What is sexual perversion

Recently I was criticized, attacked, and condemned as I made a comment that Christians shouldn't be involved with organizations that are actively fighting for sexual perversion. This was somehow seen as an attack against homosexuals even though I hadn't even mentioned anything about homosexuality. Unfortunately, many Christians have equated perversion to homosexuality while ignoring its broader context.

The definition of perversion is "the alteration of something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended." Sexual perversion is any act that turns sex or our sexuality from its original God created purpose which is to be in union with our spouse in a way that reflects Christ's union with His Church. Our sexuality is a mystical thing that is just as much spiritual as it is physical.

According to that definition sexual perversion includes things that are common and accepted in our culture such as: homosexuality, extra-marital sex, pre-marital sex, pornography, masturbation, divorce, and contraception. All of these things pervert God's original design for us. Rather than focusing on one particular deviance we must point the fingers at ourselves and examine how we ourselves have been guilty and complicit with perversion. Those of us who consider ourselves Christians must reclaim Biblical sexuality and fight to maintain it. And we must support those around us who are on the same quest.

St. Patrick's Day Sermon

I share about how we should view St. Patrick's Day through the lens of the Lenten season. Lent serves to prepare us for the resurrection of Christ. The example of St. Patrick can empower us to be victorious over our own struggles.

https://soundcloud.com/matthew-prewett/st-patricks-day-sermon

Pentecost Sermon

Preached today at St. David's San Rafael.

Pentecost as the defining moment of the Church. A new Mt. Sinai and a reversal of Babel. The creation of one new united man.

https://soundcloud.com/matthew-prewett/pentecost

A Tale of Two Marches

This past Saturday I witnessed two marches. The first was one that I was a part of: the annual West Coast Walk for Life. It was characterized by peaceful and prayerful demonstration. There was no yelling, no shouting, no ugliness. Simply tens of thousands of Christians walking down Market Street holding signs. The loudest we got was when portions of our crowd would chant "pro-life" to drown out the counter protesters that showed up to hurl profanities at us.

The second march was the SF Women's March which was held later that day. I made a point to witness it. It was billed as a peaceful demonstration against hate, misogyny, racism, and other forms of prejudice. I was shocked to see how many signs had messages of hate, anger, and profanities. I was also shocked to see multiple signs calling for the death of Trump and Pence. Where did the call for tolerance go to? Not to mention that the organizers made sure that conservative pro-woman viewpoints were not represented at the march. I was appalled to see how many parents brought their small children to such a march. There were things being said that no child should be exposed to. It was not a march of peace, love, and tolerance.

But I was also made aware of the deep fear that many carry. Behind all of that anger and hate is a fear that our current administration will inflict changes upon the lifestyles of those protesting. I can say that they are in needless fear and their concerns aren't valid- which may be true. But the fact remains- there are deeply held concerns. Trump, in his inaugural address, called for unity. We need a healing to come to our nation and it must start by us laying aside the hate and anger to truly listen to one another. Lincoln took the presidency during a trying time much as this. And there are a lot of parallels between Trump and Lincoln that I won't go into here but the fact remains that we have a deeply divided nation. I don't think our nation has been this divided since Reconstruction. We need to pray that Trump would be used by God to bring healing to this nation. I truly believe that is God's plan for Trump. To make America great again and to bring our nation together from our polarized pieces. But this will only happen if we pay attention to the verse that Pence laid his hands upon as he took the oath of office:

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

"Go to Hell!" The power of a curse.

We all have heard that there is life and death in the words that we speak. We are truly a powerful people for the words that we choose have the ability to create. Even the secularists understand this and have written best selling books about this truth. How much more do we have the ability to transform the atmosphere around us? We are kings on this earth as we rule in the place of Christ. All authority on Heaven and Earth has been given to Him and He has chosen to delegate that authority to us. You are an heir of the Kingdom. And we must live accordingly.

Have you been the victim of word curses? Have you been careless with the things that you have said? You can transform someone's circumstances by how you speak. You can transform your own circumstances. Those who dwell in the negative will speak in the negative. Those who speak life will reap life. Why is it that pessimists often have such miserable lives? Because they speak it over themselves. Is it any mystery that they attract so many bad things to themselves?

What is hell? Theologians debate whether it is a physical place or if it is a state of being. The Orthodox teach that hell isn't a place but is an experience of God's Presence by someone who has rejected Him. The person who hates God, and by extension they hate themselves for they bear His image, will experience incredible suffering within the fullness of God's Presence. Hell might not be merely an absence of God. It may be a state of being in which one cannot experience any of God's goodness and will be filled with the utmost misery. Hell in this view is a state experienced by one who has so rejected God that they have rejected all of His Godly attributes. They will only feel His wrath and misery for there will no longer be any measure of grace shielding them from evil.

We place ourselves in hell each day. We place ourselves in hell when we reject God and choose to follow our own ways. We choose hell when we decide to ignore what God has for us. "Hell is a spiritual state of separation from God and inability to experience the love of God, while being conscious of the ultimate deprivation of it as punishment." - Theodore Stylianopoulos I've had measures of that. When I have been unable to experience the love of God because I have placed myself into hell. Sometimes it can be as the result of someone else. When someone curses you with "go to hell" we might think it is just a simple expression of anger that doesn't really mean anything. I think it does. It is a powerful word curse. The enemy will use that as a weapon against us to try to remove us from God's Presence and place us into a state of being in which we cannot experience God's love.

We must live lives in which we speak blessing and life. We are accountable for the words that we speak- even in anger. And there is no such thing as an idle sentence. Our words are powerful for we are powerful creatures. We have the ability to plunge someone into a hellish existence. Why should we do that? Why should we create warfare for those around us? The entire kingdom of darkness exists to do that. Why should we join them? I ask you my brothers and sisters to be a prophetic people. To be a people who speak life and who reject the words of darkness. Let us walk in the light! And let us bring others into that same light.

Your vote matters- don't worry about being a one issue voter!

People tell me that they don't want to be one issue voters. That I have to look at the whole picture. That would be nice but one has to take a stand against injustice rather than tolerating it.

