darkness is cleansing and gives us the ability to see God in the darkest of times. The coming years will be full of darkness and the greatest of evil is at the threshold of time now. Revelation 12: 7-14 (War in Heaven).

Many church leaders around the world are reporting that the things in ministry that used to work are no longer working. Many ministries are struggling to make sense of it all. Attendance and offerings are down and the ones who are coming to church are perplexed as well. All the programs, sermons, praise songs, offerings, etc, aren’t able to keep people in church today. Many in leadership are frustrated and are making the mistake of brainstorming for new ideas to keep the people from leaving. They fail to recognize there has been a paradigm shift in the Spirit and that is the “Preparation of the Bride” has begun. The answer (insight) will be found when the church goes through a great period of darkness.

“And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.” Dan 11:35 NAS

And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand”. Dan 12:9-10 NAS

I pray this brings as much healing to you as writing it has to me.

Be Blessed In Him,

Bro. Bill Nelson

In my morning quite time and throughout the week, I kept growing this revelation to see how it applied to my life.  I wanted to think this word was for others to hear, thinking I didn’t struggle with fear, dread or a runaway imagination but in truth we all deal with things that aren’t even there.

Fear is the Greek word “phóbos” where we get the word phobia. Fear means to be struck with fear or seized with alarm.  Wikipedia states Phobia as an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, or people. There are thousands of phobias listed today, just about one for everything named from A to Z.  You can read more on phobia at Phobialist.com.

Fear Has Torment

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

Jesus was telling me things that aren’t even there, things that aren’t even real, they don’t exist but somehow as humans we tend to encourage them as if they were real. We meditate on them and what starts out as a thought of what could be grows in to a full blown episode of fear. Fear will take hold of you if you allow it!

“Fear took hold upon them there, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.” Psa. 48:6

False Evidence Appearing Real

In the last two weeks, I have had plenty of opportunity to practice this word in my life and I’ve realized I struggle in this area. In fact, we all are faced with the opportunity each day to shrink back in fear from those things that aren’t even real.

I’ll give you an example. The boss calls you into your office and says, “There’s something I would like to discuss with you, can you come to my office?” I’ve had bosses over the years do this to me and it’s really easy to let the mind run away with thoughts of dread. You know…fear, the worst is about to happen! The mind races ahead a breakneck speed as it begins to create what it thinks might occur. There is no end to our imaginations and to the fearful possibilities of what is about to happen, like he’s going to fire me, he’s disappointed in my performance, I’m about to get reassigned! You see, we do tend to encourage what isn’t even there! It’s not real nor will it ever be.

 ”They were in great fear, [where] no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth [against] thee: thou hast put [them] to shame, because God hath despised them.” Psa. 53:5

I learned over the years that those steps I took walking to the boss’s office were better spent praying and declaring God’s favor over my life than encouraging what isn’t even there (real).

People encourage fantasy of all kinds; it’s woven into our being from a child. It’s part of our creation to imagine. We were told that Santa Claus and Superman were real as well as a host of fictional characters. I strongly believed in Superman as a child and would lay out on the grass in the yard waiting to see him high in the sky with his cape flying in the wind as he swept past over my house.  Eventually I determined he wasn’t even real. 

Time proves out what is real and what isn’t real. The media markets the news more as entertainment driven by ratings. In order to get ratings they will jump on any story that can promote their ratings. The easiest way to do that is by peddling F-E-A-R. The most recent episode was the Swine Flu scare of early 2009. It made people tune in for a while and it was great for ratings, but in the end it didn’t materialize as they hoped it would. They had to move on to something else.

“In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psa. 56:4

Fear! God refuses to allow His children to live in fear! God requires us to live by faith and not allow our lives to be dictated by fear. Fear shuts down our ability to accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God. Fear leads us into sin! That’s right! Fear is sin to God. “So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Hbr. 13:6

Abraham slept with Hagar out of fear. Fear kept the Hebrew nation from entering into the promise land for a generation. Elijah ran in fear from Jezebel after his great day of victory by killing her false prophets due to her threat! Peter stopped walking on water due to fear.

Fear and its cousin “dread” are constantly tormenting our lives. How many times have we thought, “I dread going to see the doctor for what he might tell me,” or “Oh, I dread work tomorrow.”

My wife and I received a large envelope in the mail from the IRS some years ago. We kept passing it back and forth trying to get the other to open it. Neither one of us wanted to know what was inside this envelope that came from the evil empire of the IRS. My wife opened it and gave it to me to read, I was in such fear that I couldn’t even understand what it was saying. After a few days of dread, I picked up the documents again and read that the IRS wanted us to sign and agree that they owed us money due to an error where we failed to claim all our exemptions on a past filing. The IRS owed us $1800! What we feared didn’t happen, it wasn’t real and it turned out to be a blessing! A God lesson on fear.

