Apostle Robert Rogers

Welcome to our site. I trust you will be blessed and find encouragement and strength as you view it’s pages. I hope you will become a regular visitor and will make comments as you gain personal insight and experience your own unique revelation. We would love to hear from you. I would also like to acknowledge the tireless work of Jane Belding, Brenda McKee, Penny Johnson and Francis Threadgill for their efforts to bring these words to you. Every significant work must have a faithful team and I think we have the best.
Blessings
Bob Rogers

How Do I Know What I Should Prophesy?

Now that we have studied a good deal on the principles involved in “prophesying”, the question arises, “how do I know what I should prophesy”? I believe there are many who have been reading these articles who have come to know and understand that one of the primary ways God accomplishes His will in the earth is indeed through the “prophetic gift and anointing.”  Even though we may have come to the place where we are convinced of how God works we may not know how to co-operate with Him in the area of prophesying.

The next few articles will endeavor to focus on the subject of coming to the place where we know what God wants us to prophesy. In order for us to stay on the right foundation, we must first look for a “prophetic pattern” in the word of God. God’s word is always our foundation and our starting place. So let’s do just that. When the Lord first began to teach me about the prophetic in 1985, He asked me to read Ezekiel 37. After having done this two nights in a row, The Lord said on the third night, “If you will read Ezekiel 37 once again I will show you how I work in the earth.”

Ever since that night in 1985, I have been on an ever-increasing journey of faith and experience regarding the prophetic. Yet it was with His word that the Lord first introduced me to this great subject. We cannot over stress the importance of being founded on the sure word of God. Even though the word of God says the Church is built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone and Jesus is the Word of God.

Eph 2:20

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

NIV

John 1:1

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

KJV

I love to see the “patterns” of God in scripture! They are like the blueprint of what we are to build and to do. When I was a young man, I was in the building trades and our foreman carried a set of blueprints with him everywhere he went. Eventually I began to learn to read “blueprints’ and was eventually made a foreman and later on a superintendent in the trades. I could never have advanced had I not learned to read the “patterns” as shown in the blueprints. Even so, you and I will not advance in the things of God until we learn to recognize biblical patterns. Notice this word:

Heb 8:5

5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Emphasis mine)

NIV

No matter how convinced we are that God has showed us something supernaturally, we should not move forward until we have discovered the pattern in God’s word. Once we have seen it in the word of God we can move forward with great faith and boldness. So then let’s look again at the passage in the book of Ezekiel. It begins by God placing His servant in an impossible situation. Indeed that is the first principle in learning, “what to prophesy.” God not only did this with Ezekiel but in almost every case in God’s word, the Lord has put one of His children in an impossible situation.

Ezek 37:1

37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

KJV

Was it not so with Gideon and Joshua, with David and Moses, with Esther and Ruth? And so it will be with you. Most believers when they get into an impossible situation begin to ask God to remove them from it. It is very possible that God placed us there in the first place. We should rather be saying, “Father, first, what do you want me to learn from this impossible and hopeless situation and secondly, how do you want me to prophesy.”

Notice these words “the hand of the Lord was upon me”. Before we ever are to be used in any effective way for the Lord, we shall have to know what it means to have “the hand of the Lord upon us.” The prophetic in its nature requires a unique sense of the “hand of the Lord”. The term “hand of the Lord” is first used in reference as a hand of protection. That is, we know the Lord will stand with us against His enemies. He told Moses to tell Pharaoh that His hand would be upon their livestock in judgment if they did not release the children of Israel from their bondage.

To have the hand of the Lord upon you is to have a divine sense of His good pleasure resting on all that you do and say. For me this manifests as a divine sense of His presence and pleasure in my life. It is knowing that He is leading and guiding you even though what you might be doing does not make sense to the natural mind.

I remember when my second son was born while we were at Bible College. We did not have any insurance and it came time for the baby to be delivered. I went to the Hospital and started to admit my wife Jane, when they said, “What kind of insurance do you have”? I responded and said, “We do not have any insurance.” At which they said, “Well, then you cannot admit your wife into the hospital.

Almost out of no-where came these words, “Oh, it will be all right.” As I said these words to the clerk who was checking us in she said, “Sir, you do not understand, you cannot admit your wife without insurance. Once again, I responded by saying, “It will be alright.” The admissions clerk was beginning to get very frustrated with me, yet I knew the hand of the Lord was upon me and kept repeating to her against all of her arguments “it will be alright.” I do not know whether she thought she was talking to someone who did not understand English but I just kept repeating to her, “Oh, it will be alright.” I did not know it at the time but I was “prophesying” to her.

While she was saying, “you cannot admit her” and I was prophesying “it will be all right” they began to take my wife into a room so that she could deliver the baby. When it came time for me to bring my wife and new son home from the hospital they said, “You cannot have them until you pay the bill.” It sounded a little funny at the time, “you cannot have them” that is, so I went down to the hospital billing department and told them “it will be all right.” They looked at me very strange and said, “Sir, something very unusual has happened. We decided that just by chance we would send the bill to your former employer and was told that they forgot to stop paying for your hospital benefits when you left the company and went to Bible school and so your bill is all paid up”! I was able to take my wife and child home with the knowledge that the “hand of the Lord was upon me.”

Prophesying is very practical. It has the power to change situations right before our very eyes. It is true as the clerk said “sir you do not understand,” but I do not need to understand. All I need to know is the “hand of the Lord is upon me” and speak what He says into my heart.
 
