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2011: A Clarion Call to Gather - Expect a Celebration - Conquering Kingdom - Historical Precedents - Let Aristide Return!

March 1st, 2011

2011 – A Clarion Call to Gather

Clay Sikes

The time of corporate gathering and gifting is upon us: the time for some to get beyond the four walls of the church, for others, beyond the isolation of our small groups. We must recognize a great joining of unprecedented nature is upon us, as isolation is transitioning into a worldwide ‘joining´ for His purposes. Now is the time for the corporate Body of Christ to ‘join together´ through ‘God called´ gatherings and supernatural connections. Those with a nose for this ‘word´ will sniff it like a hound dog on the trail of a fox. They will trail it to wherever it leads, through swamps, rocks, ridges, bush and briars; whatever it takes to stay on the trail.

It is as if we have all been given this new appetite for God and His Kingdom upon earth, as “the whole creation is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God’ (Romans 8:19). We are yearning as never before to see His Kingdom upon earth as it is in heaven.’ The first step to satisfying this yearning can be found by unlocking one of God´s hidden mysteries (great treasures); and that is the power and authority released into the earth as the Body connects to the parts that it is called to be ‘connected to.´

The Army of God is now beginning to make strategy for VICTORY; the primary focus of this strategy involves unifying the Body and joining the parts that are ‘called´ to be JOINED. We must work to properly discern and join the Body properly... This is not a joining for the sake of joining, but rather a fitting of the parts that are CALLED to be joined. We must now allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to those who have a part in ushering in our calling, purpose, and destiny.

Elohim (the Father of the remnant) is offering us keys to unlocking the Kingdom in each of us, and thereby releasing the authority of the Lion in God´s people. God´s desire and intent to release His authority on earth is undeniably connected to the ‘joining of the parts that are called to be joined:´ Just as joining is connected to gathering, so too is authority connected to joining. It is critical to understand that this joining and gathering will not be done by man - man will only serve as a point of contact. The Spirit of God will deal with hearts with strong direction ‘to gather.´ Spirit appointed gatherings have begun on earth. Discernment will distinguish between another great sounding conference with all our spiritual heroes on the speaker list, and the real thing! The real thing may not look or sound like what our preconceived notions think it may. The proof of desire is pursuit, and those with a hunger will not be denied in this hour.

2011 will usher in the greatest changes many of us have ever experienced, and one of the greatest times in Church history. The remnant of God will begin to ‘take back the land,´ as authority and offensive spiritual weaponry replaces our ‘survival´ techniques of the past. Hirelings will fall aside as true sons emerge as God´s appointed leaders in the earth. God is separating the precious from the vile in us, in His Body, and in the earth. Everything lost is being returned, as God´s appointed heritage will come upon His remnant people in this hour. This is the year of ‘Solemn Assembly´ as the Clarion Call has been sounded. When the proper joinings are completed, our Commander will speak from His Oval Office with Orders to His Army upon earth.

Clay Sikes
LightHouseProphecy.org

Expect a Celebration

Jacques Boulet

I thought I would share a vision I had from yesterdays praise at the assembly.

We were all praising and singing and a young little guy took my hand and was dancing along with the praise.

I then saw Jesus dancing before us back and forth across the front of the tabernacle. It was hilarious; he was so crazy and filled with joy and verve. Then came David who began to dance with Christ and they danced together the same way. It made me laugh out loud. Then there was Mary and Joseph who joined in and they all just boogied away to the music: then came Abraham then the prophets and all the heavenly hosts cut in and the whole of heaven was there dancing with us. The Spirit came and settled on each like a dove and tongues of fire surrounded the whole assembly. Then I saw Christ come to me and danced with me hand to hand.

I opened my eyes and was going to proclaim this, but then someone tapped me on the shoulder as if to cut in; tap, tap! I sit in the back with no one behind, with my eyes open there was no person there. I closed my eyes again and held my hands out and asked the Lord to forgive me for not continuing to dance. The Spirit then filled my hands with a golden light which became a beautiful golden cup/bowl which Christ then laid in an overflowing bunch of big fat purple grapes. Praise God! Expect a celebration!

Jacques
Latter Rain Forum
Faith Hope and Love, Unity always!

