Dear Ones,
Lots of good things going on!
You can join us for our English language ZOOM video call at 6am PDST! Its been a blast! Email Yahna at admin@lightbearers-ministries.
Veuillez vous joindre à nous le jeudi pour notre vidéoconférence ZOOM en français à 19h30, heure de Paris. C’est merveilleux! Veuillez contacter Yahna à admin@lightbearers-ministries.
PENTECOST 2020 – THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Rom 8:21 NKJV
Freedom is the practical outworking of liberty. Where liberty is, there can be freedom, if the one in whom liberty dwells seeks it out. Its possible to be free inside and be a slave outside. But it is NOT possible to be a slave inside and be free outside. People who seek freedom in their lifestyles while still being slaves in nature will always fail. If not to become slaves politically, then they will fall victim to slavery to debt, to addictions, to pernicious spiritual realities, to the dulling conformity of their fellow slaves. Liberty is the only true bedrock of freedom!
Why is this important to you?
In the USA, two generations ago 65% of the people went to church on Sunday. Of my generation, 35% of the people went to church on Sunday. Of the current generation, less than 10% go. Two generations ago, Sunday was the Sabbath. In my generation, ‘the times were a-changin,’ as Dylan sang. Today, Sunday is the end of the weekend mini-vacation. Today we have nominal ‘Christians,’ pastoral unity which is only a façade because of money, and we have no Antiochs, as my friend Dr. Wolfgang Simson has observed.
What we have is a people who seek to be free but without the spirit of liberty.
Today we are free to run up debt and then expect others to pay it, if we think about paying it all. Today we are free to riot in the streets and destroy others property while the police and fire departments stand idly by with the governments consent. Today we are free to redefine marriage, alternative lifestyles and ‘family,’ as whatever we want to say it is. Then there is the travesty of the genocide of abortion…all in the name of freedom!
All freedom outside of the spirit of liberty leads only to chains, despair and misery.
Lately I’ve been reading the book of Isaiah. Every chapter of the book of Isaiah tears me up, throws me out the window, pulls me back in and reassembles me. Where are the Isaiah style prophets in the Church? Today we have prophets who say that the Holy Spirit is like Santa Claus, just ready to pour out gifts to all his children. Isaiah says that God recompenses to every man according to his works. Even Santa Claus is supposed to have a ‘naughty and nice’ list! Does anyone talk about sin and redemption, reproof and correction, repentance and renewal? Where are the Isaiah’s?
What’s the answer to a country that’s gone mad, and a Church that’s gone, at best, lukewarm? Pentecost!
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 NKJV
Embrace Pentecost, dear one! Don’t wait for a revival…go out and pray in tongues for a whole afternoon and let the Lord start your own personal revival. As we saw in California a few summers ago, nothing is more irresistible than a wildfire. When the Spirit blows, like a rushing mighty wind, on the fire in your heart, others will be caught in its flames. Sin will be toast in the fire of God. Whole cities can be burned up and renewed in the flames of God. And, you can be ‘patient zero’ in God’s fiery pandemic!
Here’s a classic from the archives…which you can check out at lightbearers.injesus.com!
THE VITAL NATURE OF TONGUES
“…He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given (see ACTS 2:1-4), because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:38-39 NKJV
At the root of sin is the desire to be independent of God, to seek my desires, to do my will, to be the decisionmaker, the center of my universe. The essence of the concept of being led by the Spirit is this simple phrase: JESUS IS LORD. In all things, at all times, under all circumstances, He is Lord, the decisionmaker, the final and sole arbiter of all things US. The Word and the Spirit are the two legs on which we run to do the will of our Master, seeking only to please Him. Remarkably, when we do this, everything else – the desires of our hearts, the needs of our lives, the circumstances of those we love, the world around us – works out.
