Hi all,
I shared last week some experiences and said that making the Word the final authority in our lives is the first point and key to being able to be sensitive to the Lord's voice.

Point two
The second is to focus on this truth, I mean really, really get it, that Christ is in you. You must switch the focus of your mind daily, many times a day, back and forth between the natural world and what is happening in your spirit. Today I will share my journey and battle.

In Mark 5 Jesus, thronged and pressed and jostled by a mob, was still so aware of His spirit man he felt healing power leave him when the woman with the hemorrhaging condition touched his clothes in faith.

When He asked 'Who touched me?' the disciples thought it a stupid question because of the crowd - everyone was touching Him! But Jesus switched His attention between the natural world of the crowd and His spirit as a way of life, so that He felt the healing power flow into the woman.

You can tell the degree of this truth being part of you and your thinking if you have ever: Shouted to God subconsciously thinking He will hear you better, had the idea God lives in a church building or is more present 'at church', or must be prayed to 'up there' somewhere in space.

We have to live in the truth that He is down inside you, not 'out there', for He is in you as close as your next thought. Communion with Him therefore, is internal, in the motives and deep reasoning's of the heart. Not in a voice between the ears, but down inside, in your spirit. His is a Spirit, so the vast majority of His communication is Spirit to spirit.

How I became sensitive to His voice and presence
At first I was so dull of feeling and hearing that I didn't 'feel' anything. Words and descriptions and experiences I have had since were at the time like some fantasy, and it seemed amazing and nearly impossible that someone could have that walk with the Lord, but I wanted it desperately.

But remember, I was battling a horrible self-image, a horrible self-worth, in constant tension because on the one hand I loved the Father but on the other hand never felt good enough for Him nor that He would want me. That is what made me so hard of hearing and insensitive to the things of the Spirit. I realized I could not hold onto these feelings while also hear Him clearly. My arguments were like a smoke screen between the two of us, and anything He said was like a person in another room talking lowly - I can tell someone is talking but can't make out what they are saying. I wouldn't rest until what was making me dull of hearing was gone.

The Word versus what I felt
This is where my first and second points come together: The Word as final authority and being aware of Christ in me. I remember laying in bed as a teenager battling my emotions of inadequacy, yet wanting to find that 'wavelength' of His presence in me so that I might hear His voice and thus walk in constant conversation, or at least an awareness of Him 24/7.

After dad left money was tight. When he left I was 11 and had a summer bedspread with a 'Charlie Brown' theme, meaning Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Lucy and the others were pictured all over it. I had that bedspread all through high school no matter the season.

When I was a junior and next year a senior and the cheerleaders came to decorate the bedrooms of the basketball team before the big game, they saw my Snoopy and Charlie Brown bed. I was SO embarrassed but Mom just didn't have the money to update things and I didn't have the heart to tell her I was ashamed. I had to think Jesus was OK with my bedroom, so be happy with what I had. That thought process was a small step, but I didn't realize it at the time.

Above my bed was a window, back then 'air conditioning' meant opening a window. And I remember laying there one night hoping for a cool waft of air to make its way through the window, through the screen, and fall across my sweating body.

The war
A great battle went on that night in my mind, a battle that laid the foundation for the rest of my life. It was then that I mentally made 2 columns in my mind. On the right side were all my feelings and reasoning for God not wanting me nor be able to use me. Dad rejected me, I was growing so fast I was a gangly and clumsy string-bean I was so thin, but with naturally curly hair and wearing it long, I had a natural afro. That fluff on top made me look like a giant cotton swab. I had no money, nothing in the natural anyone would want, and the reasons for God not liking me, let alone loving me, were piling up in that column.

On the left column I made myself remember what I'd read in the Word. Christ in me the hope of glory. Greater is He in me than he that is in the world. I am a new creature in Christ, the boy that existed at age 15 died and now at 16 I was a newborn with all things new. I kept coming back to Christ in me, Christ in me, my body merely a temple, the Holy Spirit is in me to teach me from the Father. God lives down inside my spirit.

The victory
I was tired of the arguments in my head, the constant fear, stress, uncertainty that was the battle between the 2 columns in my mind. I settled it once and for all that night by making a choice, a firm decision, that God's Word and what He said would end all arguments. I would make my world revolve around the truth of the Word - if He said it that settled it no matter what I felt, or how I had to humble myself, or what circumstances said. Though I didn't feel Him in me, I knew He was there because the Bible says so. Period. Paragraph. Over and out.

So I told myself that Christ was in me whether I felt Him or not, and I was going to start searching for His presence because He was in there somewhere - that settling of it, that the Word was final authority, has guided me my whole life and opened the door to my walk with Him to this day.