Conquering Kingdom

Amy Williams

We all need renewed vision to 'see' the kingdom of God. The conquering kingdom is our heritage, we must work this through. We are a people of victory. As we unite together, we bind our hearts together through fire and testing times.

We are a kingdom with mission, purpose and calling. Our call is to reach out into the world, to be salt and light - drawing out of darkness into light. Let's lay down our interests to see God's purposes fulfilled. Let's restore our love for people - do you have within you an urging to see others come and join and be part of what you're building? Do you have a heart for the lost? Do you love them and desire to win them for the Kingdom?

"God... gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:17-19)

The ministry of reconciliation is very important -- we can help join men to God. Jesus has trusted us with this message of being reconcilers in this world. People want to know if there is a God - we must connect with this and point them to God through the cross.

Do we carry the burden because the mission of God's Holy Spirit is within us?  'Give me children or I die' - this must be our heart cry, to appeal to God for spiritual children and disciples. Let's cry out to God again together. Let's carry the spirit of the son of man who came to seek and save the lost.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Our gospel is one of invitation and welcome. Many will refuse but we must go to the highways and byways. We want to recover the reality of real conversion. It's a process from darkness to light. We need real conversions.

To learn more visit the *Jesus Army*
<http://www.jesus.org.uk/ja/index.shtml> website online

Historical Precedents

MarieaGrace

There is a historical precedent for the manifestations of the Spirit. Throughout church history unusual manifestations caused by the Spirit´s presence have been documented in virtually every part of the Body of Christ. Christians from every tradition have written extensively about manifestations for centuries. There are thousands of testimonies that substantiate this as fact.

The same manifestations occurring in the lives of many today have occurred often throughout history. Accounts of manifestations are reported from most revivals in history. The sheer weight of material is overwhelming and many books could be written just summarizing the material.

THE CORPORATE WITNESS OF CHURCH

The French Huguenots: physical manifestations occurred with the old and young as many fell down under the power of God and experienced what seemed like involuntary contortions.

The First Awakening in America (1730-80): prominent revival leaders in England and America were John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. They experienced many of the same manifestations that are taking place today.

John Wesley (1703-91), the founder of the Methodist movement, was the most well-known revival preacher of his time.

He reported that “people dropped on every side as thunderstruck as they fell to the ground, others with convulsions exceeding all description and many reported seeing visions. Some shook like a cloth in the wind, others roared and screamed or fell down with involuntary laughter.’

Wesley´s journal from Jan. 1, 1739: “About sixty of our brethren until three in the morning, the power of God came mightily on us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground.’ John Wesley prayed, “Lord send us revival without its defects but if this is not possible, send revival, defects and all.’

George Whitefield (1714-1770) preached nearly 20,000 times to perhaps ten million hearers. He witnessed the same manifestations as Wesley. Whitefield´s journal inserts are similar to those described by Wesley and Edwards.

Whitefield wrote of many falling to the ground, trembling exceedingly with strong convulsions. People fell down, cried out, trembled with convulsive twitchings. Sinners dropped down, shrieking, groaning, crying for mercy, convulsed, agonizing, fainting, falling down in distress or in raptures of joy! The noise was like a roar of Niagara. The vast sea of human beings as agitated by a storm. Seized with convulsive jerking all over.

George Whitefield worked with Wesley in England. When people started to fall in Wesley´s meetings, Whitefield protested it in a letter to Wesley writing, “I cannot think it right in you to give so much encouragement to these convulsions which people have been thrown into in your ministry.’ Ironically enough, when Whitefield came to confront Wesley in person he found himself reprimanded by reality, for when Whitefield preached the next day, “four persons sunk down close to him, almost in the same moment. One of them lay without sense or motion. A second trembled exceedingly. The third had strong convulsions all over his body, but made no noise, unless by groans. The fourth, equally convulsed, called upon God, with strong cries and tears. From this time,’ Wesley writes, “I trust we shall all suffer God to carry on His own work in the way that pleases Him.’ From that time, Whitefield´s preaching was commonly accompanied by people falling.

Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), the great leader of the First Awakening in the 1730s and 1740s in New England, is considered to be one of America´s greatest theologians. He became the chief spokesperson for the revival, trying to bridge the difficult chasm of emotional excess and freedom of the Spirit as evidenced with manifestations. He provided a comprehensive biblical evaluation of revival and its manifestations in his book A Narrative of Surprising Conversations and the Great Awakening.

