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My wife and I trying to wake up our local community a couple years ago.
"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt 26:40-41
I am praying for you and your wife as you work in the Lord's vineyard even though sometimes it may seem like you are all alone.
Thankyou bro. Much appreciated. We actually did receive some good support. Many tooted their horns as they drove past, others stopped by to take photographs with us, others came and asked questions. We even made it into the local paper with interview and picture.
My wife is Maori. The Maori were never defeated in war. Maori still own vast tracts of land throughout New Zealand, with permanent protections in place. New Zealand history is a very different one to the States or Australia. Yet even so, the Maori were very disenfranchised from their culture and language. Like in the US, treaties were broken and/or ignored. But the last 20 to 30 years has seen a remarkable resurgence in Maori culture to the point where their language is now one of two official languages in the country and is an option for learning in nearly every school. If you ever visit NZ you will be surprised at the extent Maori and non-Maori (Pakeha) have become almost one people. Mixed marriages are very common and never viewed as unusual or odd. Many Maori are politicians etc but they also, as natives are in other places, occupy too many places in prison and negative statistics
One of the more fascinating aspects of NZ history is the Maori acceptance of the gospel. The early Maori, cannibals and warriors as most were, took to the gospel like ducks to water. If you are interested, there is a brilliant book written on that era, by a Christian historian Keith Newman, called " Bible and Treaty: Missionaries among the Maori." A sequel was written also, "Beyond Betrayal". Don't know how you would attain it...maybe kindle or Amazon, but recommend it heartily. Just as a teaser...100 years or so before any European discovered or landed in NZ, an old Maori elder from the east coast, a spiritual leader some call a prophet, spoke of a coming religion that quote..." "They will call him the Son who was raised to life". By the 1850s, just a short 30 or so years after the arrival of the first missionaries in NZ, 60% of the Maori population were born again, stopped their wars, and sought peace with the new arrivals. It wasn't until the following decade that wars broke out again, but were land wars and European attempts to dispossessed Maori of the traditional hunting grounds and sacred sites, just as in the US. Gold...farming...forestry.
@brakelite
It is good to hear about God's work in other places. At home there is so much wrong happening, but then I witness or hear about a real move of God in and for people such as your work. I also especially liked your reference to the Maori who prophesied about the Son raised to life long before the arrival of Europeans. I may look up the book as I will periodically get into reading about the real good that is in some people. There is too much written about the evil...
I read not long ago an article looking at black people in the United States and Christianity. They are for the most part descendants of slaves brought across the ocean against their will... yet now as a group a larger percentage of them are close to God than is the case with their mostly Caucasian fellows. If I had only read the article with no first hand experience I might have shrugged it off.
The fact of the matter is that my wife and I [both essentially European blood with a small but measurable portion of native American Indian] were brought to God from the devilish lives we were living by the beautiful witness of a family of black people. Never have we met a family anywhere of any race that lived for God in such a way. That happened more than 40 years ago, but the memory is still fresh and beautiful. We have lived in Oklahoma for many years now but still we retain our connection with that family in California. At one time we attended the same church with them regularly. We were the only white family in a black church. My son [born in 1973] still remembers it as the only church to which he was certain that God had led us... He was baptized in water and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost while attending there. Now he is a grandfather living in Kansas.
It is good to hear about God's work in other places. At home there is so much wrong happening, but then I witness or hear about a real move of God in and for people such as your work. I also especially liked your reference to the Maori who prophesied about the Son raised to life long before the arrival of Europeans. I may look up the book as I will periodically get into reading about the real good that is in some people. There is too much written about the evil...
I read not long ago an article looking at black people in the United States and Christianity. They are for the most part descendants of slaves brought across the ocean against their will... yet now as a group a larger percentage of them are close to God than is the case with their mostly Caucasian fellows. If I had only read the article with no first hand experience I might have shrugged it off.
