PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

EMPOWERING A GENERATION TO SEIZE THEIR DAY

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

EMPOWERING A GENERATION TO SEIZE THEIR DAY

SE AN SMITH

© Copyright 2004—Sean Smith Ministries

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of

America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short

quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged.

Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified. Scripture quotations are from

the New King James Version of the Bible. Scriptures marked NIV, AMP, KJV, and NAS are taken

from the New International Version, the Amplified Bible, the King James Version, and the New

American Standard Bible respectively. All rights reserved. Please note that Destiny Image's

publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit, and may differ from some Bible publishers' styles.

Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to

acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules.

Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc.

P. O. Box 310

Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310

"Speaking to the Purposes of God for This Generation and for the Generations to Come"

ISBN 0-7684-2335-X

For Worldwide Distribution

Printed in the U.S.A.

3 4 5 6 7 8 / 09 08 07 06

This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, MercyPlace, Fresh Bread, Destiny Image

Fiction, and Treasure House books are available at Christian bookstores and distributors

worldwide.

For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call

1-800-722-6774.

For more information on foreign distributors, call

717-532-3040.

Or reach us on the Internet:

www.destinyimage.com

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my grandmother, Ethel Wynn, who carried the

presence of Jesus when I needed to see a tangible expression. I dedicate

this book to all evangelists, campus pastors, soul winners, and outreach

directors, who give their all every day without much fanfare or

recognition. I also especially dedicate this project to my children—both

biological and spiritual—take it to the next level! Finally, I dedicate this

work to all who have supported us over the years.

5

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many special people who invested in the development of this

project. There are also many whom I would like to thank because without

them I would not have been in a position to tackle this challenging work.

Barb—My wife, soul mate, and my babe; you have been the most

awesome godly wife a man could ever have. Thank you for believing in

me.

Brandon and Brittany—I am so grateful that God has blessed my life

with such a wonderful son and daughter. Thanks for going after God with

all of your hearts. The sky is truly the limit for you guys. Daddy loves you.

Nina Walls—Thanks, Mom, for your model of sacrifice and love,

which helped get me through so much.

Mike and Michelle Kennedy—I'm so taken aback by the countless

hours you have spent transcribing, organizing, and managing our first

book. You guys are incredible! Thanks for your encouragement and

sensitivity.

Frank and Kendra Raya—You are the best in-laws a brother could

have. Thanks so much for believing in our lives and for your consistent

investment in this ministry.

Liberty Savard—Thanks so much for all of your last-minute help; you

were truly God's closer in this project.

My thanks also to these special people:

—Gaylord and Patti Enns, Francisco and Toni Escobedo, Jeff and M.J.

Rostocil, and Darwin and Yolanda Benjamin.

—Sam and Linda Huddleston, Mario Murillo, Donnie and Cindy

Moore, and Pastor Paul and Denise Goulet.

7

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

—Pastor Che and Sue Ahn, Pastor Tommy Barnett, Mike Bickle, and

Napoleon Kaufman.

—Scott Martin, Chi Alpha Ministries, Pastor Ron Eviaz, and Pastor

Ken Hubbard.

—Pastor Bill Bates, Pastor Eugene and Joyce Kraft, and Jim and Jane

Manley.

—Steven and Katherena Higashi, Doug and Crystal Heisel, Pastor Ron

Pinkston, and Stephen and Carol Angove.

Dee Davis—Thanks for your intercession. Also, thanks to all of our

intercessors and Pointblank Partners who love and support us with their

prayers and finances.

Jesus—Most of all, I am indebted and eternally grateful to You, my

Majestic King and Deliverer. I praise You, for You alone are worthy.

Thanks for putting the call of God on my broken life. You rescued me so I

could help rescue others!

8

ENDORSEMENTS

Sean Smith is a man on fire for God, a man with a passion for lost

souls. Sean has a prophetic vision for evangelism. Few today have this

prophetic/evangelistic ministry.

Read Prophetic Evangelism and see what the Spirit is saying to the

Church for these last days. The heartbeat of God is the Great Commission,

which is made clear in Revelation. That is why we must hear the voice of

God, and know what the Bible says about the day we live in and what is

coming to pass on planet earth. All hell is about to break loose, but God

has an awesome plan for those who love Him.

Jim Bakker

Author and Speaker

I have known Sean for many years and see an unusual zeal and

anointing on his life for evangelism. He carries a fire for reaching this

generation. This book, Prophetic Evangelism, combines bridal affections

for Jesus with prophetic power to present Jesus as the Lamb to

unbelievers. This is not a book of evangelism theories, but incarnate truths

that will equip you to seize this generation for eternity. Sean lives out what

he says. This book addresses the reality of giving a supernatural witness of

Christ, as well as gives practical insight. I highly recommend this book!

Mike Bickle

Director of the International House of Prayer

Kansas City, MO

Sean Smith has given the 21st-century Church a radical and much-

needed new perspective on the all-important subject of evangelism. This

powerful handbook is a cutting-edge evangelistic tool for all churches that

are eager to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. I highly recommend both

9

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

the book and the author.

Dennis Cramer

Author and President of Dennis Cramer Ministries

Sean Smith brings a remarkable perspective and fresh insights that will

compel you to reconsider the way you view evangelism. As you journey

through the pages of Prophetic Evangelism, you will be instructed,

equipped, and energized to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission.

This book stands at the top of my list of "must reads."

Marc Estes

Director of Pastoral and Harvest Ministries, City Bible Church

Portland, OR

Author of Jesus Today, Sean Smith is a gifted communicator who has

a passion for God and a passion for the lost. He is a leading thinker and

practitioner when it comes to power evangelism in the 21st century. Sean's

book will inspire and challenge you to be a more effective witness to this

generation. I highly recommend it.

Ken Foreman, Jr.

Senior Pastor, Cathedral of Faith

San Jose, CA

I wholeheartedly recommend Sean Smith's new book, Prophetic

Evangelism. Sean writes from his vast experience of ministry and

relationships nationwide, especially with young adults in the throes of

major cultural change. He has a unique combination of a powerful

prophetic ministry and an incredibly down-to-earth style that engages his

audiences. He is real.

Prophetic Evangelism represents the insights and actions from the

Word that Sean has experienced and learned. Sean is one of the best

communicators I know and a spiritually discerning leader. I have known

Sean for many years as a campus minister and evangelist, and in recent

years as one of our most sought after speakers at our university student

conferences held nationally. Whether speaking or writing, Sean has a

10

ENDORSEMENTS

message every Christian needs to hear.

Dennis Gaylor

National Director, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries USA

Read this book! Sean Smith uniquely addresses a critically urgent need

in the Church today...winning the lost to Jesus Christ. Make no mistake,

his intention is for you to rise up and make a difference now through

spreading the gospel.

Scott Hinkle

President of Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries

and Soulwinners International

Columnist for Charisma Magazine

Sean Smith is one of a small handful of people I know who are

qualified to write such a book. Prophetic Evangelism is more than

something he does; it is who he is. From the insights of Scripture to Sean's

stories of personal experience, the reader is compelled to join this last-

days army to change the course of history with the same tools used by

Jesus.

Bill Johnson

Senior Pastor, Bethel Church

Redding, CA

Author of When Heaven Invades Earth

Sean has not only written an excellent book on prophetic evangelism,

he exemplifies it in his everyday life. It will help you to confound the

enemy.

Napoleon Kaufman

Senior Pastor, The Well Christian Community

Dublin, CA

Former NFL player

Prophetic Evangelism is about the smart bomb of soul winning. This

mighty and long overdue book is not at all what you might think. Anyone

11

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

who wishes to win souls and hopes for America to survive this present

darkness has found their appointed reading.

So what is prophetic evangelism? Perhaps the apostle Peter best

illustrates it, before and after the Day of Pentecost. His final witness

before the death of Jesus consisted of standing by a fire and denying he

knew Jesus with foul language. That is a weak witness! Today, many

leaders salve their conscience by observing thriving mega-churches or the

crowds gathering at events that carry Christian overtones. All that has

really happened is that many small churches have folded into one big full-

service church. The actual Christian population has gone down! We do not

see a core change in the values of Americans. True conversions are rare.

Like the pre-upper room Peter, we have, at best, a weak and unconvincing

witness.

When Peter got on fire, he became the total opposite of the sniveling

disciple he was by the fire. Now he roared with explosive precision and

the people's protection from God departed. The result was quantity and

quality salvations.

There remains an open door for a massive harvest and Prophetic

Evangelism launches you through that door.

Mario Murillo

President of Mario Murillo Ministries

Author of Fresh Fire and Critical Mass

Sean Smith is a young man who, having touched Heaven, is now bent

on sending a sacred fire to earth. His prophetic calling and unique giftings

have taken him to the multitudes of the unchurched, unreached, and

untouched youth of this emerging 21st century in the schools, streets, and

cities. The operation of his life is now squarely targeted on showing God's

love and power to a new generation who has never seen Christ as He

really is. I recommend, without reservation, what God has done and will

do through this young gladiator of the gyms, the gangs, and the ghettos of

both the culture and the Church. He is a new captain in this war for the

souls of those who will help carve out the history of this coming century.

Winkey Pratney

12

ENDORSEMENTS

International Speaker and Author

Sean Smith exemplifies a prophetic ministry of integrity and purpose.

His ability to stir others in a passionate pursuit of God's heart makes him a

special gift to the Body of Christ. I personally recommend this manuscript

and hope that everyone desiring a greater understanding of prophetic

evangelism will read this wonderful book. It is a valuable contribution

from a man whom I consider to be on the cutting edge of revival today.

Larry Randolph

President of Larry Randolph Ministries

Author of User-Friendly Prophecy

Sean Smith is removing the grave clothes from antiquated methods of

evangelism and exposing the glory for God's heart, as it pertains to

evangelism in the 21st-century Church. I believe that this dimension of

evangelism will lead to another Jesus People Movement. There will be no

harvest without prophetic evangelism. This is a "now" word!

Sammy Rodriguez

Founder of Third Day Believer's Network

President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Author of The Third-Day Church

Sean Smith ministered at my Mentoring Conference in Sacramento in

the late 1990s. I've never felt called to be an evangelist, but after hearing

Sean speak twice that day I wanted to go out and evangelize the world!

This dynamic evangelist of God's end-time kingdom message has the

ability to communicate passion more effectively than any other speaker

I've ever heard. Sean's written words manage to ring with the same

radiation of passion and reality that his preached words do. As an author

and editor who is aware of what is happening in the Christian publishing

business today, I can tell you that this is a rare quality. It is a remarkable

platform he ministers from, speaking the truth of God in such a way that

pure radiation emanates out of him with genuine reality! I'm delighted that

God has also enabled Sean to capture truth and then give it out to others in

13

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

a way that demands that the words within this book must be read.

Rev. Liberty Savard

President of Liberty Savard Ministries

Sacramento, CA

Author of Shattering Your Strongholds

Sean Smith is part of a new breed of dynamic young prophets and

evangelists that God is raising up in this generation. His writings are fresh

and alive with both revelation and experience. You will be equally edified

and challenged. I have known this man of God for several years and have

seen him to be a man of integrity and passion. I trust, as you read, that you

will catch both!

Wendell Smith

Senior Pastor, The City Church

Kirkland, WA

Author of Great Faith

Of the key ingredients in Master's Commission, evangelism tops the

list. Of the top voices speaking to Master's Commission, Sean Smith tops

the list. The teachings of Sean Smith on evangelism will be read by many

disciples. I believe Prophetic Evangelism is the final evolution of

evangelism for the endtimes.

Lloyd Zeigler

Master's Commission International Director

14

CONTENTS

Endorsements..................................................................................... ..........9

Foreword—Pastor Tommy Barnett............................................................ 17

Foreword—Pastor Che Ahn................................................................... ....19

Prologue—Ezekiel Speaks.................................................................. .......21

Chapter 1 Out of the Box............................................................. ..............27

Chapter 2 Crazy Love............................................................... .................45

Chapter 3 When Prophecy Meets Evangelism.......................................... .61

Chapter 4 Faith for an End-Time Awakening........................................... .83

Chapter 5 Heartbroken for Humanity................................... .....................99

Chapter 6 Coming Out With the Big Guns.................................... ..........117

Chapter 7 Turning Hearts With the Elijah Anointing................... ...........135

Chapter 8 The Tongue of the Learned and the Awakened Ear........ ........147

Chapter 9 Manifest the Mystery................................... ...........................165

Chapter 10 Prophetic Evangelism Activated!................................... .......181

Chapter 11 Spiritual Authority and the Dunamis Lifestyle. ....................199

Chapter 12 The Jesus Style........................................................ ..............217

Epilogue—The Art of Giving Evangelistic Appeals.......... .....................233

FOREWORD—PASTOR TOMMY BARNETT

One of my burdens for the Body of Christ today has to do with

personal evangelism—what I affectionately refer to as "soul winning."

The tragic aspect is that most believers never experience the privilege and

the joy of leading someone to the Lord. Some have said that less than 6

percent of those who call themselves Christians have ever led someone to

the Lord. Interestingly enough, of those who do, the large majority do so

in the early days of their Christian walk when their initial enthusiasm

about the discovery of Christ ignites a fire in others.

I do not believe this is due to unwillingness—everyone wants to see

people get saved—but due to a lack of equipping.

That's why I am so excited about this book. My friend, Sean Smith,

has taken the mystery out of witnessing to people, and he makes the

spiritual practical. This is an easy-to-understand yet profound exploration

of a Holy Spirit-led, relevant means of seeing more souls won to Christ.

Sean's infectious passion pours through this thorough explanation of how

God wants to move through His people, to call people out of darkness and

into His marvelous light.

Today, people are hungry for an authentic Christianity, evidenced by

the power of God, and walked out in daily living. Whether it's the

boardroom, the back room, or the back alley, a fitting word from Heaven,

at the appropriate time, delivered in love, sets people free from their

mistaken notions of Christianity. It introduces them to a consuming and

fulfilling relationship.

If anyone wants to be more effective in utilizing what God calls the

"power to be a witness," they must read this book. If anyone puts into

practice the principles so wonderfully described herein, and will risk the

obedience necessary, they will seize incredible opportunities.

17

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Additionally, God will make you aware of how to see the Holy Spirit

supernaturally change lives forever. Get ready to embark on a journey that

will lead you to joy and fruitfulness for the rest of your life!

Tommy Barnett

Senior Pastor, Phoenix First Assembly of God

Phoenix, AZ

18

FOREWORD—PASTOR CHE AHN

It was March 1973 and my best friend had bought me a ticket to the

Deep Purple concert. Deep Purple was a very heavy metal, rock and roll

group from England, who was going to hold a concert at the Baltimore

Civic Center. We had the best seats in the house, third row from the center

of the stage. During the intermission, my friends walked around while I

stayed back to save the seats. During this break, I was having a debate in

my mind with God.

Two weeks earlier I had cried out to God to reveal Himself to me and

He did through a revelation of His love for me. For three days I could not

stop weeping. I also couldn't stop doing drugs. I was a drug addict and a

drug pusher. Even though God had revealed His love to me, I really didn't

want to give up my partying lifestyle. I figured since God is a God of love,

I could still do drugs as long as I didn't sell them.

As soon as I came to this smug conclusion, two guys 1 had never met

before came and sat down next to me. I thought that they were trying to

move to a better seat during the intermission. I was going to say that the

seats were taken, but before I could get a word out, the person closest to

me said, "I know what you're thinking. You think that you can party and

still be right with God. But you are still far from Him."

With those words he and his friend got up and left. Needless to say I

was freaked out! The conviction of God hit me so hard; I cried out to God

right then and there and asked Him to show me what to do. I heard a still

small voice say, "Throw away your drugs, leave this concert, and follow

Me." And that is exactly what I did, and I have been following Jesus ever

since.

The purpose of this testimony is to say that I was converted through

prophetic evangelism. Some Christians who were at the concert to

19

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

evangelize had "read my mail" by the Spirit of God. And as a result, I

made a decision to totally follow Jesus.

Jesus said, in John 4:35, "The harvest is ripe." People now are more

open to know about Jesus than ever before. Although I believe in all

different types of evangelism, prophetic evangelism is so powerful

because it cuts through the deception of sin and reveals a supernatural,

personal God.

Sean Smith writes an outstanding book on prophetic evangelism that is

not only inspirational, with all of the wonderful testimonies, but it is also a

book that will equip and activate you to move in prophetic evangelism. I

have many books on evangelism but I know of no other book like this one.

I have personally known Sean Smith for many years now; he is the

real deal. He practices what he preaches. He is an Ephesians 4:11

evangelist who eats, breathes, and sleeps evangelism as a lifestyle. Your

life will never be the same as you read this book. Let the adventure begin.

Che Ahn

Senior Pastor, Harvest Rock Church

Pasadena, CA

Founder and President of Harvest International Ministries

20

PROLOGUE—EZEKIEL SPEAKS

To live at a time when God turns a new page in the heavenlies, in a

nation, or in a person, is a powerful blessing and realization. Today,

everywhere you turn people are sensing spiritual, sociological, and

ideological transitions. We are in a hallway of human history preparing to

enter the threshold of a new epoch.

I believe that you are ready to break out into a larger and more

significant future. We are each called to something that legitimizes the

time and space we've occupied while riding this fallen planet. Often God

inspires in us a "holy restlessness" while stirring deep yearnings to be a

part of the mighty work He is about to do. You and I have been positioned

to witness something incredible, or more accurately, to become a witness

of a "God thing.”

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel is placed in an eerily similar

situation. He is positioned to view a valley of dry bones. Then God caused

Ezekiel to pass by them in an intimate dynamic. His up-close, "I-see-

dead-people" experience was ordained by God. This was about

engagement. Ezekiel had to dive into this world and "swim" beneath the

surface. God's design is to involve redeemed humanity in speaking life

into deadness.

I've spent the better part of two decades observing and reaching out to

college campuses, inner cities, and the well-to-do. My conclusions are

varied, yet substantial. At times it can seem hopeless and unrealistic to

reach any of these groups.

In Ezekiel's case, God asks him a question. This question was meant to

cause Ezekiel to probe deeper into this dilemma. (Good questions work on

us; we don't work on them. They become a doorway into a greater

realization of something.)

21

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Why would the Lord insist that Ezekiel get up close to see the

disconnected bones? The "bare bone" facts were that they were many, and

they were very dry.

I believe God's intention was to impress upon Ezekiel the full extent of

the problem so that he could appreciate the full extent of the answer.

Ezekiel stared at the impossible and the improbable. This discovery

did two things: (1) It caused Ezekiel to know that it wasn't about his

sophisticated approach, compelling persuasiveness, or human

methodology, and (2) it caused Ezekiel to become a divine agent for

"dead" humanity. Ezekiel's response to God's question was "only You can

answer that one."

Only God can answer the heartfelt sinister stalemate of the radically

unchurched, the neo-atheist, or your lost relative. Ezekiel was told to

prophesy toward that which seemingly could not hear, yet God caused

them to become what was spoken. That valley went from a "to the bone"

death camp to a vast vibrant army.

Prophetic evangelism is an important truth. It says: "Our deeper

purpose will only find expression when we transform the culture and the

institutions that we've inherited by the unique direction of the Holy Spirit."

Prophetic Evangelism takes you on a journey of insight and discovery that

communicates that there is a quality of experience waiting for you that

will trigger a quantity of results. God wants you to be touched with a

prophetic flow that will transform you and touch the unsaved.

The vast majority of Christians I know desire greater effectiveness and

fruitfulness, yet they are in the dark as to how to accomplish it. Former

efforts to share Jesus with others have produced little fruit and have even

seemed counterproductive. Many of the formulas and methods we've used

seem cold, rigid, and mechanical.

In the Spirit, I sense a barometric rise pointing to the release of a "new

wind" of spiritual influence that will encourage a generation of harvesters

to go public with their testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. This new model

of spiritual influence is based on John 5:19-20, which portrays a certain

dynamic: "Then Jesus answered and said to them. 'Most assuredly, I say to

22

PROLOGUE—EZEKIEL SPEAKS

you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do;

for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.'" It is joining in

on what the Father is already doing and picking up what the Spirit is

emphasizing.

Although the miracle of the bones could only be affected by the divine

power, God desired the prophetic utterance of a human vessel. As Ezekiel

prophesied to the bones, supernatural breath came into them. This breath

brought life and mobilized them. This is what the gospel proclamation is

all about—speaking life into those who are without life. This scene gives

us a picture of prophetic evangelism and the impact that awaits a new

breed of Spirit-led harvesting.

North America has seen two great awakenings in its history. In both

time periods the spiritual landscape, which preceded each move of God,

was dark, bleak, and unpromising. In each great awakening, God raised up

Ezekiels—His mouthpieces to call the dead to life and prophesy a

redemptive wind into being. I am convinced that there will be a third great

awakening that will see a staggering number of souls come into the

kingdom!

One thing is for sure: We must step into what Ezekiel stepped into—

the critical arena of human need—armed with an obedient heart and the

life-giving Word of the Lord.

This book is written for several reasons. First, I want to impress that

the prophetic proclamation of the gospel is the only hope for delivering a

fallen planet to Christ. You and I have been given the Spirit of God, the

Word of God, and His heart to be effective in reaching the lost. This book

will prayerfully grip your heart and conscience with a fresh faith and

burden to harvest.

Second, I want to submit some unique insights and effective means

that you can use to reach hearts and proclaim the gospel in modern culture.

Although I'm not advocating a programmatic approach to evangelism,

there are some definite principles that are shared along the way. Being led

of the Spirit defies mere methodology, yet there are some practical

methods that are essential.

23

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Third, I'm advocating a new synergistic blending of God's giftings—

prophecy and evangelism—to break through modern resistances and the

demonic walls that have been erected.

The chapters in this book are designed to cultivate a new hunger for

the God-dimension to be released through you with miraculous

manifestations to present the kingdom. Jesus said, "This gospel of the

kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations,

and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14). This "gospel of the kingdom"

requires a specific yielding on the part of the believer to play a significant

role in human history and God's ultimate purposes. So join in the

adventure.

A PROPHETIC IMPRESSION

I strongly sense a burden from the Lord for my nation in this time. I

sense the Lord instructing believers to rise up in this hour. Events have

transpired on a national scene that should have awakened a deeper

sensibility within us towards God's eternal desire to gather in His harvest.

Even in this time, we have a window of opportunity where the "Captain of

our salvation" has gone before us to prepare hearts. The harvest is ripe and

ready to be gathered now before that opportunity passes.

The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the

opportunity. This window has a time constraint where negligence on our

part would be disastrous to the destinies of multitudes. If this opportunity

is not seized, we must live with the consequences of our inactivity, or with

the fruit of our disobedience. God is patient toward us, not willing for any

to perish, but for the grace of repentance to be received by the multitudes.

You and I must take our turn in history and fulfill our call to be reapers

and weepers, seeing someone's eternal address change forever.

This is an hour when God will give nations to those who will rise up

and speak what the Spirit is saying, and not be afraid to get their hands

dirty. Positioning and petitioning will be the key to unlocking the hearts of

a generation in this last hour.

With each chapter, you will acquire the tools that are necessary to

24

PROLOGUE—EZEKIEL SPEAKS

fulfill your assignment. You will be empowered to take action!

25

CHAPTER 1

OUT OF THE BOX

1

I CAN REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME that I stood on an Olympic-height

diving board before what seemed like an ocean and a watery grave.

Considering the fact that I didn't like heights, could only do the "dog

paddle," and that it was my first time on a serious diving board, I froze and

didn't want to go down. I remained where I was, pretending like I was still

considering the jump. With jeers of complaints coming from those on the

ladder behind me, I was stuck.

In some ways this is a depiction of the modern-day Church. We seem

frozen over the pool waters of modern culture. We appear to be afraid of

leaving the safety of the edge of our platforms to engage and spring into

the mainstream of society, the exact flow that God has uniquely positioned

for us to move into. You and I happen to have been born at an "edge" in

history, where we see the ending of one epoch and the turned page of

another. Right now, some people are wishing that they could go back in

the line, but this transition zone will not be kind to that mentality.

Meanwhile, there are many others behind us in line on the diving

board ready to jump into the human pool of felt needs and spiritual thirsts

for wrong motives and causes. The choice is either to jump on our

opportunity or go back to the end of the line and risk missing our turn in

human history.

When you're not jumping on your turn, people are witnessing your

vacillation and vegetation. Sometimes it's not the criticism or apparent

failure that hurts you, but the feeling that you are not taken seriously and

27

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

do not belong.

MAKING HISTORY OR BECOMING HISTORY

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, "But if the salt loses its flavor...it is then

good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

The phrase "losing its flavor" has the literal meaning of making them

passive, or making them foolish. The original also implies that the

consequence of not having impact is that our brand of Christianity will be

treated with insulting neglect. The gifting God has bestowed upon us will

either be disciplined or dissipated.

The modern-day "trampling" is highly chronicled. There have been

massive attempts to take Christian concepts and faith off the cultural wall

of human consciousness. You can't officially pray in schools or at college

graduations. You can't have the Ten Commandments on government

property or public property. Despite the alarming nature of such

prohibitions, the most frightening aspect of all is that you and I might

remain standing at the edge of the platform and never dive into our

destiny! Failure to launch and engage will only make us accomplices to

the crime of our generation.

As it turned out, I jumped—albeit somewhat awkwardly—but I

jumped! I was never the same after the impact...and I have a feeling that

you won't be either.

SURVIVAL OF THE FASTEST

Most of us feel, at least on occasion, that we are losing control. The

rate of change today is unprecedented and we look somewhat unprepared

for this change curve we're currently riding. In the fast-paced life of

postmodern culture everything takes place in a New York City taxicab

moment. It is like "survival of the fastest" or something.

We live in an "anything can happen and probably will" world. We're a

culture heading somewhere we are not sure of, at breakneck speed. The

unthinkable has become the acceptable; recycled opinions are passed as

original thinking; and people settle for what is, rather than fighting for

28

OUT OF THE BOX

what could be. There are current cultural shifts, which means that our

ministry must shift as well. To be effective in soul winning, one must be

open to change.

People love progress. Technology is changing; medical fields are

changing; people are thinking differently. Environments void of change or

transformations are eventually void of vitality. It has been said,

"Leadership is the ability to turn on a dime in a new direction." We need

to drop the dime soon.

LIFE IN A BOX

An American illusionist/magician spent 44 days in a clear glass box (7

x 7 x 3 feet) suspended over London's Thames River. He left the box

disheveled and sobbing: "This has been the most important day of my

life." This revelation could be more important than you initially realize.

His release from the box is an illustration for the Body of Christ. This

chapter is about identifying and taking apart barriers—worn out models of

evangelism.

In our world today, too many fear stepping out into a new opportunity

more than they fear missing out on a new opportunity. The longer you

tolerate something, the longer it dictates your experience.

It is known that you will never change your belief system until you

acknowledge that it is the reason for your present situations. In order to

change, one has to abandon all confining safety zones.

Life is not about staying in the safe places. Even Peter stepped out of

the boat, despite the fact that the other disciples stayed on board. Peter

found the motivation to step out and meet with the Author of life. We need

to rediscover our cause, which releases forward momentum. Like Erwin

McManus says, "The real tragedy is not that churches are dying but that

churches have lost their reason to live!" We need to dial back into our

cause again. A cause is what differentiates a hero from a lunatic.

ESCAPING THE LAND OF IRRELEVANCY

Darkness wants to keep us contained in the land of irrelevancy where

29

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

we're busy doing what doesn't work, where it doesn't matter anyway.

Diminished results and ever increasing pressures to produce have become

the order of the day. How do you measure a healthy Christian meeting or a

successful church? It has to go beyond the weekly body count or how

many attended our last conference. These have their place, but must not

unseat the dynamic of reaching the unchurched.

For decades the Church was where people looked for spiritual truth

and answers to life and morality. Now we are experiencing a rude

awakening where the Church is facing everything from jaded indifference

to open hostility that our culture now demonstrates. We have to make the

shift from just accommodating weekly Christian programs to empowering

an army of believers to take their place and harvest in mainstream society.

The chief goal of this hour must be to produce Christians who are not

living for the next thrill, but are looking to take the next piece of enemy

territory!

A NEWLY DEFINED FOLLOWER

Writer Michael Simpson is right when he said, "I believe that Christ

being less attractive...is a by-product of a diluted Christianity." We must

watch and rethink some of the Christian labels we use until we recognize a

person's preconceived notion about Christianity. No doubt, certain terms

have become more toxic than redemptive to our postmodern culture. My

friend, Mike Bickle, says, "God is going to change the understanding and

expression of Christianity in one generation." This statement is profound

in that it includes change in both the way Christianity is going to be lived

and the way it is going to be perceived.

An awakening will result when a new breed of standard bearers rise up

and redefine "normal."

We are eyeing a cycle of unraveling amongst this generation. With the

sanctity of human life and basic sanity going out the window, we are

seeing a downsizing of virtue and a dumbing down of "tolerance." There

is now a bullying from political correctness and an unmerciful dictatorial

culture we've seen emerge. The entire world is reeling under political,

economic, and ecological crisis. Yet, the one crisis that will bring the most

30

OUT OF THE BOX

widespread devastation is the spiritual crisis. This is a time of great

spiritual intensity.

In seasons of unraveling you have to want increase and enlargement

enough to undergo the change required to acquire it. To be out of the box

is to break through the barriers to change.

I believe that you and I can no longer postpone, avoid, or resist change

because staying the same will hurt us more than the cost of conducting our

lives differently. We must change to prevent the dreaded alternative:

culture and endtimes happening to us, instead of us happening to our end-

time culture.

"Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing,

and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the

children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says

the Lord (Isaiah 54:1).

God has the power to change your current circumstances. You may be

barren now. You may not be productive now, but wait just a minute. With

the power of the Holy Ghost, your life could break wide open!

Some seasons are seemingly filled with desolation, but take comfort in

knowing that every season has a time frame and a divine seed. There's

more available to us in the heavenlies than what we've currently

apprehended. God is alerting you and I to raise our expectancy. Our

expectancy will become our spiritual currency to allow transactions with

Heaven. Be a risk-taker, not an undertaker.

I'm convinced that Jesus Christ died for you and I to be able to

experience far more than what we've experienced thus far in life. We can

become so much more than whatever it is we've currently become.

CONFINEMENT

I believe it's time for you and I (and the Body of Christ) to take the lid

off our vessel and let the treasure out. Satan works overtime to keep us in

the box and the confinement issue is one of satan's most powerful and

effective strategies. He is satisfied to keep you confined; to keep you

where you are at, and to prevent you from going where God wants to take

31

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

you.

The Definition of Confinement:

1. Something that encloses, as borders or walls,

2. Something that restrains or holds back from movement, and

3. Something that places limits.

The opposite of confinement is movement. The early Church "moved."

In moving, something or someone must be left behind. The enemy's

confinement has been successful because it's subtle.

A confined believer loses victory. Confined Christians are actually a

contradiction to their message: "Come to Christ; He'll set you free," when

everyone can see they are trapped in boxes themselves.

Victory Is Defined As:

1. The overcoming of an enemy,

2. The achievement of mastery or success in struggle, or

3. An endeavor against odds or difficulties.

When we fail to contend with those things that hold us back, we also

fail to develop "mastery" in areas that God desires to grow us in. We can't

fight all our battles from the view of the pew. At some point we've got to

go to the enemy's camp.

The overcomer in you rises up when you step out of your comfort

zone. You must not abort or miscarry what the Holy Spirit desires to birth

in you.

A confined believer loses value. They have perhaps developed an

over-infatuation with what God once accomplished in their past. When I

say "over-infatuation," I mean they are so enamored by that past thing,

they're not growing up in the Lord to be able to cross the line satan has

drawn in the sand.

When we choose to fight, to expand, we increase the "property value"

of our faith. What you battle for becomes more prized in your eyes; as it is

32

OUT OF THE BOX

more prized by you, it will also be valued more by those who are watching

you as well. No one takes a severely limited recluse seriously; the

currency of their philosophy bottoms out and they become a contradiction

to their message.

A confined church loses validity. It has nothing to say to mainstream

society or the community. It revolves in its programs, events, and weekly

service structure, virtually ignoring the unsaved outside its doors. A

confined church is an expiring church, instead of an explosive church.

Validity speaks of being at once relevant and meaningful. These are two

terms that must make a comeback in modern Christianity.

Satan wants to get us "cocooning" instead of breaking his grip upon

this generation. The second greatest punishment (after death) a prisoner

can have, is solitary confinement, being shut off from the world around

them. It doesn't matter if you have the pictures of the last supper or crosses

on the wall—you are still alone. After a while, people in solitary

confinement get drowsy and phase out mentally; their awareness becomes

incapacitated.

Your enemy wants to subdue your awareness and release a slumbering

spirit. In this state he can sell you on giving in to a comfortable life

thereby causing a corpse-like complacency. You will always avoid the

challenges of breaking out of the box into the maximum life that Jesus

died to get you into.

The phrase "out of the box" simply means that someone or something

has broken out from its barriers. It also means that someone has outgrown

their history and has gone beyond their limitations.

ORIGINAL PACKAGING

Contemporary marketing and packaging has one problem: Almost

everything you buy is so tightly fitted into its package that once you take it

out, you can't get it back in! Have you ever been standing in WalMart and

opened a new package of T-shirts just to check the size for your child? We

all know that as soon as it bursts out of that little plastic wrapper you're in

trouble if you try to fold it up and put it back in to look any good.

33

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

There's a spiritual principle here. Once you bust out of where you've

been confined, it is impossible to get you to conform back to your original

dimension. And guess what? Satan knows it, and it's time for you and I to

know it. He's afraid that you and I are going to bust out and never go back

to the way we were.

Making Bones About Comfort Zones

Many believers allow themselves to stay in comfort zones, but the

anointing comes to people who are willing to step out of their comfort

zone. The fruit comes when the boundaries are crossed because that's

where the anointing for growth lives.

We mistakenly think that the perimeter of our comfort zones protect us

from hurt or fear. But that area is not about protection; it is really a

demonic wall of confinement like the bars of a jail cell keeping us inside.

Sometimes we allow confinement. We talk about what the devil has taken

away from us, but more often than not, it's what we have given away.

Author Rick Richardson says, "When we start to make witnessing a

passion and a priority we run into a major barrier: our 'boxes,' mental

models of evangelism that keep us from pouring our passion into new

ways of witnessing."

HOW TO GET OUT OF THE BOX

1. Collaborate with the Creator—The first step to getting out of the

box is to fellowship with the God of the breakthrough. The apostle Paul

got alone with God for his initial revelation that broke "Pharisaism" off of

him. The Holy Spirit will charge you with fresh vision and boldness. God

can replace the "is" with the "can be."

2. Let go of defensiveness—We have to yield to the newness that God

releases in our spirits. We can't fight this divine process with comfort zone

rationalizations. Once we let go, He lets go. T.D. Jakes, a great pastor and

author, once said, "Only those who are willing to be stretched beyond the

ordinary toward the extraordinary achieve their dreams."

3. Tackle the monster (traditions of man)—There are many human

34

OUT OF THE BOX

traditions that are not based on eternal principles. We must break the

pattern that ties us to man-made mechanisms that get in the way of God's

spontaneous illumination. Tackling this monster ensures that nothing will

nullify the Word of God.

4. Seize the day—Realize that transitions can test our resolve. The

will to change must be strong. Our will is like a muscle that strengthens

with use. God will place resiliency and grace in our hearts.

5. Forever be a Student—Never marry a form or method again. The

ability to keep a learning posture will be key to the prophetic evangelist.

We must keep Jesus' yoke of discipleship upon us for life. A major

mistake is to conclude that everything one knows at the moment is all that

there is to know about a particular subject.

STRETCH OUT

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains

of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen

your stakes (Isaiah 54:2).

We tend to want to enlarge, but we don't want to be stretched. You

can't grow or expand without being stretched. Flexibility and the capacity

to extend and amplify will be the prized commodity in the new

millennium.

The greatest blessing God can entrust you with is when He can put you

into a position where He can stretch you! If you feel that you're in over

your head, you're in a God zone. God is going to get you in over your head

to get a resource into you that is over your head.

The moment you get over your head, don't worry—don't get shook up,

just look up, because God is about to come through!

It's like the butterfly that struggles and struggles, finally breaking out

of his cocoon; God wants us to fight and break out of the perimeters of our

boxes. It is at this point that we can go from crawling to soaring. He wants

us to wrestle a little bit. He wants us to get in a place of prayer. Fight the

enemy by speaking the Word, "Greater is He who is in me than he who is

35

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

in the world"! Break free from your limitations! Break out of your

religious thinking! Break free from your history! The enemy wants to use

things that you're currently going through to bring confinement. You must

remember that the ceiling you're up against today will be the floor you're

going to stand on tomorrow.

RADICAL RECALIBRATION

What we need is a radical recalibration—a divine, precise adjustment

for the particular function of impacting our generation for Christ. Real

spirituality is birthed out of being current with the "now" move of God.

Holy realignments will be necessary from time to time. Responding with

shallow cosmetic changes will not only cause a loss of influence, but will

become an attitudinal concession across the board.

A serious condition calls for a serious remedy; a new world calls for a

new Church. Meaningful change is never a walk in the park. Sometimes

reality can cause you to hit the ground face down, but to take the ostrich

approach can make you an accessory to the crime.

Radical recalibration is what Peter did after fishing all night and

coming back empty-handed (see Luke 5:1-6). Picture the frustration

etched on Peter's face and the stress of falling behind in his business

quota. Then Jesus told Peter to go out deeper and drop his nets again.

Peter probably pulled a muscle in his brain trying to justify this

command. Sometimes your brain can be your biggest enemy. Peter knew

the tendencies of fish and the normal patterns in the art of fishing, yet he

knew he had to recalibrate to the mechanism of the wisdom of the Spirit.

His response was classic as he said, "Nevertheless, at Your word, I will let

down the net." The phrase "at Your word" represents a radical

recalibration, one that we must all make to partake of the great catch of the

endtimes. I'm sure from that point on Peter learned to live by divine inside

information.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, demonstrated this principle when she

encountered the messenger of the Lord. The angel said something was

going to happen to her that was really outside her box! For that matter, it

36

OUT OF THE BOX

was outside the box of historical precedence and the biological laws of

reproduction. The angel told of her forthcoming supernatural pregnancy

and her birthing of the Savior. She was a teenager and engaged to Joseph,

who could have chosen not to be so understanding, yet she made the

radical recalibration. She boldly, yet submissively, stated, "Let it be done

according to Your word."

It would have been immediately and historically ruinous for either of

them to fail to recalibrate. George Barna says, "I've concluded that within

the next few years, America will experience one of two outcomes: either

massive spiritual revival or total moral anarchy." The outcome will be

contingent upon whether we radically recalibrate or radically recede.

Our challenge will be to get extravagantly in sync with God. I believe

God is going to reshape His Church in glory and influence by bringing a

radical recalibration to you and me. Before anyone or anything changes

there must first be a high sense of urgency established. A visible crisis

seems to do the trick, which is the way Jesus wants us to perceive our

world.

The other pivotal ingredient is vision. Vision always plays a key role

in aligning and inspiring actions in the human heart. The hallway to

spiritual outbreak is divine desperation. Whatever it takes, you and I must

become desperate. When desperation takes its place in our hearts, we no

longer permit obstacles to block us.

THE GENESIS OF DESPERATION

If you look at many of the patriarchs of the Bible, many of their wives

were barren. It's interesting to note that as they took steps of faith, the

barrenness was broken. Hannah, in First Samuel chapter 1, was barren.

The Lord had literally shut her womb.

The Old Testament was written to provide examples for us; there is

something behind the obvious to be grasped by the hungry. Hannah's rival,

Peninah, severely provoked her. She was a baby-making machine.

Elkanah had two wives and Peninah was the one who was making him a

daddy over and over again.

37

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

I'm convinced God used Peninah's heightened fertility to draw

something out of Hannah. This provocation becomes God's signature

move to detonate desire inside of His vessels. I believe that we are seeing

events happen in our nation to purposely provoke you and me as believers.

It's almost as if the Lord intends that these things around us should

provoke us into greater fruitfulness.

Through the provocation of someone else being fruitful, something

else was being birthed in Hannah. She didn't quit and throw in the towel;

she was being provoked to a place of intercession. She began to cry out to

God by spending time at the temple becoming intimate with God. He was

breaking the barrenness in her through her intimacy with the Holy Spirit,

her intimacy in prayer. We all know the story: Hannah birthed one of the

greatest of the prophets, Samuel, of whom it was said, "None of his words

fell to the ground." Bottom line: if there is no desperation, then there will

be no covenant, no intimacy, no fruit, and no relief from barrenness.

SPIRITUAL BARRENNESS

Years ago when I got saved, God birthed in me a desire to witness.

This hunger developed into desperation to help change people's eternal

address. The birthing of this dynamic in my life saved me from a nominal

Christian existence with watered-down desires. We would be making a

serious mistake if we were content with the growth we had already

attained and had little ambition to reach the lost.

You possess what a fallen world desperately lacks. You can go beyond

the familiar; you can defy the boundaries. You can go beyond what you've

always been accustomed to doing; you can go beyond your groove. God

made you to make a difference in your world, your marketplace, and your

social networks. Draw on the resurrected One, who lives inside of you. I

believe God is waking up the Church. It is a matter of a sleeping giant

arising to the place of a greater impact in the nation that we live. We're

going to go from hibernation to every nation. God is doing great things,

and He is inviting us to be a part of it!

A GENERATION BIRTHED RIGHT

38

OUT OF THE BOX

Hannah had to give birth to the prophet Samuel. He was the one to

bring a new order, reforming the temple protocol from corruption to

correction. Eli was becoming dull (see 1 Sam. 3:3). The lamp of God was

flickering low and about to go out, but it didn't disturb him (yes, it was

still burning, but things were not as they should be). We need God to bring

on a new generation of Samuels—a generation that is prophetically keen

and speaks words that pierce the armor of a hardened culture. Every

generation is a step toward the fulfillment of God's eternal purposes. No

matter what generation you were born in, you've been told you're in the

problem generation. You are not a problem; you are another prophetic

installment in the purposes of God.

One thing that I know for sure is that the immediate destiny of the

nations can be found in the spiritual treasure chest of a new convert from

this present generation. As the modern Church, we must align ourselves

with God's purposes so that the spiritual babies born on our watch are

birthed right and are raised up in a spiritually healthy environment.

Every generation presents the Church with a fresh, redemptive

challenge. The methods of getting the gospel out changes, but the message

never changes. Jesus' approach was different from person to person. He

talked in terms that people could relate to. The methods from the past may

not be effective today, but we must not fail to preach this timeless

message, unchanged, in changing times. This matchless message is tied

into a historic release of the glory of God in the earth. God will honor His

promise to cover the earth with the knowledge of His glory. There's going

to come a place in time where God is going to exalt the glory of the Lord

on His people. It's going to be attractive. There's an evangelistic spirit of

attraction that will happen before you even say anything.

REFUSING TO BE BOUGHT OFF

The story of Hannah perfectly illustrates a principle for the Christian

who wants to break out of barrenness. Elkanah made two distinct attempts

to appease his wife who was reproductively blocked. He gave her more

blessings and said to her, "Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

The turning point for her becoming a mom and seeing the prophet

39

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Samuel's birth was found in a two-step resolve that she had made. First of

all, she refused to settle for less or capitulate to "double portion" gifts that

could have taken the edge off of her desire to break barrenness. The first

attempt of buying off Hannah's resolve with "more blessings" represents

the trap of the temptation of wanting God's gifts more than you see the

need to plant God's gift of life in a lost person's heart. It is so easy to get

caught up in distractions, or things that are blessings in their proper

context, but can disconnect you from holy desperation to birth souls into

the kingdom. Hannah broke through barrenness by not succumbing to the

"bless me club" diversion.

The next trap was more challenging because it seemed more rational.

The "Am I not better to you than ten sons?" proposition. This is reflected

when Christians release themselves from the Great Commission because

they "gave more in the offering this week" or "I'm going on a week of

missions next summer" or "I'm in a Wednesday night discipleship group."