Edwards wrote, “Many young people appeared to be overcome with the greatness of divine things and many others at the same time were overcome with distress about their sinful state so that the whole room was full of nothing but outcries, faintings and such like and many were overpowered and continued there for some hours. Some have been so overcome with a sense of the dying love of Christ as to weaken the body. It was a very frequent thing to see a house full of outcries, faintings, convulsions and such like, both with distress, and also with joy’ (The Great Awakening p. 547).

“It was common to see outcries, faintings, convulsions with distress and joy. Some were so affected that their bodies were overcome, so they stayed all night in the church. There were some instances of persons lying in a sort of trance, remaining for perhaps a whole twenty-four hours motionless, and with their senses locked up; but in the meantime under strong imagination, as though they went to heaven, and had there a vision of glorious and delightful objects’ (The Great Awakening p. 550). Their joyful surprise has caused their hearts as it were to leap, so that they have been ready to break forth into laughter, tears often at the same time issuing like a flood, and intermingling a loud weeping. Sometimes they have not been able to forbear crying out with a loud voice, expressing their great admiration’ (Narrative pp. 37-38).

Francis Asbury, appointed by Wesley in 1771 as a missionary to the colonies, was a disciplined man who insisted on meetings being conducted in a proper fashion, yet his meetings were characterized by shouting, falling, crying, and the “jerks.’

The Cane Ridge revival meetings in Kentucky in early 1800s were led mostly by Presbyterian preachers. It was reported that people shook and lips quivered as many fell to the ground with shrieks and shouts. Peter Cartwright was a prominent revivalist in Cane Ridge. He wrote of the manifestations of the “jerks’ that seized saints and sinners with a convulsive jerking all over, which they could not by any possibility avoid, and the more they resisted the more they jerked.

The following was the report of an atheist “free thinker’ named James B. Finley, who attended the Cane Ridge, Kentucky revival in 1801: “The noise was like the roar of Niagara. The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm… Some of the people were singing, others praying, some crying for mercy in the most piteous accents, while others were shouting vociferously. While witnessing these scenes, a peculiarly-strange sensation, such as I had never felt before, came over me. My heart beat tumultuously, my knees trembled, my lip quivered, and I felt as though I must fall to the ground. A strange supernatural power seemed to pervade the entire mass of mind there collected. At one time I saw at least 500, swept down in a moment as if a battery of a thousand guns had been opened upon them, and then immediately followed shrieks and shouts that rent the very heavens. I fled for the woods and wished I had stayed at home.’

Charles Finney (1792-1875) is considered by many to be America´s most powerful revivalist. He is often credited as being the instrument to bring 500,000 conversions from 1825 to 1875.

Finney witnessed the same manifestations as we are witnessing today. He reported spasmodic laughter; it was impossible to keep people from laughing, phenomena of speechlessness for hours, fainting spells. Finney described people falling under the power of God´s presence in his meetings. The congregation began to fall from their seats in every direction. I was obliged to stop preaching.

At the schoolhouse near Antwerp, New York, Finney described the phenomena of people falling under the power of God´s presence: “An awful solemnity seemed to settle upon the people; the congregation began to fall from their seats in every direction and cry for mercy. If I had a sword in each hand, I could not have cut them down as fast as they fell. I was obliged to stop preaching.’

George Fox (1624-1691) was founder of the Friends, commonly known as the Quakers. The Quakers got their nickname from many cases of people who physically quaked in their meets whenever the Holy Spirit moved with heightened spiritual activity. Fox had tremendous influence for righteousness during his generation, leading thousands to Jesus.

Frank Bartleman was a leader in the Azusa Street revival in 1906. The accounts of the Azusa Street revival describe many shaking, speechlessness, motionlessness, being enraptured, drunk in the Spirit, laughter, visions, tongues, prophecy, and the like.

There have been many moves of God in the USA in the last 100 years since the Azusa Street revival in 1906 that have been used by God. For example:

John Alexander Dowie healing revival (1890s); Azusa Street revival (Los Angeles in 1906); John G. Lake healing revival (1910-30); Aimee Semple McPherson healing revival (1920s); Voice of Healing revival with Oral Roberts, William Branham, Kenneth Hagin, TL Osborne, etc. (1940s-50s); and the Welsh Revival of 1904 in Great Britain.