Slavery endured in this nation because the majority didn't want to make it an issue. They tolerated it and it took the devastation of a Civil War to put into motion the circumstances needed to end it.

Segregation endured because most didn't care enough to shake the status quo. They were willing to keep electing leaders who would leave it alone because there were other things that were "more important." The majority didn't want to become wrapped up in "one issue."

Today abortion endures, despite the majority being against it, because we don't want to make it "the one issue." If we, as Christians, made it a deal breaker and refused to vote for pro-abortion politicians we would see abortion end quite quickly. I firmly believe that if the Church arose and started showing up to the polls en masse while voting consistently pro-life that we would see abortion end within 4 to 6 years. 

Why does this not happen? Because people say that we shouldn't be one issue voters.... I agree that there are a lot of important issues that one has to weigh. But there are some that should be absolute deal breakers. And those politicians who support the legal murder of innocent life will never get my vote. Our vote means something and we are accountable to God for how we vote. Those who vote for abortion will have blood on their hands that they will have to explain. Please my friends, vote pro-life! Lives are at stake.

Confessions of a heretic

I've spent most of my adult life branded as a heretic. It began when I was nineteen and started to go to a Charismatic Church. I gladly embraced much of the tenants of modern Charismania. I accepted the doctrine that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have not ceased and are just as applicable today as they were in the days of the apostles. I had supernatural experiences and blogged about them. And I had the audacity to believe that God speaks to us today and that we can receive direction from these words.

I lost friends. People I grew up with refused to speak to me. Social gatherings would prove to be awkward as my presence would be completely ignored as if I was invisible. This was less painful than one would think as I found so many new friends in the Charismatic movement. These became like family to me as we served the Kingdom of God together. I could deal with hateful letters written to me as I had my band of brothers and sisters who had also endured persecution. And nothing in me wanted to go back as I had tasted a beautiful expression of Christianity that contained a measure of life I had never had before.

Over the past eighteen months I have had another development in my spiritual journey. I discovered Anglicanism.  For most of my adult life I had always considered myself the strange product of a hodgepodge of different traditions. Finally I found a theological home for what I had always thought was an eclectic blend of Reformed, Charismatic, Evangelical, and Ancient Christianity. I love the Charismatic movement because of how the worship service is centered around ushering in the Presence of the Holy Spirit through worship. And I love Anglicanism because of how the Sunday service is centered around the Presence of Christ in the sacrament of communion.

I had always struggled with certain Protestant doctrines but was uncomfortable with the Roman Catholic viewpoint on those issues. In Anglicanism I found this middle road that expressed much of what I had already come to believe. However, this came with a price. I was surrounded by those who didn't believe you could be a non-Protestant Christian. The two are antithetical to each other in their minds. They reject many of the early church fathers as Catholic heretics. They proclaim that it is impossible to be Catholic and saved. That we believe in a different gospel. I would hear this said by people who I loved and respected and I would weep. It pained me when I heard those who I had thought would be co-laborers in the gospel attack my salvation unknowingly. I received letters stating that I believe in a different Jesus because of my belief of His Presence in the Sacrament.

I've asked myself if this is worth it. But just like when I discovered the Charismatic movement; I had discovered something beautiful that I couldn't turn my back upon. Every Sunday, as I kneel to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, I receive life. I have discovered a holistic theology that makes sense to me. A theology that doesn't ignore certain passages of Scripture or allegorizes portions of Scripture that seem to be taken literally. I don't have to reject the early Church Fathers as primitives who didn't understand true Christianity. They were discipled by members of the original twelve. If they believe that Jesus is in the Sacrament then why shouldn't we? I'm just using this as one example of many theological issues.

Yes, the Protestant Reformation needed to happen. There were abuses and errors within the Roman Church that needed to be addressed. But we can't reject 1500 years of Christianity as illegitimate. I've grown up in the Protestant tradition that acted as if the had Church laid dormant between the closing of the canon and the beginning of Protestantism. Christ said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church. For us to say that the Church laid dormant is to say that the gates of hell prevailed.

I have to chuckle when Protestants, who would reject the validity of my salvation, post quotes from CS Lewis as the great champion of the faith. CS Lewis, the great Anglo-Catholic, if he was alive today would be branded as a heretic and attacked throughout the far reaches of the internet. Why is he considered a champion of the faith while I am branded a heretic? This reveals the hypocrisy behind those who have appointed themselves as the doctrine police. I got hate letters when I quoted the words of Jesus in His high priestly prayer and said that those who attack the unity of the Church and sow seeds of division are attacking Christ Himself. We are His Body and those who attack the Church universal are attacking Christ Himself. But others say that truth should be valued more than unity. And they keep on holding their meetings and conferences in which they curse ministries that they disagree with and publish articles on how those people aren't really saved.

I can't go back. I believe I have drunk of the ancient wells. In the Charismatic movement we speak about drinking at the wells of revival and redigging those ancient wells. I have gone back to even more ancient wells. The wells of Celtic saints who transformed Ireland from a nation of paganism and Druidism into a Christian nation. Saints who planted monasteries throughout the British Isles and re-evanglized Europe during the Dark Ages. Those are my spiritual ancestors. As I look at America today, particularly California, I see so many parallels between now and the days of St. Patrick, St David of Wales, St Brigid, et al. I want to drink of the wells that they dug. I want to learn from them and receive the keys of authority that they fought for.

But I can't do this as a Protestant for they weren't Protestants. I can't try to emulate them while saying that their theology is heresy and that they weren't even saved. I'm trying to explain the logical conclusion of rejecting the salvation of non-Protestants. If we say that they aren't true Christians then we are doing so much damage. We can't pick and choose. I see individuals stating that Catholics are not saved and on different occasions holding up the martyrdom of Orthodox Christians in the Middle East. There's an inconsistency there. We can't be a divided Bride. Is Christ divided? Is there more than one Christ?

