Broken Cisterns, Money Bags with Holes

By DN Hoets

General Picture

The Book of Haggai has been central in the the Lord's dealing with me over the past few years. The unfolding prophetic message was a shaking in the natural (2007) - the year of the floods, an economic shaking (mid 2007, 2008 onwards) and the outpouring of His glory.

Do you see the economic shaking in the Book of Haggai? The picture of the money bag with holes (Haggai 1:6) has appeared in many leading financial magazines lately. It indicates the effect of the credit crisis and inflation. Many economists have stated that the consumer is affected the most in this shaking. Notice, too, that God says "Silver is mine, gold is Mine." This alludes to the security that many are finding in the soaring precious metals and commodities which are proving to be a hedge to the weakening dollar and other weakening currencies such as the rand.

Haggai 2:8

'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of Hosts.

However, let us be careful not to put our trust in commodities either. This shaking will bring uncertainty to commodities as well. Our trust and security needs to be in God alone.

This picture of worsening inflation fueled by rising oil and food prices, and soaring commodities is central today. We are in the midst of this shaking right now.

Although the shaking started with the bursting of the housing bubble and the credit crisis, oil seems to be the chief commodity fuelling the shaking. Haggai indicates by emphasis that inflation is the central focus of the global economic shaking.

The shaking begins with the fall in housing prices (verse 4 "your paneled houses", neglecting the house of God) and the associated credit crisis. However, the emphasis is on inflation (verse 6 food, clothing i.e. credit retailers suffering under interest rate hikes to curb inflation - South African monetary policy). Notice the shift in emphasis. Many believe that the worst of the credit crisis is over. Inflation - oil price - (and its effect on food prices) seem to be gripping the headlines of world news every day.

Food prices rising across the world
[David Wilkerson's prophecy - 1973 - also mentioned riots. Consider the current worldwide riots over food price hikes]

The purpose of the shaking is to bring people to repentance. Some will harden their hearts more, others will humble themselves before God. As people humble themselves before God, repenting and turning to Jesus Christ, His glory will be poured out.

Haggai points out that we have neglected the house of God. However, the FOUNDATIONS of the house of God need to right too.

Picture of the Church

The picture is given in the Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 7].

Trevor Manuel, the Minister of Finance, presenting the annual budget speech to South Africa in February 2008 used the imagery of a severe global storm centred in the United States affecting South Africa. He spoke of the fat years and the lean years that we are in at present.

Indeed there is an economic storm over the US.

Consider the context of this storm (Matthew 7: 24-27).

Beginning in Matthew 7, verse 13 we see the two ways - the narrow way and the broad way. We are warned concerning false prophets and teachers who show us the broad way. This way does not stand in the coming storm. It is the way of the Prosperity Movement. The narrow way is a different path entirely. It is the way of the cross. Watchman Nee, Jeanne Guyon and others show us this path clearly.

Today, Kenneth Copeland, the father-figure of the Prosperity Movement is becoming increasingly more combative towards the ongoing Senate Investigation. Is he heading for a fall? Notice how those strongly centred in the Prosperity Movement are the least co-operative with the enquiry. The promises and teaching of the Prosperity Movement will not stand in the coming storm. This will reveal to all their true spiritual state.

Empty cisterns, broken cisterns. Can they hold any water? Can they contain the glory that is to come?

Pause. Think about this.

The Timing of the Last Revival - the Coming Tsunami of the Holy Spirit

We have entered the season of the shaking. We have passed the initial shaking in the natural. We have moved into the depths of the shaking of Haggai 2:7. The Last Revival is imminent! The economic shaking and depth of this shaking gives us clarity on the timing of the coming move of God.

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WARNING

NOTE from A. STROM (2006):  I too have sensed the strong possibility that there may occur "two Revivals" almost together - one true and the other counterfeit. So I was very interested to hear the below vision.

 

VISION of TRUE and FALSE REVIVAL
-by Patrick Ersig.

Here is the account of a vision from God that I received regarding true and counterfeit revival. This vision occurred on March 4th 2006.

