A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Seven!

Hamills of Lamplighter Ministries

First off I want to acknowledge Jon and Jolene Hamill for their hard work in organizing and conducting this portion of the 11-11 Campaign, CONVERGE GETTYSBURG.  It was their plan that served as the catalyst to position Tom and I for the work the Lord was calling us to in the region.

During one of the meetings Tom and I heard a message by Bishop Harry Jackson.  Bishop Jackson ministers in the Washington D.C. area, and has a network of churches around the country.  He has been fighting the battle against same sex marriage and is facing persecution from many sides, including some churches. His message addressed the use of the title apostle and how common place it has become today.  He very clearly articulated specifics to the office of apostle and how it functions and brought forth some truths that the church must hear in this hour in order to advance.  

Bishop Jackson’s point was that not every one who calls themselves an apostle actually has the grace to function in that office. Scripture confirms this message in Revelation; “And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not,…” (Rev. 2:2 NKJV)   This message carries over to all the offices and functions placed in the church.  We are going through a time of testing in this wilderness experience.  When we walk out of the wilderness it will be time to function at a level of maturity that forces us to correct issues that have kept us from advancing in past seasons.

When we look at the wilderness experience of Jesus we begin to see what to expect when we emerge from the wilderness.  He came out of His wilderness testing and returned to Nazareth knowing that a change had taken place. Those in Nazareth couldn’t identify the change because nothing appeared different in the natural.  Jesus had spiritually stepped into destiny and was now functioning in His calling.  We are at a place now where we should be operating in and utilizing the gifts, not just teaching about them.

When the CONVERGE group had gathered on the battlefield at Gettysburg to complete their assignment I took time to walk up to one of the statues on high ground occupied by the Union forces.

From this vantage point it was evident that the Confederate forces were against insurmountable odds.  As I left the statue and walked back to the group the Lord began to speak and revealed what occurred during the three day battle.  First General Lee had succumbed to pride.  His forces had experienced numerous successes and he had begun to feel they could not be defeated.  Second, Lee was not listening to counsel.  The Lord put it this way, “the apostle did not listen to the prophets”.  General Longstreet told General Lee numerous times that this was not the time or place to face the Union forces.  Let me assure you here the Lord was not commenting on the outcome of the Civil War or calling General Lee an apostle.  He was drawing a comparison using historical facts to show me what can occur when we don’t function correctly in our offices and gifts.  In this three day battle over 50,000 soldiers lost their lives.

I got the point.  Whether everyone in this nation realizes it or not we are going through a wilderness experience.  We do not know the outcome, but we do know there will be one.  Our job as “the church” is to emerge from this experience changed.  It is imperative that we function at a new level of unity and mature recognizing and utilizing the gifts God has given us.  There is a purpose, there is a cause.  In the days ahead it will not matter what it looks like in the natural, we must know what has occurred in the Spirit and function accordingly.

Ken Bryan
kenshire@eastex.net

Post Script from Tom - Along with pride and lack of vision (or counsel), another major roadblock to victory was an army that was scattered along a line many miles long that had very little communication or cooperation.  As the Lord musters His troops this day - we must move together with humility, vision and cooperation - the very points by which the Lord defined the TXAPN network when we were set into place in Austin in June 2007.

As I return from vacation in a couple of days I will be sharing on revelations the Lord has made to me "on the coast."

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Six!

The Texas Monument at Antietam

I sure appreciate these friends helping post blogs during my vacation.  Thanks Ken.

On to Antietam

One thing there is plenty of in the wilderness is time.  As reported yesterday Tom and I had completed our assignment at Gettysburg and had time before we headed to Washington D. C.  This being my first trip near all of these battlefields Tom thought we should check out Antietam with this time we had.  The same Texas units that fought at Gettysburg had also fought there.

Tom talked to James Nesbitt and found that Antietam was just a short distance from our hotel.  We had our plan for Sunday morning.  It wasn’t until we got in the car the next morning that we found out God also had a plan.  Those of you who are burden bearers (I’m not one), can relate to what happened next.  As Tom started to move the car I asked him to wait, the Lord started releasing a word that described His plan for us that day.  Funny we had simply taken the “next step” and the Lord had us positioned for His plan.  The word we received carried the weight of the burden we were to be under throughout the morning.  We didn’t talk much after that we just drove.

