September 24, 2008 #630 / By Susan McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com
Some of the new worship music, I have to say, is different! It is good, but, different! Some of it, however, especially to someone my age, seems a bit repetitive and for my lyric-loving mind, could use a bit more message. But, then, I look again at the continuous repeated refrains of passages like Psalm 119 and I have to rethink my views. Still getting accustomed to repeated refrains, God stretched me again! A few weeks ago in an Outpouring service a young worship leader encouraged us to SHOUT to the Lord. I managed to get through it graciously even though it was quite disconcerting. What caused me to enter in was the stirring of God’s Spirit in my heart. I was rather conservative in “shouting” but as I joined in, I forgot anyone else was there because I became keenly aware I had drawn near to God and He was drawing NEAR to me in an amazing nearness. It is experiences like this that is curtailing my quick to judge attitude when something is new. I have just become comfortable with clapping my hands in praise. The Word is full of examples of God’s people shouting to Him and clapping their hands in worship. How does God feel about us shouting? It must be important to Him because I heard a stirring sermon on it last week and the minister is a stately, respectable man of God. What is God doing to me?
It is hard enough to go through a private transformation in my heart. I gulped my way through in obedience. However, He has laid it on my heart to write to you about it and I know some of you are going to think I have really lost it now. I made a few attempts to write this article and finally erased it all except the first paragraph. Today, I knew if I was going to be able to cover the subject He would have to make it clear to me. As God would have it, Ralph was away on a mission today and our hostess was out so I found myself alone in this lovely home. The Holy Spirit said, “So, now you have no excuse. Walk around and shout to the Lord. No one is going to hear you but us (The Trinity).” “Weird,” I thought to myself. I have learned the voice of the Spirit, and, I am learning to obey His nudges with much reluctance. At last got up from my writing table and began walking around the house with, I admit, a little louder voice than usual, but, I would not call it shouting!
I did keep my eyes on the windows as I walked through the house calling out to the Lord because I felt extremely awkward and for sure I did not want anyone to hear me or see me. I admit also that it took me a few rounds through the family room, dining room, and living room before both my mind and reasoning were overruled and my spirit was caught up with a shouting praise and proclamation. Before I knew it, I began to sound more and more like a voice of triumph. It is difficult to put into words, but, an amazing knowing came into my heart that things were significantly changing in the situations of need that I had dared to shout out to the Lord. It was not a begging shout; I brought needs to Him with faith-filled words of expectancy.
Go ahead, I dare you, try it! Are there any spiritual Jericho walls that need to come down in your life or some stubborn spiritual strongholds in the lives of those for whom you pray? Trust me, it did become easier and easier for me the longer I persisted in obedience. You see once the Lord laid it on my heart to “shout to the Lord” I took time to do a word study through the Bible on the word “shout” and as I read one verse after another faith began to rise in my spirit that God was calling me to another realm with Him. You may recall Jericho walls were wide enough for chariots to be driven along the tops of them! Talk about a stronghold!!! Consistent obedience followed by shouts resulted in angels pushing those walls down. Excavators have discovered the walls were pushed down by a Supernatural force! We are “priests and kings” and, when this Truth finally penetrates our thinking, we WILL see a transformed Body of Christ! Then we WILL Rise up and Shine. We will see enemies defeated miraculously!
Today was the first time I have shouted in praise. I began with timid expressions of praise and then I elevated to true worship. In the atmosphere of worship there was a shift to a new freedom to shout for breakthrough and even that justice be done in some situations I was bringing to the King. The Children of Israel shouted and they saw God pursue their enemies Himself. Somehow in my spirit I had a confirmation that spiritual battles were being won as I shouted praise in faith for soon coming, radical breakthroughs—a good new job for one of our sons, justice in an unfair situation, favor for a political candidate, healing for two men who have brain injuries, etc. I was obedient. Shouting in prayer was different, but, so was the outcome. I could sense God observing me. I knew I had His ear. I was well aware I had captured His heart. My communion with Him soared.
WOW! Promise me, when the Spirit prompts you to, “Shout to the Lord” that you obey more quickly than I. Send your testimonies! It will be exciting to see what happens for you! If you still feel hesitant, read Mark 10 through a few times until you picture yourself shouting to Jesus. How desperate are you in your need? Shout, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Shout it over and over! Trust me, He will show you His MERCY! He will step over close to you and touch you! SMc
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Eye of the Storm
September 17, 2008 #629 / By Ralph E. McIntosh /ralph@actsfoundation.com
Hurricanes are common this time of year. Weather men tell us that the best way to determine the direction and strength of the storm is to fly through it from one side to the other, right through “the eye.”
