Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Many people are believing to see a move of the glory of God. But before the glory there will come a spirit of divine indignation and anger that will rise up in the people, God's people, for a purpose - to destroy the works of darkness. It's OK to have an indignation and anger with the enemy. Jesus did, didn't He? Jesus had so much compassion for honest sinners but He was angry with the Pharisees because they were pretenders. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth, He cannot enter into pretense because it's contrary to His nature.
When Jesus went to the temple He found some moneychangers there, taking advantage of the people. Well He took a whip to them. I think He probably yelled at them don't you? I don't think He took that whip and said "shoo." It's amazing the number of people who get healed when they are either laughing or angry at the devil.
These prophets and intercessors are going to wake up to the wiles of the enemy and see what is happening and begin to discern the ways of the devil in a way we have not seen very much before.
They will see the places where the enemy has infiltrated the holy encampment of the Lord in a new way, and rise up and chase them away. I don't think you can be emotionally placid in a war. Mind you, holy laughter is also a warfare weapon. "God looks on His enemies and laughs, and has them in derision." Sometimes when the laugher comes on you it's because your spirit is picking up on a victory that's happening in the spirit realm. You may not see anything at the time, you may not hear anything in the natural, but your spirit man knows there are victories taking place in the spiritual realm.
Spirit will Arise in You
As God's temple is emptied of things that have been wrongly tolerated, so the spirit of the living God will arise in you and the glory will be manifested. Have you ever thought about the fact that we can have arthritis in our mind? We can have religious mindsets and be not pliable and open to learn things God is wanting us to know. Strong mindsets can keep us closed to new revelation.
"Arise and shine the light Is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."
The glory of God has already been given to the church through Christ, the risen Lord, but it gets covered by other spiritual atmospheres and entities. When "the Deliverer" arises in delivering power and the shadows flee away, then the glory starts to become visible. And the deliverer is arising in you.
Even as the mists appeared in the Azusa street meetings, the mists will manifest in our gatherings more and more. In the Azusa street meetings there would appear mists from the ground up to around three feet high. The children would play hide and seek in the mists
I recently wrote about Anthony, probably the greatest of the Desert Fathers. The Desert fathers in the 2nd and 3rd century lived in the caves of Egypt and saw themselves as gatekeepers of the nations and had many supernatural encounters with the Angels and also demonic forces. They had an extremely powerful level of discernment. This discernment is a powerful supernatural gift about to be released for the glory of God.
Awakening of the Saints
There has been a few messages on FB this last week talking about fasting from negative speaking. Negative words can open the door for negative things that you don't want in your life.
About 100 years ago it was quite normal for people to fast from speaking. I think sometimes that could be a good idea!!!
As the enemy is evicted and the glory revealed so there will be a dramatic increase in healing and deliverance. Miracles and healing by the hundreds, not the dozen, will sweep many souls into the kingdom.
"As a canon ball is fired from the canon so I will release a dynamic power even into the population and to the church. Even an explosion of miracles"
America has become weak in many ways but in a week God will awaken the saints of God and a roar will come.
A while ago I (Kathie) prayed for a lady in New Zealand who was quite timid and fearful because of abuse. She began to shout, quietly at first. It sounds strange to say that someone can shout quietly but I am sure you know what I mean. Then she shouted louder and then she began to roar - first quietly and then LOUDLY. She scared herself so she ran into another room. Then she realized the roar went with her!!!!
Let the Lion arise in you - dispel the darkness and the glory will be revealed in you and through you.
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The dream about the golden apples and the glory of the Lord
In the dream I was with my wife Dana and we were in an open place. It was like it was outside but also inside. There were very few people with us. It felt like a remnant.
Then suddenly some small items were covered in gold. One of the items was taken to a bank that valued gold. The value of the item was so high that all our debts were cancelled and we now had the resources for the journey ahead and the purpose of God.
There was a very big apple tree where we were. This tree had hundreds of apples on it. The apples were still small, like an inch in size. Suddenly ALL the apples were covered in gold. When this happened the dream shifted and I could feel that my understanding of what just happened increased a lot. I knew that the apples covered in gold were like the glory of God. It all became so precious and holy.
I knew then that we had to protect this and that many would come to try to steal the apples.
One older person in the dream tried to lay something over one of the apples to hide it and steal it. Suddenly something came upon this person and the person was diminished and disappeared in front of us.
Then a big person was seen in the distant with a lasso. We knew that this person was very powerful and came to take us with the lasso and steal the golden apples.