Once we reached the battlefield we acquired the necessary maps and headed to the Texas monument.  The monument was located on the road at an area now know as “the cornfield”.  It was at this location that the Texas 1st Infantry lost 82.3% of their men.  The total loss of life at the Battle of Antitum was over 23,000 for both the North and South.  As we walked over to the Texas monument Tom said “Go ahead and release what the Lord’s giving you”.  I tried, but under the weight of the burden I was now feeling all I could do was weep.  As my tears fell on the red granite Texas Monument I could only get out verbally, “Tom, you’ll have to speak into this”.  Tom prayed and declared under the same weight but he was able to articulate what was on the Lord’s heart as he spoke.

The Cornfield

We left and went on to “the bloody lane”, then up to the observation tower to look out over this vast area of blood soaked ground.  It was to be later in the day before the weight lifted off of us.  With the time I’ve had here in the wilderness I can now reflect and see the Lord’s hand in positioning His people for this next season.  I go back to Tracy Hamlim’s word of last August, “I have set Texas as the anchor.  If Texas falls the nation falls”.  But here Tom and I stood at the very locations where Texas had fallen.

But today was different.  God was resetting the clocks and calling forth a new order.  Today was a glimpse of what it looks like coming out of the wilderness.  This journey was never about Tom Schlueter and Ken Bryan; this was and is about the Lord’s proper alignment in the Kingdom (land on the other side of the wilderness).  Thru Tom and I, the Lord had prophetically joined together the North and the South, the Apostle and the Prophet, sent us out from Texas “the Prophet State” that had fallen and said “
Now bring order to this chaos, weep over the lost destinies of the generation that perished on these battlefields and redeem all that was lost.  Today something was different.  In the natural there were well over 150 people attending the 11-11 Campaign meetings, praying on the battlefield at Gettysburg so the area was covered in prayer and I’m not discounting 148 years of prayers and tears shed over these grounds.  But as we step out of the wilderness everything will change.  Natural eyes can’t see it, but in the Spirit Realm we will be called to walk in our offices taking only the “next step” and behold what G-d will do.

The Bridge at Antietam

We’re on the downhill side of the wilderness.  There’s just a little over two weeks left until “The Response” in Houston.  Governor Perry is standing in his office and whether he knows it or not he is positioning Texas for coming out of the wilderness.  I reference Tracy’s word again,  “Texas has taken in and taken in, in a sponge like fashion, quick to soak up every wind of doctrine and religious fad, but now Texas will give, give and give some more, of My Spirit, of My knowledge, of My wonders.  The nation will look at Texas and the consensus will be ‘well if it’s happening in Texas, it must be real’ and will cause so many other states to take ownership over the assignments I have given.  The “promised land” is before us, I report as one of two that have seen a glimpse, there are others.  The shift in the Spirit is occurring.  On to Washington D.C.

Ken Bryan
kenshire@eastex.net

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Five!

Wanderings in the Wilderness - Today's blog is written by Ken Bryan of Waskom.

In an earlier post Tom referenced a word given by Tracy Hamlin in August last year.  Because I had accidentally found this word again as I was switching brief cases in preparation for our trip to Gettysburg and DC I felt compelled to bring it along to review.  More on this later.

What I’m seeing today is the Lord’s design for moving effectively in the Kingdom in the coming days.  Early on as the information came in on the 11-11 Campaign, I did not feel led to make the journey from New Orleans and cover the entire distance.  Wanting to support the mission I did discuss sending one of our team members and it was our intention to put that plan into action.  But the closer the time got for final confirmation, nothing felt right.

In the middle of working to hear clearly what the Lord would have us do Tom called me to discuss our part in the Campaign.  In our discussion I shared that originally when I realized I could not make the entire trip I felt that he and I would join the group at Gettysburg then journey with them to Washington D. C.  Turned out that was what he was receiving, but we decided to take this plan back before the Lord for final confirmation.  The next day Tom called with historical information that Lt. Colonel K. Bryan from Texas fought at “Little Round Top” in the Battle at Gettysburg.  We were beginning to hear now.  My wife Ginny took Tom’s information and did more research finding the actual Field Report of the battle fought by the Texas 5th infantry and how LTC. Bryan had taken command when the commanding officer had fallen.