All of these things are great, but you must not allow them to remove your

urgency for souls. Hannah took these overtures from Elkanah in stride and

remained in a place of desperation. Today, God is raising up a prophetic

postmodern harvester who will not sell out to cultural or religious

acquisitions or accomplishments short of advancing the kingdom of God

in the hearts of humanity.

Desperation is so crucial to breaking out. Military oppressors and

tyrants have found that once people get totally desperate, there is no

maintaining their captivity, once this dynamic is in place.

Desperation has four stages:

1. Awareness

The first stage of desperation is where you first realize that something

is missing. This stage hardly ever moves anyone to real action or change.

Many people are aware of things that need fixing or alleviating. The

problem with this stage is that it is not uncomfortable enough to get you to

do anything differently. We must be convinced at a much deeper level that

something needs to change. This stage is important because until this

deficit comes to our attention, we can't do anything about it.

40

OUT OF THE BOX

2. Embarrassment

The second stage of desperation is where we actually register a slight

negative feeling about our deficit, but only at times. Usually it is only

when we are concerned about our reputations around particular people, or

when this feeling stings us in certain situations from time to time. The

shame levels don't rise up high enough or often enough to produce the

drive to do whatever it takes to change. This mentality is needed to

negotiate the friction to turn things around.

3. Frustration

The third stage of desperation is where a nagging and foreboding sense

rides you fairly consistently. Even without others highlighting our lack, we

feel the pain—even if it is still somewhat bearable. This is the part where

an intense distressing begins to grow in us. Many people rounding the last

corner to permanent change or growth get here and stop without crossing

the goal line. A.W. Tozer once said, "If you feel that where you are at is

where you ought to be, you will remain where you are at." The next stage

is the most crucial step in the entire process.

4. Intolerability

The final stage of desperation is the ultimate catalyst and the point of

no return. This is where urgency and inner gravity releases momentous

change. Desperation finally stamps within an individual a power and

purpose that refuses to be denied. We need to recover this important level

of conviction called desperation.

Hannah went to this level of desperation when she wept, prayed, and

fasted before the temple continuously, culminating in a vow before the

Lord. Desperation, as seen in Hannah, releases fresh intimacy, inspiration,

and much needed impact. Great spiritual movements and revivals have

been embarked upon because a core got to this point. I feel that the time

we live in dictates that we must get intolerably desperate to become used

by God.

You must realize that change will not occur unless a high enough

sense of urgency is established. As long as your complacency level is high

you won't produce or achieve your objectives. Without desperation, people

41

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

won't give the extra effort that is essential to change; they won't make the

needed sacrifices. They will cling to the status quo. One of the greatest

gifts that God can release over a believer or nation is divine desperation. It

becomes the impetus for dramatic metamorphosis.

A TIME FOR COVENANT

The final component that was integral to Hannah's breaking barrenness

was the covenant she made with God. In First Samuel 1, Hannah made a

covenant with the Lord that if He broke her barrenness with a son, she

would give him back as a Nazarite unto the Lord.

A covenant is the agreement between two parties within the context of

relationship, whereby a sacrifice and benefit is transacted. It is a binding

promise that allows legal right of entry and the partaking of what one has.

The purpose of a covenant is to ensure faithfulness and commitment to

one another. The covenant is actually a set of words that are spoken to

define the nature of a relationship and set forth the principles of

commitment to it. A covenant is something to be remembered. The Bible

says "the Lord remembered her," demonstrating the respect God places on

covenants.

We are saved by a covenant; we are joined to God's promises by a

covenant. In fact we are given grace to achieve the purposes of God by

covenant.

Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, began his

ministry at one university and then it grew to 191 countries. His Four

Spiritual Laws tract and the Jesus film have definitely impacted eternity

for many people. He was an amazing leader who, along with Billy

Graham, helped energize America's evangelical movement after World

War II.

In 1950, Bright and his wife signed a covenant with God, literally

relinquishing themselves and everything they owned to God. It was upon

this amazing act that God birthed the vision for Campus Crusade within

Dr. Bright. He once said, "I am convinced that had there been no contract,

there would be no vision." He wrote the covenant out as a young man and

42

OUT OF THE BOX

signed his name at the bottom. It read, "From this day forward, I am a

slave of Jesus Christ."

I can totally relate to this. Upon my conversion on the college campus,

I stated before God that if He would reveal Himself to me, I would give

Him everything in return and hold nothing back. I was tested in this many

times. My call came as a result of this "holy moment" before God. I had

entered into a personal covenant with the Lord, before I even knew fully

what it would release. John 12:24 portrays this phenomenal dynamic,

which says that as we die to our own agenda and self-absorption we will

be reapers of the harvest in greater measure.

Are you ready to enter into a great fruitfulness? Then enter into a

covenant to sacrifice according to God's Word.

43

CHAPTER 2

CRAZY LOVE

2

IT WAS PROBABLY IN 1994 that my wife and I were directed by God to

go to a particular conference. Between the main sessions, people who

were in full-time ministry were invited to a luncheon where there were

several prophetic ministers. As I was looking around, suddenly one of the

speakers looked at me and said, "Sir, would you stand up?" I stood up and

the first thing that came out of his mouth was, "If it wasn't for God's

intervention between the ages of eight and ten, we would not be having

this moment right now."

In that moment, I gasped, because at the age of nine, after my dad's

death, I was diagnosed as having an enlarged heart. The doctor had said to

my mom that they had to put a pacemaker in my chest or I might not make

it. My mom walked out of the hospital in Berkeley, California, and looked

up at the sky and pleaded, "Oh, God, please don't take my baby. Heal my

son." We went to another specialist and—boom! He said I didn't have an

enlarged heart! God heard my mother's cry for her only child.

The prophetic man went on to say other things about the direction that

my wife and I would be taking soon after that. But then he said, "God

shows me that you're a man of unusual passions. You have an enlarged

heart (which, of course was a total play on the earlier word) in the spirit,

because God has filled you with passions."

In that moment, I was feeling God all around me! I was shaking. He

went on to say that not everyone would understand the unusual passions

that God had given me, and boy, was he right!

45

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

THE CATALYST OF PASSION

The hunger for passion is universal. God designed the human soul to

be passionate, abandoned, and fiery. Passion is a compelling emotion; it is

a strong desire for something. Passion is a powerful catalyst. It acts like a

magnet that attracts its keeper to its source.

Passionate people get things done and seem to be able to acquire the

resources necessary to accomplish great undertakings. Passion is born out

of commitment—the more of yourself that you offer to God, the more

passion you'll receive in return. Passion overflows boundaries; it is not

often logical or seemingly appropriate. To enter the world of passion we

must relinquish our need to predict the outcome. Passion is what happens

when we let go of control.

This kind of extreme passion I have titled, "crazy love." Crazy love

puts you on the cutting edge because it is willing to bear the stigma of a

new move of God. Crazy love has the components of both compelling

passion and the willingness to abandon all. I believe that right now we are

living in a time that demands crazy love.

THE ANATOMY OF CRAZY LOVE

I have found that God releases a pleasure in my soul through crazy

love. I can sense the smile of God in my heart when I am consumed with

this dynamic. There is a spiritual intensity found in this gift that disrupts

our lives, status quo, and typical spiritual growth.

I'd like to make it clear that when I'm talking about crazy love, I'm not

talking about shallow sentimentalism, nor am I talking about dumbing

down to a religious mentality. I'm talking about a baptism of holy

affection. I'm talking about the "first love" fervency that Jesus referred to

in the Book of Revelation.

God is saying we're to lavish this love, break the jar, and release a

fragrant love, a crazy love, about who God is (see Mark 14:3). A passion

for Jesus and His eternal purposes must consume us. I'm convinced that

we're living in a critical moment in time. God is imparting divine

46

CRAZY LOVE

abandonment that will appear fanatical to those who don't understand you.

A revival of intimate encounters with God is coming, and as a result,

believers will be filled with extravagant fervency.

For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I

will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her

salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your

righteousness, And all kings your glory (Isaiah 62:l-2a).

This passage speaks prophetically about God giving us an enlarged

heart. There will be an overflow of passion culminating in a phenomenal

worldwide witness. The key will be that which burns in us. Isaiah is

saying that God is going to be relentless on you until:

1. A new standard of Christianity is reflected, and a blazing

righteousness goes forth like a nuclear power plant explosion. This

speaks of a global witness that sees a supernova revelation of the

glory in its brilliance shining through you.

2. A passionate, holy zeal violently consumes you with an

unparalleled inner fire. This speaks of an internal, supernatural fire,

a spirit of burning that flows within you in an unhindered fashion.

CRAZY PAUL

Let's look in the Book of Acts where Paul is standing in front of King

Agrippa, a man with the power to give him the thumbs up or thumbs

down.

Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice,

"Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" But

he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth

and reason " (Acts 26:24-25).

The words "beside yourself" mean to rave as a maniac, and it's the idea

of incessant raving. What he was saying was that Paul was positively

"mental." He thought he had lost it and was raving like a maniac,

certifiable, living la vida loca. Festus accused him of being crazy.

Revival is about being extreme. Extreme is going well beyond the

47

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

ordinary or the average.

Actor Denzel Washington has this one line in a movie that puts fear

into the heart of his adversary. He says, "There's something strangely

liberating about going crazy."

Modern culture is not drawn to Christianity because the little they are

exposed to is not extreme enough for them. I'm not talking about being a

fool, but I think the world really wants to see a Christian who is totally

enthralled with who Jesus is.

ROMANCE AND REFORMERS

I remember when I first began to feel like God was speaking to me

about my wife, Barbara. She would leave a message on my answering

machine. I would play that thing over and over! I forgot to eat at times. I

felt intoxicated. The grass was green, the hills were alive, the skies were

blue—I was in the Sound of Music. And all she did was leave a message

on my answering machine!

We need a major dose of divine romance. Either you fall victim to the

spirit of the age or you live on a higher plane. One of the great reformers,

Francis Xavier, charged the apathetic European students of his day to

"give up your small ambitions and come and preach the gospel of Christ."

BEING UNREASONABLE

Literary giant, George Bernard Shaw, is quoted to say, "The

reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists

in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends

upon the unreasonable man."

Reasonable people try to fit in; unreasonable people try to get other

people to fit into God's plan. All progress is dependent upon the crazy

lover.

Returning to Paul, Festus said, "What you've learned has driven you

crazy." What have we to show for all of our learning? Our spiritual

learning shouldn't be just systematic theology books, but a distinguishable

48

CRAZY LOVE

crazy love that goes public. At first Paul denies it, but later on in Second

Corinthians 5:13 he basically says, "If I'm in my right mind, it's for your

sake, but for God, I'm out of my mind."

GOING FANATICAL

Some years ago, I was in an airport in Denver. I was going to speak for

a friend of mine. As I was getting off the plane, I saw two girls and a guy

who were dressed in Eastern garb, soliciting people. The girl came toward

me with this KFC-looking basket (without the Colonel on it). They were

taking donations for the cult they were representing. She had pictures of

the various times that they had gotten together as a cult group to worship

this guru dude. She walked over to me and said, "I represent the Higher

Consciousness of the 7th Nirvana Association. Have you heard of 'master

so and so'?"

I said, "No, but can I tell you about my Master?"

I immediately jumped in and started telling her about Jesus. As I was

sharing Jesus with her, she put her bucket underneath her arm and started

listening. Her other coworker started listening to me too, as I explained

how Jesus Christ had changed my life.

At this point there were still two girls and a guy. The guy must have

been the leader, higher up in the hierarchy. He came over and I could see

he was a little ticked. He was about to lose his converts, so he stepped

boldly in front of them and said to me, "I know who you are. You, you,

you're a fanatic. That's what you are, a fanatic! Fanatics are a dime a

dozen." Then he grabbed the girls and walked away.

I stood there thinking to myself, "Okay, these people in the Denver

Metropolis Airport who have a KFC bucket are wanting to tell me about

their 'master so and so' and I'm the fanatic here? Hello, is anyone home?"

Then I realized that the man's comment might have been the greatest

compliment given to me because here is what I know about fanatics:

Fanatics won't give up, let up, or shut up, until they get up, rise up, and

take up all who Christ wants them to be!

David Du Plessis, known to many as Mr. Pentecost, said, "I'd rather

49

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

tone down a fanatic than to try to raise the dead." If that is what a fanatic

is, would to God that I would even be a greater fanatic! Even more so, that

we would have a nation full of people that are just like that for Jesus

Christ, because right now crazy love fanatics are too rare to be a dime a

dozen.

"For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things;

for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since

this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the

prophets? I know that you do believe. " Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You

almost persuade me to become a Christian. " And Paul said, "I would to

God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become

both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains" (Acts

26:26-29).

FROM ALMOST TO ALTOGETHER

Today's church has given us a strain of Christianity that I would call

"almost Christianity" masquerading as genuine Christianity. What is

normal in terms of Christianity in our world today has so nose-dived that

we need a group of people who will get some crazy love on them and

redefine normal. God is calling us to go from nominal to phenomenal.

How many of you know that almost is never good enough? You're in your

dentist's office and he's drilling in your mouth. You look over on his wall

and he has this certificate that says that he "almost passed his dental

exam." How many of you know that's not good enough? The fuel that

moves you from almost to altogether, in terms of commitment, is crazy

love.

Without "crazy love" you'll never be able to speak freely to someone

who will be antagonistic to the message of hope. One will never speak

effectively until they can speak freely. Speaking powerfully and

prophetically requires that you maintain an inner atmosphere of liberty.

You have to be free of human pressures to flow with God's Spirit.

Crazy love allows you to challenge convention. When crazy love is

upon an individual, he will be uninhibited in his expression of faith.

Whenever I feel tight or nervous, it's hard to capture the flow of the Spirit

50

CRAZY LOVE

or tap into the mind of Christ. When fear comes in, so does the adversary

of our souls. Crazy love allows you to stand and flow in the Spirit.

PRISON BREAKING FROM PEOPLE-PLEASING

Before King Agrippa, Paul demonstrated that he had experienced a

significant breakthrough. This same kind of breakthrough is a must for

every prophetic evangelist. It is perhaps the most crucial battlefield

because it affects one's ability to speak, discern, and flow in the gifts of

the Spirit.

This enemy paralyzes and seeks to shut you down at every point. Its

name is the spirit of rejection, and it manifests as the fear of man.

But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this

purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which

you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you (Acts

26:16).

Paul knew that King Agrippa's dad (King Agrippa I) was responsible

at that time for the execution of James, one of the 12 disciples. Who knew

if dad and son had more in common than just their names? Yet Paul made

sure the truth was on trial, rather than his personal safety or self-esteem.

Like Paul, we must resist people-pleasing. I am convinced that once satan

identifies this weakness in people, he uses it against them to keep them

ineffective.

Fear of man has shut down many witnessing opportunities. It often

causes us to say things that soften the blow of conviction. One of the

greatest revivalists, Charles Finney, taught that in witnessing we work

against the Holy Spirit when we try to make everybody feel happy all the

time. Whenever we give in to fear we move away from our authority base

that the Father has given us and furnished through His Word. Instead, Paul

allowed crazy love to rise up within his heart, which freed him from

insecurity and fear of man. Two of the greatest obstacles to being an

effective witness are the spirit of rejection and the fear of man.

THE PEOPLE-PLEASING PATTERN

51

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

We're a culture built around seeking approval and people-pleasing. A

definition of people-pleasing would be the tendency to cater to other's

demands and preferences to the harm or violation of one's personal

conviction or well-being.

Here are some irrational beliefs that people-pleasers are caught up in:

1. "I must be popular with everyone." No, everyone is not going to

like you. People are fickle, and the rules change. It's important to

say to yourself, "Hey, I'm going to be true to who and what God

has made me to be, and my convictions."

2. "I must do nothing to cross other people." If you think you have to

keep everyone happy, you are going to be disappointed. If they

can't stay happy on their own, you're not going to make them

happy. We can try to bless and encourage people, but the moment

you feel responsible for making someone happy, you become a

people-pleaser.

3. "If someone doesn't accept me, it must mean that I failed." Human

rejection is nothing more than an expression of someone's opinion.

One opinion should not dictate failure as it relates to my life. There

are always going to be people who will have different opinions and

different tastes. God has given us His approval, or extends His

approval, to a life that honors Him. If we will honor God, God's

validation supersedes anyone else's validation or approval of our

lives.

Two downfalls of people-pleasing include:

1. You will be in a position where you will deny what you know to be

true. Aside from the divine will and purpose of God's plan, did you

know that it was the Pharisees who turned the crowd against Jesus?

(On the other hand, there were some Pharisees who believed Jesus

was Lord.) If we fail to stand with the truth, we lose the witness

that is associated with it. Our alignment with truth will release

conviction and captivate the attention of those whom we're trying

to reach.

52

CRAZY LOVE

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but

because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be

put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the

praise of God (John 12:42-43).

There were rulers who looked in His eyes, they saw His miracles, they

saw His life, and they said, "He's for real, but if we go along with Him,

we'll be put out and they won't like what we say."

2. You will be in a position where you will make false concessions.

You will no longer make a decision based on what is right or

wrong, but on the basis of who is around you. We recognize that as

weakness. Remember Pilate? He wanted to let Jesus go because he

knew that the Man was innocent, but he saw the angry crowd. He

let public opinion prevail and forever made infamous the simple

washing of hands. It affected his ability to make a right decision by

letting a murderer be set free, and not the One who would set all

men free.

Why do people give in to fear of man? God made us to want to please

so that we would want to please Him. He made us to want to live our lives

to give pleasure to the Creator. To know that you have the smile of God on

your life means you can meet with other's frowns and it's okay.

Here's the key to break the squeeze: Remember the rewards of

pleasing God. The Bible says pleasing God brings blessing. He's the same

yesterday, today, and forever. His opinion of you is not going to change

based on what some folks are saying about you this week. God knows us

and He still chooses to love us! Once you have God's approval, who else is

there to impress?

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the

gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our

hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know,

nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory

from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made

demands as apostles of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).

REJECTION: DARKNESS'S WEAPON OF CHOICE

53

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Rejection has become satan's modern weapon of choice. Many would-

be testimonies in the making have been short-circuited due to this wanna-

be terrorist. Jesus gave us Heaven's remedy for earth's untouchables. He

told them to "shake off the dust."

Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are

set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, "The kingdom of

God has come near to you." But whatever city you enter, and they do not

receive you, go out into its streets and say, "The very dust of your city

which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that

the kingdom of God has come near you" (Luke 10:8-11).

"Shake off the dust" means to release the rejection like a boxer

slipping his opponent's punch, and keep attacking. Getting free from the

spirit of rejection is as easy as shedding some unwanted dust. Don't let the

devil shut you down with the threat of "dust." Brush off the threat of the

disapproval of people and continue being a witness for Christ. You've

been anointed by God to see miracles and do some dust busting! We've

got to understand there's a battle. Don't let the residue of rejection cling to

you. It's still worth it to witness, even if people reject you. Somebody's

soul is worth any embarrassment that you may fear.

WHEN IT'S ALL ON THE LINE

Crazy love means that you're not going to stay in normal mode; you're

not going to let the world's cultural wisdom squeeze you into its mold.

Crazy love means the world's politically correct agenda can't dictate to you

anymore.

It was September 15, 1999. There was a church in the southeast that

had a "See You at the Pole" rally. At this rally, there were multiple

churches that had gotten together with predominately youth, along with

some parents and pastors. A man walked in on the rally with a gun.

Someone yelled, "Get down!" The gunman shot the guy who had shouted

and soon four others. Two were dead immediately and three were

critically wounded.

As he was walking through the crowd with his gun, he said, "Your

54

CRAZY LOVE

religion is blankety-blank." All of a sudden, one young man named

Jeremiah stepped out. The moment the man spoke against Jesus Christ,

this young man, Jeremiah, said, "No sir, it isn't."

Then the gunman walked right over to him and said, "What did you

say?" and put his gun right up to his head. Jeremiah answered back to him,

"What you need is Jesus Christ." As the gun was still on Jeremiah, he

continued to say, "You can shoot me if you want. I know where I am

going; I'm going to Heaven."

Jeremiah's youth pastor was on the ground grabbing his leg, as if to

say, "Get down, get down!" All of a sudden, the youth pastor heard a loud

shot. BAAAAMMM! He was fully expecting that Jeremiah would fall

right there into his arms. He lifted up his head up, and what happened was

tragic. The gunman took the gun off of Jeremiah and, sadly, used it on

himself.

Here's the truth about this kid Jeremiah. This is astonishing. He had

only recently given his heart to the Lord.

One hundred years ago the missionary statesmen, John R. Mott,

prophesied, "The worldwide proclamation of the gospel awaits

accomplishment by a generation which shall have the obedience, courage,

and determination to attempt the task."

LIVELY COALS OR STONE COLD

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow

cold (Matthew 24:12).

Satan wants you to become the temperature of the culture that

surrounds you, a believer bound by a stone cold heart. The word cold

means, "Reduction of temperature by evaporation." By exposure to

hardness and darkness in the times that we live in, our love and passion

will begin to cool by degrees.

It's a damaging process that finds genius in its subtlety and patience to

evolve within an individual. It's a picture of what will happen over a

period of time; it's not something that will happen overnight. When you

55

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

see churches and individuals who do not have the energy to reach out, it's

an indication that their love has grown cold.

In Numbers 16:37 (NAS), the Lord told Moses to, "Scatter the burning

coals abroad." This is precisely what the Great Commission is all about—

spreading the Word with a fiery heart.

A MESSAGE FOR A MEDIUM

My wife and I had a campus ministry at a small university town in

Northern California. I had a student with me who I had recently led to the

Lord. We were driving down the street and went past a psychic's house

that had a big picture of Jesus in the window. Everyone knew this woman

psychic, who lived and worked right in the middle of town.

This new Christian said to me, "I guess she's a Christian, huh?" I said

emphatically, "No way," and began to explain that the Bible says that

psychic phenomena are considered to be an abomination by God. He

pressed me further by asking, "Why, then, does she have a picture of Jesus

in her window?"

I was disturbed that day because he had made a good point. I started

praying and asking God why. It got to me because a picture of Jesus in a

psychic parlor can deceive folks, and the devil wants to trip up people in

any way he can. As I was praying, I felt like the Lord said, "I want you to

go to 'Madam So-and-So's' psychic parlor. Here is the word I want you to

bring to her: She has exactly one year to get right with Me, and if she

doesn't do this in one year, she'll face some consequences."

"All right, God, You want me to go prophesy over a psychic." But I

was obedient. In fact, the young man who I had been with even wrote her

a letter imploring her to give her heart to Christ. We were thinking about

putting the letter in the mail, but I felt God was telling me to go to her in

person.

We went to her house, knocked on her door, and her daughter opened

the door. I could see that she was in a seance or something in the next

room. We told the daughter that we needed to see her mom and that it was

very important, because we had a message for her. She asked, "Who is the

56

CRAZY LOVE

message from?"

My friend and I looked at each other and we said, "God."

She said, "You guys are Christians, huh? We're Christians too. We go

to a church."

I said, "Time out. No, you can't do that."

She said, "Oh, yeah, remember the three Magi? Well, they followed

the stars to get to Jesus and it's all the same."

I said, "No, no, you need to read the whole story, girlfriend, because

after they followed the stars to Jesus, they didn't follow the stars anymore;

they followed the Creator of the stars. They didn't go back the same way

they came. They got changed when they met Jesus!"

So the daughter was ticked, but she called her mom anyway. Madam

So-and-So came to the door and she was "large and in charge." She was

mad! I tried to tell her that the Lord loved her and He had sent His Son to

die on a cross to get her free. I told her the demons she was working with

were going to eventually pickpocket her soul and send her to the same

demise they were heading for.

She wasn't hearing it; she was angry. At that point, my friend handed

her his letter, then I said, "The Lord said, 'You have one year to get your

house in order, and if you don't get right in one year,' God says, 'that's it.'"

What happened next in this woman's life we don't know; all we know is

that we were obedient to the Lord.

IT'S WORTH THE STINK

Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the

water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are

hated by David's soul), he shall be chief and captain." Therefore they

say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house" (2 Samuel

5:8).

We see David coming into an anointing that he's been promised for

years. As he comes into this anointing, there's a task that is set before him.

What he needs to do first is to overthrow the Jebusites and recapture

57

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Jerusalem. Can you imagine a time in Israel's history when they were not

occupying the place of worship? Jerusalem, the city, was to them the

epicenter of adoration, and it had been captured.

This is a picture of a Christian whose passions have somehow

diminished because their love has been taken captive. David's first

assignment with the anointing was that he had to overthrow the Jebusites

and establish a place for God's presence. In order for David and the

Israelites to enter into all the benefits of God's redemptive plan, they had

to overturn these Jebusites. Now here's what happened. David discovered

that the only way to get up into the city was to have someone go up

through the gutter. He said to his men, "If you go up the gutter, I will

make you chiefs and captains."

Do you know what goes on in the gutter? When I was in inner city

Oakland, sometimes we would play by the gutter. It stunk. Rats were in

there, and who knows what else.

Sometimes you've got to go through a gutter to get to your goal.

Sometimes you have to hold your breath and go through some sewage to

get your passion back. Sometimes discipline stinks. But if that's what it

takes to get your epicenter of adoration back, then so be it. We have got to

have a place in our lives where we establish a time for the presence of

God.

RECIPE FOR CRAZY LOVE

Crazy love begins when people encounter God. Paul encountered

God in a big way when he fell off his horse and became blind. All of a

sudden, in that very moment, something happened to Paul's heart.

He got up off of the ground, now defending all he had formerly

persecuted, abandoning all he had clung to. The man went berserk for

Jesus.

When I first responded to an altar call, God met me in an unusual way.

He so prevailed upon me that I knew I would do whatever, and go

wherever, to encounter His glory again. I had tunnel vision for God that

my friends didn't understand.

58

CRAZY LOVE

Crazy love is fed through a fasted lifestyle. It is proven that what we

sacrifice and suffer for is what we become most attached to. I see an

emerging generation with a martyr mentality; believers who "love not

their lives unto death."

Paul fasted his first weekend in the kingdom. (He even went without

water.) No doubt, this fostered fervency in the man who the Holy Spirit

inspired to write more than half of the New Testament.

The way we live is a reflection of the state of our hearts. Yet, the state

of our hearts is inflamed by our lifestyles. We've seen the indulgent

lifestyle cripple the spiritual passions of a generation of nominal believers.

The more we can do without material and sensual things, the more we will

partake of the spiritual delicacies that feed crazy love.

In Scripture, Nazarites were people of extreme devotion; they did not

drink wine or eat grapes, which represented the pleasures of this life.

Nazarites possessed a burning zeal for God and lived in radical

abandonment with God. There's no coincidence here; they found the

connection between a fasted lifestyle and crazy love passion.

Crazy love grows when you go out on a limb. Lately, I have been

feeling that the Holy Spirit is leading me to go farther out a limb than at

any other previous time. Sometimes, it is as if I can hear the snapping

sound of the limb behind me, yet God always seems to come through. In

fact, I'm convinced that we're seeing miracles that we wouldn't see if we

hadn't stepped out in faith.

There's a spirit of faith that comes on a person as we step out in radical

obedience that seems too "out there" for play-it-safe religionists. God is

waiting to bless a generation on both ends—with crazy love faith and with

miraculous outbreaks to possess the harvest.

Apostle Paul stayed out on a limb for God and explained that if he

appeared safe and sane it was solely for the people. Yet, for God's sake, he

was unsafe and insane, and stayed overextended in the faith realm. The

"fallout effect" of crazy love passion was explosive on the apostle from

Tarsus. By stepping out in faith, Paul's life was infectious on people who

got around him: Timothy, Titus, Silas, and many others. Everywhere Paul

59

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

went the reaction of his passion was evident in riots or revival breaking

out; yet indifference certainly wasn't on the menu!

There are many things that we don't have control over, but we can

control the passion and intensity with which we live our lives. To get the

fruitful life that God has purposed for you, you must go out on a limb

away from the ordinary and complacent.

David's men got through the gutter, and Jerusalem was restored, not to

mention their new positions were definitely a bonus. Explosive passion

and promotion awaits the crazy lover who will go the distance. In this next

chapter we will visit the concept of adding the prophetic to our

evangelism.

60

CHAPTER 3

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

3

I CAN REMEMBER A DAYTIME TALK SHOW SOME years ago. A certain

spiritualist gave readings over the audience and took live callers. She was

very upbeat and sounded positive, yet something sinister lurked beneath

her self-help psychic sound bytes.

Later, it dawned on me what was going on. I had seen clairvoyance

meet humanism and it was immediately popular and entrancing. Satan has

always pushed the humanist manifesto gospel, but now it smacked of the

counterfeit prophetic meeting a counterfeit gospel. We see this

phenomenon in the explosion of the psychic hot lines, which is the

mixture of horoscope and pop psychology. This combination is the

mainstay of the New Age movement.

What would happen if we allowed the authentic to combine a message

with miracles before a spiritually starved generation? We desperately need

prophetic evangelism because an entire generation is at stake.

IT'S BEYOND US

How is this generation—engrossed by the supernatural—going to

come to God? The solution is that we hold a part of the answer, but God

holds the other part.

Conversion is a supernatural work. I can evangelize, but I cannot

convert a soul. It is in the Holy Spirit's power alone to shine the light of

revelation that leads a lost person to get saved. Yet many times people

61

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

don't witness because they feel it's beyond them.

That is where prophetic evangelism has got to begin; we have to have

a revelation. Prophetic evangelists don't rely on their abilities to persuade

people; they rely on the Holy Spirit's ability to reveal. Our job is to share

Christ and to follow the finger of God. If I do what God wants me to do,

He'll bring the fruit.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE LORD

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and

bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said

to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper

of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."

And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do

not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the

testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit

of prophecy" (Revelation 19:8-10).

Many scholars believe that John is speaking to an angel, a specific

angel. In fact, this angel's job description was to be Jesus' publicist in the

Old Testament. Whenever there was a revelation about the Messiah, many

scholars believe that this angel, who called himself "your fellow servant,"

gave the revelation. He would prophesy about the coming Messiah.

Prophecy is history being declared in advance. Scholars believe that this

angel gave prophecies to the various prophets: Isaiah, Ezekiel, and many

others.

Prior to the birth of Jesus, this angel alone carried the "testimony of

Jesus." Now the angel acknowledges that a baton had been passed to the

Church to carry this testimony. This angel embodies the coming together

of the prophetic and the evangelistic.

The phrase "the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy" is

important because it points to the fact that the testimony of Jesus Christ is

the gospel. Second Timothy 1:8 says, "Do not be ashamed of the

testimony of our Lord." The verse in Revelation indicates that there is a

linking between the eternal purposes of these two anointings, the prophetic

62

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

and the evangelistic. The testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ (the gospel) is

equated to the Spirit of prophecy.

While I continue to contend for more of God's empowerment, I also

believe that the moment I came to Christ, I had something to launch out

with in witnessing. Whenever I set unnecessary preconditions, I deny

myself a harvest. Prophecy is not just for the purpose of blessing

discouraged Christians, or for being used inside the church house to jump-

start a flat service. The prophetic is an anointing for revelatory release and

a spiritual flow that we must contend for 24/7 and must be appropriated

with both the churched and the unchurched. When a believer eagerly

desires to prophesy, that individual is drawn into a greater fluency in

prophetic giftings.

In Joel 2:24, the prophet speaks of a time when the threshing floor

shall be "full of wheat," at the same time that the "vats shall overflow with

new wine and oil." This passage is associating the prophetic with an

abundance of souls. Joel goes on to tell us that the prophetic will bring

insight, utterance, and inspiration. He says that a generation will prophesy

and people will see visions and be given dreams.

Joel finishes chapter 2 by declaring that in the midst of all this

prophetic activity, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved"

(Joel 2:32). There is a back and forth interplay between prophecy and

harvest to be noted in this passage.

The design of prophecy is to bear testimony to Jesus. It's not the only

design, but it is the ultimate goal. It is like a picture of a wrestling tag

team. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tells us that "two are better than one," for they

will receive a better reward for their labors. It goes on to say that "one

may be overpowered," but a "threefold cord is not quickly broken." When

prophecy meets evangelism, a tag team is formed and the darkness that

has blinded the minds of the unbelieving is defeated. We need the two to

form a divine synergy to usher in the harvest.

OXEN ISSUES

Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by

63

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

the strength of an ox (Proverbs 14:4).

As Solomon accurately describes, there is a curious give and take

dynamic when it comes to the oxen issue. This dynamic centers on a value

system that every leader and soul winner must evaluate for themselves.

In early Jewish culture, an ox was equivalent to a tractor for a farmer.

It would have severely hampered a Jewish family to be without their oxen.

Today, our "oxen" for the kingdom is God's prophetic component in a

church service. Without the oxen you have no mess and you have the

bragging rights for the tidiest church service around. With the oxen you

have a resource of strength, a promise of increase, and a church service

promising some spontaneity.

Whenever the prophetic component is included, you will definitely

face some messy "oxen issues." The unpredictability factor makes the

people who would rather have everything programmed, nervous. You also

have to deal with the growth in the fluency of the prophetic.

I have been faced with these issues in ministry over the years. Many

times, particularly after those "messy" moments, I wondered if my life

wouldn't be easier without the oxen. Typically, what would cure me of this

hang-up would be a moment in a service where the oxen showed up. The

fruit of the Holy Spirit that was given the freedom to reign was startling,

contrasted to the approach of those services with "no deviation from the

written program." I've learned to risk predictability and comfort zone

security for miracles, Spirit-charged deviations, and unexpected harvest

opportunities.

Despite the popular approach of some, we have a reality generation

where unpredictability and spontaneity is attractive. In fact, the "messy"

issue isn't as offensive (if handled with honesty and love) as it was a

generation ago.

No one leaves our services talking about how clean our stables are, but

rather, how strong our oxen are. Even a passing familiarity with Church

history reveals that the oxen always brought exceptional increase, and the

Church moved ahead in those times. Without the prophetic, our

evangelistic programs suffer from the lack of strength to impact the

64

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

unchurched. We will also miss the strong tangible presence of God that

comes when the Holy Spirit is honored.

Proverbs 14:5 says, "A faithful witness does not lie." I can't consider

myself honest if I hide the oxen from the audience. Our services must

reflect His nature more than our own.

YOU ARE ONE OF THEM

Too often we've allowed the fear of messes and people's preferences to

cause us to duck into a less than empowered witness.

One time I was speaking at a prophetic conference along with a

minister, Dennis Cramer, who is gifted in the prophetic. He had just

finished writing a book on prophecy. We were having a meal together on

our way from the airport and I started thumbing through his book. All of a

sudden, he points at me and says, "I wrote in my book about a new breed

of prophetic evangelists, and you are one of them!" As he said it, I stopped

eating and felt a "holy rush."

I didn't really know what to do with that because it was the first time I

had ever heard of that term. In my own mind these were two separate

camps. There was the prophetic camp and the evangelism camp. I would

go to conferences where they would challenge you to go out and win

souls; I felt like I was one of them. Then I would go to the prophetic

conferences and they're prophesying and activating people; and I felt like

one of them too. I would come back from those conferences feeling so

schizophrenic. What am I?

I knew that I was called to be an evangelist, but I loved prophecy. One

could get the impression that they were so distinct that there was no

agreement between the two camps.

I began to have this strong stirring about the concept: What if

prophecy met evangelism? The prophetic anointing is able to look into the

heart of God and have the ability to discern the things that the enemy is

trying to launch. The anointing of the evangelist has the ability to look into

the heart of lost culture and see a need. What if the connection came

together? How lethal could that be to the kingdom of darkness? What if in

65

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

just one day we saw hundreds of thousands of people getting saved in

major cities all across the United States and abroad?

What if we took full advantage of the synergy of joining prophecy and

evangelism? What is synergy? Synergy is:

1. A mutually advantageous compatibility of distinct elements.

2. The working together of two things to produce an effect greater

than the sum of their individual effects.

Acts 2 is a great example of this. Prophecy and evangelism were

combined to release the Church's first great harvest. The disciples came

out of the upper room speaking in a supernatural language, and Peter

stands up and immediately quotes Joel: "This is what was spoken by the

prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16). He immediately brings attention to the

prophetic dimension here. Additionally, he says, "Save yourself from this

perverse generation" (see Acts 2:40). (This is the essence of the gospel

message.) Three thousand folks got saved through this connection to the

writing of a prophet, Joel, combined with the message to "get saved."

AT YOUR WORD

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into

the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and

said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing;

nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." And when they had

done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking

(Luke 5:4-6).

Let's look again at this passage. One night Peter goes out fishing. It's

eerily silent as he catches nothing. He's disgruntled as he wonders how he

is going to feed his family. Not only that, but he spent all night fishing

when he could have slept if he had known he wouldn't catch anything.

Jesus says to him, "Launch out in the deep." Peter was an expert

fisherman and could easily have resisted this directive, but instead says,

"Nevertheless, at Your word, Lord." Peter could have kept doing his

program, the same program that worked over and over again. But this time

his well-trusted methods didn't work.

66

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

This is a picture of programmatic evangelism. We do the same thing,

the same way every time, even though we're dealing with different

situations. The carbon copy approach is the way a lot of evangelism has

been taught.

What we need is a "nevertheless, at Your word" experience. What

prophetic evangelism represents is "at Your word" evangelism. When

Jesus said, "Launch out into the deep," Peter still had to let down his net.

Jesus did not prophesy to the fish by saying, "Jump into the boat!" Neither

is He telling the world to go to our Christian meetings. The Bible says we

are to "go into all the world."

Peter had to throw out the net. But he threw it out where Jesus told him

to throw it out. What happened next? There was such a big catch that their

nets began to break! Can you imagine having so much fish that the boats

began to sink? It was the greatest catch of Peter's life!

What does Jesus say to him? He basically said, "Up to this point

you've been catching fish, but from now on you will be catching men." He

was giving him a picture of prophetic evangelism.

PROPHETIC SENSITIVITY TO THE SEEKER

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person

comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the

secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he

will worship God and report that God is truly among you (1

Corinthians 14:24-25).

Notice that it doesn't say, "If the prophets prophesy or if the unusually

or highly-gifted prophesy." It says, "If all prophesy." This meant everyone

in attendance at the Corinth church. Paul is saying that it is quite possible

that every single person in the room has the potential to be used in the

prophetic.

Many might say, "You don't want to prophesy if a first-time visitor

comes in your church. What if they run out crying, "They're crazy in there!

I'm just too sensitive and I can't stand it!" That's what we think sometimes.

First of all, I don't believe that the seeker is that easily offended

67

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

anymore. They've been watching TV shows that are full of the

supernatural; they've been reading paranormal books; and they've been

watching reality-based seance shows. Yet we think they're going to be

blown away when we speak something under the inspiration of the Lord? I

don't think so!

When God is restoring or establishing truths, He purposely

overemphasizes a biblical concept. God does this to say something to the

Body of Christ at large. I truly believe that God is currently establishing a

truth that is calling for a greater consciousness of the unreached people in

our midst and what it takes to relate to them, while reaching them with our

message. I praise God for every movement that is out there winning

people to Christ. Like Paul said in Philippians 1:18 (NIV), "The important

thing is that in every way...Christ is preached."

I have found that people who come in off the streets think, "Just help

me get free from my addictions! Help me get to the place where my mind

is right and I'm not tormented anymore!" The postmodern generation is

asking, "Does it work?"

Paul said that prophecy and evangelism are supposed to go together.

Notice what happens in this verse again (see 1 Cor. 14:24-25). When you

prophesy it releases an atmosphere that goes to work on people's hearts

simply by their just sitting in the midst of it. That's why we cannot

eliminate the manifestations of the prophetic in an effort to make everyone

comfortable. Paul tells us that if you have a prophetic anointing, it will

begin to search your heart and begin to go to work on your soul. The Spirit

of prophecy is an inclusive term describing the Holy Spirit energizing

believers to speak inspired utterances to be shared publicly.

Oswald Chambers, the great writer, once said, "Spiritual truth is

learned by atmosphere, not by intellectual reasoning." A prophetic spirit

alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things. If all are

prophesying, that may not necessarily mean that you would have a specific

word for every single person who passes through. But the Lord is

searching and revealing people's hearts. The prophetic and evangelistic

flows are working together to convince and to reveal.

What is the result when these two flows come together? Visitors and

68

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

the unchurched are going to worship God, and they're going to report that

God is among them. We want people to come and worship God, and truly

know that "the presence of God is in this place"!

An evangelist is to be a prophet to the lost and emerging secular

culture. The Greek word for prophesy is propheteuo, meaning "to speak

under inspiration, to exercise the prophetic, to declare a thing which can

only be known by divine revelation, to break forth under sudden impulse

in praise of the divine counsels." A prophetic vessel speaks under

inspiration of the Holy Spirit to comfort, edify, and encourage the Body.

But the evangelist is the prophet to the lost culture. When I say

"prophetic," I'm not referring to the office of a prophet, but to a gifting. I

am referring to situational function. Prophetic ought to be more about the

function rather than the title.

FULFILLING THE WORK OF A PROPHETIC EVANGELIST

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His

kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.

Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching....

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of

an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:1-2,5).

Characteristics of the Evangelist:

1. Evangelists enable churches to infiltrate their communities at the

most relevant point. I believe that "new school evangelists" are

going to be helping churches. They are not just going to be holding

special meetings here and there; they are going to be working with

local bodies doing regular outreaches to their communities.

2. Evangelists produce a breakthrough anointing with a

transformational effect. There is an anointing that "breaks through"

when dealing with lost society. It's an anointing that comes upon

you to break through right to the heart.

3. Evangelists help with the understanding of how to integrate new

69

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

believers into the Body of Christ. In my earlier days, I wrote a

follow-up manual because I wanted to help maintain the souls who

had come to Christ. Before I realized the term, I wanted to

"conserve the fruit."

Characteristics of the Prophetic:

1. Prophets enable churches to navigate spiritual waters. A prophet's

job is typically "in house" rather than "out of house." They help

with the understanding of God's purposes and with keeping a

heavenly focus during turbulent times.

2. Prophets help with the identification of root issues and giftings that

detonate something inside new converts. Prophets have insight that

can bring focus and direction into a new convert's life. They are

able, by God's grace, to bring clarity to God's implanted gift mixes,

the gifting God has placed within believers.

3. Prophets reveal the hand of God in action and they make the

enemy become visible.

In Order to Be a Prophetic Evangelist, You Must:

1. Be watchful. Make sure that your heart is right because you cannot

share out of a bad heart and hope that someone else gets a good

heart. You have to get your heart right because the message has to

pass through you. You have to be watchful of the times and the

patterns of people. God will show you things as you are watchful.

2. Endure afflictions. If you think about prophets in the Old

Testament, and even prophets in the New Testament, they had

extra warfare going on. When I'm doing what God wants me to do,

I'm on the offensive and I'm throwing the blows. Sometimes,

however, we're preoccupied with blocking the enemy's punches

when really some of us need to get on the offense and begin to win

some people to the Lord.

3. Do the work of an evangelist. The evangelist is on the front line of

God's army. They have a burning desire to reach the unreached in

70

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

this world. Everywhere they go they're preaching the gospel, and

signs and wonders are following. Being on the front line means

that one of the things that God gives an evangelist is boldness.

What if these things could come together? Why not? They are

distinct offices, but I believe the two anointings can rest upon all

believers. The Bible says that your sons and daughters shall

prophesy (see Joel 2:28). The Bible says we are to fulfill the work

of an evangelist. So if we're to prophesy and we're to fulfill the

work of an evangelist, we can also be prophetic evangelists!

WHEN SILAS MET PAUL

It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to

send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul (Acts

15:25).

We know Barnabas and Paul were apostles. People back in Jerusalem

were a little fearful of Saul of Tarsus because he had been involved in

persecuting Christians in the early Church. But Saul (Paul) had a genuine

conversion. Barnabas was the one who extended a line of credibility and

said that he believed in Paul.

Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called

Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the

one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone

with them to the work (Acts 15:37-38).

Barnabas and Paul decided to go different ways due to a disagreement

on whether or not John Mark should come with them. John Mark had

abandoned them after one particular episode when they had a major power

encounter. Paul's issue was that he didn't want to take this kid with them

anymore. He was concerned that John Mark would bail on them again.