The Charismatic Renewal with the Catholics and mainline Protestant denominations (1967); Jesus Movement Chuck Smith/Lonnie Frisbee (1970s); Vineyard healing revival with John Wimber (1980s); international renewal ministries like Rodney Howard-Browne reaching Pentecostals (1993) and Toronto with John Arnott reaching mainline denominations (1994) in conjunction with the HTB renewal in UK; Pasadena renewal center with Lou Engle and Che Ahn; the Pensacola revival with Steve Kilpatrick and Steve Hill (1995); the renewal in Smithton and Kansas City with Steve Gray (1995); healing revival in Redding with Bill Johnson (2000).

DR. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES´ COMMENTS ON MANIFESTATIONS

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899– 1981) is considered by many to be one of the most influential voices in the Church in the Western world in the 20th century. For nearly 30 years he ministered at Westminster Chapel in London, one of the most well-known churches in the world at the time. He was one of the main evangelical champions, powerfully resisting the tide of liberal theology.

Lloyd-Jones pointed out that it comes nearer to being the rule in revival that manifestations occur, such as people groaning in agony of soul and feeling the power of the Spirit to such an extent that they faint and fall to the ground with physical convulsions. And sometimes people seem to fall into a state of unconsciousness, into a kind of trance, and many remain like that for hours. He wrote that “these phenomena are not essential to revival yet it is true to say that, on the whole, they do tend to be present when there is a revival.’

Lloyd-Jones taught: “Why should the Devil suddenly start dong this kind of thing in a period of spiritual dryness? The very result of revival completely excludes the possibility of this being the action of the Devil. If this is the work of the Devil, well then the Devil is an unutterable fool. He is dividing his own kingdom; he is increasing the kingdom of God. There is nothing so ridiculous as this suggestion that this is the work of the Devil’ (Lloyd-Jones 1987, pp141-2).

Lloyd-Jones points out: “Always in a revival there is what some call divine disorder. Some are groaning and agonising under conviction, others praising God for the great salvation. And all this leads to crowded and prolonged meetings. Time seems to be forgotten. A meeting may not end until daybreak the next morning with nobody aware of the passing of the hours.’

CONTROVERSY

Jonathan Edwards said, “a work of God without stumbling blocks is never to be expected’ (Works 2:273). He exhorted people to not oppose the Spirit of God in the revival but by and large his warnings went unheeded. By 1742 a majority of the New England clergy concluded that the Great Awakening was merely an epidemic of emotionalism. Rev. Charles Chauncey of Boston became the articulate champion against the revival. He effectively articulated the doubts, fears and criticisms of the revival. His books became best sellers.

It´s worth noting the fruit at the end of the lives of these two prominent figures—Edwards and Chauncey. Edwards is regarded as one of America´s greatest theologians and most effective revivalists. Chauncey became one of the founding theologians of Unitarianism which discarded the Trinity and advocated universalism, that all would be saved regardless of whether they had a relationship with Jesus. Chauncey is no longer considered a hero who saved the people from emotionalism. He is now seen as a religious bureaucrat who defended the status quo without comprehending the reality of the Spirit and the glorious revival occurring in his generation.

We don´t like it when meetings get messy and unpredictable. It is embarrassing and offensive to most of us. If we find a revival that is not spoken against, we had better look again to ensure that it is a revival. No one would pretend to claim that every revival burns with a smokeless flame (Arthur Wallis).

Wherever Jesus or Paul went there was confrontation. Riots and controversy occurred. Luther, Wesley, Whitefield, and Edwards were extremely controversial characters in their day. Many revivalists were kicked out of their denominations! But once the dust settled, centuries later they have come to be highly revered and seen as fighters for orthodox Christianity.

We are wise to take the advice of Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “We must be careful in these matters.’

What do we know of the Spirit falling on people? What do we know about these great manifestations of the Holy Spirit? We need to be very careful lest we be found fighting against God, lest we be guilty of quenching the Spirit of God

Fwd: Latter Rain Forum

Let Aristide Return!

- by Stephen Lendman

On February 29, 2004, US marines abducted him at gunpoint, airlifting him forcibly to the Central Africa Republic. It was one of Haiti's darkest moments, losing its beloved leader, reelected President in 2000 with 92% of the vote. For over six years, he's been exiled in South Africa, wants to return, and on January 19, wrote an open letter, thanking his host country and their people for welcoming him hospitably, saying:

Since forcibly abducted, "the people of Haiti have never stopped calling for my return....Despite the enormous (post-quake) challenges that they face....their determination to make the return happen has increased."

