editor - morningstar ministries
TRANSCRIPT
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2 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
EDITOR A Note From Rick Joyner .................................4Inspire....................................................................6
FEATURES
Preparing The Way For The Lord, Part X..........8Adventures in Dreaming, Part X ...................18 Restoration of America .................................28 Six Characteristics of the Coming Revival .....36God’s Hardest Commandment .......................42
QUOTES Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
14-15, 24-25, 34-35, 40-41
CONTENTSFEATURE VIDEO8
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CONTENTS The MorningStar Journal / November 2015 Volume 25 / No. 10
Missions...............................................16 MorningStar University....................26 PPTV...................................................44 Ministry...............................................46 Fifty Plus..............................................48 Advancing Art....................................50 Reader’s Favorites...............................52 MFM Directory................................54
FEATURE VIDEO
FEATURE VIDEO
FEATURE ART
FEATURE VIDEO
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FEATURE VIDEO
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EDITOR R
ick
Joyn
er
A Note From Rick
Rick Joyner shares about an upcoming change to The eJournal— the move from a monthly to a quarterly publication beginning January 2016. He also gives details about The Oak Initiative, and he talks about the New Year’s Conference and its importance for those closely connected to MorningStar.
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Rick Joyner has authored more than fifty books, including The Final Quest Trilogy, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, and The Path. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, a multi-faceted mission organization which includes Heritage International Ministries, MorningStar University, The MorningStar Fellowship of Churches and Ministries, and CMM/MorningStar Missions—an umbrella organization serving over 500 missionaries in the field, and over ten thousand churches, schools, and ministries around the world.
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“Food at the proper time”
Autumn—a season of brisk minutes of daily living, but also of quiet moments where God whispers of the change He is bringing to hearts, homes, workplaces, and the earth. Our world may be in constant motion, but we are anchored to the One who does not change (see Malachi 3:6).
In Publications, the winds of change are indeed blowing. As Rick Joyner announced in the October issue, The MorningStar Journal is making the exciting transition from a monthly to a quarterly publication in January 2016. For twenty-five years, we have worked to provide “meat in due season” in this publication. The MorningStar Journal will continue to offer even more outstanding material in each quarterly issue through voices from the past as well as introducing new ones. The e-Journal version will continue to be available. You will also be able to order individual hardcopies of each issue on demand through Amazon.com.
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for more information on how to order a particular issue of The Journal.
Stop, reflect, and listen. As our world spins at seemingly ever-increasing speed, the Lord calls His people to Selah, to pause and hear His heart once again. Jim Buchan’s article on page 42 is a beautiful reminder of this need to connect to the One who is our life, even for just a few minutes throughout our day.
As we draw near to God, our hearing increases. Rick Joyner reminds us in his article on page 8 that even in uncertain times the Lord is anxious to come for a bride who is longing for Him. On page 18, Justin Perry explains how God uses symbolism in dreams to connect with us, and Karla Perry and Bishop Wellington Boone provide practical insight into how God’s wisdom can be applied.
In this beautiful month of Thanksgiving, I bless you with Psalm 118:29:
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (NKJV).
Standing with you,Emilie LealManaging Editor
Inspire
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Special thanks to various photographers and interns whose work appearsthroughout this issue of The MorningStar Journal.
Featured Artist: Susan CardPhotography: Joel Jackson- pp. 25,35
Additional Artwork: Henry Ossawa Tanner- page 37, Sandra Quesada- page 39
FOUNDER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
RICK JOYNER
For inquires about The MorningStar Journal, contact: [email protected]
For reprint requests and permissions, please write to: [email protected]
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor Emilie Leal
Assistant Editor Deb Williams
ADMINISTRATION
Digital Support Chelsea Jackson
Customer Support Jessi Moss Watson
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Rick Joyner, Justin Perry,Karla Perry, Wellington Boone,
Jim Buchan
ART & DESIGN
Art Director Michael Carter
VIDEO EDITOR
John Babko
Assistant Video Editors
Josh August, Bridgett Lemos
Technology Support Bren Eifler
SOCIAL MEDIA
Specialist Jaimee Bingle
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s we are covering the Lord’s discourse about the signs of
the end of this age, we have now come to Matthew 24:13-14:
But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
FEATURES
A
JOYNERRICK
Preparing The Way For The LordPart X
The Greek word translated “saved” in this text could also be translated “delivered.” This is not addressing our salvation through the redemption of the cross, but deliverance from the great troubles that are coming upon the world.
Some use this verse to validate the “pre-tribulation rapture,” but this does not make sense because the verse promises deliverance to those who endure to the end. The exhortation here is clearly one that exhorts us to be ready to endure, but to do so
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JOYNER
with the assurance that the Lord will deliver those who endure to the end.
This should not necessarily be used to refute the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. We know that there will be a time when those still on the earth who are the Lord’s will be “caught up” to meet Him in the clouds (see I Thessalonians 4:17). This is popularly known as “the rapture” of the church. There are verses that could seem to indicate that this happens pre, mid, or post tribulation. In my opinion, all of these are too ambiguous to be emphatic about. Let us be ready at all times to go and be with the Lord or continue the work we are here to do.
