Prophetic Musings

We are living in extremely prophetic days. Events are happeing on the national and international front that are prophetic for the Church. Too often, we miss these prophetic illustrations because there is yet a disconnect in the Church between the natural and the spiritual.

Within this last week two senior men with whom I have had contact in ministry graduated. The first one, God had spoken to me to inquire concerning him a couple of weeks before. As I started this trip, I received a phone call saying that the Lord had taken him home. My first reaction was to inquire about his wife's health and how she was taking it. But, I did not get anything prophetic nor think it strange, as he was around 80. Several days later, one of the men whom I had worked closely with in my last pastorate, also passed. Immediately I heard God speak. He got my attention.

The Church itself is in transition. God is getting a people ready through whom He can do the New Thing. God is not letting us know too many details about the New Thing, because it is His heart that it not be spoiled by the work of man's hands or the manipulations of man.

The old is passing away. It is not that it is evil, it was right for its day and has done the work God intended, but, just as there was a fullness of time for the Law to have done its work and at the end of that time, grace be released, so it is with the old way of doing things.

The hunger of the people of God, manifest by the response to God's moving in Lakeland, is evident. DO NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER. Yes the bathwater is dirty, but the dirt on the baby has been transferred to the bath water and the baby, that which God birthed, needs to be kept, and that which God used to clean the baby, thrown out. Do not set aside what God did in Lakeland, because the pressure or heat of the fire brought dross to the top. God has already begun to put things in place to cleanse the vessel, if those those things are submitted to then, the cleansing will take place. This is a test on the Church, ministry, and the rest of the Body. If we handle it right, with meekness, humility, mercy and grace, it will gain, for the Church and the ministry, respect and redeem some of the what the Church has lost as they have shot some of their own when they have been down. THE WORLD IS WATCHING TO SEE IF JESUS SHINES THROUGH. We need to remember what Jesus said to the woman taken in adultry, Let he that is without sin, cast the first stone.

There is something that God taught me a number of years ago when I was asked to restore a brother who, in the eyes of some, had fallen. He took me to Galatians, where it speaks to restoration, and spiritually defined the attitude I should have. He pointed out a phrasiology that arrested my spirit that wanted to criticise.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

1. "Be overtaken in a fault" Means to be overtaken beforehand. This points to the fact that before it manifests, it overtakes him within. Too often we look at the manifestation as the problem, judge the man for the manifestation and never look at the root that "overtook him before".

2. "Spirit of meekness" Meekness is a quiet strength that is rooted in my confidence in God's call and moves with gentle, firm strength. Because it is called a spirit of meekness, it is also an anointing that God puts on the man or woman for the work, in this case the work of restoration.


3. "Considering thyself" This one shook me a bit. When the Spirit expanded it for me, He said, "You need to consider whether you could be tempted to fall in the manner in which the one you want to restore has fallen. If you think you are above that happening to you, you do not have what it takes to restore the man or woman." This caused me to draw up short. I had to ask God to reveal to me, my heart, and help me be honest with myself and my hearts condition. This brought me to the right attitude to move in restoration. In being honest with myself, and recognizing that I could fall in the same manner, I had compassion and understanding what would cause a man or woman to go that way, and seek God for His steps of restoration in the matter.

These points alone are enough to cause me to cry out to God when a man or woman of God falls, that God would cause to rise, men and women who would be honest enough with God and themselves to allow God to do this work in them.

I do not want to go any further with this, at this point, but leave this for you to think on, in light of all that is going on in the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Apostolic and Prophetic dimensions at this time.

Dr. Bill