Flashlight
At first I was like a person with a flashlight (torch in the King's English) in a huge dark warehouse that was my inner man, searching here and there for what I didn't exactly know. My thoughts of inadequacy in the right column would flood my mind and I would respond to myself, 'That's a lie, I reject that because the Word says Christ is in me (and I'm going to find Him if its the last thing I do), and kept right on searching down inside me.

I didn't really know what I was looking for that night, but I remembered after I committed my life to Him that I felt different inside, a sense of peace way down inside that I could barely sense, so I looked for that. At first the peace was like that man with a flashlight finding something the size of a mouse in the corner of a huge facility. But as soon as I realized that was Him, I was able to forget the darkness that was my old thoughts of inadequacy, and devote myself fully to that peace, though it seemed so small that night.

But the more I stayed on that thought- my thoughts would stray and I'd internally yell at myself - Stop it! Stop it! Who cares if you forgot a page of homework! Concentrate Fenn! Then I'd still my mind again and stay disciplined on that peace. I found worshipping helped, so I worshipped quietly, keeping my mind listening to what I was worshipping - instead of worshipping with my lips by my mind thinking about school tomorrow or what clothes I was going to wear, etc.

At that point the peace became a light and vanquished the darkness - I became 100% aware of Him inside me and from that point on I could filter through all the other thoughts and feelings and go right for that 'wavelength' that is His presence and peace.

By switching my attention to that peace I could 'check in' in a sort of 'Are you still there Lord?' inquiry, many times a day. That was the wavelength I had been searching for - His peace in my spirit. From that peace would flow all He would say to me, and lead to seeing things in His realm.

Flash forward to today
When I wake up, and I mean first awareness I'm awake, I start praying in tongues under my breath - Barb can't hear me though she is right next to me - it is so light.

Like anyone first thing in the morning, we might take stock of our bladder and squint one eye open to see if the sun is shining (lol), but usually before or during that time I switch my attention to my spirit, down inside me, to feel His presence - that is always SO good to feel, that peace, that warmth, that presence at first awareness of consciousness. At that point I ask 'Father, is there anyone/anything you want me to pray for?'

When I do that, immediately someone will come to mind, gently floating in like a suggestion, like a distant memory called upon from a hazy past - but their name, or memory of them floats gently to my mind up from my spirit, so I pray for them in tongues and in my mind at the same time. Often I am clueless what their needs are, so that Presence inside morphs into whatever their need is - a sense of battle raging, a heaviness about a decision, confusion, fear, healing - and I will pray through until that lifts and the peace returns. That's how I know the day has been won for them.

Your own battle
Sometimes I'll get an email, Skype, or instant message from a person who battles if they are really saved or not. Sometimes a person will email with a belief in a tradition of man or some preacher instead of the very plain chapter and verse in scripture. Sometimes the battle is emotional, feelings of fear, inadequacy, rejection, loneliness.

But the answer is the same, Christ is in you, and God's Word must settle all issues in our hearts. You must make your thoughts, emotions, and world view revolved around these truths. The written Word first flows from the Living Word. Without having that revelation from the Living Word inside, Christ, people try to believe the written Word with no real revelation. Next week I'll share how to get that 'rhema word', that word directly to you, from the Father.

Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org

Dear friends,
First a big thank you to the many that included us in their giving last month, and for the personal gifts as well. We are doing much better, things are repaired, we are caught up, and we are looking at upgrading the bathroom outside Chris’ bedroom in the coming weeks – thank you!

You’ll remember I said that some months ago, back in summer 2012, the Father told me to pray about March 2013, for ‘as it stands now’ He said, there will be demonstrations and turmoil in the economy and budgeting process. It has been a matter of prayer since, and the next 4-6 weeks will be interesting to watch. At the time He said there would be demonstrations similar to the ‘occupy’ demonstrations, and that some would get out of hand. I trust prayer has or will modify or nullify those things, but the fact is March will be a battle time for the economy as we can see from the headlines in the US.

I’d like to share a neat story about the Father’s goodness. My nephew got married in December and packed all he wanted from home and moved into he and his wife’s apartment, leaving behind 4 of his 7-9” long die cast metal sports car models. My sister thought Chris would enjoy them, so packed them up and mailed them to us, arriving this past week.

Chris loves cars, and for years he has taken his favorite die cast metal ‘Viper’ (about 8” long) to the daily workshop the group home residents’ work at. He puts it on his lap in his wheelchair, it rides on the bus to the workshop, it sits on the table next to his work station all day, and it comes back in the afternoon. He loves that car!

