October, 2007
Holiday Greetings,
It is so hard to believe that we are welcoming the last of the Fall Feasts of the Lord already. I don’t know where the time has gone, but it certainly has escalated, just as everything else has. Nevertheless, I love this time of year, which is His “appointed time” for us to “tabernacle” with Him. It is such a joyous holiday!
During the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) I am truly reminded of the way that He delivered me out of darkness, and brought me in to the Light. I think about the way that He called me, taught me, prepared me, launched me out and led me by faith throughout the last 34 years, always providing temporary dwellings, as I trusted Him and Him alone for all provision. How faithful He has been! All Glory to His Holy Name!
Today He is calling many others to step out by faith and follow Him, trusting Him for all protection and provision. If you are one of those He has prepared for the journey, do not hesitate to obey His call. He will go before you to lead the way, and He will be found faithful!
Tabernacles gets its name from the sukkot (booths) in which the Hebrews dwelt during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. As they made their journey from slavery to the place of promise and prosperity, they dwelt in flimsy temporary shelters, with a radical dependence upon God for direction, protection and provision.
One of the many lessons that all of us have learned, who have been on this journey, walking by faith, trusting Him and Him alone for everything, is that our real security is not found in bricks and mortar and things made by our hands, nor is it found in our stored up treasures. The Source and Supply for our lives, and our freedom, is in the Lord of Hosts! He is our God, not Mammon! He and He alone is worthy of our praise and worship!
Brothers and Sisters, God’s Glory is never more magnified than when we delight in Him. When we rejoice in our Maker, He is exalted! When we worship our King with joy, fervency and focused attention, He is enthroned in our praises. This is precisely the reason for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. This is the reason that so many of us gather together with thousands of others each year to worship our King and exalt His Holy Name! This year many of us will gather in Macon, Georgia as well as many other venues, while still others will gather in Jerusalem, for that very purpose. If you cannot travel, please join your praise and worship to ours, for there is no distance in the Spirit.
At the end of the age when “His Story” comes to its final, glorious consummation, it will be to Jerusalem that “all” the nations will ascend for the Great Feast of Tabernacles. On that great day the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be the King over the whole earth. His Holy Name will be the Only Name! Hallelujah! How I long for that day! (Zechariah 14).
As you all know I have been on the road most of the last three months. Deborah was with me for about three weeks of travel, which was very nice. However, after her ordination / commissioning service was over, and all of her guests returned home, she was sent out on assignment. Meanwhile, the Lord has given me a little time at home to write before Marion, Shirley and I leave for Macon. It is also a time for me to squeeze in a little rest and refreshment, for which I’m always so grateful.
During the last three months of gatherings, the Lord began to point out many things to me that He plans to change when the Body of Messiah gathers together for services in various venues. He has also been speaking to many of your hearts about these things. I want to thank all of you for taking the time to write and share. In fact, I was deluged with mail and emails this past month, and I am grateful! I love hearing what He is speaking to your hearts. I am also grateful for each and every confirmation.
As I shared last month, the Lord said that He was moving across the Southern States from California to Florida uncovering the sins and iniquities of the unrepentant Ministers of the Gospel. He went on to say that He is going to break all of the control and manipulation that so many of them are exercising over His sheep. He detests it! He said that much of it is nothing more than a subtle form of witchcraft. He said that He is weary of the pride and arrogance so many of them display, as well as all of the showmanship. He is telling us all to get off the platforms and stand down with the sheep.
I must be honest and tell you that my heart sinks every time I am called in to a congregation and told to step up on the platform to speak. It is not right, and I’ve known for a couple of years that it is not right, but I’ve never made a stand against it as I should have. When I’m called in to speak at a Wednesday night service, a Friday night service, or a Saturday morning service, I am almost always permitted to stand down with the congregation. However, when it is a Sunday morning service I am almost always sent up on a platform, and that makes me feel extremely uncomfortable, because He is not pleased about that. The Lord said that many in leadership positions do that because of the traditions of man, and He said, “Those traditions of man are coming down!” He wants all of us off the platforms and off the runways. None of us are to be elevated above the rest of the congregations, nor are any of us to allow ourselves to be put on a pedestal. This all stems from a form of hierarchal Church Government that is paganism and not of Him.