When something such as this is left ambiguous, it is because that is how the Lord wanted it. It is a serious presumption to try and carry to a logical conclusion that which God has only revealed in part. This is the probable source of most heresies. A heresy is not just a wrong doctrine—it is a wrong doctrine that causes division in the church. This is one of the seven things that we are told in Proverbs that God hates. When a doctrine cannot
be clearly established by Scripture, then we must allow believers the freedom to determine what they believe. As the Moravians put it, “About the essentials we need unity, in the non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
Personally, I have resolved to know that rapture will happen and try to be ready at all times. However, I also prepare for it not to come until the end, and therefore, I am resolved to be ready to endure to the end. I
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think it is much better to be ready to endure than to not be ready and have to. I understand that some find this kind of ambiguity difficult, but we have abundant examples of how being too rigid about how biblical prophecy will be fulfilled is often a recipe for missing the Lord’s purpose in it. The Lord’s first coming is a good example. Because Jesus did not come in a form or way that was expected, many missed the time of the greatest visitation of God up to that point.
I also realize that refusing to take a position on such things tends to make those who do mad, but so be it. I do not base my beliefs on how people react to them or what I would prefer to be true, but on what I clearly see established in the Scriptures. If something is not clearly established in the Word I may have an opinion on it, but I am holding to that opinion loosely while remaining open to being persuaded by clear and convincing proof.
I also think those most secure in their beliefs will be fine with allowing the things that God has only revealed in part to stay that way. Even though I have seen some Christian publications confidently assert what I believe about something, their testimony is not true. To date, I have not yet read one account of my beliefs on a matter written by someone else that was accurate. Of course, that makes me doubt everything else they write.
That being said, I am confident that the end of this age and the second coming of Jesus is near. I understand why some think that we are already in the great time of trouble, or “the great tribulation” that will make the very end. However, there is one factor that Matthew 24:13-14 addresses that has not yet been fulfilled, and therefore, until we see this, the end of this age is yet in the future. This factor is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world as a testimony to all nations.
I know some believe that because of Christian television, radio, internet, and so on, we could say that the gospel has now been preached in all nations. I do think a gospel may have been preached in all nations, but not the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of our personal salvation is not the same as the gospel of the kingdom.
Let us be ready at all times to go and be with the Lord or continue the work we are here to do.
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The gospel of salvation is so great that it is understandable some would stop and celebrate this for the rest of their lives. We will be celebrating this for eternity it is so awesome, but it is not the gospel of the kingdom—it is the gospel of salvation. The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming King and His kingdom to the earth. We have been praying for nearly two thousand years for His kingdom to come so that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven, and it is going to happen.
“Gospel” means “good news,” and this is the best news that the world has ever heard. This message that Jesus is coming back to take over the world will be the greatest message of hope ever heard on the earth. It will come during some of the earth’s darkest times—the end of this age. Even so, His government will be established over the whole earth, and all nations will serve and obey Him.
We also know from the sure word of prophecy, or biblical prophecy, that the earth will be restored to the original paradise for which it was created. There will be no more death, disease, hunger, or pain, and no one will hurt anyone else. No philosophy of utopia or any other religion has a greater hope, and this is not just a hope—it is NEWS. It is established, and about this we can be sure.
About the timing of the coming of the King and His kingdom, we are told not to be in darkness so that the day does not catch us like a thief (see I Thessalonians 5:4), but we are also told that no man can know the day or the hour. Basically, we are exhorted not to be caught off guard, but the Father has not even revealed to the Son the specific time of His coming (see Matthew 24:36). Obviously, we cannot know the exact time, but we should be watching at all times so we are not overtaken by the day of the Lord without being ready.
There is one Scripture that could indicate a major factor in the timing of the coming of the Lord—II Peter 3:12. After discussing the events of the
Because Jesus did not come in a form
or way that was expected, many missed the time
of the greatest visitation of God up to that point.
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end of the age, Peter says something remarkable. He says we should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” This indicates that we could speed up the coming of the day of God—we could actually be a factor in determining the timing!
As the governments of this world are “melting like wax,” as prophesied in Psalm 97, it is more imperative than ever to pray for His kingdom to come. The problems we now face are growing beyond human remedy in almost every area. The great troubles that are now cascading down upon humanity are the result of man thinking that he could run things without God, and when this age is over, all of creation will know that we must not ever try to do that again!
We have plenty of examples in Scripture of the Lord responding to the cries of desperation from His people, but that desperation to be
delivered from our troubles is not what we are told will cause the Lord to come. There is something much greater that He is waiting for—a bride that yearns for Him so much that she will do everything she can to hasten His coming.
As we see in the last verses of the Book of Revelation, it is when the Spirit and the bride say “Come!” that He comes. This will be a cry of desperation from the bride, but not because of troubles, but it is the desperation from no longer being able to contain her desire for the Lord.
The highest purpose of man is to know and love the Lord. The end of the age is the harvest, and it is at harvest time that all seeds have grown to full maturity. All that has been sown into man will be coming to maturity at the end of this age, both the good and the evil. The good seed is going to be a love for
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God that has fully matured in His people to the degree that we just cannot live without His presence.
The reason why the Spirit and the bride say “Come!” together is because the Spirit is the personification of the love between
the Father and the Son. It is the Spirit that will know when the love that the Son prayed would be in His people is mature and ready to be reaped from the earth.
So how can we hasten the coming of the day of God? There are a number of factors, such as the need to preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the earth. However, the greatest of all is that we grow in our love for Him to the point where it can no longer be contained. Then He will not be able to resist coming to His bride. Then the Father who loves Him and loves us so much cannot delay any longer to release His Son to come.
So there are two great signs of the end of the age that have not yet been fulfilled. One is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, and the other is the bride making herself ready. What do we have better to do than to try to hasten the coming of the day of God? If
that is our devotion, then giving ourselves to seeing these fulfilled should be in order.