I was behind a wall that looked like a hallway. Then the lasso came towards me to catch me. I grabbed the lasso and saw that the big powerful person came towards me. I told the person that if he touched us or the apples he would be destroyed. He said he was very powerful, but I said again, that He that was with us was far more powerful. He then sat down and started to cry.
We all felt the peace of God take over the whole area and the love of God was heavy present. - End of dream
The Work of the Lord
The Almighty God is doing His work in His people and He will not relent until it is complete. His purpose is to see that Jesus Christ will be King of spirit, soul and body. He is preparing us as His temple and He will make sure He can set up His throne in His temple to rule and reign. We are His, and the work will not be by might or by power (of humans) but by His Spirit.
Our Lord is confident in His finished works and so should we be. His word says, "It is finished!"
At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 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 27:51-54
The veil torn in two from top to bottom was God`s sign that the sacrifice of His Son was complete and He had now opened up the way back to the Father. All who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be accepted before the Father. The blood of Jesus paid in full for us to become free in Him. Salvation eternal is granted. God`s plan is that all will be restored through Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross.
Like the centurion and those with him feared greatly, saying that truly this was the Son of God, we know that every knee shall bow for His name.
Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When Evil Becomes Good and Good Becomes Evil
Today we see that good is called evil and evil is called good. God`s ways are not ours and ours are not His. The golden apples tell us that the glory of God, the divine nature of Christ, the hope of glory in us will cover us and make us whole in Him. We are about ready to cross over into the fullness that the Lord longs for. It will be a transformation like going from Pentecost to Tabernacles. Like Jesus made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, so will we. Those who will be taken from outer court, to inner court to the most holy place will come out of the wilderness with Him, leaning upon Him and trusting Him only. They have seen that none other holds the truth like Him. They have come to know The Truth as a person and will not bow for any other name than His.
God`s Temple
We are the temple of God on earth and He wants to have a dwelling place that is wholly yielded to Him. He knows that any area not surrendered to Him is a stronghold of the enemy and without true repentance, forgiveness and the blood of Jesus it will continue to be an unconquered area.
1 Corinthians 3:16-19 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
When the enemy came in the dream to attack and take us captive, he used a lasso. When he threw it towards me, I grabbed the lasso and saw that the big powerful person came towards me. I told the person that if he touched us or the apples he would be destroyed. He said he was very powerful, but I said again, that He that is with us is far more powerful. He then sat down and started to cry. Like Jesus encountered the most resistance by the religious authorities, so will we see that the religious spirits of old will try to attack those who carry His presence and stand in His truth, proclaiming His kingdom.
The gold that came upon the apples, represents a radical transformation that can only come from God. The apples were only an inch in size. That points to how far we have come in our walk with Him. We are not ready and will never be in our own, but God in His grace will make a transformation by His glory as He covers us and changes us into His image and likeness. All we have to do is keep positioning ourselves before Him and let our lives be a living sacrifice unto Him.
The Lukewarm Church
Revelation 3:14-22 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Lord of All
My heart is filled and overflowing of His love and presence as I write this. I can feel that the Lord is telling us by His mercy to come to Him and surrender all to Him before it is to late. He died so that He could become LORD OF ALL. Too many are not willing to give up areas of their lives to Him or to lay down their own opinions or agendas. Many are rich and wealthy and have need of nothing, but God looks down and all He sees is a lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked people that trust only in their own ways.
Look at the promises He gives us. He will come in to us and dine with us and we with Him, and for those who overcome He will grant to sit with Him on His throne.
This is a most crucial time to choose Him and to let Him do His refining work in us, to be zealous and repent. The day is drawing near when we shall appear before His judgment seat. Make a choice to stand for Him in this time and to prioritize Him in everything.
The Dream About the Golden Apples and the Glory of the Lord
In the dream I was with my wife Dana and we were in an open place. It was like it was outside but also inside. There were very few people with us. It felt like a remnant.
Then suddenly some small items were covered in gold. One of the items was taken to a bank that appraised gold. The value of the item was so high that all our debts were cancelled and we now had the resources for the journey ahead and the purpose of God.
There was a very big apple tree where we were. This tree had hundreds of apples on it. The apples were still small, like an inch in size. Suddenly ALL the apples were covered in gold. When this happened the dream shifted and I could feel that my understanding of what just happened increased a lot. I knew that the apples covered in gold were like the glory of God. It all became so precious and holy.
I knew then that we had to protect this and that many would come to try to steal the apples.