"As far as I am concerned, I am ready....today, tomorrow, at any time. The purpose is very clear: To contribute to serving my Haitian sisters and brothers as a simple citizen in the field of education."

Returning is also vital "for medical reasons: It is strongly recommended that I not spend the coming winter in South Africa because in 6 years I have undergone 6 eye surgeries. The surgeons are excellent and very well skilled, but the unbearable pain experienced in the winter must be avoided in order to reduce any risk of further complications and blindness."

Aristide is ready to come any time, and hopes Haitian and South African officials let him. Of course, Washington controls all Haitian affairs. The Bush administration ousted him in 2004, militarily occupied the country with proxy Blue Helmet paramilitaries, banished him abroad, and thus far Obama won't let him back. One word from him changes everything. So far it's not forthcoming.

He's been treated maliciously, victimized by Washington's intolerance to democracy, abroad and at home. It's time public outrage demanded better, including in Haiti, the region's poorest, most oppressed nation, the rights of their people entirely denied, including having their beloved leader back home with them.

New York Times Coverage of Haiti under Aristide

After Washington's February 29, 2004 middle-of-the-night coup ousted him, a Times March 1 editorial lied, saying:

-- he resigned;

-- letting marines abduct him "was the right thing to do;"

-- they only came after "Mr. Aristide yielded power;"

-- he "contributed significantly to his own downfall (because of his) increasingly autocratic and lawless rule;" and

-- he manipulated the 2000 legislative elections and didn't "deliver the democracy he promised."

Malaciously false on all counts. Under Aristide, Haiti had its only freedom since successfully liberated in 1804, turning slaves into citizens for the first time.

On January 19, Times writer Ginger Thompson headlined, "Aristide Says He Is Ready to Return to Haiti, Too," saying:

Days after Duvalier's return, he "issued a statement on Wednesday that fueled rumors that he, too, was angling to return."

"Angling?" He explained clearly, why, and as a Haitian citizen, he's entitled under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, giving everyone the right to leave and return to their countries.

Unwittingly in part, Thompson exposed the malicious Times 2004 editorial claiming he resigned and yielded power, saying he "was ousted in 2004 in the midst of growing unrest and under intense pressure from the United States."

In fact, Washington instigated unrest and "pressure(d)" Aristide at gunpoint by trained marine killers.

Aristide's statement, said Thompson, "threatened to fuel tensions already stirred by" Duvalier's return. Of course, one event has nothing to do with another, except to explain that if a former despot comes freely, letting a beloved democrat is imperative.

She also said as President, Aristide "became notorious for his violent crackdowns of political dissent" when, if fact, he did nothing of the kind. Flippantly, she claimed he's "been hopscotching across Central America and the Caribbean in anticipation of making his own surprise re-entry."

In fact, in March 2004, he returned briefly to Jamaica. Activist lawyer and TransAfrica founder Randall Robinson accompanied him, telling Democracy Now on March 25:

"I have learned from a White House source that Condoleezza Rice has pointedly threatened the Jamaican government, telling it to expel President Aristide or face the consequences. The (Bush) administration wants (him) out of the region. (It) views his mere presence in Jamaica as a threat to their (hegemonic) control along with the thugs and the installed (Haitian) government."

Aristide arrived in Jamaica on March 14, 2004. On March 25, the Jamaican government said he'd take "permanent asylum" in South Africa after its April 14 elections. He's been there since, "hopscotch(ing)" nowhere.

Further, Thompson claimed he has no valid Haitian passport, saying the Preval government won't issue him one so he can't return, despite knowing (or should know) that citizens don't need passports to their own countries.

At issue is one unnamed analyst's opinion, saying:

"Aristide could have 15 passports and he's still not going to come back to Haiti (because) France and the United States are standing in the way."

In fact, Washington has full control as colonial occupier, denying Haitians all rights, including sovereignty, democratic elections with all legitimate parties participating, and the right of their beloved leader to return in any capacity. He only wishes to as a private citizen for health reasons and to provide whatever help he can. No longer should he be denied.

Let Aristide return!

-------

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

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