I’ve had a lot of mail concerning the ministers who are constantly saying to the sheep, “Say Amen if you believe!” … “Give the Lord a good clap offering!”… “Turn to your neighbor and say…”… “Give the Lord a shout offering!”... etc. This is a subtle form of manipulation and or control which the Lord said is going to stop! As Rivkah said, “They are using man’s way instead of allowing the Lord to move by His Spirit, His way.” He only allows me to be moved by His Spirit in services, not by the manipulation of man.
He has pointed out to me how many of them will go up and down the steps from the platform numerous times while they are delivering a message. This is a form of showmanship which they were taught to do in the Seminaries. It is also an annoying distraction to those trying to hear the message. Many of them will say, “Aren’t I preaching good tonight?” Or “Isn’t this good preaching?” This is an ego needing to be stroked. It is not of the Spirit of God, nor is it humerous in the eyes of the Lord. Still others will run all over the platform screaming the message often waving their hands violently. This is also showmanship as well as projecting themselves to be more spiritual than others. It is not of the Spirit of God!
Last but not least is the altar call. One sister wrote saying, “It seems that the altar call is a three step process all the time. First they ask people to raise their hands if they don’t know Jesus, after which they call them to come to the altar. Then they go after those who know Jesus but are having a rough time. When there is no response, or very little response, they call everyone to come down to the altar to pray with the few who have come to show “unity”. She said, “I swear, Myrna, I just want to scream sometimes because I will sense the Holy Spirit moving in a service and the minister won’t wait upon the Lord to allow Him to move as He chooses to move. They end up going ahead with their own itinerary that they have apparently been taught somewhere. It sickens me!”
A Pastor from Alabama told Kathy that the Lord will not allow him to make an altar call. He told her that the altar is open and the people are free to come to the altar, but he does not call them to the altar.
I never like to make an altar call unless the Lord has shown me that there are specific people he wants to minister to by His Spirit. Often times He gives me that information ahead of time. If there are those in the congregation who need the Lord to do a deep work of healing within them, He will tell the leadership or me, and they will be called out. Sometimes He wants to speak a prophetic word to someone and they will of course be called out. Otherwise the people only need to know that the altar is open, and He is always ready to receive them and minister to them by His Spirit.
Pastors Charged With Stealing Millions from Church
In Fullerton, California two Pastors, a father and his son, have been charged with stealing millions of dollars from both the Congregation and the Church School. Private investigators hired by the Congregation found that roughly three million dollars had been misspent over the last six years. The two Pastors have since returned the money.
The newly elected Pastor of that congregation said that they have given three hundred thousand dollars of the returned money to missionaries in Kenya, Uganda, the Ivory Coast and Mexico.
Clergy to be used to Quell Dissent
For more than a year our government has been quietly training twenty-five thousand clergy to help manage the American people when Martial Law is imposed. Everything is set up and in order for any National Emergency that comes our way so that the President can declare Martial Law. The report said that the clergy will be used because they are already known in the neighborhoods where they will be assigned to help to diffuse the situation at hand. When we are given orders to abandon our homes, turn over our guns, leave our livestock behind, or anything else that might come to his mind, he believes that the people will accept the orders from clergy more readily. The report states that one of the biggest tools the Clergy will use will be the Bible. They are being told to use Romans 13 to encourage the people to submit to the sudden and massive expansion of government control that will take place during Martial Law. Questions are being raised now about the balance clergy will have to maintain when asked to do what the Government wants done as opposed to what God says should be done.
Instead of our Government teaching the people how to prepare for national emergencies, such as black outs, how to seal a room, what to store, how much cash to have on hand etc., they are keeping all information hidden from them and simply preparing ways to control them when anarchy hits our streets.
The Lord has already told me that when the terrorists strike here in America, there will be multiple strikes simultaneously worse than anything we have yet seen. The people will be taken by surprise and be completely overwhelmed. Many lives will be lost!
