Hi all,
I was teaching a class on the Holy Spirit at what was then called the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In that particular lesson, I stated there are no prayers to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. In fact, I said, praying to the Holy Spirit goes directly against Jesus' teaching on prayer. I brought up the fact all prayers in the New Testament are directed to the Father, not even to Jesus, which is what Jesus taught. Suddenly hands shot into the air and voices were raised as they all objected at once: 
 
"But _____ _____ said in his book...." and "But I was at ____ conference and they said...." and for some, stunned silence. 
 
Finally, someone offered in question: "But you can talk to Him can't you?" 
 
And that is why in part...
Much of the body of Christ is confused about the Holy Spirit. Teachers and pastors have based their theology more on their experiences or a popular book that has everyone talking instead of the teaching of scripture. They have no idea who He is, what is His role and function, and how we are to fellowship with Him. That confusion then limits how much the Holy Spirit can be in close fellowship with them because their understanding of Him is wrong. 
 
Actually knowing and walking with the Father, Lord, and Holy Spirit is difficult with so many because what they think is God, is really the traditions of men. So they assign their mand-made value to what they think is the Father, Lord, or Spirit and then get frustrated when none of the Godhead draws close to them. They think they are believing correctly but are not. God being God is immovable, 100% Truth, so anyone worshipping the Father must do so in their spirit and truth (transparency, no ulterior motives). Otherwise, God will seem distant and feeling Him inside is like searching for the needle in the haystack. 
 
So let's lay a foundation to get rid of man's traditions and error by going right to the Source of sound teaching: Jesus. He is our example so we can rightly ask ourselves if He ever prayed to the Holy Spirit? The answer is no. He prayed exclusively to the Father. 
 
What Jesus said about prayer:
"Therefore pray this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, holy is your name...' Luke 11:2 (The Lord's Prayer)
 
"If you then being evil (mere men) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father give the 
Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:13
 
"In that day (after the cross) you will ask Me nothing. Truly, Truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. John 16:23
 
How Peter, John and the whole church in Acts 4 prayed: 
"And being let go they went to their own group and reported all the chief priests and elders had said to them. And when they heard that they lifted up their voices to God with one accord saying: 'God, you are God, who has made the earth and the sea...against your holy child Jesus...they were gathered togther....now stretch forth your hand to heal and do signs and wonders by the name of your holy child Jesus..." Acts 4:23-30
 
How Paul prayed: 
"...cease not to mention you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him..." Ephesians 1: 16-17
 
"For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That He would grant you to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in your inner man..." Ephesians 3: 14-17
 
"We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.." Colossians 1: 3
 
As Paul said in Ephesians 1:3, it is the Father who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. He is the Source. He is the Father of lights and gives good and perfect gifts. 
 
If up to now your prayer requests start out "Jesus", then you've been in direct disobedience to Jesus and in direct conflict with how the apostles prayed and the New Testament patterns for us. Jesus IS the way, but we pray TO the Father. 
 
Next week, the function of the Father, Spirit, and Son. Until then, blessings!
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com 

Hi all,
Today I'll focus on what Jesus wrote in the dust and the context of the Feast of Tabernacles, because once it is understood it is like a big 'wow' when you read these passages, even if you think you know the Jewish culture you may learn something.
 
Writing in the dust
The whole of John 7 details the events during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the last of the 7 Biblical festivals given by God to Moses, and is the only one annually celebrated in the Millennium as per Zechariah 14: 16-19. The reason is simple: The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates God living with man, so when Jesus is ruling from Jerusalem for those 1,000 years the celebration is ongoing!
 
The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the Feast of Living Waters because Zechariah 14:8 and Ezekiel 47 describe 'living waters' flowing from Jerusalem in that day, so much so the Dead Sea becomes a fresh water lake with only the marshy areas left briny, and many fisherman net fishing from the banks! (Ezekiel 47: 6-12)
 
The week of John chapter 7 leading up to Jesus writing in the dust is worth going into detail here. For the full week a daily ritual was carried out. The priests would cut willow branches 20' long or more (6-7m), and spacing themselves that far apart, march in unison swinging together the branches left and right simulating the sound of the Ruach, the breath of God, the Spirit, as they entered the city. You can just imagine the sound those long branches made as the priests marched!
 