Now, here's my question. Why did Paul choose Silas? He could have

chosen Andrew; he could have also chosen Thomas. There were other

apostles. Why Silas, and why at this time? Paul knew that he was

appointed as an apostle, and that God had called him to do mission work.

71

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Apostolic work primarily involves evangelism, and seeing the gospel lived

out in its recipients.

Paul was being led of the Lord very strategically. He knew that he

would benefit from linking himself with the gifting in another. Barnabas

and Paul were both apostles, and both similarly gifted. But Paul chose

Silas. I truly believe that Paul saw the benefit of having the prophetic

anointing embodied in Silas.

What is the next thing that happened? Paul and Silas went around

strengthening the churches. Paul the Apostle was involved on the front

lines, doing cutting-edge missions work, but he was predominately

evangelistic. Considering what he would run into, he would need the

prophetic to meet the evangelistic.

Prophets have a strong sense of mission and they live with a strong

sense of identity. They are used to rejection; it's part of the prophetic

makeup; they get rejected. I think Paul knew what he was getting in Silas.

He needed a guy who would stick with it.

Here are some similarities between the two anointings of the prophetic

and evangelism:

1. Often both anointings begin with receiving a burden. When I begin

to prophesy and I look at someone, one of the first things that rise

up within me is a burden for them. When I know I'm being led to

witness to someone, I will feel a deep compassion for them.

2. Both anointings act as catalysts. The prophet is the visionary, and

the evangelist wants to get more people saved and keep the church

moving. You don't get stuck in a rut when you're in a church where

both of these anointings are present. Your church will be

pioneering; it will be advancing. Your church will be trailblazing;

it will be on the cutting edge!

3. Both anointings are resilient as they encounter unusual warfare and

rejection. The key here is to understand that there will be a need

for greater "toughness" in dealing with darkness. God graces these

giftings with "flint for foreheads" (see Ezek. 3:9), which is an

ability to be invincible to hell's backlash.

72

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

4. Both anointings are mouthpieces for God. They are both strategic

to the end-time scenario. We have heard of prophetic intercession,

and I believe this is right on. I believe that we are going to hear

more about prophetic evangelism. It is definitely on the radar.

PROPHETIC EVANGELISTIC ACTS

I know individuals who have done prophetic acts. These acts seem to

release liberty and freedom in an individual while they affect others for

deliverance. I also believe that everyone can participate in prophetic

evangelistic acts.

Let me give you three categories of the prophetic acts I'm referring to:

1. Spontaneous light and trumpet acts.

And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and

its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of

Israel, and said, "Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of

Midian into your hand." Then he divided the three hundred men

into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man's hand,

with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he said to

them, "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the

edge of the camp you shall do as I do: When I blow the trumpet, I

and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every

side of the whole camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord and of

Gideon!'" So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him

came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle

watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the

trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. Then the

three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they

held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right

hands for blowing—and they cried, "The sword of the Lord and of

Gideon!" And every man stood in his place all around the camp;

and the whole army ran and cried out and fled (Judges 7:15-21).

Where did Gideon get that idea? Do you think he sat around with a

few guys one day and said, "I know how we can defeat this army! We'll go

73

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

out with some trumpets, we'll each have a pitcher with a big lighter in it,

and we're going to mess those guys up. We're going to blow a trumpet in

their ears and throw a pitcher with a big lighter on them and they are going

to be like, AAAHHH! They're going to run out so fast they won't know

what hit them!" No, this had to be a prophetic evangelistic act—a

spontaneous light and trumpet act.

The Scriptures don't give the impression that there was even any

combat going on. They did all of this and the enemy miraculously fled. A

spontaneous light and trumpet act is when God gives you a strategy and it

involves a spontaneous witness where you proclaim and radiate light.

You didn't go with the intention to witness; it was spontaneous when

you broke your pitcher and your light had to shine. You didn't even

prepare beforehand what you were going to speak, but in a moment, you

knew you had to stand up and say something. All of a sudden when you do

that act, someone gets saved.

I've had instances where I didn't go to a place thinking I was going to

witness to anyone. I didn't prepare in my heart to say, "Okay, this is what

I'm going to preach." I just simply walked into a situation and recognized

that I needed to let my light shine. It's like the torch inside the pitcher, but

God has me break out, and light shines, and I'm immediately given a

trumpet.

To blow a trumpet is a very prophetic thing; it's to proclaim the word

of the Lord. A trumpet blows a distinct signal. I think you're going to find

yourself in these types of situations. When you think back, you will know

that it was one of those prophetic evangelistic acts God was asking you to

do.

Notice this, Gideon had to go to the enemies' camp. He couldn't just do

this in his own camp and blow the trumpets, throw the pitchers, and then

somehow the enemies' camp is defeated. Why is it we don't want to go

where the lost people are? It's like wanting to fish but not going out to a

pond where the fish live. Are you going to fish in your bathtub or in your

kitchen sink where it's comfortable? If you want to catch fish, you have to

go where the fish live.

74

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

2. Dying-to-self and abandonment acts.

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into

the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces

much grain (John 12:24).

I believe that there will be divine prophetic evangelistic acts that will

also fall into this dying-to-self and abandonment category. These acts are

instructions from the Lord that call for sacrifice and unusual abandonment.

Typically, you're acting in the opposite spirit of what is represented in the

predominate culture.

This act often includes maintaining a stance in the midst of

persecution. Jesus said that you will be persecuted, but He will give you

the words to say and this will stand as a testimony (see Mark 13:9-11).

One day my nephew, Frankie, was in his junior high class. When the

teacher was done with the lesson, there were still five minutes left in the

class. The teacher turned and said to them, "Okay students, here's what

we're going to do. We're going to practice this Buddha technique for the

next five minutes." He then proceeds to lead the whole class in a Buddha

technique.

Frankie had started a Bible club, the very first in the history of that

junior high school. When the teacher had finished, with only one minute

left in the class, he asked, "Does anyone have any final questions?" My

nephew lifted his hand and said, "No sir, but can I make a statement? You

just showed us how Buddhism could help us in five minutes; can I show

you how Jesus Christ can change your life in one split second? All you

have to do is call upon the name of Jesus."

Here was this kid, his voice was cracking, but he stood in front of

everyone in that class and told them about Jesus. Two girls went to his

Bible club and got saved. That was a prophetic evangelistic act. More than

just words come off of your lips when a dying-to-self act is released.

We're always thinking about what we should say and how we should say

it, but prophetic evangelism is more about obedience than the elegance of

your words.

75

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

3. Stretching-yourself-out-on-them identification acts.

And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his

mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he

stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child

became warm (2 Kings 4:34).

In other words, I've got to see what they're seeing; I've got to speak

what they're hearing (their language); I need to feel what they're feeling. I

believe that these acts are following a holy summons from the Lord to

serve and identify with the lost in a way that we are being stretched

beyond our comfort zones. Elisha had to stretch out on the boy.

My wife has to take a class on First Aid because she's becoming

certified to perform CPR. There are times, if someone is dying and their

life is on the line, that you stretch out on them. It is a prophetic

evangelistic act of sacrifice when you stretch yourself out beyond a

comfort zone. It also causes the hearer to warm up to what we are saying

due to our connection with them.

RESULTS OF PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Revelation and insight. The reason that I want to have the prophetic and

the evangelistic anointing is because if I'm witnessing to someone, I want

God to reveal that person's heart. I want insight into that heart. When both

of these anointings are operating within me, I believe I will be able to

more effectively witness.

Fresh inspiration. I think sometimes we get stale in our witness, stale

in our approach. Sometimes we get stuck and we just "don't feel like it."

The prophetic releases things that will allow us to be inspired. We don't

want to witness to anyone when we're down, but the prophetic anointing

will release fresh inspiration.

Weaponry and strategic tools versus the darkness. Prophetic

evangelism is a weapon against darkness; that's why the enemy hates the

prophetic so much. Prophetic evangelism flies under radar, so that

darkness has trouble negating the effect. With this "spiritual combo" tool,

it becomes a strategic key to unlocking the tough situations.

76

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

Enthusiasm and life. The Greek word for enthusiasm is entheos,

which means "God in you; God breathed." When you're out witnessing,

there's something on you, something about you. I got saved because I

heard something that a guy was talking about, but I also looked at him,

and I wanted what he had to also be on me. There was something on him

that witnessed to me.

Creative powers and change. The spoken word is creative and it

brings about change. When things come into formation in someone's life,

you're able to turn a new page in the heavenlies.

The best way I can communicate this concept to you is to relate an

analogy. Years ago, in the weight loss industry, there were two different

camps. One group of expert nutritionists told us to watch what we eat

(reduce calories) in order to reach our weight goals. Another group of

experts were into exercise and they told us to train harder to burn more

calories. In the latest wave of technology in weight loss, everyone agrees

that diet combined with exercise achieves the most effective results. In the

same way, my prayer is that our two camps of evangelism and the

prophetic would combine for God's glory.

ACTION STEP ADDENDUM

When Prophecy Met Evangelism in Our Church: The Testimony of

the International Church of Las Vegas

(This section is written by Pastor Paul Goulet, Senior Pastor of the

International Church of Las Vegas—www.ICLVcom.)

When we moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, we were not prepared for

what we would encounter. Although we wanted revival in Las Vegas, we

did not know how to make it happen.

I found out very quickly that all of my counseling tools and techniques

could not bring revival to Las Vegas. I had a Master's degree, I had

graduated with highest honors from a seminary, and I had started a

counseling center. I was very successful, but then God called me to be a

pastor in Las Vegas. When we got to Las Vegas, there was a higher call on

77

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

my life, and I knew that what was in me was not enough to change my

city.

In 1994, I was touched by the power of God through fasting and prayer

and I really didn't know what to do with it. Soon after, a friend treated us

to a pastor's conference in Canada. My wife and I walked in and saw

people getting blasted by the Holy Spirit. I looked at my wife and said,

"Honey, what do you think?" She turned to me and said, "This reminds me

of an asylum." I echoed her thoughts and concluded that they all needed

therapy.

But then came the last night. I went up to one of the prayer team

workers and I asked, "Will you pray for revival in Las Vegas?" The guy

said, "No, I want to pray for you." So I smiled politely and said, "Go

ahead." He prayed for me, and I actually fell down.

While 1 was down on the floor I prayed one of the most dangerous

prayers I've ever prayed. I said, "God, while I'm down here why don't You

go ahead and do whatever You want to me." I'm on the ground and all of a

sudden my body starts shaking. It was so embarrassing! Then people

started gathering around me prophesying, "Souls, thousands of souls!" The

more they prophesied the more I shook uncontrollably.

We came back to Vegas; I was hoping that nothing weird would

happen again. Before that time we didn't really have the power of God, so

if you don't have the power, you at least have good programs, right?

In the first six months of our pastorate we had started directing our

church to become more seeker sensitive.

All this changed our first Sunday back. I started shaking

uncontrollably as we started the worship. All I could think about was how

badly I needed to get myself under control. But the more I fought it, the

more the power of God came on me. Finally, I stumbled up to the

platform, held on to the pulpit, and said, "If you want the power of God,

come up here!" I couldn't believe what I had just said. To my surprise

almost everyone came forward.

I didn't know what to do next. We were Assemblies of God and I know

that we're supposed to receive the baptism and speak in tongues, but I had

78

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

never experienced anything like this before. I had always believed in the

power, but had felt like I had no "gun powder" in my bullets. I would pray

for people and they would get sicker; I would pray for people for the

baptism and nothing would happen. Everything changed that day in our

church.

As the crowd filled the altar, I stood paralyzed with surprise. What

should I do next? Looking back on that day rekindles strong emotions of

gratitude to God. His power shook our congregation in ways that are

difficult to describe. Men, women, and children fell under that power

without ever a touch. Bodies were healed. Some even had visions. We had

been swept away by a mighty wave. By the time the second service was

supposed to start, bodies were still on the ground. I was hoping to regain

control of myself and my reputation, but instead the Holy Spirit gave me

words of knowledge, faith, and boldness.

Many experienced the power of God and prophetic gifts for the first

time. But within one week, 100 members left the church. I was devastated.

I thought the church members wanted the power of God. I didn't know

where to turn or what to do.

I'll never forget how I grieved the Holy Spirit just a few months after

this great day. 1 told the Holy Spirit, "Don't touch me like that anymore. It

embarrassed me." Pride got in the way; I kept worrying about people's

opinions of me. Here the Holy Spirit was pouring out the power, the

prophetic, signs and wonders, but I cared more about people's approval.

The Holy Spirit was rocking our world, but we chose to get off the ride.

Isn't it incredible that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman? He didn't force

Himself on me; instead He withdrew. We lost a hundred people in one

week, but after I grieved the Holy Spirit our church started to grow again.

We went back to the normal services. No miracles, no signs and wonders,

but people started coming. We had church growth, we had land, we had a

building; people said we were heroes again, but in my heart I knew that I

had grieved the Holy Spirit. For one and a half years I prayed for another

chance, and I learned that God is the God of another chance.

My second chance came at a conference where Steve Hill and Claudio

Freidzon were speaking. During the second session, Claudio delivered a

79

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

word of knowledge, "Someone here has been praying for a second chance.

Come up here right now." I did not hesitate one moment; I ran to the front.

I didn't care what anyone thought anymore. All I wanted was one more

chance for the power of God to flow through my life and see lives changed

forever.

I ran up there, and Claudio waved his hand and said, "Receive it; take

it." The power of God hit me. I fell to the ground and heard the Lord speak

to me clearly. "Paul, do you really want the power of God?" I said, "Yes,

Lord." He then said, "This time you have to die." I saw a vision of my

hand on the sinner's cross and I saw the spike going through my hand. I

saw the blood start pouring out, and He said, "Paul, are you willing to give

up your pride and your people-pleasing?" I said, "Yes, Lord."

By the time I got off the ground, I was a transformed person. I knew

exactly what I had to do. I needed to confess to my church about grieving

the Holy Spirit. I also had to see if this incredible power would flow

through me like it did through Claudio.

The first Sunday back was my opportunity to make things right. First

step was confession, second step was teaching them the Word, and third

step was impartation.

I stood there and said, "As your pastor, I confess that I grieved the

Holy Spirit. I cared more about the approval of people than the approval of

God. With God's help I will never do that again; please forgive me. I've

already asked for God's forgiveness, but I ask you as the church to forgive

me. From now on all of these services are God's services and not mine. If

you want this power, come back tonight at 6:00."

To my surprise the evening service was packed. I explained what

impartation was all about and then I said, "If you want the power of God,

come up here." They started lining up and the power of God moved;

hundreds were filled with the Holy Spirit. Some were delivered; others

were healed.

Since 1996 our leaders have been equipped and filled by the Holy

Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit flow freely in our services and in our

community. A city like Las Vegas can only be transformed by transformed

80

WHEN PROPHECY MEETS EVANGELISM

believers. Each time the power of God moves in our services, I remind the

people that He is touching us to use us to win souls, change homes, cities,

and the world. I am not very concerned or impressed when people cry,

fall, shake, or laugh. I am very concerned with what happens to them after

they stand up. Will they become a disciple, a witness, a world-changer?

Our church has never been the same since we invited the prophetic

into our services. Every Sunday several thousand attend services. The

Lord has given us a vision to plant 2,000 churches by the year 2020. He

has also given us a strategy to reach this vision. Since 1996 we have

helped start "on fire" ministry training centers in India, Mexico, Egypt,

and Las Vegas. Many churches have already been started by our

graduates.

It is clear to all of us at ICLV that God is more than willing to use

people like you and me. He wants to touch you with His power, but He

also wants to transform you. Our world is crying out for the supernatural.

They are more open to God's power than ever before. Ask God to fill you

with His Spirit today. Then ask Him to use you to change the world. I can

assure you that the gifts of prophecy and others will facilitate and

empower your soul-winning ventures.

The apostle Paul's words sum up this concept the best:

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive

words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of

power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in

the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

May we be able to say the same thing in years to come.

81

CHAPTER 4

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

4

MANY TIMES I HAVE HAD DREAMS of seeing stadiums full of people

coming to hear the gospel and getting saved by the multiple thousands. In

fact, I was called to full-time ministry after a full week of having these

God-inspired dreams. These special glimpses have left me undone to see

and experience what the Holy Spirit has downloaded into my heart.

There is an end-time harvest coming, the magnitude of which will

stagger the average Christian's thinking. There is a biblical term kairos,

which is used to portray a seasonable time that is fraught with once-in-a-

lifetime opportunities. Jesus used this word in Matthew 13:30, describing

a "time of harvest" that would be on a whole new scale.

You may be experiencing an urging or intense desire that God is

stirring within you—something you know that you need to step into

immediately. Each time we respond to His urging in obedience, we see

another installment in the fulfillment of God's purposes. This is referred to

as prophetic fulfillment.

Having a fresh sense of prophetic fulfillment provokes prophetic

evangelists to greater levels of effectiveness. This is an important

understanding to have in times of darkness. In fact, the destiny of the

multitudes seem to rest on you and I realizing this!

DIVINE DRAMA

We're living in dark times and there could be the sense that our impact

83

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

in the Church is going to be minimal. We live in a dramatic world where

people face great hindrances with excessive drama. Their dreams have

died, their hopes have died, and their opportunities have died. There's a

spirit of futility that says no matter what I do, no matter how long I do it, it

doesn't matter, because things are not going to change, so why even try?

This spirit causes a laid-back, futon-faith Christianity. It's easy today to

feel like nothing good is left to happen.

When you are down to nothing, God is up to something! God has

drama for you also—divine drama. God has an amazing track record, and

His resume for doing special things during dark seasons is flawless.

INSIDER INFORMATION

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up

His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from

top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and

the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had

fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His

resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding

Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they

feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew

27:50-54)

Matthew 27 is about the backstage pass. We get to see what happened

behind the scenes when we read this account. In today's world, we need to

see behind the scenes, because if all we see in the world is what the

evening news tells us, we're going to be discouraged. We're not going to

think that we can make any kind of difference.

God wants you to know you are His very intention! He has destined

you for this very moment! This is a mighty time to be alive, even in the

midst of chaos.

A TOUGH SELL

Faith for an end-time mass harvest begins with the Word of God, yet

84

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

includes testimonies (the working out of God's Word). God often boosts a

renewed confidence in His promises by turning a tough, improbable case

into a highlight of His glory. Outside of Apostle Paul, the Roman guard at

the foot of the cross may qualify for the most improbable conversion in

ancient history.

What was it that would cause a hardened centurion who had seen one

crucifixion after another, raised on the Roman polytheistic belief of many

gods, reared on violence, loyal to Rome, to come to the end of his working

day and say, "Truly this was the Son of God"? What was it that in the

midst of this darkness could birth such light? What is it that God

specializes in when all hope is gone? This centurion's turnaround gives me

hope for this generation. If this centurion would arrive at this confession in

the midst of an unpromising situation, we can believe for our own tough

cases. This man mirrors the generation at hand.

The centurion was not predisposed for any spiritual event. He didn't

recognize that what was happening was of the one true God. At 12:00

noon, for no explained reason, there was a three-hour total solar eclipse.

Then he heard this Man, Jesus, cry out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" and all

of a sudden the darkness vanished and it was daylight again.

God is speaking into your spirit right now with this story from history;

God is going to interrupt the darkness! He's going to resurrect His Church

and clothe it in resplendent glory to break the darkness. We are in that

three hours of darkness right now in our world today. The reason why

darkness fell over the land was because the light was obscured. Do we let

our light get obscured? Could the real issue be that our light is not

shining?

Some of the people we never thought would get saved will get saved.

Isaiah 9:2-3 tells us that "the people who walked in darkness have seen a

great light." We're entering into that "great light" moment in history.

Isaiah goes on to say, "They rejoice before You according to the joy of

harvest." This period in history will be characterized by the harvest joy

flowing from the prophetic evangelist across the globe.

A CURTAIN CALL

85

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Let's look at the most revered holy curtain in history. It was in the

temple, and once a year, one man got a chance to have a backstage pass.

He had bells attached to him to let folks know he was still moving because

if there were sins in his life and the bells weren't ringing, his "bells had

been rung," if you know what I mean, and they would have to pull his

dead body out. "Next!" The priests had to be right before God.

What was behind that curtain? There was a box where God's presence

dwelled, but today He lives in you! God ripped that curtain from top to

bottom and what was behind that curtain was Heaven on earth. He said,

"I'm going to rip the veil of confusion, not just because I want to let you

in, but because I want to get out and let Heaven touch your world." God

wants to rip apart the veil of confusion in your world, your identity, and

your image. When people don't know the Lord, they have a veil before

their eyes and can't see clearly. The truth is there all the time, but people

can't see it when they're looking through a veil. It's like trying to see a

beautiful tree out your window, but when you look through sheer curtains,

you only see a blurry image. It's not until you pull the curtain away that

you can see clearly.

A WHOLE LOT OF SHAKING GOING ON

Back to the scene at the cross. The curtain split from top to bottom and

all of a sudden an earthquake shook the area! Now California is somewhat

used to some shaking, but the Bible says that rocks split open. I believe we

are going to experience a move of God that will be equivalent to a "moral"

earthquake; it will seize hearts and affect lives.

Right before our eyes, God is going to break long-standing obstacles!

When you think you just can't get past this person or this situation, God is

going to break the rocks right in front of you. He is going to plant His

cause in the epicenter of your heart and it will fuel new exploits in your

life. When you align yourself with the cause of God, rocks have got to

move out of the way! We must be consumed with the cause of God.

Just as in that time, when many bodies came up out of their graves,

God wants to resurrect things that have died in you. You may think that

your window of opportunity is past the time that anything good can

86

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

happen, but remember we serve the God of the resurrection.

Just like God brought signs that convinced the Roman guard, He is at

work behind the scenes to pull hearts in the direction of their destiny. Tear

up your "un-savable" list of people who seem too lost to ever get saved.

BUSINESS AS USUAL—NOT!

Signs from Heaven furnish us with prophetic fuel so that we can have

courage and spiritual energy to rise up and reap the harvest regardless of

the world's condition. It's so important to know what time it is. God's reign

—His kingdom—is not ruled by calendars and clocks, but by seasons.

We're in a unique season today. I've never seen so many church leaders

entering into 40-day fasts. I've never seen so many people giving

themselves to 24-hour prayer meetings, healing rooms, and concerts of

prayer.

You don't sow like that without having a monumental reaping. It's time

to harvest; it's time to pray; it's time to fast; it's time to get out there. He's

moving us into a new season.

Besides this you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is

high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to

reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than

when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on

Christ, the Messiah) (Romans 13:11 AMP).

This verse predicates our action and activity in this new season upon

knowing what time it is. People are ripe and hungry right now. People are

so desperate that they're trying to tap into the spiritual realm because they

want encouragement and meaning. Those of us who know the gospel have

a clarion call that we have got something to give to this world. This is a

critical hour. This hour has more to do with the activities in the heavenlies

than the activities of earth.

This new season is the hour of the Spirit. The challenge in this hour is

not just seeing the natural situations in what the evening news can tell you,

but by what the Spirit of God is declaring. There's a new page turning in

the heavenlies and it's time for us to wake up!

87

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

You and I have been brought to the stage of history for such a time as

this. It's not an accident that you and I were born at this time. We're going

to witness miracles that no generation has witnessed yet.

TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

When you talk to people about the current move of God, there are two

schools of thought. There are some who would say we're in judgment:

"Our country is under judgment and it's all over, baby!" They say God is

now releasing the bowls of wrath; that we're in the midst of judgment.

Many feel judgment is being executed because we're beyond repair,

evidenced by the fact that we can't seem to stop the modern rupturing of

sanity and morality.

But the second school of thought is that righteousness needs to be

executed. Yes, there's darkness, but as long as God's anointing is on His

people, His influence is still moving and it's not too late. God is still

patient and willing for folks to repent.

The first school of thought is that we're beyond repair. The second

school of thought is that we're beyond excuse.

Thus says the Lord: "Execute judgment and righteousness, and

deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no

wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the

widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place" (Jeremiah 22:3).

This is a "now" Scripture. God is saying that both schools of thought

are playing out. Judgment and righteousness need to be executed

simultaneously. You don't have to think it's one or the other.

No matter what camp you're in, you're not excused. It is time to deliver

the plunder out of the hand of the oppressor. As Charles Finney, a 19th-

century revivalist, said, "Do not tell me of the rising floods of evil, but let

me tell you of the rising floods of grace." The grace of God always

releases deliverance to captured hearts.

We must have faith to be used in mass evangelism. During this age,

our job is to be more focused than ever before on how to see our friends,

88

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

family, and neighbors come to Christ. We must focus on the potential

divine appointments that God would lead us into to be able to deliver

people out of the hand of the oppressor.

TWO SICKLES, TWO OUTCOMES

Faith for an end-time awakening comes from perceiving and believing

the promises of God that relate to the times. The Book of Revelation

divulges that two sickles are thrust into the earth. One sickle is for

judgment and the other for reaping massive worldwide harvest. The

apostle John received the insight into the eternal strategy of God in

Revelation 14:15 where it says, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the

time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

This sickle of global harvest precedes the sickle of global judgment.

This is consistent with God's desire to go with mercy before judgment.

Understanding these concepts has always been used of God to call forth an

inner compulsion in His children to thrust themselves in the harvest. God

is calling His Church to a new Christian activism. In light of this

revelation, to carry on in a watered-down state of limited activity in

evangelism demonstrates that unbelief has replaced faith in one's heart.

DISASTER PREVENTION

One day, Jesus wept over the inhabitants of Jerusalem due to their

inability to detect their opportunity. In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus' eyes

moistened with tears because their eyes were blinded to their time of

visitation. Jerusalem was to have a sickle of harvest, but instead they

would experience the sickle of judgment.

Their eventual landscape, their resulting predicament, would

ultimately reflect their ignorance and negligence. Our landscapes may well

be a reflection of some of our modern oversights and lack of recognition

coupled with inactivity.

Jesus declares in Matthew 5:13 that we are the salt of the earth. Salt

possesses the power to give flavor and stop corruption, to fertilize. It

makes its absence or presence felt, and exerts a distinct effect as it is

89

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

dispersed. Salt is a catch-all symbol that refers to doing whatever it takes

to preserve God's deposit and restrain the spoiling agent in our world

today. If Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth," He's also ordaining

your impact in your world simply by decreeing this fact.

DYING ON THE VINE

"But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself," says

the Lord, "that this house shall become a desolation" (Jeremiah

22:5).

Statistics have said that in the next five years, one out of every six

Protestant churches will close their doors. You might think, "Those poor

Protestant people." Time out—we are those Protestant people! Churches

that are not giving themselves to soul winning are churches that are dying

on the vine. We must hear God's cry to fulfill the Great Commission.

I've never come across a Christian who was a passionate soul winner

who was backsliding. I suppose it's possible, but people who are consistent

in winning people to Christ relive their own salvation!

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you

will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in

Christ (Philemon 1:6 NIV).

When you are actively winning souls, you become appreciative of

your own salvation. In the process of presenting the gift of Jesus with

someone, you're opening to yourself a more full understanding of what

you already have.

The Bible lets us know that people who win souls reap rewards.

Churches that have this evangelistic spirit about them are places where

missionaries are raised up and folks are sent out. Any effort by a church or

an individual to put their hands to the plow to win souls will see that God

causes their finances to continue to come in. The opposite is also true. If

you don't hear the words, your house becomes desolated.

One of the greatest threats of the generation that we live in is that we

may become like our environment. Any individual or church that doesn't

90

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

wake up and witness will soon become a shared commodity of what

surrounds it.

The Bible says there's great joy over just one sinner who converts.

Evangelist Charles Finney believed that whenever he felt the grace of God

slow down upon his works, he needed to go out and win someone to the

Lord. This always changes the one doing the witnessing, as well as the one

being witnessed to. Christians who are not actively sharing the joy of their

salvation are losing the joy of their salvation.

"To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in the world. With

every soul you bring to Christ, you get a new Heaven upon earth."

—C. H. Spurgeon

TAKE ACTION

In Luke chapter 6, Jesus tells the man with the withered arm to stretch

it out. This guy's arm was atrophied and just hanging down at his side. The

right arm of the Church—outreach—is withered. This man had a withered

arm because of lack of use. It's very interesting that Jesus told him to

stretch it out. He didn't walk over and pull on his arm, but He spoke a

command for the man to stretch out his arm. The man could have said, "I'd

like to, Jesus, but I've got some problems here. You see, my arm is

withered and has no strength, so I can't do that." But the moment he

moved his arm in obedience to reach out, it became fully functioning!

The miracle that happened to the man with the withered arm didn't

happen until he stretched out his arm! It is the same with us. We won't see

our miracle until we stretch out our arm—the arm of outreach.

ROLLING LIKE A RIVER

God is saying that we need to break out of spiritual ruts. We need to

begin to allow a stream of living water to flow out of us. We need to

engage lost humanity. Something miraculous starts to happen when we

break out of spiritual isolation.

Let's look at Ezekiel; he has a vision of the temple and a stream of

91

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

water that gradually becomes wider and more powerful. Look what

happens when the river goes into the sea.

And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the

rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish,

because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and

everything will live wherever the river goes (Ezekiel 47:9).

This passage promises healing and a "very great multitude of fish"

because the river flows. There is going to be something God will start in

His Church that will end up out on the streets of major cities that will

release massive harvests.

Isn't it interesting that the Holy Spirit says the waters have to go there?

Without the water going there, there won't be a great multitude of fish.

The waters, which represent what God has deposited within us, must reach

the sea, which represents the masses of humanity who are without Christ.

STOPPED UP WITH SELF-CENTEREDNESS

The Dead Sea is stagnant because nothing flows out of it. It's like the

Christian who gets a lot of great teaching at church, goes to outside

conferences, receives tons of prayer, but nothing God puts in ever flows

out. It is a bad case of self-centeredness winning out over self-denial.

A true apostolic movement is when every aspect of the Body of Christ

is doing their job to win the lost to Jesus Christ. There's no way around it.

The waters can't be stopped. The Lord wants us to spring a leak! God has

put something inside of us and He wants it to flow out. The more it flows

out, the more life it's going to bring. If there's only a trickle at first, He

wants it to become a mighty river. It affects lives; it brings healing! It

brings deliverance!

There ought to be life coming out of you wherever you go—your

neighborhood, your workplace, your schoolyard. Wherever there's a dry

place—a need—the waters need to go there.

BEWARE: SWAMPS AND MARSHES AHEAD

92

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

But here's the sober warning: swamps and marshes ahead. Swamps

represent what happens when (1) Church bodies turn inward and cease to

have a purpose beyond themselves, and (2) Individuals stay in perpetual

recovery.

But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be

given over to salt (Ezekiel 47:11).

Here's the deal, swamps and marshes are places where water gets

stuck. When water doesn't flow anywhere, it eventually turns to salt.

God says to us that because you don't go there, because you won't flow

there, you're going to be given over to salt.

We're either going to be given as salt to the world, as it says in

Matthew 5:13, where we are a preservative and seasoning, a good thing; or

we'll be given over to become as dead-end salt before the world, a bad

thing. Nothing can live in that kind of salt. It's a curse, a judgment. Either

way, we will have a salt encounter.

HARVEST THEOLOGY

Let me go deep for a moment to build your faith for a harvest of souls.

Three times a year the nation of Israel was to gather to the Lord in

Jerusalem to celebrate festival occasions. These three yearly feasts were

referred to as the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast

of Tabernacles. The feasts are prophetic types, foreshadowing the future

events that Christ fulfilled in His body. Interestingly, they also set forth a

blueprint of the ministry of Jesus relative to the plan of redemption. The

Feast of Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Harvest, was the second of

the three great annual festivals. It's called the Feast of Harvest because it

concluded the harvest of the latter grains and the day of the first fruits (see

Exod. 23:16). The second feast came at the time of the corn and wheat

harvest, the first harvest, which came as a result of the spring rains. This

harvest pointed to the fruit harvest, which came at the end of the year. In

the same way that this festival pointed to a future harvest of grain and

signaled the outpouring of the Spirit, it also served as a promise that Christ

came to fulfill.

93

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

This spiritual picture was seen in a physical type on the day of

Pentecost in the Book of Acts, when God unleashed 3,000 souls at

Pentecost and another 5,000 soon thereafter (see Acts 4:4). God was

communicating that these 8,000 souls were the first fruits of a later

massive harvest. This redemptive release prophesies of a latter rain harvest

of immense proportions before Jesus' return. God was giving the Church a

down payment harvest, which was a physical type of a spiritual feast that

He set in motion millenniums beforehand.

The bottom line is that we, as the last-day Church, had better get

ready. Just imagine what magnitude of the harvest would be needed to

fulfill the end-time ultimate installment of souls God has promised us

through His Feasts!

MADE FOR STADIUMS

There will be a great multitude of fish; literally thousands will be

saved in ordinary church services. I believe the huge stadiums that are

being built for sporting events will end up really being used for Christian

services. I challenge you to live your life believing there will be a great

harvest coming.

In Genesis 8:22, God made this promise, "While the earth remains,

seedtime and harvest...shall not cease." This was part of a covenant God

gave to Noah and the generations to follow. The fluctuating times of

seedtime and harvest are divine things, not human things. The kingdom of

God operates under certain governing laws and this is ordained to give the

believer the opportunity to sow new seed and expect greater harvest. The

changing of seasons is God's sovereignty to cause the earth to be fruitful

and bring forth a harvest. There will always be harvest time in every

generation.

EXTREME MYTH MAKEOVERS

I would like to debunk some commonly believed church myths:

Myth #1—The day of mass conversions is over.

No, my Bible says there will be a very great multitude of fish to come

94

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

because the waters will go there. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19 that He will

make you "fishers of men." The word "make" in that verse means to

declare, to speak prophetically. God is prophetically speaking over His

Church, declaring there is going to be a very great harvest. The seeds of

the harvest planted by the massive prayer movement will bear great fruit

in this season. We should press forward for no less than one billion souls

worldwide in this decade.

Amos, the prophet, declared in Amos 9:13 that "the days are coming...

when the plowman shall overtake the reaper." This speaks of a mass

harvest that spills into every season, a harvest no longer limited to a

predictable quantity.

Myth #2—Moves of God will only happen in certain geographical

locations.

People in America tend to think all of the needs are in faraway places.

It's easy to think, "China, yes; Africa, yes; but the U.S.A.?"

The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:14, "As the waters cover the sea, the

earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory." Notice this; it didn't

just say the knowledge of God. It's the glory of the Lord! It's tangible; it's

weighty. This glory and its knowledge will be convincing and

overwhelming upon the hearts of the inhabitants of the earth.

He's saying in this verse that the waters cover the earth—not just

China, not just Africa, not just South America. But let me tell you, it will

be inner city Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York—

wherever there is a place for water to go, God says His glory is going to

come!

Myth #3—It's too evil today for anything to change.

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the

Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the

earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over

you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come

to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah

60:1-3).

95

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Don't let it surprise you—the Lord will arise over you! The

unbelievers will come to the light. The abundance of the sea will be turned

over to you. The sea means all of humanity. God is saying He wants to

give you a nation. I believe that there are going to be whole nations where

righteousness will prevail. That doesn't mean that every single person in

the country will be a believer, but the leadership and dominant spirit will

belong to the Lord.

I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of

secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord... (Isaiah 45:3).

Look at that—treasures out of darkness! You may have a son or a

daughter who is so far gone. You may have a boss who is cold and hard;

how about all of the famous people who society thinks could never get

saved? God is going to give you treasures—people who will be trophies in

the kingdom! The harvest is a treasure to God. The water has just got to go

there, and then God will get some treasures out of darkness.

Myth #4—The Church has already seen its greatest hour.

God's timetable for history's conclusion is connected with the Great

Commission!

You think the Book of Acts had some mighty things in it? Well, we

ain't seen nothin' yet! We serve a God who saves the best wine for last.

The latter glory will be greater than the former glory.

Don't despair or get heart sick over past outreach attempts that have

fallen short of your expectations. Get ready for a net-breaking catch of a

lifetime!

In James 5:7-8, the end-time scenario is likened to a farmer who waits

for a latter rain which produces a bumper crop of souls. In Palestine, in

biblical times, a farmer would sow seed after the early rains, which

prepared the soil for the seed. The latter showers of spring refreshed and

accelerated the ripening harvest, yielding a bumper crop. This passage

connects a coming mighty harvest that Jesus is patiently waiting to have

an outpouring of His Spirit on the earth.

Myth #5—People are tired of the gospel; nobody wants to hear it.

96

FAITH FOR AN END-TIME AWAKENING

Surveys show that most Americans claim to be more open to spiritual

things now than at almost any other time in history. This is true of the

nations as well. In a recent poll, Jesus was chosen by the majority of

people as the person they would most want to spend time with out of all

the historical figures.

Do you not say, "There are still four months and then comes

the harvest'"? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the

fields, for they are already white for harvest! (John 4:35)

God is saying the harvest is always ripe. The deficiency is only with

the laborers; the laborers are few. The harvest is always ripe and it doesn't

matter where you are geographically; the promise is not discriminating.

There's a field white for harvest in even the most difficult places.

For in this the saying is true: "One sows and another reaps." I

sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have

labored, and you have entered into their labors (John 4:37-38).

God sent us to do a job and we're going to reap because He is the one

who sent us to do it! When we launch out at His Word, we're going to

catch what we need to catch. We've been released in divine authorization

to reap, even in some instances where we've not labored. He didn't send

you out to come back empty-handed, He sent you to reap!

Myth #6—America isn't a Christian nation anymore.

A flash point is a point at which something or someone bursts

suddenly into action or being. God's Church will always be the flash point

of whether or not God moves in the nation. God's movement is not based

on the forces arrayed against His purposes, but on the hearts aligned with

His purposes.

Believing that we once were one thing and then it was taken away,

gives us the mentality that our best days are behind us. No, our best days

are yet to come! People are in need, regardless of their nation's direction,

and God is resolute in His redemptive agenda.

97

CHAPTER 5

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

5

"This generation of believers is responsible for this generation

of souls."

—Keith Green

IT WAS 1990 AND I HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED. I was watching a show

on CNN about a report at Chico, California, of a week of riotous partying

by college students. At that time, Chico State University was called "the

number one party school" by Playboy magazine. The TV report was

showing kids completely out of control throwing Molotov cocktails,

bouncing cars, with mobs going down the street.

I remember thinking, "Whoever goes there has to be out of their

mind!" As I was watching this, a student stood up in the midst of it all and

I suddenly felt the burden to go there. Even though my wife and I were

married only three months, we moved to Chico. We hardly knew anyone

there.

On the first Monday I got out on the campus, I really didn't feel any

passion. I felt out of my element. I went there Tuesday. Nothing. I went

there Wednesday. Nothing. I said to my wife, "Babe, maybe we missed it

and I shouldn't have moved you out here." But she encouraged me and

said, "Let's give it more time."

I went back Thursday. It was just about 12:00 noon and I was sitting

on the ledge of the quad and all of a sudden, the clock struck. As it

chimed, the students came pouring into the quad. I was stuck as thousands

99

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

of kids just stood there around me. As I looked up at the crowd, they

ceased to be a faceless mass. They began to be the very intention of why

God had sent His Son. For some unexplained reason I just began to weep

profusely.

I was making a scene as I felt God's overwhelming love for them. I

had to find a place to release this burden, so 1 walked down the street to

my car. I sat there in my car, hitting my dashboard and saying, "God,

You've got to save these students. Whatever You've got to do in my life,

do it."

I felt like God spoke to me this verse (see John 12:24), "Unless a grain

of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it

produces much grain." God's challenge to me was did I care enough about

these students and was I willing to lay my life down. In that moment I

said, "Yes, Lord," and I felt like God said, "Okay, then I can move through

you."

On the Chico University campus, we started seeing people getting

saved left and right. But I believe the real turning point came when I was

able to become heartbroken for humanity.

A PLAGUE HAS BEGUN

In Numbers 16, Moses and Aaron model for prophetic evangelists

what it means to be broken and moved with compassion. They face a

similar situation to what you and I face today.

Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against

Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of

meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the

Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron came before the

tabernacle of meeting. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Get

away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a

moment." And they fell on their faces. So Moses said to Aaron,

"Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it,

and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for

them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has

100

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

begun." Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the

midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among

the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the

people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the

plague was stopped. (Numbers 16:42-48)

The Bible says that the people had gathered against Moses. Moses

represented the law. He represented God's ways and purposes. We see a

nation of people that had gathered against God's purposes and His laws.

We see that in our world today—a plague has begun.

The definition of a plague is "a blow, a striking, and a stumbling."

Haven't we had that in our world today? We've had all three. There's been

a striking against God's Word, the name of God, and His righteousness. As

a result of this striking there has also come a stumbling. Our world

stumbles over what is right and wrong.

As the story goes, a plague hit because the people had turned and

gathered themselves against Moses. Aaron had the choice to remain safe

back in the church house. Francis Schaeffer, the great Christian thinker,

predicted that the greatest threat to the cause of Christ would be if we

became a nation filled with Christians whose goal in life was personal

peace and prosperity.

The people of Israel had been disobedient to God, so now a plague had

hit the nation. Aaron stood there, looking out from the temple at the chaos.

He could see the people dying, as the plague was going right through the

nation. In this crucial moment, Aaron did something so mighty—he ran in

the midst of them. Aaron had to break out. He probably thought to

himself, "I can't just stay back at the nice temple looking out as people are

dropping like flies out there. If this plague is breaking out, I need to break

out too!"

Aaron went and lit a censer and began to make atonement. That's

intercession; when one begins to cry out for the people. Aaron ran down

among the people. At this time, Aaron is well beyond modern-day

retirement age, nevertheless this guy picks up his long priestly garment,

and he sprints out there. The burdened heart of the prophetic evangelist

101

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

says, "I will either live with the living or die with the dying, but I've got to

do something."

The single greatest need for Christianity is for us to have what Aaron

had in that moment: the explosive compassion that says, "I'm going to run

out in the midst. I'm going to stand with the living and the dead."

We've got to see the gospel in its highest terms. The gospel is nothing

less than what saves a nation. The gospel is what stops a plague. What

Aaron did to stop the plague is legendary. We are given "gap principles"

for interceding as prophetic evangelists.

Practical instructions for standing in the gap:

1. Recognize the infection. It is only as we see the effects that sin has

on people that we will contend with compassion. Sometimes we will

witness the hurt they've experienced, and at other times we will feel the

harm they release. Each instance is evidence that we can't just stand by

and watch. Jesus, in Matthew 9:35-38, when He saw the crowd, was

gripped with compassion. The dynamic was achieved, because He got

around hurting people and their oppression registered. There is a fresh

need to get around the lost until it registers and we recognize the infection.

2. Seek to be covered. Anytime we step out to war for souls, it's

vitally important that we are connected to a local body and covered by His

presence. If we're not properly related to a local church, we will be unable

to adequately function in what it takes to be a lifeline for the lost, and it

becomes easy to develop shortsighted tendencies and be more vulnerable

to attacks.

When darkness covered the people, the ministers of God looked to be

covered by the cloud. There used to be a popular phrase, "I got you

covered," meaning that where you would be lacking, someone would help

in that place of shortcoming. When you set out to respond in compassion

to the spiritually bankrupt, God will cover you if you'll turn to Him.

As Moses and Aaron recognized the infection, they turned toward the

tabernacle. Prophetic evangelists know that they must have a positive

posture towards God's house. They also realize their insufficiency and

102

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

vulnerability apart from being clothed in God's manifest presence. If you

turn to God to be equipped, He will release His glory upon you.

3. Get lit up. The act of putting fire in your censer might be the most

pivotal. I'm convinced that a true burden of the Lord will drive us to fire.

There's no excuse for a fireless censer in the desperate hour we live. No

fire—no effect. In the Old Testament, priests were told to keep the fire

burning (see Lev. 6:13). Isaiah prophesies, "The filth of the people would

be purged by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning" (Isa. 4:4).

The spirit of burning is an invigorating anointing that makes people

zealously affected in a good work. It is an ardent love to Christ that carries

you on with resolve in a burden for souls. Fire is the guarantee of divine

assistance and the heavenly fuel necessitated.