An older woman in the dream tried to lay something over one of the apples to hide it and steal it. Suddenly something came upon her and she was diminished and disappeared right in front of us.
Then a large man in stature was seen in the distance with a lasso. We knew that this person was very powerful and he came at us with his lasso to steal the golden apples.
I was behind a wall that looked like a hallway. Then the lasso came towards me to catch me. I grabbed the lasso and saw that the big powerful person came towards me. I told the person that if he touched us or the apples he would be destroyed. He said to me that he was very powerful, but I said to him, that He that is with us is far more powerful. He then sat down and started to cry.
We all felt the peace of God take over the whole area and the presence of Gods love was very heavy, very weighty. - End of dream
True Peacemakers
This dream clearly gives us an indication that God is about to finish a work in His people. Those that have yielded to Him, obeyed Him and also have let Him do His work to prepare a body to be His bride will see that He will let His peace reign in and through them. It will be the start of what it says in Isaiah 9 and it will never end.
Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
While we pray, asking the Father "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." We are asking Him to establish His Kingdom to rule in and through us. God wants to give us His Kingdom, but He will make sure He can give it to those who are one with Him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.It is to the sons/daughters of Him that He will entrust the Kingdom.
Remember that His Kingdom is the opposite of the kingdom of this world. We see that when Jesus is talking to His disciples in Matthew 5:3-12
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The apples that were hanging on the tree were suddenly covered by pure gold. The Lord has called each one to let His Holy Spirit do a work of sanctification to make Him a people that is one with Him. This has been a work where only by taking up your own cross and following His will can lead to the fullness of Him in you. Those who have rejected His calling for this will not see the grain of wheat die and it will not bare much fruit.
John 12:24-26 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
God started speaking to me about the difference of leaving everything and losing everything. To leave everything is often the external things such as a job, house, car, family and so on. While losing everything is when the grain falls into the ground to die so it can bare much fruit. That is when you start on the path that is narrow with Him. It is also when you have chosen to lay down your own life and choose to see your own agenda being buried for good. In this process we are learning to not lean on our own understanding but learning to trust the Lord more and more. Trusting in our own ways is futile, so the goal is to fully trust in Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding.
The Tree of Life
On the narrow path our mind becomes more clear. There is an attack from the enemy but as we learn to hear His voice and to set our life to have our mind renewed we will see things clearer. It is like when you look at something from a great distance, you will see it blurry, but when you get in very close, it all becomes very clear. When the Lord becomes the main thing, we are able to stay in His truth and are able to get to know His ways.
Psalms 86:11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
As we embrace the truth of the Lord and put His truth higher than other "truths" or traditions of men, we will walk closer to His light and become changed into His likeness. This is the main purpose for a disciple of Christ Jesus, to become like your master. Who or what you make your master is what you become like. Another way to say this would be, what you magnify will manifest. We cannot think for a moment that we can be undetermined and not willing to make a choice and think that everything will be alright. Today as the darkness is growing in all areas of the world, it is clear that choosing to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil only leads to death. Nations are turning away from God, that have been blessed by Him. Nations that were set aside unto God are now causing strongholds of the enemy. Prophet after prophet are calling forth people and nations to turn back to God. The scripture is given in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
As watchmen we have to stand up and by His will stand in the gap like Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, Moses, Nehemiah, Phinehas, Paul, Peter and Jesus Himself. God is looking to the earth and seeking who is willing to stand in the gap for Him. Today if He calls you, answer Him.
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
It cost to say yes to walk the narrow path that leads to life. To the world, it can seems like those who walk on this path are weak, but the opposite is true. In fearing the Lord more than they fear man they have gained wisdom and revelation that they are dead in Christ and that they now live for Christ.
Phil 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
What you fear will master you. The fear of the Lord is not to be afraid of Him like we think of fear, but it is when you set His truth and His way above your own. It is when you trust Him more than you trust yourself or anyone else.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
And all of a sudden, I wasn't in pain anymore. This Man, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, stood by my side, and we started walking. And as we walked, I saw a Man who was white light. All white light was around Him, but He was the whitest of all white lights. He had His hands out. As I came into that white light, there came a feeling over me like I had never known before. I asked the Man beside me, "What is that?"
The Man (Holy Spirit) said, "It is the love of God." I said, "It's just so wonderful. It's so glorious." And He said, "That's what it is—it's the glory of God." I said, "How can it be both?" It's in John 17—the love I had with theFather, the glory I had with the Father.
So that was the greatest experience I have ever had. Just enveloped in His glorious love. That's possible down here. The glory of God is coming, and it is going to be in His glorious love.
