Hi all,
Today I will put in more specific language what the Lord was talking about, and why I'm sharing this unusually intense visitation and word for the body of Christ. Many believers are like the church at Laodicia, and like them, they are in danger if they do not judge themselves. The visitation was about that segment of the body of Christ which is like the church at Laodicea. 
 
Laodicia
Laodicia was founded not far from a hot spring rich in minerals. People came from all over the Roman Empire to take in the healing waters and have to have mineral rich mud applied. They were so wealthy that when the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the year 60, they turned down Nero's offer of federal assistance to help rebuild it - they rebuilt their city of their own funds. 
 
A treatment center for eye diseases was of particular note, in which they made an eye salve to put over the eyes in the belief it would draw out the poison that was causing the eye condition. The Romans built pipes to carry the water to the city, but the water was so mineral rich it clogged the insides and required regular maintenance. It was known that by the time the water arrived in the city, it was too hot to be immediately drunk, yet too cool to be used for cooking. It was lukewarm.
 
The comfortable church
It was with this local understanding Jesus chastised them: "I know your deeds; that you are neither not nor cold. I wish you were cold or hot. But because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3: 15-16
 
The word 'deeds' or 'works' is 'erga', from which the English gets 'ergonomic' which means an efficient and comfortable design for work or a work environment. They lived a life of ease and comfort, and their giving to one another was equally easy for them to do. Their lives were 'ergonomic'. Lukewarm. Easy. Efficient. Comfortable. 
 
With the mouth confession is made to salvation
In Matthew 25 Jesus said when He returns He will find those who love Him to have given food, water, and clothing to brothers and sisters in need, and hosted people in their homes and visited the sick and imprisoned. What the Laodicean church had was a sterile, distanced giving where they didn't have to get their hands dirty with the actual act of giving into someone's life. They gave their money to someone else who did the dirty work, while they sat back untouched by the needs around them, convincing themselves they were big givers to God. The gospel is a relationship based faith, but their faith was just between them and God and they thought they were righteous.
 
They lacked passion for others and for the Lord, which lulled them into a sense of complacency. Jesus told them: "You say, 'I am rich, I have many possessions. I have need of nothing', and you don't even know you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked."
 
Being naked is a reference to not having robes of righteousness. Revelation 19: 8 describes millions in heaven as a bride having a marriage supper with the Lord, saying this: "To her was given fine linen clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." The church at Laodicea was not properly clothed.
 
In Matthew 22: 1-14 Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. One tries to get into the feast without the wedding garment: "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? He was speechless." So the master told the servants to throw the man out. Without the wedding garment, no one gets in. The garment is a robe of righteousness. 
 
Psalm 107:2 says 'Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." and Romans 10: 9-10 says with the mouth confession is made to salvation. In other words, the man tried to get into the wedding feast not having the clothes of righteousness, and could not, not being a believer in the Lord, not confessing Jesus as Lord. When asked, he refused to confess Jesus. So he was thrown out. 
 
Do you think there are people today who want to get to heaven but do not want to believe in Jesus and be made righteous? I think there are millions. They will have their chance to confess their faith in Christ, but apparently some will refuse. They want in, but not at the cost of becoming a believer in Jesus. 
 
Do you know Christians who fit this description?
The word 'naked' as the Lord described Laodicea means 'lack of sufficient clothing', which is different than just naked for all to see, but carries with it the idea of having clothing insufficient to the need. 
 
Jesus told them if they did not repent He would expose their true spiritual condition. How would He do that? Perhaps, take away their material wealth. Perhaps by persecution. Historically we know this to be true. A crisis in life exposes things once kept pressed down out of sight. In a marriage old stresses long buried come to light. In the body of Christ millions will discover their faith was in religion and formula rather than actually knowing Him. 
 
They said they were rich, had many possessions, lacked nothing, for they equated natural prosperity with godliness. Jesus said that was not so. He told them to buy eye salve and apply it so they could see their spiritual condition.
 
In other words, you're blind yet you think you can see. You are self-deceived with a false righteousness. You're not seeing what you should be seeing. You're distracted with your riches, unable to see your true spiritual condition. Consider what He told them: You are 'wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked.'
 