4. Enter into intercession. When Aaron was told to make atonement

for the people, to appropriate the atonement, the tool the Father gave was

intercession. Isaiah affirms that Christ, our example, "made intercession

for the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12). This is the pattern prophetic evangelists

must follow with passion. In this passage Isaiah also states that Jesus was

numbered with the transgressors. These two concepts speak of our

assignment to identify with the unchurched, and love enough to stand in

the gap. Our intercession, like Aaron's, will make a difference. God is still

looking for those who will stand in the gap and partner to release God's

purposes in the earth.

Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I

might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

(Jeremiah 9:1)

Jeremiah's desire was that he would have more tears to cry for the

people. He was contending with compassion, just as Aaron did. For

Jeremiah, the thoughts of the perished constantly entered his

consciousness. He held these pictures in his mind day and night. This can

become our model for intercession.

5. Stand in the battlefield. After Aaron prepared himself, the Bible

says, "He ran into the midst," and "stood between the living and the dead."

Being heartbroken for humanity moves us into the marketplace where we

103

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

step into the lives of the perishing, willing to put ourselves on the line,

where we no longer avoid "sinners" or "sinner hangouts." We stand

wherever and whenever God calls us. Aaron responded with his heart and

hastened to make a difference. He saw the bodies falling to the plague and

went to the root of the problem. Aaron didn't return until the mission was

accomplished.

Our assignment is to love people enough to endure the challenges that

stand in the way of their conversion.

ROUSED FROM YOUR ROUTINE

In 1996, I was on staff at a church in Southern California. It was my

date night with my wife. I was finishing up my work and looking at the

clock: 4:30, 4:45, 4:50. I was getting excited to take my wife out for a

dinner. 5:00! I grabbed my stuff and headed out to the parking lot.

As I got closer to my car I could see this man in the distance and I

could tell there was something wrong with him. I remember thinking, "Oh

God, don't let this guy walk up to me; it's my date night!"

As soon as I said that, the guy walks right up to me and asks, "Are you

a pastor at this church?" I said, "Yes," but I wanted to say, "I'm occupied

right now." Just as I was going to make a similar excuse, he said, "I want

you to give me one reason why I shouldn't kill myself. I'm going to give

you one chance to talk me out of it, and if you don't, I'm going to end it

all."

I started to think of all the lines that I use when I go to witness to

someone, but I felt a little bit of pressure. He also got upset whenever I

said the name of Jesus. He said, "You think I'm playing?" He reached in

his car and grabbed a gun and set it down on the other side of him, but

right by me.

Then the man says, "If you don't give me a good reason, I'm not only

going to kill myself, but I'm going to kill you first!" I asked him what his

name was and what was going on. His name was Rocky and he started

telling me, "I'm just mad."

Then Rocky said, "Just talk, man!" I started quickly saying, "Hold on,

104

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

hold on. Jesus Christ changed my life and He can make a difference in

your life too." Every time I would mention Jesus, he would cut me off. He

started opening up by telling me he had been abused by his dad. His dad

was an alcoholic and was abusive to him and his mother. While I was

listening, I could smell alcohol on his breath.

He went on to tell me that when he got older, he had joined the Navy

Seals where the training was pretty intense. But he had gotten kicked out

with a Dishonorable Discharge. One of his Navy Seals buddies had hit

him and Rocky had beaten him within an inch of his life. Later on, he

married a young gal who contracted cancer and died in his arms, so now

he was drunk, widowed, had an abusive past, and was ready to end it all.

I kept trying to witness to him, but he kept getting more agitated. He

grabbed his gun and I said, "Hey, hey, Rocky, let me buy you something

to eat at this delicatessen. They've got great sandwiches." He reluctantly

went with me. We got in my car with his gun still on him. He ordered

corned beef on rye. I then decided that I wasn't going to have anything

because (a) this might be my last meal, and (b) I suddenly felt led to fast at

that moment.

I really felt frustrated because I wasn't having any success with Rocky.

But the one thing I hadn't done up to that point was pray; I hadn't asked

God to join in. So as I prayed and blessed the food, I threw in, "God, I

pray that You will help Rocky."

When I finished the prayer, he pushed the food away and asked, "What

did you just do?" When he first looked at me, I thought I had done

something wrong. But Rocky said, "When you started to pray, I felt a

Hand touch me on the top of my head and went all the way down my neck

and my spine. I don't know what it is, but something is telling me I need to

let you pray with me."

We prayed and he gave his life to Jesus Christ, and I was able to

submit his name for follow up. The significant thing about this incident is

that it was no longer about my plans and what I wanted to pursue once I

recognized that this was life or death to this guy. For me to take some

extra time out of my day meant all the difference in the world.

105

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

DEFINING A BURDEN

A prayer burden is a deep desire on the heart of God that is imparted

by the Holy Spirit to someone whose intercession the Holy Ghost desires

to use.

Jesus has been interceding for the needs of the lost, and now the Spirit

needs you to join with the intercession of Jesus. Before evangelism is a

program, it is a passion—a passion of the heart, which brings in saving

action. Evangelism is the passion of Moses, "Oh, this people have

sinned...yet now, if You would forgive them—if not, blot me, I pray, out

of the book which You have written."

It is the passion of Paul, "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel." It is

the anguished cry of Jesus as He wept over a doomed city, "O Jerusalem,

how much I long to gather you." Passion is the cry of John Knox, "Give

me Scotland or I die," and of John Wesley, "The world is my parish."

Evangelism passion is Henry Martyn landing on the shores of India and

crying, "Here let me burn out for God!" It is David Brainerd coughing up

blood from tuberculosis as he prays in the snow for the early Native

Americans. It is George Whitefield crossing the Atlantic 13 times in a

small boat to preach in the American Colonies.

"Oh Lord, give me souls or take my soul."

—George Whitefield

ATTRIBUTES OF A BURDEN

1. A burden is spiritual engagement. It is a desire for God's mercy

and help for that which is highest and best for an individual. This

concern weighs down upon the praying person, causing that one to

pray as much as possible for the need.

2. A burden is of divine origin. Its source is not natural sympathy or

emotions. It is not something worked up by the flesh; it is born in

the heart of God and conveyed to you by the Spirit's guidance.

3. A burden is individually unique. Others may not share your vision,

burden, or concern. But if God has laid it upon you, you're still

106

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

responsible to intercede.

4. A burden is deeply impressionable. When the Lord places the

burden upon you heavily, it literally weighs upon your heart. The

more fully you identify with the need, the more deeply you will

feel it.

5. A burden makes you accountable. A Spirit-given burden is a

special mandate from the Lord. You may be the only one to whom

the Spirit assigns this prayer burden.

COMPASSION OF CHRIST

The critical nature of sin moved God to go from Heaven to earth to

administer a cure: Jesus Christ had to die on a cross. The Lamb was slain

before the foundation of the world (see Rev. 13:8).

Jesus wrote the script on how He would die. A script that said He

would be betrayed by a friend; that He would be scoffed and mocked that

many of the people who had cheered Him on would be the same ones who

cheered for Him to be crucified; that He would be punched, beaten,

whipped, and crucified in the most excruciatingly painful way.

Don't you think this is One who understands the seriousness of sin and

the measure that has to be taken to get the Cure out to everyone? After

accomplishing all that was prophesied for Him to do, He left a mission for

all of those who would follow Him.

Just before the upper room, the disciples were given the Great

Commission. There was an explosion as their lives became bent on

releasing the power of the gospel message. The word redemption comes

from the Hebrew word "to tear loose and to rescue." That's what we do!

We rip the person out of the hold of sin and rescue them.

The Bible often declares that people who are not saved are seen as

captives of any array of forces: sin, sickness, satan, and death. It has laid

an illegitimate claim on humanity. Jesus described lost people as captives

held in a deadly grip.

Jesus had purpose statements. His mission was to seek and save the

107

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

lost. There is a love and a vengeance in His mission. Think of satan's

surprise on that day when Jesus said, "It is finished." In utter horror, he

looks up and recognizes, in that moment, that God so loved people who

were alienated from Him, that He would bankrupt all of Heaven to send

His best—His Son Jesus Christ.

My soul breaks with longing; for Your judgments at all times (Psalm

119:20).

If you want to understand God, He is a "redemptocentric." He has a

heart fixed on searching for the lost. His heart is all about rescuing and

delivering. The ultimate oppression is the ignorance that keeps people

from knowing Jesus.

The crucial characteristic that brings about your greatest "success" in

helping others is having the heart of Father God. You will be a rescuer if

you can close your eyes in prayer and see the faces of lost people,

knowing that hell is real and they have to get to Heaven. Believers need to

see it as a real place—get connected with the Commission.

LOSTOLOGY

Lostology is about understanding lost people and loving lost people by

giving them directions to God.

Think about being lost on a road somewhere. If you're driving to a new

place and realize you're lost, are you going to get directions by calling

someone you have a relationship with? It's awkward enough when you're

lost, so you like to talk to someone you know. Sometimes God puts people

into your life for the purpose of having a "redemptive relationship." Don't

be afraid to use the collateral you've invested in a relationship by doing the

most important thing you can ever do for someone—give them Jesus. If

Jesus has made a difference in your life, then you ought to tell somebody

about it!

We don't like to admit we're lost, do we? We know how it feels to not

know where we are. We have to learn how to be relevant to this

generation.

108

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

SPIRITUAL A.D.D.—AGAPE DEFICIT DISORDER

The Bible says in Matthew 24:12, on account of lawlessness, the

hearts of many will grow cold. I think there are degrees of what it means

to be cold. There can be a self-righteous coldness where a numbness

towards the condition of the world sets in.

There has been a modern Christian viewpoint where there is a

tendency to have a hardness toward people. Jonah was a unique prophet

who saw one of the largest revivals in the Old Testament. I believe there is

a mind-set called "the Jonah Syndrome."

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai,

saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry out against

it; for their wickedness has come up before Me" (Jonah 1:1-2).

The Ninevites were known as being ruthless and wicked and here God

says, "Go to Nineveh, that great city." Now that was generous. One of the

worst things to get stuck on is how wicked your city is. When people talk

about how wicked all of the major cities in the U.S. are, it just sucks all of

the faith and hope out of people. But God sees cities from a redemptive

angle! Part of having the heart of God is having His eyes. He sees people

as what they could be, not what they are.

THE JONAH SYNDROME

Jonah's slant was convenience. The major thing that is an enemy of

receiving a burden of the Lord is that we live in a culture that worships

convenience. We drive past restaurants and they throw our food through

the window. We push buttons on our computers to replace shopping. The

word convenience means "absence of trouble, attuned to one's personal

comfort, and ease of action." Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh; he

wanted to go to Tarshish, which was a totally different place from

Nineveh. It was like he was taking off on a vacation to leisure world. He

wanted to do his own thing.

Having the burden of the Lord is not about convenience. If you're

going to look at the true Christian life, it is not going to be convenient for

109

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

you. The fact is, dying on a cross is not convenient. Jesus could have just

said, "Father, save Me from this hour." But no, He said, "For this very

purpose I have come into the world." He chose to fulfill His destiny to be

the Deliverer.

You are a part of a people God has produced to penetrate the veil of

the ordinary. You are a golden, holy storehouse of God's potential. You

have the life in you to liberate literally the entire world. You've got

enough gospel truth in you to see a full-fledged "God move" shape your

nation overnight. A fresh release of mercy is much needed in this hour.

What sabotaged Jonah's leisure trip was actually God's move of mercy.

God sent a big fish to get Jonah so he would be a fisher of men.

Those who regard worthless idols; forsake their own mercy

(Jonah 2:8).

This verse also uses the term "lying vanities" for worthless idols,

describing the deceptive smoke screens of all the spiritual substitutes. Do

you know what the sabotage of a burden is? It's being distracted by

entertainment and personal goals that are not necessarily God's plan for us.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and

stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather

your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her

wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37)

Human nature would say it's okay to be offended over their behavior,

but no, Jesus said in spite of that He still wants to gather them together

because He loves them. The only thing that's stopping us is that we won't

let His love move in us.

There's something deeper than political persuasions, affiliations, and

social causes; it's the ultimate sense that we are a part of the offspring of

God. We are the kingdom of God. Our greatest affiliation must be that we

are lovers of Christ and deliverers of people.

Whatever else you are and whatever else you identify with, you must

be, above all, a follower of Christ.

110

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

ETERNAL BODY SNATCHING

The prophet Joel speaks of how imperative a broken heart realization

is, in the repairing of broken lives.

The seed shrivels under the clods, storehouses are in

shambles; barns are broken down, for the grain has withered (Joel

1:17).

In this passage a picture is given about the gospel remaining locked in

unbroken hearts. The seed represents the gospel message, and the clods

represent unbroken hearts. The storehouse speaks of churches, and the

barns could represent our communities. Finally, the grain is an image of

the harvest. The final picture becomes a tragic view that cities and

communities break down because believers won't break down. Today's

evangelism makes tomorrow's harvest possible.

The spiritual capital invested in our generation by previous generations

of believers will eventually be exhausted. We must be new "brokers" of

spiritual wealth for our nation.

Do you not say, "There are still four months and then comes

the harvest"? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the

fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps

receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who

sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying

is true: "One sows and another reaps." I sent you to reap that for

which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have

entered into their labors (John 4:35-38).

A big church is not an end in itself—it's an instrument for evangelism.

God makes it big to have a big impact, but the water ripples are expected

to go further.

When I was a kid I can remember seeing a horror movie classic that

shook me up—it still shakes me up! It was called " Invasion of the Body

Switchers." There was an alien intergalactic enemy that planted parasitical

organisms called "pods." These "pods" would make an alien clone

substitute of you while you were sleeping, leaving a shell of who you were

111

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

and the clone of you would have the alien's agenda.

People found out about it and heroically tried to thwart the aliens and

rescue folks. My buddies and I would cover our eyes every time the pod

would shoot out vines, which mutated people during slumbering times. It

was frightening, and anxiety would fill our bodies. I've often thought

about this movie since then and can feel my pulse rise thinking about

those pods. This movie plot was not as original as I thought. This same

plot is described in Matthew 13:24-28.

The kingdom is likened to a man who sowed good seed, and while he

slept, his enemy sowed tares, which originally looked like wheat. Tares

were false plants that resembled the true, but tares impede the wheat's

maturity. In the movie, to save folks, you had to do two things:

1. Wake them before it was too late, and

2. Rip off the false vines connected to them that mutated its host.

Today, the enemy wants to mutate the Body of Christ. He plants

substitute agendas, cloned programs, and tangential emphasis that impede

evangelism taking place through churches. Our adversary wants to replace

God's soul-winning agenda in you. Churches who don't have evangelistic

outreach have signed their own death certificates. We must wake up and

rip off of us all of the false vines trying to mutate us from being the soul-

winning organisms that we are called to be.

It is vital that you, as a Christian, be dedicated to sharing your faith

and maintaining your motivation in the face of persecution. To not preach

the gospel means you hide the medicine for the patient who is dying.

THREE REVELATIONS THAT WILL KEEP YOU MOTIVATED IN BODY

SNATCHING:

1. A revelation of hell—Luke 16:24

When the rich man, who had no time for the things of God during his

life, gets a major glimpse of hell, he suddenly became evangelistic.

2. A revelation of rewards—Luke 16:9

What we need is a revelation of the value of a soul. What Jesus is

112

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

saying in this verse is if you'll use your money to get people saved, when

you die they are going to be there waiting to receive you in Heaven.

3. A revelation of the stockpile factor—2 Kings 7:7-9

One of the strongest motivations of all is a realization of the abundant

provision we have in Christ.

In Second Kings 6, the four lepers recognized that their discovery of

abundant blessing must be followed up with delivering that "good news"

to others. It says in Daniel 12:3, "Those who are wise shall shine like the

brightness of the firmament. And those who turn many to righteousness

like the stars forever and ever."

ACTION STEP ADDENDUM

A FRESH BAPTISM OF BROKENNESS

It says in the Bible that we have this treasure in earthen vessels (see 2

Cor. 4:7-12). Spiritual effectiveness lies in God coming out through us. I

want to extend a lifeline to lost humanity, and the question is, how do I let

this lifeline come out through me? How do I get the life that is in me out

of me in order to reach others? A clue to this is addressed by classic author

T.A. Sparks. He wrote, "As an instrument, the soul has to be won,

mastered, and ruled in relation to the higher ways of God."

There is something that has to do with our soul that helps the treasure

and life on the inside to be able to get out. The Church is designed by God

to be a prophetic influence on every other sphere in the earth, which is

why this revelation is so paramount.

1. Brokenness releases the treasure. In the one who is unbroken the

gospel is blocked and can't flow out. Brokenness releases the treasure

within you. Is it possible that the reason 95 percent of Christians have

never led a soul to Christ is because we've gone through our Christian

walk unbroken?

If you have an unbroken heart, your spirit is unable to function, or it

comes forth mixed with your own thoughts and emotions. This works in

every relationship in your life. Brokenness is a weapon. If I can become

broken, something within me can get outside of me and touch someone

113

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

else, and when my spiritual life touches their spiritual death, they're

awakened. Spirit doesn't touch spirit if you're not broken.

2. Brokenness brings revelation. Jesus always had the right words,

because He knew men's hearts. The more broken you are the more

sensitive you are. How many of you can hear God so much clearer after

you have had a good cry at the altar?

When I'm broken, my discernment is really on. Our effectiveness is

closely related to our discernment of people's spiritual conditions. When

I'm not broken, I can be full of distracting preoccupations. I'm convinced

that if you are broken when you pray for folks, you will be able to discern

exactly what is going on with them because the Word of God rises up

inside of a broken person. Our spirit is released according to the degree of

our brokenness.

Brokenness is a state of heart. Whenever we preserve and make

excuses for ourselves we're deprived of spiritual sensitivity and supply.

Prophetic evangelism is about spirit touching spirit. It isn't about

merely giving head knowledge to somebody in hopes of reaching them.

When your spirit touches another spirit, God awakens the spirit that

has darkness in it. They may choose to harden themselves, but it's a

serious fight on their part when spirit touches spirit. The whole hunger for

spirituality that's in the world today is simply a craving for spirit to touch

spirit.

Divine prescriptions flow when the walls of the outer man and the

inner man are broken down and are no longer contrary. When there is

unity between that outward man and that inward man, brokenness allows

there to be an accurate diagnosis of situations. Christ's ministry through us

is possible to the degree that we are broken. Brokenness—it tears down

the walls and releases a pure spirit.

In Second Chronicles 34:27, God said to Josiah, "Because your heart

was tender I'm going to show grace before your eyes for your entire life,

judgment will be stayed off." Because Josiah was broken he was a

blessing to his nation his entire life.

3. Brokenness attracts the lost. Revivalist Evan Roberts had a

114

HEARTBROKEN FOR HUMANITY

brokenness that released an atmosphere about him. This atmosphere was

attractive to the unreached. The sound that attracts Heaven is the sound of

a heart breaking. Roberts saw 110,000 souls come to Christ in one year.

Why? Because when Evan Roberts got touched by God, this was his

prayer, "O Lord, bend me, bend the Church, save the world!"

Evan Roberts's cry was one of brokenness, abandonment, and total

submission. It was said of him that something melted his whole being and

a revelation of Calvary's love hit him like never before, and that became

the theme of the whole revival. It was also cited that he carried the ability

to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit as almost a tangible force.

The open door to having God's presence is preceded by lamenting,

mourning, and weeping. Mourning produces a dynamic necessary to be

receptive to what God reveals and a receptacle of what God releases (see

James 4:9-10). Brokenness pulls the trigger on releasing what God has

invested inside of us.

STEPS TO PULLING THE TRIGGER

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to pour God's love into your heart.

2. Seek to be broken by God's compassion.

3. Identify with the needs of lost humanity.

4. Begin to cry out for the unsaved trapped in darkness.

5. Become a lifeline for those who need hope.

Now that we hit the dynamic of brokenness, I want to give you 15

areas for you to pray for your lost loved ones:

15 KEY INTERCESSORY TARGETS

1. Pray that God would draw them to Himself, as only He can do—

John 6:44.

2. Pray they seek to know God—Acts 17:26-27.

3. Pray they believe the Word of God—First Thessalonians 2:13.

4. Pray that satan is kept from blinding them from the truth—Second

115

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Corinthians 4:4.

5. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin, and their need for

Christ's redemption—John 16:8-13.

6. Ask for God to soften their hearts—Hebrews 3:15.

7. Ask God to send someone who will share the gospel with them—

Matthew 9:37-38.

8. Ask God to loose laborers for the harvest—Matthew 9:38.

9. Pray that God would give you the opportunity, the courage, and the

right words to be able to share the truth with them—Colossians

4:2-6 and Ephesians 6:18-20.

10. Pray they turn from their sin and the error of their ways—Acts

17:30-31 and First Thessalonians 1:9-10.

11. Ask God to open their eyes—Second Corinthians 4:3-4.

12. Pray they would put all their trust in Christ—John 1:12; 5:24.

13. Ask that God will loose the ministry of angels—Hebrews 1:13-14.

14. Pray they make Jesus Christ the Lord of their life—Romans 10:9-

11.

15. Ask that they take root and grow in their faith—Second

Corinthians 2:6-7.

"My one ambition in life is to win as many as possible. Oh, it is

the only thing worth doing, to save souls."

—R. A. Torrey

116

CHAPTER 6

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

6

IF WE'RE GOING TO WIN SOULS, we're going to have to war. But the

challenge will be to outlast and outrun the opposition in this last hour.

There is a problem in the Church today. I believe that problem is that we

don't know how to be a channel for the raw power of God. We don't know

how to let God flow through us the way He wants to. A channel is a tube

that water flows through, or a conduit that electricity flows through. We

need the water of the Spirit and the electrical dynamo of the Holy Ghost to

flow through us in new dimensions.

When I read the Book of Acts, the Church didn't have this problem.

When you have a power shortage in the Body of Christ, you're left to

relying upon man-made things. Today, we're often left to synthetic

solutions when the answers to our problems are supernatural. Now is not

the time to handle it on our own!

Let's look at two consequences of not knowing how to properly

channel the Spirit:

1. We are not seeing an overcoming, empowered people as God

designed us to be. Jesus died on the cross so you and I could be totally

empowered people. When our testimony is anything less than that

overcoming level, it casts a negative light on what Christianity represents

to the world.

2. We are not attracting the world's attention because we appear

too often to live a contradiction to our message. We say, "Come to

Christ and He will break your addictions and He will deliver you from

117

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

bondage." Yet, when we look at our current state, we also have all the

problems that we are proclaiming Jesus will set people free from.

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

We are coming against the "big guns." You're not having little attacks

come against you; you are having full blown, three-alarm trials come upon

you. You and I may wish that our warfare would be lighter, yet much of it

is due to the times we live in.

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also

resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the

faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be

manifest to all, as theirs also was (2 Timothy 3:8-9).

The end-time Church is going to experience the facing off of the big

guns. Jannes and Jambres were the New Agers of Pharaoh's court. They

tapped into the dark, demonic powers performing lying signs and wonders.

Paul tells us what is going to happen in the last days. He declares in this

verse that the big guns are coming out. The battle lines are not drawn over

ideologies as much as spiritual forces.

The second thing that happens when we properly channel the Spirit is

that the end-time Church will experience what Moses experienced. Moses

took a rod in his hand and released a noticeable authority over Jannes and

Jambres. I believe that the end-time Church is going to receive a rod of

supernatural power, where miracles will become the order of the day. I

want to see the supernatural power of God, yet it is so easy to tie into

today's culture that is so cynical. We almost don't want to extend ourselves

to believe!

Paul is saying that what Moses experienced, we're going to experience.

This means that we're going to come with a similar power in the endtimes.

Isn't that exciting?

The advancing influence of false prophetic powers and dark spiritual

forces will come to a sudden stop. They will be cut off, illustrated by the

fact that verse 9 says, "They will progress no further, for their folly will be

manifest to all."

118

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

Paul is saying that this will include all dark supernatural forces,

including witchcraft. Witchcraft is to power for non-believers, what the

Holy Ghost is to power for believers. The Bible uses the Greek word

dunamis, which means, "dynamite, explosive, miracle power." It's the hour

where witchcraft is squaring off against dunamis.

It's that element where the anointing of whatever source you're

plugged into will prove to be your destiny. This means that we are going

to demonstrate power that will override the sorcery that is coming up

against us.

Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they

found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was

Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an

intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and

sought to hear the word of God, But Elymas the sorcerer (for so

his name is translated) withstood them., seeking to turn the

proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul,

filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full

of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all

righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of

the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and

you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately

a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to

lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw

what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord

(Acts 13:6-12).

Acts 13 is a turning point. Winston Churchill would call it an

"unhinged moment in history." The apostle Paul is about to have a battle

that changes him from Saul to Paul because he walked in the Spirit. It

changed his identity, and one battle can change your identity too!

YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU WON'T GROW

The worst thing you and I can do is run from our spiritual battles. God

wants to transform us and He does this in the midst of our battles. Just one

119

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

battle can elevate your anointing, and one battle can get you in where you

weren't in before. Don't be afraid to take on battles because it is in the time

of battles that the supremacy of the kingdom is demonstrated and

manifested.

There was a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus was also called

Elymas. Saul and Barnabas were back in Jerusalem and the Spirit of the

Lord came and said, "I want you to send out Saul and Barnabas." We are

living in a time where the Holy Spirit must be the Genius of all we do. The

truth of the matter is that you and I have to forge a relationship with the

person of the Holy Spirit, unlike any other time in our past. So when He

speaks to us, we must hear and move as He directs. Isn't it interesting that

this guy Elymas is going around calling himself the son of Jesus? But Paul

had that "x-ray discernment" and said, "You are not the son of Jesus;

you're the son of the devil." Elymas was boasting that he was divine, but

really he was demonic. Paul was called an apostle. Notice that up to this

point he never functioned as an apostle. It is not enough to have a title;

we've got to function in what we've been calling ourselves.

Here is a crisis in Paul's history, but it's a crisis that in a moment of

victory changed his identity. We're in a crisis because God wants to

change our identity. He wants to bring a revelation and a revolution to

how we function. The crisis that you're in right now is an opportunity to

change. We have stuck our heads in the sand in some instances, hoping

that the big bad wolf would just go away (or at least quit huffing and

puffing). This isn't going to happen. We must be walking in authority and

functioning as a victorious Church!

Paul and Barnabas were sent to the island of Paphos by the Holy

Spirit. Paphos means "boiling hot." This was a hot spot, a war zone, and

this place is where the big guns were going off. This is their first

missionary trip and they had no idea they would immediately have a

hearing with the governor!

The temple of Venus was in Paphos. Venus was worshiped through

sexual rites. She was worshiped as queen of Paphos. Literally, her shrine

had such a demonic charge on it that one scholar actually wrote, "Neither

man nor woman could look at this shrine without being defiled in their

120

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

minds, and depraved in their character."

How would you like your first missionary trip to be in a place like

this? Typically, we send the "veteran" missionaries to the spiritual "danger

zones." Paul is sent on his first mission's trip to a place where perversion

reigns. He is also given a divine appointment with a Roman-appointed

governor who had a demonized advisor (using false prophetic gifts) by his

side. When we look at our world today, is that not the case also?

Pornography is a multibillion-dollar business. Psychic advisors are in high

demand and are fully "bank rolled."

Here is the key of this whole thing. The Bible says that Paul was

"filled with the Holy Spirit." He would not be effective in a place where

there was such a demonic stronghold, and a "wreck-you-for-life" statue—

unless he was filled with the Spirit of God.

HOW TO BREAK FALSEHOOD

Miraculous manifestations will always be used by God to break the

spell of falsehood. You don't break falsehood by debating it, so Paul didn't

get into a debate with Elymas. He discerned and dealt with the root issues.

Paul flowed in the gift of discernment of spirits, which is the God-given

ability to discern the source of a spiritual manifestation, whether it is

human, divine, or demonic. As a result, Paul broke through to total

liberation for himself and those he ministered to.

But they will progress no further, for their folly will be

manifest to all, as theirs also was (2 Timothy 3:9).

The more wicked a place, the more the need for a Spirit-filled witness.

The Bible says that the governor was intelligent. We think, "Intelligent

people would never get involved in the occult. Intelligent people would

never allow themselves to be influenced by witchcraft." Not true.

Although he was brilliant, the governor was duped because his advisor

was a demonized individual causing a veil of confusion. Paul's approach

to intelligence was to flow in the supernatural.

We need the Spirit of God to direct and lead us. All of the intellectuals

are praying for one real miracle, and if they see it, many would surrender

121

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

their lives to God.

In all my years of ministry, I have never seen an intellectual won to

Christ with intellectualism. Intellectualism was the wrong tree in the

Garden of Eden and it is the wrong tree today. We must study to show

ourselves approved, but submit our intellect to the Spirit of God.

Elymas (Bar-Jesus) wanted to maintain control. Demonic powers

always want to have control. The greater anointing there is on your life,

the greater the attack will be to try to gain control of your life. The greater

the opportunity, the greater the opposition. We need to be sitting daily at

the fireplace of God's dunamis power saying, "God, give me more."

We're not going to be able to set free a generation who has the spirit of

Elymas on them with a nice little sermon about ten reasons why they

should listen to me. No, we need the power of God!

THE ELYMAS SPIRIT

Elymas was skilled in the art of divination. He was fluent in spiritism

and was able to exercise that influence upon others. We have a generation

who has been raised on divination in everything from video games to hot

lines, from cartoons to daytime talk shows.

Elymas was a pretender to the gift of prophecy. He had a counterfeit,

which in a vacuum of the real, passed as legitimate. Many spiritists would

be out of a job tomorrow if the Church operated in genuine, Holy Spirit

gifts and power.

Elymas perverted the right ways. This spirit perverts the right ways, so

that people don't see what is right. In fact, we have a postmodern

generation who says that there is no right. There is no doubt in my mind

that there is a spirit of Elymas today. It seeks to misrepresent. He had the

ability to put a dark spin on something that would prejudice people's

opinion towards Christianity. He could paint anything with false colors.

There's a spirit upon political correctness that is able to put a dark spin

and prejudice in the taste buds of a generation. This results in people

having built-in biases to the gospel. The Church needs a reformation; we

need a change. We need to break the Elymas spirit. Another interesting

122

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

thing that one scholar said was, "Elymas was a degenerate descendant of

the cultic priests of Pharaoh's court." This would tie Elymas to Jannes and

Jambres, the Egyptians who opposed Moses, thus fulfilling Paul's

prophetic word in Second Timothy 3:8.

CLEAN UP THIS MESS!

I believe that it is going to get messy, but the treasures who come out

of darkness are going to be very thrilled and satisfied. We're going to have

to loose the grave clothes off of the Lazarus generation coming to us.

We're not going to have to make new converts want God. They're going to

be so excited to be delivered from being Dracula last week that they're

going to be at our churches worshiping God!

In the days to come, the preaching of the gospel is going to produce a

different type of opposition. These false spirits are fighting for the same

souls we're fighting for, so we have got to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

We will have a grace from the Lord to be able to look at people and

immediately know how to prescribe what it's going to take to get them out

of darkness and into light.

God filled Paul with the Holy Spirit for emergencies just like this.

You're going to have some emergencies, so you need to be filled with the

Holy Spirit. Paul could repel a sorcerer and attract a governor in one fell

swoop. That's prophetic evangelism. In back-to-back verses it says that

Saul was filled, and Elymas was filled; what a contrast. Everybody in the

coming age of contending for souls will be filled with something.

AWOL OR AWAKE?

A young follower, John Mark, bolted after this scenario. Many

scholars have different thoughts on why he might have left. But Paul was

very adamant that he wasn't going to take John Mark along with them

again. So in Paul's eyes there wasn't an excuse for his absence.

I believe that when John Mark saw that his power encounter got a little

messy, he wasn't ready for it, so he bolted. Later on, Barnabas took John

Mark with him, and praise God that he did, otherwise we would not have

123

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

the Gospel of Mark. John Mark went on to write the second book of the

Gospels, which focuses on the supernatural nature of Christ. For John

Mark, it was the failure of spiritual courage, and it proves that even the

best human surroundings will not ensure spiritual steadfastness. Not only

did the Spirit send Paul, he was armed by the Spirit. By this power, Paul

pronounced a judgment on Elymas that rendered him blind. Elymas was

not blind forever, but just for a time. It says that immediately a dark mist

fell upon him and he went around seeking someone to lead him.

I don't know what ended up happening to Elymas, but I do know what

happened to Sergius Paulus. The Bible says, "The proconsul believed

when he saw what had been done."

NEGOTIATING THE OBSTACLE COURSE

Paul's model for evangelism demonstrated that not only did he

encounter obstacles, he expected them (see 2 Cor. 7:5). All who want to

do the work of the kingdom will encounter some form of plaguing

resistance.

Points of Personal Resistance:

1. Fear—Fear is the most common spiritual snag that seizes people.

This often manifests itself as nervousness, which handicaps people,

defeating them in the locker room before actually witnessing. Failure to

recognize this dark spirit, which likes to attach itself to soul winners,

results in short-circuiting prophetic leadings, as well as the ability to

establish rapport with lost people.

Filling the heart and mind with the greatest fear buster known to

mankind (the Word of God) is the answer. When the sword of the Spirit is

found in your sheath, you can cut the hindering vines of anxiety! We must

remember that God hasn't made us to function with fear, but has released

power to us and given us a sound mind to help conquer the fear.

2. Being Misunderstood—In a world where perception is reality, it is

easy for the spiritually confused to misinterpret and misconstrue attempts

to rescue them. Peter and the boys were misunderstood as being drunk on

124

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

the Church's birthday and it seems as if mix-ups still get duplicated on a

daily basis.

Moses was misunderstood by the Israelites whom he was sent to

deliver. They accused him of making things worse and putting a sword in

their enemy's hand (see Exod. 5:21). How's that for gratitude? Prophetic

evangelists must have "tough skin" and keep their eyes on their callings

and their divine goal.

I am often buoyed by the promise God gave Ezekiel the prophet (see

Ezek. 3:8-9) when he was told that his forehead was made like "adamant

stone, harder than flint." The answer for the clay feet is a flint forehead.

God also told Ezekiel not to be dismayed by people's looks.

Sometimes the looks I get when I witness can stump me. Once I

realized that I needed God to shine illumination upon souls, I could

weather being misunderstood.

3. Discouragement—Discouragement can be so deflating! It's

reminiscent of an embedded nail in your new white-wall tire. You just

keep losing volume and elevation while being hissed at.

Elijah got discouraged after the miracle of Mt. Carmel, when Ahab

and Jezebel weren't convinced or consumed. This feeling can be

overwhelming and suffocate the flame of evangelical fervor in a

nanosecond.

Many prophets and evangelists have had a bout or two with

discouragement. The key to dismissing discouragement is to look to God

for our cues and not human expressions.

Your focus means everything in these times. When your focus and

courage go, you won't rise up to the demands of the occasion.

4. Doubt and unbelief—Strong feelings of uncertainty and being

waylaid by how unlikely someone's salvation seems, is common. If I gave

up witnessing every time I've felt doubtful, I wouldn't have seen one

person come to Christ, and I wouldn't have stuck around too long.

These twin thieves of doubt and unbelief rob us of a precious harvest

and sentence us to watered down expectations. Thomas, the disciple,

125

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

doubted the testimony of the risen Savior even though he had walked with

Jesus for three years and saw His marvels firsthand. He even refused the

testimony of his fellow disciples. Yet, Thomas got past this speed bump

with Jesus' help and went on to be martyred by pagan priests for preaching

the gospel to India. He obviously got through this battle time and time

again by touching Jesus.

Touching Jesus is still the antidote to doubt and unbelief. We do this

by prayer and worship in time spent alone with God. If we can defeat the

unbelief before us, we will defeat the unbelief before them.

5. The devil—He stands to lose the most as souls are won to Christ.

There are visible hindrances and invisible hindrances, and what you don't

see can be the most lethal. We must not be ignorant of his devices and

recognize that this "strong man" is about to be plundered by the Stronger

One who lives in you and me. In Luke 11:22, we are told his armor can be

taken from him. I'm convinced that this armor involves his limited

authority and power, which involves deception.

When we bring light and Christ's authority to trapped hearts, satan's

deceptive powers dissipate and we can multiply our converts by dividing

the spoil. God is going to ultimately crush satan underneath your

"beautiful feet that bring the good news."

BE A VOICE FOR SOULS

Genesis 18 shows us that Abraham was a voice for souls. He cried out

and said he would stand in the gap because he was a voice for lost souls in

his generation. Remember what he did for Lot and his family? "God, if

there are just ten righteous people, don't let judgment come on them."

In Exodus 32, Moses was a voice for souls when Aaron and the people

were melting their gold and making idols. "God, if You're going to strike

these people, I'm going to stand in the gap." In Esther 8, Esther was a

voice for souls. She begged for the lives of her people. "If I die, I die, but

I'm going to go before the king and beg on behalf of my people." In

Romans 15, the apostle Paul was a voice for souls.

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, would go out to the

126

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

bars, get people saved, then train and disciple them. Then they would all

go out and get people saved. He was quoted to say, "If every Christian

could taste hell for 30 minutes, it would be good." If all of us could taste

hell, we would be a lot more diligent in soul winning. If we could just

relive our lives with all of the oppression before we got saved, we would

become a consistent voice for souls.

UNLEASHING INTERCESSION

The secret of reaching men and women is to know the secret of

reaching God. The secret of reaching humanity is found in reaching God.

We need to unleash intercession for a harvest breakthrough. When we

pour out of our spirit in prayer, God pours out of His Spirit in response to

our prayer. There needs to be a whole new dimension of intercession.

Once I had a vision of a golden ladder (similar to the story of Jacob)

where God wanted to begin moving in cities. Angels were ascending up

and down the ladders. I knew it meant the free circulation of ministry

influence. It reminded me there was a connection between what was going

on in the earth and what was going on in Heaven. The enemy works to

disconnect us from understanding that connection. He doesn't want us to

see that what we do in terms of prayer, and our heart's compassion for the

lost, releases things in the heavenlies.

Intercession not only affects who I'm witnessing to, it also releases

something in the heavenlies. Whenever I speak the Word and act like

Christ, I'm releasing something in the atmosphere.

IT'S VEILED

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are

perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not

believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the

image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

The Bible says our gospel is veiled. Unbelievers don't understand

because they can't understand. It takes God to reveal God. It takes God to

remove the veil.

127

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Lost people don't understand when we share, because they can't

understand. Somehow we've got to see that veil. The word "veil" in the

Greek is kalupsis, and the Greek word for "revelation" is apokalupsis. To

see the lost converted requires a God-sent revelation to undo the veil. The

cover-up is what satan does; the uncovering is what God does. When

you're witnessing and you wonder why a person is not getting it, it's

because they can't get it apart from apokalupsis. That is why effective

witnessing takes prayer.

A COUPLE MORE THOUGHTS

A person hearing the gospel has to have a revelation to see the light,

and that is why prayer is so vital. Doing spiritual transactions requires

God's removal of the veil. You've got to come against the veil with prayer.

You cannot penetrate a spiritual veil with natural weapons. You cannot be

witty enough, or say the perfect words, only God can remove this veil.

Life will get easier for you when you understand this. I used to get so

frustrated in my earlier evangelism days because I was trying to remove a

spiritual veil with natural weaponry. Then the Lord set me on a track to

pray. I'll be honest. I didn't enjoy prayer. If I felt God's presence with me,

it was great, but there were times when it felt uninspired. At those times, it

was really a struggle for me, until I began to understand that even when

there are no goose bumps, prayer can still be effective, and God will use it.

There's a reward in a commitment to prayer, regardless of feelings. Part of

the reward of being disciplined in prayer is becoming an influencer and

having favor with people.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to

the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but

mighty in God for pulling down [change of control and rulership]

strongholds, casting down arguments [speculations, imaginations,

and calculative reasonings] and every high thing that exalts itself

against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into

captivity to the obedience of Christ... (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

The context of this passage is not about just doing warfare for you, but

128

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

doing it on behalf of other people. This spiritual battle is not just dealing

with your own thoughts, but dealing with the thoughts in other people.

God is saying, "I have empowered you to cast down arguments, belief

systems, and reasonings." God has given you heavy-duty artillery to back

you up. You have the name and blood of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to

convict. There are even angels working behind the scenes on folks!

Right now you may be thinking, "I'm not good at witnessing," or "I'm

too shy." All exploits begin with looking away from our insufficiency and

seeing God's sufficiency. We don't generate life, but we release it through

prayer!

Satan has a department in hell that works overtime with smear

campaigns. He gets you to separate (in your mind) your action from the

effect it will produce. Satan wants you to believe that you're wasting your

time when you pray. But demons know that when you pray, you can move

Heaven and earth! An aspiration will only become a realization with

perspiration. Knowing that we're up against the big guns, stirs the

prophetic evangelist to get armed and dangerous in the weapons of the

Spirit.

SPIRITUAL FASHION SHOW

"No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper" (Isa. 54:17). This

verse highlights the fact that the enemy doesn't chuck some indiscriminate

weapon in your general direction. He studies you and watches for your

tendencies. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. So by the time the

weapon leaps out against you, the adversary is confident you will be shut

down. Yet Isaiah 54:17 remains as a promise from God which becomes

the equalizer in spiritual battles.

While satan is fashioning weapons against us, God is fashioning a

defense for us, fashioning you and I into a weapon of choice against the

current darkness (see Jer. 51:20). God promises to be our shield (see Ps.

84:9) and to guard and establish us from the evil one (see 2 Thess. 3:3). It

is really God, in this hour, who is coming out with the big guns. I want to

be an urban Holy Ghost "street sweeper."

129

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Matthew affirms that the kingdom will be taken by the spiritually

violent (see Matt. 11:12). Spiritual violence denotes a radical intensity in

the inner man to walk in the Spirit no matter what stands in the way. God

also fashions a strategy that if we will fall into line with, we will see others

rescued and set free into God's purposes.

The strategy of the Lord is made up of two parts. One part is the

general redemptive purpose of God to redeem humanity. The second part

is a specific assignment for us to step into, which requires an abandonment

only found on our knees. When fulfilled, this twofold strategy never fails

to see a massive harvest.

Now is your time to do great exploits through the strategy of our Great

Commander in Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ.

ACTION STEP ADDENDUM

EMPOWERMENT OF THE SPIRIT

I believe that in this century there will be an inauguration of the

"greater works" era for the Body of Christ. Prophetic power will be

manifested with a supernatural mantle of gospel-confirming signs. Healing

Revivalist, John G. Lake, said, "Christianity is 100 percent supernatural."

One of the single most puzzling enigmas in Scripture is how a small

crowd of cowering disciples, jumping at their own shadows, could

suddenly metamorphose into a revolutionary army who rocked the early

world with the gospel. The answer lies in the dynamic empowerment of

the Spirit. The empowerment of the Spirit is so vital to the prophetic

evangelist that without supernatural power we will fade into spiritual

oblivion. We need this explosive power to fulfill the Great Commission.

The Holy Spirit introduces a radically different dimension—a power plant

that propels us into another realm of effectiveness.

Definition of Baptism: Being fully covered with. When we are

baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit we become "partakers of the divine

nature" at the optimal level.

If you have never been filled with the Holy Spirit, today is your day! I

have included steps on how to be empowered by the Spirit. May this

130

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

empowerment transform your life the way that it has transformed mine.

PRINCIPLES FOR EMPOWERMENT

Jesus knew that we would need both a special boldness and divine

"overflow" to be effective prophetic evangelists. The Scriptures teach us

that every believer, born of the Word and the Spirit, automatically has the

Holy Spirit within. The Holy Spirit came and took up residence in you at

the moment of your salvation. We also see in Scripture that the Holy

Spirit's empowerment was, in many cases, a subsequent and deliberate

step taken by new believers.

The indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit is automatic; you didn't

have to seek His indwelling presence when you first got saved. He came

and took up residence within your heart at the moment of your salvation.

The empowering of the Spirit is seldom automatic. It usually comes in

response to prayer and being proactive about pursuing the empowerment

of the Spirit (see Acts 19:2).