I have drunk of ancient waters. I sign myself with the cross throughout the day as a symbol of my discipleship to Christ and as a symbol of protection against the demonic. I wear the crucifix each day to remind me that I have been crucified with Christ. I pray in tongues throughout the day- even in the marketplace. I utilize the ancient prayers of the Church, along with the Book of Common Prayer, in my devotional life. I believe that in the communion meal I am stepping outside of time and partaking of one meal with the saints past, present, and future. We are one in Christ through His death and resurrection. I look at those departed as examples to follow, as ones who utilize their time in Heaven to pray for us still on earth.

I want to walk in the fullness of what God has for me. And for me, He has called me to walk the ancient paths and live a sacramental Christianity. Other streams are a blessing and I do not condemn them. But I have found something that I can not reject- over the past eighteen months I have grown so much in my walk and union with Christ. And that is what is most important. As ones who bear His name we are called to become one with Him and to allow His Holy Spirit to transform our lives so that we might be consumed by His Spirit. Our goal is to look like Him.

I write this with pain. I write this as one who has lost friends. I write this as one who has had doors shut in his face over this past year. I write this as one who has been shunned by those who I had considered as family. But I write this as one who has had to refuse to let bitterness set in. I pray the words of Jesus and ask that He would be faithful to make us one in Him. That we might be one so that the world would know Him through our unity.

We are called to be united. So many of Paul's letters were rebuking the spirit of division. Love is far more important than the need to be right. I look at the churches here in Berkeley (the same thing is true in so many other cities as well) and I see a group of congregations who are too busy pointing fingers at each other to do any real impact for the Kingdom. I can tell you what's wrong with every church but I can't tell you what's right because I rarely hear that. I see collections of congregants who are at enmity with each other. And we are too busy biting each other to do real damage to the kingdom of darkness.

What would happen if we were willing to lay aside our trivial differences? Whose name were we baptized by? Who was crucified for us? Christ is who should define us and not man made labels. But we have allowed doctrine and denominationalism to divide us. We care more about being right than being united.

I write this as one who has been attacked my entire adult life for following Christ. I can endure the attacks from unbelievers. But it hurts when it comes from my brothers and sisters. The knowledge that there are Christians praying against me and my ministry scares me. The idea that I have been thrown to the wolves and that their words are joining the voice of the great accuser is scary. And I am grieved to know that I have done the same in the past. The effect that this has in the spirit realm is huge.

I'm writing this as a plea. I'm writing this as an open letter to my brothers and sisters to accept me once again. And I'm writing this as an open letter to ask that we would all lay aside our differences and come together as one in heart and mission. Would we be one as Christ and the Father are one? If you have issues with my theology or my spiritual practices then come to me. Show me from Scripture where I am in error and I will listen. Scripture is my final authority- that hasn't changed. In fact as I have gone deeper down these ancient paths I have grown in my love and passion for the Scriptures. I have grown in my walk with the Lord. And I have gained new tools and practices in my daily fight against the kingdom of darkness as I resist the enemy and seek to be more like Christ. I simply ask that my Protestant brothers and sisters would see this and accept me as a fellow Christian. I am no greater than any of you. In fact I sometimes feel that I need the blessings of the ancient paths and the Sacraments, more than others, because of my own wretchedness. Please forgive me if I have ever appeared prideful or judgmental. And please, let us join together in the love of Christ.

What is a Christian? An intro...

What does it mean to be a Christian? Since the time of the apostles there has been debate on this topic. And today we are faced with the importance of this question in a way that we haven't since the time of the apostles. We are surrounded by those who call themselves Christian but to our religious minds they don't look much like Christians. And then there are those who say they are Christian, and might even look like it, but they have some crazy theology. Surely those people aren't "real" Christians? But isn't it all about Jesus? One would think that if someone professes Jesus they should have the privilege to call themselves Christian. It doesn't seem that that's enough though... Let's see what the Church decided when they were first presented with this issue and how that should shape our viewpoint today.

If we look at the early days of the Church we often see the phrase "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." But what did this mean? After all the demons believe that Jesus existed and the Hindus see Him as a wise guru or even an avatar of the divine. Christ means the anointed one. We have to believe that Christ carried the anointing of God as Messiah. We also have to believe in His ability to save us from our sins (the meaning of Jesus). And Lord means believing in His lordship for our lives. It signifies a level of surrender. To lay aside our own personal ownership of ourselves and accept Christ as our only Lord and Savior. That is what the phrase means.

However, debates quickly rose up. The first Church council was called to answer the issue of Gentiles coming to Christ. It was a radical idea that a Gentile could be saved. After all this was a Jewish Messiah- the One who was promised to bring salvation to the Jews. But the fruit of the Gentile believers, and the fact that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, was indisputable. The apostles accepted them as fellow members of the new covenant. However the question quickly arose; did these new Gentile converts need to convert to Judaism? In other words, could you be a Christian without being a Jew? The idea is laughable to us as 21st Century Gentile believers. But when we put ourselves in the context of the 1st century it makes sense as a valid question. Thankfully the Jerusalem council decided that one did not need to be a Jew to follow Jesus and one did not need to follow the old covenant with its regulations in order to be submitted to the Lordship of Christ.

However the Judiazers never stopped. We see many of St. Paul's writings had to address this issue of legalism. But then there were other issues that arose- the heretics. Scripture was still being written and the canon hadn't been decided. And there were plenty of teachers running around with all sorts of weird ideas. The early Church had to convene council after council to address these heresies. But they hadn't been defined as heresies just yet. The councils had to grapple with them and argue about them. For example the Council of Nicaea took almost a hundred years to decide on the Gnostic heresy, among other things. Before that you could be a Gnostic and a Christian. But after that the Church definitively declared that Gnosticism had no place within Christianity and that anyone holding onto that belief was excommunicated.

One of the greatest gifts of that council was the Nicene Creed. It codified a basic set of beliefs on what it meant to be a Christian. If one held to this creed then they were a Christian- if they did not then they were excommunicated from the Church. In fact, the Church would recite it as a congregation before taking communion. As a declaration of faith before approaching the Lord's Table. And many churches throughout the world still do this to remind ourselves on what a Christian is and to declare our common faith.