The Greek word 'wretched' means 'distressed, in misery'. The next word, 'miserable' in Greek means 'pitiful', as one looks on someone in misery and says they are 'pitiful'. He threatened to let them experience their true spiritual condition if they did not repent. 
 
His counsel
Jesus told them: "My advice is that you buy from Me, gold refined by fire that you may be rich, and white clothing that you may be clothed so that the shame of your nakedness is not revealed to all. And anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see. As many as I love, I correct and discipline, repent therefore and be zealous to do as I say. Look! I'm standing at the door knocking. If anyone opens the door to me I will come in and we will dine together. To those who overcome I will give permission to sit in my throne (kingdom), and am set down with the Father, for those who overcame as I overcame. Those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
 
Laodicea was a rich city, and their wealth made the city a place of focus on the arts, leisure activity, and focused on 'me'. They made money from the continual stream of people in need of physical healing from their waters, and thought by their prosperity God was endorsing them and their faith. They understood God as One who did things for them, who was clearly pleased with them because He had made them so wealthy. 
 
The did not realize their prosperity as they should; that it was a blessing so that they might better the lives of those around them, not enrich themselves. They blended in to the local culture which honored many gods and goddesses, Jesus just being one of them. 
 
Historically we know that Christians would soon be commanded to choose to worship the State or worship Jesus, no longer would they be able to blend in. They would be identified and once identified, Rome made it economically difficult on believers, for people distanced themselves from them - or chose to become one of them. 
 
That segment of the body of Christ will be hit the hardest when societal persecution and economic stresses occur. Others who are walking with the Lord will prosper in the midst of it all. Those in relationship with a network of believers on the same page, will do well. 
 
The Lord is asking those who are as the Laodiceans to judge themselves, to understand things in their proper perspective, as He sees them. Interesting times are ahead for us in the west. New subject next week. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
 

Hi all,
I shared from the visitation I had with the Lord on December 1, and much of it had to do with the body of Christ judging itself and ending its love affair with the world and what is in the world. Thousands have watched on Facebook, YouTube, and GodTube, and I thank you for those who have. I hope what I'm sharing will be a blessing. 
 
The Lord made reference to John 6 being a point of dividing those who were following Him with pure motives, and those who were not, telling me to study if further. Here is what He was talking about:
 
The circumstances of John 6
In John 6 Jesus fed 5,000 men plus women and children, and v15 tells us the people were so thrilled they were going to come by force and make Jesus their king. As a response, Jesus sent the disciples off in their boat, giving them instructions on where to land on the other side, while he went into the mountains alone.
 
In the early morning hours Jesus walked on the water, eventually catching up to the boat, which we are told by the distance given, had only gone about half way across. Mark 6:48 tells us Jesus 'would have walked by them' (continuing to walk to the other side)', but stopped because they were afraid when they saw Him. Matthew 14:29 details Peter's walking on the water. John 6:21 adds this detail that Matthew 14 and Mark 6 leave out: 
 
"When Jesus got into the boat, immediately the boat was at the other side where they had been headed." That's correct; Jesus, the men, the boat, were 'transported' supernaturally roughly 3 miles/5km to the other side of the lake immediately when Jesus got into the boat. 
 
The people however, had walked around the end of the lake (Sea of Galilee) and when they found Jesus, asked in 6: 25-26, "How did you get here?" Jesus responded that they weren't looking for Him because of the miracles but because He fed them. That revelation of their true motives led to them asking what then must they do, and He told them in v29 to just simply believe in Him - pure motives, not for what He did or might do for them. 
 
Why are you a Christian?
Understand this - people were disciples of Jesus at that time for a multitude of reasons. For example, the mother of James and John thought they were getting in on the start of a new kingdom, asking that her sons be given positions of authority in the kingdom at the right and left hands of Jesus. These people in John 6 got their bellies filled and they thought Jesus would give them an easy life of plenty. 
 