Now back to Tracy’s word.  In the center of the prophetic word are these sentences, “The next step is simply the next step.  Don’t be concerned with two-steps ahead, but take the step right in front of you”.  That’s where Tom and I found ourselves, it was time to take the next step.  We booked our flights.  Here’s where things took an unusual turn.  Only Tom and I were going.  Normally Ginny and Kay would have accompanied us or team members would have been part of this trip but not this time.  God’s plan was now in place, our job turned out to be each day “take the next step”.  We pressed through and got to the meeting in Gettysburg Friday night just as the meeting started.  From the beginning Tom and I both we’re having a wilderness experience.  Surrounded by the teams that had traveled from east, south and west, we seemed to be out of step with the meeting.

After the meeting our discussion centered on the purpose for our being part of this journey.  Once again we had taken the next step.  The answer was we had a specific assignment in Gettysburg that had not been revealed to us before we set feet on the ground.  Tom called Apostle John Benefiel to relay our orders for the next day.  John blessed us and confirmed we were on track.  Saturday morning we set our course for the Gettysburg Battle Ground and “Little Round Top”.  For those of you who don’t know, Tom’s from Iowa and I’m from Texas.  Here we were North and South walking in unity back to the place of division and devastation that had torn this nation apart.  Enter the Lord.  I can’t explain it, I don’t even try but in the spiritual realm Tom and I were being called to stand in our offices of Apostle and Prophet and to take the next step.  We needed to hear then speak what the Lord would have us release over this ground.

148 years ago to the day we were now standing on the very ground that had been saturated with bloodshed.  A new foundation was being laid and Texas the “prophet state” had infantry on the ground.  As we made the climb to “Little Round Top” I looked out over the battle field trying to take in the vastness of humanity that would have covered this land.  Tom moved to the sight of the New York infantry just as a guide was speaking to a small group.  The guide said, “General Lee said those Texans are always on the move” just as Tom stepped up beside him.  He was right, Texas is on the move.  Back to Tracy Hamlin’s word, “Don’t simply rejoice at the rubble of the altars to Baal, but build an altar to Me in the middle of the enemy’s camp.  We built an altar at “Little Round Top” where once an enemy of Texas had camped and won a victory.  We passed no judgment, we worshiped, we prayed and we declared.  We stood in our offices, we asked no questions and we walked in obedience.  Today’s assignment was complete and tomorrow it will be time for the “next step”.  The Lord is doing something different and we can only walk it out one step at a time.

Ken Bryan

PS by Tom

During worship this past Sunday, the Lord reminded me of what Ken and I had done at Little Round Top through the words of Robin Mark's song "Take Us To The River" - Verse Two.

"Take us to the throne room
And give us ears
To hear the cry of Heaven
For that cry is mercy
Mercy to the fallen sons of men
Mercy it has triumphed
Triumphed over judgement
By Your blood
Take us to the throne room
In the city of our God"

CCLI 299683

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Four

Thanks to Merrie Cardin of Granbury for today's blog.

It is my conviction that the typical American Christian is a bit mixed up about hope.  I confess to my own weakness in having propensity to connect hope with circumstances which  “I” hoped for.  Actually, Romans 5 tells us that true hope springs out of tribulation, patience and character.  As we draw near to The Response let us focus our hope on the ONE we are responding to.  He is alluring His people to Himself as He allows us to connect our hope solidly to Him who brings the rain.  The prophet Hosea heard the Lord speak of treasure in a wilderness.  He saw and spoke of the Father “alluring” a people to Himself in a wilderness and causing covenant love to be restored.

'Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

Will bring her into the wilderness,

And speak comfort to her. 

I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 

"And it shall be, in that day,"

Says the Lord,

"That you will call Me 'My Husband,'

And no longer call Me 'My Master' (Hosea 2:14-16) 

The “therefore” in vs. 14 refers to the fact that Israel had trusted in Baal for rain and productivity.  God was going to use a dry desert to “allure” His people.  His desire was that a desert place would cause a return to HIM.  He wanted to comfort and bless His people.  Why do we tend to connect our “desert test” with punishment?  (1 John 4:17-19)  We experience confidence in the day of judgment  because we allow His Love to kick out worldly fear!  Let’s go hear His words of comfort and see our future vineyards that are planted in this place.