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QUOTES
Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
“The fastest way out of the wilderness is to be thankful, even for the
wilderness.”–Rick Joyner
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Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
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INSIDE MISSIONS
Isaiah KadirI Shares a Now Word for America
Be blessed as you hear this anointed prophet share his God-encounter and a word for America in this season.
PARROTTJORGE
Jorge Parrott is the Missions Director at MorningStar. He has led CMM for seventeen years.
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Strategic-Covert MissionsAs Founder of The Bible Evangelistic Ministry Project, Maria is passionate about helping believers and not-yet
believers encounter God’s Word. She is calling churches to adopt the Bible
Project, making the most timid person an evangelist. Pray, and as God leads,
go to: http://eaglemissions.org
Ismael has God’s heart for young people, those who are hurting, and the homeless. Watch the Father’s heart come through this great man of God. Pray, and as God leads, go to http://eaglemissions.org
Ismael from Kenya Shares Updates of His Awesome Ministry
Two Essentials: Urgency and Rest
By Jorge Parrott
Thomas Paine wrote almost two hundred fifty years ago, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” These words are often thought of as the seeds of the American Revolution. Faith, courage, and obedience are necessary to bring restoration to our families and those the Lord calls us to as reconcilers and peace-speakers.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Adventures in Dreaming, Part X:Thinking Symbolically
PERRYJUSTIN
FEATURES
reams are often mysterious and require interpretation.
This is because some dreams are communicated in visual or symbolic language. This series, “Adventures in Dreaming,” has not primarily been about symbolism, but I felt it would be appropriate to include a section on thinking symbolically. This is placed near the end of the series because the principles mentioned previously may be a better starting point for the journey of understanding dreams.
Once we understand the supernatural nature of various categories of dreams, we are better positioned to interpret them.
Dream Hermeneutics
The process of interpreting and understanding language is called “hermeneutics.” We use hermeneutics every day. Any time we read something written by another or have a conversation with someone,
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we are practicing hermeneutics. We are listening or reading that we may “understand” the language being used—to know what is meant rather than merely what is said.
It has been said, in jest, that hermeneutics are especially important in husband-wife communication. This is because we must be careful to understand what our spouse means when they speak, not only what they say. In like manner, to interpret dreams, we must ascertain the meanings of these nocturnal parables, not just the forthright communication. We are in need of sound “dream hermeneutics.”
As Kevin Conner teaches in his book, Interpreting the Scriptures, the hermeneutic words in Scripture (words that pertain to interpretation or understanding of language) nearly all have to do with interpreting dreams and visions. Understanding and interpreting dreams is an important theme in biblical hermeneutics. The Bible is full of dreams and visions. It is also full of symbols: numbers, animals, and colors. These biblical symbols commonly show up in our dreams.
PERRY
Categories of Symbols
In his book, You May All Prophesy, Steve Thompson lists three distinct categories of symbolism, which are useful for our study and helpful in interpreting all prophetic revelation, including dreams. These basic categories are: Biblical Symbolism, Contemporary Symbolism, and Personal Symbolism. I will briefly comment on the relevance of each for understanding dreams.
Biblical Symbolism
Biblical symbols in our dreams may be the easiest to interpret. A simple concordance search can yield great insight as we read various appearances of a symbol in Scripture. For example, the number eight often speaks of new beginnings. This is because in the Bible, God preserved eight people in the ark when He made a new beginning for the earth. Also, God established a seven day week, therefore the eighth day is the beginning of a new week.
Biblical symbols often build in sig-nificance as the narrative unfolds. In
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the first few chapters of Genesis, we find many symbols introduced: The Garden; The River; The Tree; Fruit; The Serpent; The Seed (the Promised Redeemer); Blood (animal sacrifice). Each of these symbols introduced in Genesis (The Book of Beginnings) is found through-out the Bible and culminates in the Book of Revelation. If you follow each of them through the Bible, you can see an unfolding revelation of their meaning. In hermeneutics, the principle that the understanding of a concept unfolds as it progresses in Scripture is called the Complete Mention Principle.
Let us consider the symbolism of “the seed” in Genesis 3:15. This verse contains the first mention of God’s plan of redemption. At the moment God “discovers” the sin of Adam and Eve, He promises a coming Seed who will crush the head of the serpent—even though His heel will be bruised in the process.
As we follow the symbol through the Bible, God promises that this Seed will come forth through Abraham and then through David. In the New Testament, we find that the Seed is Christ (see Galatians 3:16; II Timothy 2:8) and He is bruised at the cross. The deceptively small serpent of the Garden has become the dragon in the Book of Revelation, and he is crushed by the Seed (see Revelation 20:1–10).
Personal Symbolism
Just as we can identify symbols in Scripture to understand their meaning, we can also identify symbols in our own lives.
When I was a child, my aunt had a huge satellite dish in her backyard. I was fascinated as I imagined this dish receiving information all the way from the heavens. When I became a Christian and began to operate in the prophetic, I noticed that God often used the image of a satellite dish to speak to me about someone’s prophetic gift. Prophetic gifting is a spiritual mechanism that allows one to receive messages from heaven, just like a satellite dish.
The tricky thing about personal symbols is that they do not always mean the same things to everyone. For
God meets us where we are and He uses a language that we can understand.
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God meets us where we are and He uses a language that we can understand.
Contemporary Symbolism
Some dreams contain symbols that are neither biblical nor personal. Dreams may contain contemporary symbols. These are symbols that most people in a given culture would know at least a little bit about because they are common and contemporary.