MORE TO FOLLOW

 
 

Blessings,

Apostle Robert Rogers

 
 

Understanding the Prophetic Word – Part V

PERSEVERE UNTIL THE WORD IS FULFILLED

 
 

That brings us to our fifth step: To continue to speak the promise of the prophetic word until we see its completion or fulfillment.

Some prophetic words are progressive. That was the situation with Ezekiel. He was given a prophetic word and after he saw its fulfillment, he was given the next prophetic word. He participated in the progressive restoration of the “dry bones” until they were a great army standing upon their feet. He spoke to bones, then to muscle and sinew then to the wind.

Let me give you a personal illustration about continuing to war with a prophetic word until its completion.

After I had been in prayer for an extended period of time, the Lord gave me a prophetic word for the church I was pastoring and the city I was living in. The word was, “All over this city there are Christians who cannot fulfill the purposes I have for them. Either their church has no vision or their Pastor has no vision. I cannot wait any longer for these churches to change. Speak to the north, south, east and west and call these people out of those churches.” At this time, I was very new to the prophetic. Yet the following Sunday I began to do what the Lord commanded. I got up early on a Sunday morning and drove north speaking, worshipping and prophesying the word the Lord gave me. I said, “North, the Lord says all over this city there are people who cannot fulfill the purposes the Lord has for them, either their church has no vision or their pastor has no vision . Come out! Come out”! I did this speaking to the east, west and south as well. Do you know what happened? Nothing! That’s right, as far as I could see nothing happened for about three months. Still, every Sunday I would arise early and drive north, south, east and west, prophesying the words the Lord gave me.

I will never forget the first Sunday that the “fruit of warring with the prophetic word until it comes to pass” began to manifest. I had been at the church for nearly five months without one single visitor. Then one Sunday morning I saw a white haired man walk through the door and I knew the Lord was honoring the prophetic word. After the service, I rushed to the back of the church anxious to hear this man’s story. When I asked him what brought him to our church on this particular morning, he said, “It was the strangest thing, I got up this morning to go to my church and after I got in the car the Lord said, ‘you are not going to your church this morning.’ So I asked the Lord, where was I to go. He said ‘I will show you’. So I have been driving around the city pulling into parking lot after parking lot. Each time the Lord said, ‘not here’. Finally, I pulled into this one. I did not even know this church was in this city.”

That is not the end of the story. From that day forward, I cannot remember a Sunday in which the Lord has not sent new people to our church with nearly the same story. The remarkable thing is that this has been going on now for over twenty years. Once we learn how to judge the prophetic word, receive it, war or contend for it until we see its completion it has the power to perpetuate and continually reproduce.

However, I would like to say that you and I cannot war with someone else’s prophetic word. Like David, we cannot fight in Saul’s armor; we must fight with our own. May the Lord grant you a personal prophetic word and may you have the joy of seeing Him honor His word in your life.

Acts 2:17-18

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy

:

KJV

 
 

This is the last installment of Understanding The Prophetic Word. Until the next, post subject……………..

Be blessed! 
Apostle Robert Rogers

 
 

Understanding the Prophetic Word – Part IV

CONTEND FOR THE WORD

So now, I have examined the prophetic word and have received it with the correct spirit. What is the next step? My dear ones, this is where the war starts. We must contend for the word that has been delivered unto us. We have many examples that show us what happens after a prophetic word has been given to us. Perhaps the clearest is the one that involves our Lord himself. Do you remember when John the Baptist was baptizing Jesus?

Mark 1:10-13

10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven,” You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus

(Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)

12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

NKJV

The moment Jesus was given the “prophetic word”, the “warfare” started. That is what the warfare will always be about; whether or not we believe the word of God regardless of the circumstances. Remember, it was the Spirit of the Lord that drove Jesus into the wilderness where the prophetic word was tested. The word that was delivered unto Jesus was, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Notice the words Satan used to war against the word delivered unto Jesus. He repeatedly said, “If you are the son of God”? Is that not the same thing Satan tries to do to us? He says, “If the prophetic promise is true why are you in this present circumstance”? Hungry, abandoned, and in the wilderness, Jesus correctly wars for His prophetic word by using the word of God. Here is how the Bible records that battle:

Matt 4:3

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

NKJV

Matt 4:6

“If You are the Son of God

, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

NKJV (emphasis mine)

The battle we will face with the devil will go something like this: “If the Lord gave you this prophetic promise, then why are you still in this condition”? You see, he is trying to get you to question the word. He did the same thing in the Garden of Eden. His methods have not changed. They have not changed because they are still so effective. Most of us have learned to live by the circumstances that we see with our eyes or feel with our emotions. To be truly used of God, we must believe His promises regardless of the circumstances. Of course, this will require us to know Him and His word in a most complete and full measure.

Let us examine another scripture that admonishes us to war for the word given to us. It is the Apostle Paul’s word given to his spiritual son Timothy:

1 Tim 1:18

18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

NKJV

There it is again “by them.” By the prophetic word that had been given to Timothy through the laying on of hands, prophecy and impartation, Timothy is to war for and with his prophetic word. You may ask, “How do I do this, how do I war with the prophetic word? We do it by “prophesying”. That is, lifting up our voice and prophesying. We find the pattern for this in Ezekiel thirty-seven.

Ezek 37:1-10

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

KJV

Ezekiel was commanded to speak to the situation of dry bones. This reminds me of the scripture the Lord gave us in the New Testament about mountains. Do you remember this passage?