The valley of Achor means the valley of troubling.  It refers to the sin of Achan at the battle of Jericho.  (Joshua 6-7) A loving Father so wanted his people to trust Him and prosper and so He told them to not touch the riches inside those walls of Jericho.  However, Achan took gold and silver (mammon) and a beautiful Babylonian mantle (giving our identity to the world).  He buried those items inside his tent and hoped no one would know.  Go figure!  He is Yahweh Sees.

So, I speak to the people of a living God who are living tabernacles/tents!  Do we have buried deep within us false trust?  How much of our identity have we given over to the world systems even in the church?  Our Father wants His Love to unearth all of this and allow that valley to become a door of hope in us!  He says that our covenant love will be restored and all the false things that have attempted to “master” us will be done away with.  That sounds like revival rain to me!

For several weeks I have felt such an unusual intensity in prayer to see awakening in the American church!  May Texas travail in prayer! May we hear our Dad in the drought!  May we allow Him to show us our future vineyards and comfort us with His beauty.  May all of your past troubled valleys now become Hope!   May the sound of rain fill our hearts.
 

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Three!

I don't like doing this but I felt compelled by the Lord to re-post a blog from June 2010.  My wife Kay and I were on a vacation/business trip to Arizona.  I believe one of the greatest battles we'll fight, like Jesus did, in the wilderness are "distractions."

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Ever since this trip began I knew that I was to make a certain stop.  It was one of those "compelling" things.  I was anticipating with excitement our trip to the Grand Canyon, our visit to Ruidoso and our stay with the McIntyre's in Arizona.  I am still looking forward to seeing our second grandson Nate on Sunday.

But one visit we had to make could only be described as a divine appointment. We had to visit the church which my parents planted as a mission congregation in Scottsdale, Arizona.  It was their second assignment and my first. They had first pastored a congregation in Moville, Iowa near Sioux City (where I was born).  I was hardly six months old when we arrived in Arizona.  My personal memories of Scottsdale are the ones formed by photographs (slides) and memories told by my parents and brothers.

I knew that I had to go to that location and stand on that land.  There was something there that I needed to see.  There was a revelation that the Lord wanted to make known to me.  It was serious.  A similar experience had happened on my previous visit to the Phoenix area in 2008.  During that visit the Lord "supernaturally" imparted to me to the desire and the anointing that my dad first carried on him to minister to Native America. My relationships with the First Nations (especially the Comanche and Cheyenne) went to new depths after that visit.  This feeling was similar.

We headed out by car for Scottsdale.  I knew the general location of the church on Indian School Road but I had last seen the building 23 years earlier.  We discovered the building but only after we had already passed it.  The car was filled with distractions.  Beverly McIntyre (who was driving) had three grandchildren in the car besides Kay and me.  We missed it on the first attempt because Beverly had received a phone call, one of the grandchildren started getting sick, the road had been widened and newer hotels and such had been built around the old church structure.  I had to call my dad and brother in Texas to verify its location.

When we arrived at the building it was obviously no longer a church. Ascension Lutheran had moved many years earlier to another location in the city (into a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright).  Even when Kay and I saw this building 23 years ago it was occupied by an arts supply business.  Now the City of Scottsdale had taken possession of it.  It was being used for offices.  In the front reception area there were a few black and white photos of the dedication in 1952.  Besides those photos and the lights hanging from ceiling there were no signs that it used to be a church.  It was filled with beautiful artwork on the walls and cubicles across the floor. The outside had been landscaped with wrought iron fences, decorative stones and new plants.  Two large palm trees that my grandpa had planted and I watered (proof is in the slides) had been removed only months ago. The receptionist and worker who visited with us were extremely kind and excited to hear that I was the son of the original pastor. 

We took pictures and headed off to eat.  But before we did I prayed.  I felt a strong sense of something.  It was not nostalgia or old memories.  It was a strong feeling of a spirit of distraction.  I decreed in my prayer that those distractions would cease and that the Lord would restore to us a simple and pure devotion to Him.