Unknown to me or my sister, I learned when I picked him up that on Friday another resident walked up to Chris’ work table and stole Chris’ Viper from beside him, promptly breaking it to the point it had to be thrown out. Chris was furious and hurt as you might imagine. The staff calmed him down, and on Saturday I picked him up for a weekend visit home, the box from my sister waiting for him.

When he opened it and saw the 4 new cars he was SO excited. A new Cobra, an orange SS Camaro, and 2 ‘Fast and Furious’ style cars, all die cast metal like his old one. The Cobra was immediately his favorite and that is what he took back to the group home, showing it off to all the residents and aides. Barb and I marveled at the Father’s tender care of Chris, and I told him how

the Lord knew about his stolen and broken car, and gave him 4 new ones as a gift to replace it.

He was touched and made the assertion: “Yep, the Lord just loves cars.”

I encourage you to look in child-like faith for the little ‘coincidences’ which are really the Father’s tender care in disguise. By looking for these things we develop thankful hearts for what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have. It allows us to experience His care.

Thanks for being part of our lives!

Blessings,
John and Barb
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

I'm sharing some of my journey and how I learned to fellowship with the Father, the Holy Spirit, and how to fellowship with the Lord - some more examples from my teen years then 'how to'.

Times the Father spoke to me

The first thing I remember the Father telling me was around age 16 - not a revelation, not a feeling, not my voice back to me as some teach/suppose we hear God, not something I had to form into words and (inaccurately) say 'God spoke to me'. He said this as I thought on heaven and what it will be like:

"You know, you'll find when you receive your heavenly body it won't be subject to the natural laws of the earth." I asked "What do you mean?" and He responded: "If you want to walk you can walk. If you want to run you can run. If you want to float you can float, if you want to fly you can fly. If you want to be somewhere, you can be there at the speed of thought."

This exchange was all in the spirit/Spirit. I didn't use my voice to talk back, nor did I hear Him with my physical ears. He is a Spirit so His voice is in your spirit, and you talk back in your spirit and soul. His voice is gentle, authoritative, friendly. Not deep or 'heavy', just like a benevolent dad talking to an adult child.

I also remember about that time working on our riding lawn mower that was broken - the same mower we had when dad left 5 years earlier, but since age 11 1/2 I was responsible for mowing our 2.5 acres (1 hectare). I was looking over the engine asking for His help, and as my eyes fell on part of the engine area the Father spoke to me - "Look at that wire, it has worked itself loose. Connect it and it will run again."

Hell?

In those same high school years I was contemplating heaven and hell I asked the Father: "How could you send anyone to hell?" (I was upset at the apparent contradiction between the loving Father I knew and what seemed to be the angry Judge) But I was still surprised when He replied; "I don't send anyone to hell!" I told Him, "Father, I've read about the white throne judgement, and you sure do send people to hell!" Coming at it from another direction He asked me: "What does a jury do?"

I had to think about that one for a minute before concluding: "A jury judges the evidence, they determine the guilt or innocence of a person based on evidence." He said, "Very good. Now what does the judge do?" That was easy - "The judge applies the sentence." "Very well" He replied. "And what is that jury?"

Within the last couple of days I had read John 12:48 where Jesus said, "He that rejects me, and doesn't receive my words, has one that judges him. The word that I have spoken that will judge him in the last day."

So I said to the Father, the Word determines guilt or innocence, so the words of Jesus are the jury." He replied rather matter of factly: "The jury is the Word that determines guilt or innocence; I just apply the sentence."

Then He continued: "A person's body gives them authority in the earth, but when that body dies their spirit and soul automatically become subject to the kingdom they're a citizen of, so I don't send a person to hell, they determine their citizenship. I just apply the sentence."

The reason I've sought balance in Word and Spirit

I was pouring my heart out to Him that I wanted to be accurate, balanced - like Jesus in all I said and did. Even as a teen I had seen my peers fall off into traditions and doctrinal error or sin 'ditches' on either side of the highway of holiness, but I wanted to drive my life right down the middle of that highway.

So one day I was studying the life of Jesus and asking the Father what made Him so balanced in Word and Spirit, what made Him so successful, though even He couldn't do many miracles in His hometown because of their unbelief. (Mark 6:5-6)

He replied: "He is the Word, full of the Spirit, motivated by love. So all He spoke was the Word. Generally speaking therefore know this; The amount of the Word born of the Spirit in a message, is directly proportional to the results."

