Leonard Ravenhill Paints Picture of True Prophets

 

Leonard Ravenhill Paints Picture of True Prophets

by ldhaywood@gmail.com (Leonard Ravenhill)

Charisma Magazine / 2014-12-26 15:28

Leonard Ravenhill at age 81

The prophet in his day is fully accepted of God and totally rejected by men.

Years back, Dr. Gregory Mantle was right when he said, "No man can be fully accepted until he is totally rejected." The prophet of the Lord is aware of both these experiences. They are his "brand name."

The group, challenged by the prophet because they are smug and comfortably insulated from a perishing world in their warm but untested theology, is not likely to vote him "Man of the Year" when he refers to them as habituates of the synagogue of Satan!

The prophet comes to set up that which is upset. His work is to call into line those who are out of line! He is unpopular because he opposes the popular in morality and spirituality.

In a day of faceless politicians and voiceless preachers, there is not a more urgent national need than that we cry to God for a prophet! The function of the prophet, as Austin-Sparks once said, "has almost always been that of recovery."

The prophet is God's detective seeking for a lost treasure. The degree of his effectiveness is determined by his measure of unpopularity. Compromise is not known to him.

He has no price tags.
He is totally "otherworldly."
He is unquestionably controversial and unpardonably hostile.
He marches to another drummer!
He breathes the rarefied air of inspiration.
He is a "seer" who comes to lead the blind.
He lives in the heights of God and comes into the valley with a "thus saith
the Lord."
He shares some of the foreknowledge of God and so is aware of
impending judgment.
He lives in "splendid isolation."
He is forthright and outright, but he claims no birthright.
His message is "repent, be reconciled to God or else...!"
His prophecies are parried.
His truth brings torment, but his voice is never void.
He is the villain of today and the hero of tomorrow.
He is excommunicated while alive and exalted when dead!
He is dishonored with epithets when breathing and honored with
epitaphs when dead.
He is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, but few "make the grade" in his class.
He is friendless while living and famous when dead.
He is against the establishment in ministry; then he is established as a saint
by posterity.
He eats daily the bread of affliction while he ministers, but he feeds the Bread of
Life to those who listen.
He walks before men for days but has walked before God for years.
He is a scourge to the nation before he is scourged by the nation.
He announces, pronounces, and denounces!
He has a heart like a volcano and his words are as fire.
He talks to men about God.
He carries the lamp of truth amongst heretics while he is lampooned by men.
He faces God before he faces men, but he is self-effacing.
He hides with God in the secret place, but he has nothing to hide in
the marketplace.
He is naturally sensitive but supernaturally spiritual.
He has passion, purpose and pugnacity.
He is ordained of God but disdained by men.

Our national need at this hour is not that the dollar recover its strength, or that we save face over the Watergate affair, or that we find the answer to the ecology problem. We need a God-sent prophet!

I am bombarded with talk or letters about the coming shortages in our national life: bread, fuel, energy. I read between the lines from people not practiced in scaring folk. They feel that the "seven years of plenty" are over for us. The "seven years of famine" are ahead. But the greatest famine of all in this nation at this given moment is a FAMINE OF THE HEARING OF THE WORDS OF GOD (Amos 8:11).

Millions have been spent on evangelism in the last twenty-five years. Hundreds of gospel messages streak through the air over the nation every day. Crusades have been held; healing meetings have made a vital contribution. "Come-outers" have "come out" and settled, too, without a nation-shaking revival.

Organizers we have. Skilled preachers abound. Multi-million dollar Christian organizations straddle the nation. BUT where, oh where, is the prophet? Where are the incandescent men fresh from the holy place? Where is the Moses to plead in fasting before the holiness of the Lord for our moldy morality, our political perfidy, and sour and sick spirituality?

GOD'S MEN ARE IN HIDING UNTIL THE DAY OF THEIR SHOWING FORTH. They will come. The prophet is violated during his ministry, but he is vindicated by history.

There is a terrible vacuum in evangelical Christianity today. The missing person in our ranks is the prophet. The man with a terrible earnestness. The man totally otherworldly. The man rejected by other men, even other good men, because they consider him too austere, too severely committed, too negative and unsociable.

Let him be as plain as John the Baptist.
Let him for a season be a voice crying in the wilderness of modern theology and
stagnant "churchianity."
Let him be as selfless as Paul the apostle.
Let him, too, say and live, "This ONE thing I do."
Let him reject ecclesiastical favors.
Let him be self-abasing, nonself-seeking, nonself-projecting, nonself- righteous,
nonself-glorying, nonself-promoting.
Let him say nothing that will draw men to himself but only that which will move
men to God.
Let him come daily from the throne room of a holy God, the place where he has
received the order of the day.
Let him, under God, unstop the ears of the millions who are deaf through the
clatter of shekels milked from this hour of material mesmerism.
Let him cry with a voice this century has not heard because he has seen a vision
no man in this century has seen. God send us this Moses to lead us from the
wilderness of crass materialism, where the rattlesnakes of lust bite us and where
enlightened men, totally blind spiritually, lead us to an ever-nearing Armageddon.

