Apostles, Prophets, and Revelations, Oh My!

I was a little bummed because I just haven't seen the power of God in church.

I think my post on "church pizza" was spot on.

Then, I got to working on a few pages on my website yesterday. There were some links that needed to go, some new ones to be added, but then there were a few links in particular that I hadn't even fully investigated myself.

The one in particular led to a page titled "Are There Modern Day Apostles and New Testament Prophets Today? by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D."

When you get done reading my post here, you need to click through on that link and read that article.

Apostles and prophets? 

Prophecy, now I've been giving that a lot of thought lately. Back in May when things started happening, I noticed the prophecy. God was laying things on my heart and mind so I spoke them. But then, those things started happening. That caught me by surprise and was quite humbling. For some reason I thought prophecy was a strange thing for ME to do, after all, God called me to be a "missionary" and to cast out devils.

It goes back to revelation. God will reveal Himself and His plans to those who seek diligently after Him.

Why should we think that the occurrences of John and Paul were so unique?

John was just a young man when he started out. He didn't know anything, but he really loved Jesus.

Paul was a devout and zealous murderer; a christian killer to be exact.

Why were they so special?

God CHOSE them.

Has God chosen you? If you have any doubts, do a New Testament search for the word "chosen".

God reveals Himself... God's Kingdom has Power... apostles and prophets...

So, last night, I was just bummed. I didn't even want to go to church (Oops! Did I type that out loud?). My wife wanted to go so I "went with her".

We got there, and they didn't have a song leader so they commissioned my wife. It appeared they didn't have a speaker so I was asked (and I almost didn't go!).

As it turned out, they did have a speaker. Interestingly enough though, the scriptures I would have given if I spoke, were covered by somebody else via testimony; I made note of that.

As the speaker brought his teaching on "offenses" (interesting, considering the past month's events!), something he said grabbed me. He had something specific he was going to give me. At the end, he asked me to come up, and he prayed a specific (God-led) blessing over me. I gladly received that!

After the service I got to talking to the fellow that testified. It took a little while, but I realized he WAS A PROPHET!

OH MY!

He didn't go by a specific title of "Prophet So-And-So", but he was the real deal.

At the end of our long conversation he said, "We'll have to go to the hospital together."

What?! I have been thinking all week about the guy who was SUPPOSED TO GO to the hospital with me to minister, but never did (that was last year).

So here's this guy, didn't know him before this conversation, and, OH MY!

So where's the power? He's got it.

So where are the prophets? He is one.

So who has God revealed Himself to lately? He can tell you and so could the speaker.

So when are you going to release me to go minister in the hospital, God? Very soon.

I think the last thing he said got to me even more - when God calls you to do something, He just rolls it out and IT'S DONE!

Oh, ya.  

"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13 "NASB)

It's God's work. He's doing it. He will see it through.

What a night...

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God Club

I'm still a little bummed (in Jesus Name).

Church prospecting, well, we're not just supposed to preach the Word; God's POWER should be displayed too.

Where Is the Power?

Not like a club meeting, but really seeing God's power. I crave it, and I know I'm not alone!

Then, there's this-

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."  Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)


Have you ever thought about that verse?

Have you ever sharpened a pocket knife or watched it done?

Dragging the blade across a stone... little pieces are scraped and ground off... I mean, OUCH!

Imagine yourself for a minute, being dragged across a course stone; little pieces of you being ground off...

Do you get this?

OUCH!

But it is for our good, right?

To be complete, and needing nothing... James 1:2-4

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Facebook Spankin'

Uh boy!  Give me a break!

Facebook, Facebook, FACEBOOK!

I sent too many friend requests and somebody complained.

Now, I'm locked down for 2 days, in FaceBook Jail, and can't submit any friend requests.

I think in the state of New York, and maybe Illinois that would classify as defamation and/or degradation of character. Some hack attorney, a corrupt judge and I'd land half a million dollars! Maybe I could change it to

Face-Duane!!!

Anyway...

I'm laughing on the inside. There's a big smile on my face as I type this. I'm only just slightly perturbed.

We could have some fun though. Everybody that reads this pass this on to your friends. Tell them to click on my FaceBook page and send me a friend request.
http://www.facebook.com/duane.hatter
It will probably hiccup, but follow through with the error report. We could flood FaceBook with a million requests...
Demand that they release Duane Hatter from FaceBook friend request jail!
It will become a web trend.
If we hit this hard enough, they'll even talk about it on the evening news-

"A Greeneville TN man was wrongfully jailed for submitting too many friend requests on FaceBook. Police patrols have been increased for fear of riots and looting.  Mark Zuckerberg was unavailable for comment."

What is FaceBook? Is it not a book-of-faces? I mean, everybody in your friend list, do you know them?
I mean, do you really know them?
Do you really, really know them?