Ever since that day I've nearly never spoken nor written a message unless I first get something from the Spirit in my spirit, then illustrated by the Word to share with others. I don't just talk because the schedule demands I speak. I wait until it gels in my spirit. That's one reason I don't like prayer lines - I find myself pausing before each person until I hear directly from the Father what I should pray or do - and that takes time and is exhausting when 200 people each want that. It's much more efficient to teach people how to receive personally where they sit, for then I've taught them something they can carry with them through life, not just one touch from God.

Work with...what or whom?

I learned early on that many translations of Mark 16:20 say this: "And they went forth, preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs following." But the Greek says this: "And they went forth, preaching everywhere, the Lord working with and confirming the Word with signs following."

The Lord wasn't working with them, He was working with the Word. I've observed ministers with sinful personal lives, and/or crazy doctrine, yet the Lord is gracious to do miracles because somewhere in there, they presented at least part of the Word accurately. The ignorant think surely God is endorsing this man because of the miracles. Wrong. He is endorsing His Word and working with that, often in spite of man not because of him. The only Man He endorses is Jesus, as He is the Word - so that is who He works with.

A priest?
I was raised Episcopalian, and I'll always be thankful to Father Cooper who was Rector when I was Confirmed, and in his Confirmation class challenged us with the existence of God, mentally taking us back further and further into creation before asking: "And where did that first molecule come from?"

And I'll always be thankful for Father George Davis, who replaced Father Cooper upon his retirement. Father D as we called him, at my mother's insistence allowed the charismatic movement into our church. Father D gave me a Greek/English Interlinear New Testament which I still have and use frequently to this day.

When Jesus spoke to me at the retreat (shared last week), I thought I had to become an Episcopal priest. What was 100 times worse than that thought, was Barb becoming the wife of an Episcopal priest! I was so stressed that summer I turned 18 I could hardly think about anything else - would I have to choose between wearing a collar or Barb? How could we survive 4 years of college and then seminary? I'd be an old man before I got my first church, maybe not until age 30!

I was wearing a T-shirt, gym shorts, and was walking through the front door of our house as I was asking the Father what I was going to do, when He spoke to me: "John! Turn to I John 2:27" I think He had to call my name because I was so focused inwardly on my own stress He had to do something to get my attention. So I sat down and opened up my Bible: "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; But as His anointing teaches you all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

How do I hear Him?
The first key is the willingness to change what you believe if you see it in the Word and confirmed by the Spirit. The Lord is very much 'according to your faith be it unto you'. If you want to believe the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not for today, then God will meet you where you're at to the fullest extent He can and He will be content with you not receiving it.

And if you believe what the Word says; that Christ is in you, that you are anointed, that He will never leave you nor take your anointing, then it will be so to you. But if you believe it is all gone, then He treats you according to your faith, He will meet you where you are, albeit severely limited in what you allow Him to do. 

So that's the first thing - be willing to be wrong, to be teachable, to reserve opinion until you see it in the Word and can invest the time with the Father to have Him confirm it in your spirit. Therefore don't fill your head with this commentator or that teacher except as lesser authorities that may or may not be right.

The blood of Jesus and traditions, or the Word?
A favorite example: The Word teaches the blood of Jesus as being poured out for the remission of sins. It is never seen in scripture as being allocated to man to 'plead the blood' in spiritual warfare. Only the name of Jesus is given to us to use against the enemy, with the command that we cast out demons as seen in the gospels and Acts.

Yet today some Christians will fight tooth and nail because they believe a Christian can 'plead the blood' against the devil. So which is it, the Word that says Jesus' holy blood was poured out once for our sins, or the tradition of man saying we can allocate that blood to use against the devil?

They may say 'But it worked' and I will ask; Did you at any time mention the name of Jesus? They will say 'yes', and I will reply that is what 'worked', because that is obeying Jesus' commands and the Holy Spirit can work with that. You deceived yourself to think 'pleading the blood' is God's endorsement for getting rid of demons - The Holy Spirit used the part He could, the name of Jesus, the rest was vanity.

Think of it like this: If someone you know has believed all sorts of lies about you, creating a totally inaccurate picture of you in their mind, how eager are you meet them and do things for them? Not very, right? Then how is it people fill their minds with all sorts of man's tradition, yet feel emboldened enough to expect God to do great things through them, or even have Jesus appear to them, when these traditions are totally incorrect about God? If He did half the things such a person wants it would only solidify their beliefs in error.

Do not these people realize they have become a Pharisee right out of the gospels when they elevate tradition or what x preacher says above the Word of God? Settle it that the Word settles all arguments. If the Word says one thing but you've always believed another, then adjust, learn, grow. Next week, what His voice sounds like, how to know it is Him and not you, and more.