Mark 11:23

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

KJV

Jesus says ,”he shall have whatever he says.” Mountains are those things that stand in the way of the purposes of God. We must speak to them. There is power in a prophetic word. Yet, that power can only be released if you and I speak it. We must do more than just think it, we must speak it, proclaim it, prophesy it until it comes to pass.

　
 

MORE TO FOLLOW

Blessings, 
Apostle Rogers

 
 

Understanding the Prophetic Word – Part III

RECEIVE IT

If the word given to us passes the test of correctly judging it and we believe it is indeed a true word, then in order for it to come to pass our next responsibility is to “receive it.” That is make it personally ours by agreement, confession, and proclamation.

However, the second criteria are also to be received with conditions. Many say that if the word delivered does not agree with what the Lord is already saying to them then they should not receive it. Generally, that is a good standard to hold to. Yet, again, we can look at the Apostle Peter and see that what God had spoken to him did not agree with his spirit or his understanding. Later in the book of Galatians, we find this prejudice and tradition is still very strong in the apostle. Notice the following:

Gal 2:11-13

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

I am so grateful that the Lord decided to include the struggles of the Apostle Peter in the Bible. Here is a man that walked on water, saw many miracles performed by Jesus and had the privilege of seeing miracles flow from his own ministry. Yet, he was wrong regarding the gentiles. This tells me that no matter who I think I am or what privileges I have had in regards to study or revelation, I must still be willing to be humbled and corrected.

That brings us to the third area of our first criteria in judging the word. Although this one is the most practical it seems to be, the one that is the most neglected and abused. That is, does the prophetic word agree with the character and nature of God? God is not going to give us a word that does not agree with His nature and He is not going to give us a word that does not conform us to His character. In other words, the Lord is not going to give us a prophetic word or revelation that increases our pride, greed or selfishness.

I suppose we could correctly say that this third test has more to do with our interpretation of the word delivered unto us than the actual words themselves. For instance, when the Lord says something like, “Your latter years will be greater than your former”, our minds often jump into high gear and we begin to see ourselves in some leadership role, incredible anointing, or unlimited resources. Let us always remember:

James 4:6

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

NKJV

Let us take another word that is easy to misinterpret if we forget that our God is more interested in developing his nature and character in us than in our being “successful.”

When the Lord says, “I have broken the spirit of poverty,” what do you think he actually meant? For most of us, we immediately think that the economy is going to make a dramatic turn around and money will begin to flow again. I tell you this, that money is the least thing the Lord is speaking of when He speaks concerning the “spirit of poverty.” The “spirit of poverty” is a stronghold. A stronghold is interpreted as, “A mind-set that accepts as unchangeable those things that we know are contrary to the word of God.” So then, we find that God is saying, “I am coming to break the ‘mind-set’ that is in error. ” That error is that our work of the Lord is dependent on the economy. When in reality, the word of God says, “my God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

God broke the “spirit of poverty” in Elijah during the famine by teaching him how to live supernaturally during the season of drought. The Lord sent him to a specific place (the brook Cherith), fed him in a specific manner (a raven) and led him to teach others how to live victoriously during a time of economic downturn. When we have learned these lessons, we will be able to do what Isaac did during the famine.

Gen 26:12-13

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

KJV

The year the scripture refers to was a year of famine. Do you see it? It is not about the economy.

It is about you and me receiving the nature and character of God.

Breaking the “spirit of poverty” is about Godly stewardship and a grateful heart.

It is about peace in the midst of a storm and faith in the time of crisis.

It is about learning how to live supernaturally and teaching others how to do so.

The present economic problems are a result of Americans trying to live above their means and trusting in borrowed money. It is about pride and greed. It is about poor economic policies. Why would the Lord want to change the economic crisis until those of us who represent Him have learned these lessons?

So then, receiving prophetic words is about being changed into the likeness of our Lord. Let us remember this and apply this question when we receive a prophetic promise: How will this prophetic word develop the nature of Christ in me? Is this prophetic word developing the servant character and nature in my heart? Let us remember these words:

Matt 23:11-12

11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

NKJV

Blessings,

MORE TO COME

 
 

Apostle Robert Rogers

 
 

Understanding the Prophetic Word – Part II

JUDGING THE WORD

Let us examine this first step. The call to judge a word is the initial step of the prophetic ministry. We have a number of scriptures that instruct us that it is our clear responsibility to judge the prophetic word and ministry. We are to use the same caution Paul admonishes us when tongues and interpretations are given.

1 Cor 14:29

29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

KJV

The word “judge” is used sixty-seven times in the New Testament with various meanings. Here are a couple of more scriptures that call on us to be discerning:

1 Cor 10:15

15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

KJV

1 Cor 6:2

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Here, the word “judge” is defined as to separate thoroughly, discriminate and decide.

• Does this word agree with scripture?
  
• Does it witness with my spirit?
  
• Is it given within the nature and character of God?

The word of God is always our starting point. If a prophetic word does not agree with scripture, it must be rejected. However, I will give a word of caution here. We sometimes think we know what the word is saying when in reality we are missing it. The Lord can and does use the prophetic to clarify and give us revelation in the area of the word of God. Take for instance the Apostle Peter in Acts chapter ten. Peter had gone up to the rooftop to pray about the will of God for his life. As he was praying, he had a vision that seemed to disagree with the word of God. Peter had a religious prejudice against the Gentiles. He thought the Old Testament would not allow the Jews to associate with the Gentiles. When in reality, many passages revealed God’s purposes for those who were not Jews. Religious tradition had closed Peter’s mind and heart concerning the purposes of God concerning the Gentiles and God used the prophetic to give him revelation.