The fact of the matter is that my wife and I [both essentially European blood with a small but measurable portion of native American Indian] were brought to God from the devilish lives we were living by the beautiful witness of a family of black people. Never have we met a family anywhere of any race that lived for God in such a way. That happened more than 40 years ago, but the memory is still fresh and beautiful. We have lived in Oklahoma for many years now but still we retain our connection with that family in California. At one time we attended the same church with them regularly. We were the only white family in a black church. My son [born in 1973] still remembers it as the only church to which he was certain that God had led us... He was baptized in water and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost while attending there. Now he is a grandfather living in Kansas.
I now attend a church in Melbourne Australia after spending most of my life in NZ. The weird thing is that 90%of the church are of Pacific island origin and all of them NZ born. The rest of the church are Asian or African. Just two Australian couples. Funny. If I ever visit America I would attend a black church. Just for the music. Same with Maori and Islanders. The singing is exceptional and just so natural to them.
My great great grandfathers brother left Britain and settled in Oklahoma. Some of his descendants now live in California. :)
My great great grandfathers brother left Britain and settled in Oklahoma. Some of his descendants now live in California. :)
I read the first article and copied the following from it:
This is has happened in many places and continues to happen in most churches [organized groups of men] of my experience. Teaching people to stifle/quench the Holy Spirit of God is taught by establishing and enforcing rules and programs which stifle/quench any work that God might otherwise accomplish in them. This was seen in the time of Jesus when he was confronted with the traditions that effectively made the God's Word of none effect:
"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:8-9
"Quench not the Spirit." I Thess 5:19
I do, but then comes the question of what exactly one these is? The prophets, as I see it, are those who bring God's Word to others with or without predictions of future events.
Apostles are more difficult. The word itself according to references means "he that is sent", but in the scripture it has a more specific meaning, which for me is not easy to grasp. Some have said that the apostle is a "church planter" and that may be the case, but I for the most part when it comes to a definition am using some other man's definition as God has not shown me a lot in that respect.
However, as I said, I do believe that they are still being sent by God to us, whatever role it is that He has given them to play. In the following verses we read the reason why for me they are still being sent.
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Eph 4:11-16
They are sent to help us attain the "unity" and the "knowledge" that we can be what God wants us to be "perfect" as He is perfect. Since most [all?] of us are not there yet, He is still giving them as they are still needed. That much I believe even though I might not be able to give an accurate definition of what each of the five gifts is.
We are a work in progress and God will accomplish His purpose in this work. Whether we are or are to become a part of the Body of Christ and/or the Bride, is really up to us. God has provided the means for us to attain to it.
They speak whatever the Holy Spirit speaks...I am going to share a true testimony with you...because I was called into the prophetic office years ago and it was spoken by a minister of God...which God confirmed shortly after...when God 1st began using me to give words of encouragement to others I would be in prayer interceding and He would speak to me...to tell me to give a message to this person or that...I was always obedient. His message was always timely and a confirmation.....then one evening He gave me a different kind of instruction...…
I was in prayer interceding and seeking God....He spoke to me and said "I want you to go speak to my servant, "Ben", I have a Word for him" I replied yes, Lord, I am your vessel...what is it you want to say...God said just go, the Holy Spirit will speak through you when you get there...(this was the 1st time God sent me blindly to give a message). So I went to his house, he invited me in, and I said "Ben, the Lord has a Word for you....He said sure let's hear it. Then the Holy Spirit began to speak....I can't remember word for word but what the jest of it was to warn him to repent and end an affair he was having with another married woman in the church. It was serious enough that God even warned him if he didn't repent and turn away from this sin he would die.
Well, after the message was given...i was shocked and I apologized to Ben because I didn't know that was what God wanted to say...then I went home and asked God to never use me like that again. It was almost 10 years later before God used me again...It was a prophetess who called me out in a church I went to visit who told me I can't tell God what to say and what not to say. Then she prayed and from that day on God used me again. So....back to Ben...he died a year after that word was spoken to him.
This is not how God uses me all the time...most of the time is to encourage...but still sometimes to warn.