If you have never taken this step of faith and experienced the Holy

Spirit's filling and empowerment, consider the following points from John

7.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and

cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart

will flout rivers of living water. " But this He spoke concerning the

Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy

Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John

7:37-39).

1."If anyone" —Accept His invitation to be filled and overflowing

with the Spirit.

2."Thirsts" —Express your strong desire to be filled with the Spirit.

3."Come to Me" —Focus on Jesus, believing that He is the one who

pours out the Spirit on those who believe.

4."Drink" —Receive by drinking deeply, partaking by faith, of the

131

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

refreshing and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

5."Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" —Release the

river of the Spirit to flow freely out of your being, bringing life to those

thirsty people around you. You release the river by actively ministering to

others from the overflow of what you have received.

Definition of Receive— lambano: Active; to take with the hand, to

seize, to strive to obtain, to take a thing according to agreement.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not only a scriptural truth but also

an experiential reality. As seen in Scripture, you will know when you have

been filled with the Spirit. You will see the effects of this river in your

personal life and in a new empowerment to share the good news of Jesus

Christ with others!

If this is your desire, I invite you to set aside some time in a quiet

place where you can pray this simple prayer to God. When you have

finished this prayer, take time to just be alone with Him, simply drinking

with gratitude of His empowering Holy Spirit.

"Father, thank You for the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through

Jesus Christ Your Son. Jesus is now my Savior and Lord. Having received

Your great salvation, I now accept Your invitation to be filled to

overflowing with the Holy Spirit. I am asking that Your Spirit would come

and satisfy my thirst and become a river of living water pouring out of me.

I come to You, believing that You have poured out for me the empowering

Holy Spirit. I now, by faith, receive Your empowerment, drinking deeply

of You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit now. Let Your Spirit overflow like the

river You promised so that others may drink through me. I thank You for

this empowerment."

I know that God will honor your desire, thirst, and prayer of faith,

sovereignly pouring out the Holy Spirit on you as He did numerous times

in Acts.

How to pray for others to receive the empowerment of the Spirit:

1. Teach them what the Bible says about this experience (see Acts

2:1-4).

132

COMING OUT WITH THE BIG GUNS

2. Have them pray and ask God to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Have them confess, worship, and release passionate love towards

Christ.

3. Lay your hands on their head and invite the Holy Spirit to fill

them.

4. Instruct them to receive what God is doing.

5. When you sense the Holy Spirit upon them, encourage them to

express this gift, expecting God's heavenly language and

evangelical fervor.

133

CHAPTER 7

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

7

I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE IN CAMPUS MINISTRY in Northern

California, sitting at our tract and book table where we witnessed to

people. In the distance, I saw a young man who was running for Student

Body President and I immediately saw him through redemptive eyes. I

saw him saved and knew that he would be a radical Christian. I walked

over and tried to start up a relationship. He blew me off the first time. He

was hardened and wanted nothing to do with me.

His fraternity brother had wanted to be a Black Muslim but had given

his life to the Lord at an open-air meeting that I had preached at. One day I

was discipling the ex-Muslim student and we were talking about the Bible.

The young man who was running for Student Body President listened for a

while then walked away. A couple of times I would say to him, "God

wants to get a hold of your life, man," and he would get upset and walk

away. But after about four or five times, he asked me, "Can I talk to you?"

I said, "Sure," so we went to KFC and I treated him to some hot wings.

While we had sauce all over our fingers, he shared with me that he had

fears he could never be faithful to his girlfriend whom he loved.

At that time, he had actually won the presidency, but he was also a

male telegram deliverer. I told him that apart from Christ, he couldn't be

faithful because he needed the Faithful One to live inside him so he could

be faithful. Right there in KFC, I prayed with him and he gave his life to

Jesus Christ and was dramatically saved! Later he got baptized in the Holy

Ghost. One day he stood up on the free speech lawn at this university. He

135

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

was such a popular guy (and was the first ethnic minority president at this

university) that a great crowd gathered to hear him.

He had previously worn a Playboy bunny medallion around his neck.

He took the bunny out of a little box and held it up to everyone and said,

"I know you guys have all known me to be this kind of person. This is

what 1 used to be, but it's not what I'm about anymore." He threw the

bunny on the ground and reached into his shirt and took out a cross. Then

he declared to everyone, "This is what I'm about now. I love Jesus Christ,"

and he began to share his testimony.

We started to see all kinds of people saved after that. It was a classic

example of the Elijah anointing.

PROPHETIC ANOINTING

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person

comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus

the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his

face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you

(1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

Paul says in First Corinthians 14:24-25 that when there is a prophetic

anointing in the midst of a situation, people will feel conviction. When

you put the Holy Ghost in the back room and make everything predictable,

you're missing the need of a generation.

We need a prophetic anointing. A prophetic anointing is a unique

anointing that breaks the junk off of people so they can see their need for

Jesus! A prophetic anointing takes you from one place and puts you into

another place—just like that. It redefines your identity. This is what you

were before, but this is what you're going to be. You may have been

bound, but this is how the Lord sees you now. We need the prophetic

anointing in evangelism.

The prophetic anointing opens people up to be willing to listen. God

intends the prophetic to open a whole new door to evangelism. I believe

there is coming a greater prophetic anointing that will open the most

hardened place; the most hardened heart. There is going to come a

136

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

convincing and a conviction that will settle upon lost hearts.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of

the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts

of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their

fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse (Malachi 4:5-

6).

The prophet Malachi pulls the veil off of the intentions of God to

reveal the spirit of Elijah to future generations. This mantle would be

released before the second coming and be purposed to take back hearts for

God's glory. Historically, Elijah the prophet was best known for rescuing a

nation and reviving the name of Yahweh before the eyes of a generation.

Elijah's work was to confound the deceptions of his day and vindicate

Yahweh's claim to be God alone.

Elijah came upon the scene during a dark time in a nation when other

prophets were hiding in caves. The spirit of Jezebel had a stronghold on

the hopes of God's people and spiritual confusion was rampant. It was at

this moment that God chose to release this secret weapon. Malachi names

Elijah as a forerunner. How deep the impression Elijah made on the mind

of the nation can be judged by the words of Malachi, which appeared

centuries later for the restoration of a nation. Malachi tells of the sending

of Elijah as a solution to the problems of separation and alienation.

The significance of the anointing of Elijah is emphasized by the fact

that it is called upon in the toughest situations. This is also highlighted in

what it accomplishes—hearts are converted! The prophetic anointing, the

Elijah anointing, is an anointing that turns hearts. The Bible says in

Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers

of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." Only God is able to turn hearts.

We're dealing with folks today where it's not enough to give them

simple, rational proofs; what we call apologetics. I have a friend who

ministers on the streets of San Francisco who spoke to two prostitutes.

God gave him a word for them. He said to one, "The Lord shows me that

when you were eight years old, you were abused and abducted."

She dropped on her knees and lifted up her hands and asked Jesus to

137

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

help her. Then he turned to the other woman and gave her a word and it

had a similar effect.

The prophetic anointing in evangelism is going to turn hearts! Do you

know how long that situation would have taken if that man had walked up

with a canned approach?

When we witness simply out of our own knowledge and experience, it

is far less effective.

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord

their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of

Elijah, "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, " and the

disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people

prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:16-17).

Jesus reveals a new dimension on the Elijah anointing. He says, "The

disobedient will turn to the wisdom of the just." The spirit and power of

Elijah turns hearts by releasing the most compelling catalyst ever

fashioned; it reveals, breaks through, and convinces. The power of this

catalyst lies in its ability to convert and convict hearts.

There are no new improvements today of evangelistic techniques that

are as effective as flowing with the Elijah anointing. I'm convinced that

this dimension was seen in the ministries of Charles Finney, George

Whitefield, Maria Woodworth-Etter, and other evangelists. Many testified

that their words seemed to penetrate the hearers' very beings. Their words

carried more weight and "fastened on" in a way that wasn't easy to shake.

Revivalist Jonathan Edwards preached, and the hearers thought that

the ground would open up and hell would swallow them. This anointing

alters people's perception of their current situation and current heart

condition. It gets released through one's words, expressions, and presence,

when an individual is yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer, and spending time soaking in God's presence, is our way of

growing in the Elijah anointing. Ultimately, deciding to go forward in

God's redemptive purposes is what positions us.

This prophetic mantle of evangelism turns the disobedient to the

138

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

wisdom of the just. The mantle of this anointing brings conviction.

THE EXPLOITS OF THE ELIJAH ANOINTING:

1. It challenged compromise in the lives of God's people

2. It called attention to Elijah's message with miracles.

3. It repaired the broken altar of Jehovah.

4. An outpouring came into being, which broke off the drought.

5. Elijah called down fire from Heaven and upstaged the false

prophets. As a result, he saw a whole generation turn their hearts

back to God.

6. It executed the false prophets after exposing who they were.

7. Elijah was instrumental in seeing the demise of Ahab's entire

house.

8. It raised a child from the dead.

NO MORE LIFELESS STAFFS

Elisha had been mentored by Elijah, so let's look at Elisha's servant:

Now Gehazi went on ahead, of them, and laid the staff on the

face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing.

Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The

child has not awakened." When Elisha came into the house, there

was the child, lying dead on his bed....And he went up and lay on

the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and

his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child,

and the flesh of the child became warm (2 Kings 4:31-32, 34).

The staff is a lifeless object and represents some of the older

programmatic evangelistic tools. This mentality is reflected in the

thinking: "Get the lost into the church and we'll get programs for them."

But that's the problem; we're not getting the lost to come into the church.

We've got to "go into all the world."

139

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

MAKE A PARADIGM SHIFT

We've got a generation who's entertained by death. They're attracted

by death. They play games about death in video games and in psychic

practices.

We've got to be able to speak with words that are meaningful to the

world. Not just words that are meaningful to us; not Christian-ese, but

what relates to where folks are at. We live in a Christian subculture that

we need to bust out of. We've got to see eye to eye to be able to have

compassion on the world. There's a whole world outside of our Christian

world! We need to see what they see and feel what they feel.

Without the power of the Spirit, accompanied with signs and wonders,

we are handicapped in getting a hearing in this generation. They're going

to put Christianity up on a shelf with all the other religions and say,

"What's the difference?"

When we let compassion and mercy arise in our hearts, something new

can happen in us. Something new can flow out of our lives.

A prophetic evangelist can break things wide open. You can be talking

to someone who is hardened and God can give you a word for them.

I remember one night, after coming out of a great Christian meeting,

we were in a restaurant and I looked at the server. I immediately knew that

she was estranged from her mother, her dad was not in the picture, and at

this point she was very angry at her mom because she was hurt bitterly. It

became totally clear to me.

I didn't want to embarrass her in front of other people, so I followed

her away from the table and asked if I could talk to her for a minute. I

said, "Hey, you may think this is a little bit out there, but I'm a Christian

and I believe God speaks to people, and the Lord spoke to me about you."

I laid it out. She was shocked and asked how I knew all of that. I don't

know if there could have been anything else that could have brought her to

a point where I could have prayed with her besides that prophetic word.

Another time, there was a woman who was also a server, who was all

perky when she was taking our order, but the Lord showed me that she

140

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

had a horrible migraine headache. I had this burden for her, but because

she was so excited, I kept pushing it down because it didn't make sense to

my mind.

I asked her, "By any chance do you have a headache?" Immediately

she said, "Oh, man, I've got the worst headache right now!" I asked her if I

could pray for her. She said, "Sure," but she thought I meant sometime

later. I said, "No, I mean right now." I took her hand and prayed. She went

away and came back kind of subdued saying "What did you do?" She then

told me that her head felt totally fine. I then told her, "Hey, I don't have

any power to heal anybody, but God spoke to me about what was wrong,

and He just wants you to know that His power is real."

In many instances, I haven't even known beforehand what I was

saying. You can read people's mail from A to Z and be unconsciously

prophetic.

We need this kind of anointing to break through the wounds of this

generation—break through the doubts, break through the people-pleasing,

break through the greed. Elisha's experience with the child who was dead

is an illustration of prophetic evangelism. With prophetic evangelism, the

dead generation rises up.

PIERCING DEFENSES

The prophetic anointing is testifying about the Almighty. When Elijah

called down fire it testified about the Almighty. The prophetic anointing

on our lives, as it relates to evangelism, is to pierce defenses by

manifesting the ultimate testimony. People have a lot of defenses. You are

not going to have time in all instances to answer all of the questions,

which is why you're going to need the Elijah anointing to turn hearts.

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O

dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these

bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I

will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and

put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the

Lord"'" (Ezekiel 37:4-6).

141

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Can we all agree that the valley of dry bones is a picture of our

generation today? I believe that a prophetic anointing will breathe life into

people. We're going to go beyond sharing at a cerebral level, to where God

is going to breathe—the Holy Spirit Himself.

We're going to be able to prophesy into the hopeless graveyards of

people's hearts. It's going to cause dreams and thoughts to come into their

minds. This will make them know they are special and God does have

something for them.

A CONFRONTATION WITH THE CONFRONTATIONAL APOLOGIST

I remember a particular time at Chico State when this gentleman came

to speak who traveled around to college campuses. He was in his 50s,

wore a three-piece suit, and would gather the kids around and start yelling

at them. "You brood of vipers, you filthy rotten sinners." He pointed at

some sorority girls, and I quote, "A prostitute couldn't make a plug dime

on this campus because what they get paid for you're giving up for free."

He pointed at a group of guys with long hair and questioned their sexual

preferences.

As I was sitting there, getting ready to set up my table, I was

distraught. My spirit was screaming within me, "No, no, that's not what

Jesus would do!" He continued yelling, "God is going to delight in judging

you who have sinned!" (In fact, the Bible says the exact opposite: God

does not delight in judging the banished ones, but He devises means

whereby the banished ones will be saved—Second Samuel 14:14.)

In the midst of it, I got up and said, "Sir, I disagree with you. I just

don't think Jesus would stand up and delight in people going to hell."

Earlier he had walked up to me and bragged that he had gone to U.C.

Berkeley and told them "like it is." I asked what he meant by that. He told

me how he had screamed angrily and judgmentally.

I asked him what happened. He said they had punched him and threw

him in a water pond. He was bragging that the fruit of his ministry was

that he got beat up. I'm thinking, "The fruit ought to be the presence of

God and persecution for righteousness' sake, not persecution for fleshly

142

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

demonstrations."

So I got up and started preaching Christ by saying, "This guy has

shown you exactly what many of you have believed Christianity is about,

but that's not what Christianity is about." My heart was actually tender

towards them. At the very next meeting, we saw students who had been at

that incident who gave their hearts to the Lord.

I felt like the Elijah anointing turned their hearts. Some erroneously

think that the Elijah anointing that was on John the Baptist was about

yelling and being very hard toward the lost.

John the Baptist was definitely an unusual man. Jesus called him

Elijah, for those who could handle it (see Matt. 11:14). He was considered

a prophet by the multitudes (see Matt. 14:5) because of the power and

influence of his ministry. When John the Baptist spoke, even though he

performed no signs, many believed in him, as strange as he appeared to

people (see John 10:41-42). The Elijah anointing on John the Baptist was

so lethal to darkness that satan went after his head.

In Matthew 11, Jesus asked the multitudes who traveled great

distances to see John the Baptist, "What drove you to go there?"

1."A reed shaken by the wind?" No! Jesus emphasized that the

Elijah anointing on John the Baptist delivered him from being a weather

vane of human influences. This anointing puts strength in your resolve—

no more double-mindedness!

2."A man clothed in soft garments?" No! This anointing manifests

itself in a way where its bearer doesn't look for conveniences, but

convictions; there's a grace for self-denial over self-indulgence.

3."A prophet" Yes! More than a prophet! John the Baptist was not

just a prophet, but he was the subject of prophecy. Jesus, in Matthew

11:10, recites Malachi 3:1, and says, "This is he of whom it is written:

Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way

before you." As we rise up, we will not only be prophetic to our

generation, but the subjects of the prophetic, with God's Word foretelling

our exploits.

143

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

THE WELSH REVIVAL

What would it be like if crime stopped in your city? What would it be

like if the bars and taverns shut down? What would it be like if the police

didn't fight any crime, so they performed Holy Ghost choruses? You may

think, "Come on, Sean, be realistic."

The Welsh Revival, 1904: they say it was spiritually dark in Wales and

seemed to be getting darker by the day. Bars flourished; there was cock

fighting, boxing, gambling, prostitution, and major soccer frenzy (they call

it football but Americans call it soccer). All of this seemed to capture the

souls of the people. Murder, rape, and other violent crimes were increasing

dramatically.

In the midst of all of this, somebody broke out like a plague; a half-

educated coal miner by the name of Evan Roberts. He rose up and realized

that there was a plague in his area.

There was a young teen aged girl by the name of Florrie Evans. Florrie

had recently given her life to the Lord. She stood up in the middle of this

small prayer meeting, in the midst of the darkness in that town, and said,

"I love Jesus Christ with all me heart."

Now we've all heard that before, but it was as if at that moment,

something broke out among the people at that prayer meeting. People who

write about the revival say that it began with this young girl. People began

sobbing. They felt the need to fall in love with Jesus. People were

instantly convicted that they had only been playing church. Maybe they

had loved the Lord a little bit, but they hadn't gone all the way with God.

Simultaneously, across town, in a coal mine, a guy is coming off his shift

coughing up coal dust. He's sweating, and all of a sudden something

gripped his heart. The Lord revealed Himself to Evan Roberts in such an

amazing and overwhelming manner that he was filled with divine awe and

"had a mount of transfiguration," and he would never be the same. Roberts

began to witness and became a fire-starter for a move of God.

Practically overnight there came this spiritual revival. Thousands of

young converts multiplied across the region, preaching the gospel that had

reached them. Newspapers were filled with reports of conversions. They

144

TURNING HEARTS WITH THE ELIJAH ANOINTING

say that there is no other example in history where a region was so quickly

and radically transformed into a region of righteousness than in the Welsh

Revival. They say the fire of this movement was so intense that when

newsletters went out about the revival to other cities, revival would break

out there as well.

The men who manned the horses in the mine would normally

command them by using curse words and expletives, but they got saved so

they weren't cursing anymore. So there was a jam up in the front of the

mines because all the oxen and mules knew only curse commands.

The police officers formed barbershop quartets, singing gospel hymns,

because there was no more crime. Bars shut down, prostitutes got saved,

and soccer players got saved. When the soccer players got saved, they

broke out like a plague, and went out onto the streets witnessing. Entire

teams were disbanded.

People would go to bars and order drinks, but get under such

conviction they wouldn't even be able to drink their drink. They would just

walk back out and show up at a church and fall on their faces. Evan

Roberts definitely had the Elijah anointing on him!

He often would step into pulpits and weep. This released such a

turning heart conviction that hearers would immediately run forward to

Christ in tears. Can it happen? Sure it can, if we as believers begin to carry

the Elijah anointing. We will be convincing because we are convinced!

145

CHAPTER 8

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE

8

AWAKENED EAR

"I'm not ashamed of the gospel... but I am ashamed of how some

Christians communicate it."

—Doug Addison

ONE DAY WE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY of California at Berkeley for an

open-air meeting commemorating the tragedy of 9/11. A guy came up to

where I was speaking and manifested a demon right in front of everyone,

at the same time I'm trying to speak to a crowd of "spiritually challenged"

students.

At that very moment, I had an infusion of wisdom on what to say. I

said, "We're here to remember all of the men and women who lost their

lives in the terrorists' attack. Thousands have died over the past hundreds

of years for your freedom, but only One has died for your soul. And it's

not about whether or not you will be remembered by people, but the

ultimate thing is whether or not God will remember you. What was

important five minutes before the planes hit wasn't important five minutes

after they hit; your destiny is important."

There was a quiet moment and I quickly said, "Let's bow our heads." It

was awesome! It was the tongue of the learned that happened. All over the

crowd, college students bowed their heads.

The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I

should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.

147

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear

as the learned (Isaiah 50:4).

This country desperately needs people who have the tongue of the

learned. I'm prophesying to you that you will be given platforms in the

days to come! What we need is an awakened ear to hear the battle plans of

the Lord.

So often I've prepared a message, but then I'll get in the pulpit and the

Lord will direct me another way. Sometimes I find out later that the Lord

directed me to change everything for the validation of just one person

there. In that moment, I received "the tongue of the learned." God wants to

bless us to communicate with sanctified creativity. Let me define

evangelism:

Evangelism is the proclamation and presentation of the gospel

of Jesus Christ to persons in the secular age; in such that they will

understand its crucial and relevant importance, so that they will

respond to Him as Lord and Savior in faith and obedience.

SHIFTING BATTLE LINES

New-school apologetics can be defined as knowing the needs,

concerns, and worries of individuals. We can "educate" ourselves by

reading the newspaper, watching the news, and listening to conversations

at the coffee shop.

Every time evil deepens in society, a new aspect of the gospel rises up.

For every problem, the answer is in the gospel. Good apologetics reveal

how the Christian gospel is the key—the answer—in the new evils of the

world. Folks want to get saved when they understand how the gospel

offers them answers.

Old-school apologetics give rational proofs about the death, burial, and

resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ is who He says He is.

I'm not saying this is wrong or not being used anymore. I praise God for

the apologists who have fought the good fight, but the battle lines have

definitely shifted in the last generation.

148

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

In Acts 18:4 it says that "he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue... and

persuaded."

The definition of "reasoned" (#1256): "mingle thought with thought,

revolve in mind, to converse, drawing arguments from Scripture, ponder.

The word is translated 'to preach' (in Acts 20:7)."

The definition of "persuade" (#3982): "To have confidence in,

convince, seeking the favor, urging, won over; persuaded to a better

thing."

These definitions clue us in on prophetic evangelism and words of

wisdom.

I'm finding more and more today that as we have turned to an

"information-gorged age," the battle lines are much more about

experience. People today want to know if what you believe is real—is it

relevant. New-school apologetics is shifting. Today, apologetics is about

removing the hindrances to someone coming to faith, while setting forth

the attractiveness. It's not just setting forth the truths of the gospel; I need

to find out prophetically with lost people, "What is the hitch? Why aren't

you getting saved?"

FAULT LINES AND WARNING SIGNS

Observing a culture closely allows you to discern its fault lines. People

who do not know the Lord have fault lines in their lives, though they may

give you the impression that everything is good.

Fault lines are ideas and values in a society that cannot be sustained.

They're contradictions. For example, we tell folks, "You are the master of

your fate. You're in control. You're a self-made man or woman." On the

other side of our mouths we're saying "You're a victim of your

circumstances. Your mama ate too many Twinkies when she was

pregnant, so you've got Twinkie syndrome."

We've got people trapped in sins, but because they don't feel the power

to get free, they want you to change the rules. "Because I can't get free, I

want you to change the rules so I can feel justified in the sin I plan on

staying in." Being trapped in a lifestyle is a problem Jesus is not

149

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

intimidated by. We must introduce people to the Genuine One.

Here's what the Gallup Poll said: If you could spend the day with

anyone in history, who would it be? Two out of every three Americans (66

percent) chose Jesus as the historical figure that they would most like to

spend the day with.

Based on that, why would we think people are turned off to knowing

more about Jesus? We need to see a fault line in our generation today.

Maybe the fault line is actually in us. The unsaved don't want to come to

our churches, but they want to spend time with Jesus. That ought to tell us

something! Let's get alone with God and ask Him to adjust the fault line in

us.

THE SONS OF ISSACHAR

There was a group of men back in David's time who were small in

number, but highly skilled in understanding the times. The men of

Issachar were the fewest of all, only 200, yet as valuable to David's army

as any others.

From Issachar came "men of understanding" in reference to the times.

Their brethren had the fullest confidence in their wisdom, experience, and

skill. Nothing was done but by their direction. The sons of Issachar were

counter-balanced by their preeminent zeal, shrewdness, and discipline.

These men rose up during a remarkably interesting crisis in the

circumstances of the nation. It was a transitional phase where the people's

minds and hearts were divided between Saul's house and David's house.

We also live in times where philosophies and loyalties are scattered.

The sons of Issachar's characteristics positioned them to be both the

best advisors and soldiers in the camp. Their attributes represent the

prophetic and the evangelistic streams coming together at a crucial time.

They knew political times, understood public affairs, the temper of the

nation, and the tendencies of the present events.

The sons of Issachar comprehended the circumstances in which their

country was placed; they marked the spirit that prevailed among the

people. They analyzed the impulses of their culture and estimated cultural

150

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

events and their bearing upon society.

The sons of Issachar could look about and see into things, and interpret

the forecast written upon a circumstance. Scholars say that the spirit of

their age was national indifference and infidelity, just as it is today. Their

anointing is needed in our day.

Modern-Day Sons of Issachar:

1. Realize that people have a spiritual hunger and interest.

There is an "eternity deficit" in the human heart, which makes people's

hearts vulnerable to spirituality—good or bad.

2. Address the cultural touchstones and spokespeople.

We must be relevant as well as righteous or we won't have a hearing.

A relevant message gains interest as well as addresses things people are

familiar with.

3. Interpret the inner yearnings and anguish of the culture.

Modern music taps into the pain of a generation, which creates interest

and popularity. We are to keep a watchful eye on public affairs, cultural

movements, and spiritual currents with a view to discover their bearing on

the prospects of the Body of Christ.

4. Fully utilize your pathos arrows.

Nothing is more heartfelt than Christ's story. We will see hearts

captivated as we attend to the inner passions of our hearers. Pathos refers

to the emotional aspects of appeals to the heart.

5. Take advantage of "tipping points" and "trigger" moments.

These moments are times when people are ready to change; when

circumstances and conscience dictate openness to the eternal wisdom of

God.

Becoming students of our culture allows us to release a prophetic

embodiment of what the Spirit of God is breathing through our gospel.

Missiologists call this contextualization. We need to understand the signs

and seasons of our times.

151

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

SUPERNATURAL DOWNLOAD

Our job today is to bring out the attraction of the gospel by grounding

it in the situation of the people we talk to. That's why a generic approach

to sharing the gospel will not be as effective as having "an awakened ear"

to hear the hearts of people. Don't just hear what they're saying; hear what

they're saying.

There are a lot of folks who hide behind statements that are smoke

screens, but you have to listen for the voice of their heart. As you have an

awakened ear, you'll be able to hear what's going on in a person's life, and

you'll be able to have the tongue of the learned. You'll be able to speak

into people's situations. This is often in the form of a word of wisdom.

A word of wisdom is a spontaneous revelation of wise guidance or

knowledge rightly applied.

Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on

what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom

which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist

(Luke 21:14-15).

You're going to be brought into situations where thinking through and

rehearsing what you should say will not be the key. Jesus will

supernaturally download wisdom to give you insight into what a person is

going through.

What God wants to give us is the ability to articulate the mystery of

what is going on in a person's heart—that empty place. We are to connect

that empty place with the love of Jesus Christ. I cannot go out trusting my

own intelligence and wit, but I can go out having faith that God will cause

evangelism to become prophetic. It's a supernatural download!

CUTTING THROUGH THE FOG

Once there was a man who did this intellectual debating presentation

at San Francisco State University. He came out and intellectually pounded

people with his deep theological knowledge. He would use secular

arguments and reasoning and get them to agree on a premise and then

152

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

destroy the premise out from underneath them. They would then cave and

fall in. This is a strategy of modern debate. The gay and lesbian student

alliance club was there, and they literally picked this guy up with his

placards and threw him and his stuff off campus.

I came the following week. I didn't even know what I was going to

share. I was so nervous wondering if they were going to throw me out and

beat me up, too. I shared about what it was like growing up without a dad,

and the sting of fatherlessness, which I call an orphan spirit.

I didn't know until much later, that one of the major wounds (not for

all but for many) of people who are trapped in the confusion of their

sexual identity is that many of them have had a bad experience with their

father. I just shared with them my life and testimony and guess what

happened? Five of them walked forward, breaking through the crowd on

the San Francisco State campus, and gave their lives to Jesus Christ. One

week earlier, the man who could intellectually run circles around me had

been thrown off campus by these same students.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Missionaries have been expected to learn the language of the people

they have been called to reach. Daniel the prophet, who was abruptly

dropped off in Babylon, consented to learn the language and culture of

Babylon. He refused to drink the wine of the culture, demonstrating the

balance needed to be a reformer. Daniel spoke the language of Babylon,

but didn't sip of the spirit (or wine) of Babylon. Having a command of the

culture and sensitivity to the new wine (the Holy Spirit) allows one to

interpret the dreams of the culture.

Reformer Peter Waldo sponsored translators of the Bible in local

languages. The Waldenses stressed the importance of preaching, and they

allowed both laymen and laywomen to preach. They preached to people in

the local language. Refusing to use the Latin, they made the gospel clearly

understandable to all.

The major difference between reformers and refugees is their ability to

decode and deliver their culture. A refugee is a displaced exile, forced to

153

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

flee what is home for them. A reformer contends to bring about correction

for abuses and justice, right where they live.

Daniel demonstrates for us how to acquire the tongue of the learned

(see Dan. 5:11-14). He was known for waiting on the Lord to get the

strategy of God for a situation. When Daniel was able to interpret dreams,

they said "this man has the insights of the gods in him." That's the wisdom

that God wants to give us: intelligence that is evidenced in discovering the

meaning of mysteries.

The word wisdom means knowledge of diverse matters. God says that

"when I give you wisdom, I'm going to give you knowledge of diverse

matters." It is the mysteries of people's hearts that we need to interpret.

AN AWAKENED EAR

We must have a "now" word to speak to this generation. An awakened

ear leads to a "now" word that can release an awakening. We can't speak

today as we did yesterday or our witness will fall on deaf ears. Society has

changed.

The tongue of the learned allows you to break through the static of the

culture. It allows you to speak from a fresh perspective and engage the

hearer.

We, like Daniel, must give meaning to the secrets of people's hearts.

We must be the ones who make sense of life amidst cultural ambiguities.

Wisdom also means proper prudence in interacting with the lost.

Claim wisdom as yours! "Lord, You said You'd give me wisdom. You

said You'd give me knowledge of diverse matters. I'm going to study. I'm

going to show myself approved, but I'm going to believe for that moment

of supernatural download. I'm going to believe for intelligence and

evidence in discerning the mysteries of men and women's hearts in our

culture and in our society."

EMPHATIC AND SOCRATIC

There was an early Greek philosopher, Socrates, who was credited for

154

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

utilizing a method of persuasion that employed challenging the

assumptions of people by asking probing questions. He could keep the

conversation under his direction while undermining the "fault lines" of

others' logic. A good question becomes a prophetic smart bomb that

passes the defenses of objectors, without cramming our ideas down their

throats.

There are questions that cause someone to take a different look at what

they are thinking. There are questions that call upon someone to explain

and defend their reasoning. Jesus had the ability to turn objections into

opportunities.

Francis Schaeffer, the great Christian thinker, once said, "No one can

live logically according to his own non-Christian presuppositions." He

was hitting on the fact that any other worldview will have "fault lines,"

and will reveal inconsistencies.

There was an argumentation class offered at my college that covered

instruction on special methods of refutation, which included "turning the

tables." This involved asking questions that revealed contrary conclusions,

prompting the self-questioning of one's philosophy.

If you are witnessing to a person who believes in evolution, causing

them to view their beliefs through the lens of practicality would reveal

difficulties in plausibility. You could ask them if they would believe that a

hurricane passing through a junkyard could produce a Boeing jet. To

believe that a lightning bolt could produce the complexity of human life is

actually less likely than the "accidental" jet.

We want non-Christians to check the finished product of their

philosophy. This method, when breathed upon by the Spirit, is effective,

as it helps you to focus upon winning their souls versus winning the

argument.

Psychologist Carole Lieberman has said, "When a distraction

evaporates, you have to come face to face with your own troubles." Their

beliefs are wrong because the presuppositions they take for granted are

wrong.

Many times I can remember seeing a physician when I was young, and

155

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

I always felt nervous. The doctor would check my ears, throat, and heart.

Based upon the "bug" I had, the doctor would give me a prescription. A

prescription is not some vague, over-the-counter, generic cure-all, but a

unique antidote, especially fashioned for a specific problem. In this age we

need divine prescriptions to counteract the dark viruses of unbelief

prevalent in our generation. It's vital that beyond knowing the problem, we

have an especially fashioned wisdom for knowing how to conquer the

problem.

When we become open to the Holy Spirit, implanting within us the

Spirit of counsel, we have divine prescriptions rather than human precepts.

MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION

When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying

dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the

two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on

the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and

his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child,

and the flesh of the child became warm (2 Kings 4:32-34).

I can relate to Elisha's ministry a little bit. This guy did something and

initially it didn't seem to be the Lord's plan, but he didn't quit. He didn't

get discouraged. No, he learned something.

I believe that we've had an impersonal, non-relational approach, and

it's not working. I'm not saying you shouldn't use tracts. But I am saying

that there are more tools to use. Today, we have to relate to where folks

are in their lives. Mouth-to-mouth illustrates the value of having the

tongue of the learned. What Elisha did physically, we must do spiritually,

by connecting to their hearts.

Continuing with Elisha's story, laying the staff on the child did not

revive him. So Elisha went in and closed the door. We need to remove as

many distractions as possible in our lives and begin to focus on how to get

an understanding of where lost people are.

THE IDENTIFICATION FACTOR

156

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

The more closely you identify with your hearers, the more it's going to

help the weight of your words. The ability to verbalize the gospel in words

they can clearly understand is key. Practice by writing down what the

gospel is in a paragraph. I want to challenge you. Every day, think of a

fresh, redemptive way to phrase the gospel. Talk to people and find out

what's going on in their lives right now so you can think of new ways to

relate to them.

Rather than speak in Christian terms that the unchurched don't

understand, find the dynamic equivalent. How can I say "washed in the

blood" in a different way? Ask yourself where you're saying words that

don't mean anything to the world. We must make sure that we are

communicating in ways that people can understand. Revivalist Charles

Finney said, "God's revelation to people does not usually suspend laws of

the human mind and human audience, but occurs through those laws."

Church father, Augustine, recommended that the Christian minister

"plunder the Egyptians for their gold," implying that we should learn

secular communication to better communicate our gospel. God is a God of

creativity. Can't He give you a strategy and approach that is fresh and

anointed?

THREE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PEOPLE

1. Logos (reason). There are excellent, rational statements to say to

unsaved people. For example, sin leaves a wound. When you relate to

their hurting, you can give Something (Someone) people need.

2. Pathos (emotions). Appeal to the heart. You were never intended by

God to live in the pain you're living in right now.

3. Ethos (experience). Relationship helps because you know what a

person is going through. For example, after tragedies, people are open to

prayer. We're going to be surprised to see who's in Heaven because there

are so many deathbed salvations.

KERYGMA—PUBLIC PROCLAMATION

It's interesting that on the day of Pentecost, God chose the emblem of

157

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

the flaming tongue to signify the launching of the Church. From that point

on the tongues of the early believers were catalysts for revival and

phenomenal harvest.

Biblical scholars have focused on the New Testament concepts of

kerygma and didaskein. Didaskein is defined as teaching that centers on

the doctrine, while kerygma is the public declaration of the gospel to the

lost world with the purpose of conversions. In First Corinthians 1:21, Paul

uses kerygma when he says, "It pleased God through the foolishness of the

message preached to save those who believe." We must recapture the

power of kerygma in today's context. 1 am convinced that there is an

anointing to preach which causes the words of the believer to be launched

into the hearts of the people.

SPEECH IMPEDIMENT

Then Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent,

neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am

slow of speech and slow of tongue." So the Lord said to him, "Who

has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the

seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:10-11)

God possesses unlimited power over all of man's senses. He could

impart to Moses the giftings necessary to get the job done. He gives the

quintessential catch phrases. The term "slow tongue," in verse 10, implies

a difficulty in finding words, and in giving them utterance.

THE USELESSNESS OF MERE WORDS

There's always the feeling that you could speak better than you do.

Moses didn't feel he was gifted with persuasion. To date, the patriarch

Moses holds the record for the greatest altar response ever. He saw several

million come out of darkness into light in one miraculous moment.

Today's prophetic evangelists are faced with an equally monumental

undertaking. World population statistics affirm that barring a divine

intervention that results in massive harvest, more people stand to go to hell

in this generation than all the previous generations combined. Moses

158

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

represents an Old Testament type of a new breed of New Testament

prophetic evangelist.

In Exodus 4, Moses questioned whether Pharaoh, Egypt, and the

captive Israelites would listen to his voice. The Hebrew word for "voice"

is also the word for "sound." There's a desperate need for the Body of

Christ to have the right sound for this postmodern age. There's a sound

from Heaven that we must tap into.

The only way to achieve this is by God teaching us what to say. The

great Christian author, J.B. Phillips, said, "If words are to enter people's

hearts and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped to pass defenses

and explode silently and effectually within their minds." We need a new

sound—words that hit home, words that achieve deliverance of hearts and

attract people to come under the sound of the gospel.

This electrifying truth underscores the fact that our "sound" must

negotiate its way past cerebral armor in order to captivate hearts. This is

the gift of the tongue of the learned, which cuts into the souls of the

listeners. We need these "arrows of the Lord."

Moses realized the truth that our ideas are dependent on our language.

He also recognized that language used poorly can damage your message

and forge an argument against you. The power of speech can never be

underestimated. God created us in His image, and God is absolutely a

communicator. He dropped His DNA in His children to vocalize and

verbalize. Jesus declared that He was sent "to proclaim freedom for

captives." Many who witness miracles in the making, hit snags because

Christians struggle to find the right words.

Our modern media is filled with "talking heads" and what we really

need is "talking hearts." If we come from our hearts, God will allow us to

tune into His mind. Since we've been given the mind of Christ, the most

important thing is to tune into love and righteousness. It is then that God

releases the tongue of the learned. Our confidence comes from our

dependence. We cannot have the Book of Acts results without going

public with the gospel.

The values and visions of culture are crafted by the speech of its

159

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

"preachers."

Moses tried to excuse himself for not being eloquent. God told Moses

that He would be with his mouth and teach him what to say (see Exod.

4:12). When God teaches your mouth, you have what Isaiah referred to as

the "tongue of the learned." An eloquent voice is quite different from

carelessly throwing around lofty words. An eloquent voice is essentially a

God-given gift that turns an ordinary talker into a spellbinding

communicator. This theme is crucial as to how we interact in a cultural

paradigm that is unreceptive to our faith.

When Moses told the Lord that he was not eloquent, he was in essence

saying that he didn't feel like he would have a significant bearing on the

matter before him. What Moses needed, in addition to spiritual leverage,

was relevance. The Latin root word for relevance simply means, "to bear

upon." Author Terry Crist says, "Spiritual relevance is the act of

communicating truth in such a way that it has personal bearing on its

recipients."

God's solution for slow tongues is bringing about a fast track of fresh

dependence in His mouthpieces. When you feel tongue-tied, God wants

you to know that He can loose it and set it on fire. The Bible promises that

He will make you a fisher of men and teach you what to say—all we have

to do is stay yielded to His promptings.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE GOD BE WITH YOUR MOUTH?

1. You speak words that release vitality.

2. You come with a fresh perspective.

3. You communicate reality.

4. Your words fasten themselves in listeners' souls.

5. You vocalize the mysteries that resonate with the hearts of the

hearers.

I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say (Exodus

4:12).

160

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

The Hebrew word for teach means: (1) To flow as water, (2) to shoot

as an arrow, and (3) to point out by aiming the finger.

These three shades of meanings give us clues for how to acquire the

tongue of the learned:

1. To "flow as water" tells us that we must get in the current of God's

movement. We do this by developing sensitivity to God's Spirit through

devotion. Flowing as water means that it's not a series of stopping and

going, but being fluent as an oracle of God. God wants you to sense His

peace while easily articulating His words to others.

2. To "shoot as an arrow" reflects the need to have precise words that

accurately hit their target. Our target is not intellectual stimulation, but

heart conversion. Arrows were serious weaponry to the ancients. Arrows

speak of the fact that there is something we should aim for.

We want to be engaging; we want to move people to action. The

tongue of the learned then becomes a launching pad for the artillery of the

anointed. Impact begins when we realize that we are agents of influence.

3. Finally, the Lord will use His finger to point out a strategy that when

the truth is spoken, an outcome is affected. He will point out vulnerability,

heartache, inner desire and destinies, if we will listen. These will become

"openings" of the gospel when shared with love.

The great orator, C.H. Spurgeon, said, "The best attraction is the

gospel in its purity." Know your audience. Be a person who has an

awakened ear and the tongue of the learned.

HOW TO HAVE THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED

Here are some principles of effective gospel communicators:

1. Relate to people out of positive assumptions, not negative

assumptions. Good salesmen assume you want to buy their product.

Believe that the person before you wants to be free, and needs the light

you possess.

2. Engage people on secular mutual ground. Meet folks on their turf,

their classroom, their car, their favorite restaurant. Don't wait until people

161

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

come into church.

3. Be an active listener. Listening is like currency. Let people share

their heart and they will let you share yours.

4. Speak to the questions, unmet needs, and unfulfilled moments

that drive people's lives. Speak to the area in their lives that is their need.

A lot of secular people have a false assumption that the gospel is not

relevant. But when you share how the Good News will meet their need, it

immediately leaps off the antiquated pages in their mind and into the

relevant impact of where they're living right now.

5. Fully utilize storytelling, metaphors, and redemptive analogies.

The ability to turn a metaphor is a key to communicating to this

generation. Stories are always less threatening and more effective in

illustrating truth.

ACTION STEP ADDENDUM

TAPPING INTO GOD'S FREQUENCY

Acts 2:17 says, "It shall come to pass in the last days...that I will pour

out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy...." I'm

convinced that in this century the revelatory gifts will experience a

definite and dramatic increase in both frequency and intensity. In light of

this, Christians need to develop their revelation receivers. Elijah said,

"Lord...I have done all these things at Your word" (see 1 Kings 18:36).

This is the secret to miracles and moving hearts.

TIPS FOR TAPPING INTO GOD'S FREQUENCY

1. Know that God is a communicator (see Ps. 139:17-18). God is

constantly transmitting His thoughts to us (see Ps. 40:5).

2. The prophetic is available to you (see 1 Cor. 14:24,31). God has

equipped you to minister in the prophetic. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of

you and He is the Spirit of counsel and might. Discernment comes as a

process of growth.

3. Recognize God's voice (see John 10:27).

162

THE TONGUE OF THE LEARNED AND THE AWAKENED EAR

a. God's voice is consistent with His nature, so you must know His

Word.

b. God's voice comes to you like "a sudden awareness, associated with

a unique conviction." It interrupts your thought patterns.

c. God's voice has unusual content to it—His words are profoundly

more loving, wiser, and purer than human thought.

d. God's voice can come as impressions, pictures, burdens, and

spiritual sensing.

e. God's leading can manifest as being drawn to someone.

f. God's voice has characteristics of peace, brings clarity, deep

conviction, stays with you, and is focused on others.

4. Become still to tune into God's activity (see Ps. 46:10). Spend

time meditating on God's promises. We have to look away from

everything else in order to see the supernatural. As we wait for His

counsel, the increase of revelation will come.

5. Acclimate your environment (see Ps. 22:3). If His presence doesn't

dominate where you are, something else will. Pray and worship in the

Spirit. Praise acts as a spiritual broom to sweep the mind.

6. Recognize and respect the person of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Cor.

13:14). Fellowship with Him and give Him place. We must learn to

treasure the Holy Spirit more than His manifestations. Talk to the Holy

Spirit and find out what pleases Him.

7. Live with expectation (see Hab. 2:1). Develop the discipline of

awareness and availability. Keep stepping out in faith and you will

become more sensitive to His presence and voice (see Heb. 5:14). You

must find your flow—how God's Spirit leads you.

a. Pray and desire spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 14:1).

b. Ask the Holy Spirit to sanctify your imagination.

We need the Holy Spirit to purify our thoughts and calm the troubled

waters of our souls. As we submit our thought life to the Holy Spirit, He

will release His thoughts to us.