There are people today who are Christians for various ulterior motives as well, the same as in John 6 - Jesus fills their fleshly appetites. Money, possessions, status - our Christian world is full of the people of John 6 who weren't believers for the miracles He had done in their lives, which point them to His Lordship loving Him simply because He is Lord, but because He meets their physical needs. His answer as to what they must do is the same now as it was then: Simply (purely), believe.
 
In John 6 Jesus immediately launched into a difficult to understand parable, saying that Moses gave them bread from heaven, but that He was the True bread from heaven, and if they want eternal life they would have to eat His flesh and drink His blood. 
 
If they were believers in Him for food and material gain, they would have heard cannibalism. If they were following Him with pure motives, even if they did not understand, the purity of their motives would cause them to continue to follow Him. 
 
This is what is about to happening now in the body of Christ in a season of inner workings of the heart. Right now the Lord is doing a work asking Christians to judge themselves on their love of the world and why they are Christians. Right now this is of the heart, unseen but by God who works in the hearts of men to bring us to a point of decision. 
 
But circumstances will be such in the world that are difficult, and for those who hear what the Spirit is saying and have adjusted their heart, they will endure and do well. For those who ignored what the Spirit is saying, or delay this establishment of Jesus as Lord of their heart, when times turn, it will be devastating and confusing. 
 
In John 6:66 it says 'many of His disciples walked no more with Him' - because they didn't understand. They were willing to be identified as a believer while things were good. When things were easy to understand. When things appeared to be heading towards a victorious crowning of Jesus as king. 
 
But the moment Jesus taught something they didn't understand, and more than that, it appeared to be false doctrine compared to what they had been taught, they left Him. When they got confused or felt Jesus wasn't going to provide for them like He did with the loaves and fishes, they left, proving they were serving Him just for what they thought He would do for them. 
 
When Jesus asked the 12 if they too would leave, Peter spoke for them all saying, "To whom shall we go? We believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (v68-69)
 
They didn't necessarily understand Jesus' parable any more than those who left Jesus. They were able however to establish priorities of their heart. Peter boiled it down to the essence: "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
 
No circumstance, no confusing event in life, no hard to understand teaching, no matter how many voices express their opinions and reasonings, it boiled down to eternal life was first and foremost in their hearts. Let their hearts know Jesus is Lord and everything else pales by comparison, no matter how difficult life becomes. Above all they want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Above all they want the Lord to acknowledge them before the Father and His angels: "Yes! I know ________" (Revelation 3: 5) 
 
That is what is going to happen in the body of Christ in the US and west. For many in nations under persecution, they've already chosen sides, so to speak, established their love for Him, many to the point of death. Historically it is economic and societal pressures (persecution) that cause governments to blame a people group, and as history has shown from Rome to as late as the 20th century, it is often Jews and Christians who have gotten the blame. 
 
Next week I'll close it out...until then, blessings, 
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
 

Hi all,
I usually start asking the Father about an upcoming year sometime in November, and not really expecting an answer until the January-March time frame, when I do some fasting and 'focus' on the coming year - like so many of us do. The Father is the Source of all good things, so when He shares it is often about deeper things in myself, and also things in the political world or world of nature. But when the Lord appears to me, though He shares some of the above, His focus is more on the body of Christ as its Head.
 
The pattern
For many years the Lord has appeared to me in the first months of the year. For instance, in early 2011 when He visited me He shared about the various nations involved in what became known as the Arab spring, and after telling about certain nations and what would happen, and after I kept pressing for more, He stopped and said, "But what is this to you? As for you, you must be about the Father's business." A couple of years earlier He talked about the underground economy coming in the body of Christ, and so on - I've shared these things in this space at those times so won't go into detail here.
 
The time of judging ourselves is here
I say all that to lay a foundation of understanding that very often these early in the year visitations are similar to what He told the 7 churches of Asia, documented in The Revelation chapters 2 and 3. They are part encouragement and commendation, part 'repent' messages. But this was very different even from those. 
 
This visitation was the announcement that things are going to change in the US - the change even now has been rapid, but still gradual, over a few years, but a 'suddenly' will be upon us that will change everything. 
 