Come on, I've got 261 "friends"... do they really know me?

Of course not! That's my point.

I'm not "spamming" anyone. I'm not trying to link people to an offshore pharmacy website,
I'm not trying to get them to an online casino,
I not even trying to get anybody to check out a male or female, young or old, straight or otherwise, single or multicolored dating/sire/escort service website.

I'm not selling anything....

It's late. We'll pick this up tomorrow...

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The New Living Translation - The NLT and Me

It wasn't that long ago, I was working with a fellow trying to disciple him in the things of the Lord. He was having a particularly hard time, but I know that all the answers are in God's word. I knew Romans had some of the answers I needed so I jumped on eSword to do some print-offs for our next study.

"I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." Romans 7:15 NLT

That's where it started, and I think it ended somewhere around the seventeenth verse of the eighth chapter.

I left the printout laying on the counter. My teenage daughter saw it and read it. She exclaimed how beautiful it was. Her comments were flattering, but I explained that I did not write it myself.

She was surprised even more.

I explained that it was out of the Bible.

She expressed she knew what the Bible was and says, but this particular rendering was so easy to read it was like a conversation between two people.

I told her it was the New Living Translation.

I then asked her if she would like a New Living Translation Bible of her own.

She ecstatically said yes!

I got her the "Student's Life Application Study Bible" NLT with a soft two-tone cover.

She tore into it like a little boy with a new comic book! I lost count of how many times since I have seen her reading it like a bookworm would a new novel.

I also got my wife a "Hands On Bible" for Christmas. I was hoping she would be able to use in children's church.

She fell in love with it and so did the kids. She had a hard time keeping it away from the kids so she could maintain the element of surprise when it came to game time.

Since then, she thought it would be good to have a "parallel" so she didn't have to lug several Bibles AND all her other supplies to and from church. I did a little searching around, and, sure enough, The People's Parallel Bible is just that - a KJV and NLT side by side. That has proved to be an invaluable tool for her.

Later on, the Lord blessed me with a surprise. I had entered a contest at a Bible ministry called Operation Worship.

I signed, I shared, I YouTubed,

and I won. The shirt is indeed cool, but the NLT Study Bible is an absolute treasure!

I have tried "study" Bibles before and have been very disappointed. These so-called study Bibles have notes that are drenched with denominational doctrines. Since they are generally so big, the only thing they are good for is adding stability to book ends.

The NLT Study Bible has been and remains to be a refreshing tool that stands up to its name. Every note, diagram, historical fact, time line, and piece of data is worthwhile, and not infected with false doctrines.

Reading the NLT Study Bible is like reading the Bible for the first time, or getting a Bible of your own in your own language after being taught from a Bible in a different language your whole life.

The NLT folks have a motto on their website,

"The Truth Made Clear"

Ya, that's it; I couldn't have said it better myself!

The study Bible had some special codes to get special access to some stuff on the website. That's pretty cool.

Through all this wide-eyed looking, I ended up at a personal blog of one of the NLT's big wigs. His name is Sean Harrison. In his blog he expressed his desire and concern for a venue for seekers of God and studiers of the Word to get together. He shared some stats from a conference and many thoughts and concerns regarding the situation. Through this I gained an appreciation for the people behind the NLT.

Mr. Harrison also mentioned a website, http://www.youversion.com

Thank you Sean Harrison!

That is the neatest site for studying and using the Word, particularly if you are on Twitter, Facebook, and if you blog. You will see bible.us links in all my stuff; that is from YouVersion.

"The Truth Made Clear"...

The reading and studying in the NLT has been a real blessing. I can say that it has really made a difference in my life. I have a better understanding of God and a better understanding of how God looks at me (and what He sees!).

My wife does a daily Bible study with the kids and part of that is from the NLT. It has really done wonderful things for the kids and their understanding of the Word.

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There is something very special about the NLT that I guess I'm having a hard time expressing in typed words. Maybe it's just too personal.

Let me try this-

Recently I went through a terrible trial. I mean, it was bad!
God was trying to tell me that I was about 3 steps from a terrible fall!
I didn't take heed to the warning and I fell! HARD!

I was mowing grass, listening to my iPod. I try not to waste time and strive to utilize grass mowing and yard work time by listening to good teaching/preaching and/or God's Word. That day I was listening to Mike Kellogg reading the Book of Job to me.

"In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God." Job 1:22 NLT

Ouch!

I did NOT share this same testimony with Job. He had it 1000 times worse, but he maintained his integrity.

Hearing Mike Kellogg read that into my ears was like my best friend telling me, "bubba, you messed up, man."

The reading of the NLT version of the Book of Job helped me get back to a proper standing with God that day. The NLT was a friend in a time of desperate need.

That friend that bails you out when your in trouble, you never forget him.

The NLT has been that kind of friend to me.

Does that make sense?

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