In my gift and calling He uses me to exhort, edify, instruct, correct and confirm.....I don't go around bragging to anyone about my calling...hardly anyone knows except for my daughter and other prophets and pastors. I spend most of my time just praying, interceding and listening to Him....and He seems to be moving me into seeing more of events in Israel than in people individually....this is new to me right now...I finally got used to just individual or to the church as a whole...…
Understand this...I didn't ask for this calling....He called me and I said ok...but I really wanted to be a healing minister.....do you have any idea what people with my calling goes through? it is brutal sometimes....and on top of that people who are aware of it either call you constantly wanting a word from God (which I refuse to be tempted like that) or totally avoid you because they don't want you to see (discern) their sin.
And sometimes I get grieved in my spirit so heavy and all I can do is pray in the spirit...then when it lifts I ask Him what that was about....
Anyway....I try to find others here on the forums who have the same gift and calling as me....I have met a couple but they don't seem to hang around much....I come here because I ask God to send those to me that I may be a blessing to and vice-versa....and I am a spiritual warrior....so I pray. I just can't quite pray as openly here as I would in person...but that's ok.
I am just so tired of people not understanding the prophetic calling today....and it is for the perfecting of the saints that God uses prophets.
Yes, I was unable to express that precise idea, but it was what I did mean. Thank you for the clarification.
Your testimony is like what happened to Peter in Acts 10 when he first went to the gentile, Cornelius. Peter did not understand why he was going, but he understood that God wanted him to go and he went and he was used of God.
I have a good friend who related to me a similar experience that he had. He had to tell a man what he was doing wrong and also what he needed to do in order to get right with God. The man refused to listen because it was not what he wanted to hear. He ended up suffering the consequences as in your testimony. God is still working mightily through people even if many who supposedly are serving God remain blind to what He is doing.
I don't have that precise gift, but God does work through me in other ways which I won't describe here. You may however already know if you have read many of my posts on the forum.
Give God the glory!
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I'm glad you're here, we need more active members like you. You seem insightful of the goings on.
We get a few people around here with prophetic gifts. I treat them like everyone else and give their posts no special consideration unless they quote God.
Every BAC has the ability to speak to God, and God the ability to speak to them. He does in their spirits, so even though they can't quote him they hear. Like when people call up someone out of the blue cause they thought they should, and it comes just in time to help. So in many cases a prophet is redundant.
Thanks I appreciate being treated like everyone else...lol....and you are absolutely correct that everyone has the ABILITY to hear from God themselves.....sadly many claim they can't hear him like some do.....it is so simple...just listen.
I have read many of your posts and you have wisdom, knowledge and understanding of His Truth...and that is the only reason I share my personal testimony with you......I can see your heart...it is a pure heart and the Spirit of Truth is in it. Amen! I also believe you have the gift of discernment....that is a very good gift to have.
What a bunch of propaganda horse s..t.
Read this that I willingly type with my own hand from (Indian Depradations in Texas, J.W. Wilbarger, Eakin Press Statehouse Book, 1889, p. 302-313)
"The following graphic account of Parker fort massacre.....Nothing that has ever happened exhibits savage duplicity and cruelty more plainly than this massacre of helpless women and children.
"On the eightteenth day of May, 1836, all slept at the fort....They had scarcely left when several hundred Indians...Comanches and Kiowas, made their apperance....
"The Indians hoisted a white flag as a token of their friendly intentions...Benjamin Parker went out to have a talk with them....was immediately surrounded and killed....Mrs. Plummer. made a desperate resistance...was soon overpowered and made captive....Mrs Parker was stripped, speared and left for dead....
Many women and children were taken captive by the Indians.
"Mrs Elizabeth Kellogg soon fell into the hands of the Keechis, from whom, six months after her capture, she was purchased by a party of Delawares..., who carried her into Nacogdoches and delievered her to General Houston...
"Mrs. Rachael Plummer remained a captive about eighteen months,...we will give an extract from her diary...I suffered more than I had ever done before in my life....In October I gave birth to my second son...I had been with them six months and had learned their language, and I would often beseech my mistress to advise me what to do to save my child, but she turned a deaf ear...
