The following blog is a formerly published Commentary that has had minor editing for accuracy and publication on this date. Additional post-Commentary edited comments from the Strong Man Of God Monthly Newsletter--the original source publication--are also provided with good purpose.
Originally Published September 2011
The prophecies of our Lord Jesus and His apostles that false Christs, prophets and teachers would proliferate near the time of His return are being fulfilled. One of the ways a number of leaders has sought to protect the Church from such men and women is to declare that "no one speaks for God." Some have even gone so far as to themselves corrupt Scripture teaching that prophecy and the prophetic ministry no longer exist. In the Spirit that enabled God's faithful prophets of the Bible’s Old and New Testaments who were all His strong men in the making par excellence, I stand to challenge the view held by these men and ratify my own gifts, calling and ministry.
It seems these men have done again what religionists in the guise of scholarship have been prone to do historically: "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel," (Matthew 23:24, NKJV)! Indeed, for another result of their ill-conceived edict is that no preacher is considered as having anything to say any other is duty bound to hear--no matter how sound. The spiritual pride in this attitude is evident (1 Peter 5:5). Regardless, the Bible teaches that not only apostles (missionaries), but all empowered by Him to witness Christ and preach the Gospel are ambassadors (representatives and spokespersons) of God (Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 6:18-20).
Now, the preachers are all supposed to be repeating the same message spoken by the original and unique group of first century eye witness apostles and recorded in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). When they do not, it is a clear sign the guilty have corrupted the message whether in ignorance or intentionally. Listening with the Bible open can test and prove the accuracy of the message proclaimed. The same standard can be used to test authoritative claims men make for themselves. For example, any man that rises up to declare he is Christ, we can know instantly is false because our Lord gave precise signs to look for when He has arrived (Matthew 24:23-31).
Prophecy is a bit harder to test at times because it does not spring word for word from a biblical text and we often have to wait to see if what was spoken comes to pass or not. Just because this spiritual gift has been the subject of much corruption from ancient times and is not always easily or conveniently testable, does not mean God has eliminated it. But scoffers at the supernatural and religionists robed in scholarly arrogance dismiss what their faithless, spiritually dead hearts do not understand and cannot control. Others have been lazy and disobey the commands of the Lord given to the apostle Paul I quoted in a Commentary entitled, Experience Arguments (republished as the May 17, 2015 blog, under the category, The Cause).
Again, he writes, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil," (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, NKJV). To reject prophecy and the prophetic ministry as only a first century phenomenon for Christianity is to quench and despise an important gifting work of the Spirit. As well, it is to effectively blind, deafen and mute the Church in its contemporary context on earth (Isaiah 29:10; Ezekiel 3:17; Amos 3:7-8; Acts 11:27-30, 13:1-3, 21:10-14). Nowhere in Scripture does God announce the end of prophecy prior to the Second Coming of Christ; only after it for obvious reasons (Zechariah 13:2-6; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12).
Sinful men goaded by Satan have failed till this hour to silence God's voice to the Church and world through His gifted and called prophets (Joel 2:28-32a; Acts 2:1-21; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-30; 14:1-6, 24-26, 29-33; 37-40; Ephesians 4:7-16). Consistent with the mistreatment of God's prophets from Moses, many of church history such as Jan Hus (1370-1415) are not surprisingly among the martyrs made so by religious authorities.1 Contemporary religionists have also failed to properly love and receive the Lord's word through me among others (Ezekiel 33:1-9; Romans 12:9-10).
In over 30 years of formal prophetic and teaching ministry, some have been to me as David's brother who jealously resented his bold zeal for God (1 Samuel 17:23-29); others as the priest of Israel who would run off Amos, the prophet (Amos 7:10-13). My answer to the haters is that of Amos in which he essentially says he did not call himself (and I would add, neither did any authority of man), but God called him (Amos 7:14-15). Also, in Christ, I love and serve them in His cause whether they receive my ministry or not. Rather than saying in deceit, "no one speaks for God," test the prophets as the Lord commands.
First, understand there is no new prophecy about Christ--His Person, work or return (Luke 24:44-47; Hebrews 1:1-4; Revelation 1:1-3, 22:6-10, 18-19). Then ask three questions. Does what is foretold happen (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)? Is the prophet living a holy life (Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Peter 1:21)? Is the word given of whatever form consistent with God's Word and past works from Scripture (compare Jeremiah 27:1-8 and Acts 21:10-14)? If the answer to all three-test questions is yes, you do well to heed that prophet's word from the Lord; reject him that fails the test. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
So, What’s The Big Deal?
The foregoing Commentary was soberly presented not only as I stated in its opening, but also after making my biblical case for the continuing ministry of prophets in His Church, to help interested Christians understand something of God’s beneficial purpose through us. Ignorance (willful and otherwise) where that is concerned has not only hindered my ministry, but that of untold numbers of other genuinely gifted and called servants of God that are labeled trouble makers in the churches.
Every true God called prophet from Moses until now loves Him and His people. Our hearts are zealous for the holiness, righteousness and faithfulness of God’s people. Even casually reading through the prophets in the Bible will show this is true. Hard and even harsh things are said by God through His mouthpieces to save the willing not condemn. In The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I am given the already written Word and a right now word of warning to pastors and churches about restoring men and their families because they are a very big deal to God (Malachi 4:4-6)! I pray for your sakes that you will receive the Lord’s word through me and take action accordingly.2
1 John Foxe, Foxe's Voices of the Martyrs (Alachua, FL: Bridge Logos, 2007), p. 83-85.
2 Follow my posts to the Strong Man Of God Resources Facebook Page beginning November 4, 2016 proclaiming how the Lord’s call to repentance and revival among professing Christians and churches impacts His will to restore men!