But is it enough to believe? Shouldn't our lives reflect this reality? Yes and no. It isn't our role to judge as we can't see the heart. And Scripture is full of men and women of God who were deeply flawed. Religiosity singles out certain lifestyles as incompatible with Christianity while excusing others- this is a problem as we have created a hierarchy of sins and stated that certain ones are incompatible with the Christian life while others can be forgiven. However, if we are professing Christ yet refusing to give Him Lordship then we have a problem. Now I'm speaking of open rebellion/unrepentant sin. I'm not speaking about those who are struggling to overcome something. However, just because someone is blind and deceived about something doesn't mean that their name isn't written in the book of life. All of us are called to bring more and more of our lives under the Lordship of Christ. As we commune with Him He will be faithful in showing us those dark areas of our lives that need to be brought into the light. It is a journey- it isn't instant.

This is why judgment scares me. There are so many people who look righteous yet their inner life is repulsive. And there are so many who look like horrible sinners yet have a revelation of God's love for them and are desperately pursuing Him. We don't know what lies beneath. God looks at the heart and we can only see the outward. But, we should see a progression of holiness in those lives. There's a place for judgement. That is why God has ordained pastors and elders. But we should be careful of judging those who we are not in relationship with. For example it grieves me when I see Christians making judgements against celebrities based on paparazzi reports that are later found to be false. I also see others questioning the salvation of other Christians simply because they have some bad theology- or are on the opposite side of the political spectrum. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. We need to be careful not to do the same.

In short, the Christian is one who has placed themselves under the Lordship of Christ by abandoning all else to follow Him. They believe in the historic creeds of the Church as the doctrine that all Christians have believed throughout the centuries. And they recognize their personal need for a Savior. Then there is the personal relationship and a life spent pursuing more of Him. Justification is a one time thing when we are ransomed by Christ. But it takes a lifetime to become like Him. It's a journey as we bring more and more of ourselves under His Lordship. We can't judge someone simply because they are on a different part of that journey.

Being a Christian is not easy but it is simple. We need to stop making it complicated and purge the spirit of judgment from our midst. How many people have abandoned the church because we judged rather than loved? It is our job to point people to a greater level of communion and the Holy Spirit to guide them into the truth of conviction. Jesus met the woman at the well with compassion. He didn't excuse her sin but He didn't condemn her either. We must do the same. We are the representatives of Christ on this earth and must live accordingly.

The least of these...

One thing that I appreciate about the Roman Catholic Church is its strong commitment to life and the value of those who society considers as lesser. From the fighting for the rights of the unborn, to the valuing of those with mental and physical disabilities.

I grew up in the Reformed tradition which stressed the value of the intellectual pursuit of God. Christian maturity was measured in our articulation of theology and doctrine. Unfortunately this didn't give much of a place to the mentally handicapped. I remember one lady in our congregation who loved Jesus with all that she was but had the intellect of a child. She was always viewed with suspicion and treated as a bit of an outcast. However, in the Catholic tradition I see how people like her are celebrated and actually held up as examples that we should all learn from.

I can give so many examples from the Bay Area diocese that has a monthly mass for its mentally challenged adults, to my friend's brother with down syndrome who serves as an acolyte in his home parish, to the tireless work of Catholic priests on behalf of the unborn.

Today I had the privilege of stopping at the National Shrine for Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento. I was passing by and felt the need to stop in, not realizing what it was other than it was a Catholic Church. I spent a beautiful time praying before the Blessed Sacrament. And then I got to meet a gentleman who volunteers his time to care for the building. His son was there, sitting in a wheelchair. He reminded me of my cousin who has Cerebral Palsy. This man, about my age, comes to the church every morning in his wheelchair with the key where someone else helps him to open up the church. This man, who cannot feed himself is used by God in a way that few of us are.

This church has been a testimony and a ministry to those who society views as defective. From its former rector and auxiliary bishop of Sacramento who had to memorize the liturgy because he couldn't read the missal due to his visual handicap, to the memorial to the unborn outside the chapel's doors, to this man who can't hold a job but dedicates himself to opening the church each day and watching over its doors.

Perhaps we are the defective ones. We allow our intellectual pride to eclipse the ways of the Spirit. We rely too much on our own abilities as we don't need to depend on others. And in this glorification of our independence we lose sight of how God created us for communion with Him. Perhaps we need to learn from the least of these as they hold something that we don't understand.

"A Banner Year of Increase and Advancement" by Kyle T. Miller

For various reasons I haven't published a word of the Lord for 2016. But this prophecy is spot on and speaks into some areas that I have been speaking into. I highly recommend you read and pray into it.


A Banner Year

This is going to be a banner year. For those people who are in tune with the Spirit of God, it's going to be a year of increase and advancement. However, we will not be able to make this advancement in the flesh. We will only be able to move forward by receiving supernatural empowerment from the Holy Spirit. In this article I will share what I feel the Lord has told me that we can expect in this year, along with how we can walk supernaturally in the Holy Spirit.

Hidden Riches in Secret Places

For the world, the year of 2016 will be a year of uncertainty. From the world's standards, the economy will be up and down all year long. At times it will seem as though things are going well in the economy, and yet at other times it will seem as though the economy is headed for disaster. 

The Lord told me that much of this up-and-down cycle in the economy will be a façade created by the enemy to set people on edge and cause people to get in fear. The Lord said that much of this is smoke and mirrors. That at the very root of the economy, God is shifting things out of the hands of wicked people, and giving His people the opportunity to access hidden riches in secret places. 

God told me to share with you that we are to start asking Him to unveil riches that have been hidden from us until such a time as this. We will hear about people accessing land with oil on it, gems hidden in areas in that were not known to have jewels, and other natural resources that people will find this year by following the voice of His Spirit.

The Enemy Will Seek to Make People Weak, But the Joy of the Lord Will Be Our Strength

Until September 2016, there will be many challenges the world will experience. The Lord said the enemy will seek to use these challenges to try and hinder the growth of His people. In contrast, God will use these challenges to draw His people in to Him.