163

CHAPTER 9

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

9

ALL OF HUMANITY WAS CREATED BY GOD to both touch and be touched by

the mystery of God. You have been created to be touched by that which is

trans-rational. In fact there is an irrepressible spirituality within human

nature that cannot be denied; it's a mystery. Mystery defined in the Greek

means "to shut the mouth, a hidden thing. A mystic or hidden sense; not

obvious to the understanding."

God wants to manifest His presence in signs and wonders in a way that

will make skeptics gasp. The questions and debates cease when they see

the mystery of God.

There are things that are now hidden, that in the endtimes will be

revealed by the Lord. I believe He's waiting for such a time and a

generation as this to reveal His mysteries. It's by our spirits that we know

the things of God. It's the spirit of a man that knows the things of the

Spirit.

We have tried to make our gospel political and palatable. But in the

midst of this, we've watered down the gospel; we've taken the mystery out

of it. Intervarsity author Rick Richardson says, "Mystery is very attractive

to people today. People want an experience more than an explanation."

We've thought that a generation wants answers, but I submit to you that

what they really need in this hour are mysteries.

We have a generation who is raised on supernatural-centered TV

shows and books; this generation is not looking for the same ol', same ol'

religiosity. They don't want the normal—they want something beyond.

165

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

This is good, because the spirits of men and women are meant to feed

on the mystery of God.

The word manifest means to make visible or known that which has

been unknown or hidden, whether by words, deeds, or any other way.

Now put it all together. To manifest the mystery is to make known

what has been unknown and hidden, whether by words or deeds, that

which will shut the mouth. A mystery is a hidden thing; it denotes the

hidden sense, and it's not obvious to the understanding.

This is exactly what God is calling us to. There is such an attempt to

normalize Christianity, to make it so normal that everyone can understand

it. But God's ways are past finding out. "His ways are above our ways; His

thoughts are above our thoughts." There are aspects of God I still won't

fathom, even in eons of eternity. Any God that we can totally understand

becomes something less than God; it becomes a figment of our

imagination.

We can love God on the basis of His nature, but we tend not to

embrace the aspect of His nature that is mysterious. We miss what God is

really all about. There's going to be a challenge for us to stand in faith

with that which is mysterious with God. God is tender, but He's tough.

He's a God who is just, but He's a God of mercy. Our minds can't wrap

around that. We think it's got to be either one or the other.

God wants your faith to be experientially based on more than what you

can figure out. Paul said, "Our gospel didn't come to you with wise and

persuasive words but with the demonstration of the Holy Ghost and

power" (1 Cor. 2:4-5). Biblical faith rests upon the power of God.

You were born from above to walk in this mystery, and the sooner you

embrace it, the sooner you'll be able to manifest it to the world.

And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the

mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all

things come in parables..." (Mark 4:11).

God wants you to know the mystery. What I mean by mystery is that

by our own human ability we cannot figure it out. But God can give us a

166

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

revelation of the mystery. You and I are supposed to know the mystery

because if we know it, we can be conduits for His power and influence.

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of

the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1).

We have to embrace the mystery before we can manifest the mystery.

We must be regarded by humanity as traffickers of servanthood and

stewards of the mysteries of God.

I remember one time I was ministering at an altar and a young man

came up looking a little puzzled. He just seemed intellectually bound. He

said to me, "Would you pray for me, because my mind won't let my heart

go free." That's exactly the box that God wants to break us out of. So often

our mind, in its desire to understand, won't let our heart feed on the

mystery of God.

We all get sucked into a good mystery from time to time. Mysteries

begin with a "felt discrepancy," as the experts would call it. I'll call it an

itch born of ambiguity, a thing you don't quite understand. These

mysteries interrupt something in the beginning to show you a piece of

something, but not the whole piece, so you don't feel like you have

closure. You're then sucked into watching or reading this mystery so you

can have closure and go to bed peacefully.

THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS

If you were to cast your vote for the most often mistaken phrase that

people think is in the Bible, what would it be? "The Lord works in

mysterious ways." People will quote that and say, "You know what the

Bible says, 'The Lord works in mysterious ways.'" No, it's not a verse in

the Bible, but it's in the Bible.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My

ways," says the Lord, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so

are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your

thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

There's a dimension of His ways and thoughts that we do not

167

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

understand. Although the mysterious God phrase is not in the Bible, this

statement may contain more truth than many theologians would care to

admit. God is transcendent; He's beyond figuring out; He's beyond our

calculations. Many times we are focused on what is naturally sensed, and

we try to confine reality to what is rational or tangible. But this ignores the

reality of the spiritual universe.

Nothing should be discounted as unbiblical because it seems strange to

us. If we start to discount that which we find strange as being unbiblical,

we soon find out that we wouldn't have very many pages left in the Bible.

If I were to define "manifest the mystery," I would say God wants to jump

out of the boxes we put Him in. Reason begins by recognizing what it can

never know. Seventeenth-century mathematician Blaise Pascal says,

"Reason cannot decide anything." He goes on to articulate that submission

is the correct use of reason.

All of a sudden your mind is drawn to a friend of yours, but you don't

know why. You might dismiss it and look for natural causes. We always

want to connect things with natural reasons, but maybe the mystery is

being made manifest and God may be using you for some purpose.

If you don't understand the importance of mystery, you will be limited

in being a prophetic evangelist because things will always have to make

sense to you. Maybe God would have you do a prophetic act, and in your

own mind you're thinking, "There's no connection with me doing this little

thing." But God releases something so powerful in your obedience.

There are three Hebrew words for signs and wonders:

1. Oth (see Exod. 4:8-9)—This word for signs and wonders refers to

something that points beyond itself. It's those events that grab people's

attention and points them to God's presence. God will give you mysteries

that will grab your attention and point you toward Him.

2. Pele—To do something extraordinary, something not explainable by

natural cause. This word for signs and wonders could easily be defined as

mystery. Something that grabs people's attention and points them to God's

presence is beyond itself.

3. Mophet—It combines both the idea of the miracle and that of a sign.

168

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

Scholars say, "It emphasizes that the supernatural event has meaning and

significance." So even though it may come as a mystery, it may have

significance and meaning to people.

When you manifest the mystery, you are saying, "I've fed on

mysteries, so this is not foreign to me. I'm willing to step out and do those

things that God tells me to do." Can you imagine when the Holy Spirit

said to Jesus, "Spit in the dirt, make it into mud, and put it in the guy's eye

and then tell him to go wash"? The man is blind and he now has mud in

his eyes! Somehow he gets to the pool and washes and now he can see!

We would have said, "Well, that doesn't make sense; God would never tell

me to do that." We all know it was worth it when the man washed and was

suddenly able to see! In the Book of Acts, in the pre-scientific age, they

recognized spiritual realities. For example, angels could bust you out of

prison. They believed that they could speak to a guy who had been lame

and he could get up and walk. They just believed and miracles happened!

Today we stop at the point of struggle and we don't see more miracles,

because we don't release God when we can't understand something. There

is a transition from human knowledge to knowing God and experiencing

His realm.

Jesus held a little child one day and said, "Unless you become as one

of these, you cannot even see the kingdom of God." I believe we won't see

the dimension of power or the unexplainable dimensions, unless we

become like a little child.

There's a shifting taking place in the Western world. Answers will not

do when an unveiling is needed. I believe the Western world is now a lot

more open to the spirit realm than ever before.

Our problems have outpaced science and technology and we are in

need of some unique answers that materialism and rationalism have not

been able to give us.

MYSTERY DEPRIVATION

When our brand of Christianity has a mystery deprivation, the occult

always picks up the pieces. Satan dines on those areas we have left

169

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

untouched. We are people who lay down thousands of dollars every day to

listen to psychics, who are doing record business. People are desperate to

hear something beyond themselves, and if we (who are saved) have a

mystery deprivation, that's where the world goes. They will turn to the

occult to satisfy their hunger for mystery.

During the Age of Enlightenment, there were great thinkers. These

great thinkers felt that Christianity got a little too spiritual. Christianity

asked them to agree with realities they weren't ready to leap with because

they were limited to just feeding from the tree of good and evil

(intellectual knowledge). They weren't ready to feed from the tree of life

(the mystery).

As a result, Gnosticism began to creep into the Church and it became

very religious, and very predictable. Scholars tell us that it was during that

time that paganism was launched into mainstream society. All those

thinkers had "de-mystified" Christianity, so society converted to

paganism, which is the modern-day occult. Early paganism is the root of

the modern occult. Everything from little witches flying on brooms, to

cartoons that are doing supernatural acts. This is just history repeating

itself, folks!

Back when supernatural signs and wonders and the mystery of God

were shown the back door of the church, people thought that materialism

might be the answer, or that rationalism could save them. That was the

birth of the modern-day witchcraft movement. This is what Isaiah 8:18-19

is saying, "If we're not experiencing these signs and wonders, we will seek

those who are mediums and witches." If you do not taste of the mystery of

God, then you will be susceptible to the mystery of iniquity. Satan has the

right to counterfeit anything that we, by default, don't walk in and use.

When we drop the ball on that which we don't understand, the enemy will

pick up that mystery, make it marketable, and have people get all over it.

Prophetic minister Rick Joyner has said, "The day of supernatural

neutrality is over. The lines of demarcation are being drawn."

I believe that he's prophesying. I believe there will be people who are

walking radically in the power of God, and people who will be walking

radically in the power of darkness, and the day of supernatural neutrality

170

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

will be over. We're going to have to make a choice, one way or the other.

If we have not embraced the mystery of God, we will be increasingly

seduced into the mystery of iniquity (see 2 Thess. 2:7).

ARRESTED ATTENTION

In Exodus 3, the Israelites need deliverance. Moses is the soon-to-be-

deliverer, but for now he's working for his father-in-law, with sheep, on

the backside of the desert. The problem is, the deliverer needs deliverance.

How does God manifest Himself to Moses? Moses is walking along in the

desert minding his own business. All of a sudden, there's this bush, and it's

on fire! God manifested Himself as a mystery to Moses. When Moses saw

the bush he said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight and why this bush

is burning."

Believers ought to be a burning bush to our world. Folks should be

saying, "I've got to turn aside and see the great sight that goes on in that

church. There's a mystery going on in there!"

Our lives ought to manifest the mystery. What was the burning bush?

It was a picture of what Moses was going to be, as well as what the nation

of Israel would be before Pharaoh. It was as if they said to Pharaoh,

"Despite all the destructive stuff that you do, we're going to manifest the

mystery and thrive in this antagonistic environment. I'm not going to burn

up, because God is on me."

The purpose of the bush was to arrest the attention and awaken the

consciousness of Moses, realizing that this was something out of the

ordinary. Here is the bush—the physical, material, and natural—but in it

and on it (the fire) is the immaterial, the spiritual, and the metaphysical.

God is putting some "fuel-less" fire on today's prophetic evangelists.

The burning bush was a model. It's a model of what our Christianity

ought to look like. Our Christianity ought to manifest the miracle and not

be ashamed, recognizing that when people see the miracles, they're going

to know that it's God.

The bush was a mystery. It was a model of what was to come, but it

was a mystery, a miracle. Moses knew that if God could keep the bush

171

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

alive, God could preserve him when he was sent to Pharaoh. He knew that

he would have to walk in and speak with Pharaoh, who was the strongest

military tyrant of that day. Egypt had held a group of people in captivity

for four centuries and Moses was just going to walk up to Pharaoh and

say, "Hey man, by the way, let the people go"?

If God can manifest the mystery in a bush, God can manifest the

mystery in us, even if we can't always figure things out. The first step of a

mystery is to upset the equilibrium of the observer.

Scholars say that the bush was a thorny shrub bush that could be found

anywhere in the desert. But this bush was special because it had a fuel-less

fire on it. God says, "I'm going to put a fuel-less fire on you and it will

attract the attention of a lost nation."

The bush was like a magnet that draws. I believe that God is putting

on people an "attraction gift." We don't realize it but people are drawn to

us. Here was a fire on a plain thorny bush that you could find anywhere in

the desert. Just like that plain old bush, when there is a touch of God on

your life, people are drawn like a magnet to you.

One of the weaknesses of many of our evangelistic efforts is our lack

of the supernatural. I believe we will lose a generation if our only

approach in evangelism is either intellectual arguments or emotional

appeals. We've got to manifest the miracle of God.

We've got to see the power of God manifested in our midst. Saint

Augustine said, "I would never have been a Christian but for miracles."

There is a push today to program the Christian experience in such a way

that everyone is comfortable with everything that goes on in church. The

challenge is this: Whose comfort level should we meet? Do we aim at the

folks who have seen the power of God? Or do we aim at the person

walking in off the street who doesn't know anything about God?

Unfortunately, what I am seeing in some churches that have

experienced the power of the Holy Ghost is that they're aiming at the

comfort level of the person who would be uncomfortable with anything

showing up! We cannot aim for the lowest common denominator and their

comfort level.

172

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

I submit to you, we shouldn't even aim for the comfort level of the

person who has experienced the power of God before. We ought to aim for

everything that God would spill over the edges of Heaven and pour into

our services—manifestations beyond what anyone has ever experienced,

beyond what any of us has ever tasted.

I need God! My world needs God! I believe that evangelism is a

supernatural process and it's never about being clever; it's about

manifesting the mystery. It's the fire of God on us.

IF IT WORKS ON YOU, IT SHOULD WORK ON THEM

Then Moses answered and said, "But suppose they will not believe

me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, 'The Lord has not appeared

to you' " (Exodus 4:1).

God got Moses' attention with a mystery. The way that God got Moses'

attention was the same way that God wanted to disrupt dark powers, by

manifesting the mystery. Moses' rod was a manifesting of the mystery rod.

Moses threw it on the ground; it became a snake. He touched water with

it; the water became blood. He pointed it at a sea and it parted; he pointed

it at the ground, and dust turned to lice. It is a mystery stick.

Today God is saying, "The same thing that I secured you with (a

mystery), is the same thing that you're going to use to get folks free."

Manifesting the mystery is about a blatant disruption of the demonic

realm. Mysteries are going to pose a new threat to darkness. I believe that

this generation is not looking for the palatable; they're looking for the

paranormal, that which is off the chart.

Here's what we need more than anything else. When Moses presents

himself before Pharaoh, Jannes and Jambres are also there, manifesting

their mystery of darkness. Those who present the greatest mystery are

going to hold the greatest influence.

Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and

Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had

said (Exodus 7:22).

173

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

When Moses manifested his mystery and then the magicians (Jannes

and Jambres) performed theirs as well, Pharaoh didn't budge; he wasn't

convinced. Moses did what they could also do.

Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth

lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast (Exodus

8:18).

Finally, they couldn't duplicate it and had to admit that it was truly

"the finger of God." They could manipulate frogs coming out, they could

do a water and blood trick, they could do a little stick to snake trick, but

this was a creative miracle. He turned dust into lice. Satan doesn't have

anything that's creative. All his powers are destructive, but God's given us

the prophetic that is creative.

Prophetic minister, Kris Vallotton, is correct in saying, "I believe that

Pharaoh is about to let go of our cities as God demonstrates His raw power

through His Church. Yet, there remains a distance between what should be

and what will be." We need an extreme revolution in our understanding of

the spirit realm, an extreme shift of how ministry takes place. That's what

God did to Moses. It began with a burning bush, and it ended with a stick

in a man's hand that he lifted up and an ocean of water parted, and an

entire nation went free. But it began with God being God.

Manifesting the mystery says this, "I can forge ahead, in faith, without

knowing exactly how it's going to turn out. I can forge ahead without even

understanding all of the things that are involved, because I have tasted the

mystery of God and I can trust Him enough to be in a place where I don't

have all of the answers."

THE ORIGINAL IMAX EXPERIENCE

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes,

the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the

people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off (Exodus 20:18).

Here is God up on the mountain. There's smoke, thunder, sounds of

trumpets, and lightning. This is when God introduces Himself to the

nation of Israel. He didn't hand them a sheet of facts about who He was.

174

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

He didn't hand them a set of propositional truths, and then give them an

experience with Himself later on in their walk. Israel had the exact

opposite. God said, "Experience Me, and then we'll talk."

This is the opposite of the way we do it. We think that we have to talk

and prep people for a possible experience that they may or may not have

with God. I'm not saying that this is always wrong, but this isn't the way

that God revealed Himself to His people here.

It's going to take some level of aggressiveness for us to enter into the

unexplainable dimensions of God. It's not just going to drop into our laps;

we're going to have to press in.

The tragedy will be if there are unexplainable dimensions that we don't

come into because: (a) We feel that if we can't explain it then it must not

be legitimate or valid, or (b) we don't recognize that we have to press in to

enter into those areas.

What was the purpose of God introducing Himself like that to the

Israelites? God was revealing Himself as "One which is altogether other."

Jesus is our Friend and our Brother and we need to approach the throne of

grace with boldness. But there is going to come a time when we need to

recognize that He is altogether other than us.

The other thing that God was doing was curing them from ever

trivializing God and His abilities. Once you're introduced to a God who

has an IMAX Dolby surround sound event up on a mountain, and later on

He tells you He's going to get you into the Promised Land, you can easily

believe for Him to move. You don't doubt once you've seen and embraced

the mystery of God.

If God were presented to you as someone understandable, when you

got into a situation where you could not understand it, you would be stuck.

If we're not being fed on the mystery of God, it will be a mystery as to

how we're going to get through tough situations. We must have a

revelation of the mystery before we can have a manifestation of the

mystery.

Our church services are more of a reflection of our nature than that of

God's nature.

175

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

I believe that this place of revelation is where our churches need to

come. It's as if we're saying, like the Israelites did, "Moses, you speak to

us and give us what man can give us; we're comfortable with that. But if

God shows up in His mystery and awe, we're going to back away."

Now God told them the reason why He presented Himself like He did.

He said, "I did it to test you. To see if you would have the fear of God in

your heart." In other words, "I want you to have the awe of who I am in

your heart." I believe that sometimes God manifests the mystery to test our

hearts. You've heard the phrase, "God will often offend the mind to reveal

the heart." That's exactly what this is.

Mystery is here to find out if we have another agenda. Is your agenda

to figure it all out? Do you have to be in control? Maybe you have to be

able to manipulate it to be palatable; to be socially acceptable. Does

everybody have to feel good about it? Or are you all right with embracing

that which you don't fully understand?

John 8:32 says, "You will know the truth and the truth shall make you

free." The word "know" is experiential knowledge. It is truth that has been

experienced, not intellectual knowledge. If we don't experience the truth,

we'll be limited in our comprehension of it.

God sends the mystery into a service and all of a sudden you don't

know why you're crying; you don't know why you're laughing; you don't

know why you're shaking; and you don't know why you're feeling lighter.

You don't know why you have faith now to believe for what you had

formerly been struggling to believe for. The mystery of God comes into a

service and you don't know why cancer leaves your body. It is the mystery

of God when the Holy Spirit is allowed to move.

Israel never became fruitful; they never fulfilled their destiny. Why?

They never overcame the obstacle of rationalism. Rationalism says, "I've

got to figure it out." You know some people always use a rationalistic bias

whenever they see the move of the Spirit. They don't realize that they're

rationalizing away what God wants to release in their lives.

Three enemies to allowing the supernatural to flow are:

1. Failing to deal with our inner "control freak." Ever since we

176

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

were little kids, we've always wanted to be in control. Even in services we

strive for control. I'm finding out that it's good to wait on the Holy Spirit

in a service for the mystery to manifest.

In other countries that are experiencing visitations of God, they have a

very different sense of time. We ask God to move, but in order to get the

full move we've got to come to Mount Sinai. God came to them at Mount

Sinai, but they were the ones who chose to back away.

2. The feeding frenzy of social acceptance and the secular mind.

We all want to be accepted. The more we feed on this need in an

unsanctified way, the more it demands to be fed. Jesus did say that we

would be hated on account of Him. He did tell the disciples that when they

were rejected to shake off the dust. He gave them instructions on how to

handle rejection, and so we should know that we will also be faced with it.

When Jesus told the disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem to die,

Peter said, "No, I'm not going to let You die. It's not going to happen."

Then Jesus rebuked him, and said, "Get behind Me, satan. You have on

your mind the things of men not the things of God."

What Jesus is explaining is that our so-called honorable desires could

actually be feeding a strategy of darkness. It's not necessarily because

we're thinking something completely demonic; it's because we are

thinking something that is man-centered and man-based, which results in a

strategy of darkness.

3. Fear of the unknown or that which you can't explain. This is

truly an enemy of the supernatural. For these reasons I think the nation of

Israel didn't come to the mountain. They desired control and they couldn't

explain it. Like them, this is what we've done today; we've chosen

predictability over surprise. We've chosen standardization over

uniqueness. We'll make every church the same, the same programs and the

same service structure. This is the scary thing—we've chosen the natural

over the supernatural.

If we were advisors on Mount Sinai, how would we have had God

initially reveal Himself for the first timers coming through the door at

Mount Sinai Christian Center? Would we have said, "Okay God, don't

177

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

scare the people away. Make it agreeable to reason, so that everyone can

understand what is going on. Make it predictable, palatable, and politically

correct. Lord, don't give them too much and blow them away." So what

does God do? He blows them away!

I believe that God wanted something in the fiber of their faith; it's the

same thing that He wants in the fiber of our Christianity. There is a quality

of experience that will release a quantity of results, when you embrace the

mystery. There is a quality of an experience that we cannot downsize.

There is a harvest that we will receive, if we remain true to the DNA that

God put in our spirits.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD MYSTERY

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was

given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches

of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery,

which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who

created all things through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:8-9).

What does the mystery accomplish?

1. It creates an awe of God that crushes familiarity. We need

people to experience the trans-rational, the holy paranormal. I believe that

God wants you to experience the mystery of God because it will create an

awe that will crush familiarity.

2. The mystery of God sucks skepticism right out of the

atmosphere. Manifestations of the unexplained trigger a new spiritual

flow where faith can flourish. A person goes from "it can't happen" to "did

you see that?"

3. Establishes a solid testimony. That's what God was doing in

Exodus 20. He wanted to establish a testimony. When you encounter a

mystery, you remember it. Your encounter with God is to be a mystery

that sticks and becomes a solid testimony. It is something that you can

hold onto when you go through the thick and thin, when you're seeing the

opposite of what God's promised you.

4. It causes a powerful consciousness of divine presence. How many

178

MANIFEST THE MYSTERY

of us have experienced something from God that we couldn't explain?

Mysteries upset the equilibrium, and when they upset the equilibrium, God

is able to inject truth.

For example, if we were talking to a lost person who thinks they know

everything about Christianity, they would already feel like church wasn't

for them. As a result, they would most likely go to seek their spirituality

elsewhere. But if all of a sudden, the mystery of God manifests on the

street of their life, and they received a word of knowledge, or word of

wisdom, it would upset the equilibrium of their perception of Christianity.

In that moment God would be able to give a heavenly download into their

hearts and they would easily get saved.

5. It answers the deep cry of the human heart. Without a mystery

our faith deteriorates into religion. If it's explainable, totally

understandable, and inside the dimensions of what you can make happen,

all you've got is religion.

Religion has no mystery to manifest. That's why a generation is not

interested in what we're talking about, because we've been portraying

religion. Programmatic evangelism says we need to give them answers.

Prophetic evangelism says we need to give them mysteries. We need to do

some stuff they can't figure out!

We've been so busy trying to give people answers that we've taken

something potent out. We need to let a generation know our God is

indescribable! People are tired of religion. They want to see the power of

God demonstrated. They want to see the presence of God—blind eyes to

see, paralyzed legs to jump out of their wheelchairs. When the Church

fails to provide an engaging experience with God, you'll see the youth

immediately go to drugs and the occult.

Instead of turning down the volume, we need to turn up the volume.

Evangelist Mario Murillo says, "My definition of seeker-sensitive is to

turn up the volume so loud that the seeker can sense it!" A modern rock or

rap concert is a type of worship experience that the Church often fails to

provide. A psychic hot line is a modern spiritual gift experience that the

Church in some areas fails to provide.

179

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

In this hour, we have a holy obligation to move in a dimension to seize

hearts and free them from the mystical mazes of modern life—remember

we've got the power!

180

CHAPTER 10

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

10

HEALING REVIVALIST JOHN G. LAKE ONCE SAID, "The life of the Christian,

without the indwelling power of the Spirit in the heart, is weariness to the

flesh."

In Romans 15:18, there is the phrase "in word and deed," which is

followed by, "to make the Gentiles obedient." This is the hallmark of the

first-century Church when it comes to evangelism. A power-packed gospel

went forth in the marketplace and rendered heartfelt salvations in the Book

of Acts.

Acts provides a historical narrative of the phenomenal growth of the

Church, which directly related to the mighty power of the Spirit, who

released signs and wonders through obedient people. In the Book of Acts,

we see that each time people were filled with the Holy Spirit, they became

powerful, miracle-working, and fruitful evangelists for Christ.

Peter, Philip, and the apostle Paul give us an apostolic view of how to

step up, step through, and step into God's redemptive designs. They all

operated in the gift of prophecy as they evangelized the lost.

I'm convinced that God still wants to speak directly into the lives of

the lost through prophetic phenomena.

In Acts chapter 2, after Peter and the early Church experienced the

empowerment of the Spirit, things began to change. Peter went from

denying Jesus in front of a "Campfire girl," to boldly proclaiming Christ

and testifying of His resurrection. The 120 followers in the upper room

181

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

experienced the power of the Spirit and were ignited by this baptism of

fire. As Peter stood in front of thousands who had gathered outside the

upper room, in a strategic way, he began to wear away their defenses to

the gospel. Peter told them that the signs and wonders they were

experiencing were prophesied by the prophet Joel.

MAKING SENSE

In many places in Scriptures we see prophetic visions, dreams,

pictures, impressions, and enigmas used to move people from a place of

unbelief to faith.

In Acts 2:22, Peter mentioned the miraculous ministry of Jesus, which

was endorsed by God, and followed up by saying "as you yourselves

know."

Today, we often want church services that are calm and predictable so

we won't have to explain anything to the unchurched guests. Yet what

generated the New Testament Church's first major harvest of 2,000 souls

was a mystery that required an explanation to the unchurched guests of

Jerusalem.

Prophetic evangelism connects what people don't understand about the

gospel to what they do understand.

Prophetic evangelism trusts God to unleash "trans-rational" signs to go

to work on hearts that are obstinate and minds that are skeptical. Physical

healing is a tremendous vehicle for causing hearts to become vulnerable to

the gospel. Healing is a physical illustration of a spiritual truth.

In Acts 3, Peter and John stepped into a miracle that arrested the

attention of the marketplace where they were functioning.

And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom

they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask

alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John

about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him,

with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention,

expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and

gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus

182

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand

and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received

strength (Acts 3:2-7).

This healing miracle led to 5,000 men coming to Christ (see Acts 4:4).

Many times I have seen people come to Christ after God moved by

healing someone in the meeting. Even though most Christians would not

protest the praying for the sick, few see it as an avenue for mass

evangelism.

When Jesus gives the Great Commission in Mark 16:15-18, He begins

by telling us to preach the gospel to every creature, and finishes with,

among other instructions, "you will take up serpents...." The phrase for

"take up" means "to move from its place and to break off attachments."

This gives us a more accurate picture of what exploits we will step into.

In prophetic evangelism, we need to be sensitive to the leading of the

Holy Spirit. We must let God reveal the root of the problem through

revelation (see John 5:19-20). We must be bold, like Peter, to speak and

release the anointing and power of God in order to meet the needs of

hurting people. Peter seized the miracle, not to promote his own healing

ministry, but to declare the matchless message of redemption. That

miracle left the people full of amazement and wonder.

NEED TO ENCOUNTER THE DIVINE

Our problem today is that society thinks they have us all figured out.

They are not even fazed by our non-demonstration, business-as-usual,

religious meetings. They need to encounter the mighty presence of God,

which affects people's very lives and destroys the works of the enemy. I

think Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke is absolutely correct when he says that

"Jesus can only be what you preach Him to be; the Holy Spirit can only

bless what you say about Him, and not what you don't say He is." His

point is that we must declare Christ to be all that the Bible says He is, so

that faith can come for Him to move in that dimension.

We must declare Christ's authority over sin, sickness, and satan!

Sometimes that is a scary undertaking, because it goes beyond what flesh

183

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

can produce. Prophetic evangelism learns to capitalize on the moves and

miracles of God in order to communicate Christ's message to reach the

unreached.

IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO PETER...

Among those who were empowered by the Spirit, no one personified

and utilized the assets of the Spirit more dramatically than Peter. He is a

study of contrasts: at times full of faith (see Acts 3:16), at times full of fear

(see Mark 14:30), at one time determined (see John 18:10), at another time

weak (see Matt. 26:40-45). One moment, he spoke sheer revelation (see

Matt. 16:17), the next moment he was a mouthpiece for satan (see Matt.

16:23).

Jesus saw the potential in Simon Peter and gave him the name Cephas,

meaning "rock." Yet it wasn't until he was filled with the Holy Spirit that

Peter's dormant leadership capacity was totally and completely activated.

When Peter became empowered by the Spirit, the words of his testimony

became immensely effective to his listeners. Under the energizing

influence of the Holy Spirit, the global harvest force Jesus initiated

through His disciples broke forth into a visible movement.

Over and over again, the history of missions has demonstrated how the

public triumph of divine power over evil power was instrumental in

expanding the gospel witness. Without this element we fail on two counts.

We miss the standard of a pure Christlike witness, and we fall short of

meeting the depth of people's needs around us.

IMPOSTOR ALERT

But evil men and, impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving

and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13).

When I think of an impostor, I think of somebody who pretends to be

someone they are not, like a deceived person who walks around saying,

"I'm Jesus; worship me." But I looked up the word "impostor" in the

original, and it means "enchanters using incantations."

184

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

Paul is saying that not only will evil get worse and worse, but sorcery

and witchcraft will increase. It has been said that right now in America,

the enlistment and recruitment of teenagers into Wicca and the occult is

rising. We could lose our nation if we don't decide to change! On the flip

side, I've never seen as many people come to the Lord as I have seen

recently. People are more hungry for Christ than they have ever been

before!

CONSEQUENCES OF A DUNAMIS DEFAULT

A dunamis default is a crisis of epic proportions. What happens if the

people of God don't release the life of the gospel?

In Acts 8, there was a man by the name of Simon the Sorcerer. He

went to Samaria, where nearly the entire town gave heed to him. They

called him the "Great Power of God." But he was an impostor. He was

passing himself off to be someone who embodied God.

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced

sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that

he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the

greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God, "And they heeded

him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time

(Acts 8:9-11).

Samaria is very much like our world today. We can sit back and

complain when there is a high tech seance program on TV, but the reason

it is there is because of our default. People believe there is more power in

the seance show than in the lives of believers. I've heard it said: All it

takes for evil to advance is for good men to do nothing. Passivity during

this time is criminal.

In Acts chapter 8, you can read the story of a deacon in the early

Church named Philip. We're told that his job was to wait on tables. He

literally served food and met the needs of widows, so the other apostles

could go out preaching.

So when God wants to turn a city around we might think He would get

a superstar apostle, right? No, because God says, "I'm going to get a

185

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

glorified drink waiter who has been faithful doing what I have called him

to do." Here is Philip; one day he's taking orders from widows, the next

day he's taking cities from devils.

DUNAMIS IN REVERSE

You might wonder, what happens if an inexperienced man like Philip

doesn't demonstrate the dunamis power of God? All of these people are

blindly following the sorcerer Simon, but when they see the power of God

on Philip, they turn, confess, and believe in Christ and get water baptized.

What happens if Philip doesn't go?

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by

Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean

spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed;

and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was

great joy in that city (Acts 8:6-8).

A dunamis default means that if you don't walk in the power of the

Holy Spirit, there will be no multitude listening to what you have to say.

The consequence of a dunamis default is that the crowd we're meant to

speak to will never hear us. What about the miracles that are meant to take

place that don't take place all because we don't get there? There are

miracles in motion that God has designated, but He is waiting for someone

who will say in obedience, "I'll go there."

If unclean spirits don't come out, they stay in. Unclean spirits are tied

to perversion. The rise of sorcery will also mean the rise of perversion,

because they go hand in hand. Notice that the Word doesn't say they had a

chemical imbalance or a bad childhood. No, it says they were "possessed."

The word possessed means to "retain under grip." Our diagnosis must be

accurate for our prognosis to meet the challenge.

If unclean spirits don't come out, people would stay under the grip of

darkness, though they could have been set free. There would be no

healing. People would stay in sicknesses and bondage in their bodies. Not

only would the demonic be controlling their spirit, emotionally and

mentally tormenting them, but also striking them physically.

186

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

And finally, if you don't have joy, you have depression. Without

Philip's obedience to demonstrating the gospel, there would have been no

joy released in the city.

FORFEITING DUNAMIS IN A CITY

Let's take any city today and say that the people who need to be filled

with the Holy Ghost don't get filled. And the people who are already filled

with the Holy Ghost don't go out and do what God directs them to do.

What happens? They forfeit dunamis power in that city.

But Philip, who is not even an apostle, goes right out and undertakes

spiritual warfare. People talk about warfare being prayer, and I believe

that you've got to pray, but do you know what spiritual warfare is also?

The proclamation of the gospel. We don't speak about that often, but what

Philip accomplished in that city was spiritual warfare. Warfare is not just

praying in a back room; it is preaching Christ in the marketplace. It is vital

that we take God's answers to our prayers, get up off of our knees, and go

tell people what God has said!

Several years earlier, Jesus walked out to a well in Samaria (see John

4). He was directed not to preach to a major crowd, but to one particular

Samaritan woman. Jesus had this encounter with her for the purpose of

giving her a word of knowledge, and offering to her everlasting water. She

is so amazed at His accuracy about the details of her life that she runs back

into Samaria to tell everyone about it. The Bible says that she tells the city,

"You've got to see this man! He's told me everything!" Almost the entire

city came out to hear Jesus that day and they believed.

FROM AWAKENING TO BEWITCHED TO INFILLING

Now let's go back to the Book of Acts, about three years later. How

can you go from a citywide awakening to only three years later where a

sorcerer has an entire city bewitched and following after him? All of those

folks who experienced that awakening didn't die in the span of three years.

I started thinking about this concept of a dunamis default. There are only

two possible explanations that I could think of about how there could be a

187

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

mighty move of God, followed by amazing deception, where people are

blinded and possessed.

One scenario is the people who went out and heard Jesus never said

anything to anyone else. In other words, the miracle was never

broadcasted. They kept to themselves. A second scenario is that they

became believers but remained baby Christians and never grew up. You

know when you're a baby Christian, it's "all about me." You're cool with

everything revolving around you because you're still a baby.

But when people are much older, and you still have to feed and clothe

them, it's not so cool anymore. When pastors have to clean up adult

messes, it's not cute. Maybe there's another explanation, but somewhere

along the line it seems like they were either silent, or they turned inward.

Philip realized he couldn't just leave these converts on their own as

new believers. They had tasted the supernatural realm of the demonic and

now they needed to taste the supernatural realm of the divine! They

needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So Philip called on Peter and

John. If you keep reading in Acts chapter 8, Peter and John come down

and they pray for the Samaritan believers and they receive the Holy Spirit.

There was evidence that it was broadcasted. God saw to it that this time

Samaria was filled with the Holy Spirit.

MESSY CONVERSIONS

When I was a student at the University of the Pacific, I was involved

in a campus ministry. I was very young in the Lord. I came back from a

Sunday night service where the man who had discipled me had preached a

mighty message about Peter getting out of the boat.

At that time, I had a neighbor named Vincent, who was a very

imposing figure. He was six feet four inches tall, weighed 260 pounds, and

was a very disturbed man. In fact, he was on medication and was an

outpatient from the local mental hospital. He was on State Disability

because he couldn't get a job in his condition. When I came back from this

meeting, I told my roommate, "We've got to witness to Vincent. We just

need to do it. It's time." But my roommate said, "Brother, that's crazy. I'm

188

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

not going over there."

I walked next door and knocked on his door. Vincent answered the

door and his eyes looked funny. He let me in, but I could tell he was

angry. He said, "Hold on a second," and he went into his bedroom.

I stood there in his apartment looking around. On one side of the room

was a picture of a skeleton with a snake coming out of its mouth.

On the other side was a picture of a flying dragon with two daggers in

its claws. I looked in the corner of his kitchen and there was a machete

with what looked like dried blood on it. The devil started lying to me by

saying that the blood belonged to the last dude who tried to come in to

witness to him.

I thought it wasn't a good time because I heard Vincent talking to

someone in his bedroom. I walked over and peeked into his bedroom to

say, "Hey, man, I'll come back another time when you're not busy," but no

one was there with him. He was talking to an old war buddy who had died

years before in his arms. (Okay, now I'm officially freaked.)

All of a sudden, I thought, "I've got to conquer this thing." So I said to

him, "Hey, Vincent, I've got to talk to you. You need the Lord, man. Jesus

Christ can change your life. We need to pray right now." I just grabbed his

hands and didn't give him a chance to say anything. I got to the part where

I normally say, "Jesus is Lord" and the moment he went to say Jesus, he

started choking and growling violently. He started roaring and squeezing

my hands so hard that I couldn't move. At that point, I opened my eyes.

(I've since learned that when you pray with people who have "visitors on

board," you shouldn't close your eyes.)

I looked up at his red face, and his eyes were rolled back into his head.

"Oh, my God, this is not good," was all I could think. I wanted to pull my

hands loose so I could knock on the wall, hoping my roommate would

hear and dial 9-1-1, but I couldn't. In that moment, I didn't know what

would happen, so I thought my only chance was to come against this

power of darkness. I raised my voice and said, "In the name of Jesus, I

break this power and command you to let him go right now!" His eyes

popped back, he started looking at me, and he asked, "What just

189

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

happened?"

I prayed with him for Jesus to come into his life and he got baptized in

the Holy Ghost. Vincent started coming out to Bible studies, church,

carrying a Bible, got a job, got off of medication, and was released from

the mental hospital. His life was totally transformed in a moment!

I was just a student in campus ministry, young in the Lord, and I

definitely lacked experience. I believe we are going into a time in this

world where we're going to see a huge jump in these types of conversions!

HELL'S RED BUTTON

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power (1 Corinthians

4:20).

One night I was sleeping in my bed and I suddenly woke up at about

2:30 A.M. I sensed God speaking to me, "I want you to be on guard

because a spirit of witchcraft is going to be coming against your house,

your family, your children, and your ministry."

Witchcraft/sorcery is the equivalent to the President's rumored nuclear

"red button." It becomes hell's last ditch effort to frantically thwart God's

rising move amongst His children.

With the king of Moab (see 2 Kings 3:26-27), and Balak (see Num.

24:1,10), these instances portray the extremes to which wicked

instruments will utilize witchcraft to fight against the expansion of the

people of God.

So I jumped out of bed and I started to anoint our doors. I looked for

the anointing oil, but we didn't have any, so I used Crisco oil. (I guess oil

is oil.) I recognized that God doesn't warn you about the "wimpy" attacks

at 2:30 in the morning.

PROPHETIC VERSUS PSYCHIC

I often preach at U.C. Berkeley, a college campus that is known for its

rebellion and protesting. There is a man whom I've had some run-ins with

and he called himself "the Hate Man of Berkeley." Every time I went to

190

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

preach or went out on the campus to do an outreach—advertised or not—

this guy would find me.

Years ago, I went to Berkeley for a prayer walk with my wife and kids

and some college students. As we were praying, I noticed there were some

students dressed like vampires carrying sacks of blood. They were pasty-

faced, and everything about them was dark.

So I walked over to a guy and asked, "What are you doing?" He

replied, "We're role playing, and I'm a vampire, and all of our friends are

vampires. The idea of the game is to kill the other person and drink their

blood, but it's just for fun." (How about playing Yahtzee, Pictionary, or

something?)

At that same time, we heard wild drums beating. We went over to the

middle of the university center and there were students gathered all

around. They were beating hollowed out industrial drums with broken

sticks. They were also chanting some mantra. The moment I walked past, I

could feel a demonic presence. I knew immediately I had to witness to

these guys—I couldn't just walk by there and not say anything. This would

be the first time I would meet him: the Hate Man of Berkeley. As soon as

my friend, Jeff Rostocil, and I, turned the corner after dropping my family

off at the car, they were gone. I mean it was like turning a light on inner-

city cockroaches—they had scattered. Only a couple of people remained,

and one of them was the Hate Man.

I walked over to him and said "Hey, man, my name is Sean, and I just

wanna..." He interrupted me, put up his hands, and said, "Don't talk to me

unless you put your hands on my hands and say, 'I hate you.'" This is why

he's called the Hate Man. He supposedly gets empowered when you put

your hands on his hands and say, "I hate you." I looked back at him and

said, "I'm here to tell you that Jesus Christ wants your life."

He got visibly upset and jumped back from me. Right next to us was

one of the young guys who had been beating the drums. We ended up

witnessing to this young man and praying with him for salvation right on

the spot. Needless to say, I was not the Hate Man's friend from that point

on. I had now taken one of his disciples.

191

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL

So, let me fast forward. I'm doing another prayer walk with a college

ministry that's on the same campus. As we're talking and saying good-bye,

I notice the Hate Man and he's watching me from a distance. I glanced

over at him, not too concerned. But he had something like a blue laser in

his hand.

I see him flash this blue light, but I'm not really paying attention to

him. In that moment, when I noticed the blue light, I turned to say

something to someone and it felt like someone had taken a mallet and hit

me right on the back of my head. Immediately, I collapsed on my knees

and I was holding my head. It felt like a blood vessel was bursting in my

brain. I felt like I was dying.

My son was the only one to recognize what was going on and said

"Dad, what's going on? What's the matter?" I said, "Son, I don't know." I

was ready to tell him to call 9-1-1 when all of a sudden, the Lord spoke to

me and said, "A spirit of witchcraft is coming against you now and I want

you to bind it." I said, "In the name of Jesus, I bind this spirit of

witchcraft!"

As soon as I did that, it lifted as suddenly as it had come on me. I

stood right back on my feet and it was like nothing had happened. The

moment I did, I turned and looked over to where the Hate Man was.

He started shaking and dropped that little blue light. I started walking

toward him. He picked it up and started to walk away. Though I am an

evangelist, and a minister, I'm still from inner city Oakland, and if you're

going to cast a curse on me, I'm going to cast the devil out of you! I started

running after him and he just took off.

WHERE'S YOUR POWER SOURCE?

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of

purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened

her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her

household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me

to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded

192

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

us. Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl

possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters

much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried

out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who

proclaim to us the way of salvation," And this she did for many days. But

Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in

the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."And he came out that very

hour (Acts 16:14-18).

So Paul went to a place called Philippi and he happened upon a lady

by the name of Lydia. They were having a nice little time at the riverside,

and the Bible tells us that the Lord had opened her heart to heed the things

spoken by Paul. He prayed with her, she was baptized, and there you have

the birth of the Philippian church. (Wouldn't it be great if everyone you

ever witnessed to was like that? It was nice, clean, and tidy.) Then Paul

crossed over the river, and now look what happened. Notice the contrast.

Paul and Silas are going to prayer, but the people of Philippi are going to

see a psychic, the girl with a spirit of divination.

What I submit to you is that at this time in history there is a move from

nice and easy conversions, to "messy" conversions where we're going to

encounter the demonic realm. We're going to come up against folks who

have visitors on board (times when you look into someone's eyes and

other beings are looking back).

That is our generation today. People are tapping into other power

sources, saying it's not enough to just have natural abilities. People are

finding that what they are used to isn't useful to them anymore. Folks are

saying, "I've got to tap into the supernatural realm."

If you believe in Jesus Christ, you had better be praying. You had

better be tapping into your Power Source. Now is not the time to have

some sort of limp-wristed, houseplant Christianity. Now is the time to

have an empowered, Holy Ghost walk with God, where you walk in a

dimension of authority and power! Instead of getting up in the morning

and reaching for headache tablets because the devil makes you afraid, you

get up and the devil has to reach for his headache tablets.

I've come to realize that curses are going to a whole new level. There

193

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

are people all around this nation in rituals going to the next level in the

demonic. Paul operated in the prophetic weapon of discernment and was

alert to the nature and strategies of the enemy.

God and satan have virtually nothing in common, but this one thing:

God and satan can both invest power into people. Satan's power is no

comparison to God's power, because God has ultimate power!