If someone dreams of a fighter jet and they have no personal experience with them, they can still interpret the symbol. Most people understand that fighter jets are powerful vehicles that fly in the heavens to fight battles. Based on this general knowledge, we can begin to interpret. Depending on the context of the dream, the jet may symbolize a battle being fought in the
instance, if someone worked in military intelligence during the Cold War, the symbol of a satellite dish may speak to them of spiritual warfare. If someone works in radio, a satellite dish may have to do with broadcasting, rather than receiving information. To them, it may symbolize a platform to reach many people with a message.
This is one reason I put more emphasis on knowing the Lord than knowing symbolism when interpreting dreams. The Lord knows the meaning of every symbol He uses, and we should always ask Him for their interpretation. Further, we should ask questions of the dreamer, such as, “What do you think of when you see a satellite dish?” Such questions may yield an effortless interpretation.
Over time, we each develop a vocabulary with the Lord. We begin to recognize the unique language He uses with us. Certain symbols take on a special meaning for us because God uses them time and time again. Similar to the Complete Mention Principle discussed above, we develop a history with God and understand His voice with increased clarity. We know what God is saying when we dream of a satellite dish because He has used this language with us in the past.
God is involved in the minutia of our existence, and He
often orchestrates events in order to
speak to us.
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heavens or maybe a person or ministry that is equipped for spiritual warfare. It could mean a lot of things, but we can interpret the symbol because everyone knows a little bit about fighter jets.
Examples of contemporary symbolism abound. If someone in a dream is wearing a badge, it may speak of authority because in our times, badges signify authority. If someone is dressed like a doctor, this may signify a healing gift because in our culture, this apparel is associated with healing. If we are awakened to the potential meaning of symbols in the world around us, we will expand our ability to think prophetically and interpret dreams. We will expand our dream hermeneutics.
Seeing Symbolic Scenarios in Your Waking Life
Symbolic scenarios play out in dreams, conveying a message to us. In the same way, symbolic scenarios sometimes play out in our daily lives. God is involved in the minutia of our existence, and He often orchestrates events in order to speak to us. In this way, our lives become a living parable.
The lives of many biblical characters were prophetic and symbolic. They lived the scenes we read in Scripture and, for them, life became a parabolic.
Consider the lives of Isaac and Joseph. Both men lived out a prophetic foreshadowing of the mission of Jesus. Isaac carried offering wood on his back as he walked the hill where his father was to sacrifice him. On that hill, a substitutionary sacrifice was provided. Joseph was rejected by his brothers, went through the crucible, was buried in the dungeon, and eventually was resurrected to sit on a throne of authority.
The prophets of old explained that events in their lives were signs from God. Isaiah prophesied that the birth of his children and even the names given to them were messages from God. Hosea understood that his life was a prophetic symbol to Israel. He endured the pain of marrying a prostitute, taking her back each time she was unfaithful. His life prophesied that God would redeem Israel, though His heart had been wounded by her harlotry.
These and many others in Scripture lived prophetic lives that communicated a message from God. Likewise, the experiences and coincidences in our lives are often speaking a message to us and to others. Think of the significance of marriage in Ephesians chapter five. A believer’s marriage is meant to reveal the Great
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Mystery of Christ and the church. We would do well to remember this the next time we feel our marriage is under attack. The enemy intends more than to cause an argument. He seeks to corrupt the message our marriage is preaching.
Understanding these simple concepts helps us to think symbolically. If we will look for these living parables, we will find that God is speaking constantly. A friend, who trains people to identify the voice of God, encourages students to pay attention to coincidences and unusual occurrences in their lives. He tells them to ask, “If this were a dream, what would it mean?” This question and the mindset it fosters will lead us down the path of prophetic understanding.
As we become more adept in identifying the symbolic language God uses in our waking lives, we will grow in dream interpretation, as well. As we become accustomed to the many ways God speaks, interpretation will become second nature.
Justin Perry is the Lead Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, SC. After a dramatic salvation experience in 2000, Justin almost immediately began to experience and walk in supernatural ministry. Since that time, he has been involved in equipping the body of Christ in healing, evangelism, and prophetic ministry. Justin has a vision for the church to know the Scriptures and the power of God. Whether training in the gifts of the Spirit or teaching Systematic Theology, he makes daunting and complicated issues inviting and accessible. Justin has seen multitudes equipped and released into their spiritual gifts, both inside the church and out in the streets. He and his wife, LeeAnna, have two sons and live in Charlotte, NC.
Click Here to purchase Justin Perry’s new eBook, True Theology:
Encountering the Knowledge of God.
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QUOTES Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
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Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown
future to a known God.”
–Corrie Ten Boom
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INSIDE EDUCATION
MorningStar University (MSU) is a ministry school dedicated to raising up Christian leaders with a strong biblical worldview, the character to act with moral courage, and the humility to serve. A big part of this involves classroom teaching and in-depth study of God’s
Word. However, only so much can be learned in the classroom, and at some point we must step outside of its walls and into the real world. It’s these real world experiences that greatly impact the students’ growth and leadership development. Here at MSU, we look for opportunities to send our students out, and this month we had one such opportunity.
A few hours south of our Charlotte campus, in the greater Columbia, South Carolina area, the locals experienced some of the worst flooding that ever occurred in the state. Thousands of people evacuated the area and moved into shelters, and the state was quickly declared a disaster zone. The rivers rose, many dams throughout the state threat-ened to burst, and the state emergency plans were in full effect. It was during this time that the students in the Special Forces program began mobilizing.
The Special Forces program at MSU is an outdoor leadership program dedicated to developing high-impact leaders capable of going into all the world and establishing the kingdom of God. It combines wilderness survival training with leadership and team building exercises to establish students in a leadership mentality that says, “Here am I, send me.”
