Monthly Archives: September 2009

Re: Yom Kippur- The Biblical Day of Atonement

YKF200701

(Yom Kippur service -runneralan2004 via Flickr)

Today is Yom Kippur –the Biblical Day of Atonement—actually it began yesterday evening at sundown on Sunday September 27 and ends at sundown today –Monday September 28.

Most associate it with being a Jewish holiday and that it is—the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. A day when Jewish folk fast & pray and take a look at their lives-particularly the last year and commit themselves to do better—they seek forgiveness for sins committed against others (beforehand) and against God. Traditionally it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being over the next year.

You might ask—What does that have to do with Christians?

In one respect, what Jewish folk do on this day should be an on-going process for Christians-we should always be seeking to reconcile ourselves to those around us and we should continually be asking for forgiveness from our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son Jesus.

However, it is always good to recognize that today is a special day on God’s Biblical calendar. While we may not want to celebrate the special days like Jewish families do, there are still important Biblical principles to be learned and observed non-the-less.

I know quite a few prophetic ministers who take this day in particular very serious and usually spend it in prayer and fasting—believing that it is a time of evaluation—a time when ministries are pruned or expanded.

In my own life, most of the significant changes having to do with ministry seem to always happen this time of the year.

Blessings, Michael               *Top

Enhanced by Zemanta

Re: God’s Plans for Iran

TEHRAN, IRAN - JUNE 19:  A pro-government demo...

(Image by Getty Images via Daylife)

Iran has been in the news lately with Iran’s president declaring last week that the ‘Holocaust’ never happened and Israel would soon cease to exist.

Lately President Obama has been trying to force Iran into giving up on their nuclear weapons program but only using stern sounding words in the process—then there was Israel’s Netanyahu standing firm like a rock before the UN yesterday against Ahmadinejad and Iran.

Oh yes, last month there was the specter of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei proclaiming that it was time for Muslims to prepare for the coming of the ‘Mahdi’ –a figure which seems to have a lot in common with the Biblical ‘Anti-Christ’. In Muslim theology the Mahdi appears at the end of history along with (a false) Jesus who is his tag-a-long prophet and the two of them rule the whole world and bring in an era of peace and prosperity under one world religion (Islam) —sounds a lot like the Biblical end time scenario to me.

Lately Bible prophecy teachers on the internet have been pointing out that Iran should be carefully watched since it (Persia) is one of the nations featured in Ezekiel 38-39, the Gog and Magog attack on Israel. Russia and Libya (Put) are also part of that scenario along with probably a bunch of Muslim ‘istan’ countries from the North.    

Meanwhile God has his own plans for the Iranian people. There has been an underground revival going on there for some time now. No one knows for sure how many have actually become Christians but the estimates are running between 250,000 to more than half a million. It is mostly happening through dreams, visions, and visitations by angels and Jesus.

Here’s an interview by CBN’s Chris Mitchell of a former Shiite Muslim-  Reza Safa- who is broadcasting the Gospel into Iran through TV programming. He talks about the current on-going hidden revival in Iran:

Enhanced by Zemanta

“Get Rid of Your Fear”

image My friends, we live in fearful times and even many of us in the church are caught up in the crisis mode facing this country and many of us have been severely affected by the economic downturn. Sometimes it is hard not to live in  state of perpetual fear when you owe thousands and have only a few hundred to your name—believe me I know. Yet God does not want his children to live in the spirit of fear—which comes from the enemy. Here’s a good story and lesson from John Paul Jackson on this issue: Get Rid of Your Fear

“Over time, I have discovered that God takes our fears very seriously. We often do not. Most of us have been afraid of the same things for so many years that we almost don’t notice how they’re affecting us anymore—or worse, we choose to ignore them.”

<<Read the Rest>>

Jerusalem: An Interview with Heidi Baker, Part Three

Here’s Chris Mitchell’s third and final with Heidi Baker in Jerusalem: Longing for Jerusalem and Jesus

The following is part of the Mitchell’s intro to this video:

“What’s God’s Heart for Jerusalem? How does lasting fruitfulness in ministry happen? These are some of the questions Heidi Baker answers…

Heidi’s passion for Jesus rings out as she talks about the joy of spending time with Him.”

*Top

Jerusalem: An Interview with Heidi Baker, Part Two

Here’s Chris Mitchell’s second interview with Heidi Baker: “Back to Jerusalem

The following is part of the Mitchell’s intro to this video:

Many of you may have heard of the "Back to Jerusalem" vision of the Chinese church. …

In this second part of our interview with Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries, she tells how they’re planting thousands of churches throughout Africa on their way back to Jerusalem. It’s all part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission…

Heidi also shares some of the lessons the church in the West can learn from the people who are "the poorest of the poor." These are people dependent and desperate for God. As Heidi says, "if God doesn’t show up, they’re dead." But she says He does show up, the God who is alive!

*Top

Time to Pause and Remember 9/11/01

Time to pause and remember the sacrifice of many on 9/11/01. Also a good time to pray for the USA and pray for revival—May God Bless America.

Jerusalem: An Interview with Heidi Baker, Part One

Chris Mitchell of CBN News interviewed Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries in Jerusalem a few days ago. This first video contains an update on the ongoing revival ministries of Heidi and her husband Rolland in Mozambique and Malawi, Africa where they have planted 10’s of thousands of churches, and run several orphanages and a school of ministry.

I have personally experienced their ministry several times in my home church during their visits back home to South Orange County California. Always an incredible experience.

This is what Chris Mitchell in way of introduction on his Jerusalem Dateline CBN website:

“Would you believe people are being raised from the dead? Or the deaf hearing? Even food being multiplied? Heidi Baker believes it and has seen it. …

What happened then sounds like stories straight out of the Book of Acts. But Heidi insists it’s happening today. She says it’s a story of miracles and Muslims coming to faith in Jesus.”

*Top

Do Dogs Go to Heaven?

A friend sent me this. The signs from two churches across from each other in an important theological discussion:

image

 image

image

 image

<<Look at the rest>>

Read more »

Ramadan: A Great Time to Pray for Muslims

In the last several years I have read many accounts of Jesus and angels appearing to many Muslims in dreams and visions especially during the month of Ramadan. This as a great time to pray for Muslims and for their salvation.

Open Doors USA has even put together a special prayer calendar to pray for a different Muslim nation each day. <<Here’s a link to their Ramadan Prayer calendar>>

Also a video interview of Carl Moeller of Open Doors from CBN:

Re: One Year Later–Todd Bentley

Todd Bentley

(Picture via Wikipedia)

QUOTE: "I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would ever give Todd Bentley a platform again. I believe in redemption, but for some things you forever forfeit your public ministry. This man has proven by his lifestyle to be who he is, and our churches shouldn’t be using him, period." —Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood.

Response: As it now stands I am sadly in agreement with this statement. Even worse, Bentley has obviously become a divisive issue in the church. One point however, I do hold out the possibility that Todd could be properly restored but not in the direction he seems to be going right now. Any comments? Please keep it civil and constructive.

Enhanced by Zemanta