In I Peter 4: 16-17 he writes: "...if someone suffers persecution for being a Christian let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God, for the time has come for judgement to begin with God's household..." 
 
So it was in the visitation I'm sharing today. And while He did speak of political happenings and outcomes in this nation and others, that's not the parts I'm able to share at this time. It is the season in the Spirit for the body to judge itself.
 
I was surprised that He came and visited me at the first of December, and I can't help wonder if events in the January-March time frame will take place, prompting Him to come early. 
 
The visitation
The first thing He said was, "Remember when I visited you and talked about the breaking of friendships coming in my body as one moves deeper in Me while their friend will not? (That visitation He referred to was in 2003, a year or so after we started cwowi)
 
"While that type of separation between friends will continue, there is another kind of separation in my body that you will see. There is coming a separation between those who love the world and its culture, and those who love Me and the culture of my kingdom. The days are coming when the differences between those two will become obvious."
 
"This will be gradual at first, and even now I have been at work in the hearts of many, and will continue in gentleness of the heart, asking them to end their love affair and adultery with the world. Asking them to judge themselves. Let those who have ears to hear, hear now. Because for those who deny the churning of their heart now, there is coming a time that decision will be forced upon them. Their adultery will cease of their own doing, or will be exposed for what it is by events outside of their control. Remember what James wrote."
 
What James wrote
(*James 4:4 says: "You adulteresses; do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility against God..."
Some versions like the King James state 'You adulterers and adulteresses', which is incorrect. Others like the NIV say 'You adulterous people', which isn't correct either. The Greek is simply, 'adulteresses', because he is emphasizing that we are to live as the bride preparing to meet the Groom. 'Friendship' here is 'phileo', which is the love good or best friends have for one another. The word for 'world' is 'kosmos', which means 'world system/culture'. James is accusing some of being in a love affair with the world in a deep friendship, being unfaithful to the Lord by being faithful to the world system and culture and loving it.)
 
I would add here that He was not talking about various sins we might wrestle with within ourselves. We aren't perfect and He knows that. We aren't accountable to perfection, but to growth. And even wrestling with sins for years is a sign of growth, for there are many who refuse to join in to wrestle with these things. The point isn't that sins exist in our lives, but that we do wrestle against sin. Many do not. His point is specifically with those who love the world and all that is in it, their faith intertwined with the world's system, rather than being in the world but clearly not part of it. 
 
He continued
"I will use what I can to get the attention of those in Me. But there will come a day that will change everything. In fact there will be a series of several specific days over months that will change things, leading to a big day that seals those previous days."
 
"Right now many are examining their love due in part to what they see in the world (the politics, instability and ugliness of it all), some out of fear, and for many these things are leading them to rearrange their heart to stop their affair with the world and its culture, and return to me." 
 
"Others sense a stirring and deep dissatisfaction within (that has in fact been there for some time) brought to their attention by many things coming together in their world to cause this sudden awareness deep within."
 
"I am working a deep desire within many to simply grow in Me, for they have finally exhausted themselves with the world and false religion and now seek Me in purity, but many don't know where to turn. (Then He spoke to me about cwowi and the work we are doing, our place in all this, and what He will be doing in us in the coming year which is not relevant here). 
 
"This is a work of the heart I am doing, for I will use anything I can to get the attention of those in Me. Lines are being drawn, decisions are being made, and soon it will become clear who is in Me and who is not. The time is approaching this nation in which a person's faith will be precious to them. Faith in Me will become precious for many, something cherished, nurtured and protected. While others will cast me aside." 
 
When I asked what He meant in more detail He said, 
 
"You've accurately taught from John 6 that I gave the people a difficult to understand parable to separate those who followed Me with ulterior motives, from those who believed of a pure heart. But look at the rest and you'll see." 
 
"Also remember Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:9), who separated the disciples. Look at when and why he did that. These are the days coming upon this nation. Study my words."
 
I'll share more next week and explain His references to John 6 and Acts 19. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
 

Hi all,
Last week I shared how Jesus was born either in the autumn during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was the September-October time frame, or the spring, around Unleavened Bread/Passover. The 6 month difference is because John the Baptist's father was serving in either his spring or autumn rotation when Gabriel appeared to him, but we don't know which. 
 
