John R. Houk
© July 19, 2013
Rick Joyner is one of my favorite Ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ especially in the realm of Christian Prophecy. In shame I have to admit I have not visited his Ministry website in some time – Morning Star Ministries. A friend of mine forwarded an article by Rick Joyner from about a month ago. The article is uncharacteristically political in nature. That got my attention because Joyner messages are usually prophetic in nature. In fact the political nature of his article pushes the envelope on what is acceptable by a persecuting IRS that has been taxed by the Obama Administration to target Conservatives. I have to be honest the tentacles of the Obama Administration have not been discovered YET in the IRS directive to target Obama political enemies; however I am one that does not believe for a minute the Obama Administration if not the President himself released IRS dogs against Conservative organizations such as Tea Party organizations.
Joyner is a bit controversial because mainstream Christians are a bit skeptical of ministries that have a prophetic slant in their work for the Lord. Frankly that wariness is justified for there have been and are flimflam preachers that exploit false prophecy and fake healing for self-aggrandizement in the realm of profit.
Personally I believe Joyner and his ministry provides a New Testament purpose in prophecy for the body of Christ in edification. Yeah I am one of those tongue talkers. Hence I place great stalk in the New Testament Gifts of the Spirit. Pertaining to prophecy here is the Scriptural measuring stick:
14 1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for[a] he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; (Bold Emphasis Mine - 1 Corinthians 14: 1-18 NKJV)
Knowing this about my beliefs which I am certain I will receive a load of criticism for, below is a decent description of Rick Joyner:
Shortly after becoming a Christian in 1972, Rick Joyner began having "prophetic experiences" that he felt compelled to share with others. These visions have had a tremendous spiritual impact on thousands of people, and now many within contemporary renewal and revival movements consider him a modern-day prophet.
As Rick explains in his introduction to The Final Quest, "In early 1995, the Lord gave me a dream, which was the first of a number of prophetic experiences tied together. I published a condensed version of the first dream in The Morning Star Prophetic Bulletin and The Morning Star Journal, under the title ‘The Hordes of Hell Are Marching.’ As I continued to seek the Lord about this great spiritual battle that I had seen, I had a series of visions and prophetic experiences that were related to it." Deluged with requests to publish all three parts together, Rick expanded the original versions into a book, The Final Quest. Just before it was printed, Rick had another prophetic vision, and this never-before-published material was also included. His allegorical dream includes an encounter with Jesus in Heaven and a detailed account of the last battle between light and darkness.
Recent releases from Joyner include The Vision--a 2-in-1 volume featuring The Call and The Final Quest; Shadows of Things to Come--a reminder of what God has done through the church and mistakes we can learn from; Breaking the Power of Evil--an exposé on the insidious cruelty of jealousy, fear, racism, poverty, and religious spirits; and Overcoming Evil in the Last Days in which he exposes today's evils of racism, witchcraft, and religious spirits; and charges the church to stand fast. The Harvest, Prophetic Ministry, and There Were Two Trees in the Garden have all been released in audio book format; The Final Quest has been translated into Spanish.
Rick’s continued prophecies—particularly those stressing his viewpoints on the rapture, the return of Christ, and other end-times events—as well as his predictions that the church will be divided by a coming "spiritual civil war" and his ties to the teachings of Bob Jones, the "Kansas City Prophets," and charismatic movements like the Toronto Blessing, have made him a controversial figure with some Christians. But Rick, who rarely refers to himself as a prophet, remains steadfast in his ministry. In a live Internet interview on www.hispraise.com, he said, "I think the most important thing we can do for the skeptics is just believe ourselves and walk in faith ourselves. I think when they see the fruit, that more than anything else will turn the heart of the skeptics." And in The Final Quest, he rejects suggestions by some that his visions supercede the authority of God’s Word. "I must state emphatically that I do not believe that any kind of prophetic revelation is for the purpose of establishing doctrine. We have the Scriptures for that...At times I have questioned my own memory for certain details in this vision, and I think that you should therefore have the liberty to do the same...Only the Scriptures deserve to be considered infallible."
Despite criticism, Rick’s visions have brought many to tears of repentance, and his Morning Star Ministries continue to ignite fires of revival. A former commercial pilot who now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and two children, Rick is currently pastor of Morning Star Fellowship Church and executive director of Morning Star Publications. He’s the author of numerous books, including The Call, The Harvest, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, The Journey Begins, and Prophetic Vision for the 21st Century. (Meet Rick Joyner; ChristianBook.com)
In the interest of being fair here is a link that is determined to label Joyner a false prophet. My position on that link is this guy is taking out of context much of what Joyner has actually said or wrote then matching the out of context analysis with Scriptures that match the link writer’s perception. You can form your own opinion.
Regardless of what you believe about prophetic ministries or just Rick Joyner, this June message is something more Christian Preachers should have the gumption to share with Christians. You really should read it!
JRH 7/19/13 (Hat Tip: Stephen)
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A Time For Courage
By Rick Joyner
June 12, 2013
As the revelations of the last few weeks now make abundantly clear, our freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and our freedom of religion may have never been in greater jeopardy than they are right now. The remainder of this year will likely determine whether we will remain a free people or succumb to a terrible tyranny.
The scandals around Benghazi, the attacks on the press, and the IRS being used to target political enemies are some of the most shocking Federal Government overreaches in our history. Now we find these are only “the tip of the iceberg” of the assault on our freedoms and our basic privacy.