 

Acts 10:9-17

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant

NKJV

It is religious tradition that has doomed all denominations. God is a God of progressive revelation. It is at the point a movement or a denomination thinks it has all that God has that they fail to move on with what God is doing in the earth. In fact, they are often the ones who oppose the next move of God. Let us not be found as those who have closed their hearts and minds to the great creativity and limitless glory of our God.

 

MORE TO FOLLOW

Blessings,

Apostle Bob Rogers

Understanding the Prophetic Word – Part 1

Dear Reader – We have had a wonderful response to the series on prayer and want to follow it up with the next step in seeing our prayers come to pass. Few understand the relationship between prayer and prophesying but I think the following series will go far in taking us into the fulfillment of the last day promise recorded in Acts 2-17-18
 

Acts 2:17-18

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
KJV

 
 

   I want to thank all of you who have responded with comments and continue to encourage all who will to forward these words to friends and relatives.

Until we have “one million voices” all speaking the same thing. 

Blessings,

Apostle Bob Rogers

   
 

UNDERSTANDING THE PROPHETIC WORD Part I

DO WE HAVE A PART?

There continues to be much confusion concerning what we do with a Prophetic word. Some have the miss-conception that if a prophetic word is given, there is nothing I have to do to see it come to pass. If we hold onto this thought, we will find ourselves in great confusion and disappointment. Prophetic words are given in two contexts; the un-conditional prophetic word and the conditional prophetic word. Almost all of the prophetic words that we will hear will be conditional.

What do we mean by, “There are many thousands of promises in God’s word, yet, almost all of them are conditional”? That is what the Lord says, “If my people will.,” then, “I will. ” For instance, look at this familiar passage:

2 Chron 7:14

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.

KJV

The conditions of this promise are fourfold. Humble ourselves, pray, seek the face of the Lord and turn from our wicked ways. Do you see it? If we do these things, then God will do what He promises. In the book of Revelation, the Lord promises to heal us from luke-warmness but we must do our part. Our part is to anoint our eyes with eye salve, buy gold tried in the fire and to put on white raiment. God then promises He will cause us to become overcomers.

The failure to understand our part when a prophetic word is given has caused great damage to the Church and to the personal lives of many believers. I trust this booklet will bring some clarity to this vital question. Like the promises of God, almost all prophetic words include something that we are required to do to see them come to pass. There are at least four vital steps we should take after we have heard a prophetic word.

1. JUDGE IT

2. RECEIVE IT

3. CONTEND FOR IT

4. PERSEVERE UNTIL IT IS COMPLETED

 
 

 MORE TO FOLLOW

 
 

 

Understanding Prayer – Final Chapter

To abide in the holy of holies is to behold the mercy seat continually. The mercy seat is indeed the throne of God where His divine grace emanates continually. In the holy of holies of prayer, we now understand the law of God as something lovely and beautiful, because mercy and grace are before us in a constant state of glory. The law of God is but the love of God revealed in divine order. We now understand that it is impossible for this holy God of love to require anything from us that is not fully and perfectly good.

We see with clarity the words of our Savior as He says, “I delight to do thy will, oh God”, even if this will is the cross and rejection of men. His will becomes to us the only path we would ever choose. We are so convinced of His love and grace it is impossible for us to allow any other thought except for the glorious desire for His divine will. Every command and requirement of the law is so covered by grace that they seem to us as honey.

When the Apostle John writes, “I write unto you fathers because you have known the Father”, and uses the same words to the children, “I write unto you children because you have known the Father”, we are able to discern the difference with great clarity. To the children in the outer court He is saying you have known the Father as provider, protector and teacher. To the fathers in the holy of holies He is saying you know the Father in His nature of holiness and power, in His love and patience in His judgment and justice and in His desire to have “sons”. In the holy of holies we, too, become fathers who must have sons!

The joy of our first days of conversion returns to us, and we delight to do our first works over. When I first came to Christ all earthly and material things became only tools to be used up in His service. Homes and cars, tools and toys were gladly and immediately laid at His altar. As I laid them down, there was no thought of loss but only of freedom. My wife and I were in perfect agreement as to what we wanted to spend on His love. It was everything, and still we wanted to give more. Ah, this is the way to live, and this is what we return to in the holy of holies.

Because we only see our marvelous God and His love in the holy of holies of prayer, all of our praying is in agreement with His divine will. We cannot think of asking or wanting anything that would not bring glory and honor to His name. As we look upon His throne, the mercy seat that covers His divinely lovely law, we embrace these verses:

Matthew 21:22

“and all things whatsoever you ask in prayer believing you shall receive”.

John 15:7

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

1John 3:22

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

As we abide in the holy of holies of prayer, our Lord’s commandments are sweet morsels to be savored and eaten with joy and delight. And then, because like the prophet, obedience to them becomes our only option.

As we continue in this wonderful place, it is impossible for us to doubt. Doubt cannot live in this environment, for this place is filled only with glory and goodness. Oh, but that is not all. It is here that we find what our Savior meant when He talked about “rest”. You see, since we are beholding the Prince of Peace in all of His glory, peace and rest are the only options for our souls.

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Hebrews 4:3

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

NKJV

The three functions of our souls are in perfect harmony with our body and spirit. Our mind is filled only with truth, our will has been reshaped to desire only the things of God, and our emotions have discovered such delight in worship that they want to be focused on nothing else. The words balance and harmony, seasons and times are now living realities. Patience becomes the joyous exercise spent waiting for the sure purpose of God to unfold.