We've gone as far as we can with the order of the services of the priests, so let us look first at cultural expectations.
That Messiah would die 'but not for Himself' is seen in Passover, and there was a basic understanding the lamb killed on Passover was a type of God covering our sins. Messiah wasn't expected to be born at that time, rather to die at that time. (For those who understood the types/shadows).
 
So we turn to the autumn festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), also called 'the Feast of Dedication' in the September-October time frame. Tabernacles was when Solomon dedicated his temple, celebrating God's presence dwelling with man. It is also called the 'Season of our Joy'. Tabernacles was also called 'The Festival of Lights'. 
 
There were 4 large lamps in the temple called 'the light of the world', and it was at a later Feast of Tabernacles Jesus stood up to say: "I am the light of the world." John 8: 12
 
During the Feast of Tabernacles certain passages are read, and there is a certain liturgy that was followed. Those passages and that liturgy are echoed in what the angels told the Shepherds on the night of the Lord's birth as the bright and awe-inspiring glory of God shone all around them. Shepherds were in the field in spring and fall, but his helps narrow it down: 
 
"And the angel said to them, Fear not, for I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be to all people. Unto you is born in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Again, this was announced in the midst of the great light of the glory of the Lord. 
 
These passages are read: "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness...I will give you as a covenant for the people, as a light to the nations." and "...I will make you a light to the nations that my salvation shall extend to the ends of the earth" and "...nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 42:6; 49: 6; 52: 10; 60: 3. 
 
This was prayed at the end of meals during Tabernacles: "May the merciful One let us inherit all that is good. May the merciful One restore the tent/tabernacle (sukkah) of David." Perhaps the shepherds had just finished a meal when the angels came?
 
What the angel said contains elements of those passages spoken at Tabernacles - essentially saying God is living with man. I have shared before that these shepherds were in all likelihood priests, for as the population grew in the cities, priests began raising flocks and herds for the city dwellers to purchase for sacrifice. Their area was known to be around Bethlehem, the 'house of bread'. The true manna from heaven was born there.
 
Traditionally the 'wise men' are thought to have visited Jesus when He was about 18 months old, but that is wrong. Matthew 2: 11 tells us they visited Him in a house in Bethlehem not the stable typically shown in nativity scenes. But there are other considerations. 
 
For instance, Luke tells us Joseph and Mary had Jesus circumcised on his 8th day, and after her 40 days of purification they presented Him in the temple.  So nearly 6 week old Jesus was with Joseph and Mary were in the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after His birth. We are told after this the family returned to their home city of Nazareth - not Bethlehem. (Luke 2: 22-23 39; Leviticus 12: 3-8)
 
That means Herod had to have killed the babies in Bethlehem before Jesus was 40 days old. It means the young family would have to have gone to and returned from Egypt before His 40th day.  That means somewhere between His birth and 40 days, Herod died, for they were told to return for Egypt for Herod was dead, and they were not in fear either in the temple when Jesus was 40 days old nor when they returned to Nazareth. 
 
The order of events then is that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. The Shepherds visit Him just after His birth. The wise men arrived after the young family had moved into a house in Bethlehem, but are warned after seeing the Lord not to return to Herod. 
 
Joseph is similarly warned to leave the country, to Egypt. Herod orders the deaths of the innocents. The English Bible says he figured from 2 years and younger, but knowing as already stated that ancient Israel counted age from conception in 'age reckoning' as mentioned previously, it means Herod's actual order was for 1 year olds (as we figure it) and under.
 
When did Herod die? 
The Jewish historian Josephus states that Herod became very ill at the time of an eclipse of the moon. The only eclipse in the year of Herod's illness was on March 13, 4BC. Herod's illness lasted several months, the details of which are well documented. Josephus states Herod died in what would be our month of September, in what is our 4BC. 
 
Therefore we can confirm Jesus was born in September, 4BC. 
 
At least, that's how I see it. When He was born isn't important, but that He WAS. 
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]