Living Water
At the same time this is going on the High Priest and Assistant Priest would leave the temple via the Water Gate to the Pool of Siloam, to collect water in a large gold* pitcher. The water was called the 'Mayim Hayim' (Living Water). The Assistant would have a silver* pitcher full of wine. These 2 groups, the priests with the willow branches and the High Priest and Assistant, would approach the altar at the time other priests were placing the animal on the altar. *Gold always represents God and purity in the Old Testament, and silver always represents righteousness. Thus one gold containing Living Water and and one silver pitcher containing wine which is a type of blood - both will soon be poured on the altar. 
 
All 3 groups converged at the altar, with the willow branches being placed over the altar to form a sukkoth, tent, and the High Priest and Assistant pouring out the water and wine on the sacrifice. At this time the people sang Isaiah 12:3: "Therefore with joy will you draw out waters from the well of salvation (Hebrew word for 'salvation' is Yeshua)." This was done daily for the week. 
 
With all this going on daily all week long, John 7: 37-39 tells us: "On the last and greatest day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice: 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from them.' By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him would later receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." 
 
Feast of Dedication
Tabernacles was also called "The Feast of Dedication" because it was during this feast that celebrates God living among men that Solomon dedicated his temple. If you understand that fact then you'll understand why at Solomon's dedication when they brought the Ark of the Covenant into the temple for God to live among men, that His glory and presence was such no one could stand upright. (I Kings 8:11, II Chronicles 5:14, 7: 2-3)
 
The Light of the World
Because the practice was to place 4 large lamps in the midst of the Temple area during this festival, it was also known as the 'Feast of Lights' as God is the light of the world, which explains something else Jesus said.
 
The day after the main feast which is still part of the feast actually, is called 'Shimini Atzeret' (the 8th day). In Jesus' time that '8th day' was also called 'Simchat Torah' which means 'Rejoicing in the Torah (Word)'. (Today they are separated one day after the other, but in Jesus' time both were on day 8). The number 8 in scripture is the number of new beginnings, based on the creation week - a new week starts afresh, is what it is based upon. 
 
It is in this setting John 8:1 tells us, the 8th day, this day of celebrating the Word, this day of new beginnings, that this woman caught in the act of adultery is made to stand face to face with Jesus, but Jesus took His finger and wrote on the ground. 
 
This is significant because Exodus 31:18 and then repeated in Deuteronomy 9:10 both say the 10 Commandments, the Torah, the Word, were engraved on stone by the "finger of God". Additionally, for every day during the Feast of Tabernacles this passage from Jeremiah 17: 12-13 would be read by these very same leaders: 
 
"Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will (have their names) written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of Living Waters." 
 
My guess is Jesus was writing their names in the dust in accordance with this passage, but we won't know with certainty this side of heaven - but it makes sense. On that day of new beginnings, of celebrating the Word, this woman was given a fresh start...a great lesson for us all. 
 
More next week! Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
 

Hi all,
I was teaching at one of our first Dutch conferences some years ago and was telling the story of the visitation from the Lord where He taught me about worship. I was sharing how unexpected it was for me to suddenly be in the Spirit and to see Jesus walking to me part way through a Wednesday night concert. 
 
I told of how it had been a busy day and all I wanted to do was to go to Wendy's to get a hamburger. Some in my Dutch audience suddenly got a strange look on their faces but I was confused as to why. 
 
At the break our good friends and hosts, Wil and Ank, took me aside to explain that because they had been in the USA they knew of the hamburger chain of restaurants named 'Wendy's', but everyone else at the conference was wondering who this woman 'Wendy' was, why I was going to her house for a hamburger, where was Barb, and why wasn't she with me? Horrified, I quickly explained once we reconvened the meeting and we laughed - but it's funnier now than it was then!
 
7 stars in His hand
Now imagine the misunderstandings and things that pass right by us without notice when we read the New Testament, which is comprised of letters written to people some 1,900 years ago, not to mention the Old Testament which is even older! 
 