“Who died and left you in charge?” A proud, independent American pastor cynically muttered this question while preaching a sermon intended to debunk me or any other preacher besides himself that would dare proclaim God’s Word with the force of authority. In truth, Christ died, rose again and gave the gifts, calling and ministry I (and others) have as a watchman/prophet; authorizing me to speak words from Him He puts in my mouth (Ezekiel 33:1-9; Acts 21:8-14). If such authority does not now exist, by what authority are any preachers preaching? And though we faithful prophets do not exercise ruling authority over individual churches, Christ has given us a higher rank in His Body to be listened to for the good of all (1 Corinthians 12:28-30, 14:1-5; Ephesians 2:19-3:7, 4:11-16).
Since I greatly fear the Lord, I strive with all vigilance to faithfully proclaim only the words He puts in my mouth and which are in conformity with His Word as it is written (James 3:1). Nevertheless, I am blessed with all of those that have the gift of prophecy in accord with our measure of faith (Romans 12:3-6) to especially receive understanding of portions of the Lord’s already written prophetic Word (2 Peter 1:16-21). In this edited 2012 repost, the Lord leads me to again exhort professing Christians and their churches to repentance and revival as an absolute necessity to prepare for and gloriously pass His final exam!
Originally Posted August 26, 2012
How grateful I am to God that in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I am enabled to foretell that in His mercies the mightiest revival ever is coming! However, as an event, it will be brief, serving primarily as strengthening to do the work God has ordained until the end and preparation for the saints to glorify Him in the foretold war of the night against us that is near.1 The prophet Daniel speaks of this war against the saints as occurring during the time of the final world kingdom led by the one identified in the New Testament as the “son of perdition,” lawless one,” “Antichrist,” and “beast” (Daniel 7:1-8, 11-12, 15-25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18; Revelation 13:1-10).
In the context of the already growing global hatred and persecution of Christians, the mortal man to become the Antichrist will rise from the dead immortal after a deadly wound. Thereafter, in their mutual opposition to God and His Anointed, Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will be aided by Satan in declaring open, global warfare on the saints and prevails as Daniel sees in Daniel 7:21 and the apostle John in Revelation 13:7. The initial victory of the Antichrist has only to do with muting the voice and influence of faithful saints through arresting and killing most (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:10, 14:12-13). He will reign and enjoy his short-lived triumph over the saints (and seemingly our God) for three and one half years.
Yet, as both Daniel and John see, the saints are made the ultimate victors by our God in His promised and just verdict on our behalf (Daniel 7:18, 26-27; Revelation 11:15-18, 19:7-16). That anyone in his right mind could believe weak and withering American Christians are ready in the majority at this moment to stand in the patience (perseverance) Bible prophecy declares will be needed for victory in the night that is falling is beyond me. I am sure this is one reason the doctrine of a quick evacuation out of this world prior to the night is so popular.2 However, severe persecution of Christians someplace on this planet has been going on since Stephen almost 2,000 years ago (Acts 7:54-60) and continues to this hour through the night’s end (Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17).
What has made American Christians in the main over the last 200 years believe with a passion that they are so much more worthy of deliverance from severe persecution than the tens of thousands who have already suffered (and suffer) for the faith including my Christian slave forefathers who waited patiently hundreds of years in great tribulation for Christ to come and deliver? It is the same old arrogance I have repeatedly referred to in the Western religious educated elite who have invented any number of confusing end time scenarios of escape while corrupting God’s Word to support them. Scripture gives only one way prior to the Second Coming of Christ that faithful saints may escape being touched at all by the night that is falling: death in advance of it (Isaiah 57:1-2)!
Otherwise, the Lord Jesus has promised to keep or preserve as through the fire (Daniel 3:1-28) only a select group of faithful saints through the night until His coming to include in particular, Jewish believers that have already been severely tested and persevered. It is their reward for faithfulness previously demonstrated through persecution from among their fellow Jews and Gentiles (Revelation 3:7-13). This remnant of faithful saints will be granted to see with mortal eyes the earliest moments of the sudden, glorious appearing of our Lord, then immediately after advance past death by being made immortal and take flight to Him (Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 16:28-17:9; 24:29-31, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:7, 16:12-16)!
In light of the foregoing, once again every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ can see why Holy Ghost fired renewing revival is desperately needed among American Christians. God has required of His people that are willing to seek it with all of our souls in heartfelt confession, repentance and petition. In any assemblies this certainly means business as usual flesh orchestrated, run on the clock prayer meetings will not cut it. Those that really want God sent revival will seek after it with fasting, tears and in assemblies that operate without time constraints (Isaiah 55:6-7; Joel 1:13-14, 2:15-17). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?”
1 To understand the term, “night” as used in this blog, read the 2012 repost of November 15, 2015, Your Kingdom Come! It is also under the category, Bible Prophecy. For an even more detailed explanation of the prophetic landscape involved in the "night," the Strong Man Store has a Strong Man Of God Audio Production available for purchase of a teaching the Lord gave me entitled, The Night Is Almost Here. 2 For a more detailed discussion of “the secret rapture” and the assured divine response to the saints praying at this hour, read my two part blog post of March 2014 en- titled, The Prayers Of The Saints in this same category.
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