CUTTING OFF THE AIR SUPPLY

When I was a kid I used to go down to the swimming pool and I had a

big ol' 'fro. These guys at the pool would grab us (younger kids) and hold

us by our hair under the water. We would be struggling and trying to fight

and they would hold us down until we stopped fighting. We would come

up for air and they would stick us back under. All the lifeguards were into

each other, so they didn't even notice us little inner-city kids getting

dunked. In similar fashion, the enemy wants to hold you under.

The demonic realm wants to spiritually suffocate a person. People

want to come up for air; they want to come up for joy; they want to come

up for liberty, but they are being held under.

I believe it wasn't just any coincidence that the devil didn't want this

girl to meet Paul and Silas. I think in her heart she wanted to be free, and it

was a moment where she came up breathing for a second, only to be

pushed back down again. So how did the girl get there? The only way that

this teen-aged girl got to the place where she was being gripped, seized,

and retained is that somewhere along the line she closed the door to God

and opened the wrong door. Having a persistent adversary and opening the

wrong spiritual door is where this generation is finding themselves.

The Bible says that the girl with the spirit of divination "met us." The

word "met" means a face-to-face encounter. I believe that this generation

of believers is also going to have face-to-face encounters with the

demonic.

The spirit of divination, in the original text, means "a python spirit."

One of the clues of how the spirit of divination works is found in this

snake. How does a python kill? It wraps itself around and around, and

194

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

every time the victim inhales, it tightens its grasp. When the victim goes to

breathe in again and get some more air, it continues to choke him. The

snake cuts off its air supply.

What a spirit of divination wants to do is cut off a generation from the

breath of Christ! That is why there are kids who are so angry at God and

so bitter, or in such unbelief that all they can see is darkness; the enemy

has wrapped itself around them.

The practice of witchcraft has dramatically increased in recent years

and here is one of the express goals of this movement: "To dilute,

dominate, and destroy biblical Christianity."

Ultimately, Paul saw this girl delivered and allowed the demonstration

of truth to be seen in Philippi.

"A HUNTING THEY WILL GO..."

Thus says the Lord God: "Woe to the women who sew magic charms

on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to

hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves

alive?" ...Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against your

magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them

from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds"

(Ezekiel 13:18,20).

The real damage in sorcery is its ability to "veil" people. This spirit

doesn't want you to see right or clearly. It doesn't want you to understand

what's really at stake. It says it makes veils; it hunts souls. This spirit is

aggressive! It wants souls, but God declares freedom over captives. Peter,

Philip, and Paul demonstrate for the prophetic evangelist how to

aggressively compete for the souls of lost humanity.

LESSONS FROM THE "ACTIVATED"

Each of these three examples from the Book of Acts reveals

tremendous principles for modern prophetic evangelists. In these

instances, Peter, Philip, and Paul conquer the opposition while seeing a

harvest released! They operated in the power of the Spirit as they stepped

195

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

out to win souls.

Professor of cross-cultural communications, Del Tarr, says, "Aspects

of revival convinced me that some of satan's territory cannot be penetrated

without the power of the Holy Spirit in signs and wonders."

The Peter Factor

"The Peter Factor" is receiving the Spirit's power to be a witness. After

receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter found himself engaging the

unchurched in the marketplace. He got out of the upper room and out on

the streets. Any and every experience with the Spirit of God must lead us

eventually toward God's redemptive purposes.

In Acts 4:4, Peter saw another 5,000 get saved. Prophetic evangelism

manifested in both an outpouring followed by evangelism and a gift of

healing followed by evangelism. These conversions underscore the

importance of Spirit-driven (prophetic) evangelism.

The Peter Factor is stepping out to pray for the sick in the marketplace

and giving God the glory. It also speaks of total penetration as the

disciples spread the gospel wherever they went.

The Philip Factor

Philip was faithful to preach Christ to Samaria. As a result he saw God

confirm the Word with signs following. Philip emphasized miracle

evangelism to reach Samaria. He was faithful in mass evangelism, but he

needed Peter and John's help to pray for the Samaritans' to receive the

Holy Spirit. Philip was willing to leave a move of God to step into a divine

appointment with a man of Ethiopia. This Ethiopian happened to be

reading Isaiah and needed some answers.

The Philip Factor is where there will be times we need to have

additional giftings to complete some assignments. Christian editor, Jim

Buchan says, "It's time to reconnect apostolic and prophetic ministries to

their original calling to equip the Church for winning a lost world." The

Philip Factor also emphasizes the boldness to go into hostile territory to

deliver souls. Finally, the Philip Factor is the willingness to engage people

196

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM ACTIVATED!

one-on-one, by the leading of God, which releases supernatural

transformations.

The Paul Factor

Paul stepped into Philippi having to compete with the spirit of

divination. He dealt with it head on and received persecution over it. This

backlash issue led to Paul being imprisoned, where he praised God and led

a Philippian jailer to the Lord. This was the birth of the Philippian church.

Paul even got the city magistrate to parade them out of prison, when the

magistrates wanted him to leave town secretly.

The Paul Factor aggressively competes for souls because the spirit of

witchcraft is actively hunting for souls. The Paul Factor is also about

outlasting backlash and looking for a platform to win souls. Paul didn't

wallow in his set backs but saw them as divine set ups to proclaim Christ

to a lost world.

Finally, the Paul Factor is about not slipping out secretly, but letting

our light shine despite our situations. Paul made sure the gospel had a

hearing, even if he had to stay in a collapsed prison until his reluctant

escorts came to usher him out. Demonstrating and imparting the

supernatural dimension of the kingdom of God is so crucial in this hour.

The Book of Acts highlights the missing ingredient in traditional

evangelism, which is prophetic power; thus modeling a standard that calls

forth prophetic evangelists.

ACTION STEP ADDENDUM

DREAMS AND VISIONS—ACTIVATED!

When Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, he quoted from the

prophet Joel declaring a new era had begun. Joel promised that an era

would come where dreams and visions would be widespread in the earth

saying, "Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men will dream

dreams, your young men will see visions..." (Acts 2:17b).

Dreams and visions were a significant part of God's means of

communication to humanity in Scriptures; Strong's Concordance lists 202

197

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

references to these manifestations in the Bible. While there are

counterfeits, imitations, and some well-meaning people in error, God still

has the genuine article. In Job 33:13, we are told that God will seal

instructions in people's hearts using dreams to direct them with this

prophetic phenomenon. Apostle Paul experienced what Job talked about.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia imploring him

to come there and minister (see Acts 16:9).

There have been some critical times in which God has directed,

alerted, or highlighted a course of action for my wife, children, and me

through a dream or vision. While we must be very discerning, and test the

revelation, we must also be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath

water.

I'm intrigued about how God set up the Gentile Pentecost (see Acts 10)

by sending a heavenly messenger to Cornelius, a centurion, and a vision to

Peter while he took a nap on a roof. The result was a divine connection

between these two heavyweights, and mighty salvations and

empowerments among these Gentiles. This instigated a bold new step in

the missions of the Church from that point on.

Many times I've heard firsthand testimonies of how missionaries and

evangelists were prophetically directed to ripe areas and then saw amazing

conversions. One missionary told me of accounts where Muslim people

have been converted through these prophetic dreams and visions.

In Scripture, God sometimes spoke through dreams to lost people. God

gave dreams to Pharaoh (see Gen. 41:1-7), Nebuchadnezzar (see Dan.

4:5), the wise men (see Matt. 2:12), and Pilate's wife (see Matt. 27:19). I'm

convinced that this subject will become more prevalent and could open

doors for us to minister the gospel to lost souls. In this post modern

generation this is very catchy and will speak volumes to them. So we need

to be in touch with them, and become close with the Holy Spirit to see this

avenue mined for God's glory in a massive harvest of souls.

Begin to seek God to reveal His directions to you through all of the

means of Scripture, and that He would work on unbelievers day and night

to bring them to repentance.

198

CHAPTER 11

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS

11

LIFESTYLE

SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY IS BASED UPON not only knowing what Jesus has

done for us, but who He has made us to be. God has given us position and

enabling which flows from our very being. Jesus intends that we have the

divine release of spiritual authority and walk in the dunamis (power)

lifestyle. Christ designed a total defeat of hell's dark powers and has

authorized you and me to enforce it.

The Disciples of Christ have marching orders in the Great

Commission, which include giving spiritual light and destroying works of

darkness. To break people free from sickness, brokenness, and

demonization is on course with God's purposes. Thus, we can minister

with confidence and expect God's release as we step out to accomplish

these orders.

In Luke 9:1-2 it says, "He [Jesus] called His twelve...and gave them

authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the

kingdom of God." We've been given an authority to partner with God to

bring good news to people, to break bondages off of people, and to restore

God's blessing. We've been given spiritual authority to deal with spiritual

problems.

Now more than ever, a new enabling—grace—is needed to win the

lost. We need something that is beyond our ability to persuade and reach

people. We need God to put His hand on us, so that it will go beyond

199

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

having good beliefs, to rescuing souls for eternity.

Many Christians have felt spiritually powerless. They feel the loss of

Christian influence, yet God is looking for partners who walk in a new

dimension of authority. Professor Charles Kraft says, "The purpose for

which God gives us this authority is to use it to imitate Jesus." We must

act on His behalf.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to

every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he

who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow

those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak

with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything

deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick,

and they will recover" (Mark 16:15-18).

The Great Commission was not just about words. Jesus said that signs

were going to follow those words. In Jesus' culture, stories were passed

down from generation to generation, but He was saying that there would

not just be stories, but physical signs. I don't want to be satisfied with

simply retelling a story of what God did in the past. If all we do is sit back

and talk about what other great people have done in the past, we're

missing the mark.

If we're believers, Jesus said these signs should follow us. If we have

the Holy Spirit in our lives, there is no reason that we shouldn't be living a

dunamis lifestyle. Here is my desire: a new dimension of spiritual exploits;

I yearn to see something more than I've ever seen or heard.

IT'S IN OUR DNA

When I first came to Christ, I would hear the word revival quite often.

I was immediately captivated and intrigued by this word. The reason I was

attracted to revival was twofold: (1) I intuitively realized God is glorified

in revival. The human heart is captivated in revival more than any other

time, and (2) I believe that God was putting a particular DNA in my spirit.

It was like I was saying in my heart, "God, whatever this thing is, I want to

see it, I want to be in it." Here I am almost two decades later and I'm still

200

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

saying, "I want revival."

Dr. C. Peter Wagner, founder of Wagner Leadership Institute, detected

that over the years there has been a "gradual de-emphasizing of signs,

wonders, and other miraculous ministries." We cannot settle for a miracle-

free Christianity! Don't settle for a Christianity that you can figure out and

a walk where you don't have to trust God to do something miraculous.

Don't simply rely on human effort, or a mutant version of Christianity.

Let's believe daily for God to do something out of the ordinary in our lives

and the lives around us.

The key to experiencing the miracle-working power of God is listening

and obeying in faith, the instructions of the Father. God's purpose for

working miracles is to demonstrate His love and power to the non-

churched, and to destroy the works of the enemy.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and

said unto them, "Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13 KJV).

The word occupy is a military term. To occupy something doesn't

mean to sit in the pew of a church, but an occupational force is put

strategically in place. After the war is won, the occupational force remains

so pockets of resistance can be terminated. God has put you as an

occupational force on planet earth. We have been given authority on this

planet to rise up and fight the pockets of spiritual resistance that come

against our King's intentions. The war has already been won on Calvary.

It's over! But the story continues in us, because the Bible says that God is

going to crush satan underneath our feet (see Rom. 16:20). Occupy also

means to do business. We've got to step into the Father's business. The

Father's business is about redemption and saving souls; it is a supernatural

business.

The supernatural is the technology of the spiritual future. God

demands this so He would be represented by more than just mere words.

God is not a philosophy; He is not a concept. God is saying that what is

required to be a witness in this hour is that we have a dunamis lifestyle

201

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

and not just lip service.

GETTING THE LEVERAGE OF THE LORD

In Exodus 4, Moses is working for his father-in-law on the backside of

the desert. But all of a sudden a bush is on fire in front of him and begins

to speak to him!

Through that burning bush, God speaks to Moses about delivering His

people. Moses was probably thinking, "Okay God, you've given me a

pretty heavy assignment." Pharaoh had the strongest known military army

of his day. So Moses says, "Why should Pharaoh listen to me?" And God

asks, "What's in your hand, son?" Moses looks at his hand, "A stick." So

here's the deal, God's going to send a man with a stick to Pharaoh, and tell

him to let God's people go. Moses was probably wondering, "Do You

want me to hit the man with the stick?"

Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I

will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what

you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he

himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God

(Exodus 4:15-16).

God was telling Moses, "You're going to say what you've always said

but when I breathe on your words, they're going to carry more weight. The

Egyptians will remember your words in the night hours; they will continue

running through their minds. I will capture their attention. You're going to

be the deliverer, but I'm going to be the One behind you."

Moses was given an epic assignment, but his temptation was to shrink

back. The Great Commission is an epic assignment. Like Moses, our

temptation is to shrink back from our assignment, because we don't feel

we've been furnished with everything that we need to accomplish the task.

Moses said, "Why should they listen to me?" His question reflected his

hesitancy. "What evidence can I produce that I'm on a divine mission?

How can I prove to that man that I actually met with You?" Good

questions.

When the rod became a snake and then became a rod again in Moses'

202

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

hands, God got his attention. It was as if God was saying, "You're not

going with just any stick. You point this thing at the water, and oceans will

part."

Gordon Lindsey once said, "Every person called to ministry must

decide what their attitude will be toward the supernatural." Moses

definitely developed a positive attitude towards God's manifestation of the

supernatural. He would not have survived without the supernatural.

If our enemy has an AK-47 and we know we're going to be fighting

against him, we don't come out with some small rocks in our hands. Even

if we hit the guy with the rocks, he's not going down. That is equivalent to

throwing humanistic arguments against the deception that locks up

students on campuses. We can't throw out our own little opinions while

the enemy is using AK-47s. We've got to have a rod that wields spiritual

leverage.

What is spiritual leverage? It is a combination of the mind of Christ

and the authority of Christ, both of which God has made available to you

and me. You can move anything if you have enough leverage. You may

have a massive boulder, but if you have enough leverage, you can move it.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have

tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to

come... (Hebrews 6:4-5).

Now here is part of the leverage. God wants us to taste from the power

of an age to come. We're to walk in it because God has made it available

to us. Part of the heavenly gift is tasting of the age to come. The dunamis

lifestyle is walking in the power of an age that is not yet fully here.

UNDERSTANDING THE ROD

In the days of old, a rod meant several important things:

(1) It was the symbol of authority (Revelation 2:27 discusses reigning

with the rod of authority) and for Moses it represented the shepherd's call;

(2) it was used by Moses to walk with, lean on, and protect him, and

203

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

(3) scholars tell us that shepherds would write and carve figures on

their rods.

The rod was like a journal of past life experiences. God asked Moses,

"What's that in your hand?" To him it symbolized the authority that he

currently walked in. There were probably some carved images on this rod,

a journal of important things that had happened in his life. And God said,

"Throw it down." If Moses was going to deal with skepticism and

tentativeness, he was going to need some authority in Egypt.

The dunamis lifestyle is about the authority of the believer that God

has deposited inside of you. If you only understood the power of His Spirit

inside of you, you would walk in the authority that could move mountains.

The more you know who you are in Christ, the more you will work in

harmony with the Holy Spirit. You will be able to tap into the riches of

Christ when you can truly see what God has deposited inside of you.

God told Moses to make sure that he did all those wonders that God

had put in his hand (see Exod. 4:21). The rod which God had Moses take

up was representative of a conferring of authority. Many Christians today

never utilize their rod, leaving the wonders that God put in their hands

unused.

In order for you to step into the dunamis lifestyle, sometimes you've

got to throw down some things that you've previously leaned upon.

Generally, people find that God is stronger in them when they surrender to

Him, or when they're in a position of weakness before God. Your past

history, good or bad, must be willingly laid down. Lay it all down and

pick up the rod of dunamis power that God wants to give you. You cannot

pick up God's rod with hands that are already full; you've got to empty

them.

OPERATING FROM HEAVEN'S VANTAGE POINT

Jesus was exalted to a name that is above every other name. Jesus'

name is above every principality, every power, any earthly king or

government, and over anything in the spirit realm. When you are born

again, you are seated immediately in heavenly places, regardless of your

204

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

earthly position. We are in Christ, so if Jesus is in heavenly places, above

all principalities, that's where we are also. When you are operating as an

obedient believer, you're not operating from ground level; you're operating

from a heavenly level.

Moses' rod became a serpent. A serpent was the symbol of royal and

cultic powers. A serpent was placed on the diadem of every Pharaoh

because it was the mark of sovereignty.

Then God says, "I want you to take the serpent by the tail." Most of us

have never handled snakes, but common sense says you ought to grab it by

the head so that it can't turn around and bite you. God was testing the man.

Moses was a little tentative reaching out, but the moment he grabbed the

snake, it became a rod again. God was showing Moses that He was going

to give him authority. One of the Egyptians' gods was a serpent and God

was clearly showing Moses He would give him power over their gods.

This experience gave Moses two illustrations to furnish him with

boldness and become a catalyst to his mission:

1. The sign of the rod. The conquered snake became a rod of

authority in Moses' hands. This illustrates the miracle of

conversion. The rod was converted and Moses would also see a

nation converted. God wants you to know that the authority and

power for massive conversions has been released to you! Miracles

of conversions ought to be the order of the day. We will see former

"snakes" (people who have been bound) become instruments of

deliverance in the Master's hand.

2. The sign of the cleansed hand. In Exodus 4:6-7, Moses' hand

became leprous and then was miraculously healed and returned to

normal. This illustrates the miracle of restoration. The gospel

releases power to see restored lives, relationships, dreams, and the

ability to walk forward into God's plan.

God has given us the privilege to witness the restoration of what the

devil has stolen from people. As you step out, you will see that restoration

of people's peace, health, freedom, and their very lives await you. The

dunamis lifestyle is walking in authority and not being apologetic or

205

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

fearful. It is seeing through eternal eyes that you have royal placement. If

you follow Christ, you are an ambassador of the entire kingdom of God on

earth.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I

do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go

to My Father (John 14:12).

It is impossible for the spirit realm to turn a deaf ear to you when you

know the power of your words. When you know the spiritual power within

you, the spirit realm always hears.

All authority lives in us, but because there is also resistance in us, we

don't see that power. Power flows where authority is released and that is

why we can't talk about witnessing without talking about authority. We've

been limited in our power and felt powerless because some of it is

connected to not knowing the authority we have in Christ.

HE'S FALLEN AND HE CAN'T GET UP

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying "Lord, even the demons

are subject to us in Your name ... Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that

the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are

written in Heaven" (Luke 10:17,20).

Jesus keeps this exploit in perspective and says, "I saw satan fall like

lightning. But even more important than this, you need to be excited that

your names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." Jesus makes the

connection about where the power flows. It's not just you who the devil is

afraid of; it is the One who stands behind you. This delegated authority is

also connected to His redemptive purpose.

HUMAN ASSOCIATION VERSUS DIVINE ASSOCIATION

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves

to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits,

saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there

were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so (Acts 19:13-

14).

206

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

In Acts chapter 19, verse 14, seven sons of a Jewish priest found a guy

who was demonized and tried to exorcise the demons out of him. (This

guy was a walking Bermuda-triangle—filled with demons.)

The Jewish priests evidently had some authority because the sons of

Sceva must have thought authority from God works like hand-me-downs.

They didn't realize that you have to have your own walk with God,

because ultimately the enemy is going to check you out and see what your

connection with God is. The standout phrase in this passage is "they took

it upon themselves." These seven sons of the Jewish priest took it upon

themselves to exorcise this demonic entity. That tells me they didn't have

authentic authority from God. There's a big difference between human

association and divine association.

We've all heard the saying, "It's not what you know but who you

know." It's all about who you have an intimate relationship with. Divine

association is what furnishes you with supernatural adequacy. Daniel

11:32 tells us that if we know God, we will be used mightily, and step

forth with great exploits.

These seven sons had no authentic connection with God. They walked

up to this man and said, "We exorcize you by the Jesus whom Paul

preaches." The demons that were inside the man got riled up by what they

said. The demons state that they knew Jesus and Paul, "but who are you?"

The demonized man beat up each of the seven sons and they all ran out of

the house naked and bleeding.

In contrast—the 70 disciples in Luke 10 came back with an experience

in dealing with demonic entities, confronting powers and seeing people

get set free. They came back with joy. Seven others guys are running

around without any clothes on. They're not excited; they're not joyful—

they're exposed. The issue then and now is authentic authority.

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY CONSISTS OF CERTAIN COMPONENTS:

1. Spiritual authority is being recognized by God (see Acts 2:22).

Your ability to navigate the challenges of this life is largely based

on whether or not you're recognized by God.

207

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Here's what the demons inside of the man had said before he beat up

the seven sons, "Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?" (Acts

19:15). If a "visitor on board" speaks to someone and says, "I know Jesus,

and I know Joe, but who are you?," it's time to turn and run because you're

about to get beat up. The moral of the story is to have a relationship with

God when you go into these situations.

We can learn something else from the seven sons who ran down the

street bleeding and naked (see Acts 19:16). Naked means they were

exposed. The truth of the matter is that we are living in a time today when

folks are going to get exposed. It's symbolized by their running, fleeing

from their problems, fleeing from the situation that has gotten out of hand

—they're exposed.

2. Spiritual authority is a transfer of government, influence, and

power from God. It is as if Heaven is an ATM machine for those

who walk with God. If you have relationship with Christ, you have

the access code, and everything that is in the kingdom you can

access in the name of Jesus Christ.

There's a spiritual ATM machine when you drop on your knees and

you've got the current access code. The slip comes out and it says in the

account whatever it is that you had extracted and the amount still left.

But no matter how much you extract, your account is still full because

the kingdom can never be depleted. When you come to Christ, He

transfers to your account authority and power in His name.

3. Spiritual authority includes a specific commission from God. It's

amazing how many people want more of the anointing, but they

don't want to take on the assignments of God. They want to have

the signs and wonders (see Mark 16), but they don't like the rest of

the verse, "Go into all the world." Authority rests on those who use

the authority to do the heavenly assignment that God has given

them. Do you want to grow in your anointing and authority? Step

out to be used by God.

IT'S NOT IN THE CARDS FOR YOU!

208

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

I was preaching at a church in the Monterey area of Northern

California, and the pastor and his wife took me out to lunch at this nice

courtyard restaurant. As we went over to the car, we walked by various

shops and boutiques. I walked past a particular shop and I felt this dark

rush; it was like something violently wrong was coming out of this shop.

I looked up at the sign and it was some kind of eastern New Age store.

I stepped back and looked in the window. There was a black table and a

woman doing tarot cards right there in front of us. Immediately, I started

binding spirits and praying. I was praying but still walking away, doing

the drive-by warfare thing. But I knew God was requiring something

deeper from me.

We got in the car, and I knew I had unsettled business. We drove about

two blocks and I began feeling sick, because I was grieving the Spirit of

God. Finally I spoke up and said to the pastor, "I think I'm supposed to go

back there and witness at that tarot card shop." So he turned the car back

around and parked. My heart was pumping fast.

We all prayed and I walked into the shop. There were pictures on the

walls of people who have headed up various "spiritual" movements in

history. I felt a little Holy Ghost indignation, because they had also put

Jesus' picture up there along with the other so-called ascended spiritual

leaders.

I walked over and said to the tarot card reader, "Can I ask you a

question?" I pointed at the cards and asked, "How do these cards help you

get in touch with the spirit realm?" She said, "Would you like a reading?"

I responded, "No, I would just like an answer." She said, "Give me about

ten minutes," because she still needed to finish a reading with someone

she was already with.

It was totally God, because had she spoken with me then, I would have

tersely rebuked her, but that wasn't what the Lord had for her. The Spirit

wasn't leading my attitude at that moment; I was being led by the pattern

of what I've done in the past. Many times the Lord would have me

confront the error, so I was in my rebuke mode.

In the next ten minutes I received a spiritual download. The Lord

209

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

broke in and said, "These are the three things that you're going to say to

this woman: (1) She was in a relationship with a man who she thought was

going to nurture her. She trusted him and he ended up abusing her. She

was then thrust out of that and got involved with the tarot cards. (2)

Reading tarot cards is not what she really wants to do. She's doing this as a

default. There is really a dream in her heart to do something else. Tell her

that if she'll let go of this, I'll open the door for that dream. (3) I've been

dealing with her. You're going to be a sign to her, and she will recognize

you as such."

By then I was definitely out of my rebuke mode. I had mercy on her as

I realized she had been really hurt. So I asked her the question again,

"How do these cards get you in touch with the spirit realm?" She replied,

"The universal wisdom of the ages that is eternal, and these cards help you

to channel your energy into the cards. The sequence of cards tells a story

on the basis that we can predict the future."

I couldn't help but think to myself, "And folks really buy into this?

And they don't think that God can save you, or lead you, or direct you by

the Word of God, or by His Spirit?"

Then the woman flipped the devil card on me. It was on now! I said to

her, "You think these cards get you in touch with the spirit realm, but let

me tell you about the One who got me in touch—His name is Jesus Christ.

I believe that there are only two doors into the spirit realm. One is the door

of darkness, and the other door is Jesus Christ."

I proceeded, "The Lord told me that you were in a relationship with a

man whom you trusted, and he deeply hurt you. You thought that he

would nurture you, but instead he ended up abusing you and that's how

you ended up here doing tarot card readings."

I went on, "Number two, this thing that you're doing right here," I was

pointing at the black table with the tarot cards, "this is not really what is in

your heart to do. You've always had it in your heart to do something else,

but God says, 'If you let go of this, you will have the opportunity to grab

onto something else that you've desired.' Number three, God sent me back

to this store as a sign to you."

210

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

By this time, she was crying and told me, "I was asking God today if

He would give me a sign about whether or not I should stay involved in

tarot cards." She continued, "I've always wanted to paint, but I never

thought I could pay the bills by painting, so I've gotten into tarot cards. I

have been contemplating if I should let go of this dream or not."

That wasn't all. She said she had grown up in a certain, ultrareligious

setting, and it wasn't a good situation for her. Later on, she moved in with

a guy who was a highly enlightened guru. She ended up getting hurt and

abused. So I then asked, "Would it be okay if I prayed with you?"

I ended up praying with her right there on the spot, and I turned that

devil card right back over. The devil was not going to whip out the last

card—God was in control and He has given us His authority!

I don't think that we've even begun to tap into the authority that God

has made available for us. I don't think that we've even scratched the

surface of our authority as believers. For the most part we've operated in

our own strength.

PROTOTYPES AND STEREOTYPES

The definition of "prototype" is an original model on which something

is then patterned. In production, before anything is released for public

consumerism, a prototype must be made prior to mass production. Christ's

ministry is our prototype to be reproduced in us.

Jesus said, "The works that I do, he will do also; and greater works

than these he will do, because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). Authority

in the Bible usually means a person's right to do certain things because of

the position that he or she holds. The Bible says, "But as many as received

Him [Jesus Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God"

(John 1:12).

You have a position. Authority gives us the ability to use the power

that God has given us because of our position with Him. God-given power

can only work with God-given authority. Sometimes we feel powerless, or

we become stuck in cultural, religious stereotypes. Prototypes have the

power to demolish stereotypes. It's not that we're powerless; it's that we're

211

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

not functioning in something that God has authorized. The power of God

only flows where the authority of God has been released.

GROWING IN SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

One day Jesus was speaking to a crowd of compelled listeners (see

Mark 1:22). After He had spoken, the Word says, "And they were

astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority,

and not as the scribes." How do you know if someone speaks and they

carry authority? For me, it's as if their words carry weight; their words are

almost irresistible.

Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also the Son of Man. He is a

prototype. Jesus was then not walking in the power of the Second Person

of the Trinity. He was walking in what you and I have available to us. He

was walking in the power of the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy

Spirit. I'm convinced that fulfilling your call on this earth requires that you

continue to grow in this thing called spiritual authority. So how do we

grow in spiritual authority?

Spiritual authority grows within the person who faithfully confronts

the oppression threatening those on their watch. Spiritual authority

increases in those who are willing to take action. In Second Corinthians

10:13-14, Paul said he had authority within the limits of a sphere, because

he brought the gospel and cared for the Corinthians.

If you want to have authority in a place, it begins with you praying for

those people and then sharing the gospel with them. The moment I come

into a place and start sharing the gospel, authority shifts, because the

gospel authenticates what the kingdom is all about.

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's

sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I

went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth;

and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and

killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this

212

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied

the armies of the living God." Moreover David said, "The Lord, who

delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He

will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine," And Saul said to David,

"Go, and the Lord be with you!" (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

David had seen his brothers and the whole army of Israel run off the

battlefield because Goliath came out on the field and threatened them.

David came up to Saul and said, "Hey, King Saul, give me a shot. Let me

fight this giant. He is saying stuff against God and that's not right. We

shouldn't be running from this guy, let me fight him."

Saul said, "I can't let you go out there and fight this man, you're a

youth, and he's a man of war." In other words, he was saying, "You're not

ready for this; you don't have the authority, the power, or the enabling

necessary to deal with this guy."

Here's David's response to this rejection from Saul, "One day I was out

watching sheep. They weren't my sheep, but they were my dad's sheep.

But he had entrusted me with the sheep. One day I was watching these

sheep and this lion came to take out my sheep."

At that point, David had several options: (1) He could have pretended

that he didn't see the sheep about to be taken. (2) He could have ran

because his life was more important than the sheep's. Or, (3) He could put

his life on the line because they were his dad's sheep and he wanted to

protect the stewardship that had been entrusted to him. That is what he did

—he fought the lion and won.

David continued talking with King Saul, "Another time I was out

watching the sheep, and a bear came out." He had those same options, but

he fought and took on the bear. Now he looked at King Saul and said, "I

defeated the lion, I defeated the bear, and Goliath will be as one of these."

You know what Saul did? He said, "Okay, but take my armor." Saul gave

him the armor, because he recognized something.

The early years of David tell us something. Authority grew in David

and he justified his case to allow him to go out and fight a giant, because

when something that he was entrusted with was threatened, he confronted

213

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

the evil that threatened it.

The opposite dynamic is also true. One day Queen Esther's uncle came

to her and said, "You've been raised up for such a time as this." He said,

"If you remain quiet, relief will come from somewhere else. But you and

your daddy's house will perish."

Uncle Mordecai was saying, "God has given you spiritual authority,

but if you remain silent while your people are perishing, you will diminish

and perish in that authority. Someone else will be given that authority and

they will do something with it. Not only will you perish, but wherever you

do have authority, it will suffer because you didn't use what God gave

you."

The way that we grow in spiritual authority is when we see someone

lost or oppressed and we speak life to him or her. We prayerfully go the

distance and take on the assignment that God gives us. I've seen churches

shrivel in the authority God gave them for a city, because they turned deaf

ears to the needs around them. Conversely, I've seen churches' "lamp

stands" grow over a city because they contended and cared for the people.

Let's go back to the scribes and Jesus. Jesus rebuked them one day and

gave us insight. He said to them, "You put burdens on folks that you're not

even willing to move with a finger, or lift the burden off of them" (see

Matt. 23:4,13). There is the secret right there—when Jesus spoke, He had

authority. The scribes' voices didn't carry weight, because they weren't

willing to lift the weight off of others. We need a new voice of authority in

our generation. We need, in our cities, a new voice of authority. It's only

going to happen when believers speak up and do what God has called

them to do.

Abstaining from action in the face of danger only prolongs the

wilderness. I believe there are churches that can break out of their

wilderness and they don't even realize it. God loves you too much to let

you out of that season without depositing in you what He wants. But there

are others who are in wildernesses because they've abstained from action

when God said to do something.

If you could see in the spirit realm, you would see your authority

214

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE DUNAMIS LIFESTYLE

enlarge when you step out. When we evangelize and break oppression off

of people, we rise to new levels in spiritual authority. I believe the same is

true with praying for the sick. How did I begin to pray for the sick and

start seeing results? I just prayed for a lot of sick people. If you want to

grow in authority and have greater effectiveness praying for the sick, start

praying and don't worry about results. You just trust God and pray, and

don't stop just because you don't see anything. It's a process of taking on a

lion and a bear, so you can be trusted with a Goliath kind of healing. Soul

winning follows the same lines.

We carry the light of Christ and we mustn't fail to recognize the

exciting spiritual impact we have on the world before us, as well as the

darkness around us. Let's step into the dunamis lifestyle.

215

CHAPTER 12

THE JESUS STYLE

12

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER, the consummate prophetic evangelist is Jesus

Christ. No one has ever given as much and has been so passionate for

souls. Christ reveals each dimension that has been described in the pages

of this book.

Watching Him move through the Gospels has always been an

incredible thrill for me. The Bible refers to Him as "the captain of our

salvation" (Heb. 2:10). This term means "the author" and "one that takes

the lead in anything." Even as John the Revelator described the great

innumerable multitude in Heaven, amongst the festivities there was a

collective cry of, "Salvation belongs to our God." After which, everybody

falls on their "celestial" faces. The Lamb is not only the originator but the

proprietor of this incredible dynamic called salvation.

In the culmination of human history there is a dawning understanding

that Jesus encompasses and emanates the essence of redemption. He is

both the mastermind and the masterpiece of the spiritual reclamation of

souls.

Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become

fishers of men" (Mark 1:17).

If you're following Jesus, you should be catching fish. God is going to

cause you to be an attractive magnet, a Holy Ghost fishing net, to see the

fish come in. He will work on you to become a prophetic evangelist. You

don't have to get there on your own. Jesus said, "Follow Me." In other

217

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

words, "I'm setting the example, so follow My example." Jesus' desire is

that His life would be reproduced in us, that we would model our ministry

after Him. That is why I call this chapter "The Jesus Style."

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to

you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do;

for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father

loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He

will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel" (John

5:19-20).

Prophetic evangelism is seeing God doing something, and then joining

Him.

We can do nothing of ourselves, but that's not the end of the Scripture!

"What He sees the Father do, the Son can do." Here's the key: If I can see

the Father doing it, I can do it. If you can see God do it, you can put your

hand to it and partner with Him. The key is the ability to see what He's

doing. Let's take it a step further. If you are seeing something that God is

doing, it is an invitation for your participation. If you can see it, you can

do it. Since God loves us, He shows us all things. Stand on that before you

go witnessing to someone.

The word used for "shows" means "exposed to the eyes, to exhibit, to

make known." You can pray when you go to evangelize, "God, I thank

You in advance that You're going to expose people's fault lines to my

eyes."

Because the Father loves us, He promises to reveal to us what He's

doing so we can partner with Him. The Son did nothing apart from what

the Father showed Him. God wants to move in a church service or in a

divine appointment more than you do. Daily, I ask the Lord to show me

something that will happen during my day, and He is always faithful to

show me something. If you feed on this revelation you will have

something released in you that will change everything around you.

DROPPING SOME KNOWLEDGE

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My

218

THE JESUS STYLE

name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all

things that I said to you (John 14:26).

This phrase "all things" is important and means there is nothing that

He leaves out. The words "bring to remembrance" means to put in mind.

So when the Holy Spirit says, "I'm going to bring to your remembrance,"

what it means is the Holy Spirit is going to put something into your mind.

This is prophetic evangelism. When you're witnessing to someone, the

Holy Spirit is going to put into your mind what you need to say—

supernatural downloading.

The woman with the issue of blood said to herself, "If I could just

touch the hem of Jesus' garment I will be made whole." Where did that

come from? It was put into her mind by the Holy Spirit. It was God

directing her.

For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct

Him?" But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Thank God that we have the mind of Christ! You just have to access it.

Maybe one of the greatest gifts to have in this hour, outside of the Spirit of

Christ, is the mind of Christ. We must possess the mind of Christ because

without it:

1. Witnessing tends to get off track. I've found that if I don't have the

mind of Christ, I tend to get off onto bunny trails.

2. We tend to pander to people's fleshly desires.

In other words, if I don't have the mind of Christ, I'm always going to

go toward what they want. There is an aspect where you address their

needs, but we've got to go deeper to their spiritual need, rather than their

fleshly desires. Jesus rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me satan. You

have your mind on things of man, not the things of God."

3. We miss hitting people's spiritual needs.

TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF JESUS' STYLE OF HARVESTING FROM JOHN 4

219

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Principle 1—Break the holding pattern.

Overcoming the inertia of stagnation and breaking the sound barrier of

communication is so significant.

Introductory moments are crucial to the overall flow of witnessing;

sometimes just stepping out will release God into a situation. Jesus

initiated the conversation with the Samaritan woman.

One of the keys to breaking the holding pattern is to be clear regarding

your purpose. We must also get others out of holding patterns. Turning

objections into opportunities can release people from a spiritual stalemate.

Jesus found a "window" and utilized the "latch" of a word of knowledge.

The trigger element was revelation. Revelation is an ongoing participation

in the life of Christ.

Principle 2—Sense the where or the what, before the who.

John 4:4 says, "But He needed to go through Samaria." Why did Jesus

need to go through Samaria?

The word needed means to "bind, fasten under chains, put under

obligation." Have you ever felt that you were drawn to a place and it

seemed like you were obligated to go there and you didn't know why?

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me

a drink" (John 4:7).

Jesus was there before the woman got there. Prophetic evangelism will

draw you to places before the people even get there—that's prophetic.

Evangelists can be drawn to a person once he sees them, but prophetic

evangelists can be drawn to a spot before the person even gets there.

I believe that Jesus saw the woman when she came to the well and He

knew she was the one. She was the reason He had been led to the well.

The disciples went to get food, but Jesus didn't go with them. Witnessing

can begin by being drawn to people, a burden coupled with an intense

excitement. This is how it registers for me. I'm drawn to a person and I get

excited that I'm drawn to them as if I know they're going to get saved. As

you're being drawn to people, you may not realize it, but they are also

220

THE JESUS STYLE

being drawn to the God in you. You don't always make the connection, but

it's happening in the Spirit. I call it "the attraction gift." If you are drawn to

them, believe that they will be drawn to you.

People can sense it when you go into a witnessing situation and you're

not confident, there's a different atmosphere due to your awkward

disposition. But if you know that God has told you to speak to that person,

you can go into the situation with faith and confidence.

Principle 3—Begin where people "are."

Jesus said to the woman at the well, "Give me a drink." The woman

was an expert in H20. Every day she was at the well drawing water. Make

your point of contact between the gospel and the person's specific need;

find out what they care about. This woman obviously cared about water.

(She also cared about men.)

Jesus entered her world and her arena. If we're going to be prophetic

evangelists we can't be cocooning. We tend to believe that we'll be defiled

if we go into a particular place. Now understand that you can't take this to

an extreme; you've got to use wisdom, get God's direction, and be armed

with the Holy Spirit to enter into their arena.

Speak in the language of the person or people. Don't come out there

with all of this "Christian-ese" that the world doesn't even understand.

Begin to learn how to communicate the gospel message, and your

testimony, in ways that are relevant to the culture today. (For example,

don't say, "Let me give you my testimony." Say instead, "Let me tell you

my story.") Prophets always spoke in the language of the culture of the

day. Be ready to discern the entry places in people's lives. This well of

water was the entry point in this woman's life.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being

a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no

dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9).

This was a moment that hit the proverbial wall. But when you're a

prophetic evangelist, and you hit a wall, just keep on engaging because

God is going to give you a window. If they are not walking away, there

221

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

must be a reason that they are still listening to you.

Jesus kept going and found a window. That's faith; He was finding the

entry point. It's interesting to note that Jesus didn't even address their

racial or sexual differences. She spoke her objection and His only reply

was, "If you knew the Gift, you would say to Me, 'Give me a drink,' and

then you would have living water inside of you."

Principle 4—"Can" the canned techniques.

If God directs you to use a rehearsed technique, go for it, but if your

mentality is stuck on that same technique over and over again, something

needs to change. People with mechanical mindsets tend to jump to

conclusions. They see a problem and they immediately decide on what

they think is the solution. You've got to be able to keep your adversary on

the back of his heels not knowing what you're going to do. People are

different; Jesus never did the same thing every single time.

He did different things in different situations, even when it came to

healing.

Jesus just implemented what He was discerning and sensing. What you

sense, you say. Be free to do that! What you perceive, you put in practice.

As you're witnessing to someone, all of a sudden you're sensing that they

don't have a good relationship with their dad. Just begin to speak and ask

questions about that issue. Talk about your relationship with your dad and

your Heavenly Father being your dad. Or you can use the example of a

friend. You need to trust that sensing.

Realize that the Holy Spirit is working on a person to receive as much

as He is working on you to share. Watch the things you perceive as you're

witnessing to people. This is how the prophetic injects into your

evangelism. If I'm conversing with someone and I sense that I hit a certain

aspect of witnessing where they become distant, what I do is keep talking

and say something like, "I don't know what it is, just now when I was

talking it feels like the temperature just dropped ten degrees in here. What

did I say that caused you to do that?" You can address it right there.

Typically, we pretend we don't sense it, but the reason why we're

222

THE JESUS STYLE

picking up on it is because we need to address that thing. We're afraid of

being confrontational, but it just depends how you approach it. Be honest,

and people will be honest with you.

But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you

should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should

speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who

speaks in you (Matthew 10:19-20).

You never have to prepare your exact words beforehand. On the other

hand, the Bible also says to show yourself approved. You need to be ready

to give a defense, but you need to have a balance. We study the Word so

that the Holy Spirit can bring all things to our remembrance. But what

He's saying is that you can trust that the Father is going to speak inside of

you. I can go into a witnessing situation with confidence because I know

that the Father is going to speak through me. God is going to give you

something to say! He cares about the lost way too much to leave them that

way. God isn't sending you out there to fail—He's sending you out to be

effective in harvesting.

Principle 5—Trust the anointing that is on you.

First John 2:27 says, in essence, "You have an anointing inside of you

and it teaches you; it's true and not a lie."

Why would John say this anointing that is on you is true? Why should

you believe what you are sensing you should say is really God speaking

through you? What if it's not God? In the process of stepping out, you're

going to find out what is and what is not God. You will never know by

playing it safe.

Solid food belongs to those who are mature, who by reason and use,

have their senses trained to discern good and evil (see Heb. 5:14). When

your heart is right and you're prayed up, that anointing is going to be on

you. The Bible says that the anointing teaches you, it instructs you, it leads

you, and it is true and not a lie.

Capitalize on those things that you sense in your heart and use them as

the Spirit leads. Prophetic evangelism is a walk of listening to the

223

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Anointed One who lives inside of you. It is getting to the place Jesus was

when He trusted the anointing that was inside of Him. Even though the

disciples were going to go out and get food, Jesus felt the need to stop off

at this well in Samaria, even though He may not have known why. Just as

we do, He had to trust the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We tend to think that everything came to Jesus in a clear, audible voice

from the Father. No, it might have just been a light impression. If He

wasn't looking for it, He could have missed it.

Principle 6—Cultivate spiritual curiosity in others.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and

the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11)

He was able to get her to ask the questions. God is going to get you to

a place where people are going to ask you questions about spiritual reality.

You will be able to cultivate spiritual curiosity in others.

It's interesting that Jesus happened to go to a well that had significance

for her. It wasn't just any well, it was the well that she went to. She asked,

"Are you greater than our Father Jacob who gave us the well and drank

from it?" Jesus again didn't answer that question. He didn't explain how

much greater He was.

He stayed on focus and said, "Whoever drinks of this well will thirst

again." In essence, He was saying that everything you've tried has left you

with an unanswered dimension in your heart. You have tried to do many

things to appease that cry, but it still goes unanswered. I could give you

something right now where you would find substance, fulfillment, and

release of the things that you have desired." The woman then said that she

wanted it.

Sowing Into the Divine Function

Witnessing or engaging non-Christians in productive conversation is

an art. We've already talked about the prophetic aspect of God releasing,

but there's another aspect. Witnessing requires the constant development

of skill, studying, along with nurturing, by prayer and openness to the

224

THE JESUS STYLE

Holy Spirit. You become better at witnessing by witnessing. That's what I

mean by an art. An art is something that you practice and continually work

at to become better and better.