As we are challenged to feel overwhelmed, we can ask Him to in-fill us with His joy, and this joy will give us supernatural strength. Those of us who receive this supernatural joy will find ourselves empowered, while others will feel weary and fearful. This contrast between us and the world (along with Christians who are not hooked up with His anointing) will be used by God to draw people to His light. 

The Lord emphasized to me that we, the Church, should not use the media as a barometer to determine what He is doing because much of what will be portrayed in the media will be lies. We will not be able to watch cable and local news to fully interpret what God is doing because the mainstream media will often be used by satan as a tool to instill fear in people. God said, "I will show you what is to come. You can trust My Spirit to speak to you."

Finally, the Lord says it is absolutely critical that we receive His joy because He wants to use us to draw people to Him. When the world sees us operating in supernatural joy when everyone else is running helter-skelter, this will cause them to be drawn to the light of Christ that is residing within us. This takes me to the next point the Lord told me about.

Many of God's People Will Be Promoted to New Levels of Authority

As God's people walk in His supernatural joy this year, the world will be drawn to our light. Just as David was brought into the King's palace to comfort Saul, God's people will be promoted to levels of authority because leaders will recognize that they are comforted by the presence of God that is residing within us. Because we are filled with the joy of the Lord, we will be desirable to the world. People will literally feel better when we are around. 

Many of Our Unsaved Loved Ones Will Come to Christ

Just as the world will be drawn to our light, so shall our unsaved loved ones be drawn to the Spirit of God that is residing within us. The Lord told me that our unsaved loved ones will get saved "in droves" this year.

Things Will Begin to Smooth Out the Last Quarter of 2016

Things will begin to smooth out around September of 2016. For His Believers, the Lord wants us to use this season to catch our breath, get refilled, and experience restoration of lost things. God is going to cause us to recover things that were stolen from us in the last season.

Kyle T. Miller
Prophet Kyle - Personal Prophecy
Email: kyle@prophetkyle.com
Website: prophetkyle.com

"Your Father Has Another Special Gift For You" Ben R. Peters

This is a powerful word by Ben Peters that I am reposting here:

While the enemy of our souls uses his brainwashed and evil-spirit-controlled captives to terrorize and to take away our freedoms, our peace of mind, and even our very lives, our ultimate gift-giving Father is using His renewed-minded, spirit-filled lovers of Jesus to bring comfort and to give freedom, the peace of God, and eternal life to desperate souls everywhere. The way that our Father in Heaven is able to accomplish this is through His incredible gift-giving generosity to His servants on earth, not just at Christmas, but all year long.

God began to download His heart concerning spiritual gifts and ministries in a very clear and strong way in the past two or three years. It started when Brenda and I were ministering to an apostolic training center in Washington State. There were several pastors attending, and a strong anointing was flowing as we spoke and prophesied over them. Then the Lord gave me a clear and instructive word for them all. It went something like this:

God's Strong Word to Ministry Leaders

"It's time to take a look at your team and make sure you don't have any major weaknesses that the enemy can exploit. Use the football analogy and see if you have a strong defensive line and backfield, as well as the offensive line, wisdom-filled quarterbacks, and gifted ball carriers and receivers. These positions can only be filled by those who have received and developed their spiritual gifts and ministries."

The important point the Holy Spirit was making was that we need every single gift and gift-ministry properly functioning on our ministry teams, or the enemy will continue to mess with us and defeat us in our battles against him. The positions on a football team can be easily compared with the five-fold ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4, and their use of the spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12-14. God was using American football as an object lesson that most of us could understand. For more information, read my book Folding Five Ministries Into One Powerful Team. 

Here are the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

At that point, the Lord clearly highlighted the gift of discerning of spirits. There had been very little focus on this gift, but the need for it was extremely obvious. Church ministry teams everywhere had suffered incredibly from the enemy's attacks. These attacks were successful to such a large degree because nobody was discerning the enemy's diabolical influence and subtle methods of warfare.

I began preaching and teaching the Body of Christ everywhere I could, challenging people to ask God to increase this gift in its purest form in every ministry team to prevent the enemy from taking away what God had given. Satan still comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His favorite target is your ministry team. If he can bring misunderstanding, strife, selfish ambition, and jealousy in your ministry team, he can steal, kill, and destroy the effectiveness of your ministry or church. Tragically, we've seen this scenario repeated over and over and over again.

God's Special Christmas Gift for 2014

Late last year, well before Christmas 2014, I heard the Lord say that He wanted to give His people an increase in the gift of faith. I shared this with as many as possible, both in writing and speaking, as well as with impartation of laying on of hands. I believe God said He was giving an increase in the gift of faith so people would walk through the doors that He was opening for them. They would need faith, because they were going where they had never gone before, and were leaving their comfort zones behind them. To enter a new place, you have to leave the old behind. 

God's Special Christmas Gift for 2015

I actually wasn't expecting God to highlight another gift for this Christmas and the New Year, but while I was ministering to someone on the telephone, the words flew out of my mouth, and I knew it was a word for the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is going to especially empower people with gifts of healings (see 1 Corinthians 12:9).

As I have meditated on this word, I can see the divine logic in this order. First, we need to discern spirits, so we don't allow false gifts to operate and deceive the Church. Next, we need a stronger gift of faith, not only to walk through new doors, but to help us believe for the healings we are called to release through the power of the Holy Spirit.

An Extremely Necessary Gift for the Church and for Kingdom Expansion

A. In the Church

The need for a greater healing anointing should be very obvious. Churches are not only filled with people who are physically sick, but the majority of Christians are just beginning to become aware of the need for emotional healing in order for them to function to their full potential. Without the healing of their soul, they have real openings for the enemy to cause more pain to themselves and to others. 

Without that healing, we can never have real, deep unity, which we desperately need in order to bring in God's great harvest. Unhealed emotional pain prevents us from seeing others through God's loving eyes, because past pain invites the constant fear that the pain will be repeated again. Fear causes defense mechanisms to be set up and opens the door for contention, anger, and bitterness.