Blessings,
John Fenn
[email protected]
Info conference the Netherlands april 5-7

Hi all,

It was one of those hot, humid summer days north central Indiana is known for, that 3 of us decided to have a retreat one weekend. David, Mike, and I conspired to have an extended family member of Mike's, or was it David's, loan us their lake cabin for a weekend so we could worship, pray, and baptize each other. Each of us were baptized as babies in the respective denominations in which we were raised, but neither of us had been water baptized since believing, so that was the main purpose for the retreat.

My memory however is not dominated by us baptizing each other in the brown water of Lake Shafer/Freeman, though I remember entering the water with some concern that it looked remarkably similar to the water floating in our yard when our septic tank overflowed.

Nor do I remember much about the deep discussions concerning life and where we almost college age young men were going, rather it was the first time I heard the voice of the Lord Jesus. The Father had spoken to me before, and I was getting to know the Holy Spirit's fellowship, but I'd never heard the voice of Jesus. 

Frankly, I have 2 other topics I wanted to write about in this space, but I couldn't escape the Father's direction to share what is to me very private and personal; that is how I came to know the Holy Spirit and distinguish the subtle differences between the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. So this is my journey in a nutshell as we say. I know of no other way to teach it than to share my experiences and the Word but feel a little exposed and uncomfortable. Thanks for reading. 

Back to the retreat - Purity of heart

Someone put on (Nancy) Honeytree's 'Evergreen' album, which I have on my iPod/phone and still listen to for the purity and passion of just loving Jesus, which characterized Christian music in the 1970's. The last song on one side was written by the now in heaven, Larry Norman, called "I Am Your Servant".

I had 'assumed the position' in worship as I say, meaning I prefer to worship on my hands and knees, forehead to the floor, hands extended, palms up, my mind listening to my passion and love for the Father and Jesus pouring out my spirit through my mouth, 'in the Spirit' as John calls it in Revelation 1:10 and 4:2 - totally unaware of my physical surroundings.

Who am I?

Understand that at that point in my life I really, really wanted to be in ministry, but had such a poor self-image and lack of confidence that I didn't see any way the Lord would ever want me, let alone think about how He could ever use me. On the outside all looked good - I was a star basketball player in our little country school, was in love with a beautiful girl from the big city school, dad was bound by the divorce agreement to pay for my college. Life was good. I even had a 1965 GTO with Thrush mufflers, a Hurst shifter - so what if it burned oil like a West Texas oil well fire, it was loud, quick, and mine.

But inside, I had poor self-esteem, was full of doubt, was convinced I was not good enough for God - in fact the only thing I was confident in was my walk with the Father, but what good was I to Him? And it was an immature relationship - I loved the Father in part because He was there for me when my earth-dad walked out, yet I was still that son feeling I was never going to be good enough for my Father - having transferred all the negativity between my earth-dad and me to my heavenly Father and me.

He spoke to me

The song 'I Am Your Servant' traces a process in a person's heart which you can read below, and at that time my heart mirrored the words of the song (and it still rings true today);

"I a servant. I am listening for my name. I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game that I've been playing, I've been staying much the same. When you are lonely, you're the only one to blame. I am a servant, I am listening for the call, I've been unfaithful so I sit here in the hall. How can He use me, when I've never given all? How can He choose me, when He knows I quickly fall?"

"So He feeds my soul, and He makes me grow, and He lets me know He loves me. I am worthless now but I've made a vow, I will humbly bow before thee - Oh please use me! I am lonely. I am a servant, getting ready for my part, there's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart. At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start. To live is a privilege, to love is such an art! But I need your help to start - Oh please purify my heart, I am YOUR servant."

Immediately after I sang the last 4 words: "I am YOUR servant" I suddenly heard the voice of Jesus break into my worship, catching me totally off guard: "John! I love you!" I was so surprised, having heard the Father speak to me before, but never Jesus, that I stumbled in my reply: "I, I, I love you too Lord." His reply was gentle and not as loud, "Turn to John 14:27." I asked equally gently, "Now, Lord?" and He said "Yes, now."

Mike and David were still worshipping though beginning to stir as the needle lifted off the record and the turntable turned off. I sat up, grabbed my New American Standard Bible I'd brought with me, and flipped open to John 14:27 which says: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you: Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

With those words I knew the Father and Lord had accepted me into their service. I sat as I am now as I write these words, tears welling in my eyes, humbled, at peace for the first time in my life concerning my future, my self-doubt and low self-esteem erased and replaced with confidence and self-assurance in Christ. I didn't know the future, but I knew it was with my Father and Lord, and I knew that I knew I was loved for me, not on the basis of performance.