Into All the World – MSU Special Forces Students Respond to DisasterBy Nathan Plowman with Nathaniel Dziomba
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It was this group of students that, just as the floodwaters started to recede, were on the road and heading into the disaster zone. They arrived at the beginning of the relief efforts and teamed up with Operation Blessing, a large relief organization started by Pat Robertson. Over the next several days, the team of Special Forces students worked in distribution centers unloading trucks of water and supplies, and then organizing and distributing the enormous amount of donated resources. The group also went into houses that had been flooded and helped remove all of the water-damaged furniture and household items. They then tore out the wet drywall, insulation, and flooring.
Through it all, the team was able to pray with the locals, minister to the volunteers and local government officials, and be a true light in dark places. In addition, they gained incredible insight and training on how to operate effectively in disaster zones and the confidence to go in again when the next disaster strikes.
These are the experiences that characterize MorningStar University’s Special Forces program. Students are challenged not just mentally, but also physically and spiritually to overcome adversity and minister in whatever way possible to those in all kinds of need.
If you are interested in learning more about MorningStar University or the Special Forces program, visit http://morningstaruniversity.com/ for more information or contact the MSU office at (803) 547-8494 or [email protected].
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Restoration of America:The Wealth of a Nation
PERRYKARLA
FEATURES
mericans have become the government’s greatest
supporters. Conservatives portend to want the government to do something about the economy as much as liberals do. Perhaps when we see the government as the problem, it has become easier to see it as the solution. Granted, a government that has overstepped its proper boundaries of authority has indeed become a problem, but the solution is not to sway that intrusion to support one party’s values over another, but to forbid the usurpation altogether.
Having a stable economy is one of the most necessary ingredients to ensure the wealth and strength of a nation. A free, industrious, and productive people are tantamount to a stable economy. Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations is a comprehensive authority on the subject of national economics. Published in 1776, it became the bedrock philosophy of American economics. It became so, not because the Founders designed our economy after Smith’s philosophy, but because Smith meticulously envisioned a free market society before
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it ever existed.1 Reading Smith, it is easy to believe he merely described a free market society as it was, instead of theorizing something yet to be born on a national scale. Thus, we look to this Scottish moral philosopher not for a philosophy to impose, but to reimagine the vision of what is possible when a free and industrious people prosper.
Smith advised on the role of government in conjunction with a free and burgeoning economy. He writes, “Upon every account, therefore, the attention of government never was so
1 Smith, Roy C. Adam Smith and the Origins of American Enterprise, Truman Talley Books. New York, 2004
unnecessarily employed as when directed to watch over the preservation or increase of the quantity of money in any country.”2 A free people are the engine that produces the economic stability of a nation. The engine is too massive a machine of industry to be monitored by any small entity of government. It requires the continual oil and energy of the entire community of all its parts to maintain stability.
Anytime one part of the machine is given favor over another through unnatural means, such as government involvement, it becomes off-kilter. The
2 Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Barnes & Noble. New York, 2004 (1776) p. 285
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other parts have to work harder than their fair share, and the strain affects the favored portion as detrimentally as the unfavored. Smith explains, “To hurt in any degree the interest of anyone order of citizens, for no other purpose but to promote that of some other, is evidently contrary to that justice and equality of treatment which the sovereign owes to all the different orders of his subjects.”3
For example, Smith writes, “But there is no country in which the whole annual produce is employed in maintaining the industrious. The idle everywhere consume a great part of it....”4 He defines the idle as the disabled, the foolish, the elderly, the children, and those necessary industries that do not increase national production. Those in the last category provide services for the community such as doctors, nurses, and lawyers, but are not considered
3 Ibid. p. 3734 Ibid. p. 44
producers. All of these become, in essence, supported by those who are producing. While every person is of inestimable value, government regulation that favors the idle over the producers will hamper production and harm the idle. Regulation that favors the producers over the non-producing valuable renderers of services will harm the needs of the producers in the process.
The Limits of Government
Moreover, the government ought not to create jobs for the unemployed where society is not able to support the creation of said jobs. Smith argues, “No regulation of commerce can increase the quantity of industry in any society beyond what its capital can maintain.”5 If the engine of a nation’s economy is not operating at the level at which it can expand to employ more workers, no regulations will overcome that reality. In contrast, freedom, over time, will naturally lend itself to an increase of capital for healthy businesses and will weed out the businesses that are not healthy.
Understanding the difficulty of assuming such a grandiose position as to rule and regulate economic affairs cautions a people towards such a one who would think himself capable of the
5 Ibid. p. 298
A free people are the engine that produces the economic stability of a nation.
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is relegated. The first is in defending against foreign invasion by maintaining a regulated military. The second is protecting its citizenry from each other by maintaining a justice system. And lastly, to maintain the public works common to the needs of all citizenry, such as roads, bridges, and canals. Each of these services requires a portion of the common produce of the nation, which is acquired through taxation. Moreover,
the object of a government supportive of a healthy national economy is to keep as much of the people’s capital in their own pockets as possible. In so doing, this increases the continued revenue drawn from taxation as that capital is put to productive use by the people.8
8 Ibid. p. 419-420
task. Smith wrote this warning in 1776:
“The statesman, who should attempt to direct private people in what manner they ought to employ their capitals, would not only load himself with a most unnecessary attention, but assume an authority which could safely be trusted, not only to no single person, but to no council or senate whatever, and which would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly and presumption enough to fancy himself fit to exercise it.”6
Furthermore, Smith writes:
“The sovereign is completely discharged from a duty, in the attempting to perform which he must always be exposed to innumerable delusions, and for the proper performance of which no human wisdom or knowledge could ever be sufficient; the duty of superintending the industry of private people and of directing it towards the employments most suitable to the interest of society.”7
The Government’s Job
The government does provide a valuable service to the national economy in three areas for which its authority
6 Ibid. p. 3007 Ibid. p. 399
When we each live lives
that are appropriately
balanced in terms of
the way we manage
our own affairs and our
own businesses, we are
contributing to the whole.