We must have spiritual sensitivity, which requires us to put up our

spiritual antennas. When you're engaging a non-Christian in productive

conversation, look for trigger moments and trigger places. Anytime a

person expresses their wound or hurt to me, or they become vulnerable to

me in conversation, it speaks volumes to me. Maybe someone else would

pass by it, but for me it is as if I struck gold. It's a trigger moment. Listen

for trigger phrases: problems in their family or in their relationships. There

needs to be a contrast between presenting the facts versus cultivating

someone's heart. Jesus was an expert at cultivating people's hearts. The

Bible says that common people loved to listen to Him.

Even an adulteress, caught in the act, felt safe around Jesus.

The bottom line is that a sinner is going to sin. The only sin that you're

dealing with in that moment is the sin of not receiving Jesus Christ. You

don't clean fish before you catch them; you catch them and then you clean

them.

Principle 7—Know when to hold up, know when to fold up.

Jesus never forced Himself on anyone. If they didn't want to hear it,

He didn't force it. Jesus rebuked some Pharisees, but if people didn't want

to hear, the Bible says, "He knew what was in their hearts and did not

disclose Himself to them." Pray that God would continually cultivate their

hearts, but don't try to force the tilling of their fallow ground on them.

Recognize when people respond positively to a conversation about

spirituality. Look for receptivity in others. I call it testing the waters.

When you're with some people, test the waters by throwing something out

there to see how they'll respond to it.

Receptivity in others can be seen in their:

1. Willingness to engage. Are they open to a conversation with you? I

sit next to people on planes and if they have a willingness to engage in

conversation, I'll begin to witness to them.

225

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

2. Interest in spirituality. Some Christians are intimidated by people

who talk about their horoscopes, demonic movies, or the psychics they've

called, but I think it's a great opportunity. This tells me that there is

obviously a spiritual search going on.

The modernistic viewpoint says, "It's all about secularism. Man is the

answer to his own dilemma." Postmodernism has leveled the playing field

and says anything is right. Some people think that this makes it more of a

challenge, but I'd rather deal with that than deal with the smug modernist.

The postmodernists say they're open to anything. Maybe they're too open,

but at least it opens the door for the right One to come in.

3. Openness to hear about personal experiences. You can say to

someone, "Hey, can I tell you about something that just happened to me?"

If they're open to hearing about your personal experience, begin to share a

testimony, or someone else's testimony. I typically ask them about "their

story." I ask them about themselves and what they do, their family life,

and listen for a while. Soon the conversation will come back to me and

they ask what I do.

Since I have been sitting there spending about 20 minutes letting them

go on and on about their stock options and everything else, it clearly

becomes my turn to tell them that I'm a minister. They normally say

something like, "Oh, really. So what is that?" So I then share the whole

thing. There is now receptivity. If you sow the gift of listening to others,

they will sow it back to you even if it's out of obligation.

We've got to know when to talk, and we need to know when to walk.

Believe it or not, there's a time to walk. You need to know when it is a

good point to leave the subject of spiritual things, when they've hit their

brakes.

Our most effective evangelistic opportunities are simply obedient

responses to the Father's invitation to enter into a situation where the Holy

Spirit is already working. Jesus only did that which He saw the Father do.

There is a Christian mindset that says you need to be witnessing to

everybody, all the time. I used to be under that thing. I was frequently

under condemnation: "Oh, I'm not witnessing enough," and I would really

226

THE JESUS STYLE

get down on myself. If the Holy Spirit isn't in it, you don't want to be in it.

Principle 8—Keep the conversation on focus.

One of the things that you've got to be aware of is the atmosphere, and

predominate cultural climate.

Don't let the conversation go off onto futile bunny trails. Keep

bringing it back to Jesus. Jesus could have been detoured with the woman

at the well. He could have gotten onto the racial topic or whether He was

greater than the person who built the well. Jesus kept the conversation on

track.

In every generation there's a dominant climate of opinion, so be aware,

and be ready to handle that. Be ready for some of the arguments that are

going to come. Without the Holy Spirit helping you tackle objections,

your words are going to be futile. I try not to ever get into an argument.

I'm not trying to win an argument; I'm trying to win a person. In tense

situations, I might say something like, "All arguments aside, all I know is

that Jesus Christ saved my life." People aren't going to argue with your

personal testimony.

Principle 9—Put their ears back on.

Sometimes you've got to earn the right to be heard. Sometimes you've

got to clean up some other Christians' messes. This is what I call

"janitorial" evangelism. Sometimes the last person or the last church

service that witnessed to that person had some sort of dysfunction and it

left a mess.

The woman at the well said, "Our fathers worship in the mountains,

you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we ought to worship."

Obviously there had been some conflict and Jesus was ready to clean up

the messes.

In Luke 22:50, there was a servant of the High Priest named Malchus,

who came to apprehend Jesus for His trial and crucifixion. Peter pulled out

his sword and cut off his ear. Jesus picked it up and put it back on his head

—completely healed. Just as Jesus put Malchus's ear back on, the

227

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

challenge for prophetic evangelists is to put people's ears back on in this

lost generation. We need to do what we have to do to gain a hearing and a

respect for our message.

Every time I stand up in the open air on college campuses I'm

thinking, "They've lost their ears. What can I say? Holy Spirit, give me

something to say that will put their ears back on." When people don't have

ears to hear, what you communicate to them will end in misunderstanding

and resistance. Whenever you run into a lot of resistance and

misunderstanding, stop and recognize that your hearers' ears aren't on.

Begin to pray that God would do what He needs to do to get their ears

working right.

Principle 10—Do justice; love mercy.

Jesus gave the woman at the well a word of knowledge.

One of the definitions of a word of knowledge is "a supernatural

insight, revealed by the Holy Spirit, that gives a believer specific

information about a person spontaneously." A prophetic word from the

Holy Spirit can instantly turn people from a negative to a positive view of

God.

Jesus said to this woman, "Go call your husband." Notice that He

didn't begin with saying, "I know that you're living with a dude who you're

not married to and you're a five time divorcee."

She said, "I have no husband." He said, "You have rightly said that

you have no husband." He didn't harp on her living with a guy and having

five husbands. He didn't even come back and address that issue again. It

was like He just let her know that He knew that about her. He then began

to address the wound in her that had led her to the sin. The wound was that

she had a heart to worship, but her adoration had been placed on men.

From that point on Jesus just challenged her to place her adoration on

God.

Jesus never humiliated people. He always maintained the dignity of

the lost when He addressed them. He confronted the religious Pharisees,

but He never exposed lost people.

228

THE JESUS STYLE

The great minister, R.A. Torrey, in his rules about witnessing, said,

"Never embarrass the person." I've seen guys come onto the college

campus and embarrass the students who are lost. This almost always

places further hindrances in their minds to block them from understanding

God's love for them.

When Jesus caught a woman in adultery, He didn't make a judgmental

comment to her. When a prostitute was washing Jesus' feet, He didn't say,

"Get away from me, you disgusting woman!" Jesus always left the lost

with their dignity. It was Jesus' style.

The Word of God tells us to do justice and love mercy. It does not say

to love justice and do mercy, there's a big difference in so many people's

interpretation of this. As representatives of the good news of the gospel,

we must sow mercy into wounded, sinful lives. This is hard sometimes

because we have the mistaken idea that if we don't call out their sin, they

won't be aware of their need for God.

I understand that there are some extremely hard people today who may

need to be shocked into realizing what they are actually doing, but for the

most part this postmodern generation doesn't necessarily need their sin

pointed out. Instead, we will more effectively point them to their Answer

and their Healer by pointing out their wounds, their hurts, and their aches.

After her loving experience with Jesus, that woman at the well got

saved, walked back to her city, told them all about her experience, and the

whole city went out and heard Jesus themselves and decided to believe

too! An entire citywide awakening happened because Jesus had a

prophetic evangelistic moment at a well! Jesus never treated people as the

enemy; He knew the real enemy. If you're going to be a prophetic

evangelist, always remember who is the real enemy. Don't get angry at the

person—love the person.

Principle 11—Recognize that conviction is a divine process.

I call it "the organic versus the inorganic." Soul winning is organic; it's

more of a process than an event.

Something organic is something that grows; it is derived from a living

229

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

organism and developed over a process of time. We need to take the time

to groom relationships with people.

There are four stages of organic soul winning:

1. Cultivating—Building a relationship and establishing a rapport

with the unchurched.

2. Planting—Post-introductory breakthroughs with the gospel

message.

3. Nurturing—Utilizing a relational platform to expand one's

knowledge base of the gospel.

4. Harvesting—Bringing a person to a salvation decision through

love and friendship.

There are times where just getting a prophetic word is not what it's

going to take to open up a broken heart; it's going to require taking the

time to build a relationship. What we do have today is a lot of inorganic

witnessing. Inorganic means not growing from something natural, but

coming from something that is unnatural. We do too many inorganic

methods of evangelism. If it is impersonal or insensitive, chances are the

method is inorganic. The postmodern generation is infatuated with organic

things. We must take this fact into consideration and go out of our way to

build redemptive relationships with people.

You know what Jesus likened the kingdom of God to? He likened the

kingdom of God to a man who planted a seed in the ground and went to

sleep. He didn't know how it happened, but the seed grew, first the blade,

then the head, then the full grain. Jesus was describing the kingdom of

God as an organic process.

When you're witnessing to someone, the ability to sense ripeness is

crucial. Sometimes, even though I want to say, "Let's pray," I know that it

would be premature, because we have not yet come to that place where it's

ripe. The revelation of what God wants to do in a person has not fully

dawned on them, so it's better to wait. Other times I absolutely know it's

time to pray. Ask God for the ability to sense the ripeness in people. You

may not even have a deep relationship with someone, but you might be

standing next to them when your "ripeness meter" goes off! The Holy

230

THE JESUS STYLE

Spirit will direct and cause you to know the conditions of those He sends

you to.

What kind of person do I need to be to make the gospel attractive to

this audience or individual? Paul said this, "I have become all things to all

men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22). We need to ask

ourselves, "What do I need to do to make the gospel attractive without

compromising?" Relate to them where they are, all the while listening to

the Holy Spirit's guidance. If you do this as the Spirit leads, you're going

to find open doors.

Evangelism is not something we do to people; it's something we do

with the gospel. The Good News is something we share. Just living your

life in a way that attracts people to Jesus in you is the starting block of

sharing the gospel; I'm still evangelizing when I'm doing that. Your life

becomes a classroom for the next generation and people are going to learn

from you.

Principle 12—Recapture the narrative and retell the story.

We must realize that the gospel is essentially a riveting, engaging,

real-life story. The devil wants to keep you from realizing that your part of

this story matters. Your testimony of what the gospel has done in your life

is real because first-person witnessing is always the most effective. This is

an authentic perception in today's culture. We must overcome our concept

of our "private" faith and open up our lives in as transparent a manner as

we can. It's important to be transparent and vulnerable. When people hear

a voice with a story that they can relate to, they are open to believing what

they are hearing.

The city of Samaria was moved by the woman's first-person testimony

and many believed and conversions resulted. I'm convinced that as we

follow in Jesus' example we can be assured that consistent fruit and

miracle harvests will result. God wants to bless you with lasting impacting

conversions.

The end result of the Jesus style is that woman getting saved, and her

entire city along with her. Who could have known that one woman, of

231

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

some disrepute, would come back from a firsthand experience with the

Living gospel Himself and have that kind of influence where an entire city

would walk out of their way to go hear a new spiritual leader? The Jesus

Style gives us the ultimate modeling for prophetic evangelism!

232

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC

APPEALS

IN THIS SECTION OF THE BOOK, I am going to share principles from my

life that I believe will help you become much more effective in giving an

evangelistic appeal.

I've preached the gospel in a variety of places including street corners

and campuses. These principles will help if you're doing one-on-one

witnessing, but they will especially help when you get an opportunity to

stand before people at your work, in your classroom, and when you go

open-air on the streets.

Revivalist George Whitefield is one of my favorite people in Church

history. When a man was to be hung, he used to stand up on the gallows

and preach on Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed for men to die once,

but after this the judgment." He seized the moment to give an evangelistic

appeal because folks had just seen some dude up there on the gallows go

into the eternal realm.

George Whitefield once said, "I preach as a dying man to a dying

world." I believe that we could learn so much from him on how to win

people to the Lord. One of the main reasons why people don't accept

Christ is because the appeal is off. We have not appealed to people

"rightly."

Let me define appeal. Webster's dictionary tells us that an appeal is:

1. "A legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher

court for review of the decision of a lower court."

When we're calling people, we are making an appeal to them. The

earthly court of opinions says that God is just another cosmic head on the

ledge with all of the other religious leaders in the world. But we're coming

233

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

from a higher court.

2. "The power of arousing a sympathetic response."

Author Terry Crist is right when he says that, "One of the symptoms of

being religious isolationists is that you have lost much of the ability to

communicate naturally." We must regain appeal. We ought to be salt in

the capacity that we make people thirsty by our communication.

We've lost that—the worst thing you could do when a person is

wounded is to pour salt into their wound. I've witnessed self-righteous

ministers do this. They don't know their audience.

3. "Attractiveness that interests, pleases, or stimulates."

I want to share the gospel in a way that is attractive, that sparks

interest, pleases, and stimulates. I want to speak to that God deposit inside

of people. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has put eternity in their hearts."

There is something already going on in people's hearts.

I want to look around and find traces of what God is doing. If you are

going to be what I call a postmodern prophetic evangelist, you've got to be

a person with these three things:

1. You have to be a person of fire. You have got to have the fire of

God in you! The spirit of the gospel must burn like fire in you or it

will be quenched by the spirit of this age.

The moment you get into the intellectual wrangling, you will lose the

fire. Go for the fire! Our mouths proclaim the gospel but our hearts are

where the spirit of the gospel must burn. So you have got to have fire in

your heart.

If you're going to give an evangelistic appeal, you have got to

recognize the appeal begins with your own life. They say there are two

reasons why people don't come to church: (A) They don't know a

Christian, or (B) They do know a Christian. Ouch!

2. You have to be a person with vision. If you're going to be a

prophetic postmodern evangelist, you have to be a person of

vision.

Vision is like a confident pilot in his airplane, flying through a storm.

234

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

When you've got vision, you can handle the storms. Vision is what causes

one to step up and endure what it takes to become effective. If you don't

have vision in witnessing, you are going to give up on folks. If you lead

one person to Christ, you're addicted for life.

3. You have to be a person of communication. A great communicator

can turn an ear into an eye. If you're going to be great at giving

evangelistic appeals, you've got to know your audience.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that everybody is like you. The

problem with that assumption is you will only win people to the Lord who

are like you. Communication is less about information and more about

identification. Paul became "all things to all people" so that he could win

them to Christ.

Paul presented the gospel to the philosophers on Mars Hill who were

the most culturally sensitive, materialistic, new-aged, unreached target

group in history. Yet he walked away with folks who got saved. Here's

what I would recommend for an evangelistic appeal:

Find the playing field of meaningful dialog and debate. What is

meaningful to the people who you're trying to speak to? You have to start

where people are at. We need to bridge the gap with natural talk without

feeling like we're unspiritual.

Styles of Delivery:

1. Jehu's style (see 2 Kings 10:11): Jehu, had a battering ram

sledgehammer, and he destroyed Baal out of Israel.

2. Paul's style (see Acts 17:16-34): You can displace the false by the

introduction of the truth. Paul was a stealth bomber carrying smart

bombs.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of Jesus' ministry is His

ability to communicate with common folks. The Bible says that the

common people used to love listening to Him. Utilize the power of shared

beliefs. A Japanese manufacturer was asked, "What's the best language to

do business in?" The Japanese manufacturer's response was, "My

customer's language."

235

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

Let me share some cultural characteristics:

A. Culture is the unspoken communication of society; it speaks

without being audible. Culture is language. If we don't take that into

consideration then we're not speaking in light of understanding. Jesus

referred to people's workplaces, their homes, and their farms. He was

aware of their culture.

B. Culture is the operating system of the mind. People operate in

autopilot; they don't even realize why they do what they do, because their

culture is downloaded every day.

C. Culture is the avenue for God's revelation. God chose to send Jesus

into culture as a man, in fact, a man everyone could relate to. The term is

incarnated.

D. All churches are culturally relevant. Some are simply relevant with

a different culture. They may be relevant with a culture of people from

1933 and may not be relevant to the current hour.

The following are ways that I have seen people come to Christ:

1. An awareness of insufficiency. Somewhere along the line, people

became aware that something is missing in their lives. They

become aware of a need, a sense of unrest, and they come to

Christ.

2. The registering of eternal desires. People look at their lives and

think, "There's got to be more." They may have the money, the

lovers, and the popularity, but it's all vanity. People get saved

because all of a sudden they want something beyond what they

have.

3. An appreciation of the God-factor. People come to Christ because

they recognize that Christ has a gift to give and it hits them. Maybe

it's love, maybe it's mercy, maybe it's peace of mind, but it's

something they know can only come from God. Sometimes people

understand how sin pays off. Sin is a taskmaster that pays off in

death, and their eyes are opened and they see that sin hollows them

out.

236

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

4. An "epiphany moment." It's when Heaven invades your world big

time! I had one of those experiences when I got saved. It's when

something supernatural, transcendent, something that's almost

considered paranormal, enters your world.

A TOUGH CROWD

Paul dealt with the self-righteous folks and the Jews, all in this passage

in Acts 17. He dealt with the carnality of Epicureans, and the indifference

of the Stoics. Those are some tough audiences. Paul argues that stoic

pantheism and epicurean deism both contain elements of truth but

Christian theology provides the most adequate view of God.

Paul tackles all of them on one trip. If we're going to turn people from

darkness to light, their eyes must first be opened to see the difference

between darkness and light. If I'm giving an evangelistic appeal, I have to

help the lost have an eye-opening experience. Begin to pray for that

opening.

...for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your

worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE

UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without

knowing, Him I proclaim to you (Acts 17:23).

Paul walked through the streets of Athens and took in the culture. He

went out in the middle of their student union. He looked and listened to

conversations at the coffee shops. He hung around their office cubicles, he

could hear their conversations. He took his time and simply observed.

The Bible says "he was provoked." I think that he was provoked

because of the spirit of ignorance and deception that was corrupting the

dignity of God's creation. I don't think that he was actually mad at the

people. God created the human spirit to respond to love and expectation. If

you walk around being angry with folks, you're not going to win any of

them.

TIPS ON MARKETPLACE MESSAGES

You might wonder how I get a word when I preach open air. Or how

237

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

do I know what to say when I share with a group, or a church? I pray until

a theme attacks me, until I'm overwhelmed by what God is gripping my

heart with. If it doesn't grip me, it's not going to grip them, so I need to

begin with something that grips me.

So I just pray that God will give something to me. Sometimes it's a

thought or a phrase. Paul didn't begin his appeal with Scripture in this

situation. He began by paying them a compliment. Remember, calling

someone "religious" was a compliment back in that day. He was paying a

compliment to people who had idols all over the place.

It's not where we end but where we begin. If I start at the right place

with an unbeliever, they're not going to be offended in the end, for the

most part. It's about where we begin which is where the offense can be

found.

Paul was provoked, but notice that his outrage was aimed at idolatry

and darkness. When I preach open air I have two options. I could be the

stealth bomber, or I can be the sledgehammer. (The stealth bomber is very

effective because the target never sees it coming.)

What is the Holy Spirit dealing with this person about? We need to

hear the voice of the Spirit. There have been times when even in the

process of talking, I can see that I've hit on the exact thing the person has

been devastated by. They perk up and start asking questions. Next thing I

know, I'm leading them to the Lord.

You must envision yourself as a prophetic warning to your generation.

In Acts chapter 2 there's another open-air occasion, and Peter says, "Save

yourself from this perverse generation."

Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the

Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who

happened to be there (Acts 17:17).

You must build relationships and build rapport. When I go as an

evangelist and speak to a church, the success of the outreach is not built so

much on what I say, but it is based on that church's rapport and

relationship with the community before I even get there. If they've got bad

relationship and a bad rapport in their community, people who don't know

238

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

God won't come out to the outreach, so it dies before it even takes off.

Paul was in the marketplace daily. He wasn't just hanging out in the

synagogue; he was out in the marketplace. If you're going to give an

evangelistic appeal you need to be around the people. Paul was hearing

their language and building relationship.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked

within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.... Then

Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I

perceive that in all things you are very religious" (Acts 17:16,22).

Paul saw altars all over the place, but he also saw the redemptive

aspect of their sin. He saw instinctive cravings in their hearts toward

worship. Instead of bashing them for having idols, he looked at the

redemptive cry in their heart and linked it to something that was higher

than their sin. Find, in the people themselves, the beginning of your

message.

FINDING RELEVANT KEYS

... for in Him we live and, move and have our being, as also some of

your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring" (Acts 17:28).

Paul was in possession of some knowledge. He quoted their poets

because he actually knew secular poets. Be aware of what's going on. I've

spoken open air and I've dropped one thought about a currently popular

icon and everybody stopped to listen.

When Paul spoke he did not awaken their animosity as if his mission

was to destroy their entire culture. It is the same with you. Your mission is

to preach Christ to people and bring Him into their culture. God isn't

trying to destroy the whole culture; the culture simply becomes a medium.

I've preached open air and used all kinds of openings. Once, it was the

three little pigs as an analogy. I preached that you can't build your house

out of straw or the big bad wolf will blow your house down, but you need

to build your house on the Rock. Folks prayed with me that day and got

saved! Yes, my text may have been the three little pigs, but 1 didn't close

239

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

without giving the gospel message. Your testimony might just be your

text; a current event might be your text.

In that altar Paul found a communication key that would fit into the

lock of the minds and the hearts of the people. Their hearts needed to be a

new altar from the true, living God. Paul answers the question, "Is there a

need for a new altar?" When you give an evangelistic appeal there is

always a key. You must find that key.

Here is another thing prophetic postmodern evangelist's do; they

interpret for people things they cannot interpret for themselves. For

example, do you know why people listen to certain kinds of music?

Because the lyrics of the songs articulate what a generation is feeling

but cannot describe.

Let's keep looking to Paul's example and how he interpreted what was

going on in the people's culture.

1. Find cultural fault lines. Look for the place where there are

discrepancies in the culture. We must expose secularism's troubling

implications. You cannot build a foundation for a culture on something

that is unknown, nor can you have virtue in your society if it's unknown.

Every lost person in the world has a sign on them that says, "To an

unknown god." They don't know, but we have to tell them who it is. As I

preach on campuses, I find that more people are "neo-atheists" out of

convenience than conviction. We must root out their reasons for unbelief.

2. Place Jesus and His salvation for people within their immediate

grasp.

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell. on

all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times

and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord,

in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not

far from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27).

If I'm going to preach, I don't want people to feel like God is mad at

them or far away from them. I tell people that it doesn't matter what

they've done or how bad it's gotten for them, they are still only one

decision away from the ultimate good. I tell them: "All that has to come

240

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

out of your mouth right now is Jesus Christ is Lord, and at the end of that

confession there is a new life for you."

3. Paul revealed the spirituality of God. In order to be an accepted

communicator of truth that is yet unknown to the non-Christian, you start

out by resonating what they already believe to be true. Paul specialized in

this before the Athenians.

BACK IN THE DAY

Notice that in Acts 17:23, he began by saying they were religious, then

he talked about the poets. He then referred to the unknown god. In 700

B . C . there was a man by the name of Epimenides that he and others

considered to be a prophet (which may be a generous term for him). The

following stories were recorded in the writings of the third century Greek

historian, Diogenes Laertius.

It was six centuries before Christ and there was a horrible disease

throughout the land. In Athens, this plague was killing people left and

right. They put up many, many, altars to all different kinds of gods trying

to get the gods to take the plague away.

Finally, the people called on Epimenides, a Greek philosopher and

wise man. They decide to solicit his wisdom. His prescription was based

on three assumptions:

1. There must be an unseen God they did not know.

2. That God was great and big enough to stop the plague.

3. This God would have mercy on them if they acknowledged their

ignorance of Him.

With this assumption in mind, Epimenides decided to offer this god a

sacrifice. They didn't know who that unknown god was but they appealed

to the one true God, even though they didn't know Him. It is supernatural

what took place. History tells us that when they made that sacrifice, the

plague stopped in Athens.

Approximately 750 years later, Paul stood up and said, "Your

forefathers put up this altar because a horrible plague was killing your

241

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

ancestors. The stories have been passed down from generation to

generation that there is this one god whom you don't know, but I've come

here to tell you who that God is."

Paul continued, "God is a God who does not need someone to create

Him. He is the Creator. He has overlooked ignorance in the past but now

is the time, you've got to repent. The God who saved your civilization is

the same God that is going to save you right now." The Bible says that

right on the spot, some people gave their lives to Christ. Paul's approach

was both prophetic and strategic.

Paul's arguments were met with three different responses: mocking

(see Acts 17:32), interest (see Acts 17:32), and repentance (see Acts

17:34). This corresponds to Paul's threefold desire to interest, persuade,

and confront. This sets up the platform to call for a response.

CALLING FOR A RESPONSE

Spiritual leader, Mike Bickle, told me that he believes the reason why

more Christians aren't effective in leading people to Christ is that they

don't know how to close the deal.

The gospel of Jesus Christ demands a decision. The invitation ought to

come with urgency and straightforwardness. It's so important to believe

that God is drawing people and to expect them to respond. We must call

for a response out of the conviction that we are authorized by God even if

no one responds, and set the atmosphere for future decisions.

Evangelist Leighton Ford says, "An evangelistic message ought to

move on a constantly ascending line as it comes to its climax, and a high

moment ought to come when the preacher finishes his appeal."

Many times as I am giving an altar call I'll describe the fears, inner

longings, hesitations, and questions of those who are deliberating on this

monumental decision. My goal is to help people get in touch with their

emptiness and longings. My other goal is to compassionately confront the

myths and put the brakes on any delusions. I want the seeker to feel like

the most insane and hopeless thing they could do is to stay lost.

Billy Graham states rightly that, "Conversion is definitely more than a

242

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

psychological phenomenon—it is the turning of the whole person to God."

Yet as the Scripture says, "Come now and let us reason together, though

your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." (Isa. 1:18).

We want our appeals to be used of God to move the "whole person."

The bottom line is that the gospel does not permit people the luxury of

indecision. We must call for a response, letting people know that the

gospel requires movement on the part of the hearers.

When people close their eyes and bow their heads at altar responses,

the only thought that goes through my head is, "What is God breathing in

this moment?" Whatever that theme is, it becomes the key to unlock souls.

I will often feel it in my gut and I can't shake it. As I address it, clear

thoughts seem to flood my heart and I follow the flow. I speak in such a

way as to awaken souls. God is always faithful to give me a language of

the soul, then the Holy Spirit creates a transformational moment and I

seize and interpret it.

PRAYING THE PRAYER

First of all, we have to be confident that God has empowered us to

lead people to Christ. The reason we can be confident is two things: (1)

the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and (2) you come under the Lordship of

Jesus Christ, so you've experienced that which you are bringing people

into.

Lost people need to be receptive to the person sharing Jesus as well as

to the gospel.

UP ON WHAT THEY HAVE DOWN

Here are some tips for sharing:

1. Be genuine in your communication. This may not seem like a

super-spiritual step, but it really is; it will put people at ease.

Authenticity is one of the most compelling communication

characteristics in this generation.

2. Pray for guidance. Ask God to direct and lead you, even while you

243

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

are talking with the person. I have developed an ability to keep

both ears open; listening to what the person is talking about, but

also listening to what God may be telling me.

3. Release a spirit of compassion. Let them know that you love and

care about them.

4. Don't be judgmental. This generation is typically non-judgmental.

We must let the Word of God become the jurisdiction for others.

5. Ask for permission. Ask if you can pray with them. If you have

their permission you are more confident in leading them into the

prayer of salvation.

You share Jesus with people by starting where they are at. You can't

start where you want them to be; you've got to start from where they are.

You can do this by finding the following:

1. Ignorance level—How much do they know about the gospel? How

much do they know about Jesus, or the cross? I know some people

who have lifted their hands and responded to an altar call at a

church service, and they don't really know what they're doing.

2. Interest Level—Some people are interested and give their lives to

Christ, but they still want to compromise on the side. They have no

intention of living a pure and sanctified life, they just respond to an

altar call.

3. Hostility Level—Are they angry? Maybe they're concerned about

what Christians believe. They may even be embittered because of

the way they've been burned by a church or particular Christian.

4. Conviction Level—To what extent has God impressed upon the

person their need to change? This may be the most important thing.

5. Past History Level—What have they gone through in their life as it

relates to authority figures, Christians, and the Church?

You may not find out all of these things when you are witnessing, but

they are some tools for you. These five things will help you address the

resistance a person may have to the gospel.

If it's ignorance, inform them on what they need to know. If they're

244

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

interested, let them know how much God loves them and how much God

is interested in them. If it's hostility, you might need to apologize on

behalf of the Church or a Christian who may have hurt them.

Our sensitivity to non-Christians' spiritual needs is a major factor to

determining whether or not we will reach them. Lost people have to be

receptive to you before they're receptive to Christ.

THE FIVE STAGES TO LEADING SOMEONE TO CHRIST

1. The "warm up" stage—This is where you engage them in

conversation.

A. Determine their degree of openness.

B. Be prayerful; look to be led by the Holy Spirit.

C. Ask questions.

2. The "Word up" stage—Present the plan of salvation.

A. "Romans Road"—Scriptures from Romans that lead people to

Christ:

Romans 3:12—their condition of sin Romans 6:23—their

consequences due to sin Romans 5:8—their means of

reconciliation Romans 10:9-13—their course of alteration.

B. Personal testimony or salvation/restoration testimony. For

those of you who may have been born and raised in the

Church, you may want to use a restoration testimony. Share

about a time when God personally introduced Himself to you

for the first time, or intervened in a painful situation.

C. The message of the cross—Share how Christ suffered for them

personally.

D. Speak to their itch—Speak to a felt need, or something that

they may share with you that is causing pain in their lives. We

can tailor-make the answer to the question that they may have.

Author Rick Richardson says, "Bank on the fact that people

have a soul and spiritual interest and hunger."

245

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

E. Refer to the message they just heard—If you are at the altar

with someone after a service, refer to the message they just

heard from the pastor or speaker.

3. The "Step Up" Stage—This is the stage where you ask them to

receive Christ.

A. Let the Holy Spirit draw the person to Christ according to His

schedule. I used to try to hurry and get the person to make a

decision and realized it was like trying to hurry a pregnant

woman to have a baby. If you force it out early, it's premature

and it may not live.

B. Ask them, "Is there any good reason why you should not

receive Christ right now?" This is about getting them to

address some issues.

C. Satan will most likely attack at this point, this is the place when

someone's cell phone will go off, they'll feel some resistance,

or it will all of a sudden get awkward. Satan does crazy things

at the last minute. Understand that this will happen and keep

your cool.

4. The "Fess Up" Stage—This is where you lead them into a

confession and simple prayer out loud. It is so important that you

get them to verbalize the prayer; what you're looking for is an

expression of repentance and faith.

Why is it important to get them to say it out loud? Romans 10:9 says,

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart

that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." The mouth is

the launching pad of the Spirit. All of the weapons of our warfare are

launched through our verbal prayers.

Practically speaking, praying aloud reinforces the vividness of the

memory of the person's experience. You want them to remember this

momentous occasion. It will help them to recall a definite time of

consciously placing faith in Jesus as Lord. This is when they know they

moved from darkness into light.

You may be asking, "What should we have them pray?" About 99

246

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

percent of the time, I use Romans 10:9-10 as the basic prayer format. I

say, "Say this with me. Jesus, thank You for calling my name, and I now

call upon Your Name. I confess You as Lord of my life." This is a major

part. It helps to have them start thanking God for moving towards them,

drawing them, or opening their eyes, however you want to put it.

I then move from that thankfulness to confessing that Jesus is Lord of

their lives. I say something like, "I ask You to take the steering wheel of

my life, or come into my heart. I ask You to be President of my life." Have

them say anything that states that Jesus is Lord.

From there I have them repent. I tell people that repenting means that

you can start over. I say, "I repent of my sins." Explain to them, "If you

have junky old furniture in your house, and you just bought the best new,

expensive, designer furniture, what would you do? You would get out all

of that old, junky furniture and make room for the new furniture."

Repentance is saying that there is a lot of old stuff that you need to get

out of your life to make room for the awesome stuff that God is moving in.

Repentance says, "I'm making room for the blessing."

So I say, "I repent of my sins. I'm sorry for hurting You, hurting

others, and hurting myself." Again, I'm not trying to give you a formula,

just ideas.

I want people to be reassured about what just happened, so I say

something like, "Lord, thank You for forgiving me." You need to say that,

because some people feel like they've done something so bad that Jesus

could never forgive them. So I say, "I thank You for forgiving me, I thank

You for loving me, and I thank You that I am now a child of God." So by

thanking God in all three areas, it hits three areas of assurance; they are

now forgiven, loved, and in the family of God.

Finally, I have them close with a statement of their new commitment

with God from this point on. Something like, "And I'm going to walk with

You all the days of my life." Or, "I'm going to walk with You no matter

what," or "Lord, I thank You that You died on the cross for me; I'm going

to live for You now." Something to that effect, and then I close with,

"Amen."

247

PROPHETIC EVANGELISM

5. The "Follow-Up" Stage

A. Encourage them on what just happened. The Bible says that

there is a transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the

kingdom of light. Get excited for them! Tell them that they just

moved from the lowest part of the universe to the highest part

of the universe all in one prayer.

B. Pray for their needs.

C. Give them some growth instructions.

D. Pray for them—daily.

E. Regularly contact them for encouragement and assistance.

F. Connect them with a local body.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU, PROPHETIC EVANGELIST

"Lord, I ask You to place a fresh anointing upon this reader to harvest

souls en mass. Let a prophetic flow open their mouth, while an

evangelistic flow opens their heart. God, lead them with Heaven-sent

burdens that tenderize their heart towards the lost. May boldness and

brokenness characterize their walk, while You release signs and wonders

in their midst.

"I pray for a hedge of protection to be raised up around them and a

wall of fire to encompass them. Give them grace and miracles to confirm

the word shared. Break off of them hindrances, while giving them keys to

unlock the hearts of their generation. I ask for favor to go before them and

loving conviction to follow them. Let friends, relatives, associates, and

neighbors get saved and come to Christ consistently and allow their

conversions to be lasting and impacting.

"Release divine blueprints and strategies to take campuses,

workplaces, and communities, yes, even nations, for Your glory. Increase

the divine activity over the dark 'hot spots' in hearts and cities. Lord,

vindicate Your name in our day and let the Lamb be glorified by the

grateful praises of freshly delivered lives. Drop upon us a double-portion

'Elijah' anointing to demonstrate Your sovereignty.

248

EPILOGUE—THE ART OF GIVING EVANGELISTIC APPEALS

"Finally, I ask for a new breed of prophetic evangelists to be raised

up, to reap in this hour. Thank You, Jesus, for blessing my friend."

Grace and Peace,

Sean Smith

249

MINISTRY CONTACT INFORMATION

Sean Smith Ministries-Pointblank International

P. O. Box 2821

San Ramon, CA 94853

Phone: 925.831.2880

Fax: 925.829.3484

http://www.seansmithministries.org

Additional copies of this book and other book

titles from DESTINY IMAGE are

available at your local bookstore.

For a complete list of our titles,

visit us at www.destinyimage.com

Send a request for a catalog to:

Destiny Image, Publishers, Inc.

P. O. Box 310

Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310

"Speaking to the Purposes of God for This

Generation and for the Generations to Come"

Document Outline

- Prophetic Evangelism

- Contents

- Endorsements

- Foreword—Pastor Tommy Barnett

- Foreword—Pastor Che Ahn

- Prologue—Ezekiel Speaks

- A Prophetic Impression

- 1 Out of the Box

- Making History or Becoming History

- Survival of the Fastest

- Life in a Box

- Escaping the Land of Irrelevancy

- A Newly Defined Follower

- Confinement

- The Definition of Confinement:

- Victory Is Defined As:

- Original Packaging

- Making Bones About Comfort Zones

- How to Get Out of the Box

- Stretch Out

- Radical Recalibration

- The Genesis of Desperation

- Spiritual Barrenness

- A Generation Birthed Right

- Refusing to Be Bought Off

- Desperation has four stages:

- A Time for Covenant

- 2 Crazy Love

- The Catalyst of Passion

- The Anatomy of Crazy Love

- Crazy Paul

- Romance and Reformers

- Being Unreasonable

- Going Fanatical

- From Almost to Altogether

- Prison Breaking From People-Pleasing

- The People-Pleasing Pattern

- Two downfalls of people-pleasing include:

- Rejection: Darkness's Weapon of Choice

- When It's All on the Line

- Lively Coals or Stone Cold

- A Message for a Medium

- It's Worth the Stink

- Recipe for Crazy Love

- 3 When Prophecy Meets Evangelism

- It's Beyond Us

- The Testimony of the Lord

- Oxen Issues

- You Are One of Them

- At Your Word

- Prophetic Sensitivity to the Seeker

- Fulfilling the Work of a Prophetic Evangelist

- Characteristics of the Evangelist:

- Characteristics of the Prophetic:

- In Order to Be a Prophetic Evangelist, You Must:

- When Silas Met Paul

- Prophetic Evangelistic Acts

- Results of Prophetic Evangelism

- Action Step Addendum

- 4 Faith for an End-Time Awakening

- Divine Drama

- Insider Information

- A Tough Sell

- A Curtain Call

- A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On

- Business as Usual—Not!

- Two Schools of Thought

- Two Sickles, Two Outcomes

- Disaster Prevention

- Dying on the Vine

- Take Action

- Rolling Like a River

- Stopped Up With Self-Centeredness

- Beware: Swamps and Marshes Ahead

- Harvest Theology

- Made for Stadiums

- Extreme Myth Makeovers

- 5 Heartbroken for Humanity

- A Plague Has Begun

- Practical instructions for standing in the gap:

- Roused From Your Routine

- Defining a Burden

- Attributes of a Burden

- Compassion of Christ

- Lostology

- Spiritual A.D.D.—Agape Deficit Disorder

- The Jonah Syndrome

- Eternal Body Snatching

- Three Revelations That Will Keep You Motivated in Body Snatching:

- Action Step Addendum A Fresh Baptism of Brokenness

- Steps to Pulling the Trigger

- 15 Key Intercessory Targets

- 6 Coming Out With the Big Guns

- Spiritual Weapons of Mass Destruction

- You Can Run, But You Won't Grow

- How to Break Falsehood

- The Elymas Spirit

- Clean Up This Mess!

- AWOL or Awake?

- Negotiating the Obstacle Course

- Points of Personal Resistance:

- Be a Voice for Souls

- Unleashing Intercession

- It's Veiled

- A Couple More Thoughts

- Spiritual Fashion Show

- Action Step Addendum Empowerment of the Spirit

- Principles for Empowerment

- How to pray for others to receive the empowerment of the Spirit:

- 7 Turning Hearts With the Elijah Anointing

- Prophetic Anointing

- The Exploits of the Elijah Anointing:

- No More Lifeless Staffs

- Make a Paradigm Shift

- Piercing Defenses

- A Confrontation With the Confrontational Apologist

- The Welsh Revival

- 8 The Tongue of the Learned and the Awakened Ear

- Shifting Battle Lines

- Fault Lines and Warning Signs

- The Sons of Issachar

- Modern-Day Sons of Issachar:

- Supernatural Download

- Cutting Through the Fog

- Lost in Translation

- An Awakened Ear

- Emphatic and Socratic

- Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation

- The Identification Factor

- Three Factors That Influence People

- Kerygma—Public Proclamation

- Speech Impediment

- The Uselessness of Mere Words

- What Does It Mean to Have God Be With Your Mouth?

- How to Have the Tongue of the Learned

- Action Step Addendum Tapping Into God's Frequency

- Tips for Tapping Into God's Frequency

- 9 Manifest the Mystery

- The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

- Mystery Deprivation

- Arrested Attention

- If It Works on You, It Should Work on Them

- The Original IMAX Experience

- There's Nothing Like a Good Mystery

- 10 Prophetic Evangelism Activated!

- Making Sense

- Need to Encounter the Divine

- If It Can Happen to Peter...

- Impostor Alert

- Consequences of a Dunamis Default

- Dunamis in Reverse

- Forfeiting Dunamis in a City

- From Awakening to Bewitched to Infilling

- Messy Conversions

- Hell's Red Button

- Prophetic Versus Psychic

- A Different Kind of Blue Light Special

- Where's Your Power Source?

- Cutting Off the Air Supply

- "A Hunting They Will Go..."

- Lessons From the "Activated"

- The Peter Factor

- The Philip Factor

- The Paul Factor

- Action Step Addendum Dreams and Visions—Activated!

- 11 Spiritual Authority and the Dunamis Lifestyle

- It's in Our DNA

- Open for Business

- Getting the Leverage of the Lord

- Understanding the Rod

- Operating From Heaven's Vantage Point

- He's Fallen and He Can't Get Up

- Human Association Versus Divine Association

- Spiritual Authority Consists of Certain Components:

- It's Not in the Cards for You!

- Prototypes and Stereotypes

- Growing in Spiritual Authority

- Authority and Responsibility

- 12 The Jesus Style

- Dropping Some Knowledge

- Twelve Principles of Jesus' Style of Harvesting From John 4

- Principle 1—Break the holding pattern.

- Principle 2—Sense the where or the what, before the who.

- Principle 3—Begin where people "are."

- Principle 4—"Can" the canned techniques.

- Principle 5—Trust the anointing that is on you.

- Principle 6—Cultivate spiritual curiosity in others.

- Sowing Into the Divine Function

- Principle 7—Know when to hold up, know when to fold up.

- Principle 8—Keep the conversation on focus.

- Principle 9—Put their ears back on.

- Principle 10—Do justice; love mercy.

- Principle 11—Recognize that conviction is a divine process.

- Principle 12—Recapture the narrative and retell the story.

- Epilogue—The Art of Giving Evangelistic Appeals

- Styles of Delivery:

- A Tough Crowd

- Tips on Marketplace Messages

- Finding Relevant Keys

- Back in the Day

- Calling for a Response

- Praying the Prayer

- Up on What They Have Down

- Here are some tips for sharing:

- The Five Stages to Leading Someone to Christ

- My Prayer For You, Prophetic Evangelist

Table of Contents

Endorsements.....................................................................................

Foreword—Pastor Tommy Barnett............................................................

Foreword—Pastor Che Ahn...................................................................

Prologue—Ezekiel Speaks..................................................................

1 Out of the Box.............................................................

2 Crazy Love...............................................................

3 When Prophecy Meets Evangelism..........................................

4 Faith for an End-Time Awakening...........................................

5 Heartbroken for Humanity...................................

6 Coming Out With the Big Guns....................................

7 Turning Hearts With the Elijah Anointing...................

8 The Tongue of the Learned and the Awakened Ear........

9 Manifest the Mystery...................................

10 Prophetic Evangelism Activated!...................................

11 Spiritual Authority and the Dunamis Lifestyle.

12 The Jesus Style........................................................

Epilogue—The Art of Giving Evangelistic Appeals..........

Prophetic Evangelism

Contents

A Prophetic Impression

Making History or Becoming History

Life in a Box

A Newly Defined Follower

Confinement

The Definition of Confinement:

Original Packaging

Making Bones About Comfort Zones

Stretch Out

Radical Recalibration

The Genesis of Desperation

Spiritual Barrenness

Refusing to Be Bought Off

Desperation has four stages:

A Time for Covenant

The Catalyst of Passion

Crazy Paul

Romance and Reformers

Going Fanatical

From Almost to Altogether

Prison Breaking From People-Pleasing

Two downfalls of people-pleasing include:

Rejection: Darkness's Weapon of Choice

When It's All on the Line

Lively Coals or Stone Cold

A Message for a Medium

It's Worth the Stink

Recipe for Crazy Love

The Testimony of the Lord

Oxen Issues

You Are One of Them