Die Gnade des Herrn bahnt den Weg für Euch,
Euer Bruder in IHM
Stefan Wenninger
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B
oth sin and sickness came into the world through the fall of the human race. Therefore, we must look for the healing of both in the savior of the human race. God is as willing to heal believer's as He is to forgive unbeliever's. Know this, if He was merciful enough to forgive you when you were unconverted, He is merciful enough to heal you now that you are in His family! - T. L. Osborn
(An open vision given to David Colister, Visuacom CEO and founder, in 1983 about the release of an army of full-time ministers:)
DEPLOYING (aufstellen / stationieren) THE ARMY OF GOD
I'm no prophet. But in 1983, while in prayer, I had an open vision (i.e., I
could see it with my natural eyes) that set my life on a new course. In the
vision, my view was brought very near to what seemed to be the baseboard (Fußbodenleiste) of
a paneled (getäfelt) room. I was so close to the wooden floor and wall that I could
see the smallest grains (Maserung) ever so clearly. As I looked at the wall, the
grains suddenly turned into people! Then, like a mighty waterfall, they
flooded from the wall onto the floor. In perfect unison, they formed a
rushing, orderly, passionate army that ran straight toward the enemy lines
shouting a victorious battle cry.
"Lord," I asked, as my heart pounded with excitement, "who are these people?"
"These are My mighty warriors," He replied, "whom I will release in the
Last Days. In a day I will send them forth into battle. For now, I have
them hidden in their professions. They are doctors, lawyers, homemakers,
carpenters, accountants, salesmen, students, people of all ages, and in
nearly every line of work. One day soon, however, they will be called into
their ranks, and with great power to heal and work miracles in My name,
they will go forth into battle and will win many souls to My kingdom as
ministers.
"The timing and the speed of my releasing them," He said, "is critical to
catching the enemy's camp unprepared. The devil knows of My plans, but he
cannot get his people (that is the unbelievers) to prepare for it, because
they are motivated only by what they see and not by faith as are My people.
Since these warriors have non-clergical jobs, those in the world do not
recognize them as My ministers. When they go forth in My power the world
will say, 'Where did all these powerful ministers of the Lord come from?
It's as if they are coming out of the woodwork!' (Thus, the imagery of the
people pouring out of the wooden wall.)
"Presently," He continued, "the world despises My people and sees them as
harmless farmer-types. 'They speak only in terms of sowing and reaping,'
the world says, 'they are no threat to us.'
"But in a day, in a short season, I will release them to their respective
callings!" He said with zeal (Eifer) in His voice, "I will turn these principles of
'sowing and reaping' I have taught them and turn them into principles of
warfare ! The enemy's camp will be devastated (am Boden zerstört seiN)
by the suddenness of the release of all these ministers and My name will be
glorified on the earth!"
Being the "Doubting Thomas" that I am sometimes, I said, "Lord, please
confirm this vision to me and let me know this is not my imagination. Give
me a scripture that confirms what You are saying to me!"
Then the voice of God answered, "Joel 3:9-11."
It reads, "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the
warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your
plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling
say, 'I am strong!' Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and
assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!" (NIV)
APPLYING THE VISION
I have pondered this vision often and the many scriptures which support it.
It has become for me the bedrock upon which I have built my thinking toward
the Cell church movement, church government, revival strategy,
communication and interaction between believers, and my business plan. I
see every person who is born again, and not currently operating in some
powerful ministry capacity, as a hidden warrior who will one day soon be
released to a powerful ministry.
It is interesting to me that at the time I received this vision -- 1983,
toward the end of the Charismatic movement -- that the primary theme of
ministers' messages were about "sowing and reaping." Since then, there was
a theme shift. That shift was "spiritual warfare." During the last two
decades, we have gone from farming themes to warfare themes. God has
fulfilled the verses in Joel 2 that He gave me: "Beat your plowshares into
swords and your pruning hooks into spears." Do you realize what this means?
We have lived through the fulfillment of a key End Time scripture (Joel 3:
9-11) related to revival! You were part of that prophetic fulfillment!
THE LOGISTICS OF REVIVAL
Now we must fulfill the mandate to have the weaklings say they are strong:
"Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!' Come quickly, all you nations from
every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!" (NIV)
Ephesians 4:11-13 says, "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to
prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may
be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of
the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ." (NIV)
Clearly, those called to the five-fold ministry gifts are to prepare the
rest of "God's people for works of service..." The word "service" here can
also be translated "ministry." I am excited for the body of Christ, because
of what we are about to witness and participate in a great revival! Until
then, we must all press on with even greater focus to teach every believer
that he or she is a minister. This dynamic is essential to the release of
the revival.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field."
MATT 9:37-38
The key to revival, or great harvest, is releasing laborers into the work
of ministry. Obviously there are other important dynamics essential to
revival (prayer, fasting, holiness, etc.). But in these verses (and others
like them), Jesus seems to be saying that we can boil our praying down to
its smallest component--releasing people into their respective ministries.
Our cries for revival should resound with, "Father, release your called
ones to ministry!"
If we want to win one billion people to Jesus in the next several years, a
goal many ministries are believing God for, we must also release at least
ten million more people into full-time ministry. Why? Because the ratio of
full-time ministers to new converts would be 1 to 100 (1,000,000,000 new
converts, divided into groups of 100 converts = 10,000,000 groups who need
full-time ministers to lead them). Most church consultants and pastors will
tell you that to properly care for the needs of new converts, the ratio
should be closer to 1 full-time minister for every 50 new converts, not
including part-time and volunteer ministers.
REPLACING OUTDATED PARADIGMS
When the glory of God's light on this subject completely burns through the
ancient "clergy versus laity" (Geistliche gegenüber Laien) clouds that block the "ordinary" believer's vision of their gifts and callings, we will experience the greatest revival
ever known! As we begin to see ourselves as ministers, it will be a sign to
us that the Lord of the Harvest will release untold masses into full-time
ministry with great signs and wonders following them. It will be an
unprecedented move of the Spirit with souls won to Jesus in great numbers,
miracles worked by people who previously experienced little or no power,
and strong disciples being made of whose who think they are"weaklings."
Christian leaders, help those whom God has entrusted to your care to know
they are ministers. Teach the weak among us, those who think they have
little ministry gifting, to say they are strong. Do it quickly and
thoroughly and we shall soon see the Spirit of God sweep through the
nations for an unprecedented harvest!
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The chicken. Which comes first,
the ministers or the revival? The ministers.
Hasten revival, Lord! Set your "called ones" free! Send out your warriors,
O Lord!
David Colister
david@forerunnerchurch.com