I noticed another group of people on my left side, and they had what looked like a conveyor belt underneath them. They were wrapped up in all different kinds of things. I looked at them and I asked this Man, "Why are they wrapped up that way?" And He said, "They are wrapped up in the earth with their gods." It's the gods they worshipped on the earth that followed them into death. They were on their way to hell with their gods. I saw a man wrapped up in dollar bills. I saw a man wrapped up in his sod or grass; his yard was his god. I saw a man that had no body; he was just one big head. He was an atheist, and he worshipped himself; he was his own god and going to hell with it.
I saw many things people worshipped on the earth that they are going to spend eternity with. Well, I worshipped the Lord, and I am going to spend eternity with Him. But these others who don't are going to spend eternity in total darkness with their god. And their gods will be their tormentors, not for 100,000 years, but for eternity.
So I looked at that line. It was so horrible. Everyone in the line recognized Him. Their eyes got big. Everyone who is going to hell has had a witness in one way or another tell them that there is a God. And every one of them willingly denied Him. For each two in the line that I was in, there were 98 in the other line.
I watched the Lord speak to people who were coming there. He asked them only one question: "Did you learn to love?" He's not going to ask you what you did. If you learn to love, you are going to do what is right. Did you learn to love? He asked them that question and they said, "Yes, Lord," and He kissed them right on the lips and embraced them, and the double doors of His heart opened and they went right in.
Some had a lot of angels with them and they would go on in [to heaven]. The angels went too because they had testimonies; they helped people do things on the earth. Angels have no testimony until they help you do something. We are the ones who will judge angels by their rewards for what they helped us do. They are more willing to help you do something than you are willing to submit and let them help you do it.
As I came close to theLord, I was thinking, I learned to love. I'm OK. I'm going home. As I did, He held His hand up to me and said, "No, I want you to go back." I told Him, "It was too hard to get here. I don't want to [go back] because I wasn't doing any good there." He said, "You are a liar, because you spoke My words, and My words will always bring it to pass." I said, "Well, nobody was believing it, and it was painful." He said, "Yes, and you have a cowardly nature too. Up there, it's about the truth. But you love. You had a heart for souls. I want you to go back. If you look at that line over there and then tell me you want to come in, I will bring you in."
I looked at that line and looked at their faces and said I would go back for one. I would go back and spend a day on a cross for one. He said, "I'm not sending you back for that. I'm sending you back to wake up the church because I am going to bring a billion youth to Myself in one of the greatest waves of all times. I'm going to honor Myself beyond anything that man can imagine. I want you to go back and touch the church and speak to the church of what I am going to do in theselast days." So I told Him I would go back.
I came back. I thought that when I came back into my body, I would be healed. As I came back, I saw two of the biggest angels I have ever seen. I know who they are. They are the resurrection angels. And I saw the death spirit as he left when I came back in.
When I went back into the body, I wasn't healed. The pain was there, and I couldn't understand why. I was gone from my body probably for about three hours. The pain was there, and I said, "What's going on, Lord?" And then I heard a phone ring. And I saw people answering the phone and they were saying, "Bob Jones needs prayer."
They started praying, and I felt better. It was Friday. People kept praying; the prayers kept increasing and increasing. And then people came over and prayed for me that night until the pain was hardly there.
On Saturday at 3 a.m., the last person stopped praying for me. I could see who was praying for me. The pain was coming back and I thought, Boy, it's going to be a long time.
And then I saw an old sister who wasn't highly thought of in the church because she didn't take very many baths. She always sat in the last seat in back of the church. She got up early in the morning and cleaned offices for a living. Her phone rang, and she answered it. She got up at 3 a.m. and started praying for me, and I went to sleep.
She had to go to work at 5 a.m., and others began to pray for me, so Saturday was pretty good. People came over Saturday and I thought, Well, I know He sent me back down here to live. Prayer and intercession sure made the difference.
That night the pain was there until about 3 a.m., and all the other prayers ended except hers. She got up and prayed for me again; she didn't have to work on Sundays. She prayed for me until about 7 a.m. [When she stopped praying], it was the worst time because there was no prayer. People were going to church.
And it was really bad until about 10:05 a.m. At 10, Viola asked me, "How are you doing?" I told her I was worse than I had ever been. I was swelling and couldn't even get out of bed. At 10:05, I became totally normal, totally delivered. I got up and we went to church, and I testified of it.