Fulfillment

Through high school I'd tried various things to find fulfillment: SCUBA lessons at age 15 because I love the ocean and water and thought I could be a professional diver or Oceanographer or Marine Biologist - but it wasn't touching my spirit so it wasn't fulfilling. I quit right before my open water check dive. I took flying lessons and ground school when I was 15 - but quit before my FAA examine and check flight.

But hearing the voice of Jesus- that was fulfilling! I wanted to live in that voice. I wanted to be around that Voice. I wanted to live my life with reckless abandon in that Voice.

Etching it in my mind

There are moments in life that become forever burned into our memories just by the intensity of the moment, and there are others that if we want to retain the moment, we must stop, register what just happened in our soul, and purposely capture every nuance of the event in our minds. We must make a memory. If we don't, the details become lost forever.

This is why for instance, you can be driving down the road, have an amazing revelation you think is so great you will never forget it, then later you can't remember what it was! The reason is the revelation was from your spirit, and you didn't take the time or effort to allow the revelation to imprint in your mind. Revelation doesn't involve the mind unless you make it so.

What I do is keep something to write on in the car to jot something down to cause me to remember, though when I fail to do that I take time to remember where I was driving, what I was thinking, pray in tongues as I do so, go back mentally to where I was, and then the revelation will once again float up out of my spirit. Then I write it down or in some other way involve my mind. Talk to yourself about it, write it down, involve the mind and that revelation from your spirit will be recorded.

(It's one reason I am often up so late writing and studying, because I'll be in bed praying in the spirit/Spirit, thinking on the Lord and things will start coming to me, so I've learned to just give up, get out of bed and go write it down - otherwise it will be lost the next morning - or until I can find that same frame of mind, or 'wavelength' as you'll read below).

That moment He spoke to me was one I could let stand as it happened, mark it on the calendar as the first time I heard the voice of Jesus, which was life changing, and go on. Or I could embrace that moment and then hold that embrace in my soul, not letting Him go, not relinquishing my grip on that feeling, that sound of His voice, rolling it over and over in my mind the way I let dark chocolate melt in my mouth and swirl it around to catch every subtle flavor - and that's what I chose to do with this memory.

Think it through

In the 'old days', we had car radios that had dials we turned to zero-in on a particular radio station. When you got close to that station there would be an overlap of the station closest to where you were on the dial and the one you were dialing towards, and this overlap was coupled with electronic high pitched and scratchy sounds until the moment you dialed that station exactly right to the frequency - suddenly you heard only that station loud and clear!

In my mind, from earliest memory in Him, that's how I sought the Father - I held in my mind, purposely etched in my memory - the sound and feel of His presence in my spirit, from which His voice flowed, and I wanted to find that frequency as a way of life - I wanted to live on that frequency - but it seemed at first that I was hitting near but rarely directly on that frequency. So I'll share examples of the Father's first words to me and what He sounds like...And that's where we'll pick it up next week. Until then, blessings,

John Fenn

www.cwowi.org

Hi all,

Last week I shared about society in the days of Noah, starting with the intermingling of the Godly with the ungodly. When the Lord saw the Godly marrying the ungodly He saw the end from the beginning: "My spirit will not always act as an umpire (umpire, rule, judge) with man, for he is flesh; he shall have 120 years."

Things were changing

A countdown had begun, the days of God umpiring in the lives of men were coming to an end. What was He umpiring? The answer is crime and punishment, which He handled personally between Adam and Noah. When Noah got out of the ark God delegated crime and punishment and 2 other things to man to handle.

In Genesis 9 we see them cited one by one: "Be fruitful and multiply and refill the earth", showing it was now man's responsibility for birth control (or not). Before, God commanded all animals, plants, and man to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth - a blanket command to just get out there and fill the earth!

But in Genesis 9 he speaks just to man, leaving the original command to plants and animals to multiply still in place, but here He is giving man the responsibility for procreation, not just a blanket command to multiply.

Secondly, "The fear and dread of you will be on every animal and bird and fish, into your hand are they delivered for food." Before this time, Genesis 1:29-30 states man and animal were vegetarians, but now man could eat whatever he wanted - it was his responsibility- But God would make it fair by making animals afraid of man, therefore harder to catch.

Thirdly, "And the blood of your lives will I hold you responsible...at the hand of every man's brother will I require it...whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God man was made."

Up until then God handled crimes Himself, such as in the case of Cain and Cain's great-great-great grandson

Lamech, but once out of the ark crime and punishment were man's responsibility.  That is why He stated His days of umpiring in the lives of men were coming to an end, as man was quickly shutting God out of his life, family by family as the Godly married the ungodly.