32 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
A Free Market Economy
Adam Smith is an avid proponent of a free market economy. When each portion of the economy is working to produce in alignment with their own interest, the interests of the other portions are maintained. He writes, “All systems either of preference or of restraint, therefore, being thus completely taken away, the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes itself of its own accord. Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice, is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own way, and to bring both his industry and capital into competition with those of any other men, or order of men.” 9
Even if the economic engine were to falter due to any of the numerous pressures being applied to it, a free, knowledgeable, and industrious people can reignite the economic engine. Those who did not build on a firm foundation would be in a more difficult situation than those who did. Thus, some will feel the jolt of the engine grinding to a stop and subsequently restarting more than others. We need not be victims of an economic shift, but rather a people who can position ourselves appropri-ately towards economic progress. Smith argues that if a society were to no longer have money to exchange for goods and
9 Ibid. p. 399
services, that it would barter, “though with a good deal of inconveniency,” 1 0 until a trustworthy currency was reestablished.
Preparing for an Economic Shift
At whatever stage an economy may be, the healthy thing to do is to increase the capital of the society through productive enterprise. Where capital is lacking, “parsimony, and not industry, is the immediate cause of the increase of capital.” 1 1 Frugal saving of one’s money or goods is primary before sowing that accrued capital into a productive endeavor, which reaps a greater return. Industry can only produce more of something that already exists. It takes the five loaves of bread and makes them multiply to feed five thousand; it doesn’t make five loaves of bread appear out of thin air.12
When we are positioned in a way that we are not consuming all of our capital, but creating capital through stewardship of our resources, we will be able to apply that knowledge regardless of our national circumstances. If we are ignorant of the system and our dependence upon it, we will feel our world has crashed instead of realizing that we are the gears of the economic system. When we each live lives that are
10 Ibid. p. 28511 Ibid. p. 23312 Matthew 14:18
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the solution. The national economy begins and ends with the people, and if it ends, it shall begin again with the people.
appropriately balanced in terms of the way we manage our own affairs and our own businesses, we are contributing to the whole. In contrast, when we live recklessly in terms of finances, or in the way we do business, we contribute to the economic decline.
Refusing to Behave Like Victims
When we blame government, we absolve ourselves of our proper responsibility as we the people of these United States. We become the victims, and the government, whom we consider to be the perpetrator, steals not only our economic prowess, but our identity as responsible citizens. The stealing happens because we have seen ourselves as helpless victims petitioning an all-powerful entity to fix our problems, instead of being the problem-solvers. There are problems at the governmental level. We would have to be blind not to recognize that. But to hoist the entire system on the shoulders of an institution not designed to bear the burden is to further endanger the economic system.
The American people are designed to advance economic prosperity. To make a difference, we can learn how to be citizens that contribute to our national prosperity starting in our own homes, and then in the larger circles where we have influence. Owning the problem is the first step to becoming
Karla Perry, worldview revitalizer and author of Back to the Future: Rebuilding America’s Stability, is an avid writer with a penetrating and thought-provoking style. Karla helps people develop healthy worldviews through kingdom-based thinking. She has been published in various publications, including The MorningStar Journal and through The Oak Initiative. Karla lives with her husband, Joseph, in Virginia Beach, VA, where they lead Remnant Ministries, a member of the MorningStar Fellowship of Churches. You can find more of Karla’s work at www.karlaperry.com.
To order Karla Perry’s new eBook, Back to The Future:
Rebuilding America’s Stability, CLICK HERE .
34 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
QUOTES Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
35
Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
“God is not silent. It is the
nature of God to speak. The
second person of the Holy
Trinity is called ‘The Word.’”
–A.W. Tozer
36 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
Six Characteristics of the Coming Revival
BOONEBISHOP WELLINGTON
FEATURES
am looking for revival and spiritual awakening to sweep
across The United States. I expect one of the greatest moves of God in history to begin in the black community.
When this revival comes, it must not be temporary. In order to last, it must be based on the Bible as absolute truth and God’s revelation to man through Jesus Christ. It must be grounded in local churches where men have the oversight of spiritual fathers and mothers who know God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I 1. We will take dominion over the inner cities.
Revival restores us to the level of authority in God that Adam had before the Fall. When sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, Adam’s sin did not only affect Adam and his wife. His sin affected everything under their jurisdiction.
Adam had two sons, but because of generational sin from the father, one son became a murderer of his brother. Cain killed Abel. God had given Adam authority over the whole earth. Bird
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and plant life, and every other kind of life, were blessed because Adam had been given dominion over them. “So the LORD God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one” (see Genesis 2:19).
Once Adam sinned, every name he had given to the animals was defiled. Adam was to be God’s man to influence all of creation, but when he sinned, he moved from being God’s man with the spiritual substance to rule the earth with righteousness to being an example of the opposite of what God intended to do. Everything on earth was corrupted from that time forward. Where life had reigned, now sin and death began to reign.