The VISION

Everything was black and I saw one person walking at a semi-brisk pace. Not fast walking, but a slight cadence above normal pace.
Walking with purpose. This person was walking straight and sure - upright and strong - solemn and serious, like a revolutionary  - a warrior - a light to darkness. I then saw a couple more people and then others in the distance and they were bright and shining against the blackness that was all around. They all walked the same way - solemn and serious and the Lord spoke and said, "These are my remnant who are walking in holiness, righteousness, obedience, brokenness and utter submission to MY WILL - watch what I am doing Patrick." Then I saw the individuals begin to unite in small groups of two to three at first and then more came and the groups grew to five and even ten and the light intensified greatly. It was beautiful like a sunset over the mountains or a sunrise on the ocean, a rose in full bloom. What I saw next made me burst into tears and sobs to the point that I couldn't continue to describe what I was seeing. My wife keep saying "What?!, what is it? What to do you see?!" After a few  minutes a was able to control the weeping to explain what I saw happening. As the Lord was drawing together His remnant into these small groups the power God came down - like in the book of Acts - the lame were walking, the blind were seeing, the deaf were hearing, (literally and figuratively) and persecution fuelled the fire! This end time HOLY and RIGHTEOUS remnant of serious and solemn warriors and revolutionaries walked in the deep darkness of America and her backslidden lukewarm churches with apostolic glory and power not seen since the book of Acts - to proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ - repentance and holiness and freedom from sin!

The Lord spoke and said, "This is the revival that I am bringing about and it starts with the individuals who have been called out to personal revival and are walking straight and sure - upright and strong - solemn and serious, like revolutionaries, warriors, lights to darkness. My remnant is walking in holiness, righteousness, obedience, brokenness and utter submission to MY WILL and I am drawing them together."

Then the vision switched.

Now I saw what looked like a dimly lit movie or a video shot with poor lighting. I saw clips of people dancing and shaking. I saw people falling down, shouting, jumping, and singing. There were huge multitudes rather then the few and many, many were coming in large groups that filled large auditoriums and stadiums instead of small groups of individuals being drawn together. Even some of the lights that were in the first part of the vision were drawn to this part of the vision. I saw dancing and clapping, shaking, shouting, strong and powerful emotionalism and sensationalism.  Soulish and fleshy spirits claimed to be the Holy Spirit. Great miracles abounded - signs and wonders. People proclaimed, "This is the revival we have been waiting and praying for!! -This is the revival we have heard prophesied!!! - This is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
- a great move of God!" But the Lord spoke and said, "Patrick this is not from me - this is from Satan - it is a counterfeit!! And many will be fooled and tricked by this clever deception from the enemy!"

Then the vision switched again.

Now I saw both visions side by side - split screen, so to speak.
They both grew in intensity at an equal rate - as the true would grow in power, the false would grow in numbers and as the true would grow in numbers, the false would grow in false signs and wonders. The Lord spoke and said, "This is not a vision of the future, but this has already begun and will grow as the days pass.
I am doing this now and the enemy is coming against it at this very moment."

Conclusion:

The Lord is bringing about an end times revival of which the like we have never seen and it begins with you. The Lord is calling you to be separate, to holiness and righteousness unto the Lord and to walk in obedience and utter submission to His will. Be free from sin, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect, be dead to flesh and alive IN Christ. Walk sober and solemn and serious before the Lord with a reverent and holy fear of God. If you are looking and waiting for some big corporate outpouring of emotionalism and signs and wonders you are going to miss the coming revival. The revival starts with you! Seek the Lord and press into Him closer everyday. Allow the Blood and Grace of Jesus to break the bonds of your flesh and produce Holy and Righteous living in your life. Ask the Lord to show you what it is in your life that is keeping you from that which is perfect - no matter how small or how painful; ask the Lord to expose everything that is keeping you from being closer to Him and bring Glory to Him and His kingdom and deeply renounce all that He shows you.

Live your life as a living sacrifice - a living drink offering poured out before the Lord for His glory and honor. There are many things that are cultural, societal and religious that keep us separated from God and walking in His Spirit. Pray for God to bring these things to light and put them to death no matter how hard it may be. If you don't realize that the revival the Lord is doing begins with you individually, then you are going to miss it! The Lord is calling you today, repent for your lukewarmness and your lackadaisical attitude toward sin in your own life and those who are perishing and plunging into hell all around you everyday! The Lord is calling you today to allow the Blood of Jesus and the grace of God to produce holiness and rivers of righteousness in your life that you maybe salt to a decaying world and light to the darkness that prevails. What will you do? The Lord is calling you right now to make up your mind to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, take up your cross, die to self and follow HIM - forsaking ALL and seeking after Him with all that you are and have. Come out and be separate in holy, righteous obedience unto God!