The revelation that the NSA has the capacity to monitor and store all phone calls, emails, text messages, social network posts, virtually all communications in America, and very soon the world, is so shocking that it is hard for many to believe. Already the power of our Federal Government to impose totalitarian control over its people is the greatest in history. The Administration maintains that their intentions are noble, regardless of the growing mountain of evidence to the contrary. Only the most naïve or ignorant believe that. Even if their motive is for security reasons, is that not the argument every other totalitarian regime in history used to gain control? Even if this Administration’s intent is noble, what about those Administrations which follow?
All of these revelations and scandals are far beyond anything we have ever witnessed. They are coming at us so fast that people may go numb and just shut down. In the Book of Daniel, the devil’s strategy is to attempt to “wear out the saints,” and this has always been an effective strategy. However, now is not the time to shut down and throw up our hands declaring that this is too much to process. Everything we hold dear as Americans, our most basic liberties, are in serious jeopardy. It is time for courage and our most resolute determination that this is not going to happen on our watch, and that we will never give up. It is not too late.
The Three Important Questions
There are three crucial questions to ask in any crisis: What is happening? What is not happening? What can I do about it? These were first stated by the U.S. Army Colonel made famous in the book and movie We Were Soldiers. In the first U.S. Army battle against a regular North Vietnamese Army, Colonel Moore used these questions to lead his force through what looked like impossible odds to ultimate victory. It was then adapted for the U.S. Army Manual as a commander’s basis for evaluating a crisis. We will use it here.
What is Happening?
o The Federal Government has built an unprecedented apparatus for monitoring its own citizens that is virtually total.
o The IRS was used extensively to harass and silence the political opposition of the Obama Administration.
o Evidence is surfacing that the DOJ, EPA, and other agencies were used for the same purpose.
o The Administration has illegally seized the communications of journalists who were probing the Administration’s activities.
o The level of the Administration’s lies and attempts to cover up what happened at Benghazi makes it clear that something extremely important is being hidden from the American people.
What is Not Happening?
o The Democratic Party has not awakened to how much its future is in jeopardy by what is unfolding. Its legacy could forever be destroyed by the level of overreach, scandal, and incompetence now surfacing in the Obama Administration. Democratic Party leaders and members continue to defend these indefensible actions as if they are already controlled by information of threats against them.
o The news media remains asleep, blind, or neutralized so that it is only tepidly covering what is shaping up to possibly be the biggest issues of our lifetime. As this is the biggest threat to the freedom of the press, more people are wondering if that freedom has not already been lost.
o With but a few exceptions, the Republican leadership in Congress is failing to demonstrate the kind of courage, resolve, and wisdom to lead us through this crisis that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.
o The majority of the American people are not waking up, but they are starting to stir.
o More people are becoming deeply alarmed, but they are not hearing a clear trumpet call to know how or where to rally.
What Can We Do About It?
o We must each resolve that regardless of the personal consequences, we will seek to know the truth, and we will stand for truth without compromise.
o An eagle needs a left wing and a right wing to fly. The issues now facing us are bigger than many of the liberal and conservative issues we’ve been fighting over. Though we must never compromise our convictions, we must learn to fight together as Americans when facing these ultimate issues of our basic freedom.
o The unprecedented Federal overreach is, at least to a degree, the result of the States abdicating their rights under the Constitution to the Federal Government. Leadership at the State level, especially Governors and State Attorneys General, could be the most important positions in the unfolding battle for our freedom.
o Blog, write, and speak every chance you get. Blogging has now surpassed the traditional media as the source of information for most Americans. Social Media is now more powerful in shaping public opinion than traditional media. Use it! Don’t worry about who is monitoring it—preach to them too!
o Get engaged. Go to town hall meetings. Write to your elected officials often. Run for office. Work in campaigns. Donate time, money, and other resources. If we don’t give it freely now, it will be taken from us soon.
o Don’t stop because we don’t seem to have quality leaders at this time—we have the greatest leader of all—King Jesus. He is the Truth, and all who love Truth will follow Him, regardless of the consequences, regardless of whether anyone else joins us.
o We must live by faith, not by fear. When the odds seem impossible is the time when the greatest leaders have arisen and the greatest miracles have been done. This is our time, and we must resolve that we will never, ever retreat or give up.
KEY STRATEGY
It’s understandable that Congress does not want to sound too shrill or too reactionary, but to proceed in a sound and systematic way in the face of these serious issues. However, Congress has limited power to investigate and has proven willing to abdicate that power and cave in to Administration pressure or intransigence. Trust in the Government and our leadership will continue to erode if reputable independent prosecutors need to be appointed for each of the major issues addressed above.
That being said, the center of gravity for the fight to preserve our liberty must be taken out of Washington. State Attorneys General have the authority to prosecute any crime committed in their State and against their citizens. With criminal charges, the power to take depositions under oath from employees and the management of these government agencies is the best way to get to the truth of who is responsible for this tyrannical use of police state tactics, the abuse of power, and the illegal seizure of property, information, and communications.
With the dearth of leadership now being demonstrated on the Federal level, there are some remarkable and courageous leaders arising in the States. If State Governors and Attorneys General take the lead in this crisis, they will no doubt take back much of the authority given to the States by the Constitution that has been usurped by the Federal Government. This balance, which is essential for the preservation of the Republic, can be restored. There are key Governors and Attorneys General already taking up this strategy. We must get behind them any way we can.
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Thoughts on Joyner – Then Read his Prophetic Condemnation of Obama Govt.
John R. Houk
© July 19, 2013
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A Time For Courage
© MorningStar Ministries
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