Spiritual storms are not much different. The power of God is out front and the flurry of criticism is right behind. But there is peace in the center. Finding the direction of God is best found by flying through the middle, not by riding the tail of the skeptics who would try to analyze instead of visualize or experience. Long distance observation is faulty at best. Susan and I feel privileged to have experienced first-hand the current “storm” of Revival in Lakeland for over a month! For ten years we have been “reporting” on moves of God on several continents. I can tell you that, in spite of the recent sad events of Todd Bentley’s step-down, God has been in the Florida Outpouring and still is. The original hosts, Ignited Church and its pastors, are dedicated to humbly serving the thousands who are hungry for God. The hundreds and hundreds of pastors and believers who keep coming to partake are still humbly taking home a new Fire and a genuine desire to deliver the excitement and power of God to friends and fellowships back home. Some have made repeated trips back to the Outpouring. Churches have sent delegations.
We have met wonderful people from Finland, South Africa, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, England, Scotland and many more. At times we have participated in “hand-to-hand combat” with the enemy when he did not want victory to come to some who came seeking both physical and mental healing. And contrary to the mistaken notion that Satan can’t bother a Christian, we have personally ministered deliverance on about ten believers who manifested demonic oppression and have gone home free. God is still healing the sick and setting captives FREE.
Following one meeting we prayed for a family who sold their possessions, rented a car and drove from Georgia to get healing for the father, Mike. He had a bad back from a fall and lumps all over his head from a genetic malady. Mike said to us, “You don’t understand, I can’t go home without a healing!” Thank the Lord that with prayer, at 1:00 am after an evening meeting, God used us to bring healing to Mike and his family. He is working again and the lumps are gone and the family is now preparing to go out as missionaries!
The wonderful fact is that God’s move is never for one town or city. It may start in one place, but His is not a secret society! God so loved the world…John 3:16. God is pouring His Spirit out in many cities worldwide. Susan and I have been also blessed by the Outpouring in Hawaii and we recently heard testimony of what God is doing in Argentina and in England. Welcome His Outpouring in your city!
His Eye
Safe inside of His Storm’s Eye,
All His forces swirl, defy.
Nothing stands against His Hand.
As it moves across the land.
True deliverance is His plan.
Awesome freedom for each man.
Let His Spirit blow through you,
Clearing out the old for new.
© Ralph E. McIntosh
August 2008, Lakeland, Florida
Hurricanes are common this time of year. Weather men tell us that the best way to determine the direction and strength of the storm is to fly through it from one side to the other, right through “the eye.”
Spiritual storms are not much different. The power of God is out front and the flurry of criticism is right behind. But there is peace in the center. Finding the direction of God is best found by flying through the middle, not by riding the tail of the skeptics who would try to analyze instead of visualize or experience. Long distance observation is faulty at best. Susan and I feel privileged to have experienced first-hand the current “storm” of Revival in Lakeland for over a month! For ten years we have been “reporting” on moves of God on several continents. I can tell you that, in spite of the recent sad events of Todd Bentley’s step-down, God has been in the Florida Outpouring and still is. The original hosts, Ignited Church and its pastors, are dedicated to humbly serving the thousands who are hungry for God. The hundreds and hundreds of pastors and believers who keep coming to partake are still humbly taking home a new Fire and a genuine desire to deliver the excitement and power of God to friends and fellowships back home. Some have made repeated trips back to the Outpouring. Churches have sent delegations.
We have met wonderful people from Finland, South Africa, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, England, Scotland and many more. At times we have participated in “hand-to-hand combat” with the enemy when he did not want victory to come to some who came seeking both physical and mental healing. And contrary to the mistaken notion that Satan can’t bother a Christian, we have personally ministered deliverance on about ten believers who manifested demonic oppression and have gone home free. God is still healing the sick and setting captives FREE.
Following one meeting we prayed for a family who sold their possessions, rented a car and drove from Georgia to get healing for the father, Mike. He had a bad back from a fall and lumps all over his head from a genetic malady. Mike said to us, “You don’t understand, I can’t go home without a healing!” Thank the Lord that with prayer, at 1:00 am after an evening meeting, God used us to bring healing to Mike and his family. He is working again and the lumps are gone and the family is now preparing to go out as missionaries!
The wonderful fact is that God’s move is never for one town or city. It may start in one place, but His is not a secret society! God so loved the world…John 3:16. God is pouring His Spirit out in many cities worldwide. Susan and I have been also blessed by the Outpouring in Hawaii and we recently heard testimony of what God is doing in Argentina and in England. Welcome His Outpouring in your city!