This holy of holies has no distractions. Have you ever noticed that your mind often desires to wander as you enter into prayer? Does it not tell you many things that you should be doing? Does it not love to daydream and picture itself in some place or position other than prayer? Unless the mind, will and emotions have been properly disciplined in the inner court, they will not allow you to abide in this place called the holy of holies.

It is here in the Holy of Holies that the triune God is clearly manifested, understood and loved. We are acutely aware of the dear Holy Spirit, for it is He who led, directed and encouraged us though our journey of the Tabernacle. He became our friend and guide, our helper and comforter. It is the Holy Spirit we turn to as we enter the holy of holies to support us. We are like the Apostle John when he saw the Lord, “I became as one who was dead”. So awesome and holy is this place He has led us to that we need His divine support. We know that without the Holy Spirit as friend and guide us we would be lost here. He teaches us the language and protocol of these majestic innermost workings of the tabernacle.

As we passed through the curtain, we found ourselves drawing ever nearer to the Holy Spirit’s side. We are like a child who has come to such an awesome place that is both wonderful and intimidating at the same time. Yet the Holy Spirit teaches us there is nothing to fear here, for we have entered through the blood of the Lamb. His blood has made an abundant entrance as we slowly receive the words:

Hebrews 4:8-16

8 This new place of rest he is talking about does not mean the land of Israel that Joshua led them into. If that were what God meant, he would not have spoken long afterwards about “today” being the time to get in. 9 So there is a full complete rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 Christ has already entered there. He is resting from his work, just as God did after the creation. 11 Let us do our best to go into that place of rest, too, being careful not to disobey God as the children of Israel did, thus failing to get in.

2 For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are. 13 He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done.

14 But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting him. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned. 16 So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.

TLB

 
 

In our next post, we will begin on the topic “Understanding The Prophetic Word.”

 Blessings, 
Apostle Robert Rogers

 
 

 

Understanding Prayer –Part VIII

Even as the prayer the Lord taught His disciples to pray ends with these words, “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever”, this is what we experience as we move into the holy of holies. No longer can we be concerned with our own needs; neither are we able to enter into spiritual warfare. For in the holy place of prayer we see only the majesty of our God. Everything else pales into absolute insignificance. We do not wish to war against the devil in here because we see how small he really is in comparison to the glory of our God. We have no need to ask for our personal needs, for we know, it would be impossible for the God that we are beholding to forget our needs. He is the essence of love and goodness. He is pure and holy, glorious and lovely.

We are so made aware of His holiness that, like Isaiah, we cannot boast or list our accomplishments of think of comparing ourselves with anyone else. Pride cannot enter the holy of holies. We only want to cry out for his purity to cover us.

Isa 6:1-8

6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Here am I Lord

KJV

As we abide in the holy of holies, we come to the place that only His will is important. Our wants and desires that conflict with our wonderful Lord’s purposes melt away into nothingness. It is impossible for us to think of our selfish interests when we are confronted with His majesty and goodness. Like Isaiah we can hear the perfect desire of our God and we have no other goal but to please Him and we therefore cry out with Isaiah, “Here I am, send me”.

It matters not where He desires to send us nor the cost that we might be asked to pay. It only matters that this glorious one be honored by our loving obedience. When men and women have spent time in the holy of holies of prayer, they are changed. The burning coal of purity is not something that we fear, but rather, we cry for it as one would cry for water in a burning desert. We must have His purity for nothing else matters. This is why the cry for holiness is always what proceeds worldwide revival.

One of the reasons we have not seen the move of God we are crying out for is because few have gone into the holy of holies and been touched with the burning coal of His purity. We will know when someone has been in the holy of holies, for his or her heart will be one with God’s. Because we have been touched by His glory and majesty as we return through the tabernacle to our everyday living, we come with a new anointing and perspective.

We now return to minister to a lost world with God’s heart and have little interest in the success or praise of men. We now know true wealth, and the things of this world seem paltry and poor in comparison to what we have seen. As we retrace the steps that brought us into the holy of holies, we must go back through the holy place. We once again are confronted with the three articles of furniture, yet this time we have a greater perspective of their significance. The altar of incense smells so much sweeter, and we wonder why we have not spent more time praising and loving our wonderful Lord. The table of shewbread smells of the sweet aroma of obedience. We no longer think, “It is a hard thing the Lord asks of me”.

Our desire to obey is instant and complete, for we cannot imagine any other response. Loving and full obedience is the only option. We no longer weigh the cost, for we have been lost in His richness. Cost means nothing to us that we might only bring glory and honor to His Kingdom.

To be curtsied by man touches us not one whit, for it is only for His glory that we live. The Apostle Paul’s words now live in us:

1 Cor 4:3-6

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Fools for Christ’s Sake

NKJV

Do you know anyone who has spent very much time in the holy of holies? If so, you would not have to wonder if they had, for their countenance and heart would transform things everywhere they went. Their perspective would so enlighten us that we would desire to go there above all else. Our next writing will look at the change of perspective we have experienced because we have been in the holy of holies.

 
 

MORE TO COME

Blessings, 
Apostle Bob Rogers

 

Understanding Prayer – Part VII

When the Lord said there is a place where bold men of faith are made and that place is prayer, He certainly was saying that we need to be made into these men and women. The Church and the world are desperately crying for leaders of integrity, ability and creativity. All of these things are found in the place of prayer. Since the call to the place of prayer in its purest form is a call into God’s divine presence, it is also a call into His ability. For God desires to share all that He is with His children. Did He not say?