WARNIG - DO NOT be fooled by these sensual, emotional counterfeits that are and will be popping up, that these people and churches call "revival". IT IS A TRICK FROM THE ENEMY! When you hear that "revival" has broken out in the next town or the next state or even in your own city - please remember this warning.
There will be much singing and dancing and shouting and many things will sound as though they are true. There will be great surges of emotion that will cause people to fall down and jump and shout, cry and weep but this is not from God. Many will be crying out in
joy, "Peace, peace".   But God's Servants will have discernment
above and beyond any gift, and a willingness to die than lie - despite the increase of signs and wonders from all of the counterfeit moves around them in the 'churches'. If the "revival" you are in is not serious and reverent, holy and righteous, and the Love and reverent fear toward God are not the only things you see, then RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, and warn everyone you know. These spirits are strong and extremely powerful - get out of the building and don't be fooled by the signs and wonders. Please, I am begging you to remember this, for I know that there will be many who are fooled and even (if possible) drawn away from the real to the counterfeit, but I also know that there will be some who read this warning and remember it and are spared. The true revival army will look like small bands of revolutionaries or Special Forces with an end times mission to complete and Satan's counterfeit will resemble a band of wild Indians or tribal warriors dancing shouting battle cries.

The true revival army will attack the enemy at its stronghold, sin - their mission will be the souls of men through the power of the Holy Spirit - they will be concerned with setting people free from the bondage of sin through the message of the cross and will watch strongholds of sin topple. Satan's counterfeit will go after places and methods of sin - they will try to legislate morality and get laws changed, which results in forced morality and no salvations. God's army will seek to save that which is lost in the streets and alleys - Satan's army will try to change the laws to prevent sin but result in the salvation of no one. "Whosoever loves his life shall lose it. 
Whosoever loses his life for MY sake, shall find it."

Satan you are on notice! God is preparing a revival army that is going to tear down the strongholds of your kingdom and Jesus is preparing a bride for Himself that is spotless and pure!

God is calling to make a decision right now - what will you do?!

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"ANGELS" & the FLORIDA HEALING REVIVAL - Warning!
-by Andrew Strom.

I continue to get emails about last week's article - "A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?" Some people strongly agree, while others are totally outraged that I would question the healings or other manifestations that are occurring.

Personally I am deeply saddened that I even have to put out these warnings. I get no pleasure out of it. In fact I hate having to talk about this stuff. But what happens if something is seriously amiss and yet no warnings are given? Is it right to be silent in such a case? What about the precious sheep? Shouldn't they be warned?

What a lot of people may not realize is that the leader of the revival Todd Bentley has a long history in the "Laughing/ Drunkenness"
movement - but also is a leading proponent of strange "Angel"
encounters (and I do mean 'strange'). Todd has openly promoted these encounters for years - in fact he is well-known for leading others into contact with these 'angels' too. This has been a big part of his ministry for a very long time. And it is really no different now.

Here are a couple of extracts from Todd's 2003 article 'Angelic Hosts':

"So when I need a financial breakthrough I don't just pray and ask God for my financial breakthrough. I go into intercession and become a partner with the angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that are assigned to getting me money: "Father, give me the angels in heaven right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the earth and gather me money."

Todd continues...
"EMMA, ANGEL Of The PROPHETIC
Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in
1980: "Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?"
He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, "Bob, who is Emma?" He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota.
"In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, "Here's Emma." I'm not kidding.
She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young - about 22 years old - but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life. She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people... Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands!... During this visitation the pastor's wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them... Then angels started showing up in the church." [END QUOTE]

More recently, Todd stated that in one of his "Third Heaven" trips he literally visited the small cabin where the apostle Paul lives in Heaven. Paul told him that he wrote the book of Hebrews with the personal help of Abraham the Patriarch: “The authorship isn’t clear because it was Abraham and I; Abraham shared the content with me.” Todd's 'Third Heaven' tales are full of such astonishing claims - and of course, more angels. (See 'A Face To Face Encounter - Part 2 of 2' - By Todd Bentley).

Lest anyone think that Todd may have changed his ways in recent times, you should know that he is constantly mentioning his 'angels' in the current Florida meetings also. For instance, watch from about the 6-minute mark of the following video clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9mSCHJfnGE

In this video, Todd speaks of the angel that is going to "visit the children" and then he begins more and more to jerk and laugh uncontrollably. He prays that a 'drunken glory' will move across the whole place - and you can see it happen in the audience.

This is all the same kind of stuff that Todd has been involved in for years. There is nothing new in it. In fact, both Todd and Bob Jones credit an angel that carries the "Winds of Change" for the current healing revival - an angel that they say is still driving it. As one young preacher commented who has been following the Florida meetings closely, Todd seems to talk about his "healing angel" even more than he talks about Jesus. Yes - exactly!

We are warned explicitly in Scripture that the devil "transforms himself into an angel of light", and that in the Last Days will come 'Lying signs and wonders' that will "deceive if possible the very elect." Do we really believe that the devil is unable to perform miracles? Have we forgotten what the Bible clearly says?