God certainly wants us healed physically, but His priority is the healing of our soul and spirit. Our priorities are usually the physical healing, because we can bury the emotional pain easier than we can the physical pain or disability. But God will always prioritize the eternal over the temporal.

B. Outside the Church

There is no doubt that God wants His people healthy in every way. He loves us and does not wish pain upon us. But God knows this life is short and eternity is forever. Thus, there is no doubt that He is more concerned with the spiritual health of every person in the world that He created than with their physical health.

The great and wonderful news is that the gifts (plural) of healing not only bless people with a better quality of life on earth, but God loves to use these gifts to transform the hearts and souls of men and connect them with the eternal source of Life Himself. This is an overwhelmingly wonderful truth that should touch our hearts with deep gratitude to God. He really does want us to have a full and joyful experience in this life, and He also wants us to help others to experience it both here and in Heaven. 

God is giving us His amazing spiritual gifts to use for both purposes, but the greatest blessing is that we can use these gifts to reveal God's love and transform the hearts of people to give them eternal life. Healing bodies is one of God's preferred ways to reveal His love to the lost, and I believe He is asking us, "Do you want this gift?"

I've seen how this gift works in powerful ways to bring the lost to Christ. I've seen it in Canada, Argentina, India, Africa, South Korea, and America. I've seen it under the ministry of other men and women of God as well as our own ministry. A number of years ago, I did extensive research in Scripture and Church history and discovered that over 90% of conversions have resulted from supernatural occurrences, of which most of them were physical healings.

A Prophetic Challenge

I believe God wants me to challenge people all over the world at this season – the season in which we remember the greatest gift ever given to the human race – the gift of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born in a humble stable, but has been highly exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords.

God is speaking to me that He is now inviting us to join His medical team. He is preparing to send us out to do clinics, house calls, and stadium healing events. He will empower us as individuals, but even more powerfully when we form divinely orchestrated medical teams who will carry the various gifts of healings. These gifts include pretty much every other spiritual gift God has given us.

Sometimes words of knowledge and/or words of wisdom are released to bring healing. The gift of faith is, of course, a very frequent contributor to the healing ministry. Many times the healing comes through the gift of miracles. Other times, a prophetic word can open the mind and heart to the fact that God knows and cares. As Jesus demonstrated, the gift of discerning of spirits can also be frequently used to bring the miracle healing. Tongues and interpretation of tongues can also be used like prophecy, so we can see why Paul wrote it was the "gifts of healings." 

Do you want to join God's medical team? Are you willing to leave your comfort zone and take up the Heavenly challenge to do house calls, clinics, and/or stadium healing events? If so, here are some practical ideas to prepare.

1. Educate yourself in the realm of healing. The Bible is your chief textbook. Read about the healings in the Old and New Testament. Then read stories of more recent revivals and healing ministries. Grow your faith in prayer and worship and deeper intimacy with Jesus. Attend healing services and listen to the teachings offered live or on electronic media. Learn about all the gifts, especially those you are the strongest in.

2. Take the first steps as God opens doors for you. Pray for everyone you can. Learn about spiritual treasure hunts – asking God for words of knowledge about people He wants you to minister to.

3. Join a ministry team in your church or ministry or neighborhood. Practice develops your gifts.

4. Give God all the glory and stay humble when you see people healed.

It's time to get excited about the opportunities God is opening up to us. We have been given the ability to give the gift of hope to people living in fear and anxiety over the threat of radical terrorists who want to destroy us. Instead, we have the supernatural power of God given through His Spirit-empowered gifts, with which we can expose and defeat every attack of our enemy. It's the Church's privilege and the Church's responsibility. Will we take up the challenge, or will we cringe in fear? It's time to embrace our destiny and God's amazing adventures prepared for us, His beloved children.

Shalom!

Ben R. Peters
Kingdom Sending Center
Email: ohmint@gmail.com
Website: kingdomsendingcenter.org

Have we forgotten martyrdom in our apathy?

I sometimes think that the Western Church grew weak because we stopped telling the stories of martyrs. We relegated their examples to the forgotten annals of history. And we have adopted a weak faith that flees from adversity. The truth is that the Church has thrived during the times of persecution. Persecution has always been used as a refining fire to purify the Bride of Christ. For years the Chinese church has prayed that we here in America might know the same joy of persecution that they have known.

I rejoice in the fact that I am able to worship freely. I rejoice that I do not need to fear for my life or freedom. But I sometimes wonder if I am utilizing this freedom properly. Am I taking full advantage of my religious liberties? Or am I squandering the blessing that I have to live in this country?

I have grown up with the stories of the ancient martyrs. My own grandmother has told me her first hand accounts of being in the underground church in Nazi Germany. And how as they worshipped in secret they vowed to one another that they would not do so once they had their freedom. And the very first Sunday, after the Americans liberated their city, they held their first public meeting in the local park. Over those next few years they saw many come to Christ. My great grandfather, himself a butcher by trade, planted thirteen churches. Will we here in America only appreciate our freedom once we lose it? Or will we utilize it now? Apathy is our biggest enemy.

Don't attack the body

Recently I heard a pastor declare to his congregation that Catholics aren't Christians due to their theology. This deeply grieved me on many levels. I have heard this charge before, it isn't new. First it's based on a misunderstanding of Roman Catholic doctrine. Their theology of Christ is the same as Protestants. In fact they hold to the ancient creeds more faithfully than the rest of Christendom.

It also grieves me when I look at the world around me. Most of those who are being killed for the name of Christ are not Protestant. They are Catholic and Orthodox. How can one uphold the martyrdom of the Christians being killed in the Middle East while at the same time denying their salvation? To do so is to dismiss their status as martyrs for the Glorious Name!

Scripture is clear; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You don't have to subscribe to a certain set of doctrinal beliefs. As long as you have a proper understanding of who Christ is (which Catholics and Orthodox do) then you are saved. We are saved through Christ alone. Our pitiful attempts to understand doctrine does nothing to save us but allows us to understand the character of the God who did save us.