In The Revelation 1: 10-20 the apostle John is 'in the Spirit' and suddenly sees the Lord in glory. Jesus has 7 stars in His right hand and states in v17: "I am He who was dead, but lives, and is alive forever more! So be it (amen)! And I have the keys of death and hell." 
 
To us this is beautiful imagery, but to the readers in John's time around the year 95AD it meant much more. The cruel Emperor Domitian was slaughtering Christians at every opportunity. 
 
Emperor Domitian's son had died, and he commemorated his life by issuing a coin. The (denarius) coin showed his son sitting on the globe of the earth (ruling the earth) surrounded by 7 stars. In mythology Zeus made Helice immortal by changing her into the 7 stars that make up 'the Big Dipper' (Ursa Major). Various Roman Emperors commemorated the deaths of notable individuals on coins, said to be now immortal as a star. The stars on this coin represented his son now ruling from the heavens as a 'star'. 
 
Because Jesus held the 7 stars in His right hand, and He said those 7 stars to Him were the 7 churches of Asia He was sending the message to, He was telling them they will live forever 'as the stars' in heaven, and HE is in control of the earth, in direct conflict with the claims of Domitian and his dead son's coin. Domitian held seances to talk to his dead son and told people his dead son gave him messages from the grave. So Jesus is making it clear and giving assurances HE is the One who was dead but now lives forever, and THEY will live with Him as a star forever. (Daniel 12:3, Isaiah 14:3, Job 38:7)
 
So to Christians who lived under the constant threat of martyrdom, to have Jesus state HE was the one dead and now alive forever more, and HE held the 7 churches of Asia in HIS hand, and HE was the one who held the power of death and hell in His hand, it was great comfort. 
 
Today we argue over the meaning of Jesus holding the keys of death and hell, to them it meant when they were put to death, they were in the hand of Jesus who held control of live, death, and the hereafter - what comfort! It makes modern arguments over the meaning (that actually miss the context of the whole point) seem rather trivial and pointless doesn't it? 
 
White stone
In The Revelation 2: 12-17 the Lord writes to the body of Christ in Pergamos, the city 'where Satan's throne dwells'. In ancient time this term 'throne' meant the seat in a house where the owner and master sat - the Lord indicating not so much that Satan was headquartered there, but rather that Satan felt right at home in Pergamos. 
 
They were known as the 'temple-keepers' of the Empire, as it had 3 temples dedicated to Emperor worship and many others of various gods and goddesses, including Asklepion, the Greek serpent-god. It was home to a psychiatric hospital wherein they claimed the serpent god healed people. Over the door of the hospital was an inscription stating 'Death is not permitted here'. (They would not allow anyone with a terminal disease as they wanted to doctor those who they knew would get better)
 
In verse 13 He mentions 'Antipas my faithful martyr'. In the year 92AD, having been brought to trial and commanded to worship the Emperor Domitian as God, he refused. As was the custom in the city for executions, he was put into the hollow bull idol and tied in such a way his head was in the neck and head of the statue. Then a fire was lit under the bull until he was roasted alive. The victim's moans and cries coming through the mouth and horns seemed to make the bull come alive.
 
The Lord also chastises some there for compromising as some did in Thyatira with Jezebel, who taught God said you could be a good Christian while also if needed for business purposes, seal business contracts with the customary offering to a god or goddess and having sex with the accompanying temple prostitute that the business deal might grow their businesses. This compromising with the world in Thyatira and Pergamos angered the Lord and believers in both cities faced judgment. (I have a cd/MP3 series on the Biblical meaning of 'The Jezebel spirit', which is not what is commonly taught by many.)
 
But at the end the Lord says this: "To him who overcomes....I will give a white stone, and on the stone a new name written on it, and no one knows the name but the one receiving it. (And the One giving it of course)" 
 
To us the meaning is lost - white stone? What is that about? Here is the meaning: In that day when a stranger would come into a town the culture of hospitality was such that someone would take them in for the night. When that was done the stranger would upon leaving, give the host/hostess a white stone, the same as our business card today, with his personal name and address and the city he is from engraved upon it. It was a personal invitation to come and stay with him when the host/family visit the traveler's home town. It was considered very personal and not a general invitation, but only between the host and the one he/she hosted for that evening. 
 
