Dear One,
The Lord bless you!
…for the sake of the Name they went forth…3 John 7 ASV
HaShem – the Name. In biblical Hebrew class, our instructor took a few minutes from Hebrew grammar to talk to us about the Name. The name of our God, YHWH, is so sacred that the Jewish people don’t even say it out loud. He said that when the Jewish people were dispersed among the heathen during the Babylonian captivity, they didn’t want the name of God to be mixed with the names of the gods of the heathen. So, they didn’t say it out loud. They simply referenced HaShem – the Name. They discretely changed the name of YHWH (Jehovah) to ADONAI, meaning Lord, so when they spoke of ADONAI they really meant YHWH. Our instructor showed us how to use the vowel points to change YHWH to ADONAI in Hebrew. HaShem became synonymous with YHWH. We see here in the NT that ‘HaShem’ is still a reality for us today!
…whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God: because that for the sake of the Namethey went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow-workers for the truth. 3 John 6-8 ASV
This month, Frank and I are going forth for the sake of the Name to Belgium and Sweden, to strengthen the saints and preach the Gospel to the heathen there (99% unsaved populations). We will be planting schools of ministry to activate the saints among the African diaspora to reach the lost. Twenty years ago, while in London, I asked ADONAI how to get African missionaries to the heathen Europeans. He said, “They are already here. You simply need to activate them.” So, this is a trip of activation! Please be fellow-workers with us and help us by prayer and support to be sent forth in a manner worthy of God as we go for the sake of the Name – HaShem!
Love you! KRP
RAISING LIONS
But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Rev 5:5 NKJV
As men and women of God, we have two great priorities. Number one is undiluted loyalty to the true God as our brother Michael Heiser pointed out in his great work, THE UNSEEN REALM. Number two priority is to the Church to raise up the next generation of believers to go even higher and farther in God than we have. When I think of raising lions I think of raising sons and daughters of the Lion of Judah!
Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Gen 49:9-10 NKJV
As an analogy the essence of the lion is wonderful. He is an apex predator. There is no animal on earth that can take down a healthy, strong male lion, except maybe another lion. While on a visit to the Masai Mara in southern Kenya we observed several prides of lions from a safe distance in the bush. One male I observed surrounded by his females was over ten feet long from snout to rump, well over a thousand pounds, with a great kingly mane of hair and his eyes set on the horizon as he surveyed all he ruled over, including us. He had vanquished a rival for his females the night before, and the other bloody lion sat several hundred yards away from the pride. Truly a king over all…
“For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’ 24 Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion; it shall not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.” Num 23:23-24 NKJV
People are seeking a mission, a purpose and then they will become the man or woman for that purpose. But it doesn’t work that way. You become the lion or lioness of God first then the mission, the purpose will take care of itself. This is how you raise lions. It seems in discipleship programs in ministries we focus on teaching certain doctrinal mandates then preaching loyalty to the church or ministry. This is not the way of God. The way of raising lions involves the Spirit, the Word and presence.
And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him… Acts 16:1-3 NKJV
The great weakness of online training, zoom calls, social media, emails and even written materials is presence. Physical presence is almost universally needed to impart what is in you to another. Paul wanted Timothy to go with him to impart into him what Paul had received from Jesus. You can impart power into things and then send them out like Paul did with aprons and handkerchiefs – Lake did the same thing as he had the most anointed believers he had physically lay hands on his newsletters before they were sent out, resulting in miracles when they were received – but this is not the same as impartation through presence. This is why we lay hands on people many times for physical healing, because of the impartation through touch or through presence. Paul raised up the lion of God Timothy through presence…
Elijah raised up the lion of God Elisha through presence and through the Spirit of God manifested in power.
And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on.
Ask yourself, why did Elijah ask Elisha to leave? He was testing his heart, seeing if he was ready to receive the mantle from Elijah and carry on the ministry to Israel. Had Elisha grown up in God yet? Had he become the great lion to rule for God in the place of Elijah? Elijah was testing him, and the test wouldn’t be finished until and unless Elisha saw something at a critical moment. Lions must pass the tests. This concept of the Lord testing you is vital in the raising of spiritual lions. I had a janitorial business before I went full time in ministry. At one point the largest fast food restaurant chain in southern California offered me the opportunity to contract half of their stores. For days I walked around with dollar signs in my eyes, until I sought the Lord. He said, “You can take the contract, but you won’t be able to serve Me.” That ended that. The test was passed. Why were the sons of the prophets involved? They were witnesses of what transpired between E&E because they would need to follow Elisha like they followed Elijah. They weren’t going to follow a powerless leader… the lead lion had to be tested!
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
Here was the final test, the final confirmation of the call of God upon Elisha. If Elisha passed this test, then he would be the great man of God, with a double portion of Elijah’s anointing, with a ministry and a purpose.
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:1-14 NKJV
David wasn’t the greatest father – after all, he had been raised as the bastard son of Jesse, not exactly a great example – but how he raised Solomon in the Word as a lion of God bears our study and witness. First, he sets the vision for his son to rise up to as king…
Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; thus says the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.’ 2 Sam 23:1-4 NKJV
He gave him the vision, but first he filled him with the Word.
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Ps 119:9-11 NKJV
Moses wrote of what was required of a king, the biggest lion in the kingdom. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every spiritual leader was required to write a copy of the NT, at least the Pauline Epistles, and read them every day?
“Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. Deut 17:18-20 NKJV
Paul and Timothy, Elijah and Elisha, David and Solomon. Regarding raising lions, we could write a whole book on how Jesus raised up the apostles. Who better to learn about being a lion but from the Lion of Judah? A word for my fellow lions – raise up lions! The last article about the seven ministries to new believers and this article give my outline of a discipleship plan for any believer. Any discipleship program must include the three basics of the Word, the Spirit and presence. Teach and show, train and admonish, test and reward. The vision of God for every born again one was not to imitate Christ, but to become incarnations of Christ. Christ is in you, lions and lionesses, the Lion of Judah is in you, so invite Him to fill every aspect, every characteristic, every personality trait of your heart and life, then let’s roar for the King. Amen? Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…