His Eye
Safe inside of His Storm’s Eye,
All His forces swirl, defy.
Nothing stands against His Hand.
As it moves across the land.
True deliverance is His plan.
Awesome freedom for each man.
Let His Spirit blow through you,
Clearing out the old for new.
© Ralph E. McIntosh
August 2008, Lakeland, Florida
A Call to Prayer
September 10, 2008 #628 / By Susan McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com
ACTS Team Member, Mary Sauer, recently brought to our attention a recently launched corporate prayer for America which we feel should be passed on to 2 Chronicles 7:14 intercessors in all of the 39 WWW/MMM nations. Mary is a woman of prayer. She prays for all of us. She processes most of the Foundation’s correspondence and heads a growing prayer ministry for prisoners. We know Mary already has her alarm clock set to go off, alerting her to pause and intercede for America and for your nations. Bless you, Mary! As Mother Teresa was to orphans, you are a spiritual, interceding mother to thousands!
She has passed on a reminder to all of us that God responds to corporate prayer! “If My people pray…” You may remember reading that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.
WWW/MMM, this is a fantastic call! We invite all of you to organize a prayer army in your nation. You can start by phoning a few friends and family members. Encourage them to phone a few more people. You know how fast good news can travels! In the US others have already begun so I am joining them—it is just one minute each evening at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, 8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time, and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. All of our nations need intercessory prayer. You might not be an orator, a journalist, a politician, or in the public eye. HOWEVER, you can step up, or kneel down, or sit down for one minute each evening and lift your family, your community, and your nation up to the Lord in prayer and be assured that those you have rallied to pray with you and thousands around the world are also “standing in the gap” before Father’s throne!
Can you imagine the JOY such prayer-of-agreement-from across-the-nations piercing through the Heavens straight to the heart of God! WOW! Just think, we WWW/MMM alone represent 39 countries! The prayer of agreement is POWERFUL! We can bellyache about world problems OR we can reach out and spiritually grasp hands with believers worldwide and move like a mighty Army of the Lord, preparing the Way of the Lord! It is exciting. You may be one of our readers who is in prison, YOU can be a HISTORY MAKER! Gather a band of prayer warriors and syncrize your watches. They might be in their cell and you in yours but in the Spiritual realm, you are marching through Heaven’s gates TOGETHER in AGREEMENT and my Bible tells me, God will respond gloriously! You might be elderly, be sitting in a wheelchair, be a missionary in an assignment hundreds of miles from your nation, be a renowned doctor, be a military or government man or woman, be a busy mom home-schooling, or be a student busy with college courses. We can make a huge difference. We can worry or try to ignore economical, political, personal, relationship, and welfare problems. But, we can also make a difference! We can be history makers.
Some of you may respond, “I wouldn’t know what to pray.” My first reply would be, “Ask the Lord to show you.” I stand by that, but, to prime the pump of interceding, History Makers, here is a sample of my own prayers: “Father, in faith, I grab hands with Believers around the world and gather with them here at Your Throne. We acknowledge You as our Father. Teach us how to hallow and honor You MORE in our daily lives. Corporately, in this minute of intercessory prayer, we acknowledge our need for a deeper dependency on You. Forgive us for grieving Your Holy Spirit. Forgive the many sins of our nations. Cleanse us, Lord. Convict us of sin. Transform our hearts as we wait expectantly in Your presence. We long to experience Your Kingdom in our own lives and in our nation. Teach us how to humble ourselves, pray, and seek Your face on behalf of our nation. Heal our land! Thy Kingdom COME. Thy Will be DONE in us as it is in Heaven. Hallelujah! We praise You together, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!”
ACTS Team Member, Mary Sauer, recently brought to our attention a recently launched corporate prayer for America which we feel should be passed on to 2 Chronicles 7:14 intercessors in all of the 39 WWW/MMM nations. Mary is a woman of prayer. She prays for all of us. She processes most of the Foundation’s correspondence and heads a growing prayer ministry for prisoners. We know Mary already has her alarm clock set to go off, alerting her to pause and intercede for America and for your nations. Bless you, Mary! As Mother Teresa was to orphans, you are a spiritual, interceding mother to thousands!
She has passed on a reminder to all of us that God responds to corporate prayer! “If My people pray…” You may remember reading that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.