Many Christians Leaving the Institutional Church
More and more Christians are leaving the institutional Church and seeking fresh ways to gather around the Lord. USA Today recently ran a story that said one in four young people ages 18 through 30 have left the mainline Protestant and Evangelical Churches. A recent Gallup Poll concluded that each year 4,000 new congregations start and 7.000 close. In addition one million people leave the traditional Church each year, most of them young people. Without a doubt we are on the brink of a revolution in the way of Church practice. What George Barna prophesied in his book, “Revolution” is coming to pass.
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Washington, DC – Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace sent the Senate Appropriations Committee in to a tail spin when he said that he believes homosexual acts are immoral and should not be condoned by the Military. He went on to say that the law of the land should not condone activity that is “counter to God’s Law”. General Pace said that he believes that sex should be restricted to married heterosexual couples, and he noted that the US Military Code of Justice prohibits adultery as well as homosexual activity. God Bless this brother for speaking up!
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. – The Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale has been removed from the local tourism board because local officials feel his comments regarding homosexual activity in the area threaten the tourism industry and the billions of dollars it brings in to Broward County. Earlier this summer, Mayor Jim Naugle apologized to parents for not realizing the extent of homosexual sex in public restrooms. He also said that a pro-homosexual library should not be housed in a city building because it included pornography. These comments have now cost the Mayor his seat on the Tourism Development Council. According to the Mayor one in every five homosexual and bisexual men in the city are HIV positive, and the city leads the nation in Aids cases among homosexual men.
California – A marathon legislative session recently resulted in the passage of two companion bills out of the California Legislature that will surely turn the state’s public schools into “social and sexual indoctrination centers”. The two bills will force homosexual education and promotion in schools and monitor against any alleged harassment of homosexuality. They make provision for including positive portrayal of homosexuality, bi-sexuality, transgenderism and all related life styles, practices and actions in to textbooks, instructional material and school sponsored activities. This is for kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Denver, CO – Erica Corder was one of 15 valedictorians in her graduating class given opportunity for 30 second speeches that day. Immediately following the ceremony she was escorted to the assistant principal’s office and told she would not be given her diploma because she had spoken about her faith. The principal then forced her to apologize and write out a statement which he then sent out to the entire student body saying that she had done wrong. Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel said, “Valedictorians have the right to express their religious viewpoints while at graduation, and school officials have absolutely no right to threaten the withholding of a diploma from someone who has already graduated.” Please pray that a spirit of justice be loosed in to this case.
Wisconsin – The Department of Justice in this state has removed religious content from a memorial service for murder victims planned for next week after a watch-dog group complained. A hymn called, “This Too Shall Pass” and a closing prayer by a Lutheran Pastor will not be included in the service. The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation complained that the hymn and the prayer at the state-sponsored event would violate the separation of Church and State which they say is guaranteed in the US Constitution. The Department of Justice agreed with them and ordered the exclusion of both the hymn and the prayer from the service.
The Pentagon – A Pentagon advisor and national defense analyst says it is hypocritical for the Pentagon Inspector General’s office to find four generals guilty of misconduct for endorsing a Christian Ministry, while saying nothing about military officials who tacitly endorse Islam.
Recently a chaplain from the Army Chief of Chaplain’s office appeared as the keynote speaker at a conference of the Islamic Society of North America. In 2006 a deputy secretary of defense and the commandant of the US Marine Corps opened an Islamic Center at Quantico, VA with great fanfare and praise.
Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (US Army-Ret.) says while promoting Islam is apparently just fine, four army generals have been found guilty of using their influence to promote a Pentagon Ministry started by Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Be Still and Know That I AM God!
“Many of My people have not yet learned that being still to know My power is not a state of passive inactivity. It is a time of developing trust levels that will move them to cease from responding to the many tests of daily life with the world’s fragile intelligence and the vain fleshly insecurity of man. Their solutions are only temporal, carnal answers, but My ways and answers, that were put in place before the foundations of the earth, are eternal, with lasting results of peace, power, health, and wealth that are in place to witness to and firmly establish the sureness of My Covenant, saith the Lord.
“I seek and I will accomplish in and with those who allow Me the freedom to work in their lives, to position them and then condition them to come up higher to the new things that I AM ordaining, Kingdom dimensions that can only be experienced by those who have learned how to trust Me, My answers and My plans in every event, test and trial for body, soul and spirit.