To the faithful at Pergamos it said if they overcome they have a guaranteed placed to live with Jesus in His home and home city called heaven, and have a meal with Him when they 'visit' - they have a destination awaiting them, friends and comfort!
 
If we don't understand these things we will understand some the basics of the message, but still be left asking who is Wendy and why is he going to eat at her house? 
 
More next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
Last week we looked in the gospels at people who demonstrated personal faith for healing. Faith forms when you have a personal revelation for you and for your situation. Noah received revelation a flood was coming, his response to that revelation and grace, is faith. Moses was told he was deliverer for Israel, his response to that revelation and grace, is faith. Revelation comes first, faith is our response to the revelation of grace. 
 
Visitation about chronic conditions
I was on senior staff at a mega-church and as such was given front row seats to the Tuesday evening service during a week long set of services with a new guest minister each night. Towards the end of the service the guest minister invited people who said they were healed that night come on stage and tell about it. 
 
I noticed many of the testimonies were from injuries, and thought, "Father, did Jesus heal injuries in the gospels? Is healing from injury even in the atonement? I can't think of any specific reference to healing injuries in the gospels" as I quickly mentally scanned my memory of the 23 individual cases for any that might have been injury. 
 
Suddenly to my far right, standing by the end of the platform I saw my angel, and he looked right at me and said, "Much of what Jesus and others healed were injuries." And disappeared. I had a personal interest in that question because our oldest son Chris, was brain damaged at birth with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and over the years I'd tried everything to get him healed, but the healing of injuries being possible was not something I had even considered.
 
On Saturday night I had no official duties and Barb needed a break from caring for Chris all week long, so I took Chris to the concert that was held at the close of the conference on Saturday night. At the time Chris was 19 years old, in a wheelchair, and I rolled him to the main floor to the side of the platform and took my seat next to him in a folding chair. So he could see just a bit better I had rolled him slightly in front of me on my right side just a bit. 
 
As the singer sang and accompanying videos played on the big screens placed around the arena, my mind noticed what was in my spirit - I suddenly felt the presence of Jesus in my spirit. Let me explain: I feel the presence of the Lord in my spirit 24/7, but when Jesus Himself is in the Spirit nearby, my spirit recognizes Him and the intensity in the spirit man increases and His presence causes my mind to notice. You've probably experienced that too but maybe not known Who was near. When I noticed that, then the Father suddenly opened my eyes to His realm, and with eyes wide open I could see both the natural realm and His realm, as Elisha saw the natural army and the angelic army at the same time in II Kings 6: 13-17. 
 
I looked around thinking I might see Him walking among the thousands of people as the concert had transitioned from 'hip hop' to more vertical and true praise & worship. But all I saw was angels. I said, "Lord, I know you're here, I can't see you. But I know you're here." Suddenly I felt His presence behind me, and turned to look over my left shoulder to see Him walking up to me, pausing to stand at my left shoulder. 
 
Without a greeting the Lord just started talking where the angel had left off on Tuesday night: "Much of what I healed in the gospels was injury, but I'd like to teach you some things about long term and chronic conditions." 
 
"But what about the healing of injuries? I need chapter and verse on that Lord." He graciously included the references to the maimed in Matthew 15: 30-31, said the man with the withered (what we call atrophied) right hand of Mark 3: 1-5 & Luke 6:6 was in that condition from an accident (which was clear He pointed out because the hand had 'withered', having been normal before), and included Paul raising from the dead the man who accidentally fell out the window to his death in Acts 20:9, and the man crippled at birth but healed in Acts 14: 8-10. 
 
We think in pictures
Satisfied I had my questions answered, He switched to why He had appeared to me, to teach me about people with chronic or long-term conditions. Keep in mind during this time my wheelchair bound and brain injured son was sitting to my right, Jesus standing on my left. Yes, I desperately wanted Him to lay His hand on Chris. But He had been many times in our home visiting me to teach me over the years, with Chris asleep right down the hall, and He never did. In fact Chris' faith is to this day centered around something the Lord said to him a few months before that evening.
 