Jesus Christ, the last Adam, reversed the curse, bringing life where there was once death. I believe the same thing will happen with black American men and their families. The downward slide will be reversed, and these men will become godly Christian leaders for their wives and children, and for America and the world.
2. This will be a discipleship movement.
As their spiritual fathers, we must get people saved and then go beyond that to teach them how to pray and live consecrated lives.
3. This revival will come from the inside out.
True revival happens inside a person. Instead of looking for God on the outside, a man goes after God until he knows he has the substance of God inside. He is so changed that he becomes a walking manifestation of the glory of God in his everyday life.
38 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
obedience and your follow-through just to give people what you have, people are changed from darkness to light, evil to good, cursing to blessing, taking to giving, hating to loving.
6. In this revival, we won’t look for God’s presence. We will carry His presence with us as we go.
Revival is not looking for a cloud of glory like what happened when Solomon dedicated the temple. Revived people carry the cloud of God’s glory in their hearts. In almost every church I visit, people are still singing songs calling on God to bring His presence in the church service, but we don’t have to call for His presence. We carry a cloud of glory when we walk into the inner cities. The devil cannot stand it, and he has to flee.
He carries such a weight of glory that his feet leave an imprint in the sands of time.
4. This revival will reproduce itself in disciples.
I want to encourage Christians who delay in self-doubt when Jesus has called them to reach out to others. You have something great to offer just the way you are. If your whole city looked like you, would it not certainly be changed? There would be no sex outside of marriage, no drunkenness, drugs, smoking, or stealing. Even if you do not have enough faith to think that people could become like Jesus, what if they could just become like you? That would start a revolution.
Jesus told us to make disciples—to reproduce ourselves in others. A father reproduces himself in his children, and a spiritual father reproduces himself in his spiritual children. Anyone you meet is a potential disciple.
5. This revival will begin with the obedience of people who are already Christians.
The first step to fulfilling the Great Commission is obedience. You say “Yes” to God. He said, “Go and preach the gospel,” and so you do. He said, “Make disciples,” so you make disciples. Revival means that people begin a new life. They are not the same anymore. They are transformed. Because of your
Bishop Wellington Boone is a ministry leader, pastor, and author who stands firmly on the Bible with integrity, humility, and faithfulness to his wife and family. For more information, visit www.WellingtonBoone.com
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AbbaSandra Quesada
40 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
QUOTES Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
“Faith is to believe what we do not
see, and the reward of this faith is to
see what we believe.”
–Augustine
41
Mustard Seeds of Wisdom
42 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
God’s Hardest CommandmentBUCHANJIM
FEATURES
ould a loving God ever tell His people to “shut
up and listen”? Well, that’s basically the meaning of a word that occurs seventy-four times in the Bible.
Although scholars aren’t certain the precise meaning of the word Selah, the best suggestions are “pause and think about it” or “stop and listen.” The Hebrew word is generally used in the context of songs or poetry, and it seems to denote a time to stop singing and let the words sink in.
Why does God have to tell us seventy-four times to be quiet and ponder what we’ve heard? Probably because listening is so hard for us! Well, at least it’s hard for me. Maybe you’ve mastered the art of silence, but I know I haven’t.
Often I mindlessly read the Scriptures, sing worship songs, or listen to sermons. The words don’t sink in, because I’ve never paused to meditate on what they really mean.
The Selah commandment seems harder in the 21st century than ever
W
All Scripture references are New King James version.
43
before. We are so time-conscious that we don’t want to waste even a second to stop and listen…ponder…reflect.
Life has become an endless stream of activity, conversation, and noise. No time to pause and take it all in. Never a moment to consider what it all means. No, we’re wired for sound every waking moment.
Yet, Selah was never meant to be an option. God commands us to take Selah moments to pause and reflect on who He is and what He is saying to us.
In the course of just eleven verses, Psalm 46 tells us three times to Selah. Verse 10 famously puts Selah in context:
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
When was the last time you quieted your heart enough to know—to really know—that He is God and that He will ultimately be exalted in all the earth? What a life-changing habit that would be.
Other translations of “be still” have been offered: cease striving . . . let go . . . relax. Can you think of anything more therapeutic than a good dose of Selah every day? I can’t.
So I encourage you to take time to Selah today. It will surely change your life.
With more than thirty years of ministry and writing experience, Jim Buchan has a passion to equip Christians for greater fruitfulness. He has served as an attorney, pastor, church consultant, conference speaker, and the managing editor of Ministries Today, Inspiration Today and The MorningStar Journal.
Jim has written several books, including Walking the Leadership Highway—Without Becoming Roadkill!, Apostolic Evangelism, and Taking Your Church’s Vital Signs. For more information about Jim’s ministry, contact him at [email protected].
44 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
FEATURES PPTV NEWS
SOUNDING THE ALARM
In this episode of Prophetic Perspectives on Current Events, Rick talks about what it means to seize initiative and how Putin is doing exactly that in foreign affairs. Putin is calling the shots since taking the initiative in the Middle East, and it is not in America’s nor Europe’s best interest.
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FEATURES PPTV NEWS
SOUNDING THE ALARM
46 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
WW
MorningStarINSIDE MINISTRY
There are at least thirteen mysteries that are referred to in the New Testament.
– Tom Hardiman
“ “Tom Hardiman
MINISTRIES
47
WW
MINISTRIESPREPARING FOR THE TIMES
We begin with a heartfelt worship set led by Mark and Sarah Tillman and then a prophetic ten-minute message with Joe Shrewsbury. Our main speaker is Tom Hardiman. He talks about the sanctified holiness in the heart of God that is going to be fulfilled through His people.