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.” Gen. 15:1 The father of our faith was instructed to “Fear not” so God could bring him into all he had promised him.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” Exd. 14:13

 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

In the days we currently live in, we will see great and terrible things which will cause many to fear. The events of September 11, 2001 caused this nation to fear for a short time. People ran to God for protection only to leave within a few weeks of time. So many Christians are tormented today in fear because they don’t trust God to protect, to provide and to care for them. The recent Swine Flu scare, clearly tells me that our nation and our world live in fear. We’re not trusting in God daily. Running to God in time of need is not the same as “Abiding” in Him daily.

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Rev. 2:10

We must stop fearing those things which aren’t real; encouraging things that aren’t even there and begin immediately to turn to God when we start to feel fear. Fear brings torment with it and it will cause the saint of God to draw back from the things of God, the ever Consuming Fire. We must press into Him in order to stand strong in today and in the things which are coming upon the earth in the days and years ahead.

We must build upon the foundation of the Rock and become Psalm 91 people which reads:

Ninety First Psalms

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, {But} it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, {Even} the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him {securely} on high, because he has known My name. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.” Ps. 91: 1-16

My wife heard the Father say many Christians are living a “busy life” because that is their identity. To slow down and make the necessary changes will cause the loss of their identity, of being needed and important. This is a fear driven life of that which isn’t even there (real).

Fear keeps many Christians from wanting to hear God for themselves because they fear He will tell them something they don’t want to do. If we allow it, fear will keep us from stepping out in faith when God does show or tell us to do something.

The storms of life will come so we must build our house on the foundation which is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t delay walking in truth and being a doer of the Word of Truth. Allow God to send you into the boot camp of faith! When God allows resistance to come into your life, welcome it for it is the resistance that makes you strong just like the person in the gym lifting weights. If the resistance isn’t there then there will be no increase in strength.

Jesus said, “He is like a man which builds a house, he dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:48-49

May you be blessed by the wisdom of this message!

Bro. Bill

“…For when the earth experiences Thy judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness: He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, and does not perceive the majesty of the Lord. Is. 26: 9-10

In my secret place late on the night on December 23, 2004, I fell under a very strong unction of Holy Spirit to pray for the Christians in Indonesia who were being persecuted and even murdered by Muslim extremists. In a sense there was an ethnic cleansing in progress and Christians were being beheaded by the sword in an all out attempt to eliminate the Christian church in this area.

There is no greater call of God than to follow the unction of Holy Spirit to intercede on the behalf of another.

As I sat in a chair staring out the picture window into the dark of night, I cried out for an open door for the gospel to penetrate this area and for God to do whatever it takes to get the gospel into these areas and to deliver the saints from being murdered. I prayed until I felt a release from Holy Spirit and then retired for the night. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16

On Sunday Morning, December 26, 2004, just before leaving for church, I turned on the TV and saw a news report of a 8.9 -9.0 earthquake in the Indonesian region and that a strong tsunami had been generated. I told my wife this will be a big event and cause allot of damage and loss of life. How little did I know how much death and damage this event would cause! The news for days and even weeks from this region revealed the damage and death toll from the strong tsunami. Truly, a tragedy and a judgment of God was released upon the earth.

With a magnitude between 9.1-9.3 and a duration of 8.3 – 10 minutes, the Indonesian earthquake was the second strongest ever recorded. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm (0.4 inches) triggering other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. The marker at the North Pole was relocated about one meter to accommodate for the shift in the earth’s poles. The atomic clock was adjusted afterwards because the energy released by the powerful earthquake caused the earth to totter, thus slowing the earth’s rotation about 1 second. Know that only God can shake the earth!

He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever. Ps. 104:5

The 20 meter uplift in the seabed floor generated the strongest tsunami ever recorded with waves of 30 meters (100 ft) high in some communities. The earthquake is estimated to have released the energy above the seabed floor at 26.3 megatons of TNT. This energy is equivalent to over 1502 times that of the Hiroshima type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, impacting millions of people in eleven countries. The energy of the tsunami sent a wave around the world. The U.S. Geological Survey death toll now stands at a staggering 229,866 people killed.

Elisha demonstrated his desire to go forth and carry that mantle, so he went and slaughtered his oxen, broke up his plow, made a fire and offered up his oxen to the Lord as a sacrifice.  The sacrifice he was making was more than just burning the oxen and the plow! That oxen and plow were his way of making a living, it was his way to feeding himself and his family. It was his job and his identity and Elisha demonstrated that he was willing to give it all up to follow Elijah the man of God, in order to take hold of the mantel and capture his anointing.  Elisha was going to follow Elijah because he trusted God to take care of him even if it meant losing his source of income and leaving his home behind.