For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain (Heb. MAQOWR) of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jer 2:13 NKJV
In my study I wanted to see more clearly how speaking in tongues fits with the whole flow of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation because the body of Christ needs to embrace tongues to have the power to accomplish the needed, coming worldwide harvest. It’s been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, while the New Testament is the Old revealed. So, where can we find ‘tongues concealed’ in the OT? Let’s study the fountain…
The mouth of a righteous man is a well (fountain – MAQOWR) of life…Prov 10:11 KJV
The New Testament concealed? What do you think? Consider this…
The law of the wise is a fountain ( MAQOWR) of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Prov 13:14 NKJV
The fear of the Lord is a fountain (MAQOWR) of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Prov 14:27 NKJV
Understanding is a wellspring (MAQOWR) of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. Prov 16:22 NKJV
These three verses indicate that the law of the wise, the fear of the Lord and spiritual understanding are all involved in the fountain of living waters which in the NT is manifested through speaking in tongues. In ‘the law of the wise’ I see right decision making, being led by the Spirit, with great favor. I grow in the fear of the Lord, which has the most incredible promises tied to it, when I pray much in tongues. Also, I have far greater spiritual understanding, not just of the scriptures, but of people, situations and life.
There are times when I can prophesy someone’s whole life to them because of the flow of the river of life in me. At times I understand history, see the pattern of nations, and know things that I couldn’t possibly know but are later verified, as I pray much in the Spirit. You can have the same things. Do you see it?
Interestingly, the Lord speaks of Himself as being the fountain of living waters, and being forsaken as such, twice in the book of Jeremiah.
O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain ( MAQOWR) of living waters.” Jer 17:13 NKJV
What does it mean to be ‘ashamed’ and ‘written in the earth’? It certainly doesn’t sound good! And, does this relate to speaking in tongues? Remember, the OT is the New concealed…
When you study the Hebrew word for ‘written’, you find that writing is written on stone, or papyrus, or some form of paper. Nothing is written ‘in the earth.’ So, I assume this is a figurative usage and perhaps refers to the earth as a final resting place, meaning that those who forsake the Lord will have their lives cut off prematurely, and perhaps permanently lost in Hell, as Hell seems to be associated with the earth.
‘Ashamed’ is an interesting study…
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 1 John 2:28-29 NKJV
This is one of these verses that helps me keep my little self in line, so to speak. Sometimes we think, ”I’ve done this, I’ve done that!” So, we think we should have a better standing in Heaven because of all we’ve done. The word says, Abide in Him, implying an enduring and contented residence, that we not be ashamed at His coming. Can we learn from the example of Martin Luther? The great Reformer, who stood so courageously for truth, also later in life wrote antisemitic writings that Hitler then used to justify the Holocaust. Oh my God!
Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matt 7:20 NKJV
Abide in Him, dear one. Walk in love, all the time, regarding everyone, regardless of your feelings. Love has courage in it, steel in it, boldness in it. Don’t forsake the fountain of living waters, which could cause you to be ashamed at His coming and written in the earth, not for hell but possibly for premature death. Remember, Jesus tied the fountain to speaking in tongues!
I feel I have a greater holy reverence for the great gift of tongues even since I started writing this article. How about you?
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding… I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all…1 Cor 14:15-18 NKJV
We started off this study talking about sin and the lordship of Jesus. Have we stopped to consider that not speaking in tongues could be defiance of the Lord, both for those of us who are filled as well as those born-again ones not filled? Ignorance is an excuse that only goes so far. At some point under Jeremiah’s ministry Israel stepped over the line and forsook the Lord, the fountain of living waters, and the hammer came down. Are we so enamored of grace that we think that the hammer doesn’t come down today? Scripture and examples we see all around us might argue otherwise…
…pray without ceasing… 1 Thess 5:17 NKJV
If you’re born again and not filled, just get filled right now. Ask Him to fill you and begin to speak. It’s that simple!
If you have been filled, but don’t speak much in tongues, repent of that and start to speak again. Throw off this cursed prayerlessness and let the river flow! Get yourself built up in the Spirit and the mighty presence of God will go before you and cover your backside, as well. You need not fear anything when you have Him! This, dear one, is the vital nature of tongues…love you!
Remember dear one, we must be about our Father’s business…