I found out the value of prayer. And I found out the value of not having an opinion about saints. I found out the value of ministry, that one saint was able to void all of it so I could sleep.
These words were spoken by Bob Jones at a 2006 conference in Albany, Ore. Jones went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 14 after more than four decades of prophetic ministry. To read more of his prophetic words, go to bobjones.org.
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Modern Pentecostalism is increasingly wary toward supernatural manifestations and unusual phenomena.
I believe this article is coming in due season, particularly with all of the recent talk of "strange fire" concerning modern Pentecostalism and an increasingly wariness in the charismatic movement (of all places) toward supernatural manifestations and unusual phenomena. Also, Jennifer LeClaire recently posted a most timely article about how a church that was birthed in the flames of Pentecost—namely, speaking in tongues—has all but abandoned this glorious gift in pursuit of "relevance." This is unacceptable, and I contend that to be relevant for the kingdom, we should not only tolerate but earnestly desire supernatural manifestations and phenomena.
My Encounter With Supernatural Manifestations
Last November, I had an unforgettable experience at Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., that completely rocked my world. This experience was hardly limited to just me or even those attending that particular service. Supernatural phenomena has been gaining momentum in places like Bethel and in other houses of worship across the globe. The physical, visible glory of God is being revealed in an increasing measure—and rather than approach it with immediate skepticism, I believe we need to adopt an entirely new approach to supernatural phenomena and unusual manifestations of God's presence.
He might just be saying something to us.
The Travesty of Toning Down the Supernatural
Yes, even we—the charismatic church that has a rich history in the supernatural—have had the tendency in recent years to try and tone down the supernatural in fear of excesses. But there will always be excess. There will always be those who abuse and misuse something genuine and authentic. We need to deal with it, learn how to biblically navigate it, shut down the distractions, kick the dust off and continue pursuing the real deal. Counterfeits will always follow the genuine, and tares will always grow alongside the wheat. Counterfeits are the enemy's strategy for getting believers to throw important truths and realities out the window.
My theory? If there is something circulating in the body of Christ that produces confusion and uncertainty and cannot be easily categorized, it demands careful study, observation and evaluation through Scripture. Supernatural manifestations are just such a topic.
The Glory Came Down
Back to my Bethel experience. I was attending a Friday night service. Everyone was worshipping ... and then the glory came. Now, when I say "the glory came," people have all sorts of impressions and responses.
I stand shocked at what we have reduced the glory of God to be. We use the phrase God's glory as flippant Christian jargon, so it can mean anything from God being the focus of a worship song (and, by default, He receives glory) to a warm flutter in our chest and a tear trickling down our cheek. I refuse to devalue those experiences, as God's presence produces a myriad of responses, from simple and quiet to electric and overwhelming. At the same time, I also refuse to equate emotional behavior and feelings with a manifestation of God's glory.
What I saw and experienced at Bethel did not require faith. It was not in my head. It was not some spiritual vision or hallucination. I, along with 1,000 other worshippers, witnessed what has become identified as the "glory cloud." Shiny, transparent, golden, sparkling embers started falling out of the sky near stage right of the church platform. This caused some commotion and excitement. Rightly so! The commotion was not at all distracting, but rather fuel for more intense worship and focus on Jesus.
I was excited, but of course still a bit unsure, as my natural mind was in full swing, trying to make sense of the supernatural—that is, until the embers started coming up out of the ground. At this point, I was thoroughly convinced that some person was not up in the rafters sprinkling glitter on the congregation. God was in the house, and this visible manifestation of His presence filled my heart with incredible joy and praise but also intense fear and awe.
God is bigger than my box. He comes in unusual, unexpected ways. He is glorious and actually enjoys sharing this glory with His awestruck children. That is where I want to land this article, as I believe there is a powerful purpose for signs, wonders and unusual supernatural manifestations—such as the glory cloud phenomena.
A few things to know:
1. Unusual supernatural phenomena should be expected and welcome, as they are scriptural validation that we are living in the last days' outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord" (Acts 2:19-20).
The "last days" signify the Pentecostal era since the book of Acts, as all these items originally listed in Joel have been coming to fruition—from the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to sons and daughters prophesying to young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams.
Even as a charismatic community, we have embraced the outpouring of the Spirit, dreams, visions and the prophetic. But for some reason, we stop short of the wonders in heaven and signs in the earth. Why? They are noted very plainly in Scripture.
2. Unusual supernatural phenomena reintroduces the fear of the Lord to a generation that has become overly comfortable with the church experience.