Just like in our day

I bring this up because when Jesus stated 'As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man', it is important to realize the days of Noah were the closing of an age, the closing of one way God dealt with man and the dawn of another. So too will we see such a change when Jesus returns to set up His world-wide kingdom on earth - massive changes about how God deals with man.

In the same way He set a day 120 years future for a flood in Noah's day, in our day Paul said in Acts 17:31-32 "...God...commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness..." Just as in the days of Noah, the countdown has begun.

Other social similarities

Genesis 6:4-6, 12 says: 'There were giants in the earth in those days and after the sons of God had children with the daughters of men, these were mighty men of renown. And God saw the wickedness of man was great, and the imaginations of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And God looked at the earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth."

These are the key verses that show us what society was like back then, and the conditions before Christ's return. Man had corrupted the way of God in the earth - up until that point the way of God was followed by Seth's family line - but they had corrupted His way in their families. We see similar corruption of God's way in society today, attacks on the moral building blocks God established for family, community, and nations.

Giants?

A little about the word often translated 'giants'. It is the Hebrew word 'nephilim', which means 'fallen', referring to the Godly family line of Seth falling away from the Lord to marry the ungodly women of Cain's line 'when men began to multiply on the earth.'

It means 'bully' and 'tyrant', and by extension, giants in ungodly character (though many think there were giant in size as well), and were the children of these unequally yoked relationships. Literally, '...there were fallen bullies and tyrants in the land in that day, after the Godly sons had children with the daughters of ungodly men...'

The phrase that they were men of renown and mighty men is not complimentary, but an indictment on their ungodly ways. It is the same terminology used to describe the ungodly Nimrod of Genesis 10; 'He was the first to be a mighty one in the earth, a mighty hunter before the Lord', which doesn't translate well.

Wycliffe translates v9: "...and he was a strong hunter, oppressor of men, before the Lord". Nimrod organized Babel by force, he wasn't 'before the Lord' a hunter of animals, but in the face of God, out of spite before God's gaze he hunted men and oppressed them - that is what this verse is saying.

It is the same terminology used to describe the bullies and tyrants in Noah's day, the children of the Godly and ungodly, who filled the earth with violence and whose only thoughts were evil.

A brief 'rabbit trail' because many have emailed me

I'm inserting a word here about the belief these bullies and tyrants came about by another rebellion in heaven whereby angels mated with women to produce these bullies. There are several reasons this is not so, as the context is clear that Genesis 4-6 deals with the 2 families in the earth, but there are other reasons this belief is incorrect as well.

Besides the fact Jesus said the days before His return will be like the days of Noah with people marrying and giving in marriage, and if you think there was a 2nd rebellion and angels mated with women, then to understand Matthew 24 properly you've have to see that same angels/people mating again before Christ's return, to make it 'as in the days of Noah so shall it be...at my return...'

Further, Jesus said angels don't marry - they don't have the equipment, if you will. You see, spirit beings don't reproduce spirits, only God, who is called the Father of spirits in Hebrews 12:9, Zechariah 12:1 and about 3 or 4 other passages - only God produces spirits. Angels and even people can't reproduce spirits. God produces spirits. When a human baby is conceived it is God who provides that baby's spirit. For there to be a 2nd rebellion, God would have to have given angels the ability to reproduce and then He would have to be part of the conception of the life that followed - you'd have to make Him complicit (an accomplice, a partner) in a 2nd rebellion.

So you'd have to have God change His mind and ways and give angelic spirits the ability to reproduce, then you'd have to be able to breed a dog and an elephant together - why? Because there is no inter-species mating - you can't cross a pig and an eagle, a whale and a tiger, nor an angel with a human. So God would have to suspend that genetic law for this one occasion.

Then you have to twist scripture to produce a 2nd rebellion in heaven - which can be done if you pull a couple verses from Jude and Peter if you want, but clearly they are talking about Satan's rebellion. If there were a 2nd rebellion then you've have to change Revelation 12 where it says Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan) and his angels and Satan's gang got kicked out of heaven - you've have to mention a 2nd leader of a 2nd rebellion who was kicked out as well.

That passage in Revelation 12 says of Satan, that we humans have overcome him by the word of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb - so to not insert a 2nd rebellion would infer our testimony and sacrifice of Jesus didn't cover that rebellion? I mean, if the blood of Jesus covers it all, then why not mention that 2nd rebellion?

And when Jesus said in Luke 10: 17-20 when the disciples return saying 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us through your name', the Lord responds by saying essentially, "I was there when Satan fell like lightning from heaven so don't be excited demons are subject to you, but that you are on my side in heaven!' - and you'd have to make Jesus say something like 'I was there to see Satan fall from heaven, and that 2nd guy and his rebellion too..."