God have mercy! Send us PROPHETS!

About the author: Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994) was a well-known British evangelist who brought many people to Christ through his straightforward preaching of the Word. In 1959, he and his family moved to the United States, where Ravenhill continued to travel, ministering in tent revivals and evangelistic meetings. He placed great emphasis on the subjects of prayer and revival, and though he wrote many books, he is probably best known for Why Revival Tarries. ("Picture of a Prophet" was taken from ravenhill.org and used by permission of the author's son, David Ravenhill. Copyright (C) 1994 by Leonard Ravenhill.)

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Pastor Tunde Bakare: "I wasn't looking forward to being Buhari's running mate"

 

Pastor Tunde Bakare: "I wasn't looking forward to being Buhari's running mate"

by Oge Okonkwo

pulse.ng - Nigeria's entertainment & lifestyle platform online / 2014-12-23 11:58

Founder and head pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Babatunde Bakare had a telephone chat with journalists from The Guardian newspaper where he described APC's presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari to the best of his knowledge.

It would be recalled that Pastor Bakare was chosen by General Buhari as his running mate in the 2011 presidential elections under the platform of the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Pastor Bakare known for his no-nonsense attitude and controversial statements, said Buhari is not an Islamic fundamentalist and his stance on religion is clearly misunderstood by many Nigerians. He also claimed the APC presidential candidate just wants to do his best for Nigeria.

Read excerpts from the interview:

"Unfortunately, the man shall continue to be misunderstood because it suits some people to put him in that light so that they can continue to plunder the nation. Yes, he is a devout Muslim but he is far from being a religious fundamentalist. In my dealings with him, he never calls me on Saturdays because he understands I will be preparing for church the following day. Issues of religion never crops up between us and till tomorrow, he still calls me.

 "His driver for 16 years is a born again Christian. How is this kind of man an Islamic fundamentalist? My prayer is that Nigerians should not miss again this opportunity to redeem themselves from the burden of corruption and elect a true leader that will lead them out of darkness. Even in the 2011 post election violence, nothing is traceable to him. What happened was that people just got angry with the outcome of what they had thought was an opportunity to break away from bondage and went on rampage. 

 "In fact in a few instances Buhari had come under attack because some people interpreted his visiting some quarters as a compromise. He has made himself clear to Nigeria but everybody cannot be an orator and so it is not his fault if he remains misunderstood by some people. This is a man that contested election three times and for three times, he pursued his mandate using the courts when the polls failed to declare him winner. How democratic could someone get again?

"Will you call a man who followed the due process of the law to resolve whatever issues he had with the system a fundamentalist? He is a true Nigerian who loves his country and he wants to give his best. I have worked closely with him and I do not have any regrets. It is a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to kill him. That man loves the nation and he is prepared to give his best to take us out of the current doldrums."

 It was a rushed affair and couldn't have been exhaustive of the position of the pastor on the presidential regular.

This is what Pastor Bakare had said previously said about General Muhammadu Buhari:

The man Buhari I know

 If I have the chance, I will do it again. Buhari is an incorruptible leader. He is a man whose word is his bond. He is a reliable person and he loves this country. I don't flatter people and you know I fought almost all military impostors in this country; there was a time I couldn't stand any of them. But getting close to him, I realised he loves Christians as much as he loves Muslims. For those who said why Buhari? Don't forget that Joseph served Pharaoh, Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar, and we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so you can maintain contact without contamination. Anything that would contribute to the wellbeing of the people of this country, as much as God gives me the grace, I would do it.

On how he became Buhari's running mate

 I was asked to be a running mate to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. I was not looking forward to it at all. But if I am beckoned upon to do something, I will pray about it and if I see that it does not negate what I stand for and believe in, why not? The truth is that if good people don't participate in politics, then we will continue to endure the rule of idiots.  I sat in my house, leading a group called Arrow Heads, which is already public knowledge after Mallam Nasir El-Rufai wrote about it in his book, 'Accidental Public Servant.' 

We gathered a group of Nigerians we felt could make a change in our clime. People like Oby Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Donald Duke, Nasir El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Fola Adeola, Jimi Lawal, Yinka Odumakin, Jimi Agbaje, Wale Osun and a few others. We said to ourselves that we should form the Arrow Heads to produce a change. And when I was given the privilege of being the chairperson of that group, I told them I would only accept on two conditions. 

Number one, that I would not join any political party and number two, I would not seek any elective office so that if there is a dispute, I can effectively resolve it. Those around me know that I have no desire for a political office but those who don't know me think I am an opportunist.