A few months earlier Chris came crawling down the hall (pulling himself on his stomach with his arms as he can't walk) - "Dad! Dad! Know what Jesus said to me?! Jesus said He's going to walk through the mountains with me! Yep, that's what He said alright. Isn't that great! He's going to walk through the mountains with me. Yahoo! (laugh, chuckle), Yep, He's going to walk through the mountains with me!" 
 
He has seen kids on TV running and said, "When I get to heaven I'm going to run like that" and many more comments that demonstrate his faith is not on healing for today, but for when he gets to heaven. To him, much to our (Barb and I) disappointment, 'walking through the mountains with me' meant in the age to come or heaven, not the mountains a day's drive away in Colorado in this lifetime. But that's where he is and I cannot override that because he is an adult and in that area has understanding (though I've tried). But lines of authority and how He works in families was another visitation...
 
Pictures  
The Lord started: "People think in pictures." I asked what He meant and He responded: "If I say 'cat', what do you think of?" I said, "I think of and picture Clipper, the little cat my brother saved as a tar covered kitten after they had resurfaced the road in front of our house." He said, "Right. But others may think of and picture their own cat, or even a lion or tiger. People think in pictures." 
 
"So when a person has been a long time in a condition, or even since birth, they have little or no knowledge in their mind of what they look like whole, of what life would be like if they were whole. They have no image that naturally comes into their mind, no memory of themselves whole. When you have an injury or something you can easily receive healing in part because you know what it is like to be whole. Whole is normal for you, needing healing is unusual. But for them the opposite is true: Their condition is normal, and they have little or no memory or image of what health and wholeness means." 
 
"This is why it says when Bartimaeus heard it was 'Jesus of Nazareth', he called out. When he had heard of the healings and miracles and what people were saying, revelation began to work in him as he gave himself to it (revelation and therefore faith that sprung up as a result) first knowing who I AM and then he started thinking about seeing. The same of the woman with the hemorrhaging condition who it says 'had heard of Jesus', and therefore of other healings and miracles. She received revelation she too could be healed: "She said within herself, if I but touch His clothes I will be healed." 
 
He continued: "Faith for healing generally requires personal revelation." I asked for other examples and He continued: "I already mentioned Paul in Acts 14 and the man crippled at birth had faith to be healed. Paul didn't do anything but perceive in his spirit the man had faith. The man's faith made him whole. Revelation comes from the Father, and most people you've dealt with haven't or don't take the time before the Father to receive revelation concerning the situation, or they receive it but ignore it and continue 'believing' as they had because what He reveals isn't what they want."
 
I asked for examples and He shared about people I knew. One was a young man who received a diagnosis that would be terminal if left untreated, but was curable if treated. He was a young evangelist with a wife and young children, but he refused medical treatment which was the Father's provision for Him, because he wanted to 'stand in faith'. He died a few months later, leaving many confused as to why God didn't heal him when he was 'standing in faith'. He wasn't, for he had revelation from the Father on the course of action to take but ignored it and suffered the consequences. He's in heaven of course, but he could have lived longer. 
 
He spoke of Chris' Special Education teacher who was a Christian and had a brain tumor. I talked to her about healing and faith, and left with her a (cassette tape) of nothing but the reading of healing scriptures. She spent a week listening to it, reading example of healings in the gospels, and ended up being instantly and totally healed when I laid hands on her a week or so later. He shared of Barb who had crushed the right side of her face in a horrible fall, but received complete healing of the nerves and muscles of her face - something the reconstructive surgeon said could not happen due to severe nerve damage/severing nerves - because she spent her whole time listening to healing scriptures and from the moment I laid hands on her, worshipped and gave thanks to the Father - all based on revelation and singleness of heart and focus.
 
There were several other examples of where people received healing and where they did not. Where some had realized it was their time or their loved one's time 'to go', and where people fought against that revelation. And He concluded by giving me more understanding of Chris, His love for him, His delight in him, and other things more personal. And then He was gone. 
 
And though the subject of healing and aging, faith and hope, is vast and thousands of books have been written on the subject, I must speak through the grace given me, though I perhaps raised as many questions as I answered, I hope it has provided food for thought though. If anyone has specific questions you can always email me directly at the email below. But I must conclude this series for now....next week: Why we don't pray to the Holy Spirit. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com