The summary is that you have to deny the basic premise and grammar of Genesis 4-6 that lays out the 2 families in the earth, that all flesh had corrupted God's ways, that God's wrath was against the people, and no mention of any angels, have God give angels the ability to reproduce, suspend the law of no unrelated species being able to conceive, say that when Jesus said angels don't marry nor reproduce He was talking about NOW and that at one time He gave them the ability to cross-species-have the equipment to conceive, pull 2 verses out of context to infer a 2nd rebellion, but leave unspoken all the rest of the Bible that says there was a single rebellion led by the former cherub, Lucifer.

And even if a person still wants to believe all that, they all died in the flood anyway, and God started over with Noah and his family. But all that is irrelevant to my point - as in the days of Noah so shall it be....

The summary

Notice what else Jesus said about the last days in Matthew 24:10-12: "And many will stumble and betray one another, and many false prophets will arise and deceive many, and because sin has increased the love of many will (gradually) turn cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved."

So we've seen these elements: The Godly being seduced away from God by mingling with the world, a generation of people who know about God but are part of the world. A generation that is preoccupied with violence and evil, love in many turning cold...and a remnant who know God and walk with Him.

If that doesn't paint a picture of life today I don't know what does! But Jesus goes on to make His main point from Matthew 24:  "...until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man." Life will be going on as normal just before His return with the larger part of the population not having a clue what is about to happen.

Surprise
Peter called Noah a 'preacher of righteousness' in II Peter 2:5, yet Jesus indicates life was going on normally just before the flood came. There is preaching going on now all over the world, yet life goes on. Many of us have unsaved relatives and friends, our lives are a witness to them, and/or we've told them, yet life goes on. For them these things are a mystery.

In another context, that of the catching away of those who are looking for Christ, Paul says 'You know that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night...but you brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you like a thief.' I Thessalonians 5:2-4

That day will not come as a surprise to those walking in the light - Hebrews 9:28 says 'To those who are looking for Him, He will appear to bring salvation...'

Looking for Him?
I wonder how many who call themselves Christians are actually looking for the return of Christ?

Though I'll start a new subject next week, I share these 'heavy' thoughts now at the turn of the year that we might think soberly about our faith.

Gone are the arrogant days of people focusing their 'faith' to 'believe God' for their new Lexus or Mercedes, gone are the days of acting like children in a candy store experimenting with different flavors like personal prophecy or pulling down strongholds over cities or going to conferences merely to see the people shake, rattle and roll. Gone are the days where we have the luxury of floating from this church to that church seeking someone to scratch our itching ears.

These are the days (that have in truth always been) of growing up in Christ in all seriousness with focus, of doing the hard work of loving the difficult to love, of overlooking offense for the higher purpose of fellowship, of valuing those who have identified their core values in Christ as we ourselves have, of seeking those who want to grow in Christ and let the rest go their way, and making every effort to keep the bond of unity in the Spirit of peace.

Society will continue to disintegrate around us. There will be the Godly compromising with the ungodly. Violence and evil will continue to rise, and good will be called evil and evil, good. The love of many will turn cold and betrayals will happen.

Shouldn't these warnings motivate us to lay aside all distractions of the world, all petty arguments and offenses, to zero in on what really matters? I can tell you 2013 will be a year of determining what really matters, what really counts, of re-prioritizing for many. Others have already re-prioritized so 2013 will be undergirded with a rock-solid peace that remains unmoved - stay in that peace!

I told Barb the other night something the Father told me: "2013 will be a year of many people rearranging priorities in life, whittling away that which no longer matters to perceive and keep that which is important. A year of strengthening what remains, strengthening their 'Jerusalem' as you like to say."

(I use Jesus' priorities stated in Acts 1:8 about witnessing first in Jerusalem, then outward to nearby Judea, then further to Samaria, then finally to 'the uttermost parts of the earth' after all else has been covered. This is a year of strengthening your 'Jerusalem', your core - a year of protection and moving forward with strength gathered under you, rather than being scattered here, there, and everywhere in life. Don't try to reach the 'uttermost parts', nor even Samaria or Judea, until and unless your Jerusalem is secure.

Find your core values, identify others who have those core values, fellowship with them and let the rest go, and grow up in Christ by meeting every challenge and every offense with 'How can I use this to mature in Christ?' Know the seasons in which we live, and be part of someone's solution, not their problem.

New subject next week, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org

"As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man...

Watch therefore for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:37-41