Gen. Buhari called me on January 15 of that year and said that he had done his own little prayers and he wanted to ask me to be his running mate. I told him I couldn't because I lead a group and I had given them my word and that my word is my bond. I also told him that I had no desire for a political office; all I wanted to see was a change and be among those who worked behind the scene. So, Gen. Buhari asked me to pray about it that he would get back to me. Within six or seven hours, he called back and I told him that I had not consulted my people. The first person I called among others was my wife and daughter and then spoke to Pastor Adeboye twice on it.

On the suicide Attempt on Buhari's life

 Whichever way you look at it; Gen. Buhari has succeeded in stepping into the shoes of the likes of the founding fathers of this nation. It is like killing Awo in the West in those days. They jailed him but they dared not kill him. Look at the repercussions of what happened when Sardauna was killed. It is like shooting Azikiwe. A time comes when people have such a large following that you have to be careful about them. Gen. Buhari registered a party and went to contest for election after three months and had 12 million votes. I have seen the people following him running towards a moving plane. He is not loved because he has money to pay them, he doesn't give a dime to anybody. Buhari does not have such money, he does not have a petrol station, and he has no oil well even after being a petroleum minister and former head of state. There was a time he took his children to public schools. Obasanjo investigated him with Haruna Adamu, and didn't find anything against him.

Why I did not move with Buhari to APC

  A strategic man takes his time. I moved the motion for the merger of the parties publicly at Eagles Square. I worked tirelessly for that merger to materialise. But when you perceive that your presence, whether you speak or stay quiet, affects some of the people who think you are ambitious, you leave the stage for them. If you ask me if I am in APC, Buhari knows I am in Daura APC, not Ogun State, Oyo or Lagos State so that those functioning can be free to function without fearing that this man might have an ambition and might still want to be a running mate. I have had my fair share.

On sustaining the Buhari persona 

  When I decided to go to CPC, I looked at the integrity of General Buhari. And I still believe, up to this moment, that Buhari is a man of honour, virtue and integrity. And I have wished he could be an independent candidate, but he has to function in a political party.

   I just pray that there will be no hangers-on that will begin to tamper with his integrity, because, after all, one tree does not make a forest.

   If you are not planting the seed and watering it, in no time, the rod of the wicked could come upon the righteous and the righteous will have no choice but to put their hands into iniquity. God forbid, I pray that does not happen to him.

   It is better for him to stand tall and stand erect for the rest of his life than get compromised by men of easy virtue.

   I wish he could contest as independent candidate in the 2015 general election. Apparently, there is no room for it either in the constitution or our electoral act.

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When You Need Your Breakthrough Now

 

When You Need Your Breakthrough Now

by info@strang.com (Bob Sorge)

Charisma Magazine / 2014-12-12 15:06

Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana, and Jesus' mother was also there. She came to Him and said, "They have no wine." So Jesus checked in with His Father. "Abba, how about it? Want Me to do something here?"

I imagine the Father's response must have been something like, "Not now. Too disruptive. Once You perform that first sign, it will tip the domino and there will be no going back. It will be full steam ahead toward Golgotha. It's premature. Let's hold off for now."

So Jesus turned to His mother and said, "It's not the right time."

But Mary wasn't about to accept no for an answer. She decided to push back. "We don't need wine tomorrow," I can suppose her saying to Jesus. "The wedding's not tomorrow, it's today. We need wine now." So she immediately said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

When I look at what Mary is doing here, it seems illegal to me. She is basically at loggerheads with Abba Father. The Father is saying, "Not now," and Mary is saying, "Now." Can you really have a difference with Almighty God and get what you want?

Maybe Mary pulled out her Mother card. "You know that Scripture says children are to honor their father and their mother!"

Whatever she did, Mary decided to leverage her relationship with Jesus. I can imagine her wondering, "How much relational equity do I have with You, anyway? I conceived You, carried You, pushed You into the world, nursed You, changed You, fed You, clothed You, protected You, trained You and raised You. Do I have enough equity in our relational bank to demand something of You when I need it?"

Relationship had made her bold.

Jesus' earthly mother and heavenly Father were at odds on the matter, and Jesus was caught in the middle. He looked over at His mother; then He looked up at His Father. "Abba, look at her. She's using her Mother card."

It's as though Abba shrugged and said, "Yeah, I know. What can You do?"

And Mary got her wine.

But she did more than just get an abundance of wine. She actually activated the advent of Christ's supernatural ministry. And what's really stunning is that she triggered it before its time. It was certainly due to come, but not just yet—as Jesus reminded her in John 2:4. Until Mary got into the mix, that is. She participated in what Peter later called, "hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:12). What Mary did here was epochal. She initiated, through her audacity, a new era in God's calendar.

And all because she needed wine now.

If you're looking at something that God has no intention of doing, then you can't accelerate it through your boldness. But if it's within His will, and you know it's just a matter of time before He does it, then Mary's example tells us we can put pressure on God's timetable. If you, like Mary, have relational equity with Jesus, you just might get your wine before its time.

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