Jesus, in His high priestly prayer, prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. He didn't pray that we would have perfect doctrine. He prayed that we would be one. As we have been baptized we have been made one with Christ. And as we partake of the Sacrament we are made one with our fellow believers around the world. It is one cup of salvation that we share. To declare that someone as a non-Christian because we don't like their theology is to attack the very body of Christ.

Oh would we repent for those times when we have allowed ourselves to be used by Satan as a voice of accusation.

The Coming Economic Shaking

There is a coming shaking to our economic structure. Many of the prophets have been speaking about this. I don't know what form it will take but I see several possibilities. Some say that it is a minor shaking/recession. Others say it will be a complete currency collapse. I do see a realignment coming. The prophets have been speaking for a long while about how there is coming a transference of wealth into the Kingdom. The wealth of the wicked will be brought into the hands of the righteous.

Economic shakings bring opportunities to those who are positioned to take advantage of them. More millionaires were made during the Great Depression than any other time of American history. I firmly believe that this coming shaking will be used by God to release much wealth into the hands of His people.

The question for us right now is how do we prepare? We need to be positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that are to come. I believe there are several areas in which we need to prepare ourselves.

The first is our attitude to wealth and stewardship. We need to break free from the mammon structure. Several years ago I was in a season of severe lack. I had no regular paycheck and at times had to choose between paying for parking or paying for lunch. God spoke to me that being controlled by lack of wealth is just as bad as being controlled by abundance of wealth. I had to learn what it meant to be generous and to make decisions based on what God was speaking to me rather than my circumstances. I don't know how I survived that season as the numbers don't add up- but I did. We need to adopt a Kingdom mindset of wealth and stewardship.

We also need to start educating ourselves so that we might take advantage of opportunities that may come. God will show you what those things are for you. For me it is learning about real estate investing and becoming literate in that industry as I become familiar with the vernacular of real estate investors. For others it might be learning about estate sales or collectible coins. Ask the Lord what you need to start learning. Joseph spent years learning the structure of Egypt's economy before he was exalted as Pharaoh's right hand to oversee the financial structure of the nation.

We need to examine our investments and savings. Maybe you need to diversify your investment portfolio in ways that you haven't before. Examine what is liquid and what isn't. I would also advise most people to get out of as much debt as you can. Consumer debt is going to weigh you down during the times of shaking. Be in a place where you are as free as possible. Trim your budget so you have more money at your disposal that you can redirect as needed.

Finally, be in a place both practically and spiritually where you can take advantage of the shakings to come. Have emergency supplies stockpiled in case disasters are part of the shaking that is coming. Be the type of person that others can look towards during a time of crisis.

Most of all, do not be dismayed. The Lord will uphold you with His righteous right hand. He will take care of you. My Great-Grandfather had his business taken from him three times- twice from the Nazi regime. He went through a currency change where his savings became worthless overnight. But he was a man of faith and prayer. He came through each trial and shaking with a testimony of the Lord's goodness. I can't give you a specific strategy as the Lord will give a different strategy to each of His children. Be strengthened!

They will call evil good

"In those days they will call evil good and good evil." I never understood how that was possible but I see it happening more and more these days. We are now in the midst of a pagan culture, the likes of which have not been seen for millennia.

Our only hope is a consecrated Church, that will stand in unity and purity, to be a prophetic voice. We have to be different than the culture that surrounds us. We have to provide the answers that so many are desperately searching for. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world.

It was a consecrated Church that touched members of Cesar's household in ancient Rome. It was a consecrated Church that picked up the infants who were discarded in the garbage heaps. It was a consecrated Church that gave their lives instead of bowing their knee in worship of Cesar. And it was a consecrated Church that eventually saw Christianity supplant the paganism of Rome.

We need to stop fighting each other and focus on the forces of darkness that are at our gates. What use is the light of Heaven if we hide it under a bushel? We need to be lighthouses of love, hope, and refuge in the midst of a dark world.

When Christ said that He would build His Church upon the rock of Peter it wasn't Peter Himself. It was the profession of faith that Peter made. It was the proclamation of Christ that Peter made. Peter, as our spiritual father, gave us an example that we need to follow. To proclaim Christ, the power of His anointing as Messiah, and the hope of His resurrection. There is no greater message than Christ crucified.

In the words of the liturgy:
"Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!"

Why I wear the crucix

God is releasing gifts in this season!

In the last two weeks I came across two different gift cards that I didn't know I had. Each of them had been unused and contained $25. I knew that there was a prophetic sign behind this and I asked the Lord what it meant.

I felt the Lord saying that He is releasing unused gifts to His people in this season. Gifts that we were given years ago but didn't utilize. Many of us were given spiritual gifts and anointings that have languished on the shelf in disuse. God is now giving us these gifts again. This is a time of grace upon grace upon grace. 

Do not despair if you feel that you are treading water. God is releasing the gifts that you need for this hour.

This is also a time of second chances. Did you ignore what God gave you in the past? Don't fear but allow His great grace to wash over you. He will give you a double portion of what was intended for you.

This is a time for thanksgiving! This is a time to receive all that He has for you and to press into the fullness of His Presence. God wants to bring you into the fullness!

This is a time of unity between God and man. God wants to partner with us. God wants us to come into alignment with Him and come into the place of communion with Him. We are only going to receive the fullness of this season if we come into the place of fullness which is in Christ Jesus!

Walk in Favor!

Recently the Lord has been speaking to me about what it means to walk in His favor. We are in a season of grace and favor as I have already written about. However, each one of us must choose to step into this reality in order to see it within our own lives.

God wants to release grace and favor into our lives. We are His children and He desires to shower us with His blessings. But just like any good parent He sometimes allows us to go without things that we desire for our better good. These past few years have been times of pruning and leanness but we have to recognize that the time of winter is past and springtime is here.

We must stop focusing on what we don't have and focus on what we do have.  We need to learn what it means to delight ourselves in the presence of our Heavenly Father for out of that all other things will flow. Our existence begins and ends within the Presence of God. Our identity is found in Him.