Last night we attended the conference entitled PrayerQuake in Mesa.  Francis Frangipane from Iowa was the speaker. I personally had a hard time engaging with the Lord.  The worship was awesome but the room was filled with distractions - strobes, lights, etc.  The message of the evening was all about dying to ourselves and reclaiming a simple devotion to the Lord.  All I could see in my mind's eye was the old church building surrounded by fences, artwork and cubicles.  I closed my eyes and waited on the Lord.  I could feel His presence but the feeling was heavy.  All the right words were being spoken but there were too many distractions - especially in my own heart.

Why did the Lord want me to revisit the old church?  Why was it so important and compelling that I go there?  The answer I have this morning (but I know He is not done) is this: His church - the ekklesia - has been redesigned by man.  Though He built it to transform the world into the image of His kingdom - it has itself been transformed or conformed to the image of the world (Romans 12:1-2). He wants our simple devotion.  He does not want us deceived or distracted by the trappings and designs of the world.  We are to be instruments of change in a world that is filled with confusion, deception, distraction, fear and hopelessness.

That old church building represented a simpler day but this is not about an old building.  Its about us.  In the midst of oil spills, immigration issues, financial losses, wars and the such - the Lord calls us to Himself.  He wants more than our attention - He wants us.  He desires that our lives would be so transformed by His presence in us that we would transform the world around us. Do not be deceived by the deceptions, distractions or trappings around you - seek the Lord!

PRESS ON THROUGH THE WILDERNESS!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Two!

"These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua" (Numbers 13:16).

Forty days can make or break you!

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath." (Numbers 13:17-21)

The moment had arrived.  The people of Israel had experienced a wilderness of captivity in Egypt.  They had witnessed the mighty hand of God annihilate the gods of their enemy.  He had destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea.  They had consumed divine water that came forth from the rocks and the divine presence of God as He descended on Mount Sinai.  Now they stood on the boundary of the promised land.

"And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit" (Numbers 13:25-27).

And after forty days - they received a great report on the marvelous land that was before them - NEVERTHELESS!

"Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we'” (Numbers 13:28-31).

NEVERTHELESS!  Wrong answer. The purpose of the wilderness is summarized again with our God drawing us close to Himself in order to fully prepare us for our destiny in Him.  Israel had witnessed the power, the miracles and the demonstrative hand and heart of God.  He had drawn them into the wilderness on "the wings of eagles" to prepare them as a kingdom of priests.  But as they longingly waited for the spies in return, they allowed old enemies - shame, fear, a victim spirit and doubt - to enter into hearts.  Their vote, even with the power of the Lord going before them, was "no." 

Don't let fear or doubt enter in.  The drought seems worse. The temperatures are higher.  The nation is still in a state of teetering collapse, BUT our Lord goes before us.  He will set us into our destiny!  He reigns. He will reveal His power and grace in that day when rain spreads out over the entire state and He fills our lakes, rivers and aquifers.  He will reveal His reign as His kingdom unfolds before us. So today - even as we continue our wilderness journey - say "YES."

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-One!

He was on the fast track to success.  Successful shepherd.  Anointed by the prophet to be king.  Slays a giant.  Gains favor in the royal house with the king and his daughter.  Leads the army in victory after victory.

Things went "south" quick.   The favor of the king was replaced by jealousy, anger, rage and attempted murder.

ENTER WILDERNESS

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Now the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (1 Samuel 22:1-5)

Much like Moses, David had to escape into a wilderness setting.  Moses had murdered.  David was about to be on the receiving end of murder.  Both are drawn into a place of encountering the will and strength of God.  The Lord unfolds David's destiny before him.  He draws warriors to his side - sounds like people living in our time (distress, debt and discontent).  And note that this wilderness is defined as "the stronghold."  God's presence is our stronghold in the time of debt, distress and drought.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
      The righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

I am reminded of what I wrote on Day Eight of this Call to Prayer. 

"Elijah was threatened with death by Jezebel (the principality of Baal) and ran for his life to Beersheba, which is a one day journey if you walk or run. The text declares that he went one more day into the wilderness.  In a state of depression he rests under a broom tree.  He is divinely nourished.  On the next day he starts a 40 day trek to the mountain of God."  

We are running - into the strong tower - into the wilderness - into the presence of God - into our destiny as a state and nation.  We are only halfway through our forty day trek.  Press on!  Press through!