Time after time, we note a correlation between extraordinary supernatural phenomena and the fear of the Lord.
Jesus raises a young man from the dead. This is undeniably supernatural phenomena. The result? Fear of the Lord. We read, "Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, 'A great prophet has risen up among us'; and, 'God has visited His people'” (Luke 7:16).
The early church moved in the fear of the Lord, and this was directly connected with the demonstration of signs and wonders: "Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles" (Acts 2:43).
When God shows up in ways that bust open our 21st-century "safe" spiritual boxes, we come face to face with the fear of the Lord. Let's be honest: In many contexts, church has become overly predictable. We know what to expect from the church service, and we assume we know to expect from God. I believe it's high time leaders embrace the shift and earnestly contend for the Spirit to break out once again.
Sadly, many poorly respond to this glorious invitation to tremble before Almighty God. Supernatural phenomena is purposed to increase our reverence for the awesome One who is uncontainable, indescribable, and does what He wants, moves how He wills and is utterly supernatural. We poorly respond to supernatural manifestations when we either reject them as a whole or place inappropriate emphasis on the signs or wonders.
The pursuit is never the manifestation. Many contemporary charismatics have made that very clear, and I totally agree. However, we must welcome and celebrate the manifestations, for they are invitations to experience a truly awesome God. I'm tired of worship songs with lyrics that describe experiences and revelations of God that we as the church are living beneath. It's time to finally catch up with what Rich Mullins wrote about in his classic praise chorus "Awesome God"—and experience God as such.
3. Unusual supernatural phenomena should be experienced, as they are part of our Pentecostal inheritance.
Modern Pentecostalism was actually birthed out of unusual manifestations. Many of our contemporary Pentecostal denominations emerged from the revolutionary outpouring at Azusa Street in 1906 to 1909, which included visible flames of fire appearing over the Azusa Street mission to similar glory cloud phenomena to limbs literally growing out of people's bodies.
To divorce ourselves from a rich heritage in the supernatural is to simply consent to an insidious form of "seeker sensitive" Christianity. Many of us may be under the banner of a historically Pentecostal denomination, but if someone walked into our churches, they would not be able to distinguish it from the seeker-friendly congregation down the street. We cannot afford to live beneath our supernatural Pentecostal inheritance, for it is actually the spiritual birthright of all born-again believers.
Whether we define ourselves as Pentecostal (by denomination or paradigm) or not, all believers have a Pentecostal heritage. If we are born again, we received the same Holy Spirit that was poured out at Pentecost. This is the same Spirit that empowered Jesus to work miracles and even rise from the dead. This is the Holy Spirit who resides in every believer on the planet. Everything the Holy Spirit did, He is fully capable of doing again. It's not a matter of waiting for some new sovereign outpouring or us crying out for heaven to open. Heaven has been opened for 2,000 years. So here's the kicker of a question: What are we going to do about it?
Pastor Bill Johnson summed it up perfectly in his response to the manifestations Bethel has experienced over the years: "You can't invite God into the house and not have something outside of your box happen. He's bigger than our understanding."
Of course, we keep our eyes and focus on Jesus. We are God-centric. Bethel is one of the most Jesus-centered, God-focused churches I've ever experienced. That said, it is time to pursue His presence—without strings attached. Let's welcome Him and everything He brings. Let's take one step deeper into our Acts 2, Pentecostal inheritance and contend for everything promised—that His glory would be seen, the church would be struck again with the fear of the Lord and "many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord" (Ps. 40:3).
Larry Sparksis host of Life Supernatural, a weekly radio program that features best-selling authors, emerging filmmakers and key ministry leaders. In addition to serving as the director of curriculum resources for Destiny Image Publishers, Larry is president and founder of Equip Culture Ministries—an organization that equips believers to experience a life of sustained victory through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Visit him at lawrencesparks.com or on Twitter at @LarryVSparks.
Larry Sparks is the host of Life Supernatural, a weekly podcast that features bestselling authors, emerging filmmakers, and key ministry leaders.
In addition to serving as the Director of Curriculum Resources for Destiny Image Publishers, Larry is president and founder of Equip Culture Ministries—an organization that equips believers with tools and resources to experience a life of sustained victory through the supernatural power of God. He lives in Florida with his wife and daughter.
Many people are believing to see a move of the glory of God. But before the glory there will come a spirit of divine indignation and anger that will rise up in the people, God's people, for a purpose - to destroy the works of darkness. It's OK to have an indignation and anger with the enemy. Jesus did, didn't He? 
Recap of the Dream from Part 1