WWW/MMM, this is a fantastic call! We invite all of you to organize a prayer army in your nation. You can start by phoning a few friends and family members. Encourage them to phone a few more people. You know how fast good news can travels! In the US others have already begun so I am joining them—it is just one minute each evening at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, 8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time, and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. All of our nations need intercessory prayer. You might not be an orator, a journalist, a politician, or in the public eye. HOWEVER, you can step up, or kneel down, or sit down for one minute each evening and lift your family, your community, and your nation up to the Lord in prayer and be assured that those you have rallied to pray with you and thousands around the world are also “standing in the gap” before Father’s throne!
Can you imagine the JOY such prayer-of-agreement-from across-the-nations piercing through the Heavens straight to the heart of God! WOW! Just think, we WWW/MMM alone represent 39 countries! The prayer of agreement is POWERFUL! We can bellyache about world problems OR we can reach out and spiritually grasp hands with believers worldwide and move like a mighty Army of the Lord, preparing the Way of the Lord! It is exciting. You may be one of our readers who is in prison, YOU can be a HISTORY MAKER! Gather a band of prayer warriors and syncrize your watches. They might be in their cell and you in yours but in the Spiritual realm, you are marching through Heaven’s gates TOGETHER in AGREEMENT and my Bible tells me, God will respond gloriously! You might be elderly, be sitting in a wheelchair, be a missionary in an assignment hundreds of miles from your nation, be a renowned doctor, be a military or government man or woman, be a busy mom home-schooling, or be a student busy with college courses. We can make a huge difference. We can worry or try to ignore economical, political, personal, relationship, and welfare problems. But, we can also make a difference! We can be history makers.
Some of you may respond, “I wouldn’t know what to pray.” My first reply would be, “Ask the Lord to show you.” I stand by that, but, to prime the pump of interceding, History Makers, here is a sample of my own prayers: “Father, in faith, I grab hands with Believers around the world and gather with them here at Your Throne. We acknowledge You as our Father. Teach us how to hallow and honor You MORE in our daily lives. Corporately, in this minute of intercessory prayer, we acknowledge our need for a deeper dependency on You. Forgive us for grieving Your Holy Spirit. Forgive the many sins of our nations. Cleanse us, Lord. Convict us of sin. Transform our hearts as we wait expectantly in Your presence. We long to experience Your Kingdom in our own lives and in our nation. Teach us how to humble ourselves, pray, and seek Your face on behalf of our nation. Heal our land! Thy Kingdom COME. Thy Will be DONE in us as it is in Heaven. Hallelujah! We praise You together, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!”
Fault Lines
September 3, 2008 #627 / By Ralph E. McIntosh / ralph@actsfoundation.com
I am from California. I was born there in 1946 to missionary parents who promptly took me to Mexico at a very young age. Mexico became my second home and Spanish, the language of my heart! Both California and Mexico have the dubious distinction of having earthquakes. I have experienced them in both places and they can be less than fun!
Fault Lines are cracks in the earth’s surface. It is along these cracks that the immense pressure of shifting layers of the earth can suddenly give way causing earthquakes when the friction can take no more stress.
I see the great moves of God as spiritual fault lines in our belief systems, but they are not faulty! They do cause us to be very uncomfortable with the shaking and the uncertainty about where things will settle! As I look at Scripture, Jesus was very comfortable with making the religious uncomfortable. Sometimes we need to be shaken off dead-center. We don’t need to be eccentric; we need to be God-centric! (Ezekiel 37 is a good picture of what “spiritual shaking” accomplishes.
Personally, I am more comfortable without shouting “Hallelujah” or jumping while loud music is played. However, when you hear the testimonies of redemption from the world’s system, it makes one want to yell and jump if you haven’t done so before. Besides it is Scriptural to “shout to the Lord” and to “leap for joy.”
I have been grieved to read some of the comments on the Internet written often by those who are trying to discredit what God has been doing. It is truly amazing. Obviously, every good fruitcake has some nuts in it! We met a few of them too! By far the majority people we met at the Outpouring were genuine believers wanting nothing but God’s perfect will for them and their families.
If only the critics would take the time to come and listen and worship alongside some real people, they would have less to criticize. I noticed something on the
Internet that amused me. The blogs and videos that were negative received more attention that the positive ones! What does this tell you about the hunger for God of even the Christian public?
Let’s all pray that we focus on Faith and not on frenzy!
Luke 18--Men ought always to pray and not to faint…Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican… The Pharisee represents the religious and “better than thou” while the publican cried out to the Lord from his acknowledged humility and genuine need.
Hearts-of-Faith
Hearts-of-Faith from miles apart,
Here, converge, to do their part.
Come to lift up Jesus’ name,
Then return--but not the same.