This is a season of restoration of sonship. We must learn what it means to receive as sons. For too long we have had a poverty mindset in which we have been afraid to ask God for what we need from Him. We need to have boldness to draw near to the throne of grace for we are heirs and not servants.

As we draw near and delight ourselves within the Presence we must learn also to live a lifestyle of thanksgiving. We must focus on the blessings and not the things that we don't have. Give thanks with the little things and you will start to reap greater and greater favor in your life.

Over these last 60 days I have been walking in increasing favor. From finding checks that had been forgotten about, to discovering gift cards I didn't know I had, to having my way to Berkeley made completely easy, to miraculous favor with employment, I have been experiencing amazing things as I have been focusing on the favor of God as the perfect Father.

This is the year of grace and favor! But divine grace can only be received by those who have open hands. We must position ourselves as beloved sons and daughters and ask our Heavenly Father to release the blessings of Heaven into our hands so that we might carry out His Kingdom work on this earth. This is the time for us to receive our inheritance so that we might in turn release the good news of the Kingdom to those around us.

2015: A Year of Divine Grace & Favor

For about seven years now I have been looking forward with expectation of what 2015 would bring. I have known that it will be a year of greatness for the Body of Christ and a time of great grace for His Church. Right now I hear the Spirit shouting "grace, grace, and more grace be upon My people!" I see divine measures of grace and favor being poured out upon God's people in this coming year.

This is a time of restoration as God is bringing recompense upon the wickedness that has been inflicted upon the Body of Christ. When the world attacks us for being Christian they are attacking Christ Himself. We have seen an increase of an anti-christ spirit being manifested across the nations and the Lamb upon the throne will come to our aid. There is an increased outpouring of Christ's anointing coming to His Church. This is the time of the overcomer as God's people arise above the attacks of yesterday. This is the time for the anointing to manifest through us.

Look back at what you were doing seven years ago. 2015 and 2016 will bring a restoration of what was taken from you seven years ago. God is releasing second chances where you missed opportunities. This is a time to step into victories where there were defeats seven years ago. Look back at what you were contending for as God will bring you back to a similar battlefield. Your promotions this year will stem from the battles that you fought in '07-'09. There was an authority gained back then even where you felt defeat. God has been preparing you for the last seven years to face those same powers of darkness and this time you will be fully victorious. You are being reborn into a greater manifestation of your true identity.

2014 has seen torment. The enemy has tried to cut off destiny. Don't look at where you have stumbled but press onward. This is the season of the overcomer. God is bringing deliverance in those areas that you have been crying out for. God is bringing deliverance and cutting off the attacks of the enemy where you have grown weary and discouraged. This is the year of encouragement as the fullness of God's favor is manifested through His Church. His glory is most evident in the midst of darkness. Darkness may be engulfing the nations but a great light is arising which will be visible to many.

These next seven years are going to see the unveiling of the manifest sons of God. This has been prophesied for years. I have previously written about this coming move and have called it the New Breed. This New Breed is going to be characterized by a radical revelation of sonship. They will know who they are in Christ and all that they do will flow out of this revelation. They will wear the mantle of Christ and carry the Kingdom of God to every segment of society. The love of God will be visibly evident on them. Signs and wonders will be commonplace. It is through this company that we will see the establishment of stadium Christianity.

The Lord is releasing revelation of what it means to possess the gates. We are entering into a seven year time of advancement. We have learned what it means to be the Ekklesia as there has been extensive teaching on the Church as ruling council on the earth. Now we are going to see the manifestation of this as we take a direct stand against the gates of hell and storm the gates of the enemy. We are called to possess the gates and possess them we shall! We are going to see entire regions shift and see the Kingdom of God break in to places previously thought impossible.

We are going to see a divine grace released upon those who are in the seven mountains of culture. God is going to reveal His Josephs in this hour as the conduits of wealth are being uncorked. These past seven years have been a time of preparation. Many have spent their time as Potipher's servant and are now being promoted to prominence. God is going to reverse past wrongs as He did when Joseph was released from prison. Do not grow weary in doing good but persevere in the Lord's work. Whatever your hand finds to do do it as if it was unto the Lord.

The voice of the accuser is being exposed in this hour. Our case has been heard in the council room of Heaven and we have been found righteous. We are going to see the accusation of the enemy fall silent as it will lose its power in 2015. God is elevating His people above the voice of the enemy. 2015 is the year to walk in the favor of the Lord. This is the year of the Lord establishing you as you step out into His mighty will! May the favor and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you in this year!

I'm moving to Berkeley in two weeks!

In just two short weeks I will be making one of the biggest moves of my life. After spending over nine years in OC & LA I will be moving to Berkeley, CA. During the last few months of 2014 God spoke to me about moving to Berkeley and making it my home base for the next 2-3 years. I will be launching my own ministry organization as well as partnering with a number of ministries and organizations that are already there.

I can't believe that it has been almost a decade here in SoCal. When I moved down here I thought it was merely for school- little did I know that I would fall in love with this region. Since my time in 2005 I have made amazing friendships, served with incredible men and women of God, and have been boot camped by the Holy Spirit. God spoke to me in 2007, as I served in prayer at CSUF, that He would take me from the campus, to cities, to regions, and nations. This is the next step as I learn how to take a region and state for the Glory of God.

In Berkeley I will be coming alongside of those serving on the campus as we launch evangelistic efforts to see a great harvest of souls as was seen in the Jesus People Movement of the '70's. It is my dream to see Sproul Plaza resound with the sound of the gospel and its fountain filled with those getting baptized.

I will also be networking with prayer leaders across the state as we strategize on how to mobilize the millennial generation for strategic level spiritual warfare and intercession. There will be a major focus on the Bay Area and Sacramento.

Along with this is a focus on equipping millennial leaders to be persons of influence in every sector of society and to impact every nation with the hope of Christ.

UC Berkeley is one of the most influential campuses in the world. What happens at Berkeley touches every university in North America. Let the Golden Gate receive her King and may the Light of Heaven be manifest in Berkeley!