Gen 1:26

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

KJV

The call to prayer then is indeed a call to “dominion”. The word dominion here is the Hebrew word “radah” and means to rule, subjugate, rule or take.

OT:7287

HEBREW radah (raw-daw’); to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off:

KJV – (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,- r, over), take.

Yet, the Lord said this is the place where these men and women are made. To make something is to form it, shape it and build it. All of this takes place as we walk through the tabernacle and experience the purpose of each article of furniture. We came from the outer court where we were children who needed to know the goodness and desire of the Father to bless us with provision and protection. After passing by the golden laver where we experienced sanctification, we moved into the holy place. It is here that our minds began to be renewed, as the light of the golden candlestick became our source of revelation and knowledge. There is so much more to learn here as we study the symbolism of this magnificent “light giver”. Truly, the golden candlestick is a representation of the Holy Spirit fulfilling His marvelous office of teacher, baptizer and guide. Yet, as we look around this room called the holy place, we observe two other articles of furniture. We see the “table of shewbread” and the “altar of incense”.

It is to the table of shewbread I would like to call our attention for a few minutes. Just as the outer court was for the cleansing and dedication of our body, so the inner court is for the changing of the three functions of our soul for the fulfillment of God’s purpose and plans for us. The golden lamp stand gives off supernatural light for the renewing of our mind (bringing revelation knowledge to the Word of God). The table of shewbread is for the reforming and redirection of our will, and the altar of incense for the adjusting of our emotions into proper order and function to worship and serve the Lord.

Upon the golden table of shewbread, the priests would daily place bread that had been ground, sifted, kneaded and baked. Is this not what needs to happen to our wills on a daily basis? Do we not need to commit our will to His divine purpose minute by minute? Let us linger then at this table and examine how all of this is accomplished until we cry out as Jesus did, “Nevertheless not my will but thine oh Lord”. Let us fully understand what it means to pray “thy Kingdom come – thy will be done – on earth as it is in heaven”.

I believe it was John Bunyan who depicted the will of man as sitting on the throne in our inner man. He was trying to illustrate that the will is the main ruling faction of a man, that what his will determined to do is what the rest of man would obediently follow. No wonder the Lord had to bring our bodies and minds into a place where they would obey the will before He began to show us His will.

The call to prayer is indeed a call to communion. Sometimes the table of shewbread is called the table of His presence. To stay in the presence of someone, we must be in agreement with them. As we wait in prayer before the Lord, it is so that we might come into agreement with Him. For some reason, we have thought of prayer as some effort to change the mind of God in order for Him to do something that we are asking for. This is one of the reasons a great many of God’s children do not enjoy praying. They take the outer court mentality into the inner court and it does not work. Outer court praying teaches us that God delights to answer our prayers and meet our needs. Inner court praying is meant to mature our praying. Even as a child matures and changes so that not everything is about the child anymore, so our inner court praying is a call for our desires and needs to come into agreement with the nature and character of our Father. This is accomplished in our “will”. Our will changes too, I desire only those things which please the Father.

John 8:29

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

KJV

For those who are willing to learn the lessons of the table of shewbread, prayer will again become a constant joy. For those who find that their will is being changed as we linger there also discovers that “all of our prayers are being answered, for we only pray and ask for those things that please the Father”. This is not as easy as it sounds. We must quiet our heart and its constant desires. We must renew our mind with God-like thinking, and we must retrain our emotions to learn how to agree with our will and mind.

One of the things I love about my wife is that when I ask her where do you want to eat, honey, she nearly always responds, “oh, I don’t care; whatever you want”. Of course, when I drive to the restaurant of my choice, she informs me that she does not care for that food. I suppose what she is really saying is, “I expect you to know what I want and to make the right choice, honey”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know exactly what your wife wants and for us to want it as greatly? We would never waste time driving to wrong restaurants.

Is it possible to remain in the presence of God for so long that we know what He wants, and then to pray with passion, accuracy, and see His full will indeed come to pass? Of course it is. That is what mature praying is all about. When this takes place, praying once again becomes an exciting adventure of ever-increasing faith and assurance.

The Lord once said to me, “Leave the sword I have given you in its sheath until you have my heart and then pull it out”. He had been talking to me about the writing He had called me to do. The Lord had handed me a sword that represented the “ready pen of the writer”. He then told me to put it in a sheath. As I did so I saw that, the sheath was pulsating. As I asked the Lord what this meant, He replied, “The sheath I am asking you to put the sword into is the sheath called ‘My heart’. When the sword is beating in unison with My heart, pull it out and begin to write. You will then see my purposes accomplished by your writings”. What a lovely and simplistic picture of learning to receive the will of God into my own heart before proceeding.

It is the same way with prayer. As we wait for our heart to come into unison with the heart of our Father and pray accordingly, all of the power of our Father is released.

1 John 5:14

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

KJV

1 John 3:21-22

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

KJV

Do you see what 1 John 5:14 is saying? Anything according to His will!

As we mature, we must pray according to the will of God if we expect our prayers to be answered. To discover His will we must linger long at the table of shewbread and allow our will to be broken and sifted. Even as it is necessary for the wheat to yield to the experienced hands of the priest so that it may be made into the fresh loaves that appear in His presence, may we cry out with our Lord as He said:

Ps 40:8

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

KJV

True life and fulfillment will be found as our old stubborn and selfish will is placed under subjection to the wonderful will of God. When God created you and me, He had a specific purpose in mind for us. Like any great designer, engineer or creator, He placed inside of each one of us the exact mixture of desires, gifting and personality that our purpose would require.