Drawn, we come with common cause,
Lifting hearts and faith’s applause,
Driven only by His love,
Looking to His face above.
We can never be the same.
We will always praise His Name.
Touched by Jesus’ mighty hand.
Now empowered for our lands.
Oh the Lord of every morning.
Oh His glory now surrounding.
Oh the mercy of His blessing.
Oh His awesome love abounding.
©Ralph E. McIntosh / 9/2/08 / Lakeland, Florida
I am from California. I was born there in 1946 to missionary parents who promptly took me to Mexico at a very young age. Mexico became my second home and Spanish, the language of my heart! Both California and Mexico have the dubious distinction of having earthquakes. I have experienced them in both places and they can be less than fun!
Fault Lines are cracks in the earth’s surface. It is along these cracks that the immense pressure of shifting layers of the earth can suddenly give way causing earthquakes when the friction can take no more stress.
I see the great moves of God as spiritual fault lines in our belief systems, but they are not faulty! They do cause us to be very uncomfortable with the shaking and the uncertainty about where things will settle! As I look at Scripture, Jesus was very comfortable with making the religious uncomfortable. Sometimes we need to be shaken off dead-center. We don’t need to be eccentric; we need to be God-centric! (Ezekiel 37 is a good picture of what “spiritual shaking” accomplishes.
Personally, I am more comfortable without shouting “Hallelujah” or jumping while loud music is played. However, when you hear the testimonies of redemption from the world’s system, it makes one want to yell and jump if you haven’t done so before. Besides it is Scriptural to “shout to the Lord” and to “leap for joy.”
I have been grieved to read some of the comments on the Internet written often by those who are trying to discredit what God has been doing. It is truly amazing. Obviously, every good fruitcake has some nuts in it! We met a few of them too! By far the majority people we met at the Outpouring were genuine believers wanting nothing but God’s perfect will for them and their families.
If only the critics would take the time to come and listen and worship alongside some real people, they would have less to criticize. I noticed something on the
Internet that amused me. The blogs and videos that were negative received more attention that the positive ones! What does this tell you about the hunger for God of even the Christian public?
Let’s all pray that we focus on Faith and not on frenzy!
Luke 18--Men ought always to pray and not to faint…Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican… The Pharisee represents the religious and “better than thou” while the publican cried out to the Lord from his acknowledged humility and genuine need.
Hearts-of-Faith
Hearts-of-Faith from miles apart,
Here, converge, to do their part.
Come to lift up Jesus’ name,
Then return--but not the same.
Drawn, we come with common cause,
Lifting hearts and faith’s applause,
Driven only by His love,
Looking to His face above.
We can never be the same.
We will always praise His Name.
Touched by Jesus’ mighty hand.
Now empowered for our lands.
Oh the Lord of every morning.
Oh His glory now surrounding.
Oh the mercy of His blessing.
Oh His awesome love abounding.
©Ralph E. McIntosh / 9/2/08 / Lakeland, Florida
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Guilt by Association (Harry Potter Re-visited)
At a recent meeting in
A couple of verses that say nothing directly about sorcery or witchcraft are, however, great guidelines for our thoughts and perhaps the most powerful directives against dabbling in the occult ( relating to, or dealing with secret supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena ). They read like this…
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. NAS
In other words, what ever we plant in our brain we will reap. Would any of us want to reap the results of witchcraft?
Matthew 12:34-37 34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak(or read), they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will condemned. KJV
Note also that on numerous occasions the occult is linked with whoredom, adultery, rebellion, etc. It is an association that is closely linked in Scripture and carries a load of guilt with it.
Lev. 20:6. And the soul that turns after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 7. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. 8. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.
Revelation 21:8 8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
ACTS
Other Scripture to review: Revelation 22:15, 1 Samuel 15:23, 2 Kings 9:22, 2 Chronicles 33:1-6, Micah 5:12-13, Nahum 3:4-6, Galatians 5:19-21, Malachi 3:5-7, Acts 13:6-8
Our prayer is that none of the works of the enemy, especially witchcraft and related dark subjects, will hold any attraction for you or your family. If this has been a trap, take a clue from Scripture and gather the things together (books,
International contact lines: (01)
Correspondence & Donations
ACTS Foundation, Inc.
ACTS
Stoke on
I Want More
Lord, I Want More…
More than sight;
Give me insight.
More than education;
Help me have Your wisdom.
More than touch;
Help me feel.
More than a walk;
Help me finish the race.
More than rest;
Help me lean on You.
More than winning;
Help me be triumphant.
More than my world;
Help me see the nations!
By Ralph E. McIntosh ©2000
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