 Here is what Holy Spirit revealed to me today. I did the same thing when an angel appeared to me in a dream in June of 2005. The angel said, “It’s time to go!” I said, “Am I being fired?” The angel said, “It’s time to go!” I said, “What about all my stuff?” He said, “You don’t need that anymore.” I got up from my desk, walked down a long hallway with the angel walking along to my left.  I was staring at the blazer the angel was carrying knowing it represented a mantel and realized, the only way to take hold of the mantel was to be obedient to the call of God, to quit my job and to follow Him.

My wife and I have done just as Elisha did. Elisha took the pair of oxen, sacrificed them, boiled their flesh with the implements of the plow, and fed the meat to the people. The he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him. My wife and I have let go of our livelihood by sacrificing our jobs and careers, our income, our identity, our home, our friends, our church and our city to follow the call of God.  It sounds easy when we read about Elisha doing this, but try putting yourself in his sandals for a minute. When you’ve been established in a career for a number of years, you’re salary far exceeds your needs, you live in a beautiful home, have new cars, nice clothes and then one day you’re told by God to give it all up and follow God into the unknown, what then?!

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mat. 8:34-35

The disciples gave up their livelihood to follow Jesus. Peter gave up his fishing business, Matthew his tax collector position and they questioned Jesus.  “Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mat. 10:28-30

Several years ago, we did as Elisha, we sacrificed our livelihood upon the Holy altar of God saying, “We desire the things of God more than the things of this world and we trust You to take care of us!” That makes me all the more certain that God will provide for us because we are willing to follow Him and His plan for our lives.

My wife and I both sensed in the Spirit that a “move” was coming. We had entries in our journals and God was showing us the location we would move and the house we would live in long before the word came for us to actually quit our jobs and to follow Him. My wife saw the move coming before I did but she ask God to show me as well, which is wisdom. She patiently waited for God to reveal the plan to me without hinting or saying a word about her revelation. She trusted God to show me as well then we would both be on the same page. This is vital for a successful move in God’s plan.

I began seeing in the first of the year in 2003 but didn’t get the release from God to quit my job until June of the same year when the angel came in the dream. We were also in close consultation with the Pastors of the church in the city were we knew God was appointing us live and to attend church. God had led them through a similar move years prior to ours. They would caution us by saying, “Just be certain that you have heard God.”  When, and only when we knew beyond any doubt, did we resign from our positions and move.

If you’re going to yoke up with a minister of God you will follow in the same footsteps that they have walked in if you’re going to capture their anointing. Elisha followed Elijah to Gilgal (a wheel rolling), Bethel (house of God) and to Jericho (its moon, Jericho is a very fertile land). I like the symbolism of the three destinations Elisha followed Elijah to. When you put the meaning of the three names together, it says that Elijah and Elisha we’re rolling along to the house of God which is in a fertile land that shines like the moon.

I can’t stress enough that you have to know for certain, beyond any doubt, that you’ve heard God before sacrificing your livelihood, or you could end up with nothing.  All you will have accomplished is getting rid of your income, your possessions, your witness and quite possibly leading to anger with God because your expectations weren’t met. If you give away your things without God specifically telling you to, all you end up with is nothing and there’s no reward for that. Don’t be foolish with the things God has provided for you.

God doesn’t ask everyone to quit their jobs and move to the unknown. Often when someone gets saved, the first thing they want to do is quit their job and become a witness to the world. How about becoming a witness for God where you are currently before going out into the world? God requires us to follow Him with our hearts and to take up our cross daily where we are presently appointed regardless of what He has in His plan for our lives and futures.

You can’t think God told you to move, you have to know He told you to move and have multiple confirmations if necessary. It is a very Holy thing to God and if you take it lightly you will surely be in for a let down. Knowing God had directed you to move doesn’t mean it will be easy. In fact, to follow God where He leads you is a very difficult thing to do. Be certain that to take this step, it will be filled of trials, unknowns and darkness.  Fear will tear away at your faith, so that is why you must know without question that God has told you to move. The verse below says because I have heard what you said it illuminates my walk and lights up my path in the darkness of the unknown. God allows you only to see so far and no more at anyone time.

Thy word (speech, word, speaking)[is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

And I close with this…Know that if God is in it with you then you’re anointed to perform what He has required you to do. Stand in your faith, don’t waver, no matter how hard the times are, or how long they last, for with God all things come in seasons. You will get you life back…eventually!

Hear God!!!!!

 Bro. Bill