Just as an eagle is designed to soar on the heights of the jet stream and see better than any other creature on earth, so were you and I designed for a specific purpose. An eagle that chooses for its life career the confines of a pigpen will never experience the joy of its divine purpose. In fact, it would find that its feathers, talons and eyesight would all be a hindrance to its chosen profession.

I wonder how many of us are chafing at what we are doing? Perhaps even wishing we had different giftings because we are not fulfilling the purpose we were called to. You might ask, “How could anyone become so confused as to not recognize that for which they were designed”? Sadly, it is a very easy thing to do.

You see, we are surrounded from our birth by a system that pressures us to be something we are not. We are rarely exposed to role models that can demonstrate the joy of godly contentment and fulfillment. Rather, we have been inundated with an advertising system whose goal is to make us unhappy with what we have and who we are. Modern marketing, in order to be successful, must make us discontented. Contented people do not buy useless and unnecessary articles to make them feel better about themselves. Contented people are not driven to have the most recent fashion trend. In order to sell products that people do not need, the advertising community must convince us that we cannot be happy without them. One of the ways this is accomplished is to insinuate that everyone who knows anything should have these products.

Over your lifetime, and mine that system has been able to access ever-increasing amounts of our time. With the advent of almost every electronic device imaginable, the message now follows us everywhere we go. Night and day, it spreads its cry of discontent. Many cannot stand even a minute or two of silence or inactivity. We are addicted to sound, motion, and eye-popping action. We have been brainwashed. Our children are in even greater peril than we ever were. Yet, the word of God declares:

Isa 30:15

15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:

KJV

1 Tim 6:6-12

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

KJV

Oh, the sweet peace the Word of God brings. Truly, it is like the smell of fresh baked bread that stirs fond and loving memories of a safe and peaceful time.

The second great challenge is that we still must deal with a fallen nature that relishes all that the marketing world offers. That fallen nature is easily addicted to nearly everything and will fight desperately to get its way. It will take a strong and renewed will to stand up against these demands. It will also take a disciplined mind to join forces with the will to remind this body that it is a servant not, a master.

Thank God, this is what the holy place is all about. We have stated that for the New Testament Christian the table of shewbread is the anointed Word of God that leads and sustains us in His presence. It is for the presence of God that this tabernacle exists. God instructed Moses to build it according to the divine pattern because it is a replica of what exists in heaven. It has always been the will of God that we abide in His presence where fullness of joy is experienced and pleasures are forevermore at His right hand.

Heb 8:5-6

5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

NKJV

In truth, our tabernacle is Jesus Christ Himself. It is He who tears the veil that separates us from the presence of God. Also, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the divine pattern. The Old Testament tabernacle is but an incredibly detailed picture of Jesus Christ and His ministry.

What then shall we find when we enter the Holy of Holies in prayer?

MORE TO COME

Apostle Bob Rogers

Understanding Prayer – Part VI

As we are called from being little children to that of young men who are strong, who know the word and have overcome, we pass from the outer court into the inner court. The primary thing that we notice is that at first, we cannot see very well. Although there is plenty of light in the inner court, none of it comes from a natural source. The light in the inner court is coming from the golden candlestick. From now on, we are called to see with our spiritual eyes and speak with a spiritual tongue. This means the Spirit of the Lord will increasingly lead us.

Prov 20:27

27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Rom 8:14

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

KJV

In this inner court, everything about us must change. Our mind must be renewed, our will trained and turned toward the purposes of God, and our emotions taught to be obedient to our mind and will. We truly are being called to become strong. Our prayers become Kingdom-minded prayers.

1 John 2:14-17

14 I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

KJV

In the outer court, our body was the focus of God. Now He turns to our soul. Even as our body needed to be sanctified for His purposes now our soul must be as well. The word sanctify has two primary meanings. One is to cleanse and separate; the other is to set aside for a specific purpose. We are not fully sanctified until we fully know God’s will for our lives and are walking in it, no matter how clean we have sought to be. In the inner court, we discover our purpose and gain the strength to fulfill it.

There is a call that comes to every one of us. It is the call that Jesus gave to His disciples when He said, “Follow me”. To follow Jesus is to come to know the Father in every part of our being-body, soul and spirit. The end result will be that we will be made into “fishers of men”. For it is the will of our Father that none should be lost.

Once, while seeking God about the Church and its lack of maturity and anointing, I was given this dream.

I was on my property, and we were getting on a school bus. As I looked back, I realized we were a wrestling team, and I was the coach. The team had been well conditioned; their bodies were in excellent shape and had fine looking uniforms. We pulled away from the property, and I assumed we were headed to a wrestling meet. The bus, however, began to go in very large circles. They were so large that, at first, we did not realize we were just “going in circles”.

Yet, I watched as we passed by the same place we started from several times. About the fourth time around, I saw an F-18 fighter jet being brought out of a hanger. It was complete in every detail except that there was no aluminum skin on it yet. Much to my horror the bus just drove right over the top of the plane. As I looked back, however, the plane was not damaged. We just ignored its existence and drove over the top of it. I awoke.