48 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
INSIDE FIFTY PLUS
Can We Dream of Acceleration At Our Age?
What’s in a dream? At our age, many of us have dreamed of things we would like to have happen. Some of these dreams came to pass, and some have yet to become a reality.
We’re all familiar with Joel 2:28, where the Lord says, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” I would like to believe that only those who are ninety-five and above are “old”—I don’t want to have that adjective attached to my name. Let’s just say “old” really means the Joshua and Caleb generation who have come through many circumstances and are equipped for whatever God wants in the days ahead.
So, “old” man John had a dream recently. I dreamed I was on a bullet train that was open at the top. The train was moving along smoothly. I could look up at the sky while riding, and I was with several friends. As we cruised along, I looked at the speedometer on the train. It said fifty.
I thought to myself, “We’re going too slow.”
I walked back to the controls and grabbed the accelerator lever. I pushed it forward so that we would go really fast. We did, and the ride was just as smooth.
After a while I thought, “We’ll come into the train terminal too fast at this speed. When should
I start slowing the train down?” I waited. Then Holy Spirit had me gently pull back on the throttle. The train slowed down as it entered the end of the line, and it just touched the bumpers in the terminal. Then I woke up.
I knew the dream was about us 50+ers. We can ride along at a safe, slow speed. We can be with our friends. We can look at the scenery. But it can also be boring. I believe the Father has a better plan for us. We are not to sit on the sidelines and let life pass us by. He wants us to accelerate into our purpose. We will see more and accomplish more as He gives us added power. He will even resurrect past dreams and fulfill them through us. When our life is finished, we will enter the end, the “terminal,” and go to be with Him.
By John BoneckAll Scripture references are New King James Version.
49
The 50+ Blessing Generation at MorningStar is creating new ways for us to step into our purpose. We call it “50+ Special Ops.” Part of the plan is to get 50+ers into the harvest in different ways, perhaps resurrecting old dreams of what we feel the Lord wants from our lives. We are even creating a special 50+ training time, which will be March 11-17, 2016.
God has prepared us for such a time as this. We will do exploits. We will bring the kingdom wherever we are.
Watch the short video of Debbie Anthony who is the first of many 50+ Special Ops troops. Her story will excite you. If you want more information after you see the video, write us at [email protected]. We will send you more information.
MorningStar sends 50+ “Special Ops” troops to the nations.
Hear how the Father resurrected dreams from the past and launched Deborah Anthony into an exciting 50+ future.
Get Great Resources on the 50+ Website Learn how to give generational blessings, read practical articles, and learn
more about MorningStar’s 50+ Blessing Generation by visiting our website.
Click on the link below. http://www.blessinggeneration.org
Need more information or have a question or prayer request?Contact us at [email protected]
50 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
INSIDE ADVANCING ART
Expressing joy, freedom, and hope is of primary importance to me. A luminous, energized atmosphere is created by mark making through the use of rubber erasers and tools, adding and subtracting vibrant color.
In this piece in particular, it’s as though the figure is emblazoned with light from the inside out,“ glowing in the dark” and pushing through all resistance without reserve.
My intention is to create a space as a portal for the viewer to be inspired to engage their imagination and have an encounter with the Lord. The hope is as one considers a piece, they see and experience something new and encouraging every time.
Susan Card co-leads the Advancing Art team at Morningstar Ministries and is also an art instructor at Morningstar University. She is a frequent guest artist and speaker regarding the visual arts at conferences and church gatherings, both locally and abroad. Susan currently shows her work in galleries, and her paintings are in numerous private collections.
Breaking Through 2015Mixed Media24” x 24” x1”
Susan Card Fine Artist
Click Here for the Advancing Art website where you will find more information on the Advancing Art Team.
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52 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
The greatest adventure that can be experienced in this life is a true walk with God. This book is about a circle of people
who have given their lives to that pursuit, and the incredible journey it has been.
INSIDE READER’S FAVORITES
Reader’s FavoritesFor years, readers have collected their favorite books, CDs, and DVDs,
including the five below.
by Rick JoynerThe Surpassing Greatness of His Power
by Rick JoynerA Prophetic History
To order your copy today, click on the selected title’s cover image.
Please visit us at morningstarministries.org to purchase these titles and more!
This book was written to help illuminate the honors and responsibilites, the difficulties and the opportunities, facing those in ministry today.
53
Reader’s FavoritesGod’s plan since before the foundation of the world has been to bring many sons and daughters to glory.
Discover the river of life and the power that comes when you give your life to God and let Him move and
work through you!
The Journey Begins
The Extraordinary Journeyby Matt Peterson
By Rick Joyner
by Rick Joyner
Matt Peterson, Pastor of Awake Church in Winston-Salem, in
his debut publication guides readers through new, foundational
experiences in kingdom living. “Embark on a new adventure. Bathe
in God’s love.”
“Love combined with power becomes courage. Courage is the result of loving others more
than yourself.”- From The Path
THE PATH is Book One in the Series Fire on the Mountain by Rick Joyner.
The Path
54 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
DIRECTORYMorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM)
United States Of America
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55
DIRECTORYMorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM) The MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM) was established to equip, oversee, and support
ministries that are devoted to seeing radical, biblical Christianity preached, established, and lived on the earth. If you are seeking fellowship with others who are committed to doing all things for the sake of the gospel, to stand against the great darkness of our time, refusing to retreat, and determined to advance for the sake of the light and truth that is found only in Jesus Christ, MFM may be for you.
MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries 375 Star Light Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29715 /803.802.5544 Ext.256
56 The MorningStar Journal / November 2015