"One cold morning, five or six Indians came where I was suckling by babe.... One of the Indians caught my child by the throat and strangled it until to all appearances it was dead. I exerted all my feeble strength to save my child, but the other Indians held me fast. The Indian who strangled the child then threw it up in the air repeatedly and let if fall upon the frozen ground until life seemed to be extinct. They then gave it back to me...I discovered some symptoms of returning life.....I washed the blood from its face, and after a time it began to breathe again...As soon as the Indians ascertained that the child was still alive, they tore it from my arms, and knocked me down. They tied a plaited rope around its neck and threw it into a bunch of prickly pears and then pulled it backwards and forwards until its tender flesh was literally torn from its body....On of the Indians who was mounted on a horse then tied the end of the rope to his saddle and galloped around in a circle until my little innocent was not only dead, but torn to pieces. One of them untied the rope and threw the remains of the child into my lap, and I dug a hole in the earth and buried them.
"After performing the last said rites for the lifeless remains of my dear babe, I sat down and gazed with a feeling of relief upon the little grave I had made for it in the wilderness, and could say with David of old, 'you can not come to me, but I must go to you;' and then, and even now, as I record the dreadful scene I witnessed, I rejoiced that my babe had passed from the sorrows and suffering of this world. I shall hear its dying cries no more, and fully believing in, and relying on the imputed righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, I feel that my innocent babe is now with kindred spirits in the eternal world of joys. Oh! that my dear Saviour may keep me through life's short journey, and bring me to dwell with my children in the realms of eternal bliss."
All you bleeding hearts for the indians and their pagan culture, just remember how they treated the Christian white culture. And then wonder why God removed them from this land.
Stranger
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THIS protest of the Dakota Pipeline was fueled initially by the Global Warmers....and the EPA department under the current Obama administration and it was a political plot against the then Presidential Candidate Donald Trump to spark heated debate and opposition to him and his campaign promise to allow the Keystone and Dakota pipeline to be built. The protest started in Sept 2016....long after the contracts to lease the land from the tribe had been signed. Did they have a sudden after thought about the pipeline being built through their land...not until it became political.
But here is how much the tribe loves their land....
I was married to a Native American, my daughter is nearly half Native American so I do not say this in any form of a racial prejudice against this tribe.....I worked on pipelines for over 10 years and the strict adherence to environment safety and protocol is far above the standards of what most city and state departments even require.....furthermore at the completion of the construction the company restores the 16-25 foot of right of way they purchased to a condition even better than its original state.
I can't remember exactly how many different tribes there were back in the days of the population of white people to this country but it was numerous numbers.....the thing is they were always warring against each other....I always wondered if all those tribes had united together if they would have been able to defeat the white man.....but truth is many welcomed the treaties. There is a well documented incidence of the Cherokee tribe being forced to Oklahoma by foot on the famous Trail of Tears....many died. This was an injustice.....
Shoot I am starting to ramble and give an entire history of the accounts of the forming of the reservations......the end.
But here is how much the tribe loves their land....
I was married to a Native American, my daughter is nearly half Native American so I do not say this in any form of a racial prejudice against this tribe.....I worked on pipelines for over 10 years and the strict adherence to environment safety and protocol is far above the standards of what most city and state departments even require.....furthermore at the completion of the construction the company restores the 16-25 foot of right of way they purchased to a condition even better than its original state.
I can't remember exactly how many different tribes there were back in the days of the population of white people to this country but it was numerous numbers.....the thing is they were always warring against each other....I always wondered if all those tribes had united together if they would have been able to defeat the white man.....but truth is many welcomed the treaties. There is a well documented incidence of the Cherokee tribe being forced to Oklahoma by foot on the famous Trail of Tears....many died. This was an injustice.....
Shoot I am starting to ramble and give an entire history of the accounts of the forming of the reservations......the end.
Why blame Trump when Obama is to blame? Looks like Trump is to blame for everything (which is sad).
President Obama's massive failure on the Dakota Access pipeline
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