After awakening, I sought the Lord for the interpretation. I knew that when seeking to interpret a dream from the Lord, we begin with Scripture. I look to see if there is any scripture that relates to the symbolism of the dream. In this case, it was quite easy to know which Scriptures fit this dream. I was immediately reminded of this one:

Eph 6:12

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

KJV

I immediately realized this dream was about “spiritual warfare”, and that the Lord was saying that although the Church has been trained and equipped to do spiritual warfare, she is just driving in circles. When God makes a weapon available to us because we are not spiritual enough, we do not even recognize it. The F-18 fighter jet is known as the “Hornet”, and the later model as the “Super Hornet”. The interesting thing about this aircraft is its assortment of weapons. It cannot only take on anything in the air but also take out anything on the ground. If we look into the Word of God once again, we will find these Scriptures.

Deut 7:20-21

20 Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

KJV

Josh 24:12-13

12 I sent the hornet before you

which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. 13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

NKJV

I received great strength and encouragement because of this dream. I could not have interpreted it, however, from the light in the outer court, the natural light. No, I needed the light of the inner court for this, the light that comes from the golden candlestick. This dream could only be interpreted from a renewed mind, a mind that trusts God’s word implicitly.

What I love about the “hornet” is this. The “hornet” will find wherever the enemy is hiding and drive him out! Oh, how exciting is that? Later, I was watching a special on the finding and detection of illegal drugs being smuggled through the airports. Do you know what they were using to detect them? No, not dogs, but hornets. They discovered hornets are far more sensitive to “smelling things out” than dogs.

Still, there is more to learn from this dream concerning spiritual warfare. The airplane in my dream did not have any skin on it. I used to work on planes and repair damages to both the structural as well as the skin of the plane. So I knew exactly what needed to be done to get this plane ready for combat. The plane that I saw was complete except for the outside metal skin. Do you know of any Scripture that talks about an army that needs skin on it? Of course you do. It is found in the book of Ezekiel the 37^th chapter.

Ezek 37:6-8

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above

KJV (emphasis mine)

The point the Lord was making was two-fold. First, the Hornet in the dream needed work. It needed skin. Years ago, the Lord spoke to my heart saying it is the teaching ministry that puts muscle and sinew on the Body of Christ. If the Church is weak, it is because we have not valued or developed anointed teachers. Second, although the Church has been taught in recent years about spiritual warfare, she is unwilling to engage in it.

Not only that, but she does not recognize the weapons, even though she has prayed for them. We have learned that our God works progressively in the earth. One of the ways He does this is through prayer. Prayer is primarily for the discovery of the will of God and for bringing His kingdom to earth. As we pray, the Lord gives us revelation of how to do this. Once this revelation is given, we are to move from the prayer mode to the “prophesying mode”. The only way to get the plane in my dream ready for battle was for the “wrestling team” to get off the bus and go to work “prophesying” to the Hornet! As Ezekiel said, “So I prophesied as I was commanded”.

The truth is that we are ourselves the “Hornets” the Lord wants to use. He sends us into every kind of situation where the enemy hides and uses the “spirit of truth” to uncover him and drive him out. Yet, He tells us to put on our skin first.

Eph 6:12-18

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

KJV

Are you ready to get off the bus? Are you ready to join with me in spiritual praying and prophesying? Well let’s go – declare these words with me. “Jesus, you are the helmet of salvation.

Through grace, I put on the helmet of salvation that gives me a renewed mind. A renewed mind comes from a knowledge of the Word of God and Jesus is the Word. Therefore, I put on Jesus and have a renewed mind. Jesus, you are my righteousness. I put on the breastplate of righteousness and have great boldness. Jesus, you are truth, and I put on truth as the belt that binds together all spiritual things. I put on the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace. I therefore have the peace of God that passes all understanding. I now take up the shield of faith up and am able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. My faith is founded in Jesus Christ; therefore, Jesus is my shield and buckler. Jesus, you are the Word of God. I therefore take the sword of the spirit and am skillful in using your word. I am now clothed in the full amour of God and ready for battle”.

Do you know what you just did? You entered into spiritual warfare; you prophesied over yourself. You are now ready to stand up with the rest of the army of God. You see, prophesying goes beyond “asking”. Prophesying believes that God has answered your prayer and has clothed you and anointed you to “prophesy” to the wind. You have now moved from asking to commanding. I know that is difficult for some of us to take hold of this. If may sound arrogant. No, do not let arrogance have any part of this. Walk in humility but do it with the boldness of God, even as Jesus did. You see, prophesying is speaking for God. It is discovering the will of God through humble prayer and then standing and speaking for God with bold anointing.

Ezek 37:9-10

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

KJV

Remember, when we are prophesying, we are only doing what we have been commanded to do. The word “say” in Ezekiel 37:9 is a powerful word and means:

OT:559

say

‘amar

KJV – , appoint,, call, certify, challenge, charge, command, declare, demand, desire, determine,

Will it not take strong young men to do this? This is not outer court praying but inner court prophesying. It will require a renewed mind, will and spirit to enter into this warfare. When Jesus said, “All authority is given unto me, go ye therefore”, He was enduing us with that authority. Our problem is that we want to get all pumped up with pride and then start commanding, when the Lord is wanting us to be filled with humility and command only because we are only obeying our Lord. To obey is to walk in humility with power. Remember, the almonds bowls on the lamp stand represent the fruit of the Spirit as well as the gifts.

Blessings,

Apostle Robert Rogers

 
 

Go to the www.oakcrestministries.org/eagles to register for the upcoming Soaring with Eagles Conference. You can register & pay online or register online and pay at the door. REMEMBER - there is a $10. Discount per person or couple for groups of 10 or more. In addition, it is ONLY $5. (Optional donation) per family for all day childcare on Sat. Any questions? Call the office at 231-773-1220.