Some make the point that Todd obviously had a strong healing gift right from the start of his ministry - so some of the healings in Florida may be genuinely from God. Yes - I agree that this is possible - even likely. But how can we trust anything at all coming from this source if it has become so tainted with all this pollution? Do we want such a man laying hands on us and imparting "anointings" or spirits into us?

I read a report from the UK yesterday that an English preacher has brought Todd's anointing back from Florida and now it is manifesting in his UK meetings: "Fire, a burning sensation, was felt all over people’s bodies... There were outbursts of joy, drunkenness and spontaneous healings throughout the meeting."

Other reports from the USA now speak of pastors having hands layed on them to receive the "Florida anointing".

The Elijah List claims that on New Year's Eve, for 2008, God told Bob Jones that "the third wave was coming." Todd asked Bob what the third wave was. He said that, "Toronto was wave #1, Pensacola was wave #2, and the third wave is the "Winds of Change" -- this move of God. This move will be a global move, traveling with signs and wonders all over the world! The third wave is here!"

The Florida meetings have now moved into an 8000-seat auditorium. This "anointing" is spreading across the globe. Can you see why I have cause for alarm, my friends?

 

A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?? -Florida
-Andrew Strom.

Many of you will have already heard about the "Healing Revival"
that has purportedly broken out in Lakeland, Florida.  Today Charisma Magazine put out a piece on it entitled 'A Holy Ghost Outbreak in Florida' - "...Charismatics are flocking to the sleepy town of Lakeland, Fla. to attend evangelist Todd Bentley’s unconventional revival services."  Is Charisma preparing to hype this one to the skies like they did with Toronto and Rodney Howard- Browne? It seems perhaps they are.

But why am I opposed to this 'Healing Revival' so soon after it has been announced?  -It is because I already know Todd Bentley's ministry all too well, and this whole thing centers around him.

Todd Bentley actually has deep roots in the Prophetic movement, and he is one of the very few ministers that I have ever felt I had to publicly warn people about by name. -His ministry is that bad.
False "angel" encounters of the weirdest kind, gold dust, guided visualizations of the "Third Heaven" that are straight out of the New Age, etc. And yet there is a "power" with it that makes it all the more dangerous.

Here is how Charisma describes his Florida meetings- "His methods are far from polished. When he prayed for people in Lakeland, he usually began by laying his hand on their heads and then yelling, “Bam!”
Often the people fell backward to the floor. After one elderly woman fell, Bentley told the audience: “She doesn’t know why she fell down.” The woman then laughed and said to him in the microphone:
“Because you pushed me!” He prayed for her three more times that night, and she said she could hear better...
During the past three weeks people have testified of being healed from heart conditions, skin rashes and back problems, and many said scars disappeared...
Many charismatics are wondering if the protracted meetings will become a phenomenon similar to what happened in Rodney Howard-Browne’s meetings in Lakeland in 1993, at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in Canada in 1994 and at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola in 1995..." [END QUOTE]

Sadly, the Charismatic movement is in such a sick state today that it would not surprise me at all if this happens. (-I say this as a strong Spirit-filled, tongues-speaking believer myself. I am by no means opposed to genuine miracles). Have we completely forgotten the warnings of "Lying signs and wonders" in the Last Days?

Below is a testimony by Lynn Clark who is a Moderator at our website 'RevivalSchool.com'. This is what she wrote about her involvement with Todd Bentley's ministry:

"I decided to check out Patricia King and Todd Bentley and, ignorant of their 'third heaven' guided visualizations, attended a five day conference of Patricia King and then two of Todd Bentley's conferences and began to imagine third heaven visitations - guided visualization - still not realizing that these are actually spirits of darkness - the New Age calls them spirit guides - demons is what they are. And so I bought Todd Bentley's teaching on third heaven visitations and brought it home to listen to.
"I was in my living room laying on the floor listening to the teaching on how to visualize the third heaven and what to say and was getting caught up into his teaching and all of a sudden I began to shake uncontrollably and jerk and groan, and no sooner had this taken place I became frozen stiff - I could not move any part of my body and I knew this was a demon trying to take hold of me, and so with all the effort I could muster I cried out, "God save me - Jesus help me" - and as soon as I cried out to the Lord my body went limp. God spared me that night and I will be forever grateful.

"I spent much of the night in tears asking God to forgive me - and renouncing all the hands layed on me and all the awful deception I had opened myself up to..."  [END QUOTE]

ANDREW AGAIN:  I myself have heard the tapes of Todd Bentley's "Third Heaven Visualization" teachings, and I want to tell you - they are straight out of the New Age handbook. -Terrible stuff. And yet so widely accepted by thousands of Christians today.

Do these kinds of practices (above) produce a genuine 'Healing Revival'? -These are the kinds of questions that we need to be asking Charisma Magazine. I leave it for you to decide.