“Awaken to My faithfulness, My love, and My power. I cannot fail or forsake those who learn to be still and know that I AM God, and cannot fail or forsake My children, My sons and My daughters. Learn quickly My children, for My time for you is nearer than you can imagine.” A Word from the Lord given through Jim Stone 9/11/07
“Atonement Offerings!”
Jim Bramlett writes: “There is something going on in Christianity that is wrong, wrong, wrong!” He went on to share that Christians are now being told that you NEED TO bring an offering for the Jewish high holy day, “Yom Kippur” or “Day of Atonement” in order to impress the Lord and secure His blessings.
Benny Hinn, Steve Munsey, Paula White, as well as many others, are now pushing Christian “Atonement Offerings!” They promise that if we do bring an offering, we can be assured that God will unleash the seven supernatural “atonement blessings” that are promised in the Book of Joel: “Double Portion, Financial Abundance, Restoration, Miracles, God’s Divine Presence, Blessings upon your family, and Deliverance.” Since the Bible has made it clear that Jesus is the final sacrifice, and that if we believe in Him, HE ALONE is our FINAL ATTONEMENT OFFERING! He died once for all as our permanent atonement offering. We need not bring anything to Him but our willingness to believe, be obedient and accept what He has accomplished on our behalf.
J. Lee Grady has called this “A Subtle Deception!” It truly is an abomination, an offense to the blood of Jesus! Jim said, “May the Lord deliver us from such disgusting, anti-scriptural fund raising practices and bring correction to those who are practicing them.” They have been doing this on both TBN and the Inspirational Network for the past couple of years. Benny Hinn has even been soliciting his by telephone this season. Dear Lord, there is no fear of God in the Body of Messiah at all!
Short Term Missions
Barbara Wittbrodt is still teaching in Korea, but she will be returning home October 7th.
Sarah Mead and her team are in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Let us pray that they be blessed and be a blessing. They will return October 11th.
Tom Burks is in Israel on assignment through Oct.11th. Let us pray that God’s plans and purposes will be accomplished and that Tom will have great favor as he makes his divine connections. Let’s pray for these three for travel mercies as they return this month.
Tim & Lyris Steuber have returned from the Amazon, Leona Grable is back from Guatemala, David Greco has returned from Israel, and Pastor Sadie Connor and her team have returned from Jamaica. All of them called or emailed with such excitement for many souls were saved and they are all thankful for your prayers while they were gone.
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“America, you may have done many things for Me in the past, but this generation has turned away from Me in a greater measure than preceding generations. Your wickedness is a stench in My nostrils! Turn back to Me while it is still day because there is a nightfall coming that you cannot imagine. The choices you have made as a nation have left Me with no choice but to execute judgment upon you. The first fruit of my judgments have already been felt by you. Be warned that the judgments in the night season will impact every area of your nation. Heed the warnings of My prophets before I stop sending them to speak on My behalf. If I stop My prophets from speaking, you will hear My voice from Heaven and it will echo through the nations, and then I will remain silent for a season. The Words of My prophets will be more palatable to you than the words that I will speak over your nation. The remnant that remains will live in a land that will never be the same again.
“America, I have this against you, also. You have divided up the Land of Israel to negotiate peace for your own interests. I determined the borders of Israel! I divided the Land amongst the twelve tribes! You have exalted your wisdom above Mine, deciding that you know better than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. My prophets have spoken directly to the leaders of your nation, but they would not hear them. Your fear of man has exceeded your fear of Me! Your harvest from this act of disobedience leaves Me in a position where I must bring My wrath upon your nation. Heed the voice of your God while it is still day, because I AM fashioning such a disaster to come upon you in the night. Your enemies will rise up against you and I will allow them to prevail. Fall upon your face and weep before Me while you have the freedom to do it.” Word of the Lord came through Lance Bergman, in Launceston, Australia
I’m almost out of space, but I want to at least thank all of you for your prayers and your financial support. Please know that you are all loved and deeply appreciated. Till next time, you can contact me at (912) 265-0019